Digby tells me I can use them just like spinach, but I’m not convinced. His intense, turtle necked stare striking out from the cook book’s back page suggesting that if he hadn’t made it as a New Zealand chef, he’d have welcomed a role as Dr Who, or more likely a ‘made-for-TV’ Maurice Gee adaptation. That [...]
Managing Impulsivity – One Cattle Prod at a Time
Inspired by John (FarmGeek) Hart ‘s session on food labeling at 2010 Kiwi Foo Camp, I decided to present the problem of poor eating habits to an eager class of year 5 and 6 thinkers. I turned the problem over to them, to solve and illustrate on A5 card. Minutes later we had a class set [...]
Bower to the People
I’d just as soon as put my hand in an open crocodile as play cards, especially on holiday, so getting me to the porch table for a ‘friendly’ game took some serious peer pressure. I’d never played 500 before and this was going be the first time in a while that I’d pushed myself to [...]
Obedience School
I’ve been toying with the idea that it if we want to grow children who can develop their own reasoning and follow through on social action then we should sometimes allow ourselves to be overthrown. Isn’t all the ‘empowering young learners’ talk made irrelevant when underneath it all, we consistently expect obedience even when we [...]
A Bird in the Hand
I share a story with a group of young, open minds. I’m in Luang Prabang in Laos, at the foot of a long set of stairs that lead to a hilltop temple. An old woman is selling young birds, each cramped in their own tiny bamboo cages. it’s good luck she says to let them free at [...]
At the Crossroads
Hoi An, Vietnam- New Years Eve Walking to the festivities by the river through the Old District of tailors and restaurants we noticed a throng of people at an unlikely spot and decided to investigate. What we found were several hundred young locals standing, sitting and squatting, packed shoulder to shoulder at each corner of [...]
Forgiveness and the Digital Footprint
I remember a story… from where I’m not sure. A little girl, claiming to be a channel for God was questioned by an man to prove her claim. He asked: “For what did I ask forgiveness yesterday?” She replied “I have forgotten”. It was swiftly decided that she was either the real deal, or a [...]
Rush-in Fudge – Official Dessert of the National Standards
Auckland principal Paul heffernan did a brilliant job of humorously threatening to fudge test results when national standards come in. It was a nice way to bring attention to the genuine concern about professionals feeling pressured to compromise their integrity for the sake of their jobs. The media, taking exception to the idea of people [...]
The Journey
Multi-tasking isn’t a personal strong point, so with my head down at the map I was oblivious to the oncoming cars till they were kind enough to honk. Funny how car horns use the same voice to say ‘The light’s green now.. off you go’.. as they do for ‘Sweet mercy he’s going to kill [...]
When in Rome- Bracing for Government Inspection
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If like me, your best history lessons came from Asterix comics then all that phrase means is a commitment to theme parties and a preference for vertical bed-linen. I imagined Rome as a historical Vegas. Driving in from the ‘burbs with the top down and money to [...]
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