Schooling in the Outback Essay -- Australia, government, education

Australia is split into different states and territories that have their own government. These territories include the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. This is important to note because each individual state government manages the schools within its territory (Immi.Gov). They provide both the regulations and funding to both the public and private schools, though the government only provides the public schooling and private schools are offered by Churches and other groups (Immi.Gov). Some of the biggest differences between our US School system and the Australian system is how the school operates on the inside. Most of the schools throughout Australia enforce either a uniform code or a dress code, and most attendees bring their own lunches to school, although food can be purchased at the canteen - or cafeteria, in our terms (Working-In Australia.com). According to my friend Graham, the in school hours are generally the same as hours, starting at 8 AM and ending at 3 PM. The school term for Australia is also very different from our own. Where the US school duration is nine months, from September through May, the Australian school year is from January through December with four school terms in all (Working-In Australia.com). However, the school system makes up for this through having two and three week breaks periodically, once in April, July, and October. the longest break spans about a month and a half, and occurs during Christmas time (Working-In Australia.com). Schooling for children can start when they are around three years of age. At this time they can be enrolled in Preschool, though it is not required that children ... ... Martin, Peter. â€Å"Education System given a Fail.† SMH. Federal Politics, 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/education-system-given-a-fail-20120820-24io3.html O’Farrell, Johanna. â€Å"Splashing Cash won’t fix Australia’s broken education system.† TheAge. Comment, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. http://www.theage.com.au/comment/splashing-cash-wont-fix-australias-broken-education-system-2013 â€Å"What is the Australian Education System?† Immi. Australian Government, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/everyday-life/education/whatis.htm Soilemetzidis, Ioannis. â€Å"Higher Education in Australia: an Interview.† AngeloHigher. Angelo Higher 2.2 (2010): 12-20. Accessed through Web. 03, Mar. 2014. http://www.anglohigher.com/magazines/magazine_detail/47/251220-2zqpl.html

Gypsum Seting Time

g [pic] Faculty of engineering Civil engineering department ENCS 314 Building material lab Experiment No. 15&16 â€Å"Determination of water content used to prepare gypsum samples and the determination of the final setting for gypsum† Prepared by: Rasha Abed 1031107 Partners: Hazem No'man 1060155 Mohammed Hashlamoun 1060173 Ehab Alawi 1051449 Instructor: Ms. Randa Al- Asmar Date of experiment: 25-03-2008 Date of submitting: 01-04-2008 â€Å"Determination of water content used to prepare standardized gypsum samples and the determination of the final setting for gypsum† Introduction:In civil engineering, gypsum plays a role as a building material that contributes to many products such as cement and plaster. In this experiment, we investigated some properties considering hardening of gypsum, such as the standard water content and setting time. Aim of the experiment: – Determination of the proper water content to prepare gypsum paste samples – Determination of the final setting time for gypsum paste. Theory: Standard water content: amount of water added to gypsum to form a paste that'd allow the pointer of Vicat's apparatus to descend to a point (30-32) mm above the base of the mold.Setting time of Gypsum: the amount of time that passes from the moment of adding water to the gypsum paste (would be already determined); to the moment that Vicat's needle would descend to reach 3 mm above the base of the mold. Apparatus: †¢ Determination of the water content: – Vicat apparatus – Balance – Metal tray – Graduated cylinder †¢ Determination of the setting time for gypsum: – Vicat's apparatus (the pointer is replaced by Vicat's needle of 10 mm diameter. – Stop watch Procedure: †¢ Determination of the water content: . A 200 gm sample of gypsum is prepared, and put over a plate, to be added with a specified amount of water. 2. The gypsum is mixed thoroughly with water for 3 minutes, to form a moist paste. 3. A part of the paste is poured in the Vicat's mold, until the mold is filled completely with the paste and the surface of the mold is rimmed. 4. Vicat's mold is applied on the base of Vicat's device. The pointer of the device is adjusted to just touch the surface of the mold, then left to fall freely under the influence of its weight. . The reading of Vicat's pointer is taken. This reading indicates the depth that the pointer has reached above the base of the mold. 6. The experiment is repeated using a new sample each time; until the standard water content is reached (Vicat's needle would reach a height of (30-32) mm above the base of the mold. †¢ Determination of the setting time for gypsum: 1. A 200 gm sample of gypsum is prepared. The amount of water determined in the previous experiment is added to the sample. 2.The gypsum is mixed thoroughly with water for 3 minutes, to form a moist paste, and then part of the paste is poured in the Vicat's mold, until the mold is filled completely with the paste and the surface of the mold is rimmed. 3. Vicat's mold is applied on the base of Vicat's device. The needle of the device is adjusted to just touch the surface of the mold, then left to fall freely under the influence of its weight. 4. The reading of the device's pointer is taken, until we reach a reading of 3mm. 5. The time needed for the needle of the device would descend to a height of 3mm above the base of the mold is recorded using a stop watch.Data and calculations: |measured depth |The amount |Trial no. | |from the base (mm) |of added water (%) | | |39 |48 |1 | |34 |49 |2 | |35 |48. |3 | |32 |50 |4 | |50 |Standard water content (%) | |4. 16 |setting time (minutes) | Conclusion:As we can see from the results, the standard water content needed to prepare a standard gypsum paste = 50%, and we obtained a setting time = 4. 16, which compared to other building materials considered quick hardening. This advantage increases the role of gyps um as a component in Portland cement and plaster industry. [1] Engineering use: Gypsum is considered very valuable from the economical and industrial side, since it can be found a lot in nature. It can be used to manufacture plaster moldings (ceramic industry and engineering industry).Also gypsum plays apart in cement industry (for example: Gypsum cement and Portland cement). Many new techniques have been developed get benefit from gypsum and Portland cement. these techniques uses both the advantages of gypsum (early hardening, high early strength, enhanced workability) and Portland cement (improved durability in moist conditions), but are free of the deleterious effect of ettringite and thaumasite, which are formed when gypsum and Portland cement interact. Such properties enhance the workability of cement. [2][3]References: [1]: http://www. sciencedirect. com/science? _ob=ArticleURL=B6V2G-4BRRGD8-2=10=1==search=d=c=C000050221=1=0=10=4e71cbde7aba9b4d1338fea79920ab39 [2]: http://www. sciencedirect. com/science? _ob=ArticleURL=B6TWG-40GRJTP-7=10=1==search=d=c=C000050221=1=0=10=5c7ed60e8eed63f2ad9c9a5412b00080 [3]: http://www. apitco. org/Profiles/Gypsum%20based%20building%20materials. pdf

504 Plans for Students with Dyslexia

Some students with dyslexia are eligible for accommodations in school under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on a disability in any agency or institution which receives federal funds, including public schools. According to the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, students are eligible for accommodations and services, as needed, under Section 504 if they (1) have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or (2) have a record of such an impairment; or (3) be regarded as having such an impairment. A major life activity is one that an average person can complete with little or no difficulty. Learning, reading, and writing are considered major life activities. Developing a Section 504 Plan If parents believe their child needs a 504 plan, they must make a written request to ask the school to evaluate a child for eligibility for accommodations under Section 504. But teachers, administrators and other school personnel can also request an evaluation. Teachers might request an evaluation if they see a student having chronic problems in school and they believe these problems are caused by a disability. Once this request is received, the Child Study Team, which includes the teacher, the parents and other school personnel, meets to decide if the child is eligible for accommodations. During the evaluation, the team reviews recent report cards and grades, standardized test scores, discipline reports and talks with parents and teachers about school performance. If a child has been privately evaluated for dyslexia, this report will probably be included. If the student has other conditions, such as ADHD, a doctors report may have been submitted. The educational team reviews all of this information to decide if a student is eligible for accommodations under Section 504. If eligible, the team members will also offer suggestions for accommodations based on the individual needs of the student. They will also outline who, within the school, is responsible for implementing each of the services. Usually, there is an annual review to determine if the student is still eligible and to review the accommodations and see if changes need to be made. The General Education Teachers Role As the teacher, general educators should be involved in the evaluation process. During the evaluation, teachers are in a position to offer an insider view of the daily problems a student is having. This may mean completing a questionnaire to be reviewed by the team, or you may elect to attend the meetings. Some school districts encourage teachers to be in the meetings, giving their perspective and offering suggestions for accommodations. Because teachers are often the first line in implementing classroom accommodations, it makes sense for you to attend meetings so you better understand what is expected and you can voice objections if you feel an accommodation would be too disruptive for the rest of your class or too difficult to carry out. Once the Section 504 has been developed and accepted by the parents and the school, it is a legal contract. The school is responsible for making sure all aspects of the agreement are carried out. Teachers do not have the ability to decline or refuse to implement accommodations listed in the Section 504. They cannot pick and choose which accommodations they want to follow. If, after the Section 504 has been approved, you find that certain accommodations are not working in the students best interest or interfere with your ability to teach your class, you must talk with your schools 504 Coordinator and request a meeting with the educational team. Only this team can make changes to the Section 504 Plan. You may also want to attend the annual review. Usually Section 504 plans are reviewed on an annual basis. During this meeting the educational team will decide whether the student is still eligible and if so, whether the previous accommodations should be continued. The team will look to the teacher to provide information about whether the student utilized the accommodations and whether these accommodations helped the student within the classroom. Additionally, the educational team will look toward the coming school year to see what needs the student has.References: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities, Modified 2011, Mar 17, Staff Writer, U.S. Department of Education: Office for Civil Rights IEPs vs. 504 Plans, 2010 Nov 2, Staff Writer, Sevier County Special Education Section 504 Handbook, 2010, Feb, Kittery School Department