climbed two notches higher to 11th place from 13th position last year in the EF English Proficiency Index which saw over 60 countries being surveyed.
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Malaysia has highest level of English proficiency in Asia - Latest - New Straits Times - 0 views
www.nst.com.my/...h-proficiency-in-asia-1.393697
kivedwc english education language language learning fluency malaysia singapore asia
shared by izz aty on 05 Apr 14
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Malaysia, which was placed in the ‘High Proficiency’ category, had overtaken Singapore who fell behind to 12th position in the world ranking. Malaysia scored 58.99 points in the survey while neighbouring Singapore received a 58.92 score.
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The analysis of evolving English proficiency over a six-year period (2007 to 2012 inclusive) uses test data from nearly five million adults. EF Academic Affairs and Research Network head Dr. Christopher McCormick said: “Comparison of countries with their neighbours, trading partners, and rivals provides a fascinating study in divergent national priorities and educational policies worldwide,”
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some Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, have transformed their English proficiency over the six-year period.
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“China has also improved, although less dramatically. Japan and South Korea, despite enormous private investments, have declined slightly,” the statement said.
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English language skills were improving in Brazil, Russia, India, and China. “This year, India and Russia have moved ahead of China, and Brazil is closing in fast.
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“While the rest of Europe is already proficient in English or steadily working towards that goal, France is on an entirely different trajectory.” However, the EF found that the Middle East and North Africa were the weakest regions in English.
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Malaysians offended with rapper Nelly's tweet: "50% of the crowd can't even speak English" - 0 views
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TheBananaKing comments on People with ADHD, what ADHD is like, how does medication affe... - 0 views
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High-stimulation, reactive tasks (Quake 3 is perfect) to relax. What you need is not less input, as you just bounce off all your inner thoughts, but to stop trying to filter.
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Don't overload the short-term memory of an ADDer. Give them a string of tasks, and they'll forget all but the last one. Give them a list, and ask for their full attention when they can give it, instead of asking them to pause for your request.
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If we are managing to be productive, don't for god's sake interrupt us unless it's urgent. You can totally derail us for five times as long as the interruption/break itself.
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"ADHD is about having broken filters on your perception. Normal people have a sort of mental secretary that takes the 99% of irrelevant crap that crosses their mind, and simply deletes it before they become consciously aware of it. As such, their mental workspace is like a huge clean whiteboard, ready to hold and organize useful information. ADHD people... have no such luxury. Every single thing that comes in the front door gets written directly on the whiteboard in bold, underlined red letters, no matter what it is, and no matter what has to be erased in order for it to fit. As such, if we're in the middle of some particularly important mental task, and our eye should happen to light upon... a doorknob, for instance, it's like someone burst into the room, clad in pink feathers and heralded by trumpets, screaming HEY LOOK EVERYONE, IT'S A DOORKNOB! LOOK AT IT! LOOK! IT OPENS THE DOOR IF YOU TURN IT! ISN'T THAT NEAT? I WONDER HOW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS DO YOU SUPPOSE THERE'S A CAM OR WHAT? MAYBE ITS SOME KIND OF SPRING WINCH AFFAIR ALTHOUGH THAT SEEMS KIND OF UNWORKABLE. It's like living in a soft rain of post-it notes."
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Mohd Jelas 2010 Learner Diversity and Inclusive Education: A New Paradigm for Teacher E... - 0 views
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The separate teacher education programs for regular and special education do not equip teachers with an integrated knowledge of the expected roles, functions and responsibilities to meet the diversity of learning needs in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to argue for a new paradigm for the preparation of teachers particularly in the Malaysian context. The discussion will focus on the need for teacher educators of regular and special education at all levels of teacher education to develop a “whole-faculty approach” in facilitating an inclusive pre-service teacher education curriculum embedded across all discipline areas.
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Verb patterns again - final solution | ENGAMES - 0 views
www.engames.eu/verb-patterns-final-solution
language language learning english esol grammar verb writing reference
shared by izz aty on 09 May 14
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Have you ever tried to memorise the following list of verbs to know when you should use TO and when the ending ING?
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The rule goes like this: “If the first verb happens before the second verb, use TO. If the second verb happens at the same time or before the first verb use the ending -ING with the second verb. For example: I want to go out. (First I want and then I will go out) She stopped smoking. (First she smoked and then she stopped.) He agreed to do it. (First he agreed and then he did it)”
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The first game is called penalty and your task is to choose the correct verb and then try to score a goal.
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In the second game, you should complete the quiz and if you succeed you can play the game Rock, Paper, Scissors.
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Facts about the Danish Efterskole - Find den rigtige efterskole! Søg på fag, ... - 0 views
efterskole.dk/...ts-about-the-Danish-Efterskole
danish education private school denmark independent school ESTEkiv boarding school
shared by izz aty on 11 May 14
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Each Efterskole is a self-governing independent institution and they all deal with both the educational and personal development of the students
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school’s political, religious or pedagogical orientation. Freedom of the Efterskole is assured by substantial state subsidies to both schools and students.
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Efterskole has substantial freedom in terms of eg. choice of subjects, teaching methods and educational approach
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The schools were closely related to the Danish Folk High School and the educational ideas of N.F.S. Grundtvig (1789-1872) who wanted schools to provide enlightenment for life rather than formal vocational training
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unique about the Efterskole is the teacher-student relationship. The teacher is responsible for both teaching and supervision outside of school hours
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Most Efterskoles offer the same subjects and final examinations as the public schools, but many focus on special subjects like physical education, music or theatre, or offer various kinds of special education.
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approximately 28.500 students attend the schools. Schools vary in size from 25 to 500 students but must have a minimum of approx. 100 students. The number of students has increased considerably within the last 25 years.
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Free Schools: Flavour of the Month. | Trolden's Weblog - 0 views
trolden.wordpress.com/...e-schools-flavour-of-the-month
private school education ESTEkiv danish education denmark free school
shared by izz aty on 10 May 14
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Education Minister Michael Gove is mistaken – free schools are a Danish invention. Look east, young man! The swedes and the americans may be running some along similar lines, but free schools (de frie skoler) have been knocking around for over a century across the North Sea
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In Denmark, they have been providing a solid alternative to mainstream schooling for over a hundred years
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The key factors in success, for free schools as much as any other, are leadership, funding and social context.
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if you take in illiterate disadvantaged children, you will struggle to compete against schools with privileged motivated students.
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the differences between types of school structure (comprehensive, grammar, free) were less important than the other factors in determining outcomes.
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BBC News - Parents 'made to feel private school unacceptable choice' - 0 views
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HMC chairman Tim Hands said there was an "illogicality" about families buying a house near a good school but not being willing to pay school fees
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Mr Hands said parents were making illogical choices and that private schools, such as those in his association, were wrongly attacked for restricting social mobility because of the fees they charged.
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"Tony Blair, opening a London Academy in 2005, talked of the different ways in which parents could transform their child's education. "Examples included moving house in order to access a better school and employing a personal tutor - one quarter of all parents in London pay for private tuition in the course of their child's school career.
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Elite schools shifting to a homeschool model | Penelope Trunk Education - 0 views
education.penelopetrunk.com/...s-are-using-a-homeschool-model
american education education usa elite school private school
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The top private k-12 schools in the U.S. charge just under $40,000 per year in tuition. They are important to watch because they are not constrained by budget or standards in public schools or even typical private schools. Instead, they are geared toward getting students into top colleges.
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in any given year, the school can only send two kids to each Ivy League school. Which means that half the graduating class will have to get some other value from the school. This requirement for another source of value is interesting. These private schools have the ability to look at what works to raise happy, productive adults, and they can do exactly what the research says.
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Why private schooling isn't worth the money - Parentdish UK - 0 views
www.parentdish.co.uk/...schooling-isnt-worth-the-money
english education england united kingdom ESTEkiv private school state school independent school
shared by izz aty on 12 May 14
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concerns about racist language heard in the playground and went up to the school to complain my daughter had been hit. This was down to the 'rough kids' in the school, other parents told me. I was upset and wondered if there was an alternative. But what difference would private school bring? Mixing solely with middle class peers whose parents all felt they could buy advantage? No thanks.
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I can whole-heartedly tell you that this would not have been the case had I not been given the opportunity to attend the school I went to. For many a parent who struggles to send their children to fee-paying schools, there is no realistic alternative as the vast majority do live in postcode lottery areas. You are lucky in the sense that you do not, but do not disrespect the hard working, working class parents who make every sacrifice they can to ensure their offspring have a better start in life to try and give them the opportunity to eventually have an overall better quality of life.
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The French Educational System - French expat school-guide - 0 views
www.french-school-expat-guide.com/index.php
french education france education private school ESTEkiv
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Ministry of National Education establishes the national curriculum followed by a very large majority of the country's schools
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very well developed learning program for children starting at three years of age (see grades and cycles below). Though school is not obligatory before a child turns six , 99% of the three-year-olds in France go to school at least part-time, and by four they attend school full time, from 8:30am to 4:30pm
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very important baccalaureate exam at the end of secondary school and the prestigious Grandes Ecoles which provide higher education for the country's elite are two other factors that mark the French system.
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In primary school rote learning, memorization and a tidy, well-presented written page are a big part of learning
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As children move on to secondary school long written exams, as opposed to multiple choice or fill in the blank questions, competitiveness and a certain reverence for math as well as for a neat presentation are common. At this level also, knowledge goes from the top down. Students are encouraged to study and understand what their teachers and the experts have to say on a particular subject, then, within an established framework, they can carefully offer their point of view. Advanced math classes, where students are often encouraged to think for themselves and to find original solutions, are about the only exception to these somewhat austere learning practices.
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Public Schools, Private Schools sous contrat (state funded) or hors contrat (not state funded), - bilingual schools and many of those referred to as international schools follow the French national curriculum
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Only the schools which apply the methods of well-known pedagogues (Montessori, Steiner, etc) or those adhering to curriculums from other countries (British School of Paris, The International School of Paris, Marymount) don't fall into this category
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rivate schools vary. The sous-contrat private schools that are religious (Catholic for the most part) are the least expensive of the state funded schools with an annual tuition between for most 1200 and 2000 euros a year, depending on your child's grade level. Extra expenses such as registration fee, insurance, class outings and extra curricular activities can add up to between 100 and 500 euros a year while a school lunch will cost at around 5,50 euros a day
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In state funded secular schools the annual tuition starts at around 3000 euros plus the extra expenses which can exceed those mentioned above
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The most expensive schools are those that are not state funded. The tuition in schools belonging to this category, which includes those following curriculums from other countries, range between 5000 and 20, 000 euros a year plus the extra expenses
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Tory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views
en.wikipedia.org/Tory
politics politicians toryism political science history england united kingdom britain conservative
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Tories generally advocate monarchism, are usually of a High Church Anglican religious heritage,[2][3] and are opposed to the radical liberalism of the Whig faction
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Due to these Tories leading the formation of the Conservative Party, members of the party are colloquially referred to as Tories, even if they are not traditionalists
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The term was thus originally a term of abuse, "an Irish rebel", before being adopted as a political label in the same way as Whig.
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Towards the end of Charles II's reign (1660–85) there was some debate about whether or not his brother, James, Duke of York, should be allowed to succeed to the throne. 'Whigs' was the abusive term directed at those who wanted to exclude James on the grounds that he was a Roman Catholic. Those who were not prepared to exclude James were labelled 'Abhorrers' and later 'Tories'.
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The suffix -ism was quickly added to both 'Whig' and 'Tory' to make Whiggism and Toryism, meaning the principles and methods of each faction.
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characterized by strong monarchist tendencies, support for the Church of England, and hostility to reform
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Types of Schools in Britain - Education - People and Society - United Kingdom - Europe - 0 views
www.countriesquest.com/...ypes_of_schools_in_britain.htm
united kingdom english education ireland scotland wales private school state school independent school ESTEkiv
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Many of Britain’s leaders have attended these private schools, which cater to the wealthy and influential but also offer some scholarships to gifted poorer children. Local authorities and the central authority also provide assistance to some families who are unable to pay the fees
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Private schools that take pupils from the age of 7 to the age of 11, 12, or 13 are called preparatory schools. Private schools that take older pupils from the age of 11, 12, or 13 to 18 or 19 are often referred to as public schools. Only 7 percent of British students attend private school.
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The majority of the students attend schools wholly or partly supported with public funds. These include state schools owned and funded by LEAs; voluntary schools established and funded mostly by religious denominations; self-governing or grant-maintained (GM) schools that receive funds directly from the government rather than local authorities; and specialist schools that are connected to a private backer. Most pupils attend LEA schools. About 15 percent of secondary schools are GM schools.
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England's Ranking in International League Tables | National Union of Teachers - NUT - 0 views
www.teachers.org.uk/...in-international-league-tables
english education education ESTEkiv state school OECD PISA social problems social phenomenon social justice england united kingdom
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The Sutton Trust report said that big variations in England’s education rankings in global league tables can be misleading, should be treated with caution and can obscure the true challenges facing schools.
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apparent differences in performance between different global tables, are the result of three key factors: Different countries are included in the different tables; League tables exaggerate the importance of raw test scores; and Some countries do better on one survey than another, perhaps because the surveys test different aspects of literacy, numeracy and science.
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Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust, said:“Whatever the average ranking of English education, we need to focus on reducing social segregation which is greater in England than almost all other OECD countries
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We also need to improve teaching standards across the board and not focus so much on structures if we are to match those countries that consistently outperform the rest of the world – not just places like Hong Kong and Japan, but successful European education systems – and use their achievement as our benchmark
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School systems that offer parents more school choices are less effective in raising the performance of all children
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PISA 2009 had some interesting things to say on schools systems, choice and equity, finding, for example that: Comprehensive school systems produce better and more equitable results;
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Pisa is unequivocal in saying that: “The bottom line is that the quality of a school system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
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The top ranked countries were Finland and South Korea where, despite huge differences, there was a shared social belief in the importance of education and its “underlying moral purpose”. These countries also had among the lowest levels of school choice and Finland had the lowest levels of school autonomy.
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The Pearson report concluded that spending on education was important but less so than other factors. For example it said successful countries gave teachers a high status and have a ‘culture’ of education.
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also emphasised the importance of high-quality teachers and the need to find ways to recruit the best staff – including raising teacher status, professional respect and pay.
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OECD, PISA 2009 Results: What Makes a School Successful? – Resources, Policies and Practices (Volume IV) (OECD Publishing, 2010)
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Comprehensive school (England and Wales) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views
en.wikipedia.org/...ive_school_(England_and_Wales)
english education education comprehensive school schooling state school wales england
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In 1976 the future Labour prime minister James Callaghan gave a speech at Oxford's Ruskin College. He launched what became known as the 'great debate' on the education system. He went on to list the areas he felt needed closest scrutiny: the case for a core curriculum, the validity and use of informal teaching methods, the role of school inspection and the future of the examination system.
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Comprehensive schools remain the most common type of state secondary school in England, and the only type in Wales. They account for around 90% of pupils, or 64% if one does not count schools with low-level selection.
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Since the 1988 Education Reform Act, parents have a right to choose which school their child should go to. This concept of "school choice" introduces the idea of competition between state schools, a fundamental change to the original "neighbourhood comprehensive" model, and is partly intended as a means by which schools that are perceived to be inferior are forced either to improve or, if hardly anyone wants to go there, to close down
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Government policy is currently[when?] promoting 'specialisation' whereby parents choose a secondary school appropriate for their child's interests and skills. Most initiatives focus on parental choice and information, implementing a pseudo-market incentive to encourage better schools. This logic has underpinned the controversial league tables of school performance.
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Supporters of comprehensive education argue that it is unacceptable on both moral and practical grounds to select or reject children on the basis of their academic ability
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comprehensive schools in the UK have allowed millions of children to gain access to further and higher education after the age of 16, and that the previous selective system relegated children who failed the eleven-plus examination to a second-class, inferior education and hence to worse employment prospects.
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the reality has been a levelling-down of provision and a denial of opportunity to bright children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who might once have expected to pass the eleven-plus exam and have the advantage of a grammar school education.
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The most straightforward way for parents to ensure that their children attend what is perceived to be a "good" school now is to buy a house within its catchment area. This, critics claim, has led to de facto selection according to parents' financial means rather than their children's ability at passing exams.
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School is a prison - and damaging our kids - Salon.com - 0 views
www.salon.com/...a_prison_and_damaging_our_kids
education school schooling children parenting learning
shared by izz aty on 10 May 14
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When schools were taken over by the state and made compulsory, and directed toward secular ends, the basic structure and methods of schooling remained unchanged. Subsequent attempts at reform have failed because, though they have tinkered some with the structure, they haven’t altered the basic blueprint.
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The top-down, teach-and-test method, in which learning is motivated by a system of rewards and punishments rather than by curiosity or by any real, felt desire to know, is well designed for indoctrination and obedience training but not much else
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many of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and innovators either left school early (like Thomas Edison), or said they hated school and learned despite it, not because of it (like Albert Einstein)
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As a society, we tend to shrug off such findings. We’re not surprised that learning is unpleasant. We think of it as bad-tasting medicine, tough to swallow but good for children in the long run. Some people even think that the very unpleasantness of school is good for children, so they will learn to tolerate unpleasantness, because life after school is unpleasant. Perhaps this sad view of life derives from schooling. Of course, life has its ups and downs, in adulthood and in childhood. But there are plenty of opportunities to learn to tolerate unpleasantness without adding unpleasant schooling to the mix. Research has shown that people of all ages learn best when they are self-motivated, pursuing questions that are their own real questions, and goals that are their own real-life goals. In such conditions, learning is usually joyful.
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Scottish referendum explained for non-Brits - video | Politics | The Guardian - 0 views
www.theguardian.com/...-explained-for-non-brits-video
scotland united kingdom independence history politics
shared by izz aty on 19 Sep 14
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An animated explanation of some fundamental questions prior to the referendum on Scottish independence on Thursday. Where is Scotland, what is Scotland and what does it mean to be Scottish? And what is the history of Scotland's relationship with England? But the real question is, will Scotland be better off as an independent country?
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Please consider supporting Autistic people via organizations other than Autis... - 0 views
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an organization that has no Autistic representation, and puts the majority of their monies into research initiatives that involve both eugenics and drastic and controversial therapies.
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Autism Speaks systematically excludes autistic adults from its board of directors, leadership team and other positions of senior leadership. This exclusion has been the subject of numerous discussions with and eventually protests against Autism Speaks, yet the organization persists in its refusal to allow those it purports to serve into positions of meaningful authority within its ranks.
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Autism Speaks has a history of supporting dangerous fringe movements that threaten the lives and safety of both the autism community and the general public.
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Autism Speaks has promoted the Judge Rotenberg Center, a Massachusetts facility underDepartment of Justice and FDA investigation for the use of painful electric shock against its students. The Judge Rotenberg Center’s methods have been deemed torture by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (p. 84) and are currently the subject of efforts by the Massachusetts state government and disability rights advocates to shut the facility down. Despite this, Autism Speaks has allowed the Judge Rotenberg Center to recruit new admissions from families seeking resources at their fundraising walks.”(source)
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Autism Speaks’ fundraising efforts pull money away from local communities, returning very little funds for the critical investments in services and supports needed by autistic people and our families.
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local communities have complained that at a time when state budget cutbacks are making investment in local disability services all the more critical, Autism Speaks fundraisers take money away from needed services in their community. In addition, while the majority of Autism Speaks’ funding goes towards research dollars, few of those dollars have gone to the areas of most concern to autistic people and our families–services and supports, particularly for autistics reaching adulthood and aging out of the school system
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Autism Speaks’ advertising depends on offensive and outdated rhetoric of fear and pity, presenting the lives of autistic people as tragic burdens on our families and society.
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DSM-5 & Autism: Autism-Speaks Study Clarifies Impact of New Criteria | Science News | A... - 0 views
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investigators compared autism prevalence using DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for ASD. They also re-evaluated school children previously diagnosed with ASD for the newly created diagnosis of social communication disorder (SCD).
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the estimated prevalence of autism under the new DSM-5 criteria would decrease only to the extent that some children would receive the new diagnosis of social communication disorder (SCD)
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83 percent of children who received a diagnosis of autism under the DSM-IV would still receive the diagnosis under DSM-5
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