perceptive question?

"Is Darwin your king?"

asked a Saudi student at Central Language School last week.

Whether that tells us more about the educational provision in Saudi Arabia or about the cultured propaganada plastered around Cambridge at the moment is anyone's guess.

comprehensive education

This concept has reached new heights/depths in Japan. The poop museum has to be seen to be believed. Actually, although the register of the language may be a little coarse (and is that just the blogger's fault?), one can't complain about an increase in human knowledge and intellectual curiosity among the young! [Thanks to Dionysius for this link]

And speaking of human knowledge and intellectual cuiriosity - why not peruse an introduction to some great lines over the years by James Earl Jones, all bundled up and delivered by his most memorable role, Darth Vader. Here's one, and here's another. Warning, you may cry with laughter... [Cheers to PG for those!]

sent over by the mater

1. Teaching Maths In 1970

A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price.
What is his profit? 


2. Teaching Maths In 1980 
  
A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price, or £800.
What is his profit? 


3. Teaching Maths In 1990 
A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is £800.
Did he make a profit? 


4. Teaching Maths In 2000 

A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is £800 and his profit is £200.
Your assignment: Underline the number 200.


5. Teaching Maths In 2008 

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is totally selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. 
He does this so he can make a profit of £200. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers. If you are upset about the plight of the animals in question counselling will be available) 


6. Teaching Maths 2018

أ المسجل تبيع حموله ش حنة من الخشب من دولار. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج من> الثمن. ما هو الربح له؟

Northern Training Institute

Cups of strong tea, low temperatures, fry-ups in a box for £2.50, people with funny accents... This truly is a Northern training institute!

In Sheffield: one seminar per month at which 4 of us discuss papers we have produced on a given topic (so far The Mosaic Law, Pentecostalism and Charismatic Issues, Jonathan Edwards).

From home: one module per month (following a Bible College-esque syllabus) with a straightforward and short written assignment based on guided reading.

In Northants: two 4-day residentials (September and February) with lots of interactive teaching, Ultimate Frisbee, praying, singing and learning from others helping to lead churches around the country.

This is an exceptionally exciting course for part-time church leaders and church-planters. Not got the depth of a full time Bible College course (not sure that these days I could cope with some of these things that David Field is throwing at his students!) or any biblical languages, but a fantastic option for people without the money or the time for another degree. This is a practical course, focussed very much on how to teach and live out the rich theologies we interact with on the course proper.

Praise God for NTI, the generous people who make it happen for a ridiculously low cost, and all my fellow students who continually challenge me to think and act more like a Christian.

Tim Chester's blog

To prevent me from getting too high church with all that Leithart, Jordan, Field and whatnot, I have taken to reading the blog of the great TC, reformed anabaptist church-planter.

He directs the Northern Training Institute which I enrolled on in September, and which is proving even better than anticipated!

A sample of creative teaching that Kate showed me was this excellent story about Joshua 10...

It inspired me in a recent sermon on Genesis 4 to open with a retelling of chs 1-3 in story form. Paying attention to the reality and power of stories is liberating and empowering in Christian teaching. Of course, the Reformed Heavy Brigade are big on that, too, and had previously inspired my wedding sermon for A&L. Story is a big word these days, so watch out!

in the post today...

University of Leicester

Faculty of the Social Sciences

It is hereby certified that

James Michael Williams

was awarded the

Diploma

in Management

on the sixth day of July 2007

Robert Burgess
(Vice-Chancellor)
Unidentifiable
(Registrar and Secretary)

Who would have thought it!? (I had quite forgotten about it, given that I completed the work last September...) Still, I do feel quite chuffed.

piece-work surprise

There was, I infer, a tricky question on the Geography A-level paper about the relationship between earthquake magnitude and death rate. Remarkably none of the top scoring candidates I've seen got many (if any) marks on it (nor did almost anyone else), while several low-scorers got all 4 marks. They were the only ones who noticed that population density and 'development' (e.g. of infrastructure) were relevant factors.

Go figure.

Is it even legal for me to be commenting on this before August!? ;-)

piece-work

Currently filling a little spare time with checking the arithmetic on Mr Williams' (in a former age, Williams Minor, I believe) exam marking. Surprisingly fun, and it's good for my brain and for seeing just how fast I can go - breaking down the task into its component movements, breaking several propelling pencils in the rush and shouting all sorts of numbers out.

There certainly has been a spread of marks on the Geography A-level this year. Having seen a good few hundred scripts, I shall be very interested to discover where the grade boundaries are set.