Comments on: The Baroness and the Nutter (apologies to John Creasey) http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:56:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: harry b http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194454 harry b Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:38:23 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194454 Maynard -- several people have said they can't watch it, and I can't figure out why that is -- I have no trouble doing so, despite having a 5 yr old and not well equipped computer. Anyone know? (I'm in the US, and at least one person in the UK can't watch it, so it is not about location). But they should certainly make avaiable an audio-pod version, and I'll send an email (I've no inside track here!) It is not, in fact, an advocacy group, but a quasi-independent government project, funded and supported by the Department for Education and Skills. (Estelle, the interviewer, used to be Secretary of State for Education (the cabinet-level minister), before she resigned claiming that she wasn't good enough to do the job, and if that doesn't endear her to you nothing could). Maybe a subject for another post. Maynard—several people have said they can’t watch it, and I can’t figure out why that is—I have no trouble doing so, despite having a 5 yr old and not well equipped computer. Anyone know? (I’m in the US, and at least one person in the UK can’t watch it, so it is not about location). But they should certainly make avaiable an audio-pod version, and I’ll send an email (I’ve no inside track here!)

It is not, in fact, an advocacy group, but a quasi-independent government project, funded and supported by the Department for Education and Skills. (Estelle, the interviewer, used to be Secretary of State for Education (the cabinet-level minister), before she resigned claiming that she wasn’t good enough to do the job, and if that doesn’t endear her to you nothing could). Maybe a subject for another post.

]]> By: Maynard Handley http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194435 Maynard Handley Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:24:35 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194435 I assume teachers.tv is some sort of advocacy organization? Harry, you might want to point out to them two obvious facts: * the goal of an advocacy organization is to get its ideas as widely disseminated as possible * the sorts of people who it should seek to influence are the same sort of people who have many many demands on their time. Which leads me to: WTF does this organization not allow me to download this item, and why does it not offer an audio version I can put on my iPod? I am against the GOP as much as anyone, but at least their lobbying organizations know what they are doing; for example AEI offers an extremely rich podcast, and the Manhattan Institute have every talk they offer immediately available for download. And this stuff matters. The very fact that this organization is so clueless makes me a whole lot less sympathetic to ceding it any power. I assume teachers.tv is some sort of advocacy organization?
Harry, you might want to point out to them two obvious facts:

  • the goal of an advocacy organization is to get its ideas as widely disseminated as possible
  • the sorts of people who it should seek to influence are the same sort of people who have many many demands on their time.

Which leads me to:
WTF does this organization not allow me to download this item, and why does it not offer an audio version I can put on my iPod?

I am against the GOP as much as anyone, but at least their lobbying organizations know what they are doing; for example AEI offers an extremely rich podcast, and the Manhattan Institute have every talk they offer immediately available for download.

And this stuff matters. The very fact that this organization is so clueless makes me a whole lot less sympathetic to ceding it any power.

]]> By: ingrid http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194395 ingrid Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:22:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194395 I can't watch the video on this not-quite-fully-equiped computer, but the piece in the Guardian is truly amazing. I don't think I've ever read a piece about a person that was so univocally positive. What I especially like about how his style and ways of working are described is the illustration that one person can make such a difference. In these days, most people (or perhaps, pessimists like me) feel that there is so little a person can do against 'the system' or without first establishing cooperation with other persons; but he seems to have been the single driving force behind a lot of good things that happend in the UK schooling world. I can’t watch the video on this not-quite-fully-equiped computer, but the piece in the Guardian is truly amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a piece about a person that was so univocally positive.
What I especially like about how his style and ways of working are described is the illustration that one person can make such a difference. In these days, most people (or perhaps, pessimists like me) feel that there is so little a person can do against ‘the system’ or without first establishing cooperation with other persons; but he seems to have been the single driving force behind a lot of good things that happend in the UK schooling world.

]]> By: harry b http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194348 harry b Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:42:21 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194348 tom -- yes, it probably does come from him. One of his extraordinary traits is that he is always on the look out for practices and ideas that will work, and always figuring out how to spread them. Frankly many of them -- like the head standing outside the school -- are bleeding obvious, but evidently that's not enough for people to do them, they need to be told and assured by someone they respect. He gets his ideas from spending an enromous amount of time in schools and watching and listening -- I doubt there is anyone in the world who has been in as many schools and as any classrooms as he has, or talked to as many teachers. But he also reads voraciously and eclectically (something he has in common with Adonis, actually, and by no means the only thing), and is always drawing on that. When we were in Oxford the head of my daughter's school would write a little note to 3 or 4 children a day. Most of the kids would reply, and a spaced out correspondence would develop. I was blown away by this, and asked him if he'd prompted this, but he'd never heard of it. Immediately he incorporated it into every talk he gave to headteachers. As he says, if 1 in 20 take it up, that is thousands of children whose experience of school is postively changed ever so slightly. tom—yes, it probably does come from him. One of his extraordinary traits is that he is always on the look out for practices and ideas that will work, and always figuring out how to spread them. Frankly many of them—like the head standing outside the school—are bleeding obvious, but evidently that’s not enough for people to do them, they need to be told and assured by someone they respect. He gets his ideas from spending an enromous amount of time in schools and watching and listening—I doubt there is anyone in the world who has been in as many schools and as any classrooms as he has, or talked to as many teachers. But he also reads voraciously and eclectically (something he has in common with Adonis, actually, and by no means the only thing), and is always drawing on that.

When we were in Oxford the head of my daughter’s school would write a little note to 3 or 4 children a day. Most of the kids would reply, and a spaced out correspondence would develop. I was blown away by this, and asked him if he’d prompted this, but he’d never heard of it. Immediately he incorporated it into every talk he gave to headteachers. As he says, if 1 in 20 take it up, that is thousands of children whose experience of school is postively changed ever so slightly.

]]> By: tom hurka http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194308 tom hurka Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:34:17 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194308 Harry: An addendum. One thing the Guardian article says your dad encouraged was head teachers standing outside the school at the start of the day and welcoming students and parents as they arrive. Well, I'm in Oxford for six months and our 8-year-old is going to school here. And one thing I was struck by was how the head teacher stands outside the school in the morning welcoming people. Now maybe I know where that comes from. Harry: An addendum. One thing the Guardian article says your dad encouraged was head teachers standing outside the school at the start of the day and welcoming students and parents as they arrive. Well, I’m in Oxford for six months and our 8-year-old is going to school here. And one thing I was struck by was how the head teacher stands outside the school in the morning welcoming people. Now maybe I know where that comes from.

]]> By: vivian http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194274 vivian Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:42:19 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194274 Thanks, Tom - online in the US it's not front page, but it's the first hit when you search on "Brighouse" and then choose T instead of S (also a relation with an interesting life, Harry?) The article makes him sound a bit like Isaiah Berlin as a character, with a slightly different calling. Thanks, Tom – online in the US it’s not front page, but it’s the first hit when you search on “Brighouse” and then choose T instead of S (also a relation with an interesting life, Harry?) The article makes him sound a bit like Isaiah Berlin as a character, with a slightly different calling.

]]> By: tom hurka http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194226 tom hurka Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:11:09 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194226 Good timing: there's a front-page story on Tim Brighouse in the Education section of today's Guardian (all glowingly favourable, too). Good timing: there’s a front-page story on Tim Brighouse in the Education section of today’s Guardian (all glowingly favourable, too).

]]> By: vivian http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194210 vivian Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:12:19 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194210 aargh, I surfed over here after discovering I can't see any webcast stuff for some reason. Will add it to my list. Any chance of inviting your father for a guest dialogue here, or a post/comment thing? Surely there would be a way to make it tech-free for him, but allow us to see the two of you interacting? As someone who spent years trying to unlearn my father's mannerisms, I would appreciate seeing your charms, doubled. I could even throw in a tin of golden syrup to sweeten the deal... aargh, I surfed over here after discovering I can’t see any webcast stuff for some reason. Will add it to my list.
Any chance of inviting your father for a guest dialogue here, or a post/comment thing? Surely there would be a way to make it tech-free for him, but allow us to see the two of you interacting? As someone who spent years trying to unlearn my father’s mannerisms, I would appreciate seeing your charms, doubled. I could even throw in a tin of golden syrup to sweeten the deal…

]]> By: jackie http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194198 jackie Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:32:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194198 Thank you for that. Your father's passion and knowledge is amazing. Thank you for that. Your father’s passion and knowledge is amazing.

]]> By: mpowell http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/comment-page-1/#comment-194192 mpowell Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:40:20 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/23/the-baroness-and-the-nutter-apologies-to-john-creasey/#comment-194192 It can be a little eerie when you grow up and realize that you have adopted all of your dad's mannerisms. What was especially puzzling to me was that this was not the case when I was growing up and living with my parents while in high school, say, but after I had graduated from college and had spent quite a bit of time away from home. It can be a little eerie when you grow up and realize that you have adopted all of your dad’s mannerisms. What was especially puzzling to me was that this was not the case when I was growing up and living with my parents while in high school, say, but after I had graduated from college and had spent quite a bit of time away from home.

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