MS Mouse Mischief

learnt about this tool developed by microsoft via tucksoon’s post (:

it’s probably a cheap way (relative to some other classroom interaction setup) to engage students in individual or group responses in the classroom. it however doesnt work on my work laptop (*duh*) cos you’ll need minimally XP SP3 (ours’ SP2) and the no. of mouses supported will increase from 5 to 20-25 with Vista/Win7. you’ll need office2007 n above installed too (cost is probably not the major concern here, familiarisation with the new ribbon style probably is).

you can also tap (and contribute later) on the communities’ expertise and resources if you’re keen to explore mouse mischief. templates created and shared by the community goes here, and the developer’s blog has a continual string of tips as well (:

make me a TV

first saw this story forwarded to me by mallika:

A teacher from Primary School asks her students to write a essay about what they would like God to do for them… At the end of the day, while marking the essays, she read one that made her very emotional.

Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her:- ‘What happened?’

She answered- ‘Read this. It is one of my students’ essay.’

‘Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special :

Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house.

Have my own special place, And have my family around ME.
To be taken seriously when I talk….
I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions.
I want to receive the same special care that theTV receives even when it is not working.
Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired.
And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me…
And… I want my brothers to fight to be with me…
I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.
And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them…
Lord I don’t ask you for much… I just want to live like a TV.’

At that moment the husband said :- ‘My God, poor kid. What horrible parents!’

The wife looked up at him and said:- ‘That essay is our son’s !!!

yes, this is a situation many working parents like ourselves’ guilty of from time to time, if not most of the time. did a google search and found an anecdote which could possibly be the response of junior:

I asked my son who loves watching TV more than anything else he enjoys doing …I asked” How nice if I was a tv…You would watch me whole day!!!””

He replied..” I would take you and throw you out…”
I replied..” But why just think how nice if I was the tv we could be together because you love tv so much”

He replied” I would replace you because YOU WILL ONLY FEATURE THE INDIAN CHANNEL!!!”

that’s life and that’s juniors, both unpredictable many at times (:

notes – content analysis and grounded theory seminar

this morning a couple of us went for a Content Analysis and Grounded Theory in Qualitative Research seminar conducted by Prof Peter Taylor (CRPP), 0930-1130hr, NIE5-01-LT11. here’s my personal set of notes. some symbols to take note: (1) words in quotes are the words i think i hear during the seminar; words in [square brackets] are personal thoughts; (2) words with a question mark attached? are words that i’m not sure if i see/hear correctly 😛

p@ssword to open: password2010 the set of notes (: