I cannot even bring myself to type it!!!
Why oh Why do they/you(?) use it, as a word it doesn't exist, it has no logical meaning, look it up in the dictionary!!!!!!!!!!Mini and beast.
we dont teach children to spell incorrectly and incorrect mathematics so
WHY do we teach ecology and natural history so badly to children and then expect them to relearn it all in biology/science gcse in later schooling, no wonder thay are put off!!
I am
very serious about this, I discuss this with all my teachers and the more experienced (shall we say) agree. i will get flamed for this next statement, but i stand by it! part of the problem is there are a lack of science graduates in teaching and in particular teaching ages 5-11. The majority are arts/english also a shortage of male role models. I have yet to have visited or taught a group that has more than 1 male (if any) and doesnt contain a squeamish teacher. How can you hold the childrens' attention when there is a squealing member of staff in close proximity!!!!
There is a school of teaching that has come from the States
which Disneyfies(C) everything, children dont understand why insects have 6 legs when 'bugslife' or 'ants' only have 4 'ITS A MOVIE !!' and has created a whole new nomenclature for bugs, all invertes are bugs to them
which has been making its way into our schooling it's called 'mothership earth' or some other such claptrap.
I have encountered this on a number of occassions and it is truely toe curling. its is all dumbed down and becomes very very cuddly, well the truth is, it's not like that out there, everything is part of a food chain and children need to understand how the planet operates. A result of this is teachers questioning why i am explaining to children the correct terminology, names etc WT*!!!
Please please, get it right from the start 2+2 isn't 5 until you get to keystage3, then re-educate them to 2+2=4!! So why do it with ecology?
A heart felt plea. Don't dumb down to the children, they do understand.
'If you're gonna do it, do it right'
Thank you.