'Afrocentric' school approved in Toronto
ridenrain @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:18 pm
ryan29 ryan29:
so faith based schools were basically considered evil in last election but a few months later we get something like this ? i'm somewhat confused .
how was this allowed to happen , where's the leadership from queens park and education ministry ?
how was this allowed to happen , where's the leadership from queens park and education ministry ?
BINGO!
Where are the numbers of irate go-gooders who were soiling themselves in protestation?
I can't see anything good comming from this.
xerxes @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:47 pm
Regina Regina:
martin14 martin14:
oh man, how old are you??? 
Slide rules, my father used them.
we had calculators, but not for tests..
and speeling every week.. ... on purpose
Slide rules, my father used them.we had calculators, but not for tests..
and speeling every week..
... on purposeMy high school pictures were carved in stone tablets.
And you birth certificate is in Hieroglyphics.
BartSimpson @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:01 pm
Brenda Brenda:
$1:
So we graduate students who feel good about themselves but who cannot compute, cannot spell, and cannot function in society.
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
That's just sheer laziness on the part of the teachers. Any wonder why I oppose teacher's unions when this is what they protect?
Mustang1 @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:01 pm
This idea smacks of intellectual relativism. It's a socially regressive, pedagogically flawed attempt to address a social issue solely through institutionalized education. I feel sorry for people that look to segregation as the only means to alleviate their social ills.
Regina @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:12 pm
xerxes xerxes:
Regina Regina:
martin14 martin14:
oh man, how old are you??? Slide rules, my father used them.
we had calculators, but not for tests..
and speeling every week.. ... on purpose
Slide rules, my father used them.we had calculators, but not for tests..
and speeling every week..
... on purposeMy high school pictures were carved in stone tablets.
And you birth certificate is in Hieroglyphics.
2Cdo @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:36 pm
From the Toronto Sun today,
Toronto Sun
An earlier idea that didn't work.
sasquatch2 @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:09 pm
Apparently this started with A toronto school board narrowly passing this initiative.
The Ontario Education Minister has pronounced emphatically that no extra funding would be provided that board for this. McSquintly has wisely dodged the bullet.
The proponent was interviewed just now and he didn't do so well, under the questioning of two TV talking heads. It seemed to me was a poster boy as to why black kids don't do well. Basically all he had was "african culture"......phone-in's were very one sided against. The term segregation flew throughout.
It seems right now the problem is funding. That board will have to rob Peter to send Paul to an "afro-centric" school.
Brenda wrote:
$1:
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
Not just Holland.......Same thing here in Ontario.
Mustang1 @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:11 pm
sasquatch2 sasquatch2:
Brenda wrote:
Not just Holland.......Same thing here in Ontario.
$1:
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
Not just Holland.......Same thing here in Ontario.
I was graded in high school on grammar and basic language conventions. Sorry, you're wrong (whole language was gone by the 80s)
Arctic_Menace @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:12 pm
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Brenda Brenda:
$1:
So we graduate students who feel good about themselves but who cannot compute, cannot spell, and cannot function in society.
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
That's just sheer laziness on the part of the teachers. Any wonder why I oppose teacher's unions when this is what they protect?
Wow, that is pretty bad. But in all fairness, I think it varies from region to region and also on upbringing.
My mom is the textbook definition of a Grammar Nazi and all my English and French teachers have been Grammar Nazis. My Grade 11 and 12 English teachers always graded us fairly heavily on spelling and structure/composition. Ten percent worth.
Brenda @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:15 pm
Well, I am a grammar and spelling nazi too... I can't stand websites, news articles or anything with spelling errors. If anyone just wrote done what s/he wanted, nobody would be able to follow it... I think it is one of the most important things to teach our children...
Arctic_Menace @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:23 pm
$1:
Well, I am a grammar and spelling nazi too... I can't stand websites, news articles or anything with spelling errors.
It gets to me too.
Knoss @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:26 pm
$1:
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
Depending upon the subject spelling may not be relevant; if one is testing a students knowledge of history, philosophy, even specific language skills such as analysis of a novel would be dependent on understanding the material taught and thought procedures. Spelling though use full can be assisted by a spell check, in addition most universities have writing centers which can assist in writing essays by performing such tasks as proof reading.
$1:
When I was in high school we had to learn how to use a slide rule, yet calculators were not allowed to be used in math class. The only thing I ever used that thing for was for drawing a straight line when I couldn't find a ruler.
Seems strange for high school, while children should be taught to perform basic arithmetic without aids, by high school courses should be teaching algebra or critical thinking, they should be testing that a problem is solved procedurally and that those procedures are performed correctly (arithmetic is correct regardless of use of calculator, slide rule, or memory).
Arctic_Menace @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:27 pm
Brenda Brenda:
Well, I am a grammar and spelling nazi too... I can't stand websites, news articles or anything with spelling errors. If anyone just wrote done what s/he wanted, nobody would be able to follow it... I think it is one of the most important things to teach our children...
I can guarantee you that when I have kids, I will be a grammar Nazi on them. What bugs me the most is that throughout highschool, I've seen and heard so much crap like: "Sir, how do you spell capitulate?" or "Well I don't have spellcheck to help me out" or "spelling doesn't matter, cause I'm not gonna need it too much in life". But what bugs me the msot, are people on the internet who speak like this:
liek, oober lol!
teh l337 h4xx0rZ,
Brenda @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:32 pm
$1:
But what bugs me the msot, are people on the internet who speak like this:
$1:
liek, oober lol!
teh l337 h4xx0rZ,
Say what?
![[huh]](./images/smilies/icon_scratch.gif "huh?"){kind=icon}
Brenda @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:37 pm
Knoss Knoss:
$1:
Off topic, but shocking to me nonetheless: When my kids went to school in Holland, I was told by their teachers that spelling was not that important "because they have spell-check on the computers anyway". This means, that whenever they have to write a test or an essay, they will not be graded for the spelling
Depending upon the subject spelling may not be relevant; if one is testing a students knowledge of history, philosophy, even specific language skills such as analysis of a novel would be dependent on understanding the material taught and thought procedures. Spelling though use full can be assisted by a spell check, in addition most universities have writing centers which can assist in writing essays by performing such tasks as proof reading.
You got to be kidding me, right? My kids are 7 and 9!
If you want to be able to read a test as a teacher, wouldn't it be usefull not have to decypher it first? If the material is written full of spelling and grammar errors, how the hell can you expect someone to understand what is said? How can you really grade someone's knowledge?