B"H
There is a president hostile to Israel voted in for another four years to one of the most powerful countries in the world. With Obama's re-election, the decline of America is increasingly more imminent. There is a general breakdown in social values world wide, but the core of some really very questionable values is coming from America, from Hollywood through films, through media both print and electronic.
The corruption of the American life values and society is a pity. America was once a great country and still could be, but because of the social dis-eases prevelant in the mind set of most young Americans today it is on the decline as a country and a nation.
Obama supports gay marriage or same sex marriage. Obama has indulged in ad homenim attacks on his rivals and operates psychologically on a very petty level. He behaves as a spoilt prince would, as one who should never be king because he does not know the meaning of self sacrifice and the JFK statement 'do not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country', is in reverse in the state of Obamination that exists in America.
I fear for the safety of the Israeli people. I fear for their future with such a president in power in America. Israel needs other powerful and righteous friends with this modern day Haman in power. Israel needs to renew faith in G-D like never before and stand strong and united.
We all have a lot to fear with a man like Obama in power. G-D should help us all get through these next four years.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Taking down my blog - being selective in my posts
B"h
I have decided that my blog is too public and have decided to post only about less personal topics. I have erased some posts and am going to set myself a personal Schedule of topics that I need to deal with. Busy researching at present two essay topics Marriage and Older Professionals in the Workplace for something as well as finishing off some poems. I really need to do some more workshops and in services to update my professional knowledge.
I actually love learning and am keen to learn new things, but not everyone is like me. Some professionals are very comfortable once they have finished their qualifications just stagnating. It is important to move with the times and remain youthful in outlook without compromising your intrinsic values.
Gut Voch and a good week.
PS
Some great shiurim this Shabbat on Chai Sarah. Rabbi Jim Kennard and Ella Wilhelmin. Then there was a great shiur by the guy from JNF. I actually should not call it a great shiur on the situation in Israel. It was actually quite scary how Jewish inaction and the left wing have got us into this situation where one million dunum have been taken over by Arabs who have built illegally but they are supported by the Israeli Supreme Court. Scary.
I have decided that my blog is too public and have decided to post only about less personal topics. I have erased some posts and am going to set myself a personal Schedule of topics that I need to deal with. Busy researching at present two essay topics Marriage and Older Professionals in the Workplace for something as well as finishing off some poems. I really need to do some more workshops and in services to update my professional knowledge.
I actually love learning and am keen to learn new things, but not everyone is like me. Some professionals are very comfortable once they have finished their qualifications just stagnating. It is important to move with the times and remain youthful in outlook without compromising your intrinsic values.
Gut Voch and a good week.
PS
Some great shiurim this Shabbat on Chai Sarah. Rabbi Jim Kennard and Ella Wilhelmin. Then there was a great shiur by the guy from JNF. I actually should not call it a great shiur on the situation in Israel. It was actually quite scary how Jewish inaction and the left wing have got us into this situation where one million dunum have been taken over by Arabs who have built illegally but they are supported by the Israeli Supreme Court. Scary.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Reflections on country living
B"H
I sit out in my garden aware that there is not another soul except for the inhabitants of a few houses dotted down the road at least half a kilometre away. There are the frequent calls and answering calls of birds conversing in the tall trees surrounding the property. Dooodooorrrr, catchetcooo, cuttettettuttuu. I sip my second Bambu tea of the day. Bambu a mixture of Chicory root, figs and alcorns is meant to be good for the liver. I hope so.
The cat is perched high up in the tree that towers over the northern aspect of the farmhouse. She is grinning. If a cat can grin, she is as she climbs higher then decides to descend to the ground to stalk the goat whom she views still with suspicion. She has not quite worked out what this animal really is and is it a competitor for food, affection and attention? Dolly the goat is a pleasant hardworking animal who is willing to be friends. Mitzi is having none of it. She rears on her hind paws and hisses aggressively. She is also probably hungry as I have cut her food back so she will hunt the mice that are abundant in the tall grass in the fields surrounding us.
The space has made my son deliriously happy. 'I love this place. I love this house.' He said to me this morning again. It was the last thing he said to me last night when I put him to sleep. After the flat it is heaven. It is space and it is peace. I spent some of my meagre funds on a lotto ticket for the 100 million draw on Tuesday. Probably just as well I did not win any of it. I would have paid most of its to the owner of the farm to buy this farm and set up a school - a Jewish boarding school for kids that don't fit into the systems in the Jewish schools and the public schools. I love this area.
I am not a person who needs a lot of people around me or needs others around to reassure me.Don't get me wrong. I do love people, but I need my space and quiet time. My third hot drink and then I need to get stuck into the housework. The goat rattles her chain along the wire stretched from a tree to the gate at the northern entrance. She looks hopefully at me.
No Dolly, there is plenty for you to eat still in the yard. Get to work. I will have to hire a brush cutter or buy one when my tax return comes in. It can't be too soon. Messages keep coming about my overdues and I will be so happy to just be able to pay them and be done with them and hopefully be working at something soon.
The wind often pushes the trees around and it sounds like a leaf ocean rushing around us. The flutter of small birds' wings - wrens and the larger magpies is pleasant and restful. The birds come right up to the kitchen windows. I am not sure how long that will last with the cat. Let's hope the mice are abundant and more fun than the birds to catch. They are probably easier so she will, being the lazy individual that she is, be more likely to go after them. We are getting a ginger kitten when it is old enough. A Tom.
I sit out in my garden aware that there is not another soul except for the inhabitants of a few houses dotted down the road at least half a kilometre away. There are the frequent calls and answering calls of birds conversing in the tall trees surrounding the property. Dooodooorrrr, catchetcooo, cuttettettuttuu. I sip my second Bambu tea of the day. Bambu a mixture of Chicory root, figs and alcorns is meant to be good for the liver. I hope so.
The cat is perched high up in the tree that towers over the northern aspect of the farmhouse. She is grinning. If a cat can grin, she is as she climbs higher then decides to descend to the ground to stalk the goat whom she views still with suspicion. She has not quite worked out what this animal really is and is it a competitor for food, affection and attention? Dolly the goat is a pleasant hardworking animal who is willing to be friends. Mitzi is having none of it. She rears on her hind paws and hisses aggressively. She is also probably hungry as I have cut her food back so she will hunt the mice that are abundant in the tall grass in the fields surrounding us.
The space has made my son deliriously happy. 'I love this place. I love this house.' He said to me this morning again. It was the last thing he said to me last night when I put him to sleep. After the flat it is heaven. It is space and it is peace. I spent some of my meagre funds on a lotto ticket for the 100 million draw on Tuesday. Probably just as well I did not win any of it. I would have paid most of its to the owner of the farm to buy this farm and set up a school - a Jewish boarding school for kids that don't fit into the systems in the Jewish schools and the public schools. I love this area.
I am not a person who needs a lot of people around me or needs others around to reassure me.Don't get me wrong. I do love people, but I need my space and quiet time. My third hot drink and then I need to get stuck into the housework. The goat rattles her chain along the wire stretched from a tree to the gate at the northern entrance. She looks hopefully at me.
No Dolly, there is plenty for you to eat still in the yard. Get to work. I will have to hire a brush cutter or buy one when my tax return comes in. It can't be too soon. Messages keep coming about my overdues and I will be so happy to just be able to pay them and be done with them and hopefully be working at something soon.
The wind often pushes the trees around and it sounds like a leaf ocean rushing around us. The flutter of small birds' wings - wrens and the larger magpies is pleasant and restful. The birds come right up to the kitchen windows. I am not sure how long that will last with the cat. Let's hope the mice are abundant and more fun than the birds to catch. They are probably easier so she will, being the lazy individual that she is, be more likely to go after them. We are getting a ginger kitten when it is old enough. A Tom.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Letters of Obamination
B"H
A child writes a letter to an outgoing President (do the Americans really need to be punished that much to have BO re-elected??) one would hope not. All my respect for Bobby Zimmerman has gone out with the wind too. The fact is that this moral campaigner and poet of the 60s stands alongside Obamination who is one of the reasons for the continuing decline in social standards, ethics and American morality makes me wonder if Bobby Dylan smoked too much Marijuana and dropped to much LSD in his earlier years and it has all caught up with him and addled his brain in his latter years.
Anyway here is the link to the letter.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/little-girls-letter-to-obama-dear-mr-president-i-h
ave-two-dads-discuss/story-fnd134gw-1226511966442
This poor kid writes to the President because she is upset that the kids at school find
her family situation unsettling and weird. The blame is put onto the kids and it is
called 'bullying'. So a group of kids from mainstream families are made to feel that
they are in the wrong to protect the sensitivities of. These two men who cannot
control their 'natural' desires for the members of the same sex. Something is very wrong
here. I am guessing little ten year old girl had help writing this letter after being suitably
brain washed with the 'right perspectives' by her two 'daddies'. That is gross and when she is a
teenager, who is going to be her moral guardian? Oh, yes, you guessed correctly. Two daddies! How sweet.
Where is the female role model in this kids' life or is it going to be two perverse human beings who just
follow their 'natural desires' without any thought for a moral compass whatsoever? If we all just follow our natural desires
who knows where it can lead.
I felt like weeping for this poor little girl. Her perspectives and outlook on life has been upturned
by two individuals who have put their desires and wants before that of a child. They want children, let them
go and be normal and marry a woman and have children with her. SLAP SLAP TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.
Silly me, I forgot that people who follow their 'NATURAL' desires don't have the maturity of
intellectual development or moral foresight to be in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex.
G-D help us! Obama certainly won't.
A child writes a letter to an outgoing President (do the Americans really need to be punished that much to have BO re-elected??) one would hope not. All my respect for Bobby Zimmerman has gone out with the wind too. The fact is that this moral campaigner and poet of the 60s stands alongside Obamination who is one of the reasons for the continuing decline in social standards, ethics and American morality makes me wonder if Bobby Dylan smoked too much Marijuana and dropped to much LSD in his earlier years and it has all caught up with him and addled his brain in his latter years.
Anyway here is the link to the letter.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/little-girls-letter-to-obama-dear-mr-president-i-h
ave-two-dads-discuss/story-fnd134gw-1226511966442
This poor kid writes to the President because she is upset that the kids at school find
her family situation unsettling and weird. The blame is put onto the kids and it is
called 'bullying'. So a group of kids from mainstream families are made to feel that
they are in the wrong to protect the sensitivities of. These two men who cannot
control their 'natural' desires for the members of the same sex. Something is very wrong
here. I am guessing little ten year old girl had help writing this letter after being suitably
brain washed with the 'right perspectives' by her two 'daddies'. That is gross and when she is a
teenager, who is going to be her moral guardian? Oh, yes, you guessed correctly. Two daddies! How sweet.
Where is the female role model in this kids' life or is it going to be two perverse human beings who just
follow their 'natural desires' without any thought for a moral compass whatsoever? If we all just follow our natural desires
who knows where it can lead.
I felt like weeping for this poor little girl. Her perspectives and outlook on life has been upturned
by two individuals who have put their desires and wants before that of a child. They want children, let them
go and be normal and marry a woman and have children with her. SLAP SLAP TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.
Silly me, I forgot that people who follow their 'NATURAL' desires don't have the maturity of
intellectual development or moral foresight to be in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex.
G-D help us! Obama certainly won't.
Following "Natural Urges" -Is that a Defence for Indulging in Perversions?
B"H
The other day I was shown an article by a chap called Rothwell in defence of same sex marriage and a letter by a Rabbi Ingram in the Australian Jewish News refuting some of the assertions made by this Rothwell about 'same sex relationships' and how it has to be considered 'natural' and we must accept it as such. We must move with the times - it is asserted by people like Rothwell. Sure, we can move with times. The good citizens of Ancient Rome did and so did the Greeks and Ancient Egyptians and perhaps even the present day Egyptions in some circles. Let me ask you where did it get them. To buggery and back literally. Their civilisations collapsed. Rome for instance, conquered many lands, enslaved the inhabitants, taxed the poor devils they conquered, took what women they wanted at will and in return, they paved roads and gave them systems of aqueducts to carry water into towns and other administration features that would make life easier for their soldiers - centurions and governors etc to administer the Empire.
Morally the Romans were trolls. They outdid the Greeks by far for licentiousness and promiscuity. Probably almost the equal of the Egyptians whose pharoahs married their sisters and I think there were cases of daughters mating with fathers as well as mothers and sons. Quite disgusting, but then they had a very different take on morality than most of us in the Western world. They believed that they were Gods and they were the ultimate power and made the rules. They could do what they liked and they were answerable to no one.
For those of us, those who believe in an ultimate Creator of the Universe who knows all things and for who all things are capable, we are constantly aware that we are not the masters of our own fate. Yes we have free will but we are finite, limited beings and therefore in that context we are aware of a higher being or energy of you like, that does have perfect and infinite knowledge and power and we accept to be guided in our lives in this existence by the rules and will of that being because we acknowledge the power, might and infinite ness of that being and it is all good. It is not G-D who is wrong for allowing evil, it is humans who follow their desires and wants, knowing full well it is not right or correct to do the things they do.
Now after that little diversion into history let's get back into the present day and contemporary society. We are on a downward slide if we allow same sex marriage. We take the abnormal and we normalise it. We force people through legislation to accept the perverse and deviant as 'normal'. HEY, wait a minute, didn't I hear about place that did that recently? Ah, yes, Sodom and Gemorah with the cities of the plain where Lot sojourned for a while until the angels came and forced him away from the place and G-D destroyed both the people and the place. because they were an abomination. Rabbi Ingram is no Lot. He is not seduced by the easy indolent life. He has it appears a very correct and courageous moral compass and he speaks out.
The letters attacking him for his views were what concerned me most. Not one of them could offer a competent and decent argument for same sex marriage. Rather it was personal attacks on the rabbi, religion and heterosexuals unable to accept homosexuals as 'normal' human beings. As far as the latter is concerned, most of us do accept homosexuals as human beings and what is objectionable for most of us is the fact that they are trying to thrust it in our faces that this sort of sexual behaviour is normal. I used to enjoy going to the movies. I don't go any more unless I careful vet the movie beforehand and I have made a conscious decision to walk out if I have to be confronted on a large screen by the sight of two men or two women with the tongues stuck in each others mouths or on top of each other simulating the act of copulation. I do not want to see a man and a woman doing the
same thing because of the level of intimacy involved, I think such things should be kept private between those involved.
Some of the letters supporting same sex marriage, one in particular stated, 'we need to be allowed to follow our natural desires.' There is a strange irony in that statement apart from the fact that we live in a society where we are hopefully above the instinctive behaviour of animals. Humans are highly evolved beings and have potential for greatness in all areas if we subjugate our 'instinctive' or natural desires if you like to serve G-D, society and in turn it will serve us because it will be for the greater benefit of us all.
We all have natural desires and urges, but hopefully they are regulated appropriately. With the incidence of child abuse, pedophilia, sexual perversions and abuse that is now more frequently brought to our attention through the media, one's awareness of the perverseness of humans is increased as twelve year olds who watch the news are probably aware of things that I do not want to even contemplate.
The other day I was shown an article by a chap called Rothwell in defence of same sex marriage and a letter by a Rabbi Ingram in the Australian Jewish News refuting some of the assertions made by this Rothwell about 'same sex relationships' and how it has to be considered 'natural' and we must accept it as such. We must move with the times - it is asserted by people like Rothwell. Sure, we can move with times. The good citizens of Ancient Rome did and so did the Greeks and Ancient Egyptians and perhaps even the present day Egyptions in some circles. Let me ask you where did it get them. To buggery and back literally. Their civilisations collapsed. Rome for instance, conquered many lands, enslaved the inhabitants, taxed the poor devils they conquered, took what women they wanted at will and in return, they paved roads and gave them systems of aqueducts to carry water into towns and other administration features that would make life easier for their soldiers - centurions and governors etc to administer the Empire.
Morally the Romans were trolls. They outdid the Greeks by far for licentiousness and promiscuity. Probably almost the equal of the Egyptians whose pharoahs married their sisters and I think there were cases of daughters mating with fathers as well as mothers and sons. Quite disgusting, but then they had a very different take on morality than most of us in the Western world. They believed that they were Gods and they were the ultimate power and made the rules. They could do what they liked and they were answerable to no one.
For those of us, those who believe in an ultimate Creator of the Universe who knows all things and for who all things are capable, we are constantly aware that we are not the masters of our own fate. Yes we have free will but we are finite, limited beings and therefore in that context we are aware of a higher being or energy of you like, that does have perfect and infinite knowledge and power and we accept to be guided in our lives in this existence by the rules and will of that being because we acknowledge the power, might and infinite ness of that being and it is all good. It is not G-D who is wrong for allowing evil, it is humans who follow their desires and wants, knowing full well it is not right or correct to do the things they do.
Now after that little diversion into history let's get back into the present day and contemporary society. We are on a downward slide if we allow same sex marriage. We take the abnormal and we normalise it. We force people through legislation to accept the perverse and deviant as 'normal'. HEY, wait a minute, didn't I hear about place that did that recently? Ah, yes, Sodom and Gemorah with the cities of the plain where Lot sojourned for a while until the angels came and forced him away from the place and G-D destroyed both the people and the place. because they were an abomination. Rabbi Ingram is no Lot. He is not seduced by the easy indolent life. He has it appears a very correct and courageous moral compass and he speaks out.
The letters attacking him for his views were what concerned me most. Not one of them could offer a competent and decent argument for same sex marriage. Rather it was personal attacks on the rabbi, religion and heterosexuals unable to accept homosexuals as 'normal' human beings. As far as the latter is concerned, most of us do accept homosexuals as human beings and what is objectionable for most of us is the fact that they are trying to thrust it in our faces that this sort of sexual behaviour is normal. I used to enjoy going to the movies. I don't go any more unless I careful vet the movie beforehand and I have made a conscious decision to walk out if I have to be confronted on a large screen by the sight of two men or two women with the tongues stuck in each others mouths or on top of each other simulating the act of copulation. I do not want to see a man and a woman doing the
same thing because of the level of intimacy involved, I think such things should be kept private between those involved.
Some of the letters supporting same sex marriage, one in particular stated, 'we need to be allowed to follow our natural desires.' There is a strange irony in that statement apart from the fact that we live in a society where we are hopefully above the instinctive behaviour of animals. Humans are highly evolved beings and have potential for greatness in all areas if we subjugate our 'instinctive' or natural desires if you like to serve G-D, society and in turn it will serve us because it will be for the greater benefit of us all.
We all have natural desires and urges, but hopefully they are regulated appropriately. With the incidence of child abuse, pedophilia, sexual perversions and abuse that is now more frequently brought to our attention through the media, one's awareness of the perverseness of humans is increased as twelve year olds who watch the news are probably aware of things that I do not want to even contemplate.
Mental Illness and prejudices
B"H
I have just listened to a very informative ABC program on mental illness. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/11/aim_20121104.mp3
We should be aware that while some of us are 'different' in the way we function that is not an excuse
to treat so differently that we exacerbate that difference in our minds and theirs. People are different and
some of us are more eccentric in behaviour and speech than the mainstream. That makes them
unique individuals, nothing more, nothing less.
Differences can and should be valued. I am sure Van Gogh was different as was Einstein, Beethoven,
Mozart, Picasso and others. Too often the creative and the interesting people have suffered because they
do not fit the mainstream moulds. We need to look, understand and be inclusive of all sorts of people
so long as they do no harm to others and can contribute to the betterment of society even in small different ways.
I have just listened to a very informative ABC program on mental illness. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/11/aim_20121104.mp3
We should be aware that while some of us are 'different' in the way we function that is not an excuse
to treat so differently that we exacerbate that difference in our minds and theirs. People are different and
some of us are more eccentric in behaviour and speech than the mainstream. That makes them
unique individuals, nothing more, nothing less.
Differences can and should be valued. I am sure Van Gogh was different as was Einstein, Beethoven,
Mozart, Picasso and others. Too often the creative and the interesting people have suffered because they
do not fit the mainstream moulds. We need to look, understand and be inclusive of all sorts of people
so long as they do no harm to others and can contribute to the betterment of society even in small different ways.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Interactive Whiteboard training, Peak Time Traffic to St Albans and other challenges of the day...
B"H
Yesterday I picked my son up from school early because I had to attend an Interactive Whiteboard Training Workshop. We had packed dinner and snacks for the supposedly hour and a half journey to St Albans. Never ever believe Mr Google Maps when it (he?) tells you it is one hour and twenty five minutes fom one destination to another. I had allowed an extra twenty five minutes or so. Stupid me! I probably should have left at lunch time and taken my son somewhere educational like the museum in the city for an hour.
We arrived nearly an hour late and spent about twenty minutes wandering around the St. Albans primary school where the workshop was being held trying to find out exactly where the workshop was being held - in what room. At least the toilets were unlocked. One's bladder can get remarkably strained after hours in the car and a little boy's too. He loves David Attenborough but the nature of a child is not to sit quietly in a car hour after hour crawling along a highway even with movies on the laptop or a car kiddie screen. Kids need to move. Considering the length of time he sat, my boy deserves a prize for patience plus. I also began to understand how road rage builds up in a person. Frankly I will look forward to advanced technological hook ups. More of that later.
Just under and hour of an informative, scintillating session by the presenter Amanda Neumann was well worth the stress of getting there. It was going at a crackling pace so as I chilled out and took in what was happening, I thought GEE what did I miss, but she anticipated the anguish of latecomers or those who had to leave early and there are notes on the session at www.lambourne.net.au/anzuk
I used my little IPad and took a few notes. There is also a site called Promethean Planet and it has FREE as in it doesn't cost money, workshops and tutorials on how to make the best use of your interactive whiteboard resource and more importantly how to operate them effectively. You can down load flip charts for any number of subjects and topics within them. There are activities for Maths that if Maths had been taught using what they have available today through the Internet and interactive whiteboards in my day, I might have been a mathematician instead of a wannabe novelist, poet, short story writer moonlighting as a Humanities teacher. Maths becomes fast and competitive with lots of cute little diagrams, interesting problems posed and solved because every child has the potential to be an Einstein, we as teachers just have to know HOW to unlock the vaults to knowledge for each child.
I was fascinated by the resources and learning tools available to the end and will definitely work on the Promethean website and others to extend my knowledge and skills in this area. Amanda the presenter explained at the end of the session how we can use Twitter for example to follow tweets from an education conference from around the other side of the world to get an idea of what is being said, presented etc. People use their ipads and iphones to upload material which is then available on the net if you know how to access it. She was able to access information from multiple sources on a particular presenter in Boston USA which made her feel as if she was actually there at the conference.
She is available to present this workshop at schools through Lambourne Next Generation Technology and it was extremely worth while. Phone 1300 857 492 Very good value.
Now I will jump on the soap box to air another pet issue of mine. Teacher student ratios are important. Don't let anyone tell you that they are not. Yes, I have spoken to some schools private and public. One of the public schools I contacted, did not even bother to get back to me. Probably because they are aware of the truth but have been battered into submission by superiors into believing the lie that it doesn't matter how many students are in a class, if the teacher is a 'class act' then we can have classes of 30 plus so long as we have brilliant well trained teachers. However that does not take into account the multi roles of a teacher in a classroom. A teacher needs to liaise with parents of students, other teachers and students themselves with regard to the welfare and social progress AS WELL AS the academic progress of their students. Plus teachers have to prepare lessons and deliver them, checking and assessing the students' comprehension, writing reports doing Professional Development and keeping ahead of developments in pedagogy and also involvement in extra curricular activities is desirable in teachers. The more students you have the less contact and your ability to guide and teach proactively is lessened. Why do so many young teachers burn out and leave the profession? The answer is obvious. Overloaded and pressured to perform beyond realistic expectations the good ones burn out and leave. The lazier teachers or those who teach 'smart' coast their way into senior teacher jobs in any cases and load down the willing bunnies if allowed. Not always though. There are also many good teachers who realise that meeting the expectations placed on teachers by members of the public who are ignorant of what the true role of a teacher is, is a recipe for disaster and learn to survive the fiascos of the teaching profession in today's world.
Some private schools will tell you that they have 30 students in their year seven and eight classrooms. What the do not tell you unless you are a parent with a child about to enrol or they are selling the school potential to you is that in those year seven and eight classes they have a mentor teacher whose role is basically student welfare. She or he stays with the students across core subjects where there
are thirty in the classroom.
So effectively the student teacher ratio is 15 to one teacher, although one teacher's role is lesson preparation and delivery and I would imagine assessment and marking. The other teacher focuses on the students' welfare and learning needs as well as assisting them in the classroom and supporting the specialist teacher delivering the lesson. When one teacher tries to do the job unassisted e.g. teaches and assesses 30 students per class and fulfils the mentoring role as well, that is a recipe for disaster. If for example, a teacher is teaching five classes of twenty students English and History and has a Home group of twenty - usually a class he or she takes for a core subject, thus she or he knows the students, the teacher is dealing with around 100 students. Now if those classes are classes of 30 that equals 150 students and if they are around 35 students per class we are talking about 175 young individuals that the teacher needs to fulfil the role of educator, mentor, assessor etc on a day to day basis over the week and term and the year. The workload is greatly increased and students with special needs or even the exceptionally bright students fall through the cracks.
We should be deciding in society today and especially in public education what do we want for our kids and the future which is also our future. Do we want students to deal with teachers far too busy to give them anything but the most cursory regard for their progress in learning and education, or do we want teachers to CARE and to have time to do that little bit extra for the students and to make up sound individual learning program's for those falling behind or those who need to be challenged because they will act out as they are bored.
We have so many useful tools in today's technological age, to engage students in their learning and to fulfil their potential. We can harness social media to create good social networks and caring aware individuals. Instead, I have read and seen first hand how these educational tools can be misused and abused by those who need to be taught appropriate uses. A gun or a car is dangerous in the control of someone who is not educated in its proper use. Letting students and kids as young as seven or eight unsupervised access and use social media like Facebook is like me simply handing the keys of my car to my nine year old and saying 'Here Sweetie. Go take the car for spin down to Elwood or Brighton. You will be fine. You have been on the dodgem cars and you did ok.'
You just don't do it for most of the really obvious reasons. I think technological advances have at present outstripped people's ability to safely use them, especially younger people. Letting children use the Internet unsupervised in their rooms on laptops is asking for trouble. Would you let your 13 year old daughter or son go into a St Kilda pub at 11pm at night? Alone. No, definitely not, I can hear you say. Well that is what happens when a thirteen year old goes onto the Internet. It is global and twenty four seven and all sorts of creeps have computers and use them for purposes that we cannot even imagine and nor would we want to think about what they do. Our best defence agai st the creeps and perverts is 24 / 7 vigilance, rules, moderation, get kids to be involved in healthy activities, censor movies watched for content, values, levels of violent acts, language and inappropriate sexual content in the form speech, banter and references and of course no nudity. When told by a secular Israeli friend who let her children watch horror movies with nudity and people being chopped to bits, that I was unrealistic and brain washed by religion because I would not allow my son to watch such stuff, I replied that it was in fact she who is unrealistic and putting her children in mental danger by allowing them to see such things. My child or any child can gain absolutely nothing of value from a film about people having their brains eaten out by zombies that are taking over the world. Although it might be a good analogy for someone living in a fundamentalist Islamic state like Iran or Egypt or Saudi Arabia. You would want to be very careful about showing too much intelligence or common sense because the mosque zombies would be after you to rip your brain from your skull as quick as saying Allah Akbar. Oops. That goes for the more moderate Muslims too who probably also have a hard time with their more extreme Brotherhood mates.
Let's sum up and say that Teachers student ratios are important and if we want the best for our kids we do want lower ratios and quality teachers and teaching. We want to look after the teachers who teach our kids, what ever religion or gender or race. We want the best for them. They are our future.
Yesterday I picked my son up from school early because I had to attend an Interactive Whiteboard Training Workshop. We had packed dinner and snacks for the supposedly hour and a half journey to St Albans. Never ever believe Mr Google Maps when it (he?) tells you it is one hour and twenty five minutes fom one destination to another. I had allowed an extra twenty five minutes or so. Stupid me! I probably should have left at lunch time and taken my son somewhere educational like the museum in the city for an hour.
We arrived nearly an hour late and spent about twenty minutes wandering around the St. Albans primary school where the workshop was being held trying to find out exactly where the workshop was being held - in what room. At least the toilets were unlocked. One's bladder can get remarkably strained after hours in the car and a little boy's too. He loves David Attenborough but the nature of a child is not to sit quietly in a car hour after hour crawling along a highway even with movies on the laptop or a car kiddie screen. Kids need to move. Considering the length of time he sat, my boy deserves a prize for patience plus. I also began to understand how road rage builds up in a person. Frankly I will look forward to advanced technological hook ups. More of that later.
Just under and hour of an informative, scintillating session by the presenter Amanda Neumann was well worth the stress of getting there. It was going at a crackling pace so as I chilled out and took in what was happening, I thought GEE what did I miss, but she anticipated the anguish of latecomers or those who had to leave early and there are notes on the session at www.lambourne.net.au/anzuk
I used my little IPad and took a few notes. There is also a site called Promethean Planet and it has FREE as in it doesn't cost money, workshops and tutorials on how to make the best use of your interactive whiteboard resource and more importantly how to operate them effectively. You can down load flip charts for any number of subjects and topics within them. There are activities for Maths that if Maths had been taught using what they have available today through the Internet and interactive whiteboards in my day, I might have been a mathematician instead of a wannabe novelist, poet, short story writer moonlighting as a Humanities teacher. Maths becomes fast and competitive with lots of cute little diagrams, interesting problems posed and solved because every child has the potential to be an Einstein, we as teachers just have to know HOW to unlock the vaults to knowledge for each child.
I was fascinated by the resources and learning tools available to the end and will definitely work on the Promethean website and others to extend my knowledge and skills in this area. Amanda the presenter explained at the end of the session how we can use Twitter for example to follow tweets from an education conference from around the other side of the world to get an idea of what is being said, presented etc. People use their ipads and iphones to upload material which is then available on the net if you know how to access it. She was able to access information from multiple sources on a particular presenter in Boston USA which made her feel as if she was actually there at the conference.
She is available to present this workshop at schools through Lambourne Next Generation Technology and it was extremely worth while. Phone 1300 857 492 Very good value.
Now I will jump on the soap box to air another pet issue of mine. Teacher student ratios are important. Don't let anyone tell you that they are not. Yes, I have spoken to some schools private and public. One of the public schools I contacted, did not even bother to get back to me. Probably because they are aware of the truth but have been battered into submission by superiors into believing the lie that it doesn't matter how many students are in a class, if the teacher is a 'class act' then we can have classes of 30 plus so long as we have brilliant well trained teachers. However that does not take into account the multi roles of a teacher in a classroom. A teacher needs to liaise with parents of students, other teachers and students themselves with regard to the welfare and social progress AS WELL AS the academic progress of their students. Plus teachers have to prepare lessons and deliver them, checking and assessing the students' comprehension, writing reports doing Professional Development and keeping ahead of developments in pedagogy and also involvement in extra curricular activities is desirable in teachers. The more students you have the less contact and your ability to guide and teach proactively is lessened. Why do so many young teachers burn out and leave the profession? The answer is obvious. Overloaded and pressured to perform beyond realistic expectations the good ones burn out and leave. The lazier teachers or those who teach 'smart' coast their way into senior teacher jobs in any cases and load down the willing bunnies if allowed. Not always though. There are also many good teachers who realise that meeting the expectations placed on teachers by members of the public who are ignorant of what the true role of a teacher is, is a recipe for disaster and learn to survive the fiascos of the teaching profession in today's world.
Some private schools will tell you that they have 30 students in their year seven and eight classrooms. What the do not tell you unless you are a parent with a child about to enrol or they are selling the school potential to you is that in those year seven and eight classes they have a mentor teacher whose role is basically student welfare. She or he stays with the students across core subjects where there
are thirty in the classroom.
So effectively the student teacher ratio is 15 to one teacher, although one teacher's role is lesson preparation and delivery and I would imagine assessment and marking. The other teacher focuses on the students' welfare and learning needs as well as assisting them in the classroom and supporting the specialist teacher delivering the lesson. When one teacher tries to do the job unassisted e.g. teaches and assesses 30 students per class and fulfils the mentoring role as well, that is a recipe for disaster. If for example, a teacher is teaching five classes of twenty students English and History and has a Home group of twenty - usually a class he or she takes for a core subject, thus she or he knows the students, the teacher is dealing with around 100 students. Now if those classes are classes of 30 that equals 150 students and if they are around 35 students per class we are talking about 175 young individuals that the teacher needs to fulfil the role of educator, mentor, assessor etc on a day to day basis over the week and term and the year. The workload is greatly increased and students with special needs or even the exceptionally bright students fall through the cracks.
We should be deciding in society today and especially in public education what do we want for our kids and the future which is also our future. Do we want students to deal with teachers far too busy to give them anything but the most cursory regard for their progress in learning and education, or do we want teachers to CARE and to have time to do that little bit extra for the students and to make up sound individual learning program's for those falling behind or those who need to be challenged because they will act out as they are bored.
We have so many useful tools in today's technological age, to engage students in their learning and to fulfil their potential. We can harness social media to create good social networks and caring aware individuals. Instead, I have read and seen first hand how these educational tools can be misused and abused by those who need to be taught appropriate uses. A gun or a car is dangerous in the control of someone who is not educated in its proper use. Letting students and kids as young as seven or eight unsupervised access and use social media like Facebook is like me simply handing the keys of my car to my nine year old and saying 'Here Sweetie. Go take the car for spin down to Elwood or Brighton. You will be fine. You have been on the dodgem cars and you did ok.'
You just don't do it for most of the really obvious reasons. I think technological advances have at present outstripped people's ability to safely use them, especially younger people. Letting children use the Internet unsupervised in their rooms on laptops is asking for trouble. Would you let your 13 year old daughter or son go into a St Kilda pub at 11pm at night? Alone. No, definitely not, I can hear you say. Well that is what happens when a thirteen year old goes onto the Internet. It is global and twenty four seven and all sorts of creeps have computers and use them for purposes that we cannot even imagine and nor would we want to think about what they do. Our best defence agai st the creeps and perverts is 24 / 7 vigilance, rules, moderation, get kids to be involved in healthy activities, censor movies watched for content, values, levels of violent acts, language and inappropriate sexual content in the form speech, banter and references and of course no nudity. When told by a secular Israeli friend who let her children watch horror movies with nudity and people being chopped to bits, that I was unrealistic and brain washed by religion because I would not allow my son to watch such stuff, I replied that it was in fact she who is unrealistic and putting her children in mental danger by allowing them to see such things. My child or any child can gain absolutely nothing of value from a film about people having their brains eaten out by zombies that are taking over the world. Although it might be a good analogy for someone living in a fundamentalist Islamic state like Iran or Egypt or Saudi Arabia. You would want to be very careful about showing too much intelligence or common sense because the mosque zombies would be after you to rip your brain from your skull as quick as saying Allah Akbar. Oops. That goes for the more moderate Muslims too who probably also have a hard time with their more extreme Brotherhood mates.
Let's sum up and say that Teachers student ratios are important and if we want the best for our kids we do want lower ratios and quality teachers and teaching. We want to look after the teachers who teach our kids, what ever religion or gender or race. We want the best for them. They are our future.
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