School Genius

Edu-Babble or Remedial Education?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Pedley) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 08:59:00 +0000

December 18, 2010
Kenyon Wallace presents an interview in the National Post with teacher and now author, Michael Zwaagstra of Manitoba. Michael has just published a new book co-authored with two of his former professors at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Education, Rod Clifton and John Long. The book is entitled, What's Wrong with our Schools and How to Fix Them.

Michael had a feeling that the "progressive education" he was taught in the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba may be more "edu-babble" than reality when he stepped in front of a class of uninterested teenagers.

The article points out that the "progressive" idea of simply being a "guide on the side" just did not fit with what he thought made sense.

When he took courses outside of the faculty of education, he felt empowered because he was actually learning about the subjects in question whereas the de-emphasis on conveying knowledge did not seem to accomplish anything tangible.

[Editor: As a former teacher, I agree wholeheartedly with the author as reported by Mr. Wallace. The idea of child-centred learning sounds WONDERFUL but when it means that the child should decide exactly what he wants to learn, it rings hollow.

I had the daughter of a "consultant" for our board of education who did not receive a good mark because she did not finish her project. This consultant stated to me that as long as she knows how, is it really important to finish the project? I was shocked that someone was appointed to her position and did not realize that people need to know stuff and finish things.

Do we not want doctors who know where the body parts are and how to safely extract or fix injured parts?

Hmm! Where is that heart anyway?

Do we want lawyers who know HOW to find out information but know nothing about how the law works? Do we want drivers who know WHAT those highway signs mean or just "how to find out" what they mean?

Do we want engineers who actually have KNOWLEDGE of stresses and how to build bridges that don't fall down or do we want them only to know HOW to find out?

Do we want cashiers who can actually give the right change or just find out from someone else what the amount should be?

In the real world, do you want a road-builder who knows how but never finishes a highway, a doctor who orders several tests in order to diagnose your medical problem, and then never fixes it? Surely this is ludicrous. But it was the state of the profession in Niagara during the 80's and 90's.

I did see some hope for change when tests were introduced at Grade 3 and 6 to test WHAT the students knew about math. Even tho they needed a lot of revisions to be more accurate, it was a start. I profess ignorance of what the current philosophy of learning is in Ontario.]

The article points out that after ten years as a teacher, the ideas he was force-fed do not work. He concludes that "we will continue to fail our kids if we do not change the way we teach and the way public education systems are administered."

The book mentions a number of controversial practices such as "no-fail" and "no-test" philosophies, the "spread of edu-babble in curricula" and the reduction of the teacher's authority in the classroom.

He points out that there is something fundamentally wrong with teachers having to make students experiences "fun" instead of teaching facts which are the building blocks of knowledge. [Imagine a student not having to know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide but just "how to use a calculator". Nothing wrong with learning their use but will a person always have a calculator with them when they need to do math? Will someone KNOW if an answer is wrong even if calculator-generated if they don't know HOW to check it with pencil and paper?]

When students' education is tailored to them, how can the student be evaluated on what he has learned? The quality of textbooks, he points out, has been "dumbed down" recently in order to follow the curricula handed down from on high.

The article also points out that the consolidation of power at the administrative level in school boards has accentuated the problem because the teacher is micro-managed from the top and evaluated on what they have been told to do. But where is the measurement of the final product, student learning?

In his own classroom he tries to balance the good parts of the "progressive" philosophies with direct instruction.

It is also mentioned that in Edmonton, schools are allowed to specialize in music, sports or drama with principals given considerable control over budgets. "Alberta's standardized testing system ensures that students are learning common material."

Mr. Zwaagstra is a research associate at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and a city councillor in Steinbach, where he lives with his wife and four young sons.

Editor: If this philosophy is continuing in 2010, 2011 and beyond, will we be graduating students into our labour force who know HOW TO but never TO FINISH, a job?

Praise for Governor General, Michelle Jean

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Pedley) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:46:00 +0000

[An email I wrote to the current Governor-General, soon to be past.]

Governor-General Michelle Jean

I can only hope that you actually get to read this, personally.

I had my doubts about your appointment in the beginning due to my perception of you being in the CBC, to many, a left-wing mouthpiece and of course your husbands former involvements.

I want you to know that you changed my attitude very quickly by your decorum, your support of the elected government of Canada, your grace and your encouragement for our native Inuit peoples and I might say a slight flaunting of misguided world opinion regarding seal hunting. I was proud of your consumption of the seal meat and not bowing to the politically-correct world view.

You displayed no bias party-wise but acted as a true representative of the Queen of Canada, above politics.

I heard no comments about spending excesses as we have with some other Governor-Generals.

You made me very proud of you as a former Haitian to have risen to the arguably highest office in Canada. You performed your duties with honour and dignity. You made me proud of you and proud of Canada. And it did not hurt at all that you acted as a beautiful person inside and out.

Everywhere you went or every action you performed made me prouder of you and of our great country!

Thank you for being such a wonderful representative of our country and of the Queen!

May you long enjoy your after-GG life!

-- 
-Charles Pedley
Creator of Schoolgenius.com
Where genius is nourished, not just born.

Former Teacher
Two Degrees, both above zero (:-)
====================
905-228-2161
===================
GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING at
www.schoolgenius.com
Over 200 programs for less than $25 !!!

Additions to SchoolGenius.com Website

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Pedley) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:27:00 +0000

Hello!
We have made a great many additions to our SchoolGenius website. In the spirit of our motto, "where genius is nourished not just born", we have added many stories and links about people who were considered failures and became successful.

My favorite was a movie that my wife and I watched called Gifted Hands. It is the story of Ben Carson who was considered by his classmates, his teacher and himself, a failure. Ben went on to overcome this viewpoint and at age 32, he became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the world-famous, John Hopkin's Hospital in Baltimore.

That is success and the movie is wonderfully insprining! If Ben can do it, maybe so can YOU!

So please checkout Ben's story and that of many others considered failures at SchoolGenius.com.

I believe YOU TOO will be inspired by their stories!
-Charles

GreyOllTwit Software - The AMAZING STORY !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Pedley) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Simon Hensby has an AMAZING STORY of SACRIFICE for his ADHD child

The Rest of Simon Hensby's Story Here

Look about 1/2 way down the page

PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, FRIENDS!

YOU CANNOT BEAT THE DEAL SIMON GIVES
FOR DOWNLOADING AND USING HIS SOFTWARE
FOR THE REST OF YOUR CHILD'S LIFE
FOR LESS THAN $22 !!!

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK A COMMERCIAL COMPANY
WOULD CHARGE FOR A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP TO
EVERYTHING THEY PRODUCE ??

Click on any of the underlined text above to find out more

Remembering Those Who Sacrificed...

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Please excuse the author as he obviously did not check his spelling.
Is it "sacraficed" or SACRIFICED?

“Remembering Those Who Sacraficed
For Our Freedom”

From the Desk of:
Greg Writer
CEO
Children's Educational Network

Dear Charles,

As we head into the last weekend of May and make plans for the three-day weekend, I ask that you take a moment to remember what this weekend is truly about – remembering. The root of Memorial is memory and on this day, remembering something special about the soldiers, their families along with their loved ones and the sacrifices they continue to make to keep this country great.

This weekend is also about the remembrance of our fallen heroes from all of the past conflicts and wars. It is a day to think about the families that will forever grieve for their lost loved ones but also a day to be thankful to those who have served and made the world a safer place not just for us, but also for our children and future generations.

From the Civil War to Vietnam, from Kuwait to Iraq, the men and women in uniform have protected our country throughout the generations for peace and freedom. I ask that you honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and dedication and observe a moment or two of silence, fly a U.S. flag, watch a parade and if you get a chance, thank a soldier.

These men and women deserve our ongoing gratitude and prayers for protection.

May God bless you and watch over our soldiers for their selfless acts, as they stand watch and protect this great country.

Have an outstanding weekend!

Greg Writer
CEO & Founder
Children's Educational Network

For parents with young daughters...

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:37:00 +0000

"Here's A Must Watch Video For Parents With Young Daughters"

From the Desk of:
Greg Writer
CEO
Children's Educational Network

Today I received a email from a really special friend of mine and I thought I must share this video!

So in honor of the next generation of mothers please be inspired and watch this video from a Mom making a HUGE difference in the lives on young girls around the country!

I know you will enjoy this and please support Debra's efforts and be sure to leave your comments.

Thanks and have an outstanding day!

Greg Writer
CEO
Children’s Educational Network

The Impact Event - Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:57:00 +0000

I just came back from The Impact Event in Orlando Florida
where I was recognized as one of the top 100 People in America
making an Impact!
Thanks to my incredible assistant nominating me :!
See the post on our Kid Safe blog at:
http://kidsafe.com/greg-writer-selected-as-one-of-the-impact-100
The event was hosted by Ken McArthur, a long time Internet
marketer, and was packed with some of the top online income
earners in America!
I met some great people...and learned a few new ideas to earn
$ on the Internet, that I will share with you soon.
The reason for today's email is I met Alicia Dunams and she is
an expert on helping people get a book written and published.
And I am not sure about you but I have always wanted to write
a book but did not quite know the insider tips and secrets to
get it done effectively.
Well after spending many hours with her I am convinced she has
golden ticket to get this done fast and efficiently.
So I asked here if she could hold a teleseminar for my
contacts to share some of the tips that everyone who wants to
publish a book should know.
She said no problem...
But because she is very high demand for her services she can
only do this call tomorrow!
I know this is short notice but if you have book idea inside
of you, YOU do not want to miss this call!
Here's the link to check it out:
http://www.webcontactpro.com/app/?af=980585
Hope you enjoy!
Thanks
Greg Writer
PS You also may want to check out what I am doing at my new
site http://www.InternetOilwells.com. I made a pretty cool
video you may want to check out!
Children's Educational Network

Charles you must read these kids stories...

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:17:00 +0000

I don't like to do this very often but I do think it is very
important to remind parents about how dangerous the Internet
can be.

So last Wednesday on Oprah she had a show about predators
online.

I am so glad she continues to bring awareness to this very
important issue.

Anyway she had some children tell their stores of how Internet
and CELL phone predators lured them into trouble and I wanted
to share these stories with you.

Here's the link:
http://kidsafe.com/children-preyed-upon-by-online-predators-as-discussed-on-oprah

It's a reminder for YOU of why we do what we do!

I also want to thank you for your support in our efforts.

Have a great day and be vigilant about YOUR child's safety
online.

Greg Writer
CEO
Children's Educational Network.com

PS Here is the link to view the stories as told by the
victims:
http://kidsafe.com/children-preyed-upon-by-online-predators-as-discussed-on-oprah

Children's Educational Network

Charles see Oprah talk about protecting kids...

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:04:00 +0000

I had to share this short 3 minute video of Oprah's commitment to protect kids! It is fantastic!

Click this link to watch Oprah:

http://www.myurltracker.com/redirect.php?u=clubtuki&p=18

Please be sure to leave your comments about the video on the blog!

Thanks and have a great day!

Greg Writer
CEO
Children's Educational Network
"We Guarantee A Safer & More Educational Internet For YOUR Children"

PS Make sure to forward to your friends with kids!
Here is link again: http://www.myurltracker.com/redirect.php?u=clubtuki&p=18

Is The Life of a Child Worth $1.00 to you?

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Hey There!
Greg Writer here with Children's Educational Network.
Just a quick note to ask you to visit our blog at
http://kidsafe.com and read the post on our
Internet Safety Community Outreach Project
We have created a way that you can protect the lives
and minds of children for as little as $1.00.
Please just a take a moment to read our story and if
you find that you are not able to help, that's ok, just
forward on this message to your friends and family.
Thank you for your Time and Consideration. It means
the world to me and our team!
Sincerely,
Greg Writer
CEO, Children's Educational Network
PS - We would like to offer you this free Internet Safety
Report just for taking the time to read this email.
http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=136582&AdID=426900
Children's Educational Network

283 S. Escondido Blvd
Escondido, CA
92025
US

Celebrities Show Their Support...

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:46:00 +0000

A Must Watch Video

February 2009

“Celebrities Show Their Support For
Children's Educational Network & Club TUKI”
See what Joan Collins, David DeLuise, Nancee Borgnine, Taylor Dayne, Bobby Brown,
Steve Stein & Kate Linder have to say about CEN & Club TUKI.

To: All Customers, Fans and Supporters of Club TUKI
From: Greg Writer, CEO
RE: Celebrities Support For CEN

Dear Friend,

I wanted to share a very special 3 minute video with you of a number of celebrities showing their support for Children's Educational Network and Club TUKI.

Pleaseclick the image of Joan Collins to watch this video now!

Keep us in prayer and thanks for your continued support!

Greg Writer
CEO
Children's Educational Network
P.S. Here is an email from a 11 year old boy who won a autographed football from our TUKI Auction and gave it to his dad. These are the emails we get that keep us going! If you have nice things to say please send us your note!

Hi Peggy its Delano, my dad loved the football and honestly he couldn't stop staring at it all weekend! My dad is happy and that's all I could ever ask for.
Your friend, Delano:)
P.P.S. Here's one more, that I got yesterday. We get these on a regular basis.

Hi
Can I just say that after checking out your site i am VERY thankful for the person who made it all happen! I'd pay just for the safety area for my daughter to go to online so the fact that its fun and educational is just wonderful!!
Thank you!!

Debbie

Your Kids Health - Is It Important to you?

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Home

KidSafe Blog

Shopping

About Us

Support

This Week's TeleSeminar

Brought to You by Children's Educational Network

Our Children's Health is in Crisis!

Dr. Edwards joins with Teen Success Coach, Jim Brogan and me, Greg Writer, in this amazing teleseminar on improving your children's health.
Discover the benefits of Mangosteen Fruit and the dangers of malnutrition in our youth with world renowned physician and expert, Dr. John Edwards.
Dr. Edwards works at the Healthy Oakland Foundation in Oakland, CA where he provides liquid supplements to his patients for relief of a wide variety of ailments that are being cured or managed with proper supplementation.
According to Dr. Mehemet Oz, another world renowned doctor and children's health advocate, our daily diets do NOT provide the minerals and nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. This is especially concerning for our children, because without the proper nutrients thier little bodies won't develop to be the best that they can be.....

....but "kids won't take vitamins" you say?

That's exactly why CEN has teamed up with Vemma, because KIDS like it and that's the biggest obstacle.
To be a part of this insiders group of amazing child advocates - visit KidSafe.com and click on the audio button, You and your family will be glad you did!
Thank you for your time,

Greg Writer
CEO & Founder
Children's Educational Network
PS We would love your thoughts on our seminars.... Please fill out this very short survey at KidSafe.com

Children's Educational Network

TUKI Island's Stimulus Package May Affect Your Pocket Book!

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:30:00 +0000

News From TUKI Island!

Issue 1\|Volume One\| February 4, 2009
Home	::	KidSafe Blog	::	Shopping	::	About Us	::	Support

Hot Topics!

Have you read your free Internet Safety Report?

Pass it on to those you care about!

Get Your Free Internet Safety Report Click Here

KidSafe Product Reviews
KidSafe Website Reviews
Health & Fitness
Financial Literacy
Income Opportunities
More New Games

The Millionaire Maker
Click for Info

Club TUKI and CEN Earn the IParenting Media Award

We're always interested in getting feedback from our customers. If you'd like to tell us what's on your mind, please call our customer feedback line.
Testimonies Appreciated!

We value your opinion and feedback.

Call 24hrs: (214) 231-2905 x5209#

Kids don't like taking pills!

Check Out Our New Partner The Ultimate Supplement

Have You Subscribed to our KidSafe.com Blog?

Click Here

We Need Your Opinion!Take Our Survey!
Click Here

Protect and Educate Your Kids Online... Become a TUKI Member Today!
Click Here

Click Here

Refer a Friend and Earn Some TUKI Moola for Your Favorite Kid!

A Personal Message from Greg Writer:

TUKI Island's Stimulus Package May Affect Your Pocket Book!

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2009! We are so glad to have you on our team! We couldn't wait for a government bailout so we created our own stimulus package and we want to share it with you!

This is an exciting year for CEN and Club TUKI. We are expanding our vision this year as a part of our effort to protect, educate and enhance the lives of children, one family at a time.

We realize that America is going through some pretty unprecedented times, so we are taking unprecedented measures to help you out. We are looking forward to helping families through this crisis with some exciting new opportunities to increase YOUR income, improve your health and add to your experience with CEN.

We look forward to this being the BEST year ever, for each and every family!

Greg Writer
CEO & Founder
Children's Educational Network

What's New With Club TUKI?

Video Sharing and TV with Chat

Starting this Thursday, we are launching TukiTV.com. You can access this amazing new technology by going to ClubTUKI.com, signing in with your username and password and clicking on TV. This will take you to our video sharing platform which is the first step toward our goal of creating The Ultimate Kids Social Networking Site. We will be adding new features to this site on a regular basis and will keep you updated on the parental controls to this new technology as well.

What is TUKI TV?

This is a fully moderated site that allows kids to view, share, download, and upload kid safe, child appropriate videos anytime. There is also a Live TV Channel, where kids can watch their favorite TV Shows (all G rated) and chat live with their friends about the show.

TUKI TV Channels include: Inspirational, Kids Making Money, Cartoons, Sports, and Internet Safety. New channels are being added all the time.

Kids (and Parents too) can create profiles to share their favorite videos, website's, books, sports, etc. They get to choose from a variety of avatars so they are not putting personal pictures on their sites. Our profile set-ups do not ask for identifying information, but it does have all the features kids want.

Have You Checked Out.....

PRIMO Member Benefits?

Have you checked out our Free On-line Tutoring yet? As a PRIMO member you are entitled to 50 minutes of free online tutoring from Tutor.com, with an additional 10% discount for the rest of the year. Tutor.com is the leader in online educational assistance for kids.

Online tutoring and homework help 24/7.

You may have experience with traditional tutoring. Tutor.com is a totally different experience. Their tutors (yes, they are real, live people) are online 24/7 to help you with homework, studying and everything in between.

You work with one of their expert tutors in a secure online classroom. It's easy: you simply ask your question and your tutor works with you on your problem using tools like instant messaging, file sharing and a two-way whiteboard.

Get help with everything from homework and projects to studying and test prep. A physics tutor will work with you when you're stuck on a friction problem. An algebra tutor can help you factor a polynomial. You can even get help proofreading essays and papers, or just making sure you're heading in the right direction.

It's a great service that we offer to our PRIMO Members as a value added benefit!

What's Coming?

Expanding Our Vision!

CEN has expanded its vision of protecting kids on the Internet to encompass protecting and enhancing their lives off-line as well. After a great seminar with Dr. Oz, we have taken on the goal of attacking childhood obesity and malnutrition. We are now offering kids an amazing supplement that will literally change their lives. Dr. Oz' kids take it everyday - Shouldn't yours?

Check out Vemma today, it was voted the number one overall SuperJuice by Men's Health Journal. Along with being a great supplement that kids enjoy drinking everyday, Vemma offers families, just like yours, a way to enhance their financial life and realize their dreams, even in these tough economic times. Tune in this Thursday to view a LIVE TUKI TV Broadcast of our first Vemma Home Meeting.

FREE GIFT FROM TUKI ISLAND!

Live Younger

...Die Older!

We have a free offer for you! Click Here to get your Free CD from Dr. Michael Roizen on Health and Wellness, along with two other Bonus CD's as our free gift to YOU! (shipping & handling extra)

How Can You Help?

Spread The Word!

Purchase an Annual Membership and Refer-A-Friend. Our future depends on PRIMO members' continued support. It's not easy building The Ultimate Kids Internet out of our back pockets and we need your financial support to continue to provide new and innovative technologies to protect, educate and enhance the lives of children and their families.

Also, Visit our Parent Resource Blog at KidSafe.com and comment on the many articles there for your benefit. Your feedback is crucial to our continued improvement of the services we provide you.

Internet Safety News & Tips

#1 Internet Safety Tip

Be Involved! Talk to your kids about Internet Safety. It has been proven over and over again that parental involvement is the key to keeping kids safe online.

If you do allow your children to access social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, make your own account, be their friend, and keep up to date on their activities in an open forum of communication. Remind them WHY they should never give out personal information over the Internet and encourage safe practices.

Your Continued Support Helps Protect, Educate and Enhance The Lives of Children, Everyday!

Children's Educational Network

283 S. Escondido Blvd
Escondido, CA
92025
US

If you no longer wish to receive communication from us:
Cancel

To update your contact information:
Update

ATTENTION: Calling all Teachers and Educators!

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Problems with this email?
Please let us know by submitting a ticket at www.TUKIsupport.com

To: All Children's Educational Supporters
RE: New Club TUKI Classroom Edition
Dear Charles,
Children's Educational Network is proud to announce our newest upcoming release:

*************************
The Club TUKI Classroom Edition!
*************************

What is it?
Club TUKI Classroom Edition will be a FREE version of Club TUKI that allows teachers to register their entire classroom under 1 account and utilize educational games with their teaching.
That's not all!... It will be delivered with an Internet Safety curriculum, printable teaching materials and inner classroom posters etc.
And the best part of All!...once the classroom earns $1,000.00 in TUKI Moola from playing educational games, the teacher will be rewarded with a $50.00 gift card to get actual school supplies for their class.
We know how tough it is to buy the materials you need in this economy and we want to help!
What we need:
We need teachers and educators who want to get involved in any way. Also, there will be a way to get compensated for your efforts.
Go here and enter your name and primary email address to get details on getting involved: http://www.clubtuki.com/membership/teachers.asp
If you would like to just be informed and remain updated when the Club TUKI Classroom Edition is live go here: http://www.clubtuki.com/membership/teachers.asp and fill in your name and primary email address.
Thanks for all your support and have a great day!
Greg Writer
CEO & Founder
Children's Educational Network
PS Please tell our your teacher friends about our new program!

2009 TeleSeminar Starts Off With A Bang, A Burn, Maybe Even Some Stitches

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:40:00 +0000

To: CEN Parents, Educators, Grandparents, Guardians, etc.
From: ~~Kymberley Page, Children's Educational Network~~
Re: 2009 TeleSeminars start off with a Bang,
a Burn, maybe even some stitches!!

My name is Kymberley and I have some great news for you!

I was recently put in charge of getting the TeleSeminars in
place again for YOU, as a value added benefit to being a
partner with Children's Educational Network.

********* Have I got news for you! ***************

I am not sure if you caught my blog post the other day on
http://www.kidsafe.com titled "Danger, Danger, Kids At Play!"
quite a few of you did and sent me your kudos. (Thank You!)

I couldn't agree more that this guy is really amazing and
blew my socks off. So I tried to get a hold of him to see
if he wouldn't mind speaking to our group about the
importance of playing dangerously as kids.

***** Guess What??? *****

He was honored to be able to speak to our extraordinary
group. I am so excited that Gever is taking the time out
of his busy schedule to download some of his great knowledge
and advice on playing with kids in a way that teaches them
how to think and be creative and explore possibilities.
Gever is a great speaker and we are very blessed to be able
to offer this to you.

***** Who is this guy?? *****

Gever is a celebrated speaker at TED and the co-founder
of the Tinkering School, a weeklong camp where lucky kids
get to play with their very own power tools.

Gever recently left his Senior Computer Scientist position
at Adobe to devote my attention to writing a Tinkering School
book. He's interested in helping kids learn how to build,
solve problems, use new materials and hack old ones for new
purposes, and he is even a certified paragliding instructor.

This man really knows how to have fun with kids and how to get
their brains thinking and creating new brain cells.

This is a great opportunity to learn how you too can play with
your kids in a safe, fun, engaging way that builds long term
skills to help them in their adult life.

If you haven't seen the video yet of "5 Dangerous Things You
Should Let Your Kids Do", please check it out on our
http://www.KidSafe.com Blog site.

***** Have you ever attended a TeleSeminar before? *****
Are you wondering what they are all about?

A TeleSeminar is a basically a conference call that several
people (possibly hundreds) can listen to all at the same time.
It's a very cost effective (cheap) way for us to provide you
with a wealth of information and tools without the expense and
inconvenience of traveling to a far off location for a live
conference.

CEN is dedicated to providing our parents with tools and
resources to help you become better informed about the world
of internet safety, health, off-line safety, parenting tools,
etc. This is exactly why my job was created and I am so glad
to be able to do something so spectacular to start things off .

Sincerely,
Kymberley Page
Content Manager
Children's Educational Network
760-233-2863 Ext. 319

PPS Bloggers wanted! We are now looking for writers, authorsand child advocates to write for our Blog at www.KidSafe.com.
This site gets lots of traffic and has been under our control
for years. Now we need your help! Get published on one of the
most respected kid safety domains on the internet!
To apply Click below and complete our initial survey!
http://www.kidsafe.com/would-you-like-to-be-published-here

Children's Educational Network

283 S. Escondido Blvd
Escondido, CA
92025
US

Listen to Harry Giles

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:46:00 +0000

Listen to Harry Giles

National Post

The editorial in the National Post on Monday, October 15, 2007 suggests that we listen to Harry Giles .... it says ....

"On Tuesday, this newspaper brought you news of a fascinating paper by Harry Giles, the legendary headmaster who founded the Toronto French School in 1962 and who now runs the small, elite private Giles School in Don Mills. For years, Mr. Giles has been criticizing the Ontario education system for its declining standards and its political correctness; his new "Giles Report" is a broad summary of how he would change the public system if he were given god-like powers. His proposals include charging babysitting fees to parents who send disruptive children to school; up to eight hours of classroom instruction a day, every day, for older students; and replacing B.Ed. requirements with undergraduate university courses in the subjects the teacher intends to specialize in.

Although his manner of proposing his reforms is somewhat startling, Mr. Giles says little or nothing that we have not already heard from other outstanding older and retired teachers, and in truth there is little that someone who hadn't been brainwashed by an education degree program would find to disagree with. Mr. Giles is a strong advocate of second-and even third-language education, beginning very early in life. He believes parents need to keep their children away from television and get them reading. He sees old-fashioned phonics training as the key to building reading skills. He favours independent, high-stakes standardized testing throughout the career of the student --and not just testing, but tough testing, modelled on classic versions of the British A-levels and the baccalaureat francais. He believes children should be expected to perform acceptably at their grade level before advancing to the next.

It is particularly interesting, at the end of a bitter and somewhat brutal Ontario election campaign, that Mr. Giles should have brought up that loathed A-word: Alberta. He makes no secret of his admiration for public education in that province. "I believe that monopolies are always dangerous to the consumer," he writes, "and given the steady decline in standards in public education, any monopoly must be curtailed. Charter Schools, publicly funded independent schools, [and] Model schools ? should all be considered ? Insofar as independent schools are concerned, I would have them receive 50% of the funding normally given to public schools."

In all these respects, Giles is basically recommending the Alberta system, in which accredited independent schools receive roughly 60% of the per-student instructional grant available to the public schools. Many if not most of these tax-funded Alberta schools could even be described as -- horrors! -- faith-based. Alberta also permits charter schools, and makes fractional funding available to individual kids being home-schooled. These policies, which Ontario educational unions would mostly regard as heretical, have fostered greater school choice and entrepreneurial spirit on the public side, particularly in the widely admired Edmonton system. Parents there can send their children to any school in the city, without regard to postal code, and as a result, what were formerly indistinguishable, cookie-cutter education factories have met the challenge of follow-the-student funding and blossomed into a dazzling array of unique options.

The evidence, as Malkin Dare points out in a foreword to Mr. Giles's essay, suggests that school choice is delivering good results for Alberta students, and that for all provinces there is a visible correlation between performance on international tests and school choice. Yet, strangely, when John Tory proposed to fund what would effectively be "alternative" faith-based schools in Ontario, the debate did not revolve around how school choice can enhance the public system for everyone. Certainly no one pointed out that there exists a real-world example, not so far away from Ontario, of how this actually works. The Conservative leader instead accepted a battle on the ground of "fairness" to religious minorities. As a consequence, he got trapped in a silly argument over how far this fairness ought to be carried and how much it might cost (a great deal, thanks to the top-down centralized nature of his scheme; in Alberta the taxpayer saves money when parents choose alternative arrangements outside the public system).

Small-c conservatives who might otherwise have rushed to Mr. Tory's defence have probably had quite enough of ostentatious cosmic fairness toward minorities. And he failed to provide reassurance to those who believe that public schools are an instrument of social cohesion. Plenty of Albertans believe this, but school choice is widely accepted there, not only because it is a more individualistic-minded place, but because parents know that every child must pass the same departmental tests at the end of Grades 3, 6, 9 and 12. The goal of uniform education in intellectual and civic basics is served by the imposition of common standards, not by uniformity in the schools themselves.

John Tory chose to pose as an apostle of interest groups instead of playing the populist crusader busting up a failed monopoly. One hopes that the next high-profile politician who picks up the school reform baton won't make the same mistake."

McGinty TELLING LIES AGAIN!

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:51:00 +0000

Education finances in Ontario: A pre-election fact guide

David R. Johnson

National Post

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Apromise to expand public funding for education to include religious schools has figured prominently in the Ontario election campaign. John Tory's announcement Monday, that should his Progressive Conservatives win the Oct. 10 election, the debate will be settled in the legislature with a free vote, may reduce the issue's heat.

Yet the funding proposal remains contentious and poorly understood. Concern arose over whether it would drain substantial resources from the public and Catholic system without benefiting the rest of society. What kind of facts could be useful to voters and legislators in understanding the issues?

First, enrolment in public and Catholic schools is declining. From 2003-2004 through to next year, the total number of students in both systems will drop by about 46,000, or 2%. Over the same period, and including current plans for 2008, provincial grants for student needs will have risen by $3-billion, almost a 20% increase.

With about five million households in the province, and an annual increase since 2003-2004 in education spending of roughly $600 per household, Ontario's per student funding will exceed that of every other province except Manitoba.

Does spending more money per student increase student learning? A vast research literature asks if smaller elementary classes, or more teachers per student, actually improve elementary assessment results. There is little evidence they do.

The best way to assess student learning in Ontario is to compare results with Canadian provinces where students at the same age write the same test. In the 1999 School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) science assessment, students in Alberta performed significantly better than students in Ontario. In the 2004 SAIP science assessment, Alberta's students again performed significantly better than Ontario's. Alberta's students outperformed

Ontario's in SAIP assessments of mathematics and of reading in 2000 and 2003.

Ontario spent more money per student than Alberta, had smaller classes than Alberta and obtained poorer results. This and many other similar examples show there is no obvious relationship between the amount of money put into the public education sector and the outcomes.

How does this discussion relate to John Tory's apparently moribund proposal to publicly fund religious schools that adhere to the Ontario curriculum? The estimates of the money needed to fully fund these schools range between $400-and $500-million dollars annually. That is far less than the currently planned increases in educational spending at Catholic and public schools between the single years 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

If the funding proposal were to be phased in between 2006/2007 and 2008/2009, the increased costs could be covered entirely by currently planned funding increases. Thus, new spending on faith-based schools could be easily accommodated without reducing spending on public education.

If the discussion about public funding of religious schools is not about reducing the level of funds spent on public and Catholic schools, what are the issues?

The main issue is whether it is a good thing or not to give parents more choice in education. In Alberta, where students perform better than in the rest of Canada, the province fully funds alternative schools and has gone further than any other Canadian province in allowing charter schools and other forms of school choice.

Public funding allows those choices, and all schools are part of Alberta's assessment system. The success of schools in Alberta -- where independent and religious schools receive public funds -- is something more Ontarians should know about when they contemplate their own future school funding options.

-David R. Johnson is a professor of economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and fellow-in-residence at the C.D. Howe Institute.

Another School Year Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (computerman) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:17:00 +0000

Okay!

The blackboard was washed in the summer and is deep charcoal black inviting you to make the ever so neatest chalk introductions on this ancient source of communication, but one that works, and so will probably be with us for a long time.

I don't think teachers are jumping to PowerPoint presentations by the masses... It just takes more time than a teacher can muster except on those special occasions to make a very special point for a change!

The students are wondering what their new teacher will be like.

The teachers are wondering the same about their students. The students want a fun year with a not-so-grouchy or fussy teacher who makes you do EVERYTHING HER WAY!

The teachers are wondering if this year she will have students who really care about their work and want to do their best.

And then some students are wondering why they have to participate in an educational system that often thinks it is much smarter than their parents about what students SHOULD learn. And some parents are wondering why the secular humanist agenda of many systems must be crammed unwillingly down their children's throats. A task that requires some up-chucking of family-unfriendly facts.

Some students are wondering why their beliefs are mocked as being somewhat stupid if not downright unintelligent and childish.

Some parents are wondering why in a democracy like Canada [or United States], we DON'T GET WHAT WE PAY FOR. They are wondering why Roman Catholic parents and students are more privileged than they. Their schools are funded by the Government of Ontario. Why not Jewish or Muslim [the ones which don't teach hate], Christian or other faith-based schools who wish to pass on their belief system? Why are public schools and the Catholic "separate" schools more favoured?

They are wondering why Mr. McGuinty was able to send his children to a school system paid for by his taxes and why they have to help fund the education of Mr. McGuinty's children. Why?

They are wondering why they have to support a system they do not approve of that does not respond to their needs and beliefs and also pay to have their children go to a a school of their choice. Isn't democracy about choice?

Yes the students, the parents, and the teachers are all wondering....

And waiting ......., Mr. McGuinty, for real democracy to emerge in the learning venues of Ontario. [and perhaps elsewhere]

As a former public teacher who favours diversity of education instead of monopolies, I also wonder .......................................................

Charles Pedley