Mighty AC

I wonder who will be killed by men and who will remain standing to be later killed by dragons.

The 15%-19% of students that fail to graduate are almost exclusively the lowest performing. These are not the students that would end up rising to the academic level if given more time. These are the poor kids, the spec ed kids, the ELL kids. These families need social support to succeed. They would also benefit from the concept mastery approach I keep going on about. Streaming is definitely better for students as well. Streamed classes also work in both supportive and competitive groups, however more homogeneous groupings make available a greater quantity of more effective teacher time. It's easier for both teachers and students if the class is more academically homogeneous regardless of the ability level. Again, the 15%-19% that don't graduate are the very lowest students, not those on the cusp of advanced level classes. In elementary school teachers try to place more high performing and focused/organized/independent kids in split grade classes. Each grade in the split receives less teacher time and must work on their own, without assistance, more often. The difference in student ability between the academic and applied level is possibly greater than an elementary school grade level. In a 3 - 4 split class both the grade 3's and 4's would benefit more from the increased teacher time that comes from being in a straight grade class. Streamed high school kids receive the same benefit from more uniform groupings.

Teachers typically can tell if a student is burdened by the many issues accompanying low SES. Students tend to be fairly open about their personal situations in grade 9/10 and start to go silent about it as they get older. Teachers don't call these students lazy, most go out of their way to help them both socially and academically. However, the result of being tired, hungry and not cared for is the same as the simply lazy, a lack of will or interest in learning. These students deserve and require help, though the cost is a tremendous amount of teacher time. We should provide that time, but not at the expense of advanced students. Advanced students deserve to pursue higher levels of learning, but not at the expense of lower level students. Maybe we should somehow group or stream them by relative levels of ability? Sacrificing the top end of the curve for the bottom does improve overall averages on standardized tests, but it's not right. We already provide far more resources for the less able and willing than we do for high achievers. As sad as it may seem graduation rates are the highest they have ever been. However, that has been achieved, in large part, by watering down standards for low level students and also in part through investments in spec ed and remedial/credit recovery options. It is always the bottom level of students that drop out, right now those students are in the stream labelled Applied. To address the bottom level we need to tackle poverty and the wage gap, not lower the ceiling for top students. Students would also benefit from instruction on active study techniques in grade 7/8.

The song is from the point of view of a heterosexual, but that doesn't make it heteronormative. Also being critical of, or apologetic for male actions doesn't make it misandric; a word reserved for hatred or strong dislike of men. Do you not think a significant portion of men "judge the aesthetic as the measure of a woman's worth" or treat women like objects? I think too many of us do. I like the juxtaposition between the wish for equality and fair treatment with those ever present thoughts of sex.

I enjoyed the show simply because it has been so long since there was new GOT content. However, it really just a table setting episode. It was nice to see the angry dragons again. I like that Varys is firmly in camp Targaryen, no longer just a political survivor pretending to be a neutral protector of the realm. I enjoyed the Cersei flash backs and the almost gruesome end to Mance. Every scene with Tyrion is pure gold. However, overall not much happened. My only complaint is the fact that male nudity severely dominated over the female variety. I thought I was in favour of equality, but apparently not in all instances. I see that the first 4 episodes have been leaked online. I'm trying to fight the urge to download the next three and then face a month without new Thrones content.....but I want it and I'm weak.

I suppose someone with a heteronormative world view would also find movement one of that song to be misandric. I guess, the stereotypical heteronormative, misogynistic, conservative would be outraged by all three movements and also everything Minchin has ever written.

For a handful of applied students this would be true, but not many. Applied level classes tend to be comprised of 3 types of student. The intelligent, but lazy, the dedicated but less intelligent and those with behaviour issues or special needs. The intelligent lazy students make up a small fraction of the applied population but a fraction of those students would certainly benefit from being in an advanced class. These also tend to be the kids that move up and down between class levels and the movement tends to hinge on parental interest. Those whose parents care about their education push their kids to do the work necessary to improve others really don't care if their child is living up to their potential. Teachers manage to inspire some of the lazy kids, but without support at home it is very tough to make a lasting change. Yes and even within current streams there is significant differentiation happening. The problem is differentiation steals time from an already very busy curriculum. Streaming allows a teacher to spend more quality education time with students and also allows more students to work at their own pace. It is socially...but not academically. Students are recommended for a stream on a subject by subject basis based on their grade 7 and 8 performance. The middle school years are where students are prepared for high school and there is no streaming. The top kids are bored and held back while the bottom kids are frustrated. High school is where the separation occurs allowing more students to work at their own pace. High school is only four years, thus delaying streaming by an additional year would be a significant drag on performance. 81% of high school kids graduate, there is just a significant portion of applied kids that need more time to complete their courses and volunteer hours. A large portion of all kids, including advanced students, come back for a 5th year. The advanced kids add classes to help them get into certain university programs and improve marks, the lower kids to make up for failed or dropped classes. Unfortunately school systems cannot reach everyone. The biggest issue for the 19% that don't make it is their home life. Battling poverty and the wage gap would go a long way to improving education at the bottom end. As for the school system itself, more streams, more teachers and more support workers would help. Adding individual help or separate streams for kids with behaviour issues and special needs would improve things for the high and low end of the applied level. Unfortunately, that is extremely expensive and we are facing a double financial blow created by the boomer bubble. The simultaneous loss in tax revenue and increase in health costs as the largest demographic retires and gets sicker, means program costs across the board will have to fall.

Being in groups of roughly the same ability is better for everyone involved. Slowing down advanced students is just as bad as going to fast for general level students. Why? Grade 9 isn't that different academically, than grade 8. Why? 60% of applied kids fail to graduate on time, they aren't all dropouts. Many drop or fail classes along the way and have to come back to complete a couple of courses. Many also fail to complete their volunteer hours and must wait to graduate.

Tim Minchin, one of my favourite comedians, wrote a song that accurately sums up my views on feminism and nearly every thought I have.

Time to use the big Leaf bucks to buy Ken Holland and his entire staff.

High stakes testing makes little sense in terms of evaluation, but it is the easiest method to administer, hence the ongoing use. Over the past 20 years we have greatly advanced our understanding of the human brain and how we learn, remember and access information. It just makes sense that the way we teach should change along with that knowledge. We tend to teach the way we were taught thus change is slow. Most teachers still place too much emphasis on fact regurgitation during evaluation and still simply move on to the next topic after testing, regardless of the outcome. The feed and regurgitate model should be replaced with something like access, evaluate, analyse and apply. Testing should be frequent, varied in form and focused on understanding not simple recall. It should also revisit some of the same content giving students a chance to learn from their mistakes. The resulting evaluation would provide a clearer picture of a student's actual performance. The logical next step from a proper remediation model would be to then teach each required concept to the point of mastery before allowing students to move on, thus making grades meaningless and testing only useful for diagnosis.

Students can already choose different levels on a course by course basis. For example, there are kids who take academic English and applied level math. Students can also start in an applied level class then jump up to academic or vice versa. The vast majority fall into one stream level. After grade 8, students used to be rated as advanced, general or basic in each core subject. Most would fall into one category across the board. The terminology was changed to applied and academic, but the system is largely the same. I'm fine with making it easier to choose differing levels but, in my opinion, ending the practice of streaming or delaying it a year would be a huge mistake. Time is always the most scarce resource in education and a large portion of students who enroll in the applied level courses come with significant behaviour and work ethic issues. A great deal of time is spent mitigating problems that have nothing to do with education, which steals time from better students. The goal is to advance all students and streaming allows for a greater level of progress for more kids.

Check out their YouTube channel, they have made some phenomenal videos. The one guitar vid is certainly what kick started their fame though. It got them on the Ellen Degeneres show and caused Snoop to ask them to open for him. I've seen them live twice and just like their videos they put on an incredibly creative and entertaining stage show. They are all talented, multi-instrumentalists plus they turn the show into an interactive, theatrical experience. They are about to tour again, most of the stops are in the US but they will be in a few Canadian cities. It's definitely a show worth seeing. This one take cover of Royals is an example of the neat stuff they do. The making of vid for this one is worth watching as well. It shows the people in the background tossing the Ukes from one end of the line to the other, etc.

Thanks to your post, I see he has a new album out. Sufjan Stevens always sort of reminded me of a low-fi Hawksley Workman.

Equal rights for homosexuals is now inevitable. This rash of RFRAs is just a desperate last-ditch effort to keep a category of people down. As it was with slavery and civil rights, religion is being used as a tool to justify evil because of the broad constitutional protections it brings. Thankfully, those under 40 are already well beyond the hate and discrimination. As they have done with slavery, misogyny, racism, hate and violence, in 20 years time Christians will be pretending discrimination based on sexual orientation simply doesn't exist in their 'good book'. That kind of ignorance is a really good thing. People are already leaving religion in record numbers, so if we can purge the evil from what remains then we all benefit. Maybe one day Jesus will be as good as Santa Claus.

This is a really good, old timey rendition of Creep: I want you to notice when I'm not around...

Every league relocates franchises for a variety of reasons from fan/corporate interest, arena/stadium issues, ownership money problems, etc. All the major North American leagues have had strikes, lockouts and relocated clubs. Garry Bettman's job as the commish is to represent the owner's interests. Under his watch league revenue seen incredible growth, he instituted cost control in the form of a cap, increased TV revenue, average franchise values, created a strong global web presence and IMO improved the product on the ice as well. He seems like an unlikable ass but he has done great things for the owners.

We wouldn't tolerate white only B&Bs so I don't see why we should tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Jacee is right that, if we are to keep grades, high stakes written examinations, making up a large portion of a final mark, make little sense. Determining a final grade through many smaller, lower weight tests, quizzes, projects, assignments, presentations and portfolios, spread across the term is a far better way to gauge actual student learning. BUT...teaching concepts at an individual student's pace to the point of mastery is far better still.

Should it be the goal of the education system to churn out a grade? I don't think so. I would rather each course contain a series of required and additional concepts/units/modules/skills. All of the required concepts must be mastered in order to proceed on to the next and ultimately gain the credit. Ultimately the idea of credits and subjects could also be erased over time as well. Since each required concept must be mastered, a grade becomes meaningless. Each student should be allowed to proceed at their own pace, spending more time on areas they struggle with and less on those they understand easily. Students would have to master concept A before proceeding to B, which requires knowledge of A. Currently, students may receive a 60% on unit one, and then are forced to learn concepts which build on that unit. Their incomplete understanding will certainly hamper their learning of the next concept. Some students may only complete the required content while more advanced students would complete additional content allowing them to explore subjects in greater detail. Testing would still have a place, being used by teachers and students to diagnose strengths and weaknesses within the material but not to assign a grade. A report showing the concepts students have mastered is a much better indicator of individual abilities than a mark stating 76% in biology.

I don't see how living at the business makes a difference. I don't think we would have sympathy for people who would turn away other races they believe to be abominations, so why is this different?

Segregation leads to entrenched hate and inequality, you're calling for the return of black and white water fountains. Integration leads to tolerance and normalization. Equal opportunity and rights, laws that enforce decent treatment of people and freedom of mobility sounds a lot better to me.