41 quotes found
"For conservative and nationalist discourses, these marginalized Others were frequently objects of fascination and revulsion. Yet the horror provoked by Jews, homosexuals, and, in some areas, Gypsies cannot be explained simply by reference to the marginal; it was the way those at the margins of society made the bordelines of gender and nationality blur and shift that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the patriarchal nation-state as it had been constituted. This threat was perhaps especially acute in Germany, whose identity as a unified nation was so tenuous."
"Conservatives and fascist ideologies adapted the notion that Jews were alien to the national community to a cultural critique that attributed the inauthenticity of contemporary mass culture to Jewish influence. Jews, not having a fixed location, could not share in cultures rooted in the community of blood or soil and were therefore reduced to the imitation of other cultures, to artifice."
"For many liberal of the 1930s fascism seemed not so much intrinsically wrong as wrong-headed, offering solutions that were at once too extreme and inadequate to address the crises of modernity."
"The pandemic has fundamentally altered every part of our lives, not least the time we spend on digital devices. For young people in particular, the blurred line between recreational and educational screen time presents new challenges we are only beginning to appreciate."
"With lockdowns and social restrictions now a new normal, it is increasingly difficult to disengage from screens. Children are growing up in a digital society, surrounded by a multitude of devices used for everything from social connection to learning and entertainment."
"Digital devices have the potential to enhance learning, but there are few situations where this happens currently and many in which learning may be hindered."
"We need to focus on integrating technology that makes a difference and enhances learning. Students learn best when they are actively engaged and create and drive their own learning."
"For example, rather than students simply watching a YouTube clip to learn about the solar system, they might create their own augmented reality simulation, requiring them to apply their knowledge to correctly place, size and animate digital objects. Rebalancing screen time in this way will help avoid the more negative consequences of these ubiquitous devices and highlight some of their unique advantages."
"The boundaries between recreation, communication and learning are becoming less distinct. Screen time that may seem on the surface to be purely recreational can in reality be important for learning, supporting mental health and driving awareness of important issues."
"Banning technology from schools can be legitimate if technology integration does not improve learning or if it worsens student wellbeing … [and mitigating risk] may require something more than banning."
"Beyond the learning impact, the second issue most often cited for banning cellphones in the classroom is the negative impacts of mobile use on wellbeing. The access to and reach of harmful contexts (such as porn) and acts (like bullying) is certainly a serious and significant issue. The pervasiveness of cellphones heightens the risks. Banning cellphones does not solve this issue and rather just enables schools (and the government) to absolve themselves from dealing with the problem, pushing these complex issues into the hands of parents and whānau to deal with."
"I don’t think I have one - I like a lot, and we cook a lot with Asian spices like lemon grass and fish sauce."
"What is your favourite food?"
"I have a twin sister whose name is Anne, and as we live in the same city I’m constantly getting mistaken for her, and people are always asking ‘Are you Helen or Anne?’ And I’m so bored with the question, and I’m not listening, and I say ‘Anne’ without thinking. And then I realise and is it better to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake! or to try to brazen it out, hoping no-one will realise?"
"I read a tremendous amount. But I also ride a mountain bike round the Wellington hills and on bike tours, and sail and tramp."
"I really like learning, and I liked learning when I was small. I guess I was one of those model pupils - except in one subject - see below."
"Can’t bring it down to one. Which part of childhood, anyway? When you were little and my mother used to read Beatrix Potter and the Winnie the Pooh books? Or when I was older and used to sneak read Enid Blyton (my mother didn’t approve of those!) No, better to say I read a vast amount, and on all sorts of subjects, and I loved historical fiction, and The Wind in the Willows, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring (and the rest of the Trilogy), Drovers Road, the Narnia books, Kate Seredy books about Hungary before the First World War, Patricia Lynch books set in Ireland - all sorts."
"I started writing as a child, and then it got lost, and it was only when I began reading to my own children that I thought ‘I could do as well as this person’. Now one of the great rewards of writing is having characters constantly in your head, and seeing the world through their eyes and thinking about how they might respond to things that happen to them, and being aware of yourself in them."
"Writing is not about inspiration! In the main it’s about hard work and frustration and rewriting and rewriting. But there are moments. The best are when you’re writing and suddenly, words seem to flow from your fingertips and ideas happen that you haven’t had to work for and you don’t know where they came from."
"The worst is when you can’t think where to go in your writing, and an idea won’t get written."
"Write! (See the first sentence above - ‘best and worst thing about being a writer’)"
"Storytelling is an art deep within human nature. Good narratives not only tell us about ourselves; they tell us about the beliefs of others. Stories are the essential way by which we expand our empathy and our imaginations; stories are the means by which we communicate across time and across cultures."
"The historians’ craft is to tease out the larger narratives from … competing versions, missing parts, and conflicting ‘truths’."
"Biographies are essentially personal histories… [yet] they may tell us more than the story of one life: they may reveal the struggle for the survival of an entire community."
"Oral history is transmitted by narrative, by song, by proverb and by genealogy. We who write down our histories in books transmit our chosen perceptions to readers rather than to listeners, but both forms are structured,interpretative and combative."
"My very first job was teaching the JAWS screen reader when I was in college to another college student at the University of Central Oklahoma. That was all the way back in 2004!"
"I have worked at Vispero since June of 2018."
"I have always been excited about new technology, and it naturally led me to explore assistive technology I could use as a blind individual. Over time, I discovered that I also love teaching. I discovered this through teaching braille, which was my second job. Those combined passions brought me to where I am now. I also love working with people and thrive as a part of a team."
"I wanted to do something with animals when I was a kid, which does not really compare to what I do now. Still, animals remain a big part of my life, and I adore them. When I was younger, I pictured animals as my career and technology as my hobby. Now, it is the opposite: assistive technology is my job, and caring for my animals is a hobby."
"I take a lot of joy in seeing people learn skills they can apply in their lives, and I am fortunate to experience that regularly in my current role. When I look back on my time at Vispero, and even in my previous roles, what really stands out is the ability to empower others through learning. Helping people gain skills that make their lives easier or more independent is incredibly rewarding."
"Recently, I felt particularly energized by the recent conclusion of our second annual Next Big Thing contest and Sharkvember celebrations, a project I am actively involved in and really enjoy. Also, the release of FS Companion has been incredibly exciting. The team all worked hard on development, spreading the word, and ensuring our users know about it. Seeing that effort begin to pay off has been thrilling for everyone."
"I have had several opportunities to mentor people at Vispero, including interns and new team members. Mentoring is a humbling experience—it is usually less about teaching and more about learning together, and I truly value those connections. I tend to gain fresh perspectives and insights from the folks’ I mentor."
"Do not hesitate to reach out. We function like a well-oiled machine, which can feel intimidating at first, but everyone here is incredibly kind. The team is fueled by passion—we are all here because we want to be, which creates an amazing environment for growth and learning. Even though we mostly work remotely, we are always available to help, so don’t be afraid to connect and ask questions."
"I love reading and cooking, especially experimenting with different recipes and methods. My high school-aged kids keep me busy as they prepare for the next stage in life, but I also enjoy taking care of my pets and my backyard chicken flock. Even though I do not get to water ski or hike as often as I’d like, both are favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors when the weather cooperates. I feel blessed to have a job I love, and when I want to relax, I often unwind with a good Netflix series or documentary."
"I am not sure if it’s a hidden talent, but I play a mean game of Pinochle, and my family is fiercely competitive about it. I am a high energy person, so I keep busy. I also have two dogs, two cats and, of course, a flock of eleven chickens that I enjoy caring for."
"“People only care how much you know when they know how much you care.” A mentor teacher shared this with me, and it turned out to be both wise and true."
"Professionally, I am exploring how AI and data can help us make better decisions. It is amazing how quickly this technology evolves and how it can empower us all. On the personal side, I am always reading something new, and I am excited to try my hand at using a pellet smoker. I am looking forward to experimenting with different flavors—maybe even smoked cheese, as my smoker has a cold smoker box."
"I do not always remember every single word, but the energy and essence of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote has stayed with me since my teens:"
"“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”"
"It reminds me that showing up and trying is what really matters, mistakes will always be a part of life."
"I am not very interested in seeing the future, but I love diving into history, especially when it’s told from lesser-known perspectives. You can learn so much from the little details that mainstream stories often miss. I would travel back in time just to be a fly on the wall, not to change anything, but to understand the nuances that shaped our world. Also, let us be honest, to see some of the more dramatic moments that are not fully known, the part of history that happened behind closed doors."