It is important for institutions such as churches and schools to maintain a positive image. Hence, leaders of these organisations are hand picked for this purpose.
I remember attending a staff meeting where a child protection issue was raised. A member of staff strongly suggested that every thing be kept "in house". That staff member was later promoted to the position of Deputy Principal and then Principal.
I suggest that this sort of action sends a clear message to staff members in both churches and schools.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS
It seems that violence in schools throughout Australia is on the increase. Most Principals, and their executive staff, are committed to maintaining a positive image for their school. Hence, it is not too difficult to imagine that some classroom teachers and some students who have been subjected to violence are "sacrificed" for the sake of maintaining school image.
The Federal Government publishes certain statistics regarding schools. I always suggest to parents that the first set of data to view is school attendance rates. I further suggest to the same parents that if attendance rates are below 95% then it is quite possible that there is a significant problem with violence at the related school.
It is my experience that school attendance rates are over estimated and hence absenteeism is underestimated.
The Federal Government publishes certain statistics regarding schools. I always suggest to parents that the first set of data to view is school attendance rates. I further suggest to the same parents that if attendance rates are below 95% then it is quite possible that there is a significant problem with violence at the related school.
It is my experience that school attendance rates are over estimated and hence absenteeism is underestimated.
Monday, 3 February 2014
Zero
Numerous teachers of mathematics will tell you that x/x = 1, (x+1)/(x+1) = 1, (x-7)/(x-7) = 1, etc.
This is not quite correct. If x = 0, then x/x does not equal one. There is no inverse for zero and hence 0/0 has no answer.
In the second example above if x = -1 we again have 0/0. In the third example if
x = +7 we again have 0/0.
Hence, (x +9)/(x+9) = 1, but x cannot equal -9 is the complete answer.
Suppose you graph y = (sine x)/x. When x = 0 we have y= (sine x)/x = 0/0. Hence at x = 0, y = 0 on the number plane we put in a discontinuous point.
This is not quite correct. If x = 0, then x/x does not equal one. There is no inverse for zero and hence 0/0 has no answer.
In the second example above if x = -1 we again have 0/0. In the third example if
x = +7 we again have 0/0.
Hence, (x +9)/(x+9) = 1, but x cannot equal -9 is the complete answer.
Suppose you graph y = (sine x)/x. When x = 0 we have y= (sine x)/x = 0/0. Hence at x = 0, y = 0 on the number plane we put in a discontinuous point.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
RECYCLED WATER
Some communities in Australia refuse to drink recycled water. Some people say that they will never drink recycled water.
About 2000 years ago a Roman soldier dies in a secluded part of the North African desert. His body slowly decomposes and his water molecules evaporate into the atmosphere. From there his molecules become part of the world's water cycle. After 2000 years his molecules could be in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, your local lake, your local water supply, etc.
One day you decide to drink a litre of water from your kitchen tap (this tap could be "anywhere" in the world). What is the most probable minimum number of water molecules that you will drink which were once in this soldiers body?
Most of my students usual guess between zero and one hundred. Onto the whiteboard I put up 0, 10,100,1000,...................1,000,000,000,000. I put the numbers up in powers of ten with the last number being ten to the power of 12. My students are asked to guess the closest number to the estimated answer.
The most probable minimum number is about 20,000,000 (20M). Hence, ten to the power of seven is the closest number which they can guess.
We ALL drink recycled water. The next time you drink a can of coke (which is mainly water) try estimating the minimum number of molecules which came from that Roman soldiers body!
About 2000 years ago a Roman soldier dies in a secluded part of the North African desert. His body slowly decomposes and his water molecules evaporate into the atmosphere. From there his molecules become part of the world's water cycle. After 2000 years his molecules could be in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, your local lake, your local water supply, etc.
One day you decide to drink a litre of water from your kitchen tap (this tap could be "anywhere" in the world). What is the most probable minimum number of water molecules that you will drink which were once in this soldiers body?
Most of my students usual guess between zero and one hundred. Onto the whiteboard I put up 0, 10,100,1000,...................1,000,000,000,000. I put the numbers up in powers of ten with the last number being ten to the power of 12. My students are asked to guess the closest number to the estimated answer.
The most probable minimum number is about 20,000,000 (20M). Hence, ten to the power of seven is the closest number which they can guess.
We ALL drink recycled water. The next time you drink a can of coke (which is mainly water) try estimating the minimum number of molecules which came from that Roman soldiers body!
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Christopher Pyne
It does appear that Christopher Pyne might have finally woken up as to why the "Gonski Program" is woefully inadequate. The program does next to nothing to address the major problems which exist within our school educational systems. Namely:-
1. The chronic shortage of properly qualified and highly motivated teachers with excellent
classroom management credentials.
2. The ever growing problem of violence especially within the classroom.
3. The continuous watering down of curriculum to meet the needs of struggling teachers.
4. The lack of leadership skills exhibited by many teachers in management positions.
1. The chronic shortage of properly qualified and highly motivated teachers with excellent
classroom management credentials.
2. The ever growing problem of violence especially within the classroom.
3. The continuous watering down of curriculum to meet the needs of struggling teachers.
4. The lack of leadership skills exhibited by many teachers in management positions.
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Diagnostic Testing
Educators suggest that diagnostic testing in secondary schools is very important. I agree. However, this is difficult if not impossible for many teachers of science and mathematics to undertake. Suppose a science teacher asks his/her class what is light. Assume the student replies by suggesting that light is a steam of particles. How can that teacher continue unless he/she is familiar with the two major models for light? Suppose a science teacher asks his/her class what is heat. Assume a student replies by suggesting that heat is related to how fast a particle moves. How can that teacher continue unless he/she is familiar with the two major models for heat? I suggest that numerous teachers of science and mathematics are reluctant to ask such open ended questions because their knowledge of the subject matter in these two disciplines is lacking.
Westpac
Most people are educated to believe that banking interviews, to some extent, are confidential. I had an interview with an employee of a branch of a Westpac bank, in Wagga Wagga, on 11/11/2013. Later I came to the conclusion that information at that meeting may have been leaked. I attended another meeting, at the same bank, the next day in order to clarify the bank's policy on confidential interviews. I say that the senior Westpac employee was very evasive and did not wish to discuss the serious matter which I had raised with him. It seems to me that Westpac does not have a policy related to confidentiality.
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