An Appropriation of ' Englishman in New York', by Sting.

An Appropriation of  ' Englishman in New York', by Sting.

( This comes with a warning, a taiaha has only one point , it is directed only in one direction, my battle is not with an army of men.)

I don't drink coffee, I take tea my dear

I like my toast done on one side

And you can hear it in my accent when I talk

I'm an Englishman in New York  

As a Spectator, I recently listened to a Maori student who is failing NCEA, talk with mana. There is something wrong when NCEA becomes the master rather than just a tool for measuring success. And what is the measure of success? and who has the power to say?

You see me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking cane here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I'm an Englishman in New York  

I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York 
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York 

The industrial revolution style of education. The school architecture, the uniform, the cane, the high socks in roman sandals, the rows, the formality, the shirt and tie, the title of Mister, Sir and Ma'am. Hats off at the table. 

If, "Manners maketh the man" as someone said

He's that hero of the day

It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile

Be yourself no matter what they say

We are now renouncing such protocols within schools. E-learning, the new catch phrase.

 I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York 

I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien

I'm an Englishman in New York 

Many styles of education now enter Aotearoa via the cloud, like an army of men...
Project based learning, Flipped classroom, Blended learning, Universal Design for Learning, Solo Taxonomy,  Maker education, Charter schools, BYOD, Values education, Collaboration, Design Thinking, Digital citizenship, Game based learning, Multiple intelligences, Learning styles, Stem, Steam, Coding, Learner agency, Modern learning environments, Google classroom, Mindfulness, Differentiation, Self directed learning... 

and on and on they march....

We have been here before.


Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety, rare in this society
At night a candle's brighter than the sun



Hats off to the Englishmen who have changed this country for the better

But we had an agreement.

It is time we honoured that agreement with the tangata whenua, whose wisdom in their mihi could revolutionise the way we approach digital citizenship, whose understanding of respect could take critical thinking to new heights, whose knowledge of our environment could transform project based learning, whose values exceed pakeha ways.....

Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi

With red and black the work will be complete..... if everyone does their part.

Āpiti hono tātai hono, rātou te hunga mate ki a rātou
Tātou te hunga ora ki a tātou
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa

The Artist.