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.
Sunday, 1 December 2013
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.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Telling Stories (1)
There are managers in our schools who direct teachers to stick strictly to the syllabus. How boring! How unrealistic their ideas are about the meaning of education.
Telling stories was / is an ongoing part of my teaching practice.
Many years ago I was in the school library when a fourteen year old girl (let us call her Mary) approached me. It was obvious that she was distressed and had been crying. She asked if I was
Mr Todd. I said yes and asked her what the problem was. Mary gave me a brief account of her life of misery which was being caused by a boy in her year (let us call him George). I suggested to her that she approach her year adviser. Mary quickly indicated that such an approach would prove useless. I asked her if she would like me to try and find a solution to her problem. Her eyes lit up and I then realized why she had sought my help.
Our meeting took place in the morning. A short while later I pulled George out of class and spoke with him.
Later, in the afternoon, I was doing after school duty just inside the school boundary fence. Mary rode past on her bicycle. As she past me Mary looked back and cried out at the top of her voice; "I love you Mr Todd, I love you."
I never spoke with Mary again. George never bothered her again. When I tell this story to my students they invariably ask me what it was that I said to George. I tell them that I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Telling stories was / is an ongoing part of my teaching practice.
Many years ago I was in the school library when a fourteen year old girl (let us call her Mary) approached me. It was obvious that she was distressed and had been crying. She asked if I was
Mr Todd. I said yes and asked her what the problem was. Mary gave me a brief account of her life of misery which was being caused by a boy in her year (let us call him George). I suggested to her that she approach her year adviser. Mary quickly indicated that such an approach would prove useless. I asked her if she would like me to try and find a solution to her problem. Her eyes lit up and I then realized why she had sought my help.
Our meeting took place in the morning. A short while later I pulled George out of class and spoke with him.
Later, in the afternoon, I was doing after school duty just inside the school boundary fence. Mary rode past on her bicycle. As she past me Mary looked back and cried out at the top of her voice; "I love you Mr Todd, I love you."
I never spoke with Mary again. George never bothered her again. When I tell this story to my students they invariably ask me what it was that I said to George. I tell them that I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Thursday, 29 August 2013
I.Q.
In Australia it is quite reasonable to assume that the average intelligence quotient (AIQ) of school students has not changed over time. In my opinion it is more than reasonable to assume that the AIQ of their teachers has dropped significantly.
Australia is now in the unenviable position of having significant numbers of our brighter students being taught mathematics and science by teachers who struggle to understand the subject matter they are required to teach.
I suggest that the various State Authorities have been aware of this situation for a number of years and have responded accordingly. To begin with they have dumbed down the subject matter. In doing so early introduction of difficult concepts is no longer viable in many of our schools. Errors in prescribed texts are not readily picked up and these errors are often reinforced when teachers attend staff development days. The abolition of external examinations in junior high school has helped to conceal the lack of quality subject matter being taught.
It is well known that students in years 11 and 12 are spurning mathematics, physics and chemistry in both public and private schools. The brighter students know the capabilities of the teachers at their schools and respond accordingly!
Australia is now in the unenviable position of having significant numbers of our brighter students being taught mathematics and science by teachers who struggle to understand the subject matter they are required to teach.
I suggest that the various State Authorities have been aware of this situation for a number of years and have responded accordingly. To begin with they have dumbed down the subject matter. In doing so early introduction of difficult concepts is no longer viable in many of our schools. Errors in prescribed texts are not readily picked up and these errors are often reinforced when teachers attend staff development days. The abolition of external examinations in junior high school has helped to conceal the lack of quality subject matter being taught.
It is well known that students in years 11 and 12 are spurning mathematics, physics and chemistry in both public and private schools. The brighter students know the capabilities of the teachers at their schools and respond accordingly!
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
SUCK
Too many teachers of science talk about milk being sucked up a straw and/or passengers being sucked out of an aeroplane. Unfortunately this generates a false picture in the minds of their students.
The dictionary indicates that "suck" means to draw into the mouth. The milk is in fact forced into the mouth in accordance with Newton's first law of motion. Again, the passengers are forced out of the plane in accordance with the first law.
Pressure is defined as Force divided by Area. P = F/A. If the area is fixed then Pressure will vary directly with Force.
You place your lips over the straw. The pressure of the air inside the straw above the milk is balanced by the pressure of the air above the milk outside of the straw. Hence, the force per unit area is the same. You consciously lower your diaphragm and your lung capacity increases. A greater volume with the same number of air particles must result in a drop in pressure. Hence, the pressure of the air inside the straw drops which means that the force per unit area drops. We now have a greater force per unit area acting on the surface of the milk, outside of the straw, and hence milk is forced into the straw.
You are sitting in an aeroplane, at sixty thousand feet, next to a window. The air pressure acting on the inside of the window is far greater than that on the outside. Hence, the force per unit area is greater inside. The window shatters and in accordance with Newton's first law the pieces of glass move out and away from the plane. In general the net movement of air particles will be towards the hole where the window used to be. The air pressure on the side of your body closest to the window will drop very quickly and hence so will the force per unit area acting on that part of your body. The greater air pressure and force per unit area on the other side of your body will cause you to move in accordance with Newton's first law. You are forced out of the plane. In simple terms the air molecules move into regions of low pressure and if you are in the way then bad luck!
The dictionary indicates that "suck" means to draw into the mouth. The milk is in fact forced into the mouth in accordance with Newton's first law of motion. Again, the passengers are forced out of the plane in accordance with the first law.
Pressure is defined as Force divided by Area. P = F/A. If the area is fixed then Pressure will vary directly with Force.
You place your lips over the straw. The pressure of the air inside the straw above the milk is balanced by the pressure of the air above the milk outside of the straw. Hence, the force per unit area is the same. You consciously lower your diaphragm and your lung capacity increases. A greater volume with the same number of air particles must result in a drop in pressure. Hence, the pressure of the air inside the straw drops which means that the force per unit area drops. We now have a greater force per unit area acting on the surface of the milk, outside of the straw, and hence milk is forced into the straw.
You are sitting in an aeroplane, at sixty thousand feet, next to a window. The air pressure acting on the inside of the window is far greater than that on the outside. Hence, the force per unit area is greater inside. The window shatters and in accordance with Newton's first law the pieces of glass move out and away from the plane. In general the net movement of air particles will be towards the hole where the window used to be. The air pressure on the side of your body closest to the window will drop very quickly and hence so will the force per unit area acting on that part of your body. The greater air pressure and force per unit area on the other side of your body will cause you to move in accordance with Newton's first law. You are forced out of the plane. In simple terms the air molecules move into regions of low pressure and if you are in the way then bad luck!
Friday, 23 August 2013
EINSTEIN / NEWTON
Following on from Einstein's theory of relativity some teachers of science have suggested that Newton got it wrong. He did not!
Newton's second law of motion is mathematically represented by the equation F = d(mv)/dt.
Not F = ma. Newton assumed that if an object is subjected to an unbalanced force its inertial mass m would not change and that F = d(mv)/dt would simplify down to F = ma. For velocities of say 100m/s changes in inertial mass are not measurable.
Einstein took Newton's second law from one inertial reference frame (which is one in which Newton's second law holds) to another such frame using Lorentz transformations. When this was done he found that for the law to hold (Galilean Invariance) the objects inertial mass changed. The new mass is represented by the equation m = m' /w, where w = square root (1 - v.v/c,c) and m' is the objects inertial mass in the rest frame.
This is Einstein's only modification of Newton's laws of motion. Newton's first law remains unchanged. Newton's third law still holds but the modified mass must now be taken into account when considering conservation of momentum.
Newton's second law of motion is mathematically represented by the equation F = d(mv)/dt.
Not F = ma. Newton assumed that if an object is subjected to an unbalanced force its inertial mass m would not change and that F = d(mv)/dt would simplify down to F = ma. For velocities of say 100m/s changes in inertial mass are not measurable.
Einstein took Newton's second law from one inertial reference frame (which is one in which Newton's second law holds) to another such frame using Lorentz transformations. When this was done he found that for the law to hold (Galilean Invariance) the objects inertial mass changed. The new mass is represented by the equation m = m' /w, where w = square root (1 - v.v/c,c) and m' is the objects inertial mass in the rest frame.
This is Einstein's only modification of Newton's laws of motion. Newton's first law remains unchanged. Newton's third law still holds but the modified mass must now be taken into account when considering conservation of momentum.
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