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We were told at the primary school open day we attended yesterday that all the children would shortly have their own ipad in school to help them research information and work out their maths problems etc. What happened to using their brains?
If you had listened to how long it took a child to subtract a single digit from ten , you would be horrified! and multiplying seemed to present incredible problems- what is wrong with learning Times Tables?

Yes, and how will they cope later on in life when ipads, computers and/or calculators are not working (Flat battery, lengthy power cuts etc)....... use their fingers ?

Plus the fact that learning Times Tables and a few grammar rules would train the child to use his memory, and exercise it regularly.

there's a very cogent isaac azimov story called "the feeling of power"

I even doubt that grammar as we know it is now taught in schools?
I think it a great pity that correct usage of the English language is now waning.
Does this apply to French, Pigale?

should be aSimov

Ah yes, Chris - Technician Aub...... I'd forgotten all about that!

Very well remembered, elle - especially as you didn't remember it!

Quite so!

Hi again, sorry about long interlude - It was time to 'skype' my English friends.

I took the time to google A Feeling of Power though, and Yes ChrisE, it sounds both powerful and interesting. I did not read all about it but will do later.

As to the correct usage of language, it certainly is the same with French; how can you expect a language where every word has to agree with the other re masculine/ feminine and singular/plural (except when it should not agree) to survive the age of textos ! Unfortunately it is not unusual to hear youngster - and some not so young - say something like 'If I would have known, I would not come'
(rough translation just to give you an idea)

I am also in disagreement with people who think that phonetic spelling should be adopted - to me, an elephant without its PH is an elephant without its trunk !

hi all
My daughter was having to cope with two types of spelling and it was a nightmare but we were told it was easier to use phonetics,why does everything have to be easier
I feel very un pc as I dont use face book twitter or instagram and I dont take selfies either.The only reason I started having a cell phone was I used to to walk 4 dogs very early in the morning so my husband decided I needed one in case I was mugged!!! since they weighed in total about 15 stones there was little possibility of that happening,we did report a flasher though
Our local school has banned parents dropping off children on the main road so now you have to run the gauntlet of them in Asda s car park,what happened to walking to school.Lovely morning here but we will be back to rain next week.Just about to feed the birds we have a flock on longtailed who love sunflower seeds so the Amazon man will be busy bringing bird food this week,my live mealworms come via Royal Mail but our postman holds the parcel as if it was a bomb