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School Struggling To Collect Banishes Students To The Hallways
Aug 23rd
Students in a particular region of New Zealand, Whangarei may be obligated to learn in a hallway or refused entry to particular subjects if their parents do not pay compulsory course fees. Whangarei Boys High School headmaster Al Kirk says about $10,000 is owed from last year.
Unlike school donations which are on a voluntary basis, course fees are mandatory for subjects with considerable take-home items, like tools for technology or photography. The school’s plan is to single out students who have not yet paid, teaching them in a hall until the debt is settled.
Not surprisingly, the plan has been met with condemnation from the New Zealand Education Ministry, but headmaster Kirk attests that parents who are “really” not able to pay fees can talk to the school about payment options, and after all, a budget group is available to give parents advice.
But Mr. Kirk feels as though the problem at hand is more from parents who won’t pay because they feel education should be free of charge- high school education has not been free since the 1960s. The school used the same plot in 2008 and 90 to 98 percent of parents paid immediately, according to Kirk.
Obviously this plan has its critics. “The fact that this school would single out childrenchildren who have nothing to do with their parent’s financesit’s unfathomable” laments Jacob D. Almeida, education expert.
Local critics have mentioned that there are a number of ways to collect the legitimate charges: re-payment plans, or as a last resort, a third party debt collection agency could deal with the parents who won’t pay. Headmaster Kirk alleges that it wouldn’t be cost efficient to use a debt collection agency.
This is an issue for other schools in the area as well. One local school is thinking about not allowing a student to take a course that their parents cannot pay for. “It’s a big issue that needs to be critically and carefully addressed,” says Jacob D. Almeida. “We don’t do that lightly.
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Advice For Professors When Handling Cheating Issues
May 5th
When a teacher catches one of their students cheating, it is extremely unnerving and upsetting. There is often a sense of betrayal. The act is disrespectful, and damages the bond of trust between teacher and student.
When the cheating is not limited to one student, but instead is spread across an entire class because of a cheating conspiracy, the feelings of betrayal and upset are far worse. Some teachers even find that the majority of their students were involved in the cheating scandal.
It’s not something anyone wants to happen. But, if it happens to you, here is how to behave:
Where there is one, there are probably more. If you found a student cheating, don’t figure that there’s only one bad egg. Often when there is one cheater on a test or assignment there are others.
Look for telltale signs. Check for students who got high grades on the exam but don’t do work in class or turn in homeworks. Check any calculations on exams that require students to show work, to see if the figures make sense and actually add up to the answer given.
Keep it professional. This is going to feel like a personal affront. You trusted these students who have betrayed you, and you may feel very bad indeed. You should not display your great upset in class. You also should be careful not to stew and let emotional upset build.
Don’t blow up at the student when you discover cheating. Even though it is understandable, it is professionally inappropriate. Keep it formal.
While cheating has an element of betrayal to it, it isn’t a personal act. It is an infraction, and they will be punished. Don’t be swayed by appeals for mercy. You have to hold fast, and make sure that the consequences discourage students from considering cheating in your class in the future.
If you follow these tips, you will be able to handle an upsetting event in a most professional manner.
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How To Use Mind Mapping For Exam Preparation
Oct 6th
How do Mind Maps Work
Mind Maps are used to represent information and ideas in a visual form that the mind finds easier to remember. A central image or theme is located at the centre of the Mind Map and topics and subtopics are arranged around that central theme or topic.
Whether you want to plan, organize, memorize or be creative Mind Mapping is the most effective note taking technique and there are now a number of different Mind Mapping software tools available to facilitate the creation of Mind Maps.
Why use Mind Maps
Mind Mapping provides a quick method of generating new ideas, organizing and summarizing the information that matters and are much more efficient then normal notes when organizing information that you later want to review before an exam. They can also be used to facilitate creativity, decision making and problem solving.
When revising for an exam it is crucial to be able to review the information quickly and efficiently. Mind Maps enable you to do this as they contain images which are easier to remember and can summarize the information and enable you to review that information at a glance. Also the most important information is located nearer the centre. The mind works best when it can see how the different topics or ideas are associated. With Mind Maps related information is linked by branches and connections. All of this insures that the mind has more connections or hooks to retain the information and prevent it from being lost from long term memory.
Revising for exams using Mind Maps
Lets say you want to use Mind Mapping to revise for an exam. It is a good idea to first determine how much knowledge of the subject you already have. This will help when you want to build upon that knowledge later by developing associations and connections from the knowledge you have already gained.
Obtain a large sheet of paper or if you are using Mind Mapping Software create a central image or theme at the centre of the page. This will represent the main topic. Then write down the main subtopics related to that central topic by creating branches moving out from the central keyword. Add sub- branches to these subtopics containing keywords or short phrases summarizing key ideas that you can recall from memory and try to see how the different sub-topics and elements are associated.
With linear note taking you write in sentences which are monotonous and boring. Also the key information does not stand out and revising for exams using normal linear notes can actually be more of a hindrance then a help. With Mind Maps the key information is nearer the centre and summed up in a few keywords. If you can sum up key information with one keyword or an image this is even better. Dont forget to use plenty of colour and images to make key topics stand out with larger writing and images nearer the centre. This can help you to visually organize the main topics from the sub-topics and make the most important information stand out.
When you believe you have recalled as much of the topic as possible then speed read books related to your subject so that you can quickly determine the different categories that the topic is composed of. Don’t forget to look at the content pages of the books to get a broad summary of the different sub-topics and elements of the subject you are studying. This will help you to focus on the most important information when reading the subject in greater detail.
Give priority to those books that provide the most usefully and comprehensive information for study and exam revision and study them in greater depth.
Now add more detail to your Mind Map by adding branches and keywords and phrases after reading each category or section. These keywords or phrases should encapsulate the main ideas and sub-topics.
This will aid in recalling the information you have just read, will help to maintain important knowledge in your long term memory and will greatly assist when reviewing the subject before the exam.
Don’t forget to keep adding to your Mind Map after gaining knowledge that you consider important for the exam. Your Mind Map should become larger over time and more branches should be created moving even further from the central topic. Your Mind Map should become more detailed so make sure you use a large sheet of paper. If your using Mind Mapping Software you should add notes providing more in depth information if needed. Keep reviewing your Mind Map every few days to reinforce the information you have learned.
As the exam approaches you can review in detail what you have learned by glancing at your Mind Map which should now contain a detailed summary of your entire topic or subject.
Not having to read though lots of notes to find the key information for the exam will be a great time saver. As already stated the mind works best via images and creating associations between related information. The images, branches, and keywords will have helped you recall and reinforce the information during each review of the Mind Map and will enable you to recall at a glance what you have studied.
The mind can remember and recall knowledge much easier when it can visualise a subject from a broader perspective and can see how the different topics and subtopics are ordered and associated. . Combine this with the power of images which speak a thousand words and give the mind more mental hooks to latch onto then you have a very powerful and effective method for learning.
About the Author:
If you believe Mind Mapping could be useful to you consider www.creativemindmapping.com/ which provides a blog on how to Mind Map and a review of Mind Mapping Software applications now available