title: The digital horizons: Laptops for teachers' policy initiative: Impacts and consequences

authors: Cowie, Bronwen

abstract: This article draws from the findings of the secondary school Digital Horizons: Laptops for Teachers research study, to discuss the impact of a policy tool intended to assist teachers use information and communication technologies (ICT) for administration, communication, collaboration, lesson planning and preparation, as well as for classroom lessons themselves.

The results from a national questionnaire, focus group and case study evaluation indicate that secondary teachers are making more use of the laptops for communication with colleagues, reporting to parents, and the development of classroom materials than for use in the classroom for teaching and learning. Teacher commentary indicates that school technological infrastructure and access to professional development both constrain and enable their use of their laptops.

Drawing on Engelbart’s notion of improvement infrastructure we discuss factors that have the potential to accelerate the integration of the laptop into teachers’ professional lives. Analysis suggests that these factors include school and departmental leadership as well as the nature of the professional development that teachers experience. Engelbart (1992) argued that it was the factors at this level that were most important if the benefits of policy initiatives were to be maximized for teachers, schools and governments.

text: The digital horizons: Laptops for teachers' policy initiative: Impacts and consequences This article draws from the findings of the secondary school Digital Horizons: Laptops for Teachers research study, to discuss the impact of a policy tool intended to assist teachers use information and communication technologies (ICT) for administration, communication, collaboration, lesson planning and preparation, as well as for classroom lessons themselves.

The results from a national questionnaire, focus group and case study evaluation indicate that secondary teachers are making more use of the laptops for communication with colleagues, reporting to parents, and the development of classroom materials than for use in the classroom for teaching and learning. Teacher commentary indicates that school technological infrastructure and access to professional development both constrain and enable their use of their laptops.

Drawing on Engelbart’s notion of improvement infrastructure we discuss factors that have the potential to accelerate the integration of the laptop into teachers’ professional lives. Analysis suggests that these factors include school and departmental leadership as well as the nature of the professional development that teachers experience. Engelbart (1992) argued that it was the factors at this level that were most important if the benefits of policy initiatives were to be maximized for teachers, schools and governments.

year: 2005

title: New directions: The deconstructing 'Tis Pity?: Derrida, Barthes and Ford

authors: Houlahan, Mark

subjects: John Ford's tragedy

abstract: At the famous climax of `Tis Pity, Giovanni enters the last scene of the play and, as he knows, his life, `with a heart upon his dagger', with which he-hearted implement he stabs his enemy and brother-in-law Soranzo, before himself being fatally stabbed in the ensuing melée. The heart, it seems, is Annahella's, removed from her after Giovanni's loving, surgical sacrifice of his pregnant sister/wife in the scene before. The `seems' here is crucial, for at first this is not clear, neither to the onstage audience, waiting for Giovanni to arrive at the banquet, nor to an audience watching the play or those reading it. The eloquent Giovanni exults in providing the explanation to both groups.

text: New directions: The deconstructing 'Tis Pity?: Derrida, Barthes and Ford At the famous climax of `Tis Pity, Giovanni enters the last scene of the play and, as he knows, his life, `with a heart upon his dagger', with which he-hearted implement he stabs his enemy and brother-in-law Soranzo, before himself being fatally stabbed in the ensuing melée. The heart, it seems, is Annahella's, removed from her after Giovanni's loving, surgical sacrifice of his pregnant sister/wife in the scene before. The `seems' here is crucial, for at first this is not clear, neither to the onstage audience, waiting for Giovanni to arrive at the banquet, nor to an audience watching the play or those reading it. The eloquent Giovanni exults in providing the explanation to both groups.

year: 2010

title: Developing an integrated ocean observing system for New Zealand

authors: O'Callaghan, J

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: New Zealand (NZ) is an island nation with stewardship of an ocean twenty times larger than its land area. While the challenges facing NZ's ocean are similar to other maritime countries, no coherent national plan exists that meets the needs of scientists, stakeholders or kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of NZ's ocean in a changing climate. The NZ marine science community used the OceanObs'19 white paper to establish a framework and implementation plan for a collaborative NZ ocean observing system (NZ-OOS). Co-production of ocean knowledge with Māori will be embedded in this national strategy for growing a sustainable, blue economy for NZ. The strengths of an observing system for a relatively small nation come from direct connections between the science impetus through to users and stakeholders of an NZ-OOS. The community will leverage off existing ocean observations to optimize effort and resources in a system that has historically made limited investment in ocean observing. The goal of the community paper will be achieved by bringing together oceanographers, data scientists and marine stakeholders to develop an NZ-OOS that provides best knowledge and tools to the sectors of society that use or are influenced by the ocean.

text: Developing an integrated ocean observing system for New Zealand New Zealand (NZ) is an island nation with stewardship of an ocean twenty times larger than its land area. While the challenges facing NZ's ocean are similar to other maritime countries, no coherent national plan exists that meets the needs of scientists, stakeholders or kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of NZ's ocean in a changing climate. The NZ marine science community used the OceanObs'19 white paper to establish a framework and implementation plan for a collaborative NZ ocean observing system (NZ-OOS). Co-production of ocean knowledge with Māori will be embedded in this national strategy for growing a sustainable, blue economy for NZ. The strengths of an observing system for a relatively small nation come from direct connections between the science impetus through to users and stakeholders of an NZ-OOS. The community will leverage off existing ocean observations to optimize effort and resources in a system that has historically made limited investment in ocean observing. The goal of the community paper will be achieved by bringing together oceanographers, data scientists and marine stakeholders to develop an NZ-OOS that provides best knowledge and tools to the sectors of society that use or are influenced by the ocean.

year: 2019-03-26