title: An appreciative inquiry into the transformative learning experiences of students in a family literacy project

authors: Giles, David

subjects: education

abstract: Educational discourse has often struggled to genuinely move beyond deficit-based language. Even action research, a predominant model for teacher development, starts with the identification of a problem (Cardno 2003). It would appear that the vocabulary for a hope-filled discourse which captures the imagination and infiuences our future educational activity seems to have escaped us. Moreover, we seem bereft of educational contexts where the experience for students is holistic and transformative.

text: An appreciative inquiry into the transformative learning experiences of students in a family literacy project Educational discourse has often struggled to genuinely move beyond deficit-based language. Even action research, a predominant model for teacher development, starts with the identification of a problem (Cardno 2003). It would appear that the vocabulary for a hope-filled discourse which captures the imagination and infiuences our future educational activity seems to have escaped us. Moreover, we seem bereft of educational contexts where the experience for students is holistic and transformative.

year: 2008

title: Internationalising a spreadsheet for Pacific Basin languages

authors: Barbour, Robert H.

subjects: internationalisation

abstract: As people trade and engage in commerce, an economically dominant culture tends to migrate language into other recently contacted cultures. Information technology (IT) can accelerate enculturation and promote the expansion of western hegemony in IT. Equally, IT can present a culturally appropriate interface to the user that promotes the preservation of culture and language with very little additional effort. In this paper a spreadsheet is internationalised to accept languages from the Latin-1 character set such as English, Maori and Bahasa Melayu (Malaysia’s national language). A technique that allows a non-programmer to add a new language to the spreadsheet is described. The technique could also be used to internationalise other software at the point of design by following the steps we outline.

text: Internationalising a spreadsheet for Pacific Basin languages As people trade and engage in commerce, an economically dominant culture tends to migrate language into other recently contacted cultures. Information technology (IT) can accelerate enculturation and promote the expansion of western hegemony in IT. Equally, IT can present a culturally appropriate interface to the user that promotes the preservation of culture and language with very little additional effort. In this paper a spreadsheet is internationalised to accept languages from the Latin-1 character set such as English, Maori and Bahasa Melayu (Malaysia’s national language). A technique that allows a non-programmer to add a new language to the spreadsheet is described. The technique could also be used to internationalise other software at the point of design by following the steps we outline.

year: 1997-07

title: On equality and colourblindness

authors: Robertson, Neville

subjects: Maori

abstract: "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." So said Martin Luther King, Jr, just over 40 years ago, in a speech that galvanised the US civil rights movement. King spoke of the United States but his dream is equally relevant in New Zealand. Has it been achieved? Some people would argue that not only has it been achieved but that the tables have been turned and now white folk are the ones who are oppressed. What is needed, they argue, is a level playing field. But how level is the playing field?

text: On equality and colourblindness "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." So said Martin Luther King, Jr, just over 40 years ago, in a speech that galvanised the US civil rights movement. King spoke of the United States but his dream is equally relevant in New Zealand. Has it been achieved? Some people would argue that not only has it been achieved but that the tables have been turned and now white folk are the ones who are oppressed. What is needed, they argue, is a level playing field. But how level is the playing field?

year: 2004