<tt>Bryan Berry <bryan@olenepal.org> schrieb am 07.07.2008 12:56:23:</tt> <tt>> >The power of the Sugar activities is in the opportunities they give for </tt> <tt>> >self-directed problem-based learning. Achieving this is much more about how </tt> <tt>> >teachers "set up" their classes and not about following a preset plan. </tt> <tt>> >Self-directed problem-based learning does not always follow a preset plan, </tt> <tt>> >the teacher, the "guide on the side" gives things a nudge from timeto time, </tt> <tt>> >more recognising when learning is working well than following a preset plan.</tt> <tt>> </tt> <tt>> Tony, we are comparing apples w/ oranges here. Your situation in</tt> <tt>> Australia resembles in almost no aspect the situation of a typical</tt> <tt>> Nepali school. Your advice may be great for a western school but it is</tt> <tt>> not very applicable to Nepali schools for cultural, economic, and social</tt> <tt>> reasons.</tt> <tt> </tt> <tt>I think what is often overlooked is the high pressure teachers have to operate. Western politicians like to boost about the wonderfulness of our education system and how much we encourage {replace with nice sounding term}.</tt> <tt>In reality our curricula are extremely stuffed and the pressure to know XYZ by tomorrow is enormous. This quite often forces teachers to forget all the wonderful new learning methods and replace them with classical instructionist based teaching.</tt> <tt>In Austria we have a couple of self-directed learning strongholds in primary schooling and a long tradition in producing excellent school books. But I wouldn't wonder if actual teaching in an ordinary Austrian school isn't that much of a difference than a school in Nepal.</tt> <tt>cu andreas</tt>