Why are we happy?

I choose happiness! :O)) [vodpod id=Groupvideo.1708998&w=425&h=350&fv=bgColor%3DFFFFFF%26file%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fmovies%2FDanGilbert_2004-embed_high.flv%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26fullscreenURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fflash%2Ffullscreen.html%26forcePlay%3Dfalse%26logo%3D%26allowFullscreen%3Dtrue] more about “Why are we happy? “, posted with vodpod  

Your genes are not your fate

This message, in an unusually brief TED video, is of fundamental importance to all of us, especially teachers. [vodpod id=Groupvideo.1697432&w=425&h=350&fv=bgColor%3DFFFFFF%26file%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fmovies%2FDeanOrnish_2008-embed_high.flv%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26fullscreenURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fflash%2Ffullscreen.html%26forcePlay%3Dfalse%26logo%3D%26allowFullscreen%3Dtrue] more about “Your genes are not your fate“, posted with vodpod  

A Twitter love song

Sue Waters mentioned a ‘Twitter Love Song’ in her comment about my Twitter post. The opening lyrics are just perfectly poetic, considering that my inclination is to talk some English teaching colleagues into using Twitter. Also, I particularly like the idea of Twitter being a virtual ‘watercooler’. Enjoy this and thanks to Martin Weller. [vodpod id=Groupvideo.1678267&w=425&h=350&fv=] more […]

Twitter

Since Mark Pesce spoke about Twitter at an education.au conference earlier in the year, I have been embarrassingly evangelical about this microblogging service. Quite simply, Twitter lets you microblog pithy 140 characters posts, known as ‘tweets’, to your friends or followers. This often seems inane to the uninitiated but the growing number of influential educators and teacher […]

National English Curriculum: Initial Advice

The nation’s newspapers reported on the release of the National English Curriculum: Initial Advice paper with the following opening lines: ‘GRAMMAR will return to the classroom‘ ‘CHILDREN will be taught grammar for the first time in more than 30 years’ ‘ENGLISH will be stripped back to basics under a draft national curriculum so students learn more […]

Monet and Learning

My family had the opportunity to visit Monet and the Impressionists at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney on the weekend and my 4 year old daughter’s enthusiasm to learn (without this ever being discussed) was both a joy and instructive to the educator within. I always get an audio guide – when […]

Will videogames become better than life?

The title of David Perry’s TED talk on videogames instantly reminded me of that Red Dwarf episode and novel, ‘Better Than Life’. Enjoy this amusing and sometimes challenging presentation. [vodpod id=Groupvideo.1638837&w=425&h=350&fv=bgColor%3DFFFFFF%26file%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fmovies%2FDavidPerry_2006-embed-Autodesk_high.flv%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26fullscreenURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.videoegg.com%2Fted%2Fflash%2Ffullscreen.html%26forcePlay%3Dfalse%26logo%3D%26allowFullscreen%3Dtrue] more about “Will videogames become better than life?“, posted with vodpod    

Teaching for a living II

Posting about ‘reflection’ always gives rise to more of the same. It made me feel less than I’d like to be when I suggested my motivation to be a DP was merely, “…for financial reasons“. There’s more that can be said on this point that links to perhaps the greatest social experiment the country has […]

Teaching for a living

Holidays always give one room for reflection.   I am really starting to miss classroom teaching. In my role as a deputy principal, at a large state school, there are many opportunities to promote quality teaching & learning but having only one class (who have just finished school to prepare for the HSC) is starting to […]