ELC Blog

Writing Tools

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Quick reference page for our favourite websites to help you punch-up your essays, speeches, articles and stories. Not only helpful for English, but any subject with written tasks. Keep in mind that these are just tools – you have to use your own judgement about whether to follow their suggestions. Our favourite Thesaurus Make your writing more interesting

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Maths Methods leads to more careers

Mathematics A, B or C – which should my child study?

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2018 Update: With the transition from OP to ATAR, the names and structure of Queensland senior maths subjects changed. The below is still generally applicable if you change the names: Maths A – General Mathematics Maths B – Mathematical Methods Maths C – Specialist Mathematics Here is our UPDATED post incorporating the NEW Australian Curriculum

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maths streaming

Maths Streaming – best strategies for individuals

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Your child should be aiming to be towards the head of the pack in mathematics from early on. The later it’s left, the harder it is to catch up. Some schools start ‘streaming’ students into higher- and lower-level mathematics groups way before they start actively talking about career pathways. This presupposes that students in lower

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Parallel Box Plot example

How to make Parallel Box and Whisker Plots

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What is a box and whisker plot? Box and Whisker Plots, or just Box Plots, are a graphical summary of data spread (dispersion) and central tendency. Here’s a quick explanation of why box and whisker plots are useful. All box plots show (from left to right): Minimum First/Lower Quartile/Q1 Median, aka Middle/Second Quartile/Q2 Third/Upper Quartile/Q3 Maximum These

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Students’ potential shouldn’t be limited by their year level

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Most students who present to Extended Learning Centres are ready for concepts above their year level. In many cases, WAY beyond their year level. Maths expectations at school are too low, largely because Queensland’s year levels have been “elongated” rather than updated. At ELC, because we teach individuals, not classes, not year levels, we can: target students’ needs,

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Education Queensland 2017 curriculum changes

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Streamlined plans for schools to focus on what’s important, hopefully. Queensland has released condensed unit plans for Maths and English, updating the current bloated, impossible, ineffective syllabus. Thank goodness! Teachers have been reporting that there is not time to adequately cover the mass of content. The sheer number of topics means little time for revision

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Test results are not everything

Learning Ahead vs. Latest Test Results – the bigger picture

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The best way of effecting long-term student success is to expose students to curriculum ahead of school. When working towards a student’s future, we always take into account the bigger picture and the long-term. This goes to the core of what we do. Over-emphasising test scores. Following the dominant school narrative, parents sometimes don’t realise that

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Girl believes tutoring can't help her catch up to her peers because she believes she is dumb

What is the point of assessment?

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By Dan Blore, Educator Have you ever asked yourself, “What is the point of assessment?” Great teachers ask themselves that constantly. Jump to 5-minute video explanation of Formative and Summative assessments Jump to 2-minute video: Judging Good Assessment As an adult, when is the last time you took an exam? We expect school to prepare

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Psychology of effective learning, connectivity, confidence

Psychology of Effective Learning

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Great learning requires two vital elements. The bucket of self-belief and the bucket of academics. The bucket of academics will never hold if the bucket of self-belief is not filled. This is the psychology of learning. Every teacher MUST be conscious of it and use it to connect with their students. Having the right positive

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Teaching maths in advance

Teaching Students Maths in Advance

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Teaching of maths concepts to students in schools is like being taught how to ride a horse over several years where the learner never gets to ride the horse until the last year. In the first year you can pat the horse, in the second year touch the bridle. Slow, disjointed, boring, laborious with poor

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