topic Re: teachers' literacy in Community Spirit

teachers' literacy

***super_nova*** — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 21:06:11 GMT

Just heard on the radio that soon teachers will be required to pass literacy test before allowed to graduate; call me naive, but I would expect them to have to be literate before they can even start such a course. What is a point letting them do the course if they are not literate?

Re: teachers' literacy

polksaladallie — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 21:27:15 GMT

Not true. It will be a comprehensive overview of all teacher education, with specific concentration on the practice part of courses. The consensus seems to be that graduating teachers are proficient in theory, but some are lacking in skills in the practice areas.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2015/02/bst_20150213_0651.mp3

Re: teachers' literacy

azureline** — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:17:17 GMT

One of my girls is an English literature officer, she is often appalled at the standards some teachers set for themselves and think it's ok..................... and it's not the new graduates.

Re: teachers' literacy

donnashuggy — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:22:05 GMT

My children have often complained that they don't understand their teachers, specifically those born overseas. It can really impact their learning. I do think this needs to be addressed.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:23:49 GMT

@donnashuggy wrote:
My children have often complained that they don't understand their teachers, specifically those born overseas. It can really impact their learning. I do think this needs to be addressed.

The same applies to a number of professions !

Re: teachers' literacy

donnashuggy — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:27:51 GMT

@vicr3000 wrote:
@donnashuggy wrote:
My children have often complained that they don't understand their teachers, specifically those born overseas. It can really impact their learning. I do think this needs to be addressed.
The same applies to a number of professions !

Yes it can but if you are doing your HSC and advanced maths and english and you cannot understand your teacher it makes learning very difficult, in theory these teachers know the subject but the teaching side of things can be very poor if the children do not understand what you are saying, sometimes it is even worth changing/dropping subjects to get a better chance at this important time.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:29:31 GMT

I know my GF's son has change classes and subjects to get a better teacher, or a different teacher.

Re: teachers' literacy

donnashuggy — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:32:09 GMT

My daughter is considering the same, she is also doing two science subjects so the pressure is on.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:36:54 GMT

The problem is from what I hear, they are in the high achievers classes so it limits what can be done.

Re: teachers' literacy

donnashuggy — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:40:12 GMT

Probably cannot generalize too much however yes that rings true.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 23:45:46 GMT

Donna

I don't think it is a problem as much at the high end but both high acheivers have said they don't like, can't understand at least one teacher that I have heard.

Re: teachers' literacy

lind9650 — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:05:15 GMT

Those kind of things happened when my children went to High School and Tech. My children are now in their 50s, so this kind of complaint is nothing new.

Some Teachers can not even spell correctly, and with modern cyber speak children will have more difilculty in future as far as spelling is concerned.

Go to a Supermarket when the computers are down and the cashier is unable to add two or three items without the computer, or work out how much change to give from $10.00 for an item that is marked at $3.99

Good teaching is a gift not every teacher is blessed with. One will find that when children change teachers, all of a sudden their marks improve, because the new teacher knows how to teach so the children can understand and find subjects interesting. The same applies to Universities as some of my children and grandchildren have told me.

Erica

Re: teachers' literacy

tasfleur — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:12:49 GMT

In my opinion, the standard to enter teacher training should be incredibly high, in fact, it should only be 'the cream of the crop', admitting only those who can demonstrate outstanding academic literacy/numeracy and high ability communication skills before they can even enrol in the course.

Teaching is such an important profession and encompasses a huge responsibility for students and their future.

Successive Governments have stood by and allowed this travesty to occur. They need to clearly understand that lip service will not repair the damage, higher standards all round will, eventually.

I still see a few new graduates who cannot spell and write in such a way as to demonstrate comprehension in their own language, yet they speak well and are very intelligent and I cannot even begin to imagine how they get through, but somehow, they do.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:19:41 GMT

Lind

I have kind of given up on spelling because of texting and even adverts on billboards, brands that

change the spelling of words.

As long as the message is understood and conveyed, that is what I worry about more now.

Agree re basic arithmatic or quick adding up etc, they can't do it "on the fly".

Also agree that teaching is a gift that some have and some don't, but having been in the military where you have all sorts

from all backgrounds, all who have to learn to teach to get promotion, it can be done. And not just theory but practical as

well plus one other type that I can't remember.

If soldiers, some without HSC can be taught to teach lessons, some of which can be quite complicated,

then a teacher with enough intelligence to get a degree should be able to do better. It's NOT brain surgery.

If they follow a formula, they should be able to get the message across.

Then they need to make it as interesting as possible !!!

Just my HO, some may disagree.

Tas

Agree, standards need to be higher.

Re: teachers' literacy

lloydslights — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:18:38 GMT

A Headmaster I knew, had a terrible time with a teacher whom he couldn't understand. Complaints from parents, students, everyone.

But his school was chosen by the Dept of Education for that person's employment.

I think that was around the time that Principals were discussing the possibility of "employing" their own staff, rather than being allotted by the higher authority.

DEB

Re: teachers' literacy

lurker172602 — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:25:00 GMT

I can remember, back in the mid 70s, pointing out that I could understand the language in my science text book much easier than I could my heavily European accented teacher.

I was offered the chance to prove my point by spending several lessons sitting outside the vice principals office working from the book

Re: teachers' literacy

icyfroth — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:25:20 GMT

"Labor abolished the cap on university places in 2007 to boost access to higher education, especially for people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

But Mr Pyne says the change has led to an "exponential" growth in student numbers and consequent concerns about quality in the sector.

"You must be living in a bubble ... if you think that there is not an issue in universities about whether there are quality issues about the extraordinary number of students being enrolled," he told ABC Local Radio in Adelaide.

The Minister says Australia is at risk of losing its international reputation as a provider of high-standard university education.

"I've said that we will put quality in tertiary education as our number one priority, and that means we need to review the demand-driven system of university places because there is some evidence ... that quality is suffering to achieve quantity," he said.

"It would be madness for us to throw away our international reputation by lessening quality."

Entire Article Here

Re: teachers' literacy

lyne-flyn — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:29:10 GMT

Personally I think "spell checker" is half the problem.

I have even heard people say that they don't worry about correct spelling because spell checker will fix it.

Yes, spell checker will correct words that are spelt incorrectly but unless you proof read you may not notice that it has "corrected" the mistake with the wrong word.

I submitted a uni paper once without proof reading it, just relied on spell checker as I was in a hurry to get it posted.

I meant to write...the correct procedure is to put all the BABIES in one cot and wheel them outside to the meeting point.

After the spell checker had "corrected" my typo in the word babies what I actually submitted was...the correct procedure is to put all the BODIES into one cot and wheel them outside to the meeting point.

Gave the examiner a good laugh...it was a fire drill procedure.... but from then on I proof read everything.

Re: teachers' literacy

vicr3000 — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:32:57 GMT

@lloydslights wrote:
A Headmaster I knew, had a terrible time with a teacher whom he couldn't understand. Complaints from parents, students, everyone.
But his school was chosen by the Dept of Education for that person's employment.

I think that was around the time that Principals were discussing the possibility of "employing" their own staff,
rather than being allotted by the higher authority.

DEB

And I bet he wasn't allowed to sack them either !!!

Re: teachers' literacy

lloydslights — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:52:05 GMT

As I recall, she was still being paid the salary of her teaching position whilst she was attending some sort of elocution classes and other remedial options. And whilst she was away doing those, the Headmaster's chosen "Casual" listed alternative was teaching the classes of the former.

She was an expensive person.

DEB