The future of the book has been widely discussed in the last decade, as has that great democratic institution, the library. Both have been challenged by technological advances and societal change this century but are fighting off most suggestions of obsolescence by adapting successfully. My local libraries have made a number of innovations that I […]
“The tone of modern political discourse [in Australia] has caused younger generations to become disillusioned with government, and by extrapolation, with democracy.” SOURCE “In a result that confirmed the surprise findings of our 2012 Poll, only 59% of Australians say that ‘democracy is preferable to any other kind of government’, and more than one in […]
“Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn.“ Stephen Hawking Our brightest students are no longer questioning the usefulness of the content they are taught at school but are seeking out what […]
Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord. Walking allows us to be in our bodies and in the world without being made busy by them. It leaves us free to […]
How do we best educate children to be thoughtful about their online security in these rapidly changing times? The challenge of staying up-to-date, when technological innovation gallops at breakneck speed and new tools are available daily, is a major challenge for most of us. However, it is not just an understanding of technology that is […]
Trey Ratcliff spoke so glowingly about the Nikon 14-24mm wide-angle lens that I lusted after it for two years before managing to buy one for my Nikon D700. The lens is oddly shaped, heavy and one does feel a little nervous about transporting it while travelling. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful lens, especially for landscape photography. […]
My walk through Cumbria, in England, has been everything I hoped and the weather smiled benevolently for the whole journey. Unbelievably, my goretex remained in the pack for the whole 8 days as the temperatures soared and the country experienced a heatwave (by British standards). Mostly the walk provided reflective time alone, as well as extended exercise […]
Managing and storing photos, especially online, can be challenging if one has limited time to assess the many excellent possibilities. There is much to consider, including: privacy, flexibility, sharing, copyright, capacity, access, affordability, mobility and simplicity. Many use Facebook, the largest photo-sharing platform on the web and dabble with Instagram, especially if their phone is […]
Chase Jarvis’ quip, “the best camera is the one that’s with you” resounds in an era where anyone who wishes to take photographs is spoilt for choice about how they capture images. A few still opt for a battered, much-loved film camera and send their pictures to the photo lab to be developed but a […]
“Politics is war by other means.” Foucault The soap opera that is Australian politics entered a new phase last night. Three years after being deposed by Julia Gillard, in a coup led by ‘faceless men’, Kevin Rudd has been returned as leader of the ALP and Prime Minister. Back then it […]
The next generation of NAPLAN literacy and numeracy tests will transform the monitoring of students’ development of these key foundational skills. It will be 21st century assessment for 21st century young people and their families…Electronic delivery will bring major benefits. It will allow quicker turnaround of results and give schools a better opportunity to use […]
Darcy tapped the page of his book and the next appeared. It had been years since he had to physically labour, turning page after page, of a novel or heavy non fiction tome and he knew he would resent having to make that much effort to read when his Kindle iPad app was so convenient. […]
State schools in NSW are grappling with a post-DER world. The Digital Education Revolution funding from the federal government provided Lenovo laptops, technical support and wireless coverage to schools. For the last 5 years Year 9 students have been issued with a laptop. That has all evaporated with no funding from the state government to […]
“I think he got it just right” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s granddaughter Fresh from viewing the dazzling, 3D kaleidoscope, that is Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby, it is imperative that my disbelief at reviewers, who have castigated or had mixed feelings about the film, is written down. Luhrmann’s Gatsby is quite perfect and a faithful rendition of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s […]
The promotion of the new X100s FujiFilm camera enticed me to buy for a number of reasons but one wonders why this advertising campaign worked where so many other cleverly designed attempts to empty my pockets left me cold? I have a few reflections about this and briefly review my newest camera in this post. […]
My EDGD 824 English method students have been considering the question: how do I ‘teach Shakespeare’ and have students enjoy the experience? and I would value your input and advice. There are more resources for teaching Shakespeare than any teacher could ever read, view or use but, of course, the plays and sonnets are what […]
…the plan is to add more services you can choose from in the next weeks and months…* Sue Waters and Richard Byrne recently posted about alternatives to the much-loved Google Reader for RSS feeds. I am slowly exploring options but do, realistically, have limited time to evaluate all that is on offer. I have been sitting […]
The Red Room Company’s national poetry education program transforms the way poetry is taught in Australian schools and learning institutions by bringing young and emerging poets into classrooms across the country to run practical writing workshops. During the workshops, poets inspire students to develop read, listen, compose and perform their own poetry, which simultaneously enriches […]
And it has become a kind of a truism in the study of creativity that you can’t be creating anything with less than 10 years of technical knowledge immersion in a particular field. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi It’s best to have your tools with you. If you don’t, you’re apt to find something you didn’t expect […]
Since posting Workflow: X100s and the iPad experimentation has led to a number of initial decisions about processes and tools. Although, not completely happy with all aspects of what follows, I suspect that a month of travelling in July-August will help me road test these ideas. Workflow ideas Firstly, I have everything working now but need […]
“Your filtered photos on your WordPress blog, right from your mobile device. Simple. Smart. No privacy or licensing issues to get in your way.” As an educator, WordPress blogger, photographer, iPhoneographer and social media enthusiast the recent funding of Pressgram via Kickstarter truly fascinated. It is why the World Wide Web is still so often an inspiring daily part of our lives with the potential for each […]
Now the extra base funding necessary to get us to this school resourcing standard over six years is $14.5 billion. It’s a lot of money, but I believe it is a wise investment in our children’s future and in our nation’s future. J. Gillard The Gonski Review has led to our Prime Minister announcing “the biggest changes […]
A digital photography workflow is an end-to-end system of working with digital images, from capture to delivery. It is comprised of a series of inter-connected steps developed by photographers to simplify and standardise their work. SOURCE I purchased a FujiFilm X100s compact camera for a range of reasons and am now grappling with some […]
“I want to do something I am interested in. I want to pursue my passions and live happily.” Quiia Cheng (17) “China is getting rich now. But if you look at the picture more closely, you’ll see that China is very unequal. So – how do we make society more equal? How do we divide […]