Thread: Teaching our history sounds like an idea

That is kind of like the homepage for history k-10 .
If you click on each box it will take you to more information.
for example, History K

Originally Posted by nugge t

The murray-darling history is amazing. Wilcannia was a huge port as well.

My favourite story is Mary's Cross in Louth and how the Riverboat captain used his navigation skills to position it so it reflected back on the house door on her birthday.

Hello again (also) from Brisbane.

I haven't come across the Mary's Cross story from Louth. I did work on a grazing trial west of there at "Lake Mere" for a number of years and knew the region well. Interesting place.

You are right about the history of the inland river exploration and development. Both Pooncarie and Moulamein were also significant wool and goods shipping ports in their day - back in the 90s when we had a fire trial there, many of the old timers still referred to Pooncarie as "the port".

For what it is worth, my children's maternal great great grandfather was Captain George Dorward who owned the "Rodney". This steamer was burned to the waterline at Pooncarie during the shearers "war" in the late 1800s- the ribs are still there. My late father-in-law, Rod, was named after the boat. Dorward also once owned "Mt Wood" station near Tibooburra (now a NSW national park) and was a silent partner to Francis Cadell when his boats dominated the river trade.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by isuzurover

I think it is time to focus less on minute details like which bits of history we do or don't teach, and more on making sure students focus on important skills like maths, english and science.

It is easy to pick up a history book and have a read later in life (as Nugget has done), but much harder to teach yourself calculus, physics or chemistry as an adult.

On a similar note, I think a 2nd language should be compulsory, like it is in the rest of the world.

I have grave concerns over the current curriculum review - given what has been released in the media to-date.

Well said isuzurover. Having a solid foundation in English, Science and Maths is essential to being able to understand our increasingly technological world (Carl Sagan made the most succinct comment on this topic quite some time ago), and to communicate effectively after understanding it would be wonderful!

I did Australian History as an HSC subject in the 70's and it was dreadful - mainly the teacher was dreadful but the textbooks (I still have them) were pretty stodgy and sleep inducing. I couldn't bring myself back to it for twenty years but now I find the various histories on all aspects of our history and the various characters who shaped us fascinating. Lots of them were strong individuals who clashed with the establishment of the day.

Having an inspiring teacher is a wonderful thing having seen two of my kids encounter someone who is worth their weight in gold to the teaching profession. One daughter had a passion for physics that was awakened in Yr 12 and she is now pursuing that course through uni with plenty of focus and dedication. And another struck an Ancient History teacher (again in Yr 12) who had the gift of making it seem interesting and therefore easy (or easier!), and was able to transform the results that the whole year cohort achieved.

The gift of being able to instill a love of learning is priceless, but I would love to see the people who can do this paid according to the value they add to our country. Far in excess of some of the dodgy business types/political advisers/spin doctors/commentators/ etc who I would suspect have their snouts well in the public trough.

I love watching some of the big thinkers get up and mount an argument for a case that makes us think, rather than some of the big noises that get up and recite shouty slogans that this is what we should believe now because they say so. Mostly absolute ideas never work - nearly everything is a compromise, so we need to respectfully accept other peoples opinions etc. Of course we can be respectfully critical and arrive at an intelligent compromise!

Wish I could speak another language as I think it tends to make you more open and broadminded being able to understand different cultures. Probably good for your brain too.

Cheers

Originally Posted by vnx205

...
The BOS syllabus that I referred to earlier covered Years 70 to 10, the first four years of Secondary School. ..

You have been out of school for a while!

Diana

Originally Posted by vnx205

...
The BOS syllabus that I referred to earlier covered Years 70 to 10, the first four years of Secondary School.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

You have been out of school for a while!

Diana

Oops!

I had better correct that. I think it should be Years 70 to 100.

Originally Posted by Landy Smurf

That is kind of like the homepage for history k-10 .
If you click on each box it will take you to more information.
for example, History K

I did that and was thought it was spectacularly light on. If someone presented me with that as a years plan of anything I would be looking for more detail

The outline is very broad I would have thought but that may just be the way these documents are written.

Originally Posted by nugge t

I did that and was thought it was spectacularly light on. If someone presented me with that as a years plan of anything I would be looking for more detail

The outline is very broad I would have thought but that may just be the way these documents are written.

There are support materials and some have worked example of activities to teach, but generally that is what teachers work off.

Originally Posted by Lafia

Well said isuzurover. Having a solid foundation in English, Science and Maths is essential to being able to understand our increasingly technological world (Carl Sagan made the most succinct comment on this topic quite some time ago), and to communicate effectively after understanding it would be wonderful!

I did Australian History as an HSC subject in the 70's and it was dreadful - mainly the teacher was dreadful but the textbooks (I still have them) were pretty stodgy and sleep inducing. I couldn't bring myself back to it for twenty years but now I find the various histories on all aspects of our history and the various characters who shaped us fascinating. Lots of them were strong individuals who clashed with the establishment of the day.

Having an inspiring teacher is a wonderful thing having seen two of my kids encounter someone who is worth their weight in gold to the teaching profession. One daughter had a passion for physics that was awakened in Yr 12 and she is now pursuing that course through uni with plenty of focus and dedication. And another struck an Ancient History teacher (again in Yr 12) who had the gift of making it seem interesting and therefore easy (or easier!), and was able to transform the results that the whole year cohort achieved.

The gift of being able to instill a love of learning is priceless, but I would love to see the people who can do this paid according to the value they add to our country. Far in excess of some of the dodgy business types/political advisers/spin doctors/commentators/ etc who I would suspect have their snouts well in the public trough.

I love watching some of the big thinkers get up and mount an argument for a case that makes us think, rather than some of the big noises that get up and recite shouty slogans that this is what we should believe now because they say so. Mostly absolute ideas never work - nearly everything is a compromise, so we need to respectfully accept other peoples opinions etc. Of course we can be respectfully critical and arrive at an intelligent compromise!

Wish I could speak another language as I think it tends to make you more open and broadminded being able to understand different cultures. Probably good for your brain too.

Cheers

When I went to school english, maths and one of the sciences was mandatory. My experience was a bit different to yours as I had a great history teacher and a pathetic maths teacher. Maybe it is also influenced by our personal preferences as well

Certainly agree with the profession being paid as professionals but would also like to see accountability. I know that will get many on here going but please, if you want to debate it, start another thread