Weekend

1.  Pandora

I like this.

I have had a pleasing random selection that has included some John Lennon and Pearl Jam and some old blues singer.  And Donovan.

2.  Silly Me

I had not considered the high likelihood of being involved in some low level graffiti wars, when I moved into a house on a main street.  I have had three minor bits of graffiti in the last week (just on my letterbox and 2 on my gas meter).  They all pretty much came off with terps.  'Lazeye' seems to be a big culprit, though there was a new one today.

My neighbour was not so lucky and had to paint a big chunk of their garage, plus another new one I spotted today. 

Stop with the turf wars, local youths!  It's annoying.  I have taken to keeping my bottle of terps right by the front door for convenience. 

On a nicer note, two houses just up from me have Green Party billboards.  I came home yesterday to see a Green party representative had been door-knocking and missed me, leaving a card.  I was almost sad to have missed that one (having had to talk awkwardly to man trying to see some insulation deal last week).  I like that aspect of my suburban demographic; seems to be a Green zone.

3.  ETV

One of the better educational tools I've come across in a while (along with delicious.com and google docs).

They tape stuff off of TV (including some Sky channels - such as Rialto) and stream it online for member schools to access.  And you can download recordings and send kids links to watch it online in their own time.

I have made a master-list of links to all the films and docos I like.  So now when I have 15 minutes of spare time in a lesson, I pick one to show them.  I entice them with the first bit, then tell them to go home and watch more if they're interested.

Black Fish went down a treat with all levels (though I nearly made some more sensitive children cry).

Then I've tried pushing some Kiwi films; Heavenly Creatures, The Piano and Once Were Warriors. 

And some other docos; Ai Weiwei:  Never Sorry, Being Elmo.

And some other films; Run Lola Run, The Big Lebowki (though, while it's rated R16 there are a LOT of swear words, so I abandoned that one), Inglorious Basterds.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is on Rialto soon - I can't wait to show them some of that!

4.  Media Consumption

Watching some old episodes of Bunheads (made by the Gilmore Girls creators, I totally missed it on TV at the time but found it on ETV).  I like it, but it really is a poor man's version of GG.  Very similar plots and characters (and a lot of the same actors).  The main character really is like Loralei, but a ballet dancer.  I hear they only made one series and I'm nearly at the end of it now.

Loving Backbenches.  It's quite funny.  I always thought it would be too high brow for me, but it's quite accessible. 

Nashville.  Richard recommended this to me and it's ok.  It's like Glee, but with country singers who can actually sing.  Most of the characters are quite self absorbed and annoying.  Such is life.

Hating that new 'Late Night Breakfast Show'.  I get that NZ is good at that sort of awkward, low-budget humour (like Flight of the Conchords).  But this just doesn't work.  Shame, as it has some funny people on it.  Jeremy Wells probably needs to do more.

Media Take is ok.  It's a more awkward format with the co-hosts.  To me, Russell is far superior to his co-host (who seems like a side-kick in training).  Still, good to see it on again.  I usually end up staying on Maori TV for a while after this - it really is a nice channel with positive programming.  I've been liking their documentary night too (Tuesday night?).

5.  Education

I am mildly worried about some movements in education at the moment.  Some of them will probably work in some way and be do-able.

But the underlying thrust is that education should be about making students job-ready and that they should be making all the choices and we shouldn't be 'making' them do anything.  I fear a generation of very self-important, precocious teenagers may be coming.

Nowhere in this rhetoric is any mention of education for higher-order thinking or cognitive development in general.  Not sure where learning for the love of it, or exposing kids to things they never knew they would enjoy, comes into it.

Oh well.  I guess teachers will sneak it in somehow, but it's certainly not the thrust.  I probably long for a different era.  We are very much becoming 'facilitators of learning', rather than teachers. 

6.  Dirty Politics

I have enjoyed this who unravelling of what goes on behind the scenes.

It is very worrying though.  It has long frustrated me how little John Key will say in interviews, trying to shut down criticism with minimising statements.  Very much the George W Bush style of politics; people aren't afraid of the smiling idiot.

It baffles me that most of NZ still want to vote for that party.  I think I've become insulated in my city/occupation/friends/family groups.  People I know are overwhelmingly left wing.  I forget there are other types of people out there.