'Allo 'Allo...

A brief update..

Ruth is very happy with her tattoo, it is healing well. Emily wanted me to point out to anyone who thought the tattoo looked crooked, it was because of how Ruth had her shoulderblade positioned at the point I took the photograph. Insert stererotype of how all tattooed people are crooked here.

Eabha has taken one step when I wasn't looking, and two steps on two different occasions when Emily wan't looking. Too bad for Eabha. Walking doesn't count until it's three steps. Ha. ...and we both have to see it.

I am wrapping up my last three days of this first placement.

Did you know (apparently), that India, has fourteen different languages, and not one of them......not one....has a word for teach? This comes from a perspective where learning is done by an individual, in accordance with their own free will, and my their own actions.

"Teaching" in contrast, is synonomous with the notion of a student being an empty recepticle, into which a teacher pours in (coersion implied) knowledge. The teacher is the active ingredient and the student is less engaged.

This isn't to say that learning isn't facilitated in India; or that information isn't contextualised, given perspective and even presented. But the student is an adventurer on a quest, and not a container into which stale curriculum, authoritarianism and indoctrination are thrown.

In case you haven't figured it out....I'm gonna go with India on this one.

Tomorrow I FACILITATE my fist class. It will be called: "Smokescreen: Propaganda and Tobacco" In it, we will look at systems of information; what propaganda is, what it can be used for (negative and positive), and tobacco ads and anti-smoking public information, and smoking related subvertisements. It's for a year (grade) 10 Health Education class.

I should probably go so I can get ready for it...

Woo Hoo to you who downloaded SKYPE.com The telecom CEO's are going to miss our long distance bills...oh well.