The Sovereignty of God

The sovereignty of God has been on my mind a lot lately as we decided to send Joshua to private school next year and then Jeff's application to the Uniting Church to become a Minister of the Word was rejected.

This morning I went to BSF, my Bible Study class. This past week our class has been reading through the stories of the last supper, Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane, Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial of Jesus and the five trials Jesus went through (before Annas, Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, Herod and Pilate again). The thing that struck me the most with all these stories was Jesus' insistence that what had been prophesied and recorded in the Scriptures (ie, the Old Testament) must come to pass.

Below is just one example, although there are many throughout the "passion" narrative. I have woven this account together taking verses from both Matthew and John's gospels. None of the gospel accounts includes every detail of this time, but together they provide a picture which is as complete and sufficient for our needs as God wanted it to be. The words of Jesus are in red, to help you keep track of who is speaking because it is not always apparent from the snippets.
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Matt26:1-2 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Matt 26:4-5 ... they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. "But not during the feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Matt 26:16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

John 13:18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' "

Matt 26:23,25 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me."
... Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."

John 13:27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him.

John 18:1-3 When he had finished praying Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Matt 26:46-47 "Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent fromt he chief priests and the elders of the people.

John 18:4-6 Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
When Jesus said , "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

Matt 26:48-50 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

Matt 27:1-2 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and he elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

John 18:28-29 Then the Jews led Jesus to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

Matt 27:22,24-26 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
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Can you see how Jesus guided the events so that His crucifixion occurred at the very time which God had planned for it - the Passover, the annual Jewish celebration of their deliverance by God? The people involved eagerly desired Jesus' blood yet they did not want to cause a stir at the Passover time, when so many Jews were present in Jerusalem. Despite this, at Jesus' urging Judas betrayed Him at a time which ensured Jesus would indeed be crucified at the Passover.

And yet, Jesus' instigation of the timing of the event does not change the fact that Judas is held accountable by God for his premeditated betrayal of Jesus. When Judas saw what he had done, he felt remorse, but no true repentance. This was demonstrated by the way he went to the chief priests and elders to ask them to undo what he had done - but he never went to Jesus to ask forgiveness. If he had, he might have been at the foot of the cross later that day when Jesus said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 24:34). Instead, filled with regret and shame, he committed suicide. We each need to remember that while God is sovereign and in control, He is also our Judge with authority over us and He will hold us accountable for all our decisions and actions, big and small.

Consider what Peter had to say about this later, when he spoke to the crowds at Pentecost:
Acts 2:23 "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."

Peter and John prayed this after they were released by the Sanhedrin (religious council):
Acts 4:27-28 "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen."

Jesus' crucifixion was all part of God's eternal plan for salvation. He brought it about according to His own sovereign will. But it was our sin, yours and mine, which required that it should come to pass.

For a completely differnent discussion of the Sovereignty of God, check out Jean's article Just how sovereign is God? at the Sola Panel.

NCB Science advice paper comment conclusion

This is the conclusion to my submission to the National Curriculum Board regarding their initial advice paper on Science, which I emailed in last night. I already posted the rest in separate sections: part I, part II, part III, part IV, part V.

VI. In conclusion, there are significant deficiencies within this initial advice paper, which must be addressed before the final national Science curriculum is put to parliament. The most serious of these is the low priority given to the teaching of “scientific knowledge”, particularly in the primary years. Science studies should provide all students with both the skills and background understandings to make informed decisions with regard to scientific matters in their adult lives. This is true even for those who will not continue on to further academic study in this discipline. This paper proposes additions to the work load of teachers, while at the same time decreasing the rigor of what they are expected to teach. Again, it would be more worthwhile to specify a higher required contact time to teach scientific concepts, theories and processes, in age levels which are appropriate for the students’ mental capacities.

Just because I am an...

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test...

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 87% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy

(I got one question wrong out of 40. Actually, I got 1 point instead of a possible three - the answer I selected was one of three correct answers, if I'd picked "all of the above" I'd have received full marks. And I did wonder when I clicked it...)

Plaudits go out to all my English teachers in school!

Reminder NCB submissions due soon

Public comment on the National Curriculum Board's initial advice papers in English, History, Mathematics and Science is only open for a few more days. Submissions must be received by the 5th of November (that's this Wednesday).

If you plan to submit a comment, you can email it to: feedback@ncb.org.au.

If you haven't found them already, the initial advice papers can be downloaded from this page.

You can read and comment on what will be my submission in the following posts. Sorry, they're all in reverse order. You'll have to scroll down then up again, if you want to read them in order according to the paper, but I can't be bothered editing all the post option times just to make them read better on this blog and it would have been a ridiculously long post if I did it in one hit. Feel free to comment before I email it all on Wednesday.

NCB Science advice paper comment Pt 5

V. [Appendix 1] “Teaching for scientific competencies requires: More emphasis on teams working cooperatively to investigate problems or issues.”

A. This is completely false. It is impossible to assess with any certainty the knowledge and understanding of any individual within a team based purely on the team’s final product. In team-based situations it is easy for one or more individuals to contribute minimal effort, to the detriment of other members of the team. The problems of students’ perceived needs for peer acceptance means that this is unlikely to be either identified by the teacher or reported to them. Working in teams when the team members have no particular special abilities related to their role within the team penalises the knowledgeable and hardworking team members and benefits those whose morals allow them to slack off.

B. Team tasks where individuals are arbitrarily given different portions of the topic to examine cannot solve this problem, as then the entire team membership is limited in their understanding of parts of the topic that were beyond their purview.

C. It would be of greater worth to encourage teachers to incorporate interactions between their students and people with a higher level of knowledge in the field, whether in person (using technological advances to make this possibly where necessary) or through the close study of the products of fertile, intelligent scientific minds: the actual journal articles and books written by great scientists of the past and present. The length of time necessary to study some of these materials (or even a portion thereof) in depth would be entirely rewarded by the interest inspired in the students, their greater level of understanding and the catalyst which this experience would provide to their further efforts within the discipline. This form of detailed study would be particularly rewarding and stimulating to students in the senior years of secondary study.

NCB Science advice paper comment Pt 4

IV. [pp9-10] "To improve the quality of science learning there is a need to introduce more diagnostic and formative assessment practices. These assessment tools help teachers to understand what students know and do not know and hence plan relevant learning experiences that will be beneficial."

A. The introduction of new "diagnostic assessment tools" will not make the plight of a teacher easier of more effective in any way. Rather, it will do the reverse. A science test can be easily designed to determine if a student "knows or does not know" any given concept, and tests can also be designed to determine if a student understands that same concept and its application. Furthermore, it is even easier to provide an opportunity for students to report on “all they know of a particular subject” which provides for a more individual and comprehensive assessment if required. Especially if one takes into account the common use by secondary science teachers of summative experiments, assessment in schools is done with efficiency and effectiveness at present. In my experience, differentiating between "formative assessment" and "watching and listening to the students as they work" only results in more paper work for the teacher and less time for them to interact with the students in a one-to-one fashion. "Detailed diagnostic information" never (in my experience) means "listen to the student’s explanation of a concept, and talk to them about how they are right and wrong in their understanding. Rather, it means paperwork and more paperwork.

B. The best way of enabling teachers to identify students’ needs and achievements is to provide greater opportunity for one-to-one interaction. This will not be achieved through the imposition of greater assessment and reporting requirements. Rather, it will be achieved through smaller science classes, greater time allocation for science lessons, or a combination of both of these.

NCB Science advice paper comment Pt 3

III. [p8] "To increase the relevance of science to students there is a strong case to include more contemporary (and possibly controversial) issues in the science curriculum…
The school science curriculum should provide opportunities to explore these complex issues to enable students to understand that the application of science and technology to the real world is often concerned with risk and debate."

A. I do not believe this is appropriate in the primary grades. Children of primary age are not able to grasp the idea of bias and how it affects the interpretation of statistical evidence, nor can they fully understand the idea that there may be no "right" answer.

B. This is appropriate at the secondary level where students are intellectually capable of learning and applying methods of reasoning (of which the scientific method is merely one) and also have a strong internal drive to make their own decisions and forge their own solutions. It is at this age when personal relevance of content to students’ lives is important to consider. However, it does take a skilled teacher to draw students into considering and acknowledging the breadth of their sphere of “personal value and relevance”. For this reason it is vital that secondary science teachers are provided with regular opportunities to upgrade their knowledge of scientific and technological developments, particularly if they teach in the fields of biology, biochemistry or physics.

[edit: this section was added 5 Nov]
C. It is no small matter for a curriculum to advocate the teaching of controversial issues as part of science classes. These issues are controversial because there is significant disagreement about the ethics of particular types of research or particular applications for research. Expecting a teacher to provide a fair and balanced assessment of a topic which engenders high levels of feeling and emotion within the scientific community and the general public seems akin to asking for complaints to be made about teachers’ approaches to the topic.

NCB Science advice paper comment Pt 2

II. [p7] "There is a consistent criticism that many of the problems and issues in science education arise from the structure of science curricula which tend to be knowledge-heavy and alienating to a significant number of students. ... The challenge is to identify the science concepts that are important and can be realistically understood by students in the learning time available."

A. It is my experience that the structure of science curricula is not too “knowledge-heavy”. It is not the content to be learnt which is “alienating to students”. Rather, the body of knowledge to be taught is organised in a manner that does not reflect either the experience of the students, nor their capacities and drive to learn. In my experience, young children (primary age) are inquisitive about the world around them and want answers. They do not want more questions, or to be told to work it out on their own. Children of this age want to know what things are like and how they work. This is mentioned in the paper [p10-11] however the paper does not acknowledge that at this age children’s curiosity extends beyond their own experience and it is easy for a teacher to nurture their interest beyond themselves and their local natural world. With liberal access to good books (particularly those which impart information within a storyline, addressing young children’s need to have concepts fit within a context) and judicious access to multimedia, a primary teacher is easily able to inspire children’s interest in a broad range of scientific concepts beyond their immediate experience. With careful planning a teacher can incorporate the wide range of tactile experiences and clear explanations required to help students to understand abstract concepts which otherwise would be beyond their understanding. At this age, students find learning reasons and rules fascinating and fun, and as a consequence are able to absorb more scientific concepts than they are presented with under the present system. At this age, memorisation is not difficult, but fun and rewarding. If this window of opportunity were used fully, students who at later ages are bored, frustrated or “alienated” with learning what appears to them to be dry facts would instead be able to extend and apply their previously built foundation of scientific knowledge in ways that are of interest at this age.

B. Towards this end I would suggest a greater emphasis upon the teaching of scientific concepts in the primary years when children have a thirst for knowledge but do not yet have the intellectual capacity for formal analytical reasoning as required by the structure of the scientific method. At present, primary teachers often leave science out of their curricula completely, or just give it minimal attention because they feel underprepared to teach it. It would be short-sighted to decide not to teach a sizeable amount of scientific content merely because the present system crowds the learning of virtually all scientific concepts into the junior secondary years. It is my belief that a focus on building knowledge of simple concepts, rather than the experience of elaborate experiments to “investigate questions scientifically”, would enable primary teachers to use a few intelligent and inspiring resources in ways which will satisfy their students’ desire to know as well as fueling their interest in science as a discipline. It would also ensure students enter secondary level education with a reasonable level of knowledge to draw upon as they enjoy applying the scientific method.

[edit: this section was added 3 Nov]
C. I am extremely disappointed with the attitude displayed by the developers of this paper. This section shows that they have not esteemed and valued the vast wealth of understanding that scientific endeavour has made available to people, and sought to find a way to share this wealth with Australia's students. Instead, the paper's developers seem to have given this effort up as a lost cause because it is "alienating to a significant number of students". If scientific endeavour is at all valuable to our society, as of course it is, it is worthwhile pressing onward and searching for ways to prevent this "alienation", rather than submitting to it. Nothing is gained without effort, and hard work and diligent effort reaps large rewards, in my experience. This is true for all levels of the education system. Students must apply themselves to thinking if they are to learn anything of worth. Teachers must seek ways to make the knowledge content of their discipline interesting and engaging to the students. Principals must employ teachers who display a high level of knowledge and regard for their subject matter. Curriculum designers must not seek to water down the curriculum to meet the standards of the lowest common denominator academically, but rather to set high goals and standards. These efforts will be met with the rewards of students' success and knowledge gained. The rewards of knowledge must not be given up meekly without regard for their high value.

NCB Science advice paper comment Pt 1

I am writing as an ex-teacher. I taught Science, Mathematics and Information Technology in both public and private schools at the secondary level (years 8-12) in South Australia and the Northern Territory for six years. I am also writing as a parent. I have four children (junior primary age and younger) who have been home educated for several years under my tutelage. Thus my response takes into account both my experiences as a teacher of Science and my hopes for the future educational experiences of my children.

I. [pp5-6] "... a science curriculum could be well based on three key elements:
1. Science as a way of knowing through inquiry...
2. Science as a human endeavour...
3. Scientific knowledge"

A. The purpose of scientific inquiry is to explain what is observed, using the “scientific method”. To explain is not the same as to know. As the paragraph under (1) states, scientific explanations change. Hence it is erroneous to state that science is a way of knowing. Rather, it is a way of explaining. One of the first things I learnt in my first year of university lectures in Science is that scientific experimentation cannot never tell us what is so, it can only tell us what is not so . The scientific method is a form of inductive formal logic, and as such, while it applies the laws of probablitity and possibility, it cannot prove anything for certain. There is a danger, to my mind, of referring to the academic discipline of Science as “a way of knowing”, because this can lead students to believe that the scientific method is the only way of determining the facts of a matter. In contrast, the methods of informal logic (critical thinking) and formal, deductive logic (Aristotelian use of categorical syllogisms and modern symbolic or propositional logic) provide other means of analysing and arranging evidence for or against an explanation of an observation. This misunderstanding, that scientific endeavour provides the only way to identifying the facts, is quite common and could be avoided if Science is taught as one way of formulating and justifying an explanation for observations, rather than as “a way of knowing”.

B. I find the inclusion of the second point, “science as a human endeavour” superfluous to the definition of a science curriculum. If students are taught that science is one mode of inquiry, they will certainly understand that those who make these inquiries are human beings. There is nothing else capable. Likewise, if students are taught even a small portion of the body of accepted scientific theory, they will see that the application of these theories has obvious ramifications for human society. If things change, they cannot stay the same. It is unnecessary to specify a key element of science to be the nature of it as a human endeavour, because study of the other two elements will necessitate the coverage of this factor.

C. Furthermore, I object to the placement of “scientific knowledge” at the end of this list of key elements. It is clear from this placement, and the lack of emphasis throughout the paper on building a foundation of scientific knowledge, that the writers of this paper do not feel that knowledge of the current body of scientific knowledge is of high value. Appendix 1 highlights this denigration. Given that the purpose of scientific inquiry is to build a body of reasonable explanations about our observations, it is of utmost importance to teach the results of previous scientific endeavour. Otherwise, our educational systems will merely produce students who are capable of applying a method, but who then have to use that method to re-establish the validity of the most fundamental ideas that already underpin our technological society. If students are not taught which theories held by scientists in the past have been refuted, we cannot expect to move forward in our theories; instead, we will be doomed to continually cover the same ground. At best, this system will produce students who lack the scientific understanding to embark on further academic study in this discipline, let alone become research scientists. The study of “scientific knowledge” must be of prime importance in the science curriculum if the students of the future are to graduate with a foundation of knowledge sufficient to allow them to understand further scientific developments that will have marked impacts on their lives, and to make wise decisions about their own practices as a result.

The fun one can have...

With towers of blocks:

The things one can make...

With a little imagination:

Girl facts

Granny: "You know, Anna, I only had boys when my kiddies were little so I'm not sure how to play girl games. Will you teach me?"

Anna: "Sure, Granny. Now the first thing you need to know is girls like pink."And that's all you need to know, according to Anna.

Sleeping Beauty

I woke up early and found this Little Sleeping Beauty (Abigail) in the lounge room one morning this week.

A Call to Spiritual Reformation ch2

As I mentioned, I have decided to post weekly comments on the book by Don Carson, "A Call to Spiritual Reformation", which I am reading slowly but steadily at the moment. You might like to join me in reading it, or simply learn from my comments.
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Chapter Two: The Framework of Prayer

This chapter is based upon an examination of 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12.

Carson identifies two "donimant features" of the shape of Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians: thankfulness to God for evidences of His grace and confidence in Christ's return at the Day of Judgement.

With regards to Paul's thankfulness for signs of God's grace, Carson first considers the preoccupation of many Christians with material blessings (providence) rather than spiritual blessings (grace). "By and large, our thanksgiving seems to be tied rather tightly to our material well-being and comfort... If a large percentage of our thanksgiving is for material prosperity, it is because we value material prosperity proportionately." Does reading this strike a cord with you? It did with me, and caused me to re-evaluate how I pray with my children in particular. While I think it is wise to thank God in our prayers with our children, and not just ask Him for the perennial list of blessings for relatives and friends, I can see it is even wiser to focus our gratitude on the things which God values, those which will last eternally.

Carson then contrasts Paul's three priorities:
1. "Paul gives thanks that his readers' faith is growing." (v3a) Paul has observed the Thessalonians' increasing trust in God, and is thankful to God for this growth in spiritual maturity. Are you eager to grow in your faith? Are you thankful to God for the work of His Holy Spirit within you, drawing you closer to Him? I am thankful for God's work in my heart recently, showing me where I wasn't trusting Him, and giving me another opportunity to trust and place my life in His hands. I was able to attend a Trinity@Night course last term, which included deep discussion of God's sovereignty. I am thankful to God for his provision of doctrinal teaching which at the time seemed to be merely a matter of words, but which has come alive to me and given me great confidence and reassurance in the past month and especially the past week.

2. "Paul gives thanks that their love is increasing." (v3b) Paul is struck by the increasing love between all of the Thessalonians, and because this is obviously the work of God, Paul gives thanks to Him. Carson makes the point that because this growing love extends to the whole church there, it is identifiable as a specific outworking of God's grace. Does your experience of God's love spur you on to love others? Are you thankful to God for the changes He has wrought in your heart since you became a Christian?

3. "Paul gives thanks that they are persevering under trial." (v4) Paul thanks God for the example that the Thessalonians provide and for the encouragement and incentive to other Christians, that they too might endure through the trials and temptations which are inevitable in the Christian Life, and even more prevalent in the apostolic times. Paul's "boasting" is seen by Carson as public praise and thanksgiving to God. Do you revel in the grace which God has granted you to persevere with difficult tasks and endure difficult circumstances? Over the last few weeks I have been conscious of the peace of God, enabling me to deal with surprising and frustrating situations without losing my cool or breaking down in tears. I am thankful that he has given me an understanding of His will which has enabled me to trust Him and move forward confidently, even without knowing exactly where we are going as a family.

Carson then turns to Paul's confidence in the prospect of ultimate vindication for the Thessalonians. This vindication will be brought about by Christ's return to judge all people.

Carson contrasts two results of Christ's inevitable return:
1. "For believers, there will be vindication." (vv6-7,10) Carson points out that the sense of expectancy which is evident in Paul's words to the Thessalonians is sadly lacking in western evangelical circles, and I agree. Having recently studied Matthew 24&25 in my BSF class, I was left with a heart divided between eagerness for Christ's return and hesitation at the thought of all those I know and love (including, perhaps, my younger children) who are not Christians. Yet even with this study, I wish I was more moved with joy at the thought of Jesus' return. I was talking about it this morning with my son, though, and I can see his enthusiasm. I am thankful to god for the witness of his eager faith! What is it that makes you look forward to Christ's return?

2. "For others, there will be retribution." (vv8-9) Carson explains: "His holiness demands retribution; his love sends his own Son to absorb that retribution on behalf of others. The cross simultaneously stands as the irrefutable evidence that God demands retribution, and cries out that it is the measure of God's love. ... But what if men and women reject that sacrifice? ... If we refuse to acknowledge that we deserve retribution, refuse to accept the forgiveness available because, out of God's indescribable love, Jesus suffered retribution in order to reconcile sinners like us to God, then we must face that retribution ourselves."Do you understand that God's love is only of value if also seen in terms of His justice?

As Carson points out in summary, "In our pragmatic, materialistic society, where each of us seeks comfort and 'fulfillment' and respect, it is hard to follow a despised, crucified Messiah - unless we fix our eyes on the end." We must pray with eternity in mind.
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Next week: Worthy Petitions - 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

[Cover image from koorong.]

Job hunt

Jeff and I had a date night on Friday and spent about two hours just talking about different options for his future employment. There are many many options (I listed them all out to my mum in an email and there were almost a dozen) but none of them stand out as feeling "right". And Jeff is unsure which option to follow up as well - or any or all of them!

He's rung up one church so far (but most likely was a few days too late) and sent an email to another one. Two close friends from church have suggested churches they know of which they think might be looking for pastors. One friend even asked us if we'd consider starting a church plant.

Jeff says he'll be "content" with any congregation which is evangelical, so we're considering such diverse denominations as Baptist, Churches of Christ, Anglican, Westminster Presbyterian, Methodist and even Brethren. I think Jeff would feel a lot easier in his spirit if he could find a good match with a Baptist church, though.

Jeff's not sure exactly how he should go about the job hunt because he doesn't know how any of the choices he's presently considering would help him towards his very-long-term goal of being able to lecture (possibly in Church History) at a theological college. Short and medium term, all he wants to do is pastor a congregation faithfully in the word of God, but he also wants to consider a denomination which will allow, or even encourage, him in future study to enable him to reach this goal.

This afternoon Jeff also mentioned that we will almost certainly have to move house as well. I knew this already, I guess, but hearing him say it aloud wasn't nice. One of the things I was looking forward to if he had been able to continue with the UC was that we would have been able to stay in this house for another few years, near all the friends I have made in the past three years while Jeff has studied. I am trying to remember just how nervous I was about my inability to make friends here in Perth before we came here - and how bountifully and generously God has met my needs in this area since we did. But it's still hard, especially because it has come upon us so suddenly.

Jeff was also looking forward to a holiday at home after all his time studying, but I don't think a period of unemployment will have quite the same restful effect.

At the moment I am just praying for a greater ability to trust the LORD in all things. Also asking for wisdom and peace for Jeff as he researches and pursues job leads at the same time as he completes his major project and studies for his exam. For the kids, that we will be able to show them how to trust God in this unsure time as well. And for a bright new vision for the future as we seek a church home where we will be excited to disciple people to live lives worthy of the calling of the LORD our God.

Weekly Reports 2008:38 & 39

[edit: I just added some pictures of Joshua and Anna's phonics work and Jeff and Abigail's Circle Time efforts.]Another fortnightly report. I was a bit too overwhelmed last week to think about reporting but I have managed to keep on with the schooling fairly well. The one thing we have let go this week as Circle Time - we only got around to it once, so we're now four days behind! We'll have to either skip some, which I would rather not, or add in some Saturdays. Which might not be such a bad thing as we've already been wondering whether to start doing Circle Time on Saturdays next year, anyway.

Circle Time
We are presently in the middle of Judges. Jeff started with the story of Ehud: in case you can't remember that one, it's the story of Israel's delivery by God through the stealthy actions of the disabled Ehud (his right arm was withered, hence his description in some translations as being left-handed) who stuck a sword into the unsuspecting - and very fat - king, and witnessed the king's fat closing over the sword as he let go. Quite gruesome. Not surprisingly, we couldn't find any colouring pictures to go with this story, so Jeff drew one for each of the children. This is what Abigail's looked like:

Literacy
We're not doing copywork at the moment because the phonics workbooks have a bit of writing in them and they are going so well. I am really pleased with this purchase! Both Joshua and Anna are incorporating their knowledge of multiple-letter graphemes into their reading and as a consequence are becoming much more confident. In the past fortnight we've covered the vowel digraphs ai, ow (two sounds), ou (sound ow), oy, oi, ch and au (sound aw). They have also done two pages of review where they have to choose the correct digraph from a list on the right to complete the word on the left (pictures down the middle). Joshua took to the task very quickly and Anna took longer and needed a bit more help but was able to get everything correct. This is Joshua's effort:And Anna's:Anna's reading this fortnight was from the second and third Ladybird Phonics books. She did very well with them, much better than Joshua did the first time round, but perhaps that was helped by her having read four sets of Bob Books already, not just the two Josh had read. She didn't seem so distracted by the colour pictures, which Joshua found very distracting. Joshua read the seventh book of the last set of Bob Books but balked at reading the last one: "I've looked at the pictures and it looks too boring." I think that was mostly because he saw there was a girl not a boy in it! Anyway, I set him to reading Are you my mother? by PD Eastman (from the Beginner Books) and he's half way through that, reading very fluently and enjoying it as well. I think he might just move on to the Beginner Books now.
We also spent an afternoon with Joshua and Anna taking turns to read starfall books online. Both Joshua and Anna read through the first ten stories from "Zac the Rat" to "Dune Buggy". I think the five stories on "silent e at the end of the word" really helped them to grasp this split-grapheme idea.

Literature
We have been reading The Phoenix and the Carpet by Edith Nesbit and enjoying it, with only a few chapters to go. We've also been enjoying some picture books which the kids selected from the library. They had surprisingly good taste at this last visit! In particular we enjoyed How the Camel got its Hump by Rudyard Kipling and Wombat goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo illus Christian Birmingham. It tells the story of a wombat who fails to inspire awe in any of his bush acquaintances until a fire sweeps through through and Wombat's own special skills save the day. The kids liked it so much they immediately asked for me to read it again. We also read a collection of the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelman, because we're studying Europe at the moment in Science/Geography.

Maths
We finished lesson 5 and reached half way through lesson 7. These lessons are all on subtraction, which the kids are understanding easily because they spent so much time getting a handle on addition. I have been a bit slack about doing the concrete tasks at the beginning of the lessons but the kids are getting it without them so I'm not feeling too guilty.

Science and Geography
As I mentioned, we've been studying the animals of Europe. We've enjoyed reading about bears. Did you know Brown bears are called "Grizzly" bears in America, but they're the same species: Ursus arctos horriblis? Isn't that a funny name? I am enjoying choosing memorable scientific names for the kids to memorise! (The funniest they've learnt so far is Ornithorhynchus paradoxus, and they just picked that up from listening to Dot and the Kangaroo read aloud.) It's also handy that the brown bear species name is the same as that of polar bears, so the kids can see that similar animals share scientific names.
We also read about mountain goats, bees, paper wasps and butterflies. I was a bit short on mammals - I was hoping to find books on deer at the library but no such luck. The kids have looked through the book I borrowed on horses but I haven't read it to them as it has too much text.
We have talked about England and France and their respective capitals. Reading Madeline was a big help. So was the fact that Joshua's godparents live in London, and we went there on holidays several years ago, so we have a "hook" to hang these ideas on. Next week we will finish up our studies of Europe with some concentrated map work.

That's it for this fortnight. We got through to the end which feels like quite an achievement. I'm still feeling a bit shell-shocked at the moment over the result of Jeff's interviews. One wonderful thing has been I was already in the habit of rolling out of bed very early in the morning (I was winding the alarm back to be prepared for daylight saving time, which began today) straight onto my knees to pray. I've spent a lot of time in the past week praying for my husband!

How Mother Goose came to tell her rhymes

Our children have delighted in reading Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes and How She Came to Tell Them by Alison Green illus Axel Scheffler this week. (For those who do not keep track of illustrators, Axel Scheffler illustrated The Gruffalo, and my kids and I love his pictures.)

The rhymes are mostly the same-old same-old, but in between are one page vignettes of Mother Goose and her three goslings, Boo, Lucy and Small. These two are our favourites, to whet your appetite:

"Was Humpty Dumpty an egg, Mummy?" asked Boo.
"Yes, he was," said Mother Goose. "But he wasn't a very sensible egg."
"Why?" asked Boo.
"Because he sat on a wall," said Mother Goose. "That's not a safe place for an egg."
"What is a safe place for an egg?" asked Boo.
"In a nest," said Mother Goose. "When you were eggs, I kept you all safe in a nest until you hatched."
"If Humpty Dumpty had hatched, would he have been a goose?" asked Boo.
"I don't think so," said Mother Goose. "He wasn't that sort of egg."
"What sort of egg was he?" asked Boo."
"The sort that wears clothes and sits on a wall," said Mother Goose.
"That's a silly sort of egg," said Boo.
"Yes," said Mother Goose. "It is."

And to accompany "Lavender's Blue", there is this story:

"When I'm king," said Boo, "I'll set you all to work. I'll sit on the riverbank, and you'll have to fetch weed for me to eat, and bring it on a silver platter."
"You'll get very fat," said Mother Goose, "if you don't run around and swim."
"And you won't be able to jump in puddles," said Lucy.
"Kings aren't allowed to jump in puddles," said Small.
"Are kings allowed to play games?" asked Boo.
"Only chess," said Lucy. "And crosswords."
"And they have to be in a bad mood all day long, and make up rules for everyone," said Small.
"When are you going to be king?" asked Lucy.
"Oh, not for ages," said Boo. "I'll let you know."

Anyone who has ever attempted to answer a pre-schooler's incessant questions, or overheard a child's ever-so definite assertions about the way the world works, will enjoy this picture book almost as much as the children who sit on their lap while they read it aloud.

[Cover image from dymocks.]

Another milestone

This morning before Jeff headed off to college he moved the change table out of the boys' room. At the moment it's on our landing but it's going for good. Abigail still wears nappies to bed and Sam is in nappies all the time but I hardly ever change them on the change table as our single beds are high enough to make matters easy.

So after the drawers got moved around, we had a bit more room for the boys. But I wanted them to have even more. So I decided that I'd try out an idea: I collapsed Joshua's bed, which is a trundle, and shoved it under Sam's bed.When we bought the trundle along with Joshua and Anna's new beds last year, we hadn't planned to use it as a regular bed, but Sam learnt to climb out of his cot at quite an early age, so he had to go into a big bed. For a while he was in the trundle just flat on the floor and now he's in the proper bed and Joshua's on the trundle. Anyway, the purpose of all this was to make more room to play... but this is what I found under Joshua's bed:Joshua was quite amenable to tidying it all away somewhere so Sam didn't play with his toys when he woke from his afternoon nap. However, now we have to find a place for all of this stuff! The change table had two solid shelves which Joshua kept stuff on, and there was this whole storage area under his bed. But if he is going to have this space to play in each day, we're going to need to find another storage place. Or just throw it all away, which isn't exactly fair. Not all of it is junk!

It is strange to think that for the first time my kids' rooms are being organised so that they can play in them, rather than so that their baby needs can be cared for. Another milestone, I guess!

(And, also on the topic of play, Making Home has some great advice about toy sets.)

A list

Prue, from my life as the good twin, blogged recently about some of the things she does as a mother. It's an awesome list!

Being a mother is a very very big job, and I'm glad I got to do it!

An Icebreaker in the lounge room

Joshua and Anna off to explore the Arctic:"Blue Whale, Blue Whale, I'm calling from the Icebreaker. Would you like some krill?"

Learning to Sew

Ever since Joshua saw that we'd been given a kiddy sewing kit (second hand from a family at church whose girls are now quite grown up), he's been asking to "learn to sew". Actually he did have a "sewing kit" complete with plastic needle and plastic mesh mat a while back but the needle somehow got lost and that was the end of that.

This morning Jeff checked out the new kit and, seeing that it only had one plastic needle, pulled out his G*rber blade and cut up a few pen lids and made two more quite competent needles. So replete with a needle each (Sam used the crochet hook that came with the set), the kids each set to sewing with wool and some hand-made sewing shapes. These were cardboard shapes Jeff had cut out and hole punched for them. My husband is clever and handy in ways I appreciate very much. This is the final result:Can you guess who made each of these specimens? (Sam's somehow become incorporated into the work of another child as two cardboard shapes were sewn together.)

You might think that the neatest was Josh (well, he is the eldest, after all) and so on down the ages... scroll down to see whether you were right!










Anna did the pink one. She worked out how to sew a straight line all by herself and then I showed her how to retrace her steps and fill in the gaps. Abigail did a quite creditable attempt. Joshua... well, Jeff's comment was that Joshua wasn't interested in being neat and orderly, just creative!

I find this photo revealing for other reasons as well. You'll notice Joshua is smiling handsomely: he's finally learnt how to smile in a relaxed manner for photos. Abigail is still using a forced photo face. Anna, well, she wouldn't put down her book for anything, not even a chance to be photographed. She is following in my footsteps with her obsession for books, I fear. Even reads books in the dark in bed at night, just like me as a child.

And just in case you're wondering, Sam doesn't have some weird rash all over his face. He went a little wild with an ink stamp that the girls got in a take-home party bag on the weekend. He's actually covered with little red fairies or winged horses or something. Quite smudged, by this time. And the thumb sucking is still happening. One day we'll sort that out. Part of me (the lazy part) is hoping my mum will take care of it when Grandma and Grandad visit for Christmas.

It is well

At BSF today we sung the hymn, "It is Well with My Soul" by Horatio Spafford (words) & Philip Bliss (music).

It ministered to my heart even as I sang the words:

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
What ever my lot, Though has taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin - O, the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but in whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so" - it is well with my soul.

Later, during the lecture, Felicity quoted: "The only thing we contribute to God's plan for salvation is our own sin - which He has nailed to the cross of Christ." I needed to put some things in perspective: this comment did the trick!

Not only that, but I was able to attend the first half of the seminar on Personal Quiet Time (ie, individual time studying the Bible and praying). I've been to it before (possibly a few times) but this seminar was still a help to me.

Future directions???

I have written before on this blog about several very hard decisions Jeff has made during his time at Trinity moving towards future employment. If you haven't read either of these posts (first here and then there) feel free to back track to understand what I'm going to say here. Or you might not want to bother with the background, that's fine by me. Anyway, what I have to say here might come out in a quite rambling, incoherent manner (even more so than my usual posts) so I apologise ahead of time.

Jeff spent all day on Saturday in a series of panel interviews with the Uniting Church. These interviews were designed to determine his suitability to become a "Candidate for Ministry of the Word" within this denomination.

For those who don't know us in the flesh, so to speak, I'll explain that Jeff has been employed for over two years part-time for our congregation, within this denomination, as a "Ministry Intern", which was our congregation's way of saying Jeff was in training to be a church minister (without yet doing so within the official system). Jeff has been closely mentored by our minister, Steve, throughout this time. For most of the past year Jeff has also been mentored by another ordained minister who is a member of our congregation (who is a chaplain at a denominational school). His "work" in the church over this time has also been closely watched by three other ordained ministers (some retired, some working for our congregation) who are members of our congregation. Every single one of these ministers has gone on record as saying that they think Jeff is an ideal candidate to be the minister of a church, given his gifts, abilities and most importantly strong faith, which they have seen in action. Most of these ministers, as well as many, many members of our congregation, have been very encouraging and supportive of Jeff's hope to become a minister of this denomination.

There have been those who know us well who did not think it was a "good" idea for Jeff to pursue ministry within this denomination. Jeff did not grow up within this denomination. Here in WA, as in many places, the Uniting Church is quite liberal in many areas of teaching and leadership. Yet our congregation, (the largest in WA in this denomination) is determinedly evangelical. In Darwin, Jeff was supported in his university ministry by two evangelically-minded Uniting congregations as well. On the other hand, the hierarchy of the UC here is vehemently liberal, and we have been concerned at whether Jeff would be able to work as a faithful Bible teacher in this atmosphere. We also considered the difficulty of raising strongly Christian kids within a liberal denomination. We did go into this process with our eyes open about the challenges - but we knew that there were many faithful people in this denomination who are waiting earnestly for someone to preach to them again from the Word of God. We also hoped that, if Jeff was able to open doors to this denomination for one evangelical, other evangelicals might be able to follow in his footsteps.

Yesterday Jeff was told he would not be accepted as a "Candidate for Ministry" within the Uniting Church.

The panel could have given Jeff a qualified acceptance; they could have told him not yet, but to try again later. Of course, they also could have accepted him without conditions. Instead, with six "no"s and one abstention, they chose to reject his application for candidacy completely.

So you can probably understand when I write that I am very unsure about what the future holds for our family right now.

Two things I am sure of: God has spoken - and He does not make mistakes!

I am sad, and disappointed, especially for Jeff. I am confused, because so much of what I thought might happen next year will not come to pass (and quite a good bit thankful there as well, because I wasn't looking forward to more years of study for Jeff). I am also full of joy at the thought that the road ahead just got a lot smoother, in many ways. We will no longer have to battle against vehement, outspoken liberalism, because we will look for ministry directions within some other denomination which holds confidently to the Scriptures. (But which one?) I am heaving sighs of relief at the thought that we will not be struggling to raise our children in a denomination which does not uphold the Bible. I am thankful for all the things we have learnt during our time within this denomination, especially the opportunity for Jeff to be mentored by two ministers who have taught him many things which he would not have been able to learn in our previous denomination (things he really needed to learn).

Yet what was our presumed future path, although seen dimly as through the haze of distance, is now completely closed to us. And in its place all we see is a wide open plain with many possible paths, none of which we know anything about.

I am thinking about Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 8:28-30,and of course James 4:13-17. It is God who has planned good works for us, as it says in Ephesians 2:10, not we who plan works for Him. I am thankful that my gracious, sovereign God is in control of every moment of our lives.

Today, I look forward with an eager heart to the future plans God has for our lives, and particularly for Jeff in his ministry to the people of God, whomever God may choose for us to serve. Please pray for us.

Applying Scripture from its original context

Practical Theology for Women has an interesting post on Accurately Using Scripture.

Thanks to Nicole for pointing it out on her blog.

So here's my pet hate:

I always hate to see Isaiah 28:10 quoted out of context. In the KJV, which is the one people always quote with this for some reason, it reads, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"

It is used widely in Christian education circles and especially by homeschoolers to support the idea that we must teach a little bit at a time and build up larger ideas from smaller parts. I have seen it used to commend the Saxon Maths program quite often, for example.

Consider the context of the verse:
Isaiah 28:13 "But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

And the passage in the NIV is even clearer:
"10 For it is:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there."

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people,

12 to whom he said,
"This is the resting place, let the weary rest";
and, "This is the place of repose"—
but they would not listen.

13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there—
so that they will go and fall backward,
be injured and snared and captured."

What this verse is actually saying is that because the people had been spoon-fed their religion, it had become a snare to them! According to the Trinity@Night course I did last year on Isaiah, in the Hebrew, the repetitive words also are vocalised with something remeniscent of our present day "yada yada yada". Some of this comes through in the NIV translation.

Considering this, "a little here, a little there" is not something Christian educators should ever want to follow as an educational models, I think!

Quotes from the NCB Science advice paper

These quotes have been selected from the National Curriculum Board's Initial Advice Paper on Science (PDF, 62kB). I am not nearly so impressed with this Science advice paper as I was with the History paper. I'm quite disappointed, actually. I think I might have to write a submission in response to this one.

"... a science curriculum could be well based on three key elements:
1. Science as a way of knowing through inquiry...
2. Science as a human endeavour...
3. Scientific knowledge" [So far, so good, except why didn't they put point (3) first? As I read further I realised it was because they thought this was the least important part of any science curriculum.]

"Australia is a scientifically and technologically advanced nation. It is imperative that its future citizens have an understanding of science so that personal and societal decisions can be made on the basis of evidence and reason."

"The purpose of school science is to develop science competencies by which students can:
• understand more about science and its processes
• recognise its place in our culture and society
• use it in their daily lives.
It could be argued that developing these science competencies is a basic need for effective citizenship. ... school science not only prepares students for citizenship, but provides a solid platform for more specific science pathways."

"By the end of the compulsory years of science study it is expected that students would be able to demonstrate the following attributes of scientifically knowledgeable people:
• they are interested in and understand the natural world around them
• they engage in discussions of and about science
• they are sceptical and questioning of the claims made by others
• they can identify and investigate questions and draw evidence-based conclusions
• they can make informed decisions about the environment and their own health and well being.
Essentially the focus is on what one could describe as ‘science for life’."

"Science education should acknowledge the interaction between science and social values in the many debates about the applications of science."

"There is a consistent criticism that many of the problems and issues in science education arise from the structure of science curricula which tend to be knowledge-heavy and alienating to a significant number of students. ... The challenge is to identify the science concepts that are important and can be realistically understood by students in the learning time available."

"... scientific knowledge is rapidly increasing... add[ing] to the pressure on the science curriculum. There is a reluctance to replace the old with the new. Rather, there is a tendency to simply add the new science ideas to the traditional ones. ... Obviously such a situation is not sustainable."

"This paper argues that developing science competencies is important, understanding the big ideas of science is important, exposure to a range of science experiences relevant to everyday life is important and understanding of the major concepts from the different sciences is important. It is also acknowledged that there is a core body of knowledge and understanding that is fundamental to the understanding of major ideas."

"... it is possible to provide flexibility and choice about the content of local science curriculum. ... In managing this choice, there is a need to be conscious of the potential danger of repetition of knowledge through a student’s school life and ensure repetition is minimised and that a balanced science curriculum is provided for every student." [I am assuming (and hoping) by this the authors are referring to repetition of the same task or localised issue to the level of boredom, rather than repetition of the same concept to the level of mastery.]

"Instead of simply emphasising what has been described as ‘canonical science concepts’, there is a need to provide a meaningful context to which students can relate ... students will be better placed to understand the concepts if they can be applied to everyday experiences." [Hmm...]

"To increase the relevance of science to students there is a strong case to include more contemporary (and possibly controversial) issues in the science curriculum." [Well, not necessarily. We could just increase the amount of exploration and play-based science activities we do with students in the primary grades, and make experiments more relevant to everyday life in the secondary grades.]

"The school science curriculum should provide opportunities to explore these complex issues to enable students to understand that the application of science and technology to the real world is often concerned with risk and debate." [Not at the primary level they shouldn't, IMO. Kids of this age are not able to grasp the idea of bias and how it affects the interpretation of statistical evidence, nor can they fully understand the idea that there may be no "right" answer.]

"When a curriculum document is prepared there is an expectation that what is written will be what is taught and what is assessed. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a considerable gap between intended curriculum, the taught curriculum and the assessed curriculum; what can be assessed often determines what is taught."

"It is unfortunate that the summative end-of-topic tests seem to dominate as the main tool of assessment. ... To improve the quality of science learning there is a need to introduce more diagnostic and formative assessment practices. These assessment tools help teachers to understand what students know and do not know and hence plan relevant learning experiences that will be beneficial." [I do not agree with this at all. The introduction of new "diagnostic assessment tools" will not make the plight of a teacher easier of more effective in any way. Rather, it will do the reverse. A science test can be easily designed to determine if a student "knows or does not know" any given fact, and tests can also be designed to determine if a student understands that same concept and its application. Especially if one takes into account the common use by teachers of summative experiments (that is, experiments done to test the student's knowledge and skill), assessment in schools is done with efficiency and effectiveness at present.]

"...formative assessment is more useful in promoting learning." [For those who are not familiar with the term, formative assessment is assessment done purely to give feedback to the teacher and student about their progress, not to give a final assessment of their achievement at the end of a course/topic. In other words, they are saying the teacher should be aware of how well each of the students is dealing with the material at hand, so they can direct students to further study or interaction with the material as required to achieve mastery and seeing them pass or fail the final test should come as no surprise. Well, whoop-de-doo! In my experience, differentiating between "formative assessment" and "watching and listening to the students as they work" only results in more paper work for the teacher and less time for them to interact with the students in a one-to-one fashion - as is evidenced by the next quote. "Detailed diagnostic information" never (in my experience) means "listen to their explanation of a concept, and talk to them about how they are right and wrong in their understanding. Rather, it means paperwork and more paperwork.]

"Assessment should enable the provision of detailed diagnostic information to students. It should show what they know, understand and can demonstrate. It should also show what they need to do to improve."

"[E]arly science experiences should relate to self awareness and the natural world. During the primary years, the science curriculum should develop the skills of investigation, using experiences which provide opportunities to practice language literacy and numeracy. In secondary school, some differentiation of the sub-disciplines of science may be appropriate, but as local and community issues are interdisciplinary, an integrated science may be the best approach. Senior secondary science curricula should be differentiated, to provide for students who wish to pursue career-related science specializations, as well those who prefer a more general, integrated science for citizenship."

"During the primary years ... A broad range of topics is suitable including weather, sound, light, plants, animals, the night sky, materials, soil, water and movement. Within these topics the science ideas of order, change, patterns and systems should be developed."

"In the early years of primary school, students will tend to use a trial and error approach to their science investigations." [How does one perform "trial and error" investigations upon the weather? Does one try to make it rain and find out one cannot? Does one try to guess if it is raining and find that this is a meaningless exercise? Perhaps a better model would be to use a "look, listen, feel, do and learn approach" and actually make a child's experience an important factor in their developing knowledge: Thus one looks at many different types of clouds and watches lightning, listens to thunder and the pounding of rain on a hot iron roof, feels the rain in their hair and on their hands, feels the heat of the sunlight on their bare arms and notices the way the heat dries the sprinkling of water applied thereto, uses a watering can to make "rain" over a soil and grass "habitat" in a plastic box, reads Robert Louis Stevenson's poems "Rain" and "When the sun comes after rain", waters plants in their garden and eventually gets to smell the flowers or eat the vegetables, and in all these things comes to a greater understanding of rain and sunshine and what weather really is.]

"[During the Junior Secondary years] it is important to exercise restraint and to avoid overcrowding the curriculum and providing space for the development of students’ science competencies alongside their knowledge and understanding of science content. Topics could include states of matter, substances and reactions, energy forms, forces and motion, the human body, diversity of life, ecosystems, the changing earth and our place in space. The big science ideas of energy, sustainability, equilibrium and interdependence..."

"[During the Senior Secondary years] There should be at least three common courses across the country: physics, chemistry and biology. There could also be one broader-based course..."

And just for the record, I disagree with pretty much everything in this appendix:

Quotes from the NCB History advice paper

These quotes have been selected from the National Curriculum Board's Initial Advice Paper on History (PDF, 71kB). I highly recommend reading the paper in full, it is surprisingly and pleasantly understandable!

"By teaching history systematically and sequentially across the years of schooling we will enrich educational outcomes."

"The starting-point of this paper is that the restriction of the national curriculum to Australian history is inappropriate. If only to equip students to operate in the world in which they will live, they need to understand world history. That history should have a broad and comprehensive foundation from which its implications for Australia can be grasped. ... Australian history will retain an important place in a national curriculum."

"We fail them also if we do not foster the skills of historical thinking that equip them, by the end of their studies, to take
an active part in the debates over the legacy of the past, to understand and make use of new sources of information, to sift the wheat from the chaff, to find truth and meaning in history and contribute to democratic discussion of national issues."

"One reason for teaching history is to ... develop a critical perspective on received versions of the past, and learn how to compare conflicting accounts so that the conflicts and ambiguities are appreciated."

"Introducing students to historical thinking involves teaching methods of historical inquiry. Students need both to know history and practise it. Factual knowledge is essential to historical thinking."

"In broad terms, students should be introduced to world history from the time of the earliest human communities... Students should have an appreciation of the major civilizations of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia. They should understand Australian history within a comparative framework..."

"No-one possesses an exhaustive historical knowledge, but an historical education should furnish both the capacity to acquire new knowledge and a continuing desire to do so."

The explanation of the "Benchmarks of Historical Thinking" on page 8 is clear and helpful.

"... substantive knowledge incorporates knowledge of events, historical actors and other information; procedural knowledge refers to the concepts and vocabulary that are used to make sense of the substance of the past. ... both forms of knowledge are mutually dependent."

"[A successful model] combine[s] a historical survey with studies in depth. ... [This] calls for careful curriculum design. The curriculum needs to incorporate overview, bridging and depth components. Overview components will use an expansive chronology and assist students to understand broad patterns of historical change. Bridging components will provide a context for closer studies in depth. Depth studies will provide students with the opportunity to bring the skills of historical thinking to bear on well-defined events of particular significance."

"The curriculum should provide for a sequence of learning, building on and consolidating earlier studies, but avoid excessive repetition..."

"The primary school curriculum should introduce students to the traditions, stories, myths and legends that connect them with the values, beliefs and the socio-cultural elements of past societies. It should also lead to an appreciation of the legacy of that past on present society."

"In the lower primary school years the curriculum should enable students to make connections between their direct experiences and those that result from their exposure to artefacts, images, simple primary sources and oral histories that relate to their own past and those of significant others. ... The middle and upper primary school curriculum for Australian history should introduce students to key topics for inquiry in history that will be pursued in greater depth and breadth in the junior secondary years."

"It would make use of local and community history, with strong links to national, regional and global perspectives. Students would use local and community history, as well as stories about well-known and ‘ordinary’ people, as they acquire an initial understanding of some key events..."

"It is proposed tentatively that the history curriculum should follow a sequence:
(1) History from the time of the earliest human communities to the end of the Ancient period (c. 60,000BC — c. 500AD)
(2) History from the end of Ancient period to the beginning of the Modern period (c.500 — 1750)
(3) Modern history (c. 1750 — present)
(4) Australian history (c.1901 — present)"

"The first unit will explore the ways of life and global migrations of the earliest communities..."

"The second unit ... will highlight the consolidation of complex urban states and associated social, political, economic and religious activities in Europe, for the settler society of Australia derived many of its core institutions and values from Western Europe and its expansion into the rest of the world from the sixteenth century had decisive consequences."

"The third unit ... deals with the industrial revolution and industrialisation, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the French and American Revolutions, the principles of human rights and democracy, the rise of the nation-state and associated ideas of national identity, the era of mass warfare and the ideological conflicts it engendered, and the emergence of supra-national organisations."

"The fourth unit on Australian history ... will include Federation, World War I, the Depression, World War II, immigration, women’s rights, the Vietnam War, Indigenous rights and contemporary political history."

"The curriculum will make particular use of narrative, applying the skills of historical thinking to the depth studies, and working to a comparative overview by the completion of each unit."

"It is proposed that there should be units in Years 11 and 12 in Ancient and Modern History, and Australian History... [with optional] extension studies in history at Year 12 which allow students to explore traditions of historical research and writing, including debates among historians, and engage in the production of an extended research project."

"From Edward Gibbon to Geoffrey Blainey, writers of history provide models of literary distinction that engage students and enhance their appreciation of prose. Students should be exposed to secondary sources that exemplify these qualities..."

"Historical understanding ... can be enhanced by drawing on a wide range of artistic works..."

"The approach set out in this paper is premised on schools making a substantial commitment to teaching history. This will require making space in the timetable for a sustained and sequential program. At present there is little guidance for the allocation of time to history. It should occupy at least ten percent of teaching time in the primary school years, and in years 7 to 10 it should occupy an average of 100 classes a year, and a total of 400 classes."

National Curriculum Board advice papers

Over the last week or so the National Curriculum Board has released four "initial advice papers on the curriculum proposed for English, mathematics, the sciences and history." I have been reading a lot of comment in newspapers on what is being called "draft curriculum" in the media. So I decided to find the primary documents. If you're interested as well, you can download them from links on this page.

According to the NCB site the public can comment on these advice papers through email to: feedback@ncb.org.au or by mail to: National Curriculum Board Feedback, PO Box 177, Carlton South, Victoria 3053. Feedback on the initial advice papers needs to be in by November 5, and they expect to make their final recommendations in Term 1 next year.

Mother Love

The following is a quote from Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell. it is one of the most beautiful, truest expressions of Mother Love that I have ever been blessed to read.

It was her own, her darling, her individual baby, already, though not an hour old, separate and sole in her heart, strangely filling up its measure with love and peace, and even hope. For here was a new, pure, beautiful, innocent life, which she fondly imagined, in that early passion of maternal love, she could guard from every touch of corrupting sin by ever watchful and most tender care. And her mother had thought the same, most probably; and thousands of others think the same, and pray to God to purify and cleanse their souls, that they may be fit guardians for their little children. Oh, how Ruth prayed, even while she was yet too weak to speak; and how she felt the beauty and significance of the words, 'Our Father!' ...

'Ah, my darling!' said Ruth, falling back weak and weary. 'If God will but spare you to me, never mother did more than I will. I have done you a grievous wrong - but, if I may but live, I will spend my life in serving you!'


'And in serving God!' said Miss Benson, with tears in her eyes. 'You must not make him into an idol, or God will, perhaps, punish you through him.'

A pang of affright shot through Ruth's heart at these words; had she already sinned and made her child into an idol, and was there punishment already in store for her through him? But then the internal voice whispered that God was 'Our Father', and that He knew our frame, and knew how natural was the first outburst of a mother's love; so, although she treasured up the warning, she ceased to affright herself for what had already gushed forth.

[Cover image from Penguin.]