Posts by Ross Mason
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
The quality of Radio NZ's service will be compromised for a minor monetary gain at a time when the broadcaster says audiences are at an all-time high.
I can't help thinking that RNZ's success with such high audiences is a BIG target for private stations to take aim at.
They might be saying: "Why should tax payers money be starving us of advertising revenue?"
So lets get stuck into them.
-
Dr Haywood doth jest with us.
4? he writes. And all of us immediately think that he has mysteriously mistyped Pi.
It could be e. It's natural enough. But then, maybe he imagined i.
I heard of a new way of taking e has been tried out in Yorkshire. Its injected into your jaw at the dentist. e by gum.
If Dr Haywood was having difficulty finding the symbol compatible with PA then maybe he could have found this useful.
-
The wonderful ploy of "asking" government orgs to "rationalise" their assets so that it "frees up" a few buckaroos has a tendency to minimise the year's deficit. It is shortsighted. And it is such an easy bullet to insist the org shoots themselves with. And it will guarantee media headlines and political brownie points for your mates.
Yes, it may decrease the deficit. Yes it may give you a few dollars to spend. But after a year or two when the lease needs renewing..... Surprise! The rent increases and the upshot is more outgoings to cover.
The loss of ownership (much like selling the house for one of those "no-need-to-payback-until-you-are-(nearly)-dead-mortgages") means a life of forever catching up.
So yes, RNZ can sell a few money making transmission sites and then...well....who wouldn't put the rent up?
Yes, DOC can sell a few more concessions. Privatise a few bush huts. Maybe even sell a Nat Park or two that they could then lease back. Such a wonderful idea putting a dollar value on such an asset isn't it.
How the hell do you "value" such an item? How can you put a "worth" to it?
It is obscene.
-
Heh again. I went googling for "learning broker mentor"
Check out John Spavin here: Love the reporter Video just below
-
handwavium
Hehe.
Done when you find Unobtainium.
-
Checking out Step Change we find this:
Quality learning facilitation
With reference to quality learning facilitation, Hattie, in his final chapter of "Visible Learning: a Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement" writes:
“The conclusion seems clear: experts possess pedagogical content knowledge that is more flexibly and innovatively employed in instruction; they are more able to improvise and to alter instruction in response to contextual features of the classroom situation; they understand at a deeper level the reasons for individual student success and failure on any given academic task; their understanding of students is such that they are more able to provide developmentally appropriate learning tasks that engage, challenge, and even intrigue students, without boring or overwhelming them; they are more able to anticipate and plan for difficulties students are likely to encounter with new concepts; they can more easily improvise when things do not run smoothly; they are more able to generate accurate hypotheses about the causes of student success and failure; and they bring a distinct passion to their work.”
The relevance of Hattie’s summary is that policy initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for New Zealand’s failing one in five students, and its high-achieving 5 percent, must be placed in the context of quality learning facilitation. If quality learning facilitation does not occur, then it is difficult to see how other policy initiatives will be truly successful. Policy, therefore, should also aim at creating the conditions that attract high-quality teachers into the profession, the return of New Zealand teachers from overseas and continued work on professional development.
(my italics)
Who are these "experts"? Couldn't be Teachers (with a capital T)?
I also wonder if the authors actually started at the front of the book before they found the quote above. The link is to Amazon where the first chapter of Visible Learning can be seen and it makes interesting reading. I think a credit card buy is in order as my appetite has been whetted.
Maybe we do have an expert Expert here in Gidzone and is it the overseas 'experts' who are out of step. Is he the Arthur Lydiard of NZ Education who will have to shuffle off this mortal coil before we realise his worth?
Hattie makes an interesting observation:
“Most countries have been through many waves of reform, including new curricula, new methods of accountability, reviews of teacher education, professional development programs, charter schools, vouchers, and management models. We have blamed the parents, the teachers, the classrooms, the resources, the textbooks, the principals and even the students. Listing all the problems and all the suggested remedies could fill this book many times over.”
We can now add one more. Step Change.
-
The provider would only be funded two-thirds of the cost of the child's course, with the final third paid as a performance bonus when the child succeeded.
Well that is an incentive to get every kid achieving isn't it. Who wouldn't tick the box to get the bonus now?? " Little Billy was just below the pass line.....just a wee bit..." - Yeah Right.
I wish these f*&kwits could understand that "bonus' " and "Incentives" schemes really screw systems up.
-
My hat says McGillicuddy. Seriously!
-
Sigh....
Thank you Epsom........
-
Visiting The Blue Libs one discovers that
The Blue-Liberals group has been established to advocate for socially liberal values and policies within the National Party.
Our core commitment is to economic and social freedom, responsible government and national identity with diversity.
Although stated easily enough, these things involve striking a sometimes difficult balance. Social and economic freedom must be balanced against individual responsibility and the need to ensure an equitable marketplace. Responsible government does not mean 'no government', but government where and when it is needed to bring about positive outcomes. Diversity must be balanced against the need to uphold the unifying values of New Zealand society.
Visiting my dictionary:
Liberal
–adjective
1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13. of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.
Hahahaha hahahhahahaha hahaha
....it is a joke isn't it?