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874 days ago
By Parker Palmer Good teaching is an act of generosity, a whim of the wanton muse, a craft that may grow with practice, and always risky business. It is, to speak plainly, a maddening mystery. How can I explain the wild variety of teachers who have incited me to learn--from one whose lectures were tropical downpours that drowned out most other comments, to one who created as arid silence by walking into class and asking, "Any questions?" Good teaching cannot be equated with technique. It comes from the integrity of the teacher, from his of her relation to subject and students, from the capricious chemistry of it all. A method that lights one class afire extinguishes another. An approach that bores one student changes anothers life. Faculty and administrators who encourage talk about teaching despite its vagaries are treasures among us. Too many educators respond to the mystery either by privatizing teaching or promoting a technical "fix." The first group ...
1015 days ago
The easiest way to cut the education budget... idnak 11 seconds ago The public system has lost 50,000 students and the private system has picked up 7,500? I guess I know where BCTF teachers will be looking for new engagements once the public system makes them redundant. And won't they be surprised by the expectations in their new working environments - like that they will have to work full time to receive full time pay and benefits? Truthfully, I feel sorry for teachers. Their union has engendered a culture of entitlement which does nothing to encourage them to strive for excellence and reap financial reward when they do their jobs well. And while their union has succeeded in achieving a handsome wage structure for them, it exceeds the renumeration for school custodians by only about 15%, and teachers shoulder how many years of post-secondary debt before they can get to work? Until the public system places the needs of the students ahead of the needs of all other ...
1015 days ago
[b]Many rural schools are closed. They, obviously, couldn't be converted for old people's, or low rent homes, but little kids now have to go on 2-3 hour bus rides every day. Boards will prefer to close rural schools first because they can collect the extra grant they get for operating them for up to Two full years. They could remain open if partnerships to cover costs could be reached with a local library board or community centre. Windsor Ontario has schools that are partnered with just such groups. When BC boards can collect operating grants on closed schools where's the incentive to look for alternatives. A Message from Alberta: Hey Buddy, who's boat you tryin' to rock? I agree in full, but I think you might be taking a bite out of some politicians ass. Especially being an "employee" of one of the biggest Asian scammers in BC. Paul
1015 days ago
In my opinion the Public Educational system that we have in BC at this time is a direct reflection of the condition of the Province as a whole. All of the factors being debated, demographic changes, lower birth rates etc are parts of the picture that has led to drastic drops in enrolment. Underlying these shifts, and the real problem is that BC's economy is reactionary and not self determined. After 150 years our economy is still driven by exports of raw materials, our economy is tugged along or held back by market forces outside of our control. With the correct political and corporate will things could be different. This province is blessed with deposits of Iron ore, coal, natural gas, and limestone; these are the basis of a steel industry. And what about a Plastics and chemical industrial base, we could have that as well! for those you need Natural gas or oil, limestone and salt water, and electricity. We could be exporting steel to Asia, and consumer goods to all of North ...
1039 days ago
Lucrative fast-food contracts, plus students' taste for sugar and grease, thwart efforts to promote healthy eating CAROLINE ALPHONSO With reports from Rick Cash and Liana Giovando Saturday, January 20, 2007 Printer Friendly version ANNAPOLIS VALLEY, N.S., AND TORONTO -- Colin Sneyd sits at a crowded lunch table eating his sliced chicken breast, cheese, carrot sticks and apple. As he sips a small box of milk, a friend across the cafeteria table inhales a mound of gravy-soaked poutine. Another snacks on a bag of chips, washed down with a can of pop. Behind the counter, a worker at Toronto's Northern Secondary School slits open bags of frozen fries, plunging them into boiling oil. "People just have fries for lunch," says Colin, a slight 15-year-old who brings his own packed lunch to school. "I think it's kind of ridiculous. I don't think they need to serve fries. If you're trying to get kids to eat healthier, you should serve them only ...
