Posts by tim kong
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Caught that Labour08 frontpage this afternoon - I wonder if they checked it with Saatchi and Toyota first. ;)
Wasn't sure how long it'd be up - so took a quick screen grab. If it does turn out to be just some black humor - I'm impressed.
Have been pondering this Oscar Wilde quote today.
"Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much."
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Not just living longer.
Apparently, the election, according to the headline writers will boost the NZ economy.
NZ Herald announces recession almost over!
Bah. Who needs policy makers anyway? More elections. One a month!
And before you jump in Craig - I think it's a silly headline, and I don't think John Key is really the devil incarnate, nor do I expect or demand that he be the Messiah.
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His first test though - and he would have learned a lot from the experience. Far more than using his hotel bed as scrum machine - as was pointed out last week.
A heap of potential there - lets just hope he doesn't turn into our version of Andrew Sheridan and never show the goods.
A front row of Hayman and him, with Hore in the middle would do nicely come 2011.
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For those who don't remember it - here's the original:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=L38wthA4Ld0
And yes - somewhat ironic that McCain has done rather well out of the sponsors of the commercials.
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Found this via the Daily Dish. Liked it. Had to go back and watch all the original Wassup TV spots. Laughed. Then felt a little flat when I realised 8 years goes by very fast.
Enjoy.
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It's not just an issue of "Motivation" - it's getting students to understand that effort leads to results. And to get better results requires better effort. In any field of endeavour.
For my part - as a Year 7&8 teacher (Form 1&2) - adding political discussion and electoral participation into your daily plan is fine - as long as you (parents/community etc) are happy that something else gets dropped.
That could be reading, writing, math work, or it could be fitness, healthy eating, and PE. I've already dropped the proposed "dog control lessons" from my programme.
If on the other hand you integrate some electoral awareness into tracking polls and possible MMP configurations vs an FPP result in a series of math sessions - or if you studied the language of political/media speaking in your literacy sessions (How many times did you hear the politician say 'pathetic' as a response? Why do you think they're all using that word?) - then you'd cause some thinking in brains, that while not fully formed, do demand answers and are usually quite inquisitive about the world around them.
And yes - I know that's a horribly constructed sentence.
But for me - that'd be more effective than some form of constructed Ministry led education programme.
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Apologies to all those offended.
But it did make me smile.
I couldn't get the embed working - so mods, please feel free to do so.
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As mentioned - top thread - great tales. Thank you.
And whoever posted the scary squirrel movie - thank you.
Paul - thanks for the tips on the language.
Next week I'm teaching volume to my students - I might visit Starbucks to get some cups - then open the discussion up with the language of measuring volume. Is it accurate. Is it fair.
Always satisfying to get students to challenge what's in front of them.
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We went for the fruit bowl on classroom tables.
Thing was - who paid for the fruit? Was it to come from the school budgets? Or should parents supply said fruit? And if no parents sent in fruit with their child - would their be enough fruit for everyone. So the teachers bought bags of fruit from the roadside stalls - but they couldn't get gst receipts - so they couldn't claim it back.
And then you have to do a bit of health promoting type activity, then you've got to set up the system to prepare the fruit - washed, cut properly - students hands washed - then fruit served.
Then we had parents write non-subtle letters requesting their child not partake of the fruit - as they were not comfortable with other students hands touching said fruit. Not sure where the little brown hands had been after all. Then we had to institute a policy of hiding cutting implements after a knife was used to threaten a child. Then the damp tea-towels weren't getting cleaned and dried properly and that caused another health hazard. Which meant another several hours of writing up Risk Assessment Policies for the healthy fruit bowl exercise.
After all that - no-one knew how to assess the benefits of the fresh fruit in a bowl under accepted standardized procedures.
And the teacher realized he'd run out of time to teach the class how to use a ruler properly - and most were still not sure when to use a full stop or a comma.
But he smiled and waved them off at the school gate, some to their bus, most to an SUV and the rest to the dairy where they all bought cans of V, a bag of lollies and a packet of chips.
So the teacher shrugged, figuring that $67million over four years would mean something to someone.
ps. I'm all for healthy eating - but if you add something to the schools - something else HAS to go. If you sense any cynicism in the above story, it's only because I am slightly. If the Ministry started by providing baristas in staff rooms in might be a different story. ;) -
An "evil China" rant seems to be the more socially acceptable line at the moment.
Not sure I'd put myself in the "evil china" mix, but I did experience an odd mix of disquiet and disgust when watching the events in Aotea Square and seeing coverage of the Wellington march. I don't really know why - and I must admit to questioning my own reactions. Were they simply racially motivated? Based on ignorance? Arrogance?
I am concerned because after reading the Grace Wang articles, and stories from here in NZ I do wonder how much is orchestrated and how much is purely pride in one's own country. (And I'm not holding the linked story as gospel - rather I was interested in what took place). Nationalism can take on such an ugly nature - both here in Godzone and over where-ever-there-is.
My grandfather was Chinese and I have family there. I have traveled there - and was both impressed and deeply saddened by what I saw and experienced. I'm looking ahead and seeing a future that is indeed dominated by China. Not only in Asia, but around the planet.
That doesn't mean I can't hold Chinese policy/government to account and criticize what it is and has been. Much as I believe we need to constantly hold that same sort of mirror up to our own place and the people who represent us.