Is it wild and windy at your place?
Apologies for the delay. I've been distracted by looking at the draft standard for primary school mathematics. I thought I'd see if my 8 year old could work out the matchstick problem for year 4. We haven't even done 3 times tables, so I'm not surprised that he couldn't. Maybe by the end of the year!
Apologies for the delay. I've been distracted by looking at the draft standard for primary school mathematics. I thought I'd see if my 8 year old could work out the matchstick problem for year 4. We haven't even done 3 times tables, so I'm not surprised that he couldn't. Maybe by the end of the year!
What a pity the jury has`retired. It would have been such a nice bonus for the Gnats' conference to have had the guilty verdict announced this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteGood evening Lucia Maria. We're off to bed to try and snatch an hour's sleep before what promises to be a very busy night at work.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's wild and windy out here, has been all day and will be all weekend apparently.
I just put up a song at CR you may enjoy. :-)
Hi Adolf and KG!
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed that, KG, thanks!
Adolf, I don't know. It all strikes me as a head on a platter type thing.
Evening all.
ReplyDeleteI am in sore need of some chill and some relax. Maybe with a side order of pizza and a quiet moment.
I'm off for some food, back anon.
Did anyone else notice this?
ReplyDeleteCrown receives statement of forgiveness
31/07/2009 7:08:02
Iwi delivered the first ever statement of forgiveness to the Crown at Parliament last night, in regard to the Port Nicholson Block Settlement in the Wellington region.
The statement by Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika followed a formal apology by Prime Minister, John Key, on behalf of the Crown.
"The Crown unreservedly apologises to your ancestors, to their descendents and to the people of Taranaki Whanui today for its actions which have hurt and caused prejudice to you."
Sir Paul Reeves responded by delivering the statement of forgiveness on behalf of the tribe.
"We acknowledge and forgive the Crown for its actions that caused hurt and prejudice for Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. We acknowledge and accept the Crown's profound regret."
The historic moment capped off the enactment of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement which provides for redress and a financial package of around $25 million. The legislation settles claims involving the wider Wellington region and includes ownership of the three Wellington Harbour islands.
The Deed of Settlement will settle all the historical claims of the Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika collective in the Port Nicholson Block. The collective includes Te Atiawa, Ngati Tama, Ngati Ruanui, Taranaki and some Taranaki iwi.
From NewsTalkZB
I was woken up by it this morning. It's taken me a while to find the news item. There was nothing on Google, I ended having to look specifically on the NewsTalkZB website for it.
Evening all.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and sunny (if it wasn't night time) in the Bay of Plenty.
What did you think of the draft standards Lucia???
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteLucia, any advice for differentiating a function within a function? :p
Why Leonidas? You looking for an argument? :-)
ReplyDeleteLeonidas,
ReplyDeleteNot really. Beyond making sure you really need to do it. What language?
Ozy,
My initial impression is that the expectation of "critical thinking" is at too young an age. The younger ages, 5-6 & 8-9, and even ages 10-11 are like sponges that absorb information. They're really good at absorbing information, yet the standards seem to be expecting advanced thought processes applied to that information. It makes me wonder how much training for the test will occur to compensate. That's just my initial impression.
The standards are just a draft, of course, so it will be interesting to see what they end up with.
Hi all;
ReplyDeletea tricky week with serious illness in my family - prayers for my mother.
A strange sight - a priest administering holy unction while a cleaner vacuums around him, you can't make this stuff up.
Leonidas
df/dx=df/dg dg/dx
or if you prefer
f'(g(x)) g'(x)
Andrei,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the illness.
As to the function stuff - never seen anything like it. But then I was a commercial programmer, not a seriously technical one.
You are right. Critical thinking is all the rage at the moment. Trouble is at primary school kids are too young, like you said, and at high school the content is actually so important that it is all some subjects cover.
ReplyDeleteI am actually not opposed to 'teaching to the test' and I like the idea behind the standards. The best schools I have worked in are those that 'teach to a test'. Our current curriculum is so broad that I hope the standards will actualy force schools to skim over some areas of the curriculum that currently take alot of time and provide little benefit to our children.
MAXIM Institue did an interesting article on the draft standards. Cant remember much about it but it may have actualy been a submission.
Critical thinking is one of the three core subjects I teach my kids from day 1. We teach english, numeracy and critical thinking. We do not add any other subjects in in a formal manner until about age 13-14.
ReplyDeleteCritical thinking cannot be started too young in my opinion. It is as vital as english.
(I have no idea how schools teach these things though - I don't do formal written work or textbooks until age 10 with my kids and I disagree strongly with schools doing so so I'm not likely to agree with them I suppose).
We have the big memorial/funeral thingy for my grandfather tomorrow on Waiheke Island then Matt has to nip accross to Northcote to give a conference paper. Its been a flat out week getting through all the deadlines and organising and we still have two deadlines to go tonight and I am sitting here with hair dye on my head as I type.
ReplyDeleteI am shattered and in too much pain.
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.
ReplyDeleteTake care everyone. Tis a stormy and wild night, a not unexpected conclusion to a turbulent week.
I hope the morning finds you all in better spirits, and strengthened.
I think I'll have an early night too.
thanks Andrei, just mastered the chain rule, product rule and quotent rule :)
ReplyDelete