ICT Conference in Rotorua

I travelled to Rotorua and spent
the last few days a-gog. I went
to see how ICT has changed
and found e-learning re-arranged.

Exhaustion dogged me. Workshops full
of eagerness and ideas. Pull
me, prod me, it's all great
but no one mentioned what the state

of e-devices is - might be -
Instead I learned of Inquiry.
A model we have thought about
and now I'm keen, there is no doubt.

The keynote speakers touched upon
computer software, cameras. Gone
was any other mention
(although some websites got attention).

It shows how far we've come along
the road of digital sing-song.
Now we're recognising tools
as useful... but our teaching rules.




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sudoku pantoum

Written to express my frustration at being fascinated by something requiring no creativity at all!


His elegance is oriental
neatly square and finely drawn.
Deliberate, unsentimental,
poised, inscrutable. A pawn.

Neatly square and finely drawn,
face hiding more than is revealed,
poised, inscrutable: a pawn
whose role is helping fate be sealed.

Face hiding more than is revealed,
a square of squares combines in nines,
whose role is helping fate be sealed
with simple single-digit lines.

A square of squares combines in nines,
as three by three across three times
with simple single-digit lines
predictable as nursery rhymes.

As three by three across three times
exposes patterns, he entices.
Predictable as nursery rhymes
but guessing could create a crisis

(exposes patterns). He entices.
Repetitions have a place
but guessing could create a crisis,
conquering is not a race.

Repetitions have a place
in off-set parallels, like life.
Conquering is not a race,
be slow to move - a foot-bound wife.

In off-set parallels like life,
dictated to by logic's laws,
be slow to move. (A foot-bound wife,
but finding strength within a pause.)

Dictated to by logic's laws
in intricate formations, trapped
but finding strength within a pause.
Imagination stunted, wrapped.

In intricate formations. Trapped.
Deliberate. Unsentimental.
Imagination stunted... Rapt...
His elegance coincidental.

Sudoku



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Picnic

Sunshine and a picnic, what a perfect lunch that makes,
when gentle friends are there to feed the soul.
Unwinding in the sun is more a treat that layer cakes
when there are no demands but idle-loll.


yes I know that's weak but I just downed a glass of riesling too fast...

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Karen Boyes

I went to hear a woman speak
from 4 till 7 at night.
She talked about the way we think,
I got some new insight.

Reticular something is seeing a lot
of whatever we just learned
(or did, or have an interest in),
self-confirmation's concerned.

We ought to wait for kids' responses
when we ask a question.
Instead we answer it ourselves
or paraphrase. Digestion.

Clarify when listening,
being non-judgemental shows
the listener values the speaker's thoughts
(or thinking process), knows

that empathising lets emotions
find some validation.
Children need to know they're safe
if they're to risk creation.



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The spiral of life

Life is a spiralling set of events,
repeating predictably when
the days in the week form a pattern
and even surprises are zen
-like; they fill expectations
and seem as if they had been meant.

It's hard to make progress in spirals,
relationships often stand still,
and if there is no moving forward
our interests are targeted kill;
predestined to teach as if sent.



My favourite horoscope site... Mystic Medusa is magic with words:
http://au.astrology.yahoo.com

Aquarius is a Fixed Air sign; infuriatingly stubborn yet too smart to care what YOU think. Always eager to dissent, the Aqua-Maddie vibes conservative in fringe company and revels in weirding out the straights. The beat of a different drummer? Aquarius marches to the beat of an instrument that hasn't even been invented yet.

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Memory Rut

I rained in my dull halo rut
and while a weak part of me longed
for paving or her greener pastures,
my tears puddled cess-pooling mud.
It spattered the halo wheel turning,
repeating emotion in circles,
reheating cooled memory blood.
My martyr wreath, tread milling rut.



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Prof Dev

Term 3 and 3 weeks into it,
I've learnt a lot so far,
discovered tricks in software and
attended courses. Star
speakers can inspire me
and next week there'll be more.
I'll do some net-safe thinking then
but won't become a bore.
Then later on a conference waits:
3 nights in Auckland. (Smile)
I've stayed at that hotel before
and could be gone a while.



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Friday again

Another week of work has passed
and I feel vaguely wrong.
A nagging itch to change what is
has made me think too long.
Some plans are made and consultation
has been started with
the teachers who my ideas will soon
affect. What's right's a myth.
There's never any end point when
we know how teaching should
be done and so we search and try
new ways that sound as if they're good.

I read about unlearning and
it made me think about
the way we value knowledge more
than kindness, beauty, doubt.
While in relationships forget-
fulness is seen as best
when hurtful actions threaten bonds.
So why like memory tests?


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New home

We've settled in and how I love
this house we bought in town.
The drive is steep the section slopes
and lots of steps lead down
but once I get inside the trek
seems worth each healthy puff,
the house is lovely, feeds my soul
and that is quite enough.

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fatigue

It's Friday. I'm a couched potato, stuffed
and drowning in exhaustion. Buffed
by years of knowing chores build up,
I robot-cleaned before my cup
of tea. Television keeps my mind
off what the weekend adds to lined
and drooping facial skin. Paid work:
A crawling load that I can't shirk.


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school show

This morning I went searching for
some costumes for our show.
I needed Superman and Bond
and astronauts and so
I trailed 'round the dress-up hire
places in the rain.
I got bow ties but boxing gloves
were asked about in vain.
Dinner jackets, buttoned shirts,
in children's sizes -found!
Superman in triplicate
but... no astronauts around.

This afternoon, like every evening
I have spent this week,
I sat with my sleek laptop open,
making pictures peek
on powerpoints that highlight all
the decades that have passed
of our departing principal
for whom the show is cast.



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pantoum - depression is the root of all... art

Art from Depression

Sufferers seek solace salivating,
licking lips at details that depress.
Suffering is deepened double-dating:
company is misery's success.

Licking lips at details that depress,
(reliving bitter scenes) inflicts self-doubt.
Company is misery's success
but loneliness lets inner demons shout.

Reliving bitter scenes inflicts self-doubt -
abscessed pain must drain or it will burst
but loneliness lets inner demons shout
with paintbrushes and pencils, image-cursed.

Abscessed pain must drain or it will burst,
constant aches build barriers to break
with paintbrushes and pencils, image-cursed.
Explosions tear excuse-veneers we make.

Constant aches build barriers to break,
artists are corrosively inspired;
explosions tear excuse-veneers we make
and desolate creations are admired.

Artists are corrosively inspired -
suffering is deepened double-dating
and desolate creations are admired:
sufferers seek solace salivating.



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being bitchy

The tongue is very light and yet I haven't learnt to hold it,
sometimes I wish I'd bitten on my tongue as if to scold it.
For then I mightn't make a mean and pointless observation
about a person I have judged by first impression. The temptation
to jump to bitchy unsubstantiated base conclusions,
is one I should have overcome along with youth's confusions.



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time

As usual there is far too much
to get through every day.
I learnt a while back that there
is only one sane way
to cope with all the various
demands from all directions:
focusing on straight ahead,
avoiding most corrections.
There'll be a lot of interruptions,
lots of deviations
but as I get through each big task
I'll ride with my elation.
The little things fall into place,
they happen in between
while all those unexpected chores
are fresh and keep me keen.



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Shifting House

Packing things might be a chore
but 'though it's work, it's so much more;
anticipation cannot bore
and finally I don't ignore
the little tasks I can't adore
like clearing off a wardrobe floor.

I wrapped up pictures off the wall
and stacked them up so they can't fall
inside a box stacked up with all
the other boxes. I'll recall
the contents since my neatest scrawl
is labelling each, big and small.


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goodness

Thinking how a friend is good and kind and selfless too
it dawned on me that good is something I don't want to do.
I act the part and when it comes to choosing right I will...
I know I won't have any choice... but something in me still
rebels and thumbs its nose at doing what's expected by
the moralistic culture western governments hold high.
As usual this rebellion stems from wond'ring what is 'right'
and how the 'truth' can be defined without a godly light.


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down

I'm feeling down, the lack of sun? A high just yesterday?
I wonder why the body throws these hormones into play.
I had a great day solving things and learning little tricks
but yesterday is gone and now I'm drooping, maybe sick.
Today I went and looked at shops with dining tables, chairs...
I love to plan new purchases so why do I despair?
It's been a good week, life is calm and organised, I cope.
But underneath I want to curl up, read a lot and mope.

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New home

At half past 5, after work
we viewed a house for sale.
The last few I had seen had been
so boring, 'though my male
thought potential was enough...
But finally, a house I love!
Each room was so exciting,
the layout far above
my every expectation,
this place just spoke to me.
We made an offer which they countered.
To our next, they could agree.
So now I'm packing nightly
remembering details,
the house has interest value
beside which, money pales.


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My new house 

house hunting

I spent the weekend looking for a house where I could live,
at open homes I'd listed from the paper.
I'd checked them all beforehand on the web and thought OK
but 3D viewing is another caper.
There's something in the street appeal that really shouldn't matter
but houses have to feel right when you see them;
there's something in proportions when you walk around inside
that whispers nay or yes this is a gem.
But going through the motions is supposed to help us feel
more informed on market value stuff.
I saw a Lockwood house that I could live in happily
but viewing goes on daily. When's enough?


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