Posts by Nat
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Hard News: Women and their representations, in reply to Deborah,
You forgot: also, you might be too fat.
But why do people buy them? (A genuine question ... I don't, neither does anyone in my immediate family)
EDIT: although given that jezebel post - perhaps they are worth it for the satire...
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Hard News: Women and their representations, in reply to Deborah,
The only universal tip I think of right now is “warm your hands up first”.
Not necessarily.... depending.
That's how you warm them up isn't it? ;-)
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Hard News: Briefing, blaming, backing down, in reply to Hilary Stace,
Sorry Nat (the Nats I know are Nathans or Nathaniels
I love those names! No worries at all.
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Hard News: Briefing, blaming, backing down, in reply to Paul Williams,
Nat is short for Natalie in this instance Hilary.
Thanks Paul. Although the point still stands - he's not going to like his mother there any more than his father!
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Hard News: Briefing, blaming, backing down, in reply to Hilary Stace,
My research suggested one vital approach in tackling wicked problems: policy people and politicians need to build good relationships with all parties involved, including those who have ‘lived experience’ of the issues. The wisdom of those who are the targets of the policies is invaluable in formulating solutions that will work in the real world.
This sounds so obvious when you put it like this Hilary.
Having lived the experience of helping out in my son's class this morning, our discussion here could not be more relevant. My son is in year 2 in class of 28, having had 19 in year 1. (They usually aim for 24-25 in year 2 but for some reason the numbers didn't work out this year). 28 feels like it is too many: the room itself is too small, everyone is tripping over each other; it's too noisy, the kids are constantly being told to be quiet. And there at least 4 groups of kids of different abilities, so they break out into different activities for reading and maths.
I don't know whether student achievement will be affected by this. Hattie would say perhaps not. But I think the kids feel it and if I was the teacher I would be needing a stiff drink (or three) by the time I got home.
Anyway, I've had an email to say that Hattie's book is now waiting for pickup at the library, so I'll report back. I might be a while.
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Hard News: Briefing, blaming, backing down, in reply to Ross Mason,
Thanks for that Ross. I am waiting for Hattie's book, which I have reserved from the library. I would like to understand effect size better. I am hoping he thoroughly defines it in the book. Or perhaps someone else can elucidate?
I think it's really important that the debate around class sizes includes the assumptions and context of this research. Otherwise we just end up in a "Research says class size doesn't matter" vs "It is obvious class size matters" stalemate.
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Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to Kumara Republic,
In Freakonomics, the authors linked falling US crime rates in the 1990s to the fewer unwanted babies that resulted from Roe vs Wade in the early 1970s. They also made it clear that it all happened by accident, with no government coercion – hence the title of the book.
That link was questioned fairly rigourously in Stephen Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature ...
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Up Front: Making It Better, in reply to Joe Wylie,
The only time I encountered one of those in use was at a 1977 Wellington gallery opening of a gay-themed show. If memory serves the wording was 'presume'. There have been moments since when I've had a hankering for something similar to fit the occasion, like "How dare you presume I give a shit about the Black Caps".
Ha! So useful for so many situations - my particular bugbear is people assuming or presuming I am married. Referring to my "husband" or asking for Mrs <partner's surname> on the phone (I say she's not here).
And Emma said:
We do have an utterly conditioned basic assumption that everyone we meet is heterosexual-monogamous-vanilla, and it comes through in our language.
I think it is even more general than this: people who are part of a mainstream majority assume that everyone else is too, whether it is about sexuality, chocolate or football preferences. And one way to discourage this way of thinking (as you do with your writing), is to keep pointing out that this is not true.
I find it disheartening that most of my gay colleagues past and present have not been out at work, even in environments which I didn't perceive to be homophobic or threatening at all, but they obviously felt to be too risky. They don't talk about their partners, holidays and weekends are referred to in the first person singular. Not that any of us necessarily fully express who we are at work, but this seems like a pretty fundamental prohibition of expression. I would love to see that/help that change.
On a more heartening note, before she died, I took my 87 year old Gran on a road trip to Western Australia, where she had grown up, and we were staying with a dire relative who was regaling us with his homophobic best. And my Gran gave him what for, on the basis of her acquaintance with one of my gay friends. I cheered her then, and I cheer her now, and I hope that she planted a small seed of doubt in said dire relative's mind.
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Hard News: Friday is for all the things, in reply to Paul Williams,
Loving First Aid Kit, but agree, would never have thought them Swedish. They're touring Sydney and am seeing them later this month... try the track Emmylou
I'm not really into altish.country either but could get tempted by First Aid Kit. I love this line from Emmylou Paul: "Now so much I know that things just don’t grow if you don’t bless them with your patience"
While we're on the topic of Swedish (are we still?), I spent a large part of yesterday trying to remember the name Taken by Trees
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Up Front: A Real Character, in reply to Kracklite,
and Ursula LeGuin's much-reprinted essay, Science Fiction and Mrs Brown.
Thanks, I really enjoyed that!