‘If they’re not being assessed and tested, how will you know if they’re learning?’ ‘What do they do all day?’ Today I’m not meaning to go into why ‘testing’ can be counter-productive to learning (but if that catches your eye, please do read Jolisa Gracewood’s bleak report of US testing terror and read or listen to […]
If I’m brilliant and amazing, my Mum has a lot to do with it. Here are six ways she has been a brilliant and amazing mother to me and my sisters, things I want to do for my kids, too. 1. My Mum is brilliant and amazing. She stayed at home with us for years. Every day that […]
We’re in a tricky patch, just now, at our house. The kind most parents of little kids will recognise: this is a solidarity post with all of y’all. Our three-year-old delight, SBJ, is in the middle of a pretty intense, fragile time of life, and he’s (therefore) not the only one. For the first time, I feel like […]
How can something as (potentially) shallow as Christmas gift shopping be a great way to make a difference in the world? Easy đ If we aspire to living a life where our actions reflect our values, then how we spend our time and money on Christmas gifts can make a real impact on people beyond […]
I grew up with Father Christmas visiting each December. We had a particularly awesome system, in fact, that involved pillowcases instead of stockings (primarily so a board game could fit, I think). As I got older, I became aware that Father Christmas from the adult point of view was part of our family history, too. My […]
Since Kent showed me Sesame Street Unpaved, and I learned the thought that went into creating and writing for Sesame Street, I’ve been an even bigger fan of a favourite childhood show. Did you know that the main muppets are each there to represent a specific developmental age and stage, and their scripts are written […]
At the risk of cheating in this series by pretty much stealing everyone else’s magic word… here’s the next instalment. Six words you should say today, from Rachel Macy Stafford in the Huffington Post: Very rarely does one sentence have immediate impact on me. Very rarely does one sentence change the way I interact with […]
One of the birthday constants in my family growing up was Dad writing a poem – usually rhyming couplets, but sometimes a haiku – in each birthday card. I wish I had kept more of them. You can tell families apart by how they celebrate birthdays. What’s important in your household? Must there be presents? […]
We’ve just returned to Wellington after two months in the United Kingdom spending time with family and friends. One of the many blessings of a long trip away from home is the space for planning and reflecting, while still distant. I spent some time while in the UK thinking about how I want to spend […]
In a pleasingly familiar story, Debbie Sterling, a Stanford engineer, wants to introduce girls to the world of engineering. She’s created GoldieBlox, a set of adventure books, where the reader helps Goldie solve problems using mechanical tools that come with the books. Debbie funded GoldieBlox through Kickstarter, reaching her goal in five days. Yay, Debbie! […]