ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: brendan on February 04, 2008, 12:59:29 am
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Paying Students To Learn
Can Students Be Paid to Excel?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/nyregion/05incentive.html?ref=education&pagewanted=all
Straight A’s, With a Burger as a Prize
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/business/media/06adco.html?fta=y&pagewanted=all
Paying Students To Learn
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/education/entries/2008/01/22/paying_students.html
Good grades pay off — literally
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-27-grades_N.htm#uslPageReturn
http://www.nber.org/papers/w13890
Single Sex schooling
Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?ref=education&pagewanted=all
The missing option for boys
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/the-missing-option-for-boys/2007/05/05/1177788470658.html
School results improve with one sex in the equation
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/school-results-improve-with-one-sex-in-the-equation/2006/07/11/1152383741203.html
Principals turn to booze to cope: report
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/principals-turn-to-booze-to-cope-report/2008/02/03/1201973740345.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
To IB or not to IB
Should individual government schools be given the choice of adopting the IB in place of or alongside the government curriculum like their private school counterparts?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/victorians-up-there-with-the-best-in-international-diploma/2008/01/04/1198950073973.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/School-push-for-special-diploma/2005/06/07/1118123834305.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/state-schools-to-go-global/2006/04/17/1145126055986.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/on-a-growth-mission/2007/06/03/1180809342832.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Teacher dress code?
Under a plan being considered by the State Government teachers could be required to abide by school dress codes.
A report by the Education and Training Committee says the Education Department should "encourage schools to consider standards for staff dress and appearance" when reviewing dress-code policies.
Parents Victoria executive officer Gail McHardy says if schools are setting a dress code for students, it is only fair that the same applies to teachers. Some students agree, saying it's "about time" teachers followed a dress code.
Should teachers be required to follow dress codes? Should uniforms be enforced at all?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/uniform-approach-to-teacher-dress/2007/12/05/1196812829418.html
http://blogs.theage.com.au/yoursay/archives/2007/12/classroom_coutu.html
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc/inq_dress_rep.html
Information about school performance
According to Dr. Ken Boston, one-time Director General of Education in NSW:
"there is a conspiracy of silence . . . and a determination to avoid making public any information which might indicate that one school is more effective than another"
However it seems the long night of Government secrecy will be lifted soon:
STATE Labor premiers have vowed to give parents more information on how students perform
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/states-move-on-school-reports/2007/09/24/1190486225404.html
http://education.qld.gov.au/publication/production/reports/pdfs/2007/federalist-paper.pdf
Labor plans release of school rankings
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/labor-plans-release-of-school-rankings/2007/06/24/1182623741864.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
SELECTING a school is no easy task. But for Margaret Pledger, choosing the right secondary school for her children was firstly a question of location.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/on-your-mark/2007/06/24/1182623744432.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
'Where is my school's report card?'
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/where-is-my-schools-report-card/2007/10/05/1191091365551.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Parents are being short-changed by schools that don't hand in their report cards on time, writes Caroline Milburn.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/schools-urged-do-better-on-data/2007/11/11/1194749385622.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Failure is not a dirty word
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/failure-is-not-a-dirty-word/2006/06/09/1149815312645.html?page=fullpage
Labor commits to publishing school data
http://www.theage.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Labor-commits-to-publishing-school-data/2007/11/18/1195321586810.html
Examples of school performance data:
http://www.sthelena.vic.edu.au/thecollege/Reports/Annual%20Report/Annual%20Report%202006.pdf
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/teachlearn/innovation/Data_driven_school_improvement_through_VCEDS.ppt
http://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_CA.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6215682.stm
Teacher Shortage in quantity and quality:
Teachers to be lured to tough schools
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/teachers-to-be-lured-to-tough-schools/2008/02/08/1202234169441.html
Private sector grabs Rhodes scholar
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23172235-13881,00.html
VICTORIAN students are turning their backs on teaching careers, with experts blaming poor pay and job security.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/students-turn-their-backs-on-teaching/2008/01/14/1200159362690.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Teaching is a calling more than a vocation
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/teaching-is-a-calling-more-than-a-vocation/2008/02/01/1201801039710.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Teachers told to take control
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/teachers-told-to-take-control/2007/09/14/1189276985702.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
A failure to make the grade
http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/~aleigh/opinion_fulltext2.htm#TrendsTeacherAptitude
http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/~aleigh/pdf/TrendsTeacherQuality.pdf
Teachers' $50k bush bonus
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23069747-13881,00.html
Plan to widen Pearson's incentive scheme
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074684-13881,00.html
Classroom burnout triggers teacher opt-out
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/classroom-burnout-triggers-teacher-optout/2007/02/24/1171734032304.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
The teacher shortage - crisis or con?
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/10/1047144911717.html
Schools hit by science teacher shortages
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Schools-hit-by-science-teacher-shortages/2005/04/19/1113854198776.html
A rewarding job, but it won't make you rich
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/A-rewarding-job-but-it-wont-make-you-rich/2005/04/19/1113854198779.html
"Keeping our teachers"
Philip Riley lectures in school leadership at Monash University and is a registered psychologist.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/philip-riley/2008/01/27/1201368941242.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
How should teachers be paid?
Push for trial of merit pay
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/push-for-trial-of-merit-pay/2008/02/01/1201801039692.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Gillard all for merit pay in classroom
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23069745-13881,00.html
Students' results must be the main measure
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23064528-13881,00.html
Teachers warm to merit pay
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23064534-13881,00.html
Teachers' $50k bush bonus
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23069747-13881,00.html
Plan to widen Pearson's incentive scheme
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074684-13881,00.html
Unions 'protecting poor teachers'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7259280.stm
Results appraisals upset teachers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7252830.stm
Remove bad teachers, says adviser
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7088383.stm
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP
The creator of Australia’s HECS system says it is due for an overhaul, with loans for students going to private institutions costing taxpayers more in lost interest earnings than those who go to public universities.
Professor Bruce Chapman says the nation’s income contingent loans system has changed significantly since it was introduced in 1989, the main difference being that it is now available to a large number and range of private sector institutions.
http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/FeesLoansAndScholarships/Undergraduate/CommonwealthSupportForYourPlaceAndHECS-HELP/WhatYouPay.htm#T3
http://www.campusreview.com.au/pages/story-details.php?idArticle=3334
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/student-debts-out-of-control/2008/01/14/1200159363436.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23054956-25918,00.html
http://andrewnorton.info/blog/2007/10/23/is-there-an-implicit-subsidy-in-the-hecs-debt/
http://www.cis.org.au/issue_analysis/IA68/IA68a.pdf
The educational needs of the academically able - why are people so hostile?
Brightest and best miss out
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24608051-25192,00.html
Select schools benefit all state students
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/select-schools-benefit-all/2006/11/26/1164476066686.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Give academic excellence a sporting chance
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Opinion/Give-academic-excellence-a-sporting-chance/2005/03/30/1111862458549.html
Smart kids deserve our help, too
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/smart-kids-deserve-our-help-too/2008/04/07/1207420296238.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Join the academy
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php?action=post;msg=27511;topic=2078.0;sesc=430f4b7d87296ef7103d38aac0a27c3b
Stop holding back top students: curriculum chief
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/stop-holding-back-top-students-curriculum-chief/2008/01/31/1201714153287.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Culture hinders our gifted students
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/culture-hinders-our-gifted-students/2006/12/23/1166290787908.html
Best mates - the small poppy syndrome
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/24/1042911552629.html
Do we give bright kids a fair go?
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/yoursay/index.php/theaustralian/comments/do_we_give_bright_kids_a_fair_go
Gifted kids
http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1790306.htm
Gifted Children and Schooling
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/mind/s527028.htm
With A High IQ Comes Need For Special Education
http://www.cis.org.au/executive_highlights/EH2007/eh49007.html
Gifted and Talented Education Reforms: Effects on Teachers' Attitudes
http://home.exetel.com.au/brendan/teacherattitudes.pdf
Exceptionally Gifted Children
By Miraca U. M. Gross
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0Lkvb6WtWicC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=hostility+toward+academic+gifted&source=web&ots=U4NfgxGpp1&sig=WEFY7VdSHKcsGbiZCLWNmsKg-vw&hl=en#PPA41,M1
Is throwing more taxpayer money at schools the answer?
Creating a culture of great learning expectations
http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/creating-a-culture-of-great-learning-expectations/2008/03/07/1204780055447.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/~aleigh/pdf/SchoolProductivity.pdf
"real per-child school expenditure increased by 10 percent over the period 1975-1998, and by 258 percent over the period 1964-2003. This increase in spending funded a substantial reduction in student-teacher ratios. Measuring productivity in terms of literacy and numeracy points per dollar, our results imply that the productivity of Australian schools may have fallen over the past 3-4 decades."
A National Curriculum
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23138245-13881,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22945882-13881,00.html
And what better issue than VCE English itself:
The English Curriculum
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/lukeslattery/index.php/theaustralian/comments/curriculum_cordiality_in_the_air/
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23249327-12332,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23145537-7583,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23146976-12332,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22945882-13881,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22946913-13881,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22677061-13881,00.html
http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/critlit.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_literacy
Other
Is welfare a basic human right?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,2028.0.html
Flip this switch?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1449.0.html
What price minimum wage?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1414.0.html
Porn filters
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1519.0.html
Elitism should not be a dirty word
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1451.0.html
The 4 ways to spend money
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1440.0.html
If Growing Inequality Is a “Serious Problem,” Please Explain Why
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1853.0.html
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this is awesome
thankyou so much :D
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Yeh, it sure is.
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lol. What about Global Warming, GM Foods, Corey Daleny* and Med-info Card ? :P
*pfft, can't spell his last name :P
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they are old and done to death. it's better to do issues closer to home
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Is welfare a basic human right?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,2028.0.html
Flip this switch?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1449.0.html
What price minimum wage?
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1414.0.html
Porn filters
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1519.0.html
Elitism should not be a dirty word
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1451.0.html
The 4 ways to spend money
http://freestudynotes.com/VCEforum/index.php/topic,1440.0.html
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Principals turn to booze to cope: report
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/principals-turn-to-booze-to-cope-report/2008/02/03/1201973740345.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
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I never again want to be put through the pain of analysing the issues surrounding the "Med-info card". Argh, it kills me. lol
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http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/education-must-be-on-the-2020-agenda/2008/02/04/1202090319139.html
That is another article on the Education System.
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Jane Caro's op-eds like Andrew Bolt's is a good place to find factless emotional rhetoric to analyze for VCE English, but you don't read them to find objective facts.
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Parents shun state schools
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/parents-shun-state-schools/2008/02/04/1202090328556.html
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Ahmad, Public School.
50 50 50 :P
I still like Public schools, because you can see learners who work by themselves really hard (as we have *shit* teachers and resources).
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Teachers to be lured to tough schools
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/teachers-to-be-lured-to-tough-schools/2008/02/08/1202234169441.html
Language curriculum reform call
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/language-curriculum-reform-call/2008/02/08/1202234169459.html
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"The high cost of a cheap education" - the scholarship process.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/the-high-cost-of-a-cheap-education/2008/02/09/1202234230372.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Melbourne High School alleges coercive tactics have been used against students
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/school-in-standover-claim/2007/10/28/1193506344956.html?page=fullpage
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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23172235-13881,00.html
"With a masters in law from Oxford, the Rhodes scholar eschewed a lucrative career as a corporate lawyer to become a maths teacher.
But her academic record and experience lecturing at university counted for nothing when three years ago she approached the NSW Education Department to teach in one of its schools ..."
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Citizenship test
http://www.education.theage.com.au/pagedetail.asp?intsectionid=0
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I was reading through your topics and found some of them interesting especially the merit pay.
Our schools topic is 'encountering conflict' can this work.
My teacher also said that she has many points against merit pay, and I should reconsider.
What do you think stick with that topic
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My teacher also said that she has many points against merit pay, and I should reconsider.
Just a question: is she a crap teacher?
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My teacher also said that she has many points against merit pay, and I should reconsider.
Why should you reconsider simply because he or she has many points against merit pay? It sounds like intimidation to silence you. An oral presentation is not what your teacher believes in, but it is about presenting good facts and arguments.
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Given that your teacher
(1) is female
(2) has said that she has many points against merit pay
There is a high probability that she is in fact against the idea of performance pay. There is also a high probability that she is a Labor voter. There is also a reasonable probability that she is a member of the AEU, a teachers union, which staunchly opposes performance pay, though the AEU have come up with their own "merit pay" proposal.
Assuming that your teacher is marking you, and that she has a negative predisposition to the idea of merit pay, the research on persuasion shows that she would mark you harder and be more critical of your work than if you argued a case that she agreed with. Yes, that is biased marking, and yes that is probably unfair. But most teachers do it subconsciously and don't notice it.
So it depends how much you want to risk. If you are in year 12 it's probably not worth the trouble.
If your primary objective is to get the highest marks possible with the minimum amount of input, then get to know her, talk to her a bit more, and find out what issues she is passionate about, find out her political positions, etc. Then argue a case that she would agree with. She won't notice it, but she would probably be much more lenient in marking you.
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Haha, much more pragmatic advice than mine. Disregard my post, although I still think that your teacher is ridiculous for telling you to "reconsider." You should reconsider though, simply because there is a possibility of biased marking - not because the teacher has "many points against" it.
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You could call my strategy playing politics i suppose.
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Thanks for the input brendan, coblin.
She is a crap teacher, and to be honest I probably won't risk it. She seemed dead against it, I was a bit shocked at first but whatever.
She seems to want people to do more on the citizen test, and no-one has yet done that so i'l probably do it on. 'Australia doesn't need a citizen test.'
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She is a crap teacher,
lol well there you go, of course she would be against merit pay, because well she doesn't have much merit :P
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http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/lukeslattery/index.php/theaustralian/comments/curriculum_cordiality_in_the_air/
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23249327-12332,00.html
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Given that your teacher
(1) is female
(2) has said that she has many points against merit pay
There is a high probability that she is in fact against the idea of performance pay. There is also a high probability that she is a Labor voter. There is also a reasonable probability that she is a member of the AEU, a teachers union, which staunchly opposes performance pay, though the AEU have come up with their own "merit pay" proposal.
Why does being female have anything to do with it?
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It's most likely part of the statistics, and not a sexist comment (I doubt it would come from Brendan). I think you (or we) should ask him for the source.
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Given that your teacher
(1) is female
(2) has said that she has many points against merit pay
Edlund, L. and Pande, R. (2002) ‘Why have women become left wing? The political gender gap and the decline in marriage’, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(3), 917-961.
http://depts.washington.edu/crfam/seminarseries01-02/Edlund.pdf
Niederle, M. and Vesterlund, L.(2007) 'Do Women Shy Away from Competition? Do Men Compete Too Much?', The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(3), 1067-1101.
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/qjec.122.3.1067?journalCode=qjec
Gneezy, U., M. Niederle and A. Rustichini (2003) “Performance in competitive environments: Gender differences,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(3), 1049- 1074
http://www.stanford.edu/~niederle/Gender.pdf
Datta Gupta, N., A. Poulsen and M.C. Villeval (2005) “Male and female competitive behavior - experimental evidence.”
http://ftp.iza.org/dp1833.pdf
Uri Gneezy, Kenneth L. Leonard, John A. List (2008), "Gender Differences in Competition: Evidence from a Matrilineal and a Patriarchal Society" National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 13727
http://www.nber.org/papers/w13727
M Daniele Paserman, "Gender-linked performance differences in competitive environments: evidence from pro tennis"
http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/320
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my teacher has choose to do the bay dredging. Do you think this is an interesting topic? i havent really heard much about it
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i dun think its as interesting as some of the issues i've identified :P
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thought so, i hate my teacher she doesnt know how to teach. She hasnt taught yr 12 english for 3 years and furthermore its a new study design :( im doomed
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Unions 'protecting poor teachers'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7259280.stm
Results appraisals upset teachers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7252830.stm
Remove bad teachers, says adviser
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7088383.stm
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my teacher has choose to do the bay dredging. Do you think this is an interesting topic? i havent really heard much about it
i dont think its a good idea to pick it as a topic (i thought about it for a while) as:
1. theres already like a million people doing it
2. most people actually dont give a damn about it, they just pretend to
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2. most people actually dont give a damn about it, they just pretend to
LOOOOOL. So true.
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VCAL: http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/alternative-keeps-children-healthy-wise/2008/02/29/1204226993908.html
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remember that the articles etc you use must be from after September 2007 and after.
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anyone know any articles on merit pay??
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http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,2078.msg27511.html#msg27511
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We did our SAC on the new citizenship test a couple of weeks ago. It was the worse thing I have ever done :( I think I could have done better if I had prepared more. Oh well. I won't know how I did till after the holidays. On a plus note, A+ for my Lit SAC (wooh!!!!), so I think that's going to be the one in my top 4.
On another point (but still somewhat related), what months should we be studying and looking in the papers for the possible issue of the English exam?
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here is some more resources and new developments on the issue of performance pay for teachers:
http://andrewleigh.com/?cat=2
http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=670082
http://www.performanceincentives.org/data/files/directory/ConferencePapersNews/Hannaway_et_al_2008.pdf
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thankkks :)
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Do kids do better with bigger classes and well-paid teachers?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/nyregion/07charter.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all
" A New York City charter school set to open in 2009 in Washington Heights will test one of the most fundamental questions in education: Whether significantly higher pay for teachers is the key to improving schools.
The school, which will run from fifth to eighth grades, is promising to pay teachers $125,000, plus a potential bonus based on schoolwide performance. That is nearly twice as much as the average New York City public school teacher earns, roughly two and a half times the national average teacher salary and higher than the base salary of all but the most senior teachers in the most generous districts nationwide.
The school’s creator and first principal, Zeke M. Vanderhoek, contends that high salaries will lure the best teachers. He says he wants to put into practice the conclusion reached by a growing body of research: that teacher quality — not star principals, laptop computers or abundant electives — is the crucial ingredient for success. …
The school will open with seven teachers and 120 students, most of them from low-income Hispanic families. … Its classes will have 30 students. In an inversion of the traditional school hierarchy that is raising eyebrows among school administrators, the principal will start off earning just $90,000. In place of a menu of electives to round out the core curriculum, all students will take music and Latin. Period."
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/03/07/nyregion/07charter_600.jpg)
Zeke M. Vanderhoek, creator of a charter school opening in 2009.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/03/07/nyregion/07charter_graph.190.jpg)
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Paying Students To Learn
Can Students Be Paid to Excel?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/nyregion/05incentive.html?ref=education&pagewanted=all
Straight A’s, With a Burger as a Prize
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/business/media/06adco.html?fta=y&pagewanted=all
Paying Students To Learn
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/education/entries/2008/01/22/paying_students.html
Good grades pay off — literally
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-27-grades_N.htm#uslPageReturn
Single Sex schooling
Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?ref=education&pagewanted=all
The missing option for boys
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/the-missing-option-for-boys/2007/05/05/1177788470658.html
School results improve with one sex in the equation
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/school-results-improve-with-one-sex-in-the-equation/2006/07/11/1152383741203.html
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Is throwing more taxpayer money at schools the answer?
Creating a culture of great learning expectations
http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/creating-a-culture-of-great-learning-expectations/2008/03/07/1204780055447.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/~aleigh/pdf/SchoolProductivity.pdf
"real per-child school expenditure increased by 10 percent over the period 1975-1998, and by 258 percent over the period 1964-2003. This increase in spending funded a substantial reduction in student-teacher ratios. Measuring productivity in terms of literacy and numeracy points per dollar, our results imply that the productivity of Australian schools may have fallen over the past 3-4 decades."
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anyone have any tips on writing a statement of intention?
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that normally involves discussing:
1. purpose (eg to persuade people that..)
2. audience (eg policy decision makers)
3. form (eg opinion piece in a major daily newspaper)
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Schools and Race
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2185010.htm
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7135
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/state-ministers-warned-of-flight-from-schools/2008/03/10/1205125819892.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-no-1-priority-being-tackled-from-the-top/2008/03/09/1204998283781.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/long-ride-across-border-to-school/2008/03/09/1204998283750.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/white-flight-leaves-system-segregated-by-race/2008/03/09/1204998283744.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/state-ministers-warned-of-flight-from-schools/2008/03/10/1205125819892.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/19/1019020708130.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/24/1019441263079.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/lessons-in-choice/2007/07/29/1185647743489.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sweeping-chinese-revolution/2005/11/25/1132703380784.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/21/1021882057352.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/raising-the-bar-for-high-achievers/2007/04/23/1177180569502.html
Newcomers at school
http://www.smh.com.au/news/editorial/newcomers-at-school/2005/11/25/1132703378220.html
Hard graft, no slacking: the key to success
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/hard-graft-no-slacking-the-key-to-success/2005/11/25/1132703380787.html
Sweeping Chinese revolution
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/chinese-revolution-sweeps-sydney-schools/2005/11/25/1132703380784.html
Lessons in choice
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/lessons-in-choice/2007/07/29/1185647743489.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
For schools, more natural selection
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199418787.html?from=storyrhs
Hidden talents
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/hidden-talents/2006/02/24/1140670263609.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Children from migrant families top state schools
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/children-from-migrant-families-top-state-schools/2006/03/03/1141191854022.html
Put to the test
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/19/1019020708130.html
Top school bottoms out when it comes to football
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/03/1096741901181.html?from=storylhs
To coach or not to coach?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/to-coach-or-not-to-coach/2007/07/29/1185647743492.html
It seems Dr. King's dream where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character is still that - a distant dream.
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Education of the gifted:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23350189-5011680,00.html
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John Kilner from The Age did a talk on the topic of issues for VCE English students.
http://education.theage.com.au/pdfs/JK_VCEexpo_talk.pdf
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has many people already done their oral? i did mine today on merit pay :) thank you Brendan so much for your resources!! it was a great help.
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My oral is in week 7 of this term.. I still don't know what I will be doing it on :( How did you go?
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i think i did alright compared to the other students i heard. mine went for 4 minutes and 52 seconds which i was really happy with. i left mine really late and only finished it last night. what were you thinking of doing it on?
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my teacher has changed the topic of "bay dredging" to "paid maternity leave" which i think was a very good choice.
Would anyone have articles on this issue?
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i think i did alright compared to the other students i heard. mine went for 4 minutes and 52 seconds which i was really happy with. i left mine really late and only finished it last night. what were you thinking of doing it on?
I really have no idea, I need to research into the issues to gain a better understanding and view point.
my teacher has changed the topic of "bay dredging" to "paid maternity leave" which i think was a very good choice.
Would anyone have articles on this issue?
There should be a page for each issue on The Age 'issue' page.
http://www.education.theage.com.au/pagelist.asp?strsection=students&intsectionid=0
You could also 'google' your issues and click the 'news' link which will bring up relevant articles.
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Select schools benefit all state students
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/select-schools-benefit-all/2006/11/26/1164476066686.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Give academic excellence a sporting chance
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Opinion/Give-academic-excellence-a-sporting-chance/2005/03/30/1111862458549.html
Smart kids deserve our help, too
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/smart-kids-deserve-our-help-too/2008/04/07/1207420296238.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Join the academy
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php?action=post;msg=27511;topic=2078.0;sesc=430f4b7d87296ef7103d38aac0a27c3b
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Brightest and best miss out
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24608051-25192,00.html
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Teacher bias in marking
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,5918.0.html
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Does everybody believe the Muck Up Day issue is a fairly good one to do the oral on? Because I am seriously stuck for ideas, argh!
Any other new interesting issues?
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In my opinion there's not much 'meat' in a muck-up day issue. I'd look for an issue that has many perspectives that you can look at it from, ie; environmental, social, financial, moral perspective. That way you can have various angles to argue your issue from.
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thanks costargh.
i just saw your english ss and so i think i'll take your advice! :)
do you have any reccommendations for topics/issues?
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I think one of the best issues you could do in 2009 would be the Victorian transport plan that was released by the government towards the end of 2008. (See http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp/ ). The reason why I'd recommend this is that it actually has HEAPS of great perspectives you can look at this from and various stances you can take, For example, whether the plan does enough to promote greater use of public transport, whether the project completion dates are close enough to bring short term relief to transport users (road and public), whether the cost of some projects are too excessive and whether they could be better spent, what sort of environmental impact these projects will have, eg, building new roads and rails may be at the cost of the enriornment, and failure to promote public transport may mean higher greenhouse gases etc.
There are massive like 50+ page documents you can look at on that page that you can use as your research. Also Sir Rod Eddington's report on the state of Melbournes transport system can be found via google.
There is also a shorter brief PDF overviewing the issue.
Furthermore...
I should have said this before but when you think about it little pissy short term issues are really crap to argue about. They've really got no meat in them to argue about and chances are you'll end up just repeating yourself and making arguments based on just "i think that" or something weak like that.
The thing about the transport plans for Victoria's future is that if it's not planned, managed and implemented properly then the consequences for Victoria are diabolical. Imagine what sort of effects congestion would have on Victorians.
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Wow, thanks so much! That's an issue i'll definitley read up on and see how I find it.
Feel free to suggest others ;)
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I just added to my original post above ^^^
If you didn't feel confident about arguing on that then I would say to do something long term like environmental based because at the moment thats a key worry for society and there is always a lot of financial and social views on it. Like Victoria's water plans or something... desalination plants? etc
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That's fair enough. And it would be harder to make a better argument out of something that doesn't have much "meat" to it.
Where could I find out more information on the desalination plants, and the other environmental issues at the moment? I've been on the age issue pages, but that didn't really have anything?
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I'm thinking of doing 'language change' due to technology, particulary text message. I plan to discuss whether or not it is positively contributing to our language or if it will have negative impacts. Do you think this would be a good topic to address?
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Depends, do you think you'll have a substantial amount of differing points to use to back up your argument?
If you're going to feel as though you'd be repeating yourself then I would try something else.
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I'm thinking of doing 'language change' due to technology, particulary text message. I plan to discuss whether or not it is positively contributing to our language or if it will have negative impacts. Do you think this would be a good topic to address?
That reminds me so much of EL. There was basically an essay about that for the past two years on the exam! So, you'd be benefiting EL as well as vanilla English there! (I'm assuming it applies to vanilla English)
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I'm thinking of doing 'language change' due to technology, particulary text message. I plan to discuss whether or not it is positively contributing to our language or if it will have negative impacts. Do you think this would be a good topic to address?
what sac is this for?
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Just to add on to what I said about the issue of the state or Melbourne's transport issue.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/sprawling-transport-not-up-to-par-20090111-7eeb.html
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Here's a good website with outlines and arguments on contemporary media issues with newspaper indexes:
www.echoeducation.com.au
Username: stjohnrcd
Password: blightly
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hello.. i have to do a SAC of a media issue.. for/against and my opinion....is baning parents to smack their children a media issue???
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How about talking about festivals (big day out in particular) and drugs and the bad media coverage given.
I'm thinking about this, but not sure which approach to take and whether or not there will be sufficient inofrmation.
Thoughts?
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How about talking about festivals (big day out in particular) and drugs and the bad media coverage given.
I'm thinking about this, but not sure which approach to take and whether or not there will be sufficient inofrmation.
Thoughts?
The problem is whether there is "an issue" - ie that you can actually take a stance while equally being able to take an opposing stance versus just presenting a public speaking style speech.
Hence if you were to present a speech saying that drugs at festivals are bad and that police presence and bad publcity are deterrents - you won't really engage in a persuasive argument as they are almost self evident. Where as if you were talking about the over done debating topic: "that Victoria should build desalination plants" or "that Australia should launch a bid for the 2018 (or whenever it is) World cup soccer" you could clearly argue for or against that statement.
Does that make sense?
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hello.. i have to do a SAC of a media issue.. for/against and my opinion....is baning parents to smack their children a media issue???
that one pops up from time to time, typically on programs like ACA/TT
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How about talking about festivals (big day out in particular) and drugs and the bad media coverage given.
I'm thinking about this, but not sure which approach to take and whether or not there will be sufficient inofrmation.
Thoughts?
The problem is whether there is "an issue" - ie that you can actually take a stance while equally being able to take an opposing stance versus just presenting a public speaking style speech.
Hence if you were to present a speech saying that drugs at festivals are bad and that police presence and bad publcity are deterrents - you won't really engage in a persuasive argument as they are almost self evident. Where as if you were talking about the over done debating topic: "that Victoria should build desalination plants" or "that Australia should launch a bid for the 2018 (or whenever it is) World cup soccer" you could clearly argue for or against that statement.
Does that make sense?
Yes it does, and that's what I though. I was just curious as to see what you guys though and if it is possible.
It's interesting and all, but I agree that there isn't enough to argue for or against.
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don't forget to take into account the views and biases of the person who is going to mark your essay...
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I'VE CHOSEN MINE: "THE INTEGRITY OF THE VICTORIAN POLICE HAS BEEN LOST" THA'TS MY TITLE THINGOO.
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Hey man, thanks for all the info. Was so caught up by all of this, but with the help everything seems so much better
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Hey do you have any interesting topics for this year, as im stuck
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me too. theres some great stuff here but i think we need to use current issues/evidence (from after sept 09??). a few ideas would be greatly appreciated
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yes thank you. i need some ideas!!!!!
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The drop in the number of Indian students coming to Australia due to concerns for their safety.
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The drop in the number of Indian students coming to Australia due to concerns for their safety.
And India's double standard on assaults on British students in India
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The drop in the number of Indian students coming to Australia due to concerns for their safety.
And India's double standard on assaults on British students in India
please explain
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Take a look at http://www.theage.com.au/national/letters/water-companies-are-the-winners-20100105-ls8b.html
It's about halfway down, called "A double standard". Interesting topic :)
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Alot of the students from India are simply here to get Permanant Residency status. Not to learn. There are many 'dodgy' institutions across Australia which act as 'Visa Factories' according to an article published in Yesterdays Age. I think that this means that many of the Indians attending these 'dodgy' instituitions are probably people who didnt do well in India or at school. hence they're only here as a last resort.
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Alot of the students from India are simply here to get Permanant Residency status. Not to learn. There are many 'dodgy' institutions across Australia which act as 'Visa Factories' according to an article published in Yesterdays Age. I think that this means that many of the Indians attending these 'dodgy' instituitions are probably people who didnt do well in India or at school. hence they're only here as a last resort.
+1 Thankfully, a person who understands!
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I disagree i think you may be looking at a minority of Indian's, from my own experience i believe that indian's contribute to society more than the average Australian i mean who else wants to be a call centre worker or a cabby on such a low wage. My point is that they are very grateful for the opportunities that we are offered everyday, so why shouldnt they experience a land of abundant opportunities as we have been given just because they were born in a different country. What about equality, who are we to decide who should share our opportunities and who shouldnt?
Just sayin...
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I wish I saw this earlier.
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This is the best thing that ever happened to English. Thankyou:)