Gaia vs Medea
Posted by Campbell on | June 18, 2009
I have always been attracted to James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis- the notion of the planet as a single, self-sustaining organism is elegant and beautiful.
This article in New Scientist paints a rather grimmer picture- “Life seems to be actively pursuing its own demise, moving Earth ever closer to the inevitable day when it returns to its original state: sterile.”
Enjoy.
Blue Ridge Mountains
Posted by Ben on | May 25, 2009
5 interesting things about primary education in Finland
Posted by Campbell on | May 20, 2009
One of the upsides of some unexpected downtime this week was that I was able to read the paper for the first time this year.
In case you missed it, Maureen Douglas (until recently the Principal at Spensley St Primary School in Clifton Hill) wrote an interesting article giving an alternate view on the NAPLAN tests. You can read it here.
Maureen is not the first to point out that the Australian models for curriculum, pedagogy and assessment are based largely on those from the UK and US despite the fact that in international comparative studies such as the OECD Program for International Student Assessment these countries typically perform at or below the OECD average for Reading, Maths and Science.
Finland consistently performs extremely well in the OECD and other studies, so on Wednesday morning I spent a bit of time looking into the Finnish primary education system. Here are 5 interesting things about primary education in Finland:
1. The objective of primary education in Finland is “to support pupils’ growth towards humanity and ethically responsible membership of society and to provide them with the knowledge and skills needed in life.” (For sake of comparison, the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s objectives are “to increase participation, engagement and achievement in education; expand options and pathways for learners; strengthen the quality of service delivery and responsiveness to the community and industry; strengthen a culture of working together and to maintain sound financial management.” The National Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ objective appears to be expressed thus, “To improve the quality of schooling nationally, the Australian Government, through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) works with state and territory governments, non-government school authorities, parents, educators and other organisations to seek the best possible outcomes.”)
2. Primary education in Finland is free of charge (this includes instruction, school materials, school meals, health care, dental care, commuting, special needs education and remedial teaching). Private schools, including Steiner schools, receive the same level of funding as government schools. It is strictly prohibited to charge fees at private schools, and students must be selected using the same criteria as the corresponding government schools. Private schools must give pupils all of the same entitlements that they would receive at a state school. Interestingly Finland spends less on primary education (US$4,300 per student or 17% of GDP per capita) than Australia (US$5,000 per student or 19% of GDP per capita). I assume that these figures for Finland do not include the health care, dental care and possibly not the school meals- schools provide lunch for each child that has 33% of their daily nutritional requirements. For a possible reason as to why Finland seems to achieve more with less, refer to point 1 above.
3. Teachers are highly qualified (Masters degree), work independently and enjoy full autonomy in the classroom. The teaching profession is well-regarded and popular.
4. Children start school the year they turn seven.
5. National testing, school ranking lists and inspection systems do not exist.
(Source, also ‘How Australia Compares‘ by Rodney Tiffin and Ross Gittins for the funding comparisons)
See these resources also for Finland’s curriculum documents and for an overview of education in Finland.
Economic stimulus
Posted by Ben on | May 20, 2009
Dear Prime Minister Kevin,
Just wanted to say thanks for sending my portion of the economic stimulus handouts. I just popped the cheque straight on my credit card which will help pay off my recent trip to the USA.
Thanks again.
cheers
Ben
Chris Sharma- climbing clip
Posted by Campbell on | May 8, 2009
Don’t know that I could watch the whole doco but this 10 min highlights clip is good.
Why do birds suddenly appear, everytime you are near?
Posted by Ben on | May 4, 2009
USA09: Television worth watching
Posted by Melissa on | April 25, 2009
Some of the more deplorable television programming that I have seen has been in the US.
I am, however, pleased to share with you some of the best TV that we have ever seen - recently discovered on wide screen LCD TVs in hotels in the mid-west of the USA:
* Dirty Jobs - Mike Rowe, our handsome, glib, weathered host, who is not afraid to say ‘poo’ on air, calls for suggestions from his viewing audience for dirty real-life jobs. He then sets out for the fish processing ships, tanneries, kennels, etc, and gets to work, with crew peering over his shoulder and recording every shudder, retch and gag. Not for the faint of stomach.
* East Bound and Down - starring our hero, Kenny Fuckin’ Powers, a former pitching sensation, now baseball has-been who sports superb mullet/two-barnett hair style, and well tended paunch. Come with Kenny as he moves in with his mild brother and sister-in-law, a temporary arrangement while he “gets his shit together”, and works on a ‘roid fuelled comeback that involves pursuing high school sweethearts, taking a job as a PE teacher, and a high-profile appearance at the local BMW dealership (owner played by Will Farrel in magnificent Kernel wig). Not for those offended by strong, inappropriate language bad hair and even worse fashion.
* Deadliest Catch - slow moving and filled with “Coming up…” promises, this doco follows the tough men of the Alaskan fishing fleet who head out to seas to net crabs. It’s cold, wet, windy and wild, with plenty of cap-wearing cussing fishermen in wet weather gear staggering up and down decks. Lurch through huge swells on grey formidable waters with the tough men of the seas.
USA 09: Indianapolis - the business bit of the trip
Posted by Melissa on | April 20, 2009
15 April grey and not so cold
The USA Lonely Planet gives Indianapolis a yawn. We don’t think it deserves it. We might not have got here if not for the fact that we are attending the annual Museums and the Web conference.
Our room in Indianapolis overlooks Monument Circle and the pale and elegant Soldiers and Sailors monument, commemorating those who fell in various altercations, including the civil war. We return to Monument Circle again and again during our stay and watch the locals doing their thing at this popular meeting place. We see:
- young women/teenaged girls dressed in ‘fizzy’ gowns (one is a dead-ringer for Barbie), pimply youthful dates hovering, on their way to the prom
- a girl in big blonde hair, and bigger boobs, wrapped in a short, gold sequinned dress climb one of the corner columns to primp and pout before being wrapped up and inserted back into her stretch Hummer
- petrol-heads on Harleys and racey Japanese motor bikes, complete with moll riding pillion and sans helmets, doing lap after lap after lap (lost?).
We go to the local cultural institutions, which are impressive - the Indianapolis Museum of Art (contemporary art in a three-storey building surrounded by extensive gardens), the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, and the Indianapolis Museum.
There are blossoms on trees lining canals in parks, polite waiters and helpful traffic lights that count down the time remaining to cross. It’s an easy place to be between presentations, workshops and demos.
USA 09: Impressions of Detroit
Posted by Melissa on | April 14, 2009
11-13 April chilly, raining, sleety stuff, overcast
Detroit city suffers from memories of better days, bears the bruises of the sub-prime collapse, the demise of the car industry, and practises a type of legal segregation that sends whites home along freeways to polite suburbs out of the city centre.
My impressions of and sights around Detroit include:
- the big tyre - a 40-foot tall all-rubber uniroyal that pays homage to the long local history of manufacturing cars. It stands on the edge of town on Route 94
- acres and acres of deserted red brick buildings with the windows punched out - once the Packard plant where a majority of cars were produced
- squat, square gas-guzzling sedans, pockmarked with rust, peeling trim, chrome name tags hanging askew
- streets lined with falling-down houses; all boarded windows and plastic sheet bricks peeling back to reveal tired boards.
- ‘the boys’ gathering on Belle Isle to compare cars; the latest modification fad includes Back to the Future doors that sweep skyward from a hinge under the rear vision mirror.
- the view across the Detroit River of the neon of Caesars, a casino temptation located in Windsor, Canada. Top of the bill: Michael Boulton
- churches housed in besser-block bunkers - locked down concrete boxes with names full of promise. Many have liquor stores and strip joints as neighbours. Some are for sale.
- the yellow and green bus that carries Rosa Parkes on her historic trip when she refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. This simple gesture became important in a time of peaceful resistance that included sit-ins at diners, and wade-ins at local pools.
- the silver globes of a sculpture/memorial outside Wayne State University engineering faculty put there to remember an professor who was shot and killed by a frustrated student
- a trio of soul women doing the nutbush dance and variations in unison to a live band comprising of a sax, keyboard and guitar at Seldom Blues, a classy establishment at the base of the (once gleaming) GHM HQ towers.
USA 09: Happy birthday to me
Posted by Melissa on | April 10, 2009
10 April 4 degrees with freezing wind
BB sings to me at midnight - we are still nocturnal creatures. We wrap up and head out for some education - Chicago makes much of its spectacular architecture and we join a walking tour to find out more. A clever local called William Le Baron Jenney was the ‘father’ of skyscrapers. He designed the first all-metal framed structure in 1885. We learn about the Chicago School, terracotta facades, Chicago windows, stand under magnificent domes and hear about a love story that involved a rich grocer who built an opulent hotel for his much younger wife.
We celebrate with Mexican and mirth. Guacamole is mixed infront of us at a fabulous Mexican restaurant. It is conveniently located under Second City, home of improv and the place where many well-known American comics got their start (Joan Rivers, Tina Fey etc). We see a show called Brother Can You Spare Some Change in which 5 actor/comedians banter in short skits about the credit crisis, the stimulus package, inter-racial marriage, online dating and more.
