Monday September 29
career in coffee
its that time of year again. it must be a slight change in weather, the sun is coming out and thoughts move inexplicably to the beach and the near-future when beach activity might actually be possible. the weekends look brighter, the summer months seem closer, and then next year suddenly pops up its ugly head.
i have no idea which path my life will take, even in the next few months. i recently rehashed my old dream of owning a cafe/bar in melbourne. i saw a job advertised for a barista and applied. i figured that i could do that all next year while further procastinating in further education developing the skills to become a highly educated but apathetic cafe-lican. i would still love this dream to come true.
actually it all started in kiwi land. in the wonderful university town of dunedin i visited this abslutely awesome cafe - i still even remember the name - the arc cafe. and my dream cafe is now permanently embedded in my head, a pastiche of great memories from cafes all around the world. i really should at least try to realise my dreams?
Thursday September 25
policy@school
i know, it sounds lame. but really what else can you say. i made a sample website for our epss project. to be used by the graphics team in picturing and determining graphics size, colour and layout. hopefully it will be of some use. the link is somewhere around here. have fun lovecats...
Monday September 22
draft time
Im in a hurry so, all i can say is, here is my storyboard draft
Friday September 19
a suitable project
blueprints for education is a sample site that I have made for a possible c'n'a entry. the aim is to get the whole of the 2003 dip ed to have the opportunity to make a response to the document, and a web-based discussion would be ideal in that it can hold everyone's ideas for prosperity and perpetual submission. hopefully this site will be hosted by the webraft system so only enrolled students can access the site...
still there is less than a week before submissions are due. there is a lot of room for not too much to happen.
better schools
the state goverments blueprints for education is asking for a submisions from the general public and as training teachers, i and all my fellow students have a voice that is very important. really we are going to be teaching in the better schools defined in these blueprints. we need to have a say. this morning we had a discussion group with a few people from the course in regard to the possibility of making a submission, whether as individuals or as a group. the consensus seems to be that making individual submissions would be easier but that on top of that we may draft some basic points that the whole year level could reflect on, comment on, put their names to etc, and submitted to the gov as a response from melbourne university training teachers.
so far, my interest is in the proposed networking of schools and resource management, and the dangers of such an initiative, the lack of student voice in the proposals, and also the problems associated with a teacher merit system being linked to professional practice and pay.
Thursday September 18
pirate insomnia
tommorrow - less than five minutes away, is 'international talk like a pirate day'. tonight there was a very late meeting for the epss applied production team, that covered all the tech specifications for our project. in a few minutes i will have to start typing like a pirate, so ill be brief. ive got soo much work to do, i cant even allocate time for sleep, my most favourite of all activities... good night :)
Wednesday September 17
monkey musings
and here's the result. meet lord chesterfield.
stopwork
a nationwide teacher strike, hit the streets of melbourne today. really i should be supporting higher wages for teachers, what if i wnat to be one, one day? i should rally with the masses, instead... im at home contemplating drawing a monkey in support of sexual diversity. dont ask.
and i wonder; the state of apathy; social conformity and career unemployment; a revolutionary post-urban nomadic lifetstyle... how much of these philosophical dreams really solve my problems and how much just give me something to think about, other than my problems.
Tuesday September 16
the evolution of men
i just read an article by beth shaw in the latest edition of the uni mag, farrago. the article is just screaming for a reply, and im tempted. to summarise badly, the article comments on feminism as defeating romanticism. men just dont seem to court beth like she sees in the movies, with relentless pursuit and hopless romanticism because of evolving gender roles that see women as the pursuers of mens jobs, wages, and ... therefore affection?
the effect of feminism on men. has it destroyed our romantic hearts? are women truly no longer inferior, subordinate, and subject to domination through courtship? does equality mean that the romantic pursuit is now seen as sexual harrassment, or stalking?
truly i think it is a quality left to a few these days, to be confident enough to be daringly romantic, but its not evolving gender roles; feminism isnt the only revolutionary social movement in the last fifty years. more so, that the object of beths fantasies is a rare find, probably echoes the truth about society with or without feminism. true love is rare?
im not sure where i am with this one, i guess i dont have a strong gender identity, but i feel there is some passionate response just below the surface. ill come back to this... soon.
practical history
i have to create a unit for year 10 history this semester and im thinking, non-traditionally as usual, how much practical history are students taught at school? by practical i mean archaelogical processes, an actual history prac, like a science prac. this fits wonderfully with my skill base and also my developing teacher philosophy of interdisciplinary or cross KLA learning.
so what i have in mind so far is either a series of activities that could constitute a unit on practical history, that would also double as a resource for incorporating practical history into traditional history units like, wwii or ancient egypt etc... possible drawbacks are that, like my science unit i created (teaching science with science fiction) i may not meet the criteria and end up getting a poor mark. but i dont much care, i am proud of my science unit and hope to emulate the philosophy behind it.
Monday September 15
diversity rules
another draft for this most fab website in immediate construction sees a change in tack. sexual diversity, a case study, is now an interactive questionnaire/checklist that lets you audit your school environment, policy and curriculum in regard to sexual diversity...
There are three main areas (pages?). Safety in school, Combating Homophobia/Heterosexism, and Belonging, Identity and Support. Titles are not final!! This draft has turned the section into a kind of audit for your school, a checklist in a way… ? does that work?
--------------------------------
Introduction
Research shows that approximately 10% of all the students in your school will experience feelings of same sex attraction. How many students would that be in your school?
Is your school supportive and appreciative of sexual and gender diversity? Is it a safe place for those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or who experience same sex attraction or who don't fit gender stereotypes?
Safety in Schools
When it comes to violence and harassment, individual beliefs or the concerns your community, school or family about homosexuality are not the central issue. Rather, if some students are frightened about attending school, experiencing persecution or unable to get support, the issue is one of safety.
Is your school a safe place for all students?
"I am most afraid about what will happen at school. I know that I will get verbally harasses a hell of a lot but I'm hoping physical abuse won't happen" (Mei, aged 16)
Does your school have policies on all forms of bullying that specifically include sexuality and homophobia?
Does your school have a code of conduct that makes homophobia unacceptable?
Have these policies been clearly communicated to the students and staff at your school?
Are these policies put into action throughout the school community?
Specific policies include:
Occ. Health & Safety - an environment that causes depression, isolation, and a heightened probability of suicide attempt is unsafe and unhealthy.
Eq. Opp. - every student has the right to safety at school.
Combating Homophobia/Heterosexism
The most important response to homophobia is to acknowledge it and do something about it.
Don’t assume the whole world is heterosexual
Don’t assume the heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality
Challenge homophobic violence
Don’t support homophobia by remaining silent
"Why isn't gay hatred educated against like racism in schools?"
Are gay, lesbian and bisexual people portrayed with respect in all subject areas?
Do classes that focus on health and sexuality include the needs of same sex attracted young people?
Is anti-homophobic education applied in all your classes?
"One day, about a year ago, I was caught kissing another girl by my friends. The next day at school, people were staring at me, talking about me. Someone spray painted the word 'lesbian' on my locker. My friends didn't even want to talk to me" (Fiona, aged 17)
Does your school display materials, ie posters, fliers etc around the school that depict sexual diversity in a positive way?
Does this material remain in place without being damaged or defaced?
Do the students at your school actively participate in countering homophobia?
"Society makes it not great, so I don't feel great. If society accepted it, I would feel great."
Specific policies included:
Bullying/Sexual Harassment - ie interventative methods (link to bullying section)
Curriculum/Sex Ed - preventative, educational methods (link to health/sex ed section)
Code of Conduct - acceptable behaviour etc... (link to rights & resp. section?)
Belonging, Identity and Support (the main focus)
Issues of sexuality are a significant burden to all young people.
Does your school have a clearly designated staff member (student welfare co-ordinator, school nurse, counsellor) available to provide counselling and support to students with concerns about sexuality?
Is the availability of this staff member promoted throughout the school?
Does the office of this staff member have materials (ie posters and fliers) that portray sexual diversity in a positive way?
"I couldn't turn to the school counsellor [student welfare co-ordinator] because I know that she talks her 'cases' over with people. I have been told of other people's problems and once I knew that I found distrust in the school system." (Adam, aged 18)
Do the areas where counselling is available provide confidentiality and privacy for students seeking support?
Does your school have strong links with community based organisations which can provide services and support to same sex attracted students?
Eq. Opp - equal access to resources, support and otherwise
Student Welfare - That students have access to appropriate resources and welfare staff are appropriately equipped (PD materials etc...)
Privacy - that anonymity is assured in formal and informal counselling services.
"Before I was out to family and friends, my greatest fear was being found out or being asked 'Where's your girlfriend?', and you think 'I'm the only one going through this', 'Who can I tell?', 'Why can't god make me normal?'. And then for me personally, I just came to a day when I said enough is enough and I took the plunge and had sex with a guy (YAHOO!).... There's no more 'maybe I am, maybe I'm not', its just 'Yes, I'm gay!'. I know it now. The next most important thing for me was a support group for gay youth... Once the support, education and information was layed out in front of me and I met other gay people, I realised that... I was going to 'come out' of this OK... Cheers!" (Liam, aged 20)
well that is it so far... comments from diversity group? and abroad?
the next phase
ive had some more ideas. actually ive been so busy at uni today that the only fifteen minutes i had spare i just keep churning the thoughts through and this is what i came up with, regarding my portfolio entries. also our collaborative piece (i now know all my syndicates names - cindy, holly, sofia, barbara & ummm, ummm, errr, ahh, emma?) is coming along, and will hopefully be finished by friday week. ill write up on that tommorrow... but now...
1. curriculum, assessment & teachers' work
- this online journal
- a submission to 'blueprints' for education (by september 25)
- something about excursions
2. curriculum &/or assessment outside your usual frame/standard for your discipline area
- scifi and science (reference unitbox)
- history and science
- practical history (archaeology, techniques etc...)
- scifi & hist/ lit & hist/ future & utopian lit & hist
3. design an assessment task, discuss quality for purpose
- differentiated task (like johns history sheet)
- student designed?
- link to 2 or 4
4. collaborative component
5. student choice. must be linked to lecture/workshop/text content
- alternative curricula (preshil)
- interdisciplinary teaching
- privitisation of schooling (simpsons scene)
melinda emails
melinda sent me an email. its been a funny period of minimal communication between us, miminal meaning superficial as well as generally lacking, the period being weeks before she left for the over many seas continent of europe. its the first real communication ive felt from her... and her email follows my reply...
hey :)
before i go on, i sould really address the tape. im sorry that it isnt very explicit in conveying its meaning, which must be understood in a very explicit context, that is, well, not documented, and hardly alluded to in the tape, except maybe the first track. it was kind of meant to be a narrative, a sort of exploration of what i was expecting to go through at your going away party thing. i made it that day, and as you know, i wasnt so, well... i wasnt super enthusiastic. and i was scared, for no good reasons, really. so i hope you didnt take it too weirdly, it was just what i was thinking i might be feeling at the party, and it didnt all come true :) hehe so that was good. actually i had a much better time than i thought i would.
but anyway, youve probably got much better things to do than read emails from me. i hope your tour goes well... and that your looking after lisa, and having fun. if you find a cool postcard, (it must be really cool though) send it on.
have fun
james xo
ps: to answer ur questions: uni is good this semester, yes will prolly do chem next year, ive been quite well, feeling fine and having fun. very busy though.
>From: "Melinda Heron" <********@hotmail.com>
>To: ********@hotmail.com
>Subject: Re: new puppy
>Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:28:41 +1000
>
>Hi!
>
>ive been thinking about emailing you for awhile but havent really
>known what to say...it hasnt all been fun but yes i like being over
>here. we have been to england, scoltland and presently we are in
>ireland. last night we flew in at 11pm and couldnt find anywhere to
>stay because there was some sport thing on, the "hurling" ....im
>still not sure what that is heheheeh
>
>tomorrow we are actually going a three day tour which should be
>relaxing because the constant orgainishing is very exhausting. but
>london was really nice, i especially liked bath and bradford on
>avon. edinburgh was really nice, glasgow was a hole but a university
>town, lots of punks hehehe. dublin is nice, especially the people.
>we were sitting in a part just before and there was all these drug
>dealing though heheheheh
>
>crazy...
>
>how have you been? uni? what have you been up too? thought anymore
>about what you are going to do? honours in chemistry?
>
>thanks for the tape...im not really sure what to say about that...i
>listened to it quite a few times before i left but i didnt bring any
>music...i got so stressed before i left, you have no idea how many
>things i forgot to bring and how frantic i was...hmmmm anyway im
>having fun, hope you are too :p
>
>melinda
collaborative style
ive taken on a new style for the website, ive been fiddling with colours, columns, and other stylish concerns. the page you can see at the moment is a collaboration of the older blogstyles template, namely the colour scheme and header section, mised with an originally grayscale template from theblivit, with my own processed pavement picture added for good measure. my heartfelt thanks goes out to these designers, that have given me some vague understanding here...
so yeah, that is the main reason i havent made an entry for the last few days. rest assured that much is to come.
Thursday September 11
twoday headache
the last couple of days have been hell, early starts in distant locations, late nights for no particular reason. i really should be in bed by now, and i really should get up early again tommorrow. ive had a constant headache for two days now. i don't remember ever falling asleep with one and waking up with it still present, do you still dream like that?
i dont often remember my dreams and last night was nothing different. im just wondering what it would have been like? is a headache only manifested in a fully conscious state? because as you know, alcohol (and many other substances )seem to numb the pain.
the groups i have affiliated myself with for this epss class, the diversity and the production teams are moving relatively slowly, relatively being used in contrast to the other teams. Team Diversity especially is really not branching out that much and i feel like im having to pull them along a little bit. i hate that role, why do i put myself in dominant positions that i will undoubtedly resent? i think this is the main issue i have with teaching. i don't want to be a teacher because it is a job that requires you to dominate a group of people. and as much as you want to give the students autonomy over their learning you have to be in control and you are certainly responsible.
im not throwing responsibility out of my life just not if it means over 'people'. ive only just decided to be responsible for me... and sometimes thats only an abstract kind of decision.
Wednesday September 10
sexuality in schools
My first draft of my section of the soon to be epss website, get it here or...
There are three main areas (pages?). Safety in school, Combating Homophobia/Heterosexism, and Belonging, Identity and Support. Titles are not final!!
--------------------------------
Safety in Schools
That issues surrounding LGB(T) (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) peoples can be tackled from a safety issue rather than a moral, religous etc brick wall.
"I am most afraid about what will happen at school. I know that I will get verbally harasses a hell of a lot but I'm hoping physical abuse won't happen" (Mei, aged 16)
Specific policies include:
Occ. Health & Safety - an environment that causes depression, isolation, and a heightened probability of suicide attempt is unsafe and unhealthy.
Eq. Opp. - every student has the right to safety at school.
Combating Homophobia/Heterosexism
That bullying, verbal/physical abuse or harrassment is unacceptable in any form be it sexual orientation, preference or identity (or race, ethnicity, religion, gender or gender identity). Schools must work together to provide an environment that accepts, tolerates, even celebrates diversity.
"Why isn't gay hatred educated against like racism in schools?"
"One day, about a year ago, I was caught kissing another girl by my friends. The next day at school, people were staring at me, talking about me. Someone spray painted the word 'lesbian' on my locker. My friends didn't even want to talk to me" (Fiona, aged 17)
"Society makes it not great, so I don't feel great. If society accepted it, I would feel great."
Specific policies included:
Bullying/Sexual Harrassment - ie interventative methods (link to bullying section)
Curriculum/Sex Ed - preventative, educational methods (link to health/sex ed section)
Code of Conduct - acceptable behaviour etc... (link to rights & resp. section?)
Belonging, Identity and Support (the main focus)
The schools provide support for LGB students in varied ways, access to resources ie posters, information and counselling. That privacy and anonymity are available. That there is no pressure on students to disclose or decide on their sexual identity (come out). That SSAY (Same Sex Attracted Youth) peer support groups are made available to students.
"I couldn't turn to the school counsellor [student welfare co-ordinator] because I know that she talks her 'cases' over with people. I have been told of other people's problems and once I knew that I found distrust in the school system." (Adam, aged 18)
Eq. Opp - equal access to resources, support and otherwise
Student Welfare - That students have access to appropriate resources and welfare staff are appropriately equipped (PD materials etc...)
Privacy - that anonymity is assured in formal and informal counselling services.
"Before I was out to family and friends, my greatest fear was being found out or being asked 'Where's your girlfriend?', and you think 'I'm the only one going through this', 'Who can I tell?', 'Why can't god make me normal?'. And then for me personally, I just came to a day when I said enough is enough and I took the plunge and had sex with a guy (YAHOO!).... There's no more 'maybe I am, maybe I'm not', its just 'Yes, I'm gay!'. I know it now. The next most important thing for me was a support group for gay youth... Once the support, education and information was layed out in front of me and I met other gay people, I realised that... I was going to 'come out' of this OK... Cheers!" (Liam, aged 20)
--------------------------------
well that is it so far... comments from diversity group? and abroad?
uploading
chemistry demonstration documentation, here. I have the demo this afternoon, wish me luck!
Tuesday September 9
sexuality in crisis
ive been reading a lot into sexuality; orientation, identity etc... for my part in the website on school policies. ive joined a support group for gay and lesbian beginning teachers. ive attended lectures on the subject and... ive almost come out to people...
actually i thought i had more effectively than is actually the case. now im really not sure what people think about me. gay? or bi or straight? i really have no idea. which is good in a way, i get to act exactly like me, myself, and not just take the easy route and conform to whatever they think i am. there was this guy who i thought was coming on to me, based on the fact that i thought i had come out to him, but no... neither had happened i believe. i truly am a lost cause...
but i am accepting my sexuality in whole new way, as the new beginning ive been looking for.
another website in design
EPSS (Education Policy, School & Society) is a special subject to me this semester. i am taking the 'applied' option which means we establish sometype of product we would like to create as a class (~30 people) and that becomes our work for the semester. we have decided to create a website aimed at students in secondary schools that can inform them on policy reform in their own schools. my personal tasks for this task include a section of sexual diversity and general production duties. these are a couple of sample characters i drew to try and give our production team an idea of what character we might use to make the journey through this website. harry potter vs the aristocats and these ill proportioned school kids.
virtual architecture
although i have taken the basic design feature for the site from blogstyles, already with my limited authoring knowledge i have managed to incorporate some personal flair. little steps, one day i will be brave enough to totally redesign the site from scratch (or just redo the stylesheet). speaking of which i can't get it to update with the rest of the site. i think there may be some internal server caching issue... this is all very new to me
ttfn
evaporation and intermolecular attractions
ive been busy determing the details for a demonstration soon to take place (tommorrow) in my chemistry method class. its an adaptation of a demo i did on placement back in march. it was funky then and should be similarly *wow* now. the focus on technology in the classroom should make organic chemistry more appealing?
The basic premise is to use a temperature sensor to observe the rate of temp change due to evaporation of different hydrocarbons and alcohols. the addition of a live graph running on the overhead is very nice.
Monday September 8
where am i?
as of right now and for the last many many months and surely for the many to come, my best friend is no where near me. at the moment its a geographical separation. shes in england, and reading her latest email she seems to be following my footsteps of almost five years ago. london, salisbury, bath, next stop scotland. im feeling so much pressure to get over melinda, fall in love again, be close to people again, to 'find a new version of me' (to quote JJ Abrams), be james again...
i dont know what will happen when she comes back, but i feel im changing so fast at the moment and for the first time in a long time without her, that whatever is happneing is permanent. its scary to think what i might become without any influence but myself. ive had this feeling once before and melinda saved me, how do i save myself?
melinda? are you there? if you read this, i want to know if you listened to my tape? if you think about me? if you remembered my birthday? i want to know why?
the initial ideas
the collaborative entry for my c'n'a portfolio is starting to take shape, and the group is shaping up nicely as well. if i can remember everyon's name we have cindy, barbara, emma... oh well i cant, there are two others aswell. so far our discussions have lead to the folowing conclusions, and i summarise;
we would like to document a forum in which students have had the chance to put forward their ideas on different forms of assessment ie tests, projects, essays etc. the discussion will be from a small groups of students from a single school, (this is a restriction we have conceded for practical reasons) probably hawthorn. the questions will be structured in a way to gain reliable information (data) but have room for discussion which we can hopefully use as evidence (quotes) in our final product which will probably take the form of a pamphlet for beginning teachers. by next week we should have a good idea of the questions we will put to the students.
ttfn
Sunday September 7
in the beginning
with the testing mostly complete, and the bugs mostly out of site, i concede to the might of this 'movable type'. thanks also to their very supportive forums and community at large, especially loveproductions and blogstyles. its been only a few days but just by fidlding around with their suplied templates and stylesheets i seem to have a fairly functionable grasp of how to use this software and develop a more personalised site in the near future. i didnt even know what a style sheet was a few days ago.
this site was created out of a desire to create a professional portfolio (desire being the replacement word for fulfillment of my diploma of education). and insecurities as they are and me not really wanting to embark professionally into the seas of secondary schools this website will hopefully encompass many other aspects of my life and be a general portfolio; for use in any of my future endeavors.
james
test 4
testing category system
test 3
final test, hopefully
test 2
still testing...
test
site launch and test