很好的常識教材 - Youtube channel "香港寬頻bbTV香港新聞台"

Youtube Channel "香港寬頻bbTV香港新聞台" 是很好的常識教材
我每晚食飯時都會與選擇適合的新聞, 再播給小朋友看。有需要時解釋, 需要可 re-play.

http://www.youtube.com/user/HKBNnewson

家庭議會 - 親子18式

適合小學生家長看.

http://www.familycouncil.gov.hk/tc_chi/edu/edu_teach.htm

What teachers really want to tell parents

Dear friends,

Good article to share.

Benny
==========================================
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/

What teachers really want to tell parents

By Ron Clark, Special to CNN

September 6, 2011

This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the
administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by
all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.

I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied,
"Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be
all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are
killing us."

Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more
prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of
just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of
their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the
more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes
to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.

So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need
parents to understand?

For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated
professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in
a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it.
Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from
a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't
want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if
you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you
head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a
behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They
are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One
of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did
and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course
it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate
can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been
present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between
teacher and parent.

Please quit with all the excuses

And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop
making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about
his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I
let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two
weeks.

His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer
for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said
I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments
were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child
some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July
and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.

Can you feel my pain?

Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they
are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses
and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to
end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then
stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on
finding solutions.

Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor

And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble
sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers,
we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons;
we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save
their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79
on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a
time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79,
regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.

This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because
your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education.
The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the
easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will
leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He
made all A's this year!"

Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who
are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations.
Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and
head to the principal's office.

Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before
you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your
child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and
that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is
providing the best education.

And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat
on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was
labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all
across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are
accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.

Teachers walking on eggshells

I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands
are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen
next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where
teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they
make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.

My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a
permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth,
and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the
media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said,
"Can you believe that woman did that?"

I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the
mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something
so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If
our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our
schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's
outstanding educators.

Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.

If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns
you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by
saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place
in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that
there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed
some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take
your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk
negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you
don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host
of new problems.

We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and
beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not
against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us
the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and
we will work even harder to give your child the best education
possible.

That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.

閱讀與學習 香港與台灣

share with you a good article in today 信� about Chinese learning.
===============
今日信� (2011年7月22日)
����� 香港�台�
教育�� 程介明

上周提到��金教授的「默�」，��「�意默�」，以符合�生的Mental
Lexicon的方法，鼓��生�用�想，�出�量多的�。可惜上周由於�子��有�，附��有登出，今天�上。上周在北京放�研究��的中外�者看，引起了一���，��前���；只可惜我懂得的有限。

「��素�」 五��容

「�意默�」不�是中文教�的一�小��（�字），�有��有��字、��、�作等的很全面的一套教�模式，都是根���理���出�的，也都是行之有效的。

�面�有一段小插曲。���生成就比�，除了PISA，�有IEA。�PISA不一�，IEA是根��程而量度�生的成�，因此一般��得不如PISA能�真正�到�生的能力；但是IEA也在不�演化。IEA始於���科�，後��展到涵���、��教育、公民教育等。其中��的比�研究��PIRLS
(Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)，��「促�����素�研究」。

�是�四年��生的研究，研究的是母�的��。「��素�」是指：一、�生能�理解��用���言的能力；二、能��各式各�的文章中建�出意��；三、能����中��新的事物；四、���校及生活中��社群的活�；五、�由���得�趣。

研究的方法，是�生��一篇千二至千六字的文章，�中考��生四�方面：直接提取、直接推�、��、整合��和�息、��、�估�容、�言和文章的元素。此外，�有�生、�校、家�、教�、�程物��卷，研究影�「��素�」的�境因素。

2001年香港在PIRLS比�研究中，排名第十四。台�是在2006年才第一次�加，得了二十二；而同年香港��升全球第二。

��在港台�方面都引起了一些震�。香港的中文教���得香港的�生不��，�常�慕台�的���境――有大量�合各�年�的故事�和��材料，有大批作者�意�孩子��，也有不少的民���、基金�注孩子��；更不用�有二十四小�的�品�店。

�且，2004年�始，台�的《天下��》教育基金�，��始了�有��的「希望����」，��台�偏�地�二百多所�校的孩子一起��。�什���比�起�，反而香港�台�有��的反差？

台�的教�震�更大。大家都用繁�字，香港的中文�����有什��人之�，而且不�有香港教�到台�取�。�什�短短五年�有如此的�步？台�的PIRLS�告，甚至有「借�香港」的�章。

香港�室 愈「吵」愈好

台�的教�很快就�定，��，不只是在乎活�的�密，�要看��的方法�策略。於是，在台�《天下��》的推�下，2008年5月，有二十位台�教�都是「希望����」的「�籽教�」，在香港作了三天密集��研究，�把��心得出版成�：《香港����――��一�新的����》。

�三天��有�天��是耽在�所小�，深入�察；��之�，����香港教�交�意�。

台�教��入香港�室，第一�印象是：�生�烈投入各式��活�，很��但是很嘈�。��「�生�中心」的教��氛，�始台�教��得「��法忍受教室那�吵」。他��得��，�什�教��有喊「不要��」。

後�他�反省，「�去�入教室第一件事就是�持教室秩序，要孩子安�，『不要��』、『�老��』……」；但是看到�生�烈而迅速的��，他��始�得也�可以有另�的教室。回到台�以後，他�也��敞���生主�����活�。

一位三年�的�生，在周��道：「老��香港回�後，�了一�人，上�也�得好好玩喔！」而�位教�恰恰就是在香港�「��法忍受」的那一位。�她隔壁的教�也�：「�什�你�班上���，那��心及��？」那是��香港以後半年��生的事。

��台�PIRLS��的台�中央大����教�研究所的柯�葳教授，���：「香港的成功，在於他�在�校�做�了事情。」可以�是一�道破。�校是��的地方，但是我�往往�有�真研究����「核心��」，�以�常、想�然地、因循地做着�多也����不相�的事情。

��作用 香港��

《天下》的�，��了��金一段�：「研究是政策的後盾。�有理念，就要透��外研究的基�，加上香港�地研究的��，形成教材。通常教育局的理念形成後，就��一�班��始��，然後逐��展到全校，�次推到六�受��校��。��成功的方法，在推�到各�校使用。�校推�新教�的期�，教育局同��合�者做大�模的家�研��，推�理念改�家�的想法……。我�不光是要做研究，�要����、研��，�上而下，大面�的�做，�成一���」。

怪不得��金的中文教�法得到�多地方�可。新加坡也特意邀�，指�他�的中文��研究；美�加州也希望香港�他�提供�助。��面可以有�多��。

香港有研究的自由空�，��也�我�是「身在福中不知福」。�包括研究的意向自由，研究的��大致具�，研究的成果得到政府的支持，包括��和推�，教�的���放精神，以及家��於子女教育的知�的渴求。每一���，都不是任何地方都�具�的。

都�香港��成�一�教育��。�去的��，彷�集中在招收外地�生。其�想中文教���的研究，�有不少。假如把「��」看成是教育研究的基�研究（就像基因和��胞是��的基�研究一�），那�，香港完全可以在��的研究上面，����的作用。除了已�看得到的、���可的研究�力，我��有一��以匹比的��，那就是我�有持之以�而又行之有效的、政府�老百姓一起��的教育改革。

在一��合，有人要台�舞蹈家林�民���香港的看法。他�：「香港人好像�自己人不太欣�！」信然！

好文轉貼：回到藝術的本義

之前轉貼過一編長笛老師對學音樂的見解，他的另一篇blog. 想小朋友學音樂的, 值得一看.

=================

回到藝術的本義

以下是我與一個在大學任職的長笛學生的對話：

「今年有無興趣報八級考試呀？」
「下？唔使咁急喎！我又唔使趕住考女拔(女拔萃)！」

她的這個回應，「串」得來一針見血，對香港現在學習樂器的普遍現象極具諷刺意味。學子們學習藝術的目的，已經變得甚為實務，亦甚具策略性，學生、家長及老師們面對這樣的局面，既被動且無奈。但偏偏，學生、家長及老師們卻都有份造成這個扭曲的現象。到現在，也許不會再有人問「學習樂器有甚麼用？」這類問題了。

但成人呢？成人學習樂器有甚麼用？這實在是一個不易回答的問題。

在幾年前的一個暑假，我因為一些工作要到內地福州市走一趟，晚飯後路經一個類似香港維園的大型公園，公園內甚為熱鬧，吸引我們不得不入內一看。我們首先看到的是一大班人，為數大約有百多人，圍成一個半圓形。半圓的人群圍著幾個樂師，有彈電子琴的，有彈結他的，有打鼓的，還有各類零零散散的幾件樂器，組成一個規模不小的伴奏樂隊。樂師們與人群之間站著一個髮型酷似毛澤東的中年男仕，擔綱指揮。人群及樂師隨著他的指揮，形成一個大型合唱團，而且不是「柴娃娃」隨便唱唱的那種，而是認認真真的四聲部大合唱。

我在那裡駐足了大約半小時，看到很多中途加入的人，隨便在旁拿起歌譜便加入合唱，來去自如，不拘禮節，氣氛不減。無論是奏的、唱的、聽的及看的都異常投入。

行入一點，是一個約有半個大型足球場大小的廣場。廣場內分成若干區域，大約每幾十人便佔據一個區域，各自跳著不同的集體舞，部份有人帶領著跳，部份卻無人帶領，但舞步卻甚至一致。遠遠看去，整個公園既平民化，又甚有文化氣息。這個情景對我來說是十分新鮮，亦十分震撼，我就如「大鄉里出城」般在那裡逗留了兩句鐘。

他們是在賣藝？是收費課程？究竟是甚麼驅使有這麼大規模的藝術活動呢？據當地人對我們說，他們的這些活動純粹是人民自發的，當中不涉任何金錢利益關係，最初就只有幾個人拿著樂器演奏自娛，之後自發加入的人越來越多，最後發展成這樣的規模，而且日日如是，年中無休，成為當地人每晚必做的一個娛樂活動。

面對這樣的一班人，若你還是要問他們：
「為甚麼要學跳舞？」、「為甚麼要學唱歌、彈奏樂器？」
你能不面紅嗎？

Fwd: 香港科學館 - 「巴斯夫(R)小小化學家」親子公眾活動/ Hong Kong Science Museum -"Kids’ Lab" Public Session for Family

七月一及二日

六至十二歲小孩

FREE　但要排隊

一小時的活動，但一天有幾場。

---------- 轉寄的郵件 ----------
寄件者： Hong Kong Science Museum <enquiries@hk.science.museum>
日期： 2011年6月2日上午10:13
主旨： 香港科學館 - 「巴斯夫(R)小小化學家」親子公眾活動/ Hong Kong Science Museum -"Kids’ Lab" Public Session for Family
收件者： benny.lam@alumni.ust.hk

致科學館通訊讀者：

隨函附上香港科學館七月份的 「巴斯夫(R)小小化學家」親子公眾活動的詳情，感謝支持！

香港科學館

如有任何意見或不欲收取科學館的電子通訊，請電郵到 enquiries@hk.science.museum

 

To all e-Newsletter subscribers:

Attached please find the details of "Kids'  Lab" Public Session for Family to be held in HK Science Museum in July. Thanks very much for your kind support!

Hong Kong Science Museum

If you have any suggestions or do not want to receive e-newsletter of the museum, please email to enquiries@hk.science.museum

國際綜藝合家歡2011

各位, 考慮下暑假帶小朋友睇下啦.

國際綜藝合家歡2011各場節目門票將由5月13日起於城市電腦售票網發售。

http://www.hkiac.gov.hk/2011/b5/prog/index.html

Benny