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Calling for a bipartisan agreement for education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Z30CXVAjw&feature=youtu.be

This nifty video (featuring out-of-tune guitar) demonstrates the need for some equilibrium in education.
I suggest you watch the vid before you read on…

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My take: education has been too much of a political issue in New Zealand. I’m glad that the PPTA has made some bold statements in recent months indicating that are not aligning themselves with a particular party.
I think that what they’re suggesting is unlikely to come about, though. Politians love to blame everything on education and also suggest it as the cure for everything.
Also: the recent minister of education has probably been the worst we’ve had for at least 15 years. She’s been profoundly unpopular and I really hope she doesn’t come in again in the new parliament.

Countdown to change

13 lessons left to teach 1 iPad to return 1 laptop to return Goodbyes Change is in the air. No, I don’t have a new job yet, but I’m still very confident.  

Countdown to change

13 lessons left to teach 1 iPad to return 1 laptop to return Goodbyes Change is in the air. No, I don’t have a new job yet, but I’m still very confident.  

Countdown to change

13 lessons left to teach 1 iPad to return 1 laptop to return Goodbyes Change is in the air. No, I don’t have a new job yet, but I still very confident.  

Expertise

I’m pretty good at the following: elearning (moodle) apple network and client administration -and i know that schools are struggling with managing the devices that their students are bringing. social networking (twitter, facebook, blogs) media (video, audio, images) writing music I’m seriously thinking of consulting in these areas. What do you think?

They Learn More When I Stop Teaching Them

The most important app that every teacher should master

Not many teachers that I know use it. But I think it’s probably the best program that microsoft have ever released. It’s far from perfect – very far, but it’s ubiqutious, functional and extremely powerful. Excel. How do  use it? I use it as a database. Maybe I should learn to use a proper database, […]

National’s Plan to ‘invest’ in schools

Beware: rant ahead. Just over a week ago, the National party announced that it will use some of the money collected from asset sales to build a network for learning. Some of the money is also going to buildings etc. Teachers are actually not happy with this – and here’s why: We thought the assets […]

Steve Jobs, Fair Trade and porn

A friend of mine posted a comment about foxcon on Facebook as part of his praise of Steve Jobs. It spawned a flurry of defenses of Apple, but many didn’t really get his point. The elephant in the room is conspicuous consumption. When we buy a product, do we share the guilt of the production […]

What’s it like to apply for jobs in the social media age

For those who haven’t caught up, I’m in the job market. But what I want to talk about today is the process. I’ve been applying for jobs for 25 years now. I’ve completed: handwritten letters typed cover letters (probably in comic sans), then mailed in “apply in writing to blah blah blah…” The thing that […]