Education

The headline of the article is “What every would-be teacher should know before they qualify”. The author of the article is an anonymous teacher - the writer of this piece has chosen to remain anonymous to protect the identities of the staff that she refers to. The article is taken from the newspaper The Guardian. It was published Thursday 20 November 2014.

The article is devoted to the problem of young teachers training in Britain. According to the text, some courses provide such short placements in schools that the young teachers are being set up to fail. The author stresses that no amount of advice could make up for the lack of training that many young teachers have experienced. The author is confident that schools do not have the skill base or time to support young teachers who are not prepared for teaching. The routes into teaching are now often so short (a year or two) that there doesn’t seem to be the time needed to study the pedagogy well enough. Teaching is a craft that takes time to learn and develop. It takes practice and freedom to reflect on what works and why it works. In conclusion, the author of the article says that it is necessary to be unbelievably emotionally and physically strong to be able to make a difference to children’s lives. You will get to know them and support them and even when you feel you are failing, the children will know you are there for them and that will make the difference.

I find this article very interesting and useful not only for English teachers, but for Russian ones too.  I think that Russian young teachers also often face the problem of lack of practice. As a result, they feel shaky, afraid to fail. I absolutely agree with the author of the article, that even excellent knowledge of the theory of pedagogy can’t replace teaching practice.

So, the article suggests some very important questions: what can help teachers get more practical training? How long should be the practice periods for teachers feel confident working with children?

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/nov/20/what-every-would-be-teacher-should-know-before-they-qualify?commentpage=1

Mass Media. AC/DC

The headline of the article I have read is «AC/DC – Rock or Bust first listen review – 'If this is to be their last album, they haven't disgraced themselves'» .

The author of the article is Michael Hann. It was published in the newspaper «The Guardian» on November 24.

The main idea of the article is that the 16th AC/DC studio album should  have been a lap of honour.

The author starts by telling the reader that AC/DC's last album, 2008’s Black Ice, entered the charts at No 1 in 29 countries.

After spending the first 20 years of their career being disdained by critics, despite their staggering commercial success, they’ve spent the last 20 transmuting into international treasures. 

But Michael Hann says that the group was faced with many challenges, creating the final album. Now Rock or Bust arrives at the most troubling time the band have faced since the death of their original singer Bon Scott in 1980. Earlier this year it was announced that Malcolm Young, AC/DC’s rhythm guitarist, founder and de facto leader had left the band, owing to dementia. Earlier this month, drummer Phil Rudd found himself with charges brought against him for possession of drugs and making threats to kill.

This is the song from last album. "Play Ball"

Author says that it would be nice to think that maybe there’s one more album in AC/DC, but it’s probably a forlorn hope.  

So If this is to be the last AC/DC album – and with their records now coming at an average of once every five years and Brian Johnson now being 67, that has to be considered a possibility, at the very least – then they have not disgraced themselves.

It seemed to me this article interesting and important for those who are interested in rock music, especially love old group. I can not call myself a fan of AC DC, but some of their songs I think are just gorgeous and giving a strong positive attitude. I recommend to listen to some of them.

  

Source

Well, now I have a few questions to my readers:

1) Have you known AC/DC before reading this post? Do you like their music?
2) Do you think if there will be one more album in AC/DC?
3) If you did not know the AC/DC work , does it interesting for you now?

The headline of the article I have read is «Paedophile ring allegations: police are failing us, murdered boy’s father says» .
The authors of the article are Sandra Laville and Josh Halliday. It was published in the newspaper «The Guardian» on November 19.
The main idea of the article is suspicions of murdered boy`s father that the police covered up links between his son’s killing and activities at south-west London guest house.

The authors start by telling the reader that eight-year-old boy was killed 33 years ago. It was happened on wedding day of Prince of Wales and Diana Spencer. The little boy was watching it. He had been walking a bit quicker than his family in the crowded streets where revellers were celebrating.

Sandra and Josh write that in this time, there were paedophiles at a guest house in south-west London that is now at the centre of a new police inquiry into murders of children. The boy, Vishal, went missing in July 1981 in Putney, less than a mile from the Elm House guest house in Rock Lane, Barnes. Seven months later the upper half of his torso was found buried in woodland in West Sussex. And the strangest thing in this case was recorded phone call, which was passed it onto detectives investigating abduction, but was told it was probably a crank call, and the information was never followed up. On this record was the talk between a retired magistrate and a man, who suggested the boy’s abduction might be connected to the activities of a group of “powerful, high-profile” paedophiles who frequented the guest house.

According to the text we are learning that high-profile people were involved in this situation, because now the police refuse to discuss it. 

In conclusion authors tell us, that  Vishal’s murder was linked at the time by detectives to the activities of Sidney Cooke, who was a member of a paedophile ring that was eventually brought to justice for the rape and murder of three boys, but is suspected of having abducted and killed several more.

The activities of the paedophile ring were investigated in a major inquiry known as Operation Orchid, which examined the fate of a number of missing children going back to 1980 after receiving intelligence that Cooke’s gang could have abducted and killed up to 20 children.

The Guardian asked the Metropolitan police on Wednesday for the whereabouts of the Orchid files, but they refused to comment.

Sandra and Josh make readers to think about these terrible events and decide whether people can trust the police.

I found this article important and interesting, because every parent should know about danger, which can threaten his child, and about police inaction. 

Now, I want to ask some questions to the readers.

1)Do you agree with boy’s father that police can covered up links between the killing and activities at south-west London guest house?

2) why was it happened on wedding day of Prince of Wales and Diana Spencer?

3) Can police find the killer of the innocent child?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/19/paedophile-ring-allegations-elm-house