socialist

You may have to give me some tips on how to get all students to master all 100 or so outcomes we are responsible for.

I love the flipped classroom method. Learners watch instructional videos at home, bring their questions from the video back to school, and the teacher facilitates learning. It's time to put more of the onus of education on the parents. Parents who aren't interested have kids who aren't interested.

Too many people here, besides Mighty AC, have a vague understanding of 21st century education. People don't know what a child-centered classroom looks like, but they still think things need to be the way they used to be. We are living in a different world now. I came upon this article from the G&M. It amazes and concerns me, by reading the article and the comments that follow, how many people are utterly clueless about education, and in this case, mathematics. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/why-discovery-based-learning-doesnt-add-up/article14402103/ Discovery based math is much better than the old rote style, useless math. Get educated people.

Ummm...do you understand 21st century skills? Rote memorization 50s style is useless; that includes memorizing times tables and doing long multiplication and division. If I need to multiply large numbers I pull out my smartphone. Why waste time doing boring multiplication?

|If you want to call me a troll, feel free. I am a progressive educator. I base my thoughts on current research. I don't live in the past and thin k things need to go back to the way they were in the 50s. I promote the learning of 21st century skills. So far, the only people on this forum who have an inkling of common sense when it comes to education are cybercoma and Mighty AC. That is sad.

I know this movement is gaining steam across Canada, and all I have to say is it is about time. All an honour roll does is hurt the self-esteem of those kids whose names do not go on the honour roll. We need to make sure all learners can succeed in school by learning at their ow pace. There is no need for competition when it comes to grades. I am alos glad to know that most schools are removing percentage grades from report cards. We need to also work to eliminate percentage grades from high schools. http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/10/29/calgary-school-axes-honour-roll-saying-it-often-hurts-self-esteem-and-pride-of-students-who-dont-make-it/

In early and middle years classes, teachers don't have to have an extensive background to teach math, as I surely don't. But with the discovery math approach, I am seen more as a facilitator of learning than a lecturer of knowledge. Kids who discover their own strategies for solving math go on to be the best and brightest and most successful. When I was interviewed, no one asked me to demonstrate my knowledge of math. They knew I had completed the required math methods course at university. I agree with discovery math, as much research proves that it is a much better in allowing learners to UNDERSTAND math, instead of just useless rote memorization.

LOL.....Ummm...it's after school hours where I am. I see you have nothing of merit to add to the discussion.

Here is a great blog about people with nothing better to do than slag teachers. I love this quote: You may have read or heard John Green's position on taxes and education. Here is a popular quote by the author of The Fault in Our Stars: "Let me explain something. Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or for the benefit of their parents. "It exists for the benefit of the social order. We have discovered as a species that it is useful to have an educated population. You do not need to be a student or have a child who is a student to benefit from public education. Every second of every day of your life, you benefit from public education. "So let me explain why I like to pay taxes for schools, even though I don't personally have a kid in school: It's because I don't like living in a country with a bunch of stupid people." That is going on the wall in m y classroom tomorrow. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ugh-why-do-i-read-the-comments-blog-of-the-week-things-that-need-to-be-said-223798901.html Once again: Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or for the benefit of their parents.

Now you are starting to understand 21st century learning. I facilitate my class. For example, I am not great at division with fractions, but I have to facilitate it. So I allow learners to take the bull by the horns and learn their own strategies for learning how to divide fractions. I'm not the one in front of the classroom dictating to learners how to divide fractions 1950s style. When learners discover their own strategies, they are much further ahead than any kid from the 50s to 80s who had some teacher dictate how to do things. This is new style education that many of you don't understand.

Present day public schools are MUCH more challenging than the schools of the 50s to 80s. Most of the criticism comes from people who haven't stepped foot in a school in decades. They also may be jealous that today's learners are MUCH more prepared for the world than they were. There seems to be a lot of people like that on this forum.

Good post. Ipads in every classroom is the beginning of turning Canada into a technological leader. Young learners need to learn at their own pace. Educators need to be more of a facilitator than a transfer of useless knowledge like yesteryears.

Smartphones are a wonderful tool in the classroom. Welcome to 21st century learning, wilber. Life is more than making change, which is what too many people think math is.

Here is an article from the National Post with regards to math. What do university professors know about teaching young learners who come to school with all kinds of baggage? http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/13/frustrated-professors-convince-schools-to-step-back-from-new-math-and-go-back-to-basics/

Balderdash! If learners aren't engaged and having fun, they aren't learning properly. Like I said many times, long division, long multiplication, cursive writing, memorizing geography facts is not useful education anymore. Arguing with you people who haven't stepped foot in a modern classroom in a long time is like banging my head against the wall. We accomodate every learner and the many different learning styles that are presented. I teach the collective, not the individual.

A division in Winnipeg has bought Ipads for all its junior high leanrers. This is a great innovative initiative that will enage learners. School needs to be fun in order for learners to learn properly. It's disappointing to read some of the comments following the story, as to many people seem stuck in the past. Ipads are the wave of the future and will m make our kids competitive in the global village. Pencil, paper, textbooks will be relics of the past. And just think how many trees will be saved by this. We need to encourade all public schools in Canada to do this. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ipads-for-winnipeg-students-the-pros-and-cons-of-high-tech-learning-1.1438691

The lack of depth and knowledge of the typical parent amazes me. Take a look at this story. A school division in Manitoba has introduced Ipads for all junor high students. This shows innovation. Ipads allow kids to learn while having fun. Ipads keep learners engaged. Then read the mostly silly comments below the article. People have no clue about education. People have no clue how to engage students. People don't realize that when learners are having fun, it makes learning that much more meaningful. People worry about costs and tax dollars. This is tax dollars put to great use. Who cares if your property taxes o up a few dollars. This generation will be our future leaders. Ipads help learners connect and be a part of the global village. I use Ipads all the time and the kids love it. Ipads can be used for all subjects. Ipads allow something borin like math become fun and exciting. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ipads-for-winnipeg-students-the-pros-and-cons-of-high-tech-learning-1.1438691

People don't realize how stressful teaching is. The teacher bashers will never get it. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/50-hour-work-week-reality-for-teachers-223252551.html

Sorry, but parents aren't qualified educators. They don't understand the latest educational theories. It is the 21st century, not the 19th. Long multiplication, long division...and things that can be done 5 seconds on a smartphone are not necessary anymore. Cursive writing is not necessary anymore as everything is done on computers.

Actually, you are the fool here. Long multiplication is a waste of time, and it doesn't foster understanding. Your comment would be good for a few chuckles at any Faculty of Education in the country. It's not the 50s anymore, and you are by no means qualified to speak on educational theories.

A parent of a kid in my class wants to know why kids don't have to learn how to multiply 3 digits by 3 digits. I said because that is what we all have smart phones for. Why waste time doing somethin on paper that takes 5 seconds on a phone or a calculator. These are the dumb questions we face from people stuck with a 50s mentality.

Here is a link that tries to disparage Constructivist math. People who don't have training in education and how children learn are threatened by this new approach because it means kids today will by much better at math than those of previous generations. http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/a-constructivist-math-example/