MASTERY LEARNING AT WORK

At present I am conducting a night course for the family of a senior officer of a company. He has three teenage daughters in grades 9 and 10. They have friends who come to the course to be held for 4 weeks in the company conference room.

There are also students attending who are in upper primary school. So the tuition in Mastery Writing had to be spaced over 4 grades. Too easy. Every student starts at the start. But at the higher levels, allowance needs to be made for the younger students. They reach a ceiling with the basic patterns.

The first exercises were the basic drills to introduce the students to the format of writing by converting simple sentences to complex sentences.

He looked out the window. He saw a ship. It was on the horizon.

He looked out the window and saw a ship on the horizon.

Looking out the window, he saw a ship on the horizon.

He opened his eyes. He smiled. He went back to sleep.

He opened his eyes, smiled and went back to sleep.

Opening his eyes, he smiled and went back to sleep.

We went through each drill as a Mastery Learning teacher is supposed to do. Once the students are guided to the right answer, the complex sentence is written down and the teacher moves to the next and so on. Please click:

LOCK-STEP IS THE WAY

On the first night we completed 25 exercises. On the second night 53. On the third night 62. The students were moving faster as they mastered the basic connectors. The end point is their capacity to use the patterns in their own writing.

This is pure Mastery Learning.

Their approach to writing is being fundamentally changed. There are about 200 more patterns to be completed in the next fortnight of 10 sessions of 2 hours.

Exercises below are basically the same, changing only in the subject matter. Students master the first which gives the key to the second pattern and the third and so on. Please click:

WRITING SKILLS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

MASTERY WRITING FOR SCHOOLS

WRITE SWEET ENGLISH

WRITING SKILLS FOR HIGHER GRADES

The focus slowly changes with students working in Mastery Learning style through a series of stories prepared in Mastery format.

They complete each exercise one at a time with the teacher guiding them to make an accurate response. In the exercises below, the responses have been inserted. Please click:

TEACH STUDENTS TO WRITE COMPLEX SENTENCES

MASTERY WRITING FROM WORLD HISTORY 1

MASTERY WRITING FROM WORLD HISTORY 2

MASTERY WRITING FROM WORLD HISTORY 3

For further resource insight on Mastery Learning, please refer to our archive blog. Please click:

ARCHIVE ON MASTERY LEARNING

There is considerable interest in Papua New Guinea on the Mastery Learning strategy. We have friends in the National Department of Education, Provincial Education, church education and schools who accept that Mastery Learning will take the place of Outcome Based Education.

It focuses on the basics. Research is beyond most students. They have no background knowledge. Libraries are empty and computers are not available.

Most students have no background knowledge on which to make a reasoned statement. Who is the Prime Minister of Australia? Nilson Mandeela. Most students do not value knowledge. Please click:

EDUCATION IS NOT EDUCATION IN PNG

FRUSTRATION OF AN EXPATRIATE TEACHER
 

There is considerable confusion in PNG schools about writing skills. Teachers promote grammar and think this develops writing. No. Only writing develops writing. Please click:

CONFUSION IN TEACHING ENGLISH

We offer a word of caution that the design of sequences of exercises must not be left to the individual teacher as Mastery Learning will become a dog's breakfast across the nation within a matter of weeks. 

Mastery sequences must be designed by a selected team to be accurate, comprehensive and validated. All subjects can be converted to Mastery Learning format.

There needs to be strict logical order to the patterns and progression of skills from simple to complex. There should not be confusion caused by skills set down out of order.

Exercises in mathematics run to strict one step, two step and three step exercises and more. Any mastery exercise that is too large should be broken down to component exercises. Then it can be built up again as part of the Mastery progression. Please click:


MASTERY LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS


With the aid of a modem, all schools could convert their computers to internet for access to a specialized website such as this one. 

There is no place for elitist teachers on the team who want to make the work difficult. That is not the aim of Mastery Learning. 

It is not meant to allow slow students to struggle forever. Nor clever students to be bored forever. Exercises can become increasingly challenging at the higher levels.

Education is not simply preparation for university. It is to prepare all for living. We do not have to be Einstein to live. We do not have to be discriminated against by elitist teachers. We all have the right to master as much as we can in the time allowed. Please click:

KEEP ACADEMICS AWAY FROM CURRICULUM

All students must work through the same exercises across every primary and high school in the nation. This will require constant input to and from the design teams subject by subject. Below are sequences from science for the middle grades. Please click:

MASTERY LEARNING ON BODY HEAT

MASTERY LEARNING IN FRICTION

BRAIN STORMING MASTERY LEARNING

WORK PROGRAM FOR GRADE 10

We plan to make a submission for a resource book of mastery exercises for schools to be presented to the Department of Education for authorization to publish.

FRIENDLY COMMENT ON BLOG

There was a very positive comment on blog this morning from a person by the name of Goncalves from Portugal. The writer praised our work in having an interesting and nice blog.

Sadly I accidentally deleted the comment. If the person cares to retransmit, the comment will be posted. Thank you for the kind words, my friend.

This is a welcome change from the hate mail from the anti-family activists of recent years. Our blog has now come under the notice of Human Resources branch in the Prime Minister's Department. Our blog lays down the foundation for the AIDS Awareness strategy to come in PNG and overseas. Please click:

LIVE STRONG - LIVE LONG

As well, our Mastery Learning reports are leading the way to a strategy for the Department of Education in replacing Outcome Based Education (OBE) with Mastery Learning. Please click:

MASTERY WRITING FOR SCHOOLS

We seem to be taking over where Professor Benjamin Bloom left off with his Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Mastery Learning strategy. He died some years ago at the age of 94 years. Our work is more class room focused and validated for PNG schools.

The main difficulty in Mastery Learning is the task of producing the extended sequences of Mastery exercises. It all comes back to the quality of the simple to complex exercises given to students and the balance between the teacher oriented and student oriented phases. Please click:

WRITING SKILLS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

"Outcome-Based" Education: An Overview
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/go4outcm.htmCached - Similar

The shift toward outcome-based education is analogous to the total quality ... Finally,
some people confuse outcomes-based education with Mastery Learning, an ...
model conceived by John Carroll in 1963 and developed by Benjamin Bloom.

The comment from Paolo Goncalves is in the report below. Please click:

BANGLADESHI PRISON IN WAIGANI STORE

BANGLADESHI PRISON IN WAIGANI STORE

There is a very disturbing situation in a store at Waigani, a suburb of Port Moresby.  The store is run by a group of Bangladeshi young men who have taken over total control of the women workers who run the shop and food bar.

They employ and imprison the female workers. They are not allowed to leave the store and will be pursued and forced to return if they do leave even for a short time.

Female workers are not allowed to talk to customers. If they have a conversation with a customer they are reported to the Bangladeshi owner who interrogates them and demands to know what was said on both sides. Privacy is non existent. Sexual harrassment is routine.

One customer once passed a note to a worker and the Bangladeshi guard demanded the note be handed over.

Perhaps they are afraid of the talk of diarrhoea in the food bar. A health officer lives over the road, It means that family members can not come and talk to a PNG woman prisoner on family problems.

They have to wait till half day off or send texts by mobile phone. The women belong to the store management.

At night girls finish work at 8.00pm and are required to eat the left over food from the food shop. They are then locked in. There are two gates locked to prevent them from leaving. Some women have not been to their homes in a long time.

On their off days, they are still required to return in the afternoon to start work again. So the PNG slave workers have a half a day off each week.

Last week the Bangladeshi bosses were confronted by the head of AIDS Holistics who was asked by a female worker to help after one drunken Bangladeshi had spat a mouthful of beer over her as she sat at her work place. He was a frustrated harrasser.

AIDS Holistics has always followed a policy of gender equality and was concerned at the obvious sense of ownership over young women by the Bangladeshi foreigners.

The manager of the Bangladeshi store shouted at the founder of AIDS Holistics that he had no right to speak to the women as they belonged to the store and under total control of  the Bangladeshi owners. They were reminded that the women were PNG citizens but that meant very little to them.

The young woman spat on has since left the store. Other workers are not allowed to speak to her despite the fact that she was their top worker. These foreigners are Bangladeshi nazis.

Nothing has changed in the last week. These arrogant foreigners think they are in total control of the situation and able to continue the imprisonment of the women. They still make them live behind locked gates. They still control their movement out of the store.

Other companies drive their workers home and pick them up in a small bus. But these foreigners think it is easier just to imprison them behind locked doors and bring them out to work each morning. Any shortfalls in money come out of workers'pay.

These foreigners should be investigated by Foreign Affairs and their visas and work permits examined.

Daily hit tally:  95, 230

Russians and Americans lead the field as always.

MASTERY STORY PATTERNS FOR SCHOOLS

The next stage in Mastery Learning patterns consists of a series of baby talk stories that the students have to convert into complex sentences with removal of repeated words and poor use of connector words. Early exercises are teacher centred as students are guided through the work.

The basic sequences have been designed to enable the student to complete one exercise  while the teacher copies the next exercise on to the black board. Schools in PNG do not have the funds to distribute thousands of photocopied sheets of exercises to students. Please click:

WRITING SKILLS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

He sat with his friends. He discussed the meeting.

She walked to the hospital. She hoped it would not be too late.

They lay beside the road. They waited for a PMV.

They sat under the tree. They talked about the exam. They ate their lunch

She heard the baby. He was crying. He was hungry.

MASTERY WRITING FOR SCHOOLS

SAMPLE STORY EXERCISE:

My name is John. I was born in a village. It was a small village. It is on the Sepik River. I live with my parents and brothers and sisters. I have two brothers and three sisters. My brothers and sisters go to a school with me. It is a community school. It is near the village. I went to high school. It is in Wewak. I graduated from grade 10. I had a distinction in Mathematics. I had credits in Science and English. I applied for a job with Steamships in Wewak. I got a job in the Steamships office. It is in Wewak.

Now highlight the repeated words:

My name is John. I was born in a village. It was a small village. It is on the Sepik River. I live with my parents and brothers and sisters. I have two brothers and three sisters. My brothers and sisters go to a school with me. It is a community school. It is near the village. I went to high school.  It is in Wewak. I graduated from grade 10. I had a distinction in Mathematics. I had credits in Science and English. I had applied for a job with Steamships in Wewak. I got a job in the Steamships office. It is in Wewak.

Rewrite the story in polished English:

My name is John. Born in a small village on the Sepik River, I live with my parents, two brothers and three sisters. We went to a small community school nearby. Attending high school in Wewak, I graduated with a distinction in Mathematics and credits in Science and English.  Having applied for a job with Steamships in Wewak, I was employed at the office in town.

WRITING SKILLS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

This is a writing sequence for middle school that can also be used in higher grades. It is written in Mastery Learning format. There are identical patterns in the sequence to enable the students to master the various forms.

The Mastery Learning strategy is largely teacher centred in early stages. The teacher assists the students at every step. The task is to remove words repeated to eliminate baby talk simple sentences. Students practise the connector words.

These patterns have been used at Boreboa Primary school in grade 8 lessons and teacher workshops. Other schools include Ward Strip Demonstration School and Kila Kila Secondary School.

The approach is being demonstrated to the Department of Education to show Mastery Learning of basics as the replacement to Outcome Based Education.

I  am a highlander. I come from Mt Hagen.

I  am a highlander from Mt Hagen.

I am a highlander and come from Mt Hagen.

I live in the town. I go home each night.
 

I live in the town and go home each night.
 

Living in town I go home each night.

My brother goes to school. His friend goes with him.
 

My brother goes to school with his friend.

He went to the village. He will come back after the holiday.
 

He went to the village and will come back after the holiday.

I live in Lae. I work at Nadzab. I come home each Friday.
 

Living in Lae, I work at Nadzab and come home each Friday.
 

I live in Lae,work at Nadzab and come home each Friday.

I work as a cook. I buy food at the market. I prepare the meals.
 

I work as a cook, buying food at the market and preparing the meals.
 

Working as a cook, I buy food at the market and prepare the meals.

I opened the door . I went inside. I wanted to buy food.
 

I opened the door, went inside and bought food.
 

Opening the door, I went inside to buy food.
 

He spoke to his friend. He asked about his sick father.

He spoke to his friend and asked about his sick father.

Speaking to his friend, he asked about his sick father.

He sat with his friends. He discussed the meeting.
 

He sat with his friends discussing the meeting.
 

Sitting with his friends, he discussed the meeting.

She walked to the hospital. She hoped it would not be too late.
 

She walked to the hospital, hoping it would not be too late.
 

Walking to the hospital. she hoped it would not be too late.

They lay beside the road. They waited for a PMV.
 

Lying beside the road, they waited for a PMV.
 

They lay beside the road and waited for a PMV.

They sat under the tree. They talked about the exam. They ate their lunch.
 

They sat under the tree, talked about the exam and ate their lunch.
 

Sitting under the tree, they talked about the exam and ate their lunch.

She heard the baby. He was crying. He was hungry.
 

She heard the baby crying and hungry.

They were expelled. They were told they could not return.
 

They were expelled and told not to return.

She ate apples. She ate oranges. She ate pawpaws.

She ate apples, oranges and pawpaws.

He was sick. He was tired. He was hungry.
 

He was sick, tired and hungry.

I saw Paul. I saw John. I saw Peter.
 

I saw Paul, John and Peter.

It was red. It was yellow. It was green.
 

It was red, yellow and green.

He was my brother. He was my friend.
 

He was my brother and friend.

He looked out the window. He saw a ship. It was on the horizon.
 

He looked out the window and saw a ship on the horizon.
 

Looking out the window,he saw a ship on the horizon.

He was an old man. He had a walking stick. He had a long white beard.
 

He was an old man with walking stick and long white beard.

He had no fear. He rushed into a burning building. He wanted to save the child.
 

Having no fear, he rushed into a burning building to save the child.
 

It was a lovely day. The sun was shining. The birds were singing.

It was a lovely day with the sun shining and birds singing.

 

She was a beautiful woman. She had long hair. She had a sweet smile.
 

She was a beautiful woman with long hair and a sweet smile.

She saw the baby. It was hungry. It was crying.
 

She saw the baby, hungry and crying.

They were expelled. They were told they could not return.
 

They were expelled and  told not to return.

Expelled, they were told not to return.

He reached forward. He took hold of the rope. He pulled it. This would make the boat steady.
 

He reached forward, took hold of the rope and pulled it to make the boat steady.

He reached forward, took hold of the rope which he pulled to make the boat steady.

The girl saw the accident. She cried. She tried to rescue the child. He was trapped in the car.
 

The girl saw the accident, cried and tried to rescue the child trapped in the car.

He did not know what to do. He called the police. He reported the accident.

He did not know what to do but called the police to report the accident.
 

Not knowing what to do,  he called the police and reported the accident.

He gave no word. He placed a letter on the table. He left the house.
 

He gave no word but placed a letter on the table and left the house.
 

Giving no word, he placed a letter on the table and left the house.

MASTERY WRITING FOR SCHOOLS

Used to teach writing skills to grade 8 students

at Boreboa Primary School in Port Moresby.

Officers in Education make announcements on

the need for resource material. This is the start

of resource material in writing skills.

Based on Mastery learning and called

Operation Stop the Baby Talk.

_________________

MODULE 1 of 9

I saw Peter. I saw Paul. I saw Mary.

I saw Peter, Paul and Mary.

I bought an apple. I bought an orange. I bought a banana.

I bought an apple, orange and a banana.

I opened the door. I went inside. I put a letter on the table.

I opened the door, went inside and put a letter on the table.

Opening the door, I went inside and put a letter on the table.

He opened his eyes. He smiled. He went back to sleep.

He opened his eyes, smiled and went back to sleep.

Opening his eyes, he smiled and went back to sleep.

He was a cleaner. He swept the floor. He emptied the rubbish.

He was a cleaner, sweeping the floor and emptying the rubbish.

He was a cleaner who swept the floor and emptied the rubbish.

A cleaner, he swept the floor and emptied the rubbish.

She lived in Lae. She worked at Nadzab. She travelled by company bus.

She lived in Lae, worked at Nadzab and travelled by company bus.

Living in Lae, she worked at Nadzab, travelling by company bus.

He was a good leader. He gave land to the poor. He stopped the corruption.

He was a good leader who gave land to the poor and stopped the corruption..

A good leader, he gave land to the poor and stopped the corruption.

He was a good leader, giving land to the poor and stopping the corruption.

He had no money. He went to the bank. He wanted to ask for a loan.

He had no money and went to the bank to ask for a loan.

Having no money, he went to the bank to ask for a loan.

He was tired. He sat at the roadside. He waited for the bus to come.

He was tired and sat at the roadside waiting for the bus to come.

Being tired, he sat at the roadside and waited for the bus to come.

I looked out the window. I saw a ship. It was on the horizon.

I looked out the window and saw a ship on the horizon.

Looking out the window, I saw a ship on the horizon.

The chicken was killed. It was cooked. It was eaten.

The chicken was killed, cooked and eaten.

The house was painted. It was put up for sale. It was sold within a week.

The house was painted, put up for sale and sold within a week.

He was arrested. He was tried in Court. He was found guilty.

He was arrested, tried in Court and found guilty.

Arrested, he was tried in Court and found guilty.

He tried to open the door. He was unable to open the door.

He tried to open the door but was unable to do so.

He wanted to meet the Governor. He was very happy to meet the Governor.

He wanted to meet the Governor and was very happy to do so.

She wanted to be selected. She worked hard. She was given a place at the college.

She wanted to be selected, worked hard and was given a place at the college.

Wanting to be selected, she worked hard and was given a place at the college.

Birds fly south for the winter. They arrive during spring rains. They then build nests.

Birds fly south for the winter and arrive during spring rains to build nests.

Flying south for the winter, birds arrive during spring rains and build nests.

She was a lovely woman. She had brown eyes. She had shining white teeth.

She was a lovely woman with brown eyes and shining white teeth.

A lovely woman, she had brown eyes and shining white teeth.

He was an old man. He had a white beard. He had a walking stick.

He was an old man with a white beard and walking stick.

An old man, he had a white beard and walking stick.

I passed grade 10. I had a distinction in English. I had a credit in Social Science.

I passed grade 10 with a distinction in English and a credit in Social Science.

I had eaten the food. I left the house. I returned to school.

I had eaten the food, left the house and returned to school.

Having eaten the food, I left the house and returned to school.

He had spoken to my family. He opened the folder. He gave them a letter.

He had spoken to my family, opened the folder and gave them a letter.

Having spoken to my family, he opened the folder and gave them a letter.

Columbus had sailed west. He thought he would reach India. He failed in his mission

Columbus sailed west, thinking he would reach India but failed in his mission

Having sailed west, Columbus thought he would reach India  but failed in his mission.


Please click:

archive on mastery learning for schools - family positive living - aids  ...

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Dec 21, 2012 – Resource ideas for the Department of Education in Papua New

Guinea. This archive report will be given in the new year to all schools in .



MODULE 2 of 9

ADVANCED SENTENCE COMBINATIONS

Columbus sailed west from Spain.

He believed he had discovered India.

He named the islands the West Indies.

Columbus sailed west from Spain

and believed he had discovered India

naming the islands the West Indies.

Sailing west from Spain, Columbus believed

he had discovered India and named the islands

the West Indies.

The birds fly from Europe as autumn approaches.

They cross to Africa over the Strait of Gibraltar.

They catch hot up currents.

They glide down into central Africa

The birds fly from Europe as autumn approaches,

crossing to Africa over the Strait of Gibraltar to

catch hot up currents and glide into Central Africa.

As autumn approaches, the birds fly from Europe to

Africa, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to catch the hot

up currents and glide into Central Africa.

Yellow fin tuna live in the Pacific Ocean.

They move in anti-clockwise direction from the South Pacific.

They travel in blue water along the coast of America and China.

They breed in the Magadus Square of Papua New Guinea.

Yellow fin tuna live in the Pacific Ocean, moving in anti-clockwise

direction from the South Pacific and travelling in blue water along

the coast of America and China to breed in the Magadus Square of

Papua New Guinea.

The round worm is known as Ascaris lumbricoides.

It lives in the gut of human beings.

It lays eggs in the epithelial layer

These then pass down the alimentary canal.

These enter the body of another human host.

These continue the cycle.

The round worm known as Ascaris lumbricoides

lives in the gut of human beings and lays eggs in the

epithelial layer before passing down the alimentary

canal to enter the body of another host and continue

the cycle.

It is important that we follow a healthy diet.

This consists of fruit, vegetables, lean meat and clean water.

These strengthen our bodies.

These clean the digestive tract.

These allow the immune system to protect us from infection.

It is important to follow a healthy diet that consists of fruit,

vegetables, lean meat and clean water to strengthen our

bodies, clean the digestive tract and allow the immune

system to protect us from infection.

The snake is cold blooded.

The snake lies on rocks to catch the morning sun.

It warms its body and blood.

The snake is cold blooded

and lies on rocks to catch the morning sun

that warms its body and blood.

Being cold blooded,

the snake lies on rocks to catch the morning sun

and warm its body and blood.

The Aztecs lived in Central America.

They took prisoners from neighbouring tribes.

They sacrificed the prisoners to their gods.

The Aztecs lived in Central America

and took prisoners from neighbouring tribes

who were sacrificed to their gods.

Living in Central America, the Aztecs took prisoners

from neighbouring tribes to be sacrificed to their gods.

The earth consists of massive segments of land.

These are known as tectonic plates.

These move against the next.

This causes earthquakes and volcanic eruption.

The earth consists of massive segments of land

known as tectonic plates that move against the next

causing earthquakes and volcanic eruption.

The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was a massive explosion.

It sent pyroplastic lava 30 kms into the sky.

It came crashing down on Pompeii.

It buried thousands of people.

The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was a massive explosion

sending pyroplastic lava 30 kms into the sky that came

crashing down on Pompeii, burying thousands of people.

A tsunami occurred along the north coast of Papua New Guinea.

It was caused by an undersea earthquake.

It send massive amounts of earth crashing under the sea.

It caused a tidal wave the covered the coast.

A tsunami occurred along the north coast of Papua New Guinea,

caused by an undersea earthquake that sent massive amounts of

earth crashing under the sea, creating a tidal wave that covered the

coast.

Birds can navigate around the world.

This puzzles scientists.

They believe that the birds follow the magnetic field.

This is caused by the earth in motion.

Birds can navigate around the world which puzzles

scientists who believe that the birds follow the magnetic

field caused by the earth

in motion.

HIV is a virus. It enters the lymph system. It enters through

sexual contact, infection by blood transfusion and infected

syringes.

It passes from the lymph system to the blood. It enters the

gut from the blood. It destroys the gut lining. The virus stays

in the body. It causes damage to the lymph system and brain.

HIV is a virus that enters the lymph system through sexual

contact, infection by blood transfusion and infected syringes.

Passing from the lymph system to the blood, it enters the

gut and destroys the gut lining. The virus stays in the body,

causing damage to the lymph system and brain.

This work is necessary for students to master before they commence research activities and written explanations in reports IN OWN WORDS.

Applying Bloom's Taxonomy
www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htmCached - Similar
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