After a morning of working in the garden it’s a relief to be out of the wind. Right now it’s blowing at 50 km/h and gusting to 59km/h. These spring wind gusts stir up a lot of fallen flowers and pollens, so all the while I was working outside digging, sweeping and planting I had … Continue reading Unravelling the Mystery of Lake George: the vanishing lake
Category: Personal comment
The #ParthenonMarblesAustralia Website is Now Live
Last night the new website of the International Organising Committee - Australia - For The Restitution Of The Parthenon Marbles, was launched at the Athenian Restaurant, Sydney. Designed by Dennis Tritaris from Orama Communications, I believe it represents a new standard in website design. Dennis has created a website that has the potential to … Continue reading The #ParthenonMarblesAustralia Website is Now Live
Decadence: Decline of the Western World
This past week I attended the premier of Pria Viswalingam's latest documentary Decadence: Decline of the Western World. I wasn't disappointed. Although I'm broadly familiar with Pria's basic thesis on the decline of the western world and share most of his views, I was still surprised by this extraordinary treatment. Pria explores and lays bare … Continue reading Decadence: Decline of the Western World
Terrorism and Poverty
Terrorism and Poverty: Causes and Impacts This is the text of a paper I wrote some years ago for the NSW Geography Teachers Association (NSWGTA) Conference. It comes with an accompanying slide collection that focuses on the bali_bombing_and_poverty This paper was also published in the International Schools Journal, edited by Caroline Ellwood. Until recently I've had it flagged … Continue reading Terrorism and Poverty
What do we do about the decline of Bahasa #Indonesia in #Australia?
Yesterday I listened to an interview with Dr Jane Orton, the director of Melbourne University's Chinese Teacher Training Centre. She made two critical and obvious points. First, education is a state matter and as a nation we would benefit from a national languages curriculum. Secondly, she explained that the top results in studies of Chinese … Continue reading What do we do about the decline of Bahasa #Indonesia in #Australia?
Swimming with Maslow in the digiverse
Whenever I start to think about the digiverse I'm drawn to the analogy of water and swimming. Learning to swim is something children will do naturally, particularly if the element of fear is reduced or eliminated. Some believe that children should learn to swim while still infants. Certainly, in utero they had an affinity with … Continue reading Swimming with Maslow in the digiverse
Continuing mismanagement of #Australia’s #coastal zone: Is there any plan for future sea level rise?
So the problem continues. When I visited Kingscliff near the border of NSW and Queensland, in April this year, I was both intrigued and dismayed at the small disaster in coastal management that was so evident. There was a road to nowhere, in the waterfront park come parking area. Beyond the green mesh barrier was … Continue reading Continuing mismanagement of #Australia’s #coastal zone: Is there any plan for future sea level rise?
Reflecting on #Pedagogical Implications of Technology and the #Digiverse
Imagining the future in the 1960s Back when I completed my Diploma in Education our lecturers invited us to think about the knowledge and skill sets embedded in current curricula. We were asked to reflect on just how appropriate they might be for the schools that we were about to enter and the children who … Continue reading Reflecting on #Pedagogical Implications of Technology and the #Digiverse
#Xenophobia and #Asylum Seekers in #Australia: Reality Denied by Fear
Source: 2009 Global Trends. Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, 15 June 2010. Annexes (Excel tables) available for downloading. The reality What's prompted me to write again on this topic is the tragedy of the mass drownings off Christmas Island. I've no desire to comment in any detail on the tragedy itself but … Continue reading #Xenophobia and #Asylum Seekers in #Australia: Reality Denied by Fear
A ride on Sydney’s only tram
Today I decided to try out the video quality on my iPhone4, so I videoed the trip on Sydney's light rail system. It's a comfortable way to travel, but not yet carrying the volumes that trams did in the 1950s. What's needed is a greater investment in tramway infrastructure. As a series of first steps … Continue reading A ride on Sydney’s only tram
Russell Darnley Blog 