Teaching approaches must be attuned to the learners or clients and to the objectives of the course of study. In Japan, the ESL industry is a continuation of high school English, a long joyless slog where children and teenagers are forced to cram as much information as they can into short term memory to elevateContinue reading “Attempt, Discuss, Demonstrate”
Books
I’m motivated by people’s responses. My mind exploded with new possibilities for making a better world because I read Foundation. The principles of using science and human understanding to map the fall of a civilisation became tangible. This is how we protect the world, the universe, each other. I was only 17. I knew then I wouldContinue reading “Books”
Who Are We?
Theory: our identities are a result of the ideas of our society. Social Identity Theory is the psychology of how each of us sees a group which or a leader of a group who we connect with. How we know what and who we are looking at is determined by the values we grow upContinue reading “Who Are We?”
Nationalism
Australia has not declared independence from the British Crown. Over the past 25 years, our political upper class has rejected ancient Australian’s continuous pleas for policy to reflect the Mabo Case No. 2 in 1992 and the High Court Ruling supporting the Native Title Act 1993. Our society has been significantly repurposed for American consumerismContinue reading “Nationalism”
Peer Critique
A great way to have students engage with each other, also a pragmatic way to make use of the remaining funds after 50% of secular tax-based revenue was cut and diverted to supremacist groups by the neoLiberal Party, peer critique exercises must be defined pedagogically. This week, a lecturer expressed disappointment that a particular punctuationContinue reading “Peer Critique”
Scientist, please!
Exasperation with communicative foibles. Plants evolved the ability to turn sunlight into energy.Birds created the ability to fly.Reptiles exceeded amphibians by inventing tough, water-proof skin. These three statements are 100% false. Let’s scrutinise them! The topic is genetic mutation resulting in various adaptations. There are uncountable mutations which have happened over the eons but didContinue reading “Scientist, please!”
Ethnicity
Racism is a fundamental component of human socialisation. I believe it is homo sapiens’ psychological version of biology’s differentiation of species. A eucalyptus does not sexually interact with wattles, just as bees do not with flies: differentiation results from evolution and results in diversity. Yet eugenics, such as cross-breeding and splicing, has resulted in GreatContinue reading “Ethnicity”
Soul
I look at all our silly shiteThe world run by the uninitiated boys We aspire to go higherWe think spirituality is up there in the air But we can’t know if it’s satan or santy clausA white guy with a big white beard? Use ya brainThe human soul is not up there away Our soulsContinue reading “Soul”
Lemmings
What happens when people who do not know about learning teach people? And then what happens when people who do not know about learning styles teach teachers? And then what happens when people who do not know about skills development and acquisition hire people to teach? We end up with universities full of extremely capableContinue reading “Lemmings”
Invisible Religions
Reviewing an academic study on identity, I am struck at how social and psychological effects are well documented. Queer Theory has done much to explore the nature of ‘identity’ and the scientific process has investigated the content of what it means to be ‘male’ or ‘female’, gender fluidity and how identity is as much aContinue reading “Invisible Religions”
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