Sanity Rules for Teachers

Always prepare your lessons for the first week of term before going away on holiday.

British Summer

It was almost still dark when I awoke this morning and it felt pretty chilly out in the garden.  I am beginning to regret delaying our holiday until August. 

It seems that July is too early for a British summer whilst August is too late!

MYP Sciences: Strands in the Assessment Criteria

A  One World

·         Interdependence of Science and Society

·         Benefits and Limitations of Science in solving society's issues

B Communication in Science

·         Appropriate use of scientific language

·         Appropriate use of symbolic and visual representations Academic honesty

C  Knowledge and Understanding of Science

·         Recall and explain scientific ideas and concepts

·         Solving problems in familiar and unfamiliar situations

·         Use critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate scientific information

D  Scientific Inquiry

Carry out investigations independently:

·         State Problem

·         Formulate Hypothesis

·         Identify & Manipulate Variables

·         Plan Investigation

·         Evaluate Method

E  Processing Data

·         Organise and Transform Data into diagrammatic form

·         Draw and Explain Appropriate Conclusions

F  Attitudes in Science

·         Safe and Skillful use of laboratory Equipment

·         Respect for the Environment

·         Team Work

Refraction in Action

The British government invests quite heavily in the professional development of teachers these days, so recently I was lucky enough to be put up in a nice hotel for a training course.

Over lunch my colleagues were disconcerted to see me take pictures of objects rather than people, but I think you will agree it was worth while.

Can you explain why the tray and its contents appears so truncated in the image through the vase? Why is it back to front?

Moat House Hotel, Stafford, UK, 08/06/2009

Conspicuous Charity

Take a moment to estimate the amount you spend each year on luxury goods such as the following:

•          Alcohol

•          Tabacco

•          Chocolate

•          Ornaments

•          Jewelry

•          Fashion

•          etc.....

Include amounts to account for big purchases.  For example you could calculate the difference in price between a "sensible" car and the luxury model you might own and then divide it by the number of years you expect to keep it. 

When you have your annual "luxury budget" sit back and reflect on how the figure feels.  Do you get value for money from your luxury budget?  Are there any items that damage your health on the list?  Is that really how you want to spend your hard-earned money? 

Now think about your luxuries budget from a different angle.  How does the amount compare to the 1 dollar per day earned by the world's poorest people?

Imagine what it must be like to live on a dollar a day - how could you possibly avoid disease and hunger?  Just one more dollar a day would double your income and improve your chances enormously.

Identify which items you feel you could (or should!) live without and pledge that money to charity TODAY.  Just imagine how many lives you could save.  If you find it hard to imagine not having your luxury car, just imagine 100 dead african babies in the back....

If your luxuries are important status symbols for you, then just let people know about your charitable donations.  They will be even more impressed by conspicuous charity than with conspicuous consumerism.  

Strands in MYP Sciences Revisited

A  One World

Interdependance of Science and Society

Benefits and Limitations of Science in solving society's issues

 

B Communication in Science

Appropriate use of scientific language

Appropriate use of symbolic and visual representations

Academic honesty

 

C  Knowledge and Understanding of Science

Recall and explain scientific ideas and concepts

Solving problems in familiar and unfamiliar situations

Use critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate scientific information

 

D  Scientific Inquiry

Carry out investigations independently:

State Problem

Formulate Hypothesis

Identify & Manipulate Variables

Plan Investigation

Evaluate Method

 

E  Processing Data

Organise and Transform Data into diagramatic form

Draw and Explain Appropriate Conclusions

 

F  Attitudes in Science

Safe and Skillful use of laboratory Equipment

Respect for the Environment

Team Work

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