AussieTrent

Schools and teachers give children homework for a variety of reasons and purposes. Most teachers would say the major focus for homework is reinforcing and revising concepts learnt in class time.

Leading Australian academics and psychologists say homework has little benifit for primary school children.

HOMEWORK should be banned until high school, a literacy expert says.

Flinders University lecturer in education Dr Barbara Nielsen said homework had no educational benefit for primary school-aged children.

Instead, younger children should spend their after-school hours socialising, playing and spending quality time with their parents, she said.

http://www.adelaiden...3-1225857618020

Child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg believes that rather than building child-family relationships positively, homework often creates an arena for argument and conflict. He says that time taken to do homework is time taken away from valuable positive family time – particularly in families where both parents work and time with children is limited.

http://www.australia...ticles/homework

Personally I agree with the above people and think it would be more benificial to primary level students if parents spent time reading to them, read with them and talk to them about issues such as the enviroment, health and what is happening outside thier borders. Include them in social/physical activities. I believe school projects are benificial in primary level as they encourage family participation.

Interesting. Dr Barbara Nielsen is one of my lecturers, I study at Flinders University. Barbara is an extremely knowledgable and experienced teacher. Last year she lectured on English in the Curriculum, focusing on phonics and the new Australian National Curriculum, her son Peter Nielsen was also part of the teaching team and is also an awesome teacher.

I tend to agree also that little or no homework in primary school is of value, relaxation and valuable play at younger age is more important. Of course some homework is always going to be present, tasks such as "ask your parents and family about their job" etc.

Nothing better to focus on at Thai Education, honestly is the length of hair the most pressing issue?

Things like appearance (uniform, haircut etc) are part of what is known as "hidden curriculum" as also are things like putting your hand up for permission to speak, lining up for activities, the way the desks are positioned etc etc etc. All of these parts of the hidden curriculum go towards things like learning how to cooperate and negotiate in society. It is argued however that giving students the choice on their appearance is also beneficial as they can express individuality which is also important, but there is always a balance needed.

I could not agree more with the OP. I rarely if ever post replies on this forum. I mostly read the news and occasionally browse some other topics. I have often wanted to say something but to be honest there are too many outspoken, severe negative or arrogant opinions that follow. I believe in tolerance and try to tolerate all that I can.

Some really good reading on this topic is by Kwame Anthony Appiah, particularly his book "Cosmopolitanism" it really delves into this topic and has some great things to say.

I like the Ong Back films.

Don't remember the name, but there was that film about a Thai girl that loved all things Korean, and went there for a holiday. That was OK.

As an aside, why is it that Farangs make such awful movies set in Thailand, eg Bangkok Dangerous with Nicholas Cage- a pile of suppurating dog poo, and the recent The Hangover Part 2- surely the laziest piece of film making ever, and an absolute piece of excrescence?

It's called "Hello Stranger" its a good movie, we enjoyed it too.

Another corny but good older movie was เรื่องตลก 69, "Ruang Talok 69". I really liked that one.

We watched a few horror and ghost stories lately and Colic wasn't bad

We liked "Bittersweet" too.

Really good one is "Yes or No" which tells about the Tom Dee culture in universities. I am also reading a book about these gender sub cultures which is very interesting.

I love my wife very much. Her thai smile is amazing. She is a beautiful person and I wouldn't be the same without her.

http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

"a system based on the Americans"

It seems there are other better ideas out there than the Americans, Pasi Sahlburg may have a few good ideas if they cared to listen.

Maybe they need to set a few base goals first.

Thanks

Got thru via tollway bypassing minburi

Central world Mai nam tuam

Just about to leave Thailand for Australia via kuala lumpur

Bye bye Thailand miss you all

Hey guys I need to get thru serithai bang kapi today from north east coming in on 304 also need to change money at super rich near central world

Anyone know what water levels are like thru those routes?

If the cook is good looking, I would take it home and smell it before I went to bed.

Just the once or.....

hahaa

I am looking for knowledge of the job market in International schools.

I have been told you need to know someone to get these jobs.

I am applying for uni next year, Bachelor of Junior Primary and Primary.

I am 34, living in Australia and married to a Thai woman. I will be getting close to 40 when I enter the workforce as as educator.

I am very serious about this career change and I am really excited about it.

We want to move to Thailand in the future and I want to find out how to start making the right contacts early if need be.

I want to know if these schools will take me on fresh out of university. I really want to work in a good school with good peers.

I would like to make friends with some teachers in Thailand, some peers to look up to and get advice, help and information from.

If that sounds like you give me a hoy!

The duck is to die for , really...

And the soup given the right amount of veggies and meats to drop in there taste fine to me and is quite healthy.

Plus the free nam cha tea is a great touch for a cheap skate like myself.

Don't Hate

oh and yes I also really enjoy the free nam cha tea..... I want to know how to make it at home.

Disappointing guys. Do you really hate it or you just ashamed to say you LOVE IT!! haha

I do love the all you can eat Buffet with the korean BBQ on the table. The last one I went to had chicken feet salad and I was truly amazed to see the feet were boned!! OMG must be the chef's favourite job.

Bland... well maybe that's one way of looking at it.

Healthy and Simple, you can really just enjoy the natural flavours, it's only bland if you don't know how to use the boiler and you boil the sh!t out of it.

Maybe a little expensive but it's a nice treat for the family on the way back from Suvarnabhumi and really everyone is full and satisfied and we've all had one of those gourmet beverages which for a franchise are pretty dam_n sweet!! Western restaurants are all too lazy to make drinks like that... haha down the local pub asking for a cocktail is like asking for brain surgery... and the Pubs in adelaide have all been renovated and modernised to the hilt due to the Pokie machine disease having injected millions into the entertainment industry.

The staff are all very polite and the place is dam_n clean. Worth the money in my eyes.

I use frozen baby squid at work here in Aus, processed in..... you guessed it, Thailand. On more than one occasion in the bags I have found "Long Thai Lady Hairs" Haha The squid meets all regulations and is a product widely used in the industry here.

We have had meals come back to the kitchen a fair few times with "I found a hair in it" and then the hat policy gets enforced a little harder that week but honestly in all the western kitchens I've worked in these things happen also, hair, bugs in lettuce, little bits of steel scourers, little bits of plastic container... we even have he'd people complain about pips in cherry jams or cartilage from the same squid mentioned earlier (all tiny pieces) We are very careful about these things and try hard to minimise it by discarding used scourers and brittle containers but at the end of the day it will always happen.

I have had a hair saved to me and yes I couldn't eat it. oh well.

I discovered MK's at the local Tesco and ever since I have been in love with them. Who out there shares my love?

Not sure but... even commercial ones can be a bit tricky.

They have a timer switch for churning and a switch for the freezer, if it freezes up and the timer doesn't cut it out then they can grind gears and all sorts of dramas.

At my old work we had one which could make 2 litres at a time. It was as big as a microwave and cost about $2500AUD it went in for repairs at least once in the first year. It was all stainless steel an looked very sturdy.

At my work now we have one I think was a bit cheaper at around $1500 dollars it makes 1litre, it's white (plastic casing) and almost as big.

I have walked into the area at least once lately and noticed the churn is jammed, and it was spasming. I informed the chef using it and went about my business. However from what I hear they have been through all sorts of dramas getting it fixed and getting it replaced on warranty.

In summary these machines are supposedly "commercial" but anyhoo they are definitely a tricky machine to use, as is making good Aisecareeme!!

But good look in finding a cheap alternative keen to hear how it goes

I am looking for knowledge of the job market in International schools.

I have been told you need to know someone to get these jobs.

I am applying for uni next year, Bachelor of Junior Primary and Primary.

I am 34, living in Australia and married to a Thai woman. I will be getting close to 40 when I enter the workforce as as educator.

I am very serious about this career change and I am really excited about it.

We want to move to Thailand in the future and I want to find out how to start making the right contacts early if need be.

I want to know if these schools will take me on fresh out of university. I really want to work in a good school with good peers.

I would like to make friends with some teachers in Thailand, some peers to look up to and get advice, help and information from.

If that sounds like you give me a hoy!

Don't like cannelloni but my lasagne is well beyond good.........

This an inherently dumb question (from an inherently dumb guy?) but while I ow the thought is rather sacrilegious, sometimes it's necessary to bake a lasagna with a microwave. We've sort of worked out how to do it with failry good results (of course not like baking in an oven) but does anyone have any tips for making the best possible microwave lasagna?

maybe there should be a forum for "microwave western cookery"

Actually a friend of mine gave me a big fat microwave cookery cookbook a couple of years ago, I think it was an old 80's garage sale gem... (it was a bit of a joke at the time)

My wife boils them in coconut mllk with sugar... quite tasty, she likes them like that but also loved them when I roasted them for her.

Anything baked or roasted raises her interest, I think because ma & po never owned an oven just one of those burners atop the gas bottle.

Wonder how many times the BIB will stop them for tea money because their car is modified.

55555555

For the night party, we had 300-400 guests at 40 tables catered at 1200 baht per table with food and whiskey, 48,000 baht. Ponglang band with instrument and stage rental was about 16,000 baht. Rental of the school yard next door for the event was 1000 baht. Total: 65,000 baht.

Other expenses were the Klong Yao band for the wedding procession, 3000 baht. 500 baht to the officiant. Photographer/videography was about 5,000. Studio pics in Bangkok were about 10,000 baht, including a large framed picture for the party. I can't recall how much we gave the monks for the morning blessing but 2,000 baht for 9 monks I think. Fed guests trickling in from out of town over two or three days, including 1.5 cows slaughtered on site totally maybe another 20,000 for food, beer, rental tents, etc.

All told, just north of 100,000 baht for everything. The exchange rate was considerably better then, so it was maybe $9 per guest, all inclusive. We got back about 80,000 baht as gifts from the guest which paid for most of it. I had a great time and really enjoyed it, but make sure your drink of choice is provided. For some reason beer wasn't part of the package, so I had to dispatch somebody to get me some Singha since the guests only wanted whiskey, apparently.

Worth every satang I spent, I have to say, so enjoy yourself!

Most relevant and informative answer yet

Thanks Nightgoat

As far as sin sod goes (a contentious subject on this forum I am sure!) I would be ashamed to refuse to pay or ask my wife to pay. I would feel inadequate, and guilty that I cannot show my worth and ability to provide. I believe strongly in the concept of nam jai and forgive me for sounding like a sucker but don't you have to give a little to get something in life? I am pretty sure doing the opposite will set me on the road to nowhere.

Unlike you Trent...my wife suggested a cheap wedding to save me money and by-the-way, McDonalds was her idea on the way home.

At the end of the day Trent, I didn't have to pay for a wife.

How much (sinsot included) did you pay for a wife?

Enough said I think

Also I am happy that we will have a great wedding day (not at Macdonalds!! I mean really? is it your wedding or your fifth birthday... do I get a happy meal or am I old enough to have a big mac?)

But whatever makes you happy is good right?

30) Do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes, added emoticons, or altered wording.

Nothing, as I haven't given up anything to be with my wife.

The shop I got my computer fixed at last week noticed the cd player was not working...they swapped it for one that is working and no charge.

My wife let me have sex again today.

some days are diamonds

As far as sin sod goes (a contentious subject on this forum I am sure!) I would be ashamed to refuse to pay or ask my wife to pay. I would feel inadequate, and guilty that I cannot show my worth and ability to provide. I believe strongly in the concept of nam jai and forgive me for sounding like a sucker but don't you have to give a little to get something in life? I am pretty sure doing the opposite will set me on the road to nowhere.

Also I am happy that we will have a great wedding day (not at Macdonalds!! I mean really? is it your wedding or your fifth birthday... do I get a happy meal or am I old enough to have a big mac?)

But whatever makes you happy is good right?

Don't the guests give money as a gift?

Hubby and I were invited to a Thai wedding that was a multi-day affair with a traditional ceremony (and party) in the wife's village, a party at a resort near the bride's home that evening and another very western-style "wedding" (really a party) at a top-rated hotel in the groom's home town -- Chiang Mai. In talking with Hubby's friends, who are also the groom's friends, we realized we needed a new wardrobe plus a generous cash gift. Where we come from, cash gifts for a wedding are still regarded as being low class, but I just got a blank look from the bride when I asked her where she'd registered her china, silver and crystal. (She speaks flawless English, but apparently doesn't understand all our customs.) In the end, Hubby and I were just like everyone else and shoved an envelope full of cash into a gaily decorated box at each "wedding" function.

Yes I think the cash gift goes in your invitation envelope and gets put in a box. This is all another show of good will by the guests in thanks. The aunties count it at the end. I think it is a bit of a token gesture but it is up to them how much they give... I am not hoping for any large amount but whatever there is might be a nice surprise if there are no expectations.