OLD SCHOOL DAYS AND WAYS

One of last terms highlights was the visit from Isaac’s Nan Sargent.  She came to talk to us about ‘school in her day’.  Nan Sargent is 85 years old and she went to school in Lavooka, a small rocky island in Fiji. 

We were learning from the past – How and why do things change?  We were also learning about Relating to Others – in particular using our manners.  We had to be sure to say, ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘excuse me’.  We had to listen carefully, know when to speak and when to listen, and we had to wait our turn. 

We learnt a lot about school in the past and what we learnt helped us to reach a decision. 

Devon decided that he’d rather be a student now.  Here is his persuasive argument.

School Days

I would definitely rather go to school now than in the 1930s, because corporal punishment was allowed back then.  You’d even get punished for getting an answer wrong.  Because of that I would have been afraid of the teacher and to put my hand up even if I thought I had the right answer.  I also think no one should be physically punished for getting an answer wrong. 

Now we have computers that make learning easier and we can go onto learning websites that make us want to learn.  It also means that we can publish our writing. 

Now teachers give us credit for what we do well.  In the past they punished us if our best wasn’t good enough.  It’s so much more fun and fair now and that’s why I would rather go to school in the present. 

Devon used the ‘What If’ thinker’s key to plan his writing.  He also used a PMI chart to note ‘plus, minus and interesting’ things about school in the past.