tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.comments2021-01-02T01:44:36.858-08:00alternative carparksUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-26596237894456699712019-11-26T21:02:42.913-08:002019-11-26T21:02:42.913-08:00Yup.Yup.CFohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11667893598090210082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-89745800360173591862019-11-19T22:42:36.864-08:002019-11-19T22:42:36.864-08:00I grew up playing football,and many other sports. ...I grew up playing football,and many other sports. <br />Be it racing motorcycles, or tennis or ice skating, we never missed watching anything on tele. <br />Mum and us siblings were sports crazy.<br />Playing active sports took away all of our free time.<br />Football reminds me of my pleasant stress free, love filled childhood and the rainy days in which the neighbouring children used to play in the muck, undithered.<br />I realised, after reading your lines, we both are connected to football through our memories. Our opinion of today has been a result of our past feelings that are etched in our heart. <br />Neither of us seem to have an unbiased true feeling for the sport. <br />My motherhood has continued the love for football as my son worships the ground the stars walk on, and is an ardent player too. Every night as I clean his raw wounds and get him ready for the next match, iI've made more lingering memories for this sport. <br />Your thoughts have given me an insight into my thoughts of likes and dislikes, and made me reflect as to why I like what I like. It has brought in the fresh tinge of wet mud to my nose as I remembered my childhood days. <br />Thanks for sharing yourfeelings here.<br />I really enjoyed reading it. scarletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17812836254955660019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-77990074172461797922014-07-05T21:59:40.524-07:002014-07-05T21:59:40.524-07:00Clarity in meaning bringing a smile not a frown, y...Clarity in meaning bringing a smile not a frown, you two are talented writers. Love it, but where is 42?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12959855200210021809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-87042882924916185182013-10-06T19:48:07.475-07:002013-10-06T19:48:07.475-07:00Quite a subtle poem. There is melody in it which l...Quite a subtle poem. There is melody in it which links to my childhood; where I used to play chess with my father and my grandfather. All in all, quite a good and impresionistic poem. DevOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12150333831587563851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-86178167153458862882013-08-01T17:32:10.289-07:002013-08-01T17:32:10.289-07:00Lots to talk about here... both Richter and Rosebu...Lots to talk about here... both Richter and Rosebud... look forward to catching up!Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03693878432065546269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-70725994789489705822013-07-14T15:54:29.338-07:002013-07-14T15:54:29.338-07:00I've wondered recently whether there is any po...I've wondered recently whether there is any point in physically going anywhere in this interconnected age - because by the time that we've done the research we've seen the sights and read the history. But it is that individual viewpoint and interaction that gives us perspective. Well done!DarrenBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15967541516246360459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-67068424515222787042013-06-13T03:02:18.832-07:002013-06-13T03:02:18.832-07:00Hey Ian! Good to see you out in cyber-space! We...Hey Ian! Good to see you out in cyber-space! We've spent a bit of time in Rainbow recently, and not much has changed, apart from the width of the approach road. You still have to hit the gravel, but you wouldn't need to slow down! Love your writing! KylieKylienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-34398962339817549002013-04-27T23:42:42.401-07:002013-04-27T23:42:42.401-07:00Hi Ian,
Your reaction to the book is interesting.
...Hi Ian,<br />Your reaction to the book is interesting.<br /><br /> One thing that I find interesting about the East (India and China) is how tightly people hold on to ancient philosophies, sometimes consciously but often unconsciously, and how as a result of this, ancient religious philosophies and traditions have survived and thrived unbroken over millenia.<br /><br />In India, for example, Hinduism predates Ancient Greek religions, but it still survives today. The Hindu marriage vows that my husband and I exchanged, for example, were from the Vedic texts, and they are the exact same vows that people have exchanged for well over 2500 years. (They are significantly different from Western vows -- they conceptualize marriage totally differently.) Similarly, kids in modern India grow up on stories from the epics that are over 3000 years old.<br /><br />In the West, on the other hand, ancient Greek religions died out a long, long time ago, and no one worships Zeus and Poseidon anymore. Also, the old stories are studied as academic texts but they are not a major part of every child's life. Most Western kids today have no idea what the Iliad is about, but pretty much every Indian kid knows the Indian myths very, very well.<br /><br /> From my conversations with Chinese moms, this is very true in China as well -- most of the stories and proverbs that kids grow up on are ancient ones. I think that part of the reason that the education system in the East is slow to change is that Easterners believe, on some possibly unconscious level, that the costs of these changes are very high. They are not willing to give up those ancient philosophies and the ideas and heirarchies that accompany them (filial piety, family loyalty and unity, more rigid age, gender and class heirarchies, a deep reverence for knowledge and for teachers that prevents questioning etc.). And they fear that loosening their grip on children/child-rearing practices, education practices etc. may open the floodgates for social/cultural change that they don't really want. <br /><br />I think that on many levels, Easterners believe that the costs of Western style "questioning" and "free will" are just too high for society and for the human psyche. They don't want that kind of change, so they have resisted it in ways that the West never did.<br /><br />That said, there is no doubt that rapid industrialization will have an impact on society and education, but I think the effect will be much, much slower than it was or is in the West, and it may not be exactly the same as it was in the West. The East may find different ways of adapting to industrialization than the West did. Japan, for example, has been industrialized for a while now, yet it has not changed its attitude towards child-rearing or education significantly, and it certainly has not become "westernized"; it has, instead, adapted to industrialization in very different ways from Western society.<br /><br /> The East has always valued family traditions above all else (filial piety and family relationships are the central focus of both the Indian epics and the Confucian Analects). Given that the East has changed very, very slowly, and most of its religious and philosophical traditions have continued unbroken over millenia, I think that when Jin Li draws on ancient philosophy to explain how Easterners understand learning, she has a point. These philosophies really do shape and influence contemporary modern lives in very, very real, deep ways.<br /><br /> Another great book to read on the subject is The Geography of Thought, which explores how Easterners and Westerners think differently. It's fascinating (based on lots of really interesting studies.) I think that these differences will not be explained away by industrialization and economic development, though of course industrialization will have an effect on society.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Maya Thiagarajannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-56414104294297215742013-03-27T16:49:28.854-07:002013-03-27T16:49:28.854-07:00Hahahahaha.
Aesthetic appreciation or pleasure? ...Hahahahaha. <br />Aesthetic appreciation or pleasure? <br /><br />Hee-haw...<br /><br />PMs. Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02244641364441849806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-41371083007756809142013-03-07T15:35:14.667-08:002013-03-07T15:35:14.667-08:00And just read this which says similar things in a ...And just read this which says similar things in a more disciplined way...<br /><br />http://www.good.is/members/tom-greenall<br />Ian Tymmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16257883713519846360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-56079030009607163942013-03-04T06:14:54.368-08:002013-03-04T06:14:54.368-08:00You might find this book interesting:
http://www...You might find this book interesting: <br /><br />http://www.amazon.co.uk/Religion-Atheists-non-believers-guide-religion/dp/0241964059<br /><br />He explored much of what you have said here. I have a copy if you would like. Just say the word. Jabizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09477762880791981559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-27717272407799098772012-12-04T03:12:05.486-08:002012-12-04T03:12:05.486-08:00Glad to see you haven't lost MOvelous your sen...Glad to see you haven't lost MOvelous your sense of humor!DarrenBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15967541516246360459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-36587907544169735202012-11-25T17:57:41.899-08:002012-11-25T17:57:41.899-08:00Dad, you probably could have got the message throu...Dad, you probably could have got the message through in 3 paragraphs, not 7 (:Rosie Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686855742426162697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-4416758096782731262012-11-25T05:04:35.622-08:002012-11-25T05:04:35.622-08:00Beautiful poem! I read it now at bedtime and will ...Beautiful poem! I read it now at bedtime and will sleep with the image, and the hope of something "profound and glorious" as I dream.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-45934632669597465622012-11-25T04:42:39.350-08:002012-11-25T04:42:39.350-08:00Love this Mr.Tymms. Thanks for sharing. Love this Mr.Tymms. Thanks for sharing. Jabizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09477762880791981559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-26007999641186546572012-11-01T17:38:10.996-07:002012-11-01T17:38:10.996-07:00Hi Ian,
I share your worries in many ways, but I&#...Hi Ian,<br />I share your worries in many ways, but I'm not as confident that all kids will figure out where "the line" is. Many of them lack the life experiences to really understand where that line is and what the consequences of crossing the line may be. <br /><br />Psychologists have often described childhood and early adolescence as a time of "protected immaturity," and I worry that social media and public blogging leave kids vulnerable and "unprotected." An example: I recently had a discussion in my ninth grade class about a Singaporean poem, and one of my students made a comment that could easily be construed as racist or xenophobic. Because the comment was made in the safety of the classroom and not on a public blog, the effects were fairly contained. The student herself hadn't realized the implications of what she was saying (she's only 14 after all), and we were able to discuss it and work through it as a class without any problems. She realized that her comment was out of line, and she left the class well-aware that she has to be more careful about what she says. However, had she written that comment on a blog, which she would have had we been blogging about the poem, the repercussions might have been more severe. Her comment could have been taken out of context and re-posted, and it may have reached an audience that was far more critical. Would that have been fair to her, given that she's only fourteen? <br /><br />We can teach kids to be careful and cognizant of audience and purpose, but asking them to put their opinions on public blogs for the world to see is perhaps removing the protection and safety that kids have historically expected adults to provide for them. I feel as though the line between childhood and adulthood is disappearing rapidly because of all this technology, and it worries me, particularly as a parent. I want my children to have a childhood where they can experiment with different thoughts and ideas and work through their understanding of the world in an honest, safe, and protected way. Most kids will say things that are stupid, politically incorrect, controversial, morally questionable, or just plain wrong at some point; they need safe spaces (classroom discussions, for example) to work through these opinions and thoughts and learn from them. Maya Thiagarajannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-12090528880708515132012-10-25T22:53:12.713-07:002012-10-25T22:53:12.713-07:00Love love love this piece, Ian. :) Beautifully wri...Love love love this piece, Ian. :) Beautifully written. Intense imagery. I got goose bumps. :) Lucky me, I get to work with you. Ms. Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02244641364441849806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-12194337001101679702012-10-17T06:18:17.234-07:002012-10-17T06:18:17.234-07:00A nice response to our weekend's discourse.A nice response to our weekend's discourse.Brendanhttps://www.facebook.com/brendancoreybensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-42428168779652104712012-10-17T02:24:57.938-07:002012-10-17T02:24:57.938-07:00Your beginning is so pro.
"Thoughts, like w...Your beginning is so pro. <br />"Thoughts, like water, are essential to sustaining life but they are similarly difficult to shape. Writers must always struggle with the possibility - no the probability - that the texts they pour their ideas into will take a different shape in the minds of their readers."<br /><br />I like how this post has turned out. It's totally metacog. You also ask a lot of really important questions here. Fodder for your upcoming Blog2Learn Webinar/Discussion! <br /><br />Anyway, it is tricky. The line in the sandpit. Calculate risks, right?- some kind of oxymoron. I guess we need to encourage our kids to take risks...and help them to do that in meaningful ways. Something like that...<br /><br />I love your advice for your students too. I will be sharing these with mine fo sho. :) Ms. Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02244641364441849806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-63994950792818154342012-10-07T03:06:38.248-07:002012-10-07T03:06:38.248-07:00I think It depends on your own personal style. It ...I think It depends on your own personal style. It depends entirely on who you are writing for, for instance, If I wrote one piece and gave it to a middle aged woman and then gave the same piece to a 15 year old boy they would both probably tell you something completely different. Maybe good writing is being able to adapt and change your style for your audience. Well, my opinion is their is no such thing as bad writing to a certain extent, and it is impossible to define good writing so I sugest you stick to not having your own theory (;Rosie Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686855742426162697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-989107399544601152012-09-25T20:39:33.100-07:002012-09-25T20:39:33.100-07:00Ramblings ...
I love this ..."There is somet...Ramblings ...<br /><br />I love this ..."There is something in the best writing which is beyond words: a paradoxical special ingredient that somehow evaporates if you try to take the lid off and define it in a classroom. The best I think I’ve ever been able to do is put it in front of my students and hope for a little osmosis." <br /><br />Osmosis is idealistic though, even if I am sure you didn't mean that in a purist way. I think more than exposure we have to share/model/advocate/incept what we know about clarity and sophistication through whatever way we know how. Doesn't mean we have the monopoly of what that looks like. I guess, again, there has to be a balance between discipline and magic. Yoikes. <br /><br />Another thing, I think it is impossible to define poetry. There's just no way. But I agree that we have the ability to spot good stuff from not so good stuff anyway. Sometimes we can explain how and why. Other times,to do so would be pretentious. I think I just wanted to reassure our friends yesterday that as we hope and push for the magic to emerge organically and wonderfully...we are also making sure the students will be equipped to survive university. Haha. :) Cheers.<br />Ms. Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02244641364441849806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-78751825353087394492012-09-10T04:48:42.581-07:002012-09-10T04:48:42.581-07:00For someone who claims to be new to "all of t...For someone who claims to be new to "all of this" the world of Twitter, blogs, and online communities you seem to have the conceptual stuff down pretty quickly. <br /><br />I will say this till I am blue in the face, There is no either or, this or that, black or white...we are finding systems that work for us as individuals, as communities as classrooms and more. <br /><br />It is a fun and exciting time, of we are open to the possibilities of what language and community allow us to become. <br /><br />I think it is great that you are so curious and willing to try it all out. I am sure you students appreciate it as well. <br /><br />I wrote a similar post, many of them really, but this one in particular on the same topic: <br /><br />http://www.jabizraisdana.com/blog/2012/02/be-more-interesting/Jabizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09477762880791981559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-69321322125966926952012-09-09T23:41:44.865-07:002012-09-09T23:41:44.865-07:00Yup. It's all real.
And I totally agree with ...Yup. It's all real. <br />And I totally agree with this.<br /><br />"My argument is that there is nothing inherently more real about a face-to-face chat than there is about a twitter feed. Both exist in the abstracted world of language where meaning must be negotiated and reason evolved. What these two communication forms share is inherently more significant than what separates them."<br /><br />I had a conversation with a friend recently who had never met anyone who used Twitter. He asked me what it was for, why I would share an abandoned snap of the school cafeteria with strangers I call friends and if being on the net took away time from the "real" world. It was an interesting conversation to say the least ... but in the end he thanked me for being willing to talk about it. I am not sure he will go on Twitter soon but he told me twice that he was interested in setting up his own blog. I guess, it's a process. Our understanding of these spaces, it's complexities and nuances, begin somewhere and given a chance and time, matures. evolves, moves. Just like language...<br /><br />Ms. Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02244641364441849806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-62242172456462013042012-09-09T16:29:00.675-07:002012-09-09T16:29:00.675-07:00Interesting Ian! I've often justified my fasci...Interesting Ian! I've often justified my fascination with emerging digital communications as being educational in hope that I might know what my son is talking about when we're older. But in actual fact it is just fascinating, and useful. Most businesses now use social media for marketing. I also use it to feed selected news to my desktop (without the need to get in my car to buy a paper). Yes it can be a distraction - I'm distracted now, but an electronic conversation with you has value I think. I certainly know people that allow the virtual world to take over their lives, to the point that the physical world around them is crumbling. (Or perhaps the digital reality that they exist in a coping mechanism). And I know people who refuse to acknowledge social media because they don't believe that it has any value. Perhaps there is middle ground where digital communications and social media, if used sensibly, can enhance (but not rule) our lives.DarrenBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15967541516246360459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2164379154167759900.post-49162442501287778342012-09-09T16:03:39.658-07:002012-09-09T16:03:39.658-07:00Oh shoot (chute)... I'd better put the bins ou...Oh shoot (chute)... I'd better put the bins out!DarrenBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15967541516246360459noreply@blogger.com