Showing posts with label maths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maths. Show all posts
Standardized Tests Biased Against Country Students
Standardized school leaving examinations favor young city people. Different culture in rural areas. ⦿ testing teaching school grades test learning lessons ⦿ Standardized standardization testing Tests teaching school Biased grades test Against learning lessons Country grade education tools student Standardized 6-8 preschool Tests 9-12 lesson Biased plans teachers Against child parents Country parenting science disorders Standardized negative slide Tests stress social Biased assessment bright Against hub tips Country homework teach Students management activities
⦿ Standardized middle high Tests english history Biased math strategies Against special pros Country cons compared Students aspects good Standardized feel key Tests study advice Biased questions recess Against classroom policy Country early elementary Students schoolers areas Standardized arts facts Tests studies impairments Biased language people Against effectively strongly Country positive idea Students percentile Standardized ground determine Tests academically level Biased easy years Against accurate great Country pressure scores Students time read Standardized bias directed Tests recipe huge Biased amount step Against bad results Country assess schools Students success district Standardized facebook twitter Tests google rss Biased related industry Against methods signup Country guides homeschooling Students case succeed important rights reserved privacy ⦿
∎ standardization c grade education tools student 6-8 preschool 9-12 lesson plans teachers child parents parenting science disorders negative slide stress social assessment bright hub tips homework teach management activities middle high english history math strategies special pros cons compared aspects good feel key study advice questions recess classroom policy early elementary schoolers areas arts facts studies impairments language people effectively strongly positive idea students’ percentile ground determine academically level easy years accurate great pressure scores time read bias directed recipe huge amount step bad results assess schools success district facebook twitter google rss related industry methods signup guides homeschooling case succeed important rights reserved privacy school testing teaching test grades learning c lessons ∎ || learnings, children, schooling, examination, naplan, writing, arithmetic, maths, science, teacher,
Genetics Gives Children Mathematical Aptitude
Genetics: genetic predisposition makes girls or nboys good at maths.
The money poured into education to encourage girls and more boys to study maths and science could be a waste. Research on twins shows that numerical aptitude is 75 per cent genetic. Either both twin children are good at dealing with numbers or both are not. There is also a 50 per cent genetic predilection for writing skills.
Despite parents helping their children with homework and the like, it had little influence on academic achievement. Furthermore, teachers and the schools attended whether private or public had no impact. Children took to maths or English according to their genetic makeup.
It is not clear if teachers are evenly well trained so students are benefiting evenly across the nation. However, this is clutching at straws. We all remember the lazy, bad teachers who threw a chapter of a book at use to scribble the lesson away while he/she played around at the desk or in the book cupboard. It really seems that teachers have no effect on teaching per se in regard to student outcomes.
◆ Genetics by Ty Buchanan ◆
Australian Blog
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A Good Move to Compulsory Maths and Science
I do not often agree with Christopher Pyne on government policy, Dare I say, I have "never" been in favor of his hair-brained ideas until now. Indeed, I would take his latest plan even further.
He is attempting to make maths and science compulsory for students in years 11 and 12. These two critical subjects should be part of the core curriculum in all years of school throughout primary and secondary education. I may say "When I was a lad..." Yet on this point I believe I have a solid foundation. When I was at school maths and science were for everyone. Advanced maths and science were only for those who proved themselves capable of effectively coping with the main subject areas.
When my children were at high school there were five grades of maths in years 8 to 12. Many students, with their parents' guidance I may say, chose a level too high for them to cope with in the next year. This ruined their whole higher education. If one attempts a higher level and fails, there is no credit on the leaving certificate for that subject in that year. An individual has a blemished record for life.
The only answer to this issue is for a parent to take a possible shattering step. This I did for one of my children. I took my son out of his current school and into another local high school to repeat the two years again. Thankfully, my son achieved a strong educational record and is successful in life.
✴ Science by Ty Buchanan ✴
Physics Not for Females - Women Say!
Notably female physics students at the University of Melbourne have admitted that most women do not have the capacity to master physics. There will always be a few exceptions. However, the reality is that generally, women find study in this specialty difficult. Many female students who try physics ultimately end up in chemistry. They do feel more comfortable there.
The survey of first year females showed more than 50 per cent had a negative outlook of their chances of succeeding. This makes one wonder why they are in the course. However, some were studying physics as a requirement of other degrees. Oddly, some said they enjoyed studying physics.
As a positive, fourteen students were studying advanced physics at the University of Melbourne and were ambitious to achieve their goal. They are definitely thin on the ground with all the males. Another issue is that women do not see physics as a career path. You cannot get work in finance or banking with a physics degree, for example. Research and teaching are just about the only sectors for employment.
High school is where all this begins. A good start in maths in essential. Giving students the choice to do only standard maths must be changed. All student need to do some higher maths, particularly in this computer age. It is human nature to choose an easier option. There is something wrong with the Australian education system: women dominate Italian advanced maths departments.
✴ Education by Ty Buchanan ✴
Australian Teachers Do Not Need to Copy Asia
There is nothing wrong with the quality of Australian teachers. Saying that we can learn a lot from Asian teachers is absolutely wrong. It is the culture of the student that determines whether he/she will be successful in becoming educationally proficient.
Children of Chinese immigrants to Australia do much better than offspring of many other subcultures. Native third generation Australians do worst of all. This is because their parents get on with living their own lives and leave their kids to learn by themselves. There is nothing wrong with this policy. Chinese parents do similarly, but they do help much more financially with education.
Mao Tse-tung was once asked by a Western reporter what was the most difficult thing about governing China. He replied it was teaching children to believe in Communism when Chinese are born Capitalists. Trading has been an important part of Chinese culture for thousands of years so calculating and finance are important.
To be successful in life high academic achievement is paramount. Children of immigrants know this as well as their parents, particularly those from Asia. There is one issue that is problematic for even these children. That is the paranoia about rote learning in the West, even though rote is still held to the fore in Asia. Independent thinking is necessary. However, if you wait for a child to understand everything naturally without explaining the answers you will wait forever.
East Asians will pay for their children to "cram" learn with private coaches. This is not part of Australian culture. Nonetheless, this service is available in Australia. The Asian mother drives her offspring forward no matter where they live in the world. This drive is "absorbed" by the child.
Chinese also know that core subjects like maths are more important than choice subjects like surfing for example. The number of Australians who make a living at surfing can be counted on one hand. It is clear that Australian education is not managed well. Some decisions are not rational at all.
Education by Ty Buchanan
Men Choose Degrees That Provide Good Incomes
There is a reason more women are not in high income occupations. Let's face it the truth is the truth - most women do not have a mathematical mind. It is based on evolution where women developed social skills to collect berries and tubers. Men on the other hand had to hunt dangerous large animals and this needed calculating brains.
Even today the sexes express their differences. More men choose university degrees in maths, engineering, technology and science. This where big money is earned. Humanities degrees especially the common or garden Bachelor of Arts will leave you in the unemployment line.
Australians generally persist in studying for a BA despite all the statistics showing how weak this honor is. They know it is easy to get, but the easy way is not the best and more rational way.
Just choosing a non-humanities degree is not that easy for females. A few have extremely good mathematical skills. They are at least equal to men. Most do not have the mental precondition to do well in maths at school.
As an example, a quarter of men choose engineering degrees. Only 3.7 per cent of females choose this course of study. The only "maths" area of science studied by more women than men is veterinary science.
Education by Ty Buchanan
"Rote" is a Dirty Word in Education
Students from overseas are saving Australia's tertiary education system. This is particularly true for postgraduate degrees. Most Australians attend a social science postgraduate course. This is despite the fact that these pieces of paper are virtually worthless in getting a job in today's world.
Modern economies need IT, management, commerce, science, engineering, architecture and agriculture postgraduates. Doing maths and science at high school is the key but Australian students avoid these. This is due to the poor organization of subjects. Some states have no less than five grades of maths choices. There should be compulsory broad based maths despite failures along the way. Avoiding the difficult is not the way to go.
We have teachers who are only qualified in social sciences teaching maths and science because there are too few fully-educated technical teachers. This is despite the fact that there is an oversupply of teachers generally.
Foreign students are propping up the employment related postgraduate sector by paying the full cost of running the courses with some money skimmed-off by universities to fund social science degrees. Australia needs targetted
education. The curriculum is never left alone. Every government changes the prevailing system. France kept to rote teaching and they have the best scientists in the world. Many Scientists employed in Britain are French.
Why do academics now have this morbid fear of rote teaching? It was because the United States went down the road of free subject choice and the rest of the Western world followed. Just saying the word "rote' was anathema and still is. When I was at school we all said the twelve times tables aloud as a group every morning and I can still remember them now.
No, education today is carried out in the wrong way. For example, making surfing a high school subject was a stupid thing to do. The number of people who have had a successful career in surfing can be counted on your fingers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with rote teaching of the essential things in life. Teachers now expect the answers to problems to just appear in the minds of students. Mentoring is about "telling" not asking.
Education by Ty Buchanan
Too Many Maths and Science Graduates
For many years it has been said that Australia lacks maths and science graduates. Maths teachers are in short supply we are told. Professor Ian Chubb, a chief scientist, certainly pushes this case.
Unfortunately, data does not support this premise. Like qualified information technology people, maths and science graduates find the job market difficult. It seems there is real demand only in geological science. A little more than half of graduates say their qualifications are relevant to their work. They hold down jobs only in distantly related fields.
One would think that with science and technology moving forward at a rapid pace such qualified people would be sorely needed. Employment in agricultural science is falling because young people are leaving rural towns and refuse to learn about farming. It is seen as glorified laboring.
Getting a post-graduate qualification does not help to find work. Employers see higher degrees as narrowing educational scope. Government is continuing to push universities to offer science and maths teaching despite labor demand falling. Places for teachers are available, but when first employed new teachers have to work for ten years or more in the bush before they can choose where they want to live.
Though historically Australian culture was based on bush life, today the young are urbanites. They love big cities and living near the ocean. The trend is for elderly grandparents to spend their last days in rural areas, while their offspring live it up on the coast. Maths and science, however, may not be the road to financial success.
Conservation
Financial Encouragement Is Needed in Computing and Maths
Despite the widespread use of computers, Australia is not producing enough qualified computer specialists. Although the computer related economy is equal to mining, and the extractive industry is what is driving the Australian economy and keeping the dollar strong, too few young people are willing to study for employment in the digital industry.
This is probably because everyone is a little computer "savvy" and most believe that there is not much more to learn. Of course this is a mistake. You may have a website and know a trick or two, but there is a barrier that you cannot jump over if you are to truly understand the whole area, unless you are a born computer geek where you soak up all the knowledge like a sponge.
What academics fail to understand though is that computer study is very much like learning mathematics. Students are avoiding maths like the "plague" because there are much easier subjects to do. For example, English and History teachers are a dime a dozen. This has been caused by governments wrongly allocating funds in the past. Universities and colleges are also to blame as they try to maximize student numbers irrespective of subject area.
Financial encouragement needs to be in place to tempt students into the "difficult" kinds of study. Some people have a gift for maths. Ironically, today many of these are girls. In the past boys believed maths was a boys' thing and they took pride in studying it. Cutting tertiary fees in the maths and computers areas is absolutely necessary to bring numbers up to the nation's requirements.
This is probably because everyone is a little computer "savvy" and most believe that there is not much more to learn. Of course this is a mistake. You may have a website and know a trick or two, but there is a barrier that you cannot jump over if you are to truly understand the whole area, unless you are a born computer geek where you soak up all the knowledge like a sponge.
What academics fail to understand though is that computer study is very much like learning mathematics. Students are avoiding maths like the "plague" because there are much easier subjects to do. For example, English and History teachers are a dime a dozen. This has been caused by governments wrongly allocating funds in the past. Universities and colleges are also to blame as they try to maximize student numbers irrespective of subject area.
Financial encouragement needs to be in place to tempt students into the "difficult" kinds of study. Some people have a gift for maths. Ironically, today many of these are girls. In the past boys believed maths was a boys' thing and they took pride in studying it. Cutting tertiary fees in the maths and computers areas is absolutely necessary to bring numbers up to the nation's requirements.
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