National does not really care about education. Not in a way that most teachers I know approve of. They tend to make changes based on what decile 10 parents lobby them about and secretly they'd just like to privitise everything.

You'd think that them announcing they're going to pump a BILLION dollars into education (announced somewhat like Dr Evil) would be a good thing..... that's a lot of money.....

But....

They're funding this through sales of SOEs, so it's a one-off deal (and it means that in the same breath they can brag about getting the goverment back into a surplus within three years).

And it's tagged with the scary phrase 'to transform and modernise education in NZ'. Coming from National that sounds ominous. I'm pretty sure they don't value the Arts or learning for the sake of analysis and higher level thinking..... I'm pretty sure they'd be happy with we produced an army of tech-savvy robots ready for the work-force.

I'm not sure what they have in mind, but I'm pretty sure I won't like it. It will involve more faddish 'self-directed learning' (without lowering student/teacher ratios to allow more time for the necessary individual learning programmes). It will also probably involve something that goes away from NCEA and back towards Bursary (I say that on no authority, just guessing because every year they introduce new ways of 'quantifying' achievement, going against the original philosophy of NCEA). They will obviously be more use of computers - but will they realise that computers are the medium, not the message?

As an English teacher, I can't envision how teaching kids to read and write is going to be revolutionised in the next decade or so. I know it's trendy to buy into all the future-learning buzz, but I'm kinda old school. I like it when they read things, and talk about them, and try to articulate their views using words. Sure they can read it on an ereader, and 'talk' about it using a google-doc or skype, and write about it on a blog...... but that's not really revolutionising the core skills and values of my subject. A lot of teachers have already experimented with those kind of things and decided they're ok

I suspect the revolutionary changes will be loosely based around some research done by NZ academics recently. Remember that it seems that academics and Ministry of Education workers have to justify their own existence by proposing research topics these days (rather than providing teacheres with actual, useful support). We have had a glut of it in recent years. Somebody, in a desperate attempt to save their own job, will have come up with some 'new' philosophy with bangs and whistles on it and made us all fill out a survey about it (bribing us with another 'bagel breakfast').

And the government likes to look like it's 'doing' something, so good old Ann will embrace it without a second thought. When questioned, she will point to the 'evidence' that it worked overseas - look, here's a schooul in some American ghetto school that had great success with this (when they were sponsored by Apple and each kid got a free laptop as bribery). If principals and teachers' unions say it's not actually a great new thing, she will ignore them. What do they know? Teachers always tried to make her feel stupid at school, so she decided at some point to never ever listen to them ever again.

Anyhow.

I am dubious.

And worried.

It may also involve remote-learning via hologram teachers. Actually, that's my best case scenario. I could teach from home and not wear pants (like the newsreaders).

I got my big Amazon package today. Lots of books and one DVD! I have read the first 10 pages of The Help and am liking it so far. Read it at Salvation with a soy latte while my washing was in the drier at the laundromat. Now I have all clean linen.

* * *

I like walking at night in Levin. It has a darkness and stillness you never find in the city. The roads are wide. And lemon-trees hang over the fences.

* * *

Today I was virtuous. I....

• went for a walk up Mt Vic and jogged most of the way down (I came back a windy way down Roseneath and kept seeing tradesmen and having to keep jogging past them so as not to seem unfit, when I really wanted to stop)


• did some dishes


• did my washing and dried it (duvet cover included)


• vacuumed and dusted my room (gave all my furniture a coating of wood polish)


• washed my hair (and dried it properly)


• watched Thor on DVD (and might return it only one day late!)


• payed the bills


• ate veges and nuts for my snack (grapes, baby carrots, almonds, cocktail tomatoes, celery, feta)


• hung up all my ironing (am without a basket of ironing in my room for the first time in ages)


• found a butterfly on the floor (from an earring)


• watched the 'Eat' part of 'Eat Pray Love'


• read a little bit of a book


• had a coffee


• had berries for breakfast (with yoghurt)

* * *

People with small children become very obsessed by their bowel movements.

* * *

The thing I liked watching most with the All Blacks was the bit where the ball was on the ground. In the game against Argentina I liked watching all the forwards standing there ready to pounce on defence. I liked to watch them organise the defensive line and space out.

* * *

My new dress is my Mad Men dress. It has a certain other-era quality about it. And it's orange and garrishly patterned. I don't have enough loud patterns in my wardrobe.

* * *

Even though Labour's policies are all superior, they won't get anywhere in the election. It all feels futile.

* * *

My basketball team has its final this week. We are in the C grade (by choice - we could probably be B grade if we really wanted, but we know that in B grade you end up having to play A grade teams as well and that's no fun).

I think we are statistically one of the best defensive teams in our grade. I take pride in that. I think our defence and our fast breaks are our strengths.

* * *

Levin's new sushi bar was good.

* * *

Me and my friend went for a sneaky beer at the Levin Club. It felt like some kind of secret organisation, hidden down a little side-alley. I didn't know anybody, but he pointed out all the people I should remember (or at least people's dads). I felt like a city spy. I always end up walking around Levin thinking 'I'm from here' in case anyone wonders. Nobody ever does.

Day 1 of Tetris retirement is going well. I did still drive to Queensgate, read my book and play basketball, so my OOS isn't as well rested as it could be. But I have severely limited typing and banned Tetris playing.

I was reading an article in Vanity Fair about the guy who created Zygna. And there was a little throwaway bit of narrative that said all the games required no skill, 'except maybe Tetris'. That made me proud. I like to think that puts me on the top rung of the Facebook games hierarchy.

* * *

I was reminded today that I hate hate hate the staff at Cue (Queensgate) with a vengeance. They are so predictably cloying! I'll grant that they are not as snobby as the Lambton Quay staff, but because their shop isn't as busy they harrass the heck out of you. I dread stepping out of my changing room to check the full length mirror because I know I'll be accosting by staff saying how good the dress looks (regardless of how it actually looks). My obvious signs of disengagements like avoiding eye contact and giving monosyllabic grunts in reply to their questions did not put them off either. I resented the fact that I actually found things I liked and had to buy them off them, just in case they're on comission.

It was not their 'charming' and overattentive service that made me buy the dress and belt. It was the quality of the tailoring! And the work-appropriate length of the hemline! And the fact that the belt matched my shoes! So there.

* * *

Our refs at basketball tonight were s***. I told them so many times throughout the game (without the expletive, but it was implied). The other team were pretty much grabbing our arms any time we caught a ball, so we couldn't even raise it to shoulder height to clear it. Constantly. And we quite politely, at first, told the refs to watch out for this. Then we got angrier. And possibly because of this, they called us for ticky-tack fouls down the other end.

The icing on the cake was at the end of the game when the other team had a freethrow. And on the second shot a ball came rolling in from the sideline (some kid had lost control of it). It rolled right into the key and across the baseline under the hoop. I pointed to it and looked at the ref, yelling something like 'Ball! Ball!'. He saw me. And let the game go on. I couldn't go in for the rebound because the ball on the ground was rolling to right where I would have stepped. So the other team got it, and scored on the put-back.

I was quite livid. I asked him why he didn't stop the game and he said, 'I only have to stop it if players are in danger.' How much more dangerous can it get than a ball rolling into the key as a freethrow goes up and six players are about to run in for a rebound????

So while we won the semi-final (actually reasonably convincingly) we were all pretty pissed off at the end of the game and I came home and ranted to my flatmates some more (I think they were polite but bored after the first minute or so).

A highlight for me was that I blocked a shot with my left hand, kinda instinctively. I never block with my left hand. But a girl was driving past on that side (to be fair I think I thought she was going to pass the ball, so was just putting a hand in the passing lane, then realised it was a shot and jumped). I was kinda suprised that she had the audacity to dare go in for a layup against me.

I blocked a lot of other shots (they were quite a short team) but the rest were with my right hand.

Ahh, Holidays.

I think my Tetris career has given me OOS. I will have to go into early retirement. The Tetris would will miss me - I was top 500 world-wide. Known primarily for my gutsy defensive game and ingenius use of the blue tetrimino.

I have prescribed myself a day of no computering and just video-watching tomorrow (even driving and book-reading hurt a little bit). I have 'Anti-christ', 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest', 'The Kids are Alright' and 'North by Northwest' lined up.

* * *

Another lady of leisure day.

9am - took my car in to get warrant and service at my place near the Basin Reserve. I like them. They're friendly shy sorts rather than bolshy car-guys. I have faith in nerdy mechanics.

9.15 - coffee at the Brooklyn Bakery (I prefer it to Cafe L.). Skim read some of the paper.

10-am - bought some socks at Farmers (overheard a tense conversation between employees that indicated some sort of power struggle) and new conditioner at Rodney Wayne.

11am - bought a fang necklace at Madame Fancy Pants.

11.50am - lemon honey drink at Memphis Belle. Actually a really great drink - came in a little glass jug and had good hunks of lemon in there for the 'homemade' feel and really cheap. Read some of my 'Beatles' book while I was there. The guy working there was really friendly and seemed to know most of his customers as regulars. A lot of people in well worn hipstery clothes in there (mainly in plaid shirts).

12pm - Area 51 sale. Got a few things I may or may not regret. Kate Sylvestor dress for $90 and Huffer shirt for $35. The dress is white. That is why I may regret it. It looks a bit nursy and I am bound to stain it quickly. But I tried it on once before and liked it, so it seemed like fate.

1pm - got car from the garage. Two new tyres and a bulb. The tyres were optional as they only just passed the warrant, but I like to be safe. Again I felt reasonably treated by my mechanics. I'll go back again!

1.30pm - popped into school to do some work that couldn't be done at home (just for half an hour). Managed to only have to say hello to the caretaker, who's nice anyway. I like to sneak in and out unseen.

3.30pm - coffee and a fritata at the Roxy cafe. Both really good - and the fritata was only $7.50 for a mini-meal sized portion. Read some more of my book.

3.50pm - watched Senna. Really enjoyed it. Also enjoyed the Roxy Cinema in general - lots of leg room and nice chairs. And the ambiance is just perfect for a cinema experience - nostalgic music, old movie posters down the hall-way.

6pm - watched the news and dissected Senna with my flatmate, who actually knows stuff about Formula 1 racing and had recommended the doco to me highly.

Package #1 has arrived from Amazon. I'm liking it so far - easy to read and well written. Set at the time when the Beatles were awesome (hence it's titled 'Beatles' - from a Norwegian author and translated into English). I sat in the lounge on the couch in a pool of sunshine and read it yesterday a bit.

I will be happy to lend it out at the upcoming Crafternoon/Bookernoon (bring books to borrow and lend - a friendlibrary). I may have read The Help by then (it's in Amazon package #2). Date is undecided - but me and Michelle and Karen were very excited about the idea of a bookernoon when we discussed it over our post-netball kebabs. She hadn't read The Book Thief so I said she must take that on the plane with her. Michelle hoped she could locate it in her crates of books at home. The Book Thief is also in my #2 order. I've read it but I feel it's one of those books you should own.

* * *

I have walked up Mt Vic two days in a row now. How very motivated of me! I am bloody unfit on the way up (there's a path goes up just before the tunnel on the Hataitai side, but it goes straight up) - the way down is a lot more fun.