I was interested to see that one of the presentations at ELH 2008 has a girls in computing component.

This caught my attention after I chatted with several of our Yr 8 girls (all of whom have worked with laptops for the past 2 years) who are preparing to select elective subjects for 2009…none of them is considering IST because the subject descriptor looks too much like ” mostly stuff boys would like” … one of them is my daughter!

So, over the next few months I’ll be casting about for ideas to revamp the course and feminise it, somehow. Its a bit sad really because I think this group of girls would do really well in the course, even as it currently stands.

I have had my life under a microscope for the last 2 months & have discovered some amazing things. Without going into too many details, it has been the beginning of what will become an incredible journey to the centre of .. me!

When I wasn’t looking inwards I was at home feeling peaceful or out and about in this blue water paradise that we live in.

I’ve seen whales breaching and tail slapping just off the coastline in front of me; I’ve seen countless numbers of people smiling and strolling the promenades like me; I’ve seen dolphins playing in the shallow waters as I listened mesmerised by the gentle wash of waves of the shoreline.

I’ve felt the sun on my face and the breeze ruffling my hair; I’ve snuggled into no end of hugs from my gorgeous daughter; I’ve just sat still on the couch and done nothing but read for hours on end; I’ve sung loudly and danced in my seat with the girls as we watched ‘Mama Mia’.

I’ve listened to a choir of native birds singing their morning calls; I’ve listened to the kind words of dear friends who have taken the time to care; I’ve smiled as a handsome 87 yr old gentleman sat next to me at the bay and,as he waited for his bus, he serenaded me in a melodious old song.

I’ve savoured time for coffee and heartfelt chats with friends; I’ve tucked into slow cooked casseroles snuggled up under a blanket on the couch with my girl as we watched a chick flick; I’ve treated myself to creamy gooey concoctions that tasted as good as they looked.

I’ve had my nose tingle with the tang of drying seaweed as I walked the shoreline; I’ve inhaled the perfume of damp dust as rain approaches; and I’ve inhaled the garlicky buttery smell of bread in our oven.

Why do I share this? Maybe as a gentle reminder that we don’t have to go too far from home to find the things that we’re looking for … it’s all right here if we just take the time to appreciate it all. Of cause, there are bigger adventures to be had and they will occur in time, but what I have right here, right now are so many treasures that I can certainly say I have a small piece of Heaven on Earth.

This is the QR code for “…technology with a twist”

…. am sitting in Melbourne airport, twiddling my thumbs, avoiding the Guess hand bag shop, waiting to hear from S that she safe in Adelaide, flying home later, fly to Brisbane on Thursday to collect her and bring her home … if that’s the life of a jet setter you can have it!!

Ok … basket weaving completed …

… woolly hat knitted …

Can go out on a picnic tomorrow!! Thanks guys

When I visited Singapore’s National Institute of Education, the nation’s only teacher-training institution, nearly all the people I spoke with described how they were investing in teachers’ abilities to teach a curriculum focused on critical thinking and inquiry–skills needed in a high-tech economy. To get the best teachers, the institute recruits students from the top third of each graduating high school class into a fully paid four-year teacher-education program (or, if they enter later, a one-to-two-year graduate program) and puts them on the government’s payroll. When they enter the profession, teachers’ salaries are higher than those of beginning doctors.

Expert teachers are given time to serve as mentors to help beginners learn their craft. The government pays for 100 hours of professional development each year for all teachers. In addition, they have 20 hours a week to work with other teachers and visit one another’s classrooms. And teachers continue to advance throughout their career. With aid from the government, teachers in Singapore can pursue three separate career ladders, which help them become curriculum specialists, mentors for other teachers or school principals. These opportunities bring recognition, extra compensation and new challenges that keep teaching exciting and allow teachers to share their expertise.