In message <[email protected]> Brent <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > You are obviously the sort of person who likes to 'investigate' things for > > yourself (and learn from your own mistakes) - but, unfortunately, that is > > not how the UK educational system works these days. Britain used to be a > > "nation of inventors" - although that is now long gone, due to 'politics'. > > Martina; > > Well I also live in an over regulated society but I refuse > to be a casualty of it. > > It's not important that you eat at McDonalds or that you > make a sundial with french fries, the point I was trying to > make is you don't need much of anything to make this subject > interesting. > > If you can't eat at McDonalds go somewhere else where you > can eat. If there are no sundials to visit, go visit a > planetarium. > > Don't let the stupid rules stifle your teaching and stifle > the kids education, snake around those rules. That's an > important lesson in itself. > > Much as we find amazement and humour in the excesses of Rome > that led to the fall of their empire, future generations > will point to our over regulation that preceded the collapse > of western civilization. > > Good heavens Martina, get some backbone. We are surely lost > if our teachers give up. > > brent As an ex UK teacher (now retired), I feel that I must come to Martina's defence on this one. It is not just a matter of "getting some backbone", since any 'maverick' teacher will be subject to disciplinary action, or even DISMISSAL, if they decide to move away from the National Curriculum. Because her local Educational Authority will not allow a Human Sundial to be painted on to the playground - Martina is simply looking for a suitable alternative, which still satisfies the requirements of that curriculum. Although "Design and Technology" might be implemented in other curriculum areas (for older children), she just wants something to cover all basic elements of the points outlined on a website page previously referred to. The "Multi-dial" proposed by Tony Moss is a good start, but is lacking in a 'universal' sundial teaching instrument as Martina already said - though if somebody can produce one, then they are likely to "reap the rewards". Best Regards, David Lawrence. --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
