10 Photographers who Influenced Photography

10 Photographers who Influenced Photography The Coolest Photographers Out There Chapters1. Henri-Cartier Bresson, Influencer of Photography2. Robert Doisneau, The Most Famous Photographer Ever?3. Brassaï, A Photographer In Love with A Country4. Yann-Arthus Bertrand, World Photographer5. Nicéphore Nièpce, The First Photographer Ever?6. Bettina Rheims, Photographer of the World7. Guy Bourdin, Fashion Photographer and More8. Louis Daguerre, the Inventor of Photography?9. Marc Riboud, World Photographer10. Raymond Depardon, War PhotographerFrance is where photography was born...why not take example from the greatest French photographers to improve your photos?During a private photography class or a photo lesson in a photo school, a student will inevitably be confronted with some of the most famous photographers if they want to discover  different photo techniques. A lot of these will be French!Studying their photo style, but also their biography is essential to becoming a professional photographer and developing a sense of culture.Because we're passionate about t he subject, here is a small non-exhaustive list of the best French photographers to inspire yourself from.Sometimes shocking, Riboud's work demonstrates the ugliness, but also the beauty, of life and man.This is an essential artist for future photojournalists who are eager to partake in international travel and experiences.10. Raymond Depardon, War PhotographerBorn in 1942 in Villefranche sur Saone, Raymond Depardon is a French photographer, journalist, and filmmaker.Take snaps around the world like Raymond Depardon!Founder of the Gamma photography agency, Raymond Depardon works in the film industry and is recognized for his many documentary films.On the photography side of things, Raymond Depardon covered some of the most important historical events, such as the Vietnam War or the Algerian War as a photojournalist.The SLR camera is essential to become a pro photographer.What if you discovered different photography techniques with a private photography tutor?

6 Struggles Only Karaoke Enthusiasts Understand (in GIFs)

6 Struggles Only Karaoke Enthusiasts Understand (in GIFs) Suzy S. Love karaoke? And by that we mean borderline obsessed? Is it your first suggestion for a birthday get-together? Do the karaoke hosts at your local bar know you by name and get concerned when you dont show up? Are you first on stage, while your  friends hide  in the corner  slowly sipping their liquid courage? Yep, we know the feeling. Even if it takes you forever to browse the book and pick  the perfect  song to sing, its all worth it when you take the stage, grab the mic, and hear the roaring cheers of your fans (er, friends). If you know your local karaoke spots song catalog by heart, karaoke isnt just a late-night whim for you. Its a hobby that unleashes the natural performer inside you, daring you to take risks and win over crowds.  If youre a karaoke enthusiast like us, we bet you can relate to these six struggles 1. YouTube swallows your weekends whole. Most people imagine the karaoke life as a series of parties, bars, and amateur singing contests. However, you do most of your singing at home. YouTube is full of popular karaoke songs, complete with scrolling lyrics, so its easy to warm up with a few of your favorites. But before you know it, hours have passed and youre down a sing-along rabbit hole. The Internet is a great place to practice, but if youre not careful, youll lose track of real-life karaoke, with its far superior sound systems and energetic live audiences. 2. You have nightmares about losing your thumb drive. Once upon a time, people burned their favorite popular karaoke songs  onto CDs and handed them to KJs. Today, you can fit thousands of custom-edited and privately purchased karaoke songs onto one flash drive. However, if youve ever fished around for your USB drive in a dark pub, you know this convenience is a double-edged sword. If your competition has your playlist of karaoke songs, there goes the element of surprise. 3. You take notes while listening to the radio. You cant help it. When youre driving to work or school, streaming an online radio station, or listening to a friends music collection, youre constantly on the lookout for popular karaoke songs to sing. Are those lyrics fun and easy to hear? Is the beat recognizable? Do you think you can match the singers voice? Should you go scrambling for the rest of their collection, hoping to find that perfect track for the next karaoke night? Without fail, listening to music always results in karaoke brainstorms. See also: Our top picks for karaoke songs for girls, guys, groups, and more! 4. Reality show judges make you want to scream. When you watch singing shows  like  American Idol, X Factor,  or The Voice, you cant help but critique the amateur singers who somehow get a national platform for their mediocre mimicry. And its inevitable: With every new season of yet another televised singing competition, a few more talent-less wannabes are kicked out of tryouts because they belong in a karaoke bar. Ironically, the judges are usually music-industry veterans who profit every time you sing a song they recorded or produced. Why, then, do they insist on using karaoke as a punchline? 5. To alter or not to alter: That is the question. Some karaoke machines can raise or lower a songs key, to better match your own voice with the singers. Youve been around long enough to know how divisive this issue is, and you may even have a firm opinion about whether or not its a legitimate way to perform. However, theres no denying the appeal of a guaranteed harmony, digital or otherwise. 6. Practice doesnt always make perfect. Successful self-taught singers are few and far between for a very good reason: singing takes more than just talent. If you want to master the nuances of singing for a live audience, youll need to train your vocal cords with exercises that make it easier to breathe, stay on key, remember the lyrics, and sing with emotion. A private vocal coach or singing instructor  can  work with you to hone your singing talents and tweak your performance style. Karaoke Tips: Picking the Best Songs to Sing Remember picking the  best song isnt always about choosing from the most popular karaoke songs of all time. If you want to avoid embarrassing mistakes, youll want to select a song that  suits your voice (i.e. your vocal range and stylistic tendencies), your personality, and also your audience! Are you at a grungy dive bar? Might be best to save Genie in a Bottle  for another time. Also,  remember that  singing karaoke is all about having fun! If youre nervous, its much easier to pick a song your genuinely enjoy singing before breaking out the high notes and fancy riffs. For specific recommendations, check out our list of fun songs to sing at karaoke! Additional Karaoke Resources Need more karaoke tips and inspiration? Here are few other websites to check out: The Karaoke Channel This website  offers thousands of professional, re-recorded hits available for download, along with a community forum and a mobile app to take with you on the go. Karaoke Version Another great resource for finding instrumental tracks to sing along to. Sunfly Karaoke Offers more than 13,000 karaoke tracks available for download or via a personalized karaoke disc. RedKaraoke Feeling shy?  These apps work with your iPhone/iPad, Android device, or SmartTV to start the party, without ever leaving the house! Ace Karaoke Need karaoke equipment, like amps, cables, stage lighting, or mics?  Find it all here! KaraokePlayers.Info Karaoke community and articles for karaoke fans. Ultimate DJ + Karaoke Karaoke entertainment for the Kansas City area, including sales and rentals Readers, anything youd add to this list? What are your favorite karaoke songs to sing? Leave a comment below and let us know! Photo by  Richard Sunderland Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

What is an Equilateral Triangle

What is an Equilateral Triangle There are different types of triangles based on the sides and the angles of the triangle, and one such type of a triangle is the Equilateral triangle. An equilateral triangle is a triangle which has all equal sides, which implies all the 3 sides are equal in length. Because the sides are equal, the 3 angles are also equal to each other. Since the sum of all the angles in any triangle must add up to 180, hence each angle in an equilateral triangle measures 60. Example 1: What is the area of an equilateral triangle which has the side length equal to 5m? Given the side of an equilateral triangle, s = 5m An equilateral triangle has all the 3 sides equal to each other in length. Hence all the sides are equal to 5m. Area of an equilateral triangle, A = 3/4 * s2 Area of the equilateral triangle, A = 3/4 * (5m) 2 Area, A = 3/4 * 25 = 10.8m2 Hence area of the given equilateral triangle, A = 10.8m2 Example 2: What is the area of an equilateral triangle which has the side length equal to 6m? Given the side of an equilateral triangle, s = 6m An equilateral triangle has all the 3 sides equal to each other in length. Hence all the sides are equal to 6m. Area of an equilateral triangle, A = 3/4 * s2 Area of the equilateral triangle, A = 3/4 * (6m) 2 Area, A = 3/4 * 36 = 15.6m2 Hence area of the given equilateral triangle, A = 15.6m2

Online Math Tutor Chat

Online Math Tutor Chat Live Chat With Online Math Tutors Can Help You Boost Your Math Grades Is your child struggling in their math classes and finding it hard to pay attention or understand their teachers? Does a big classroom environment make it difficult for them to learn or ask questions? Tutor Pace tutors can provide your child with a one-on-one learning environment to help with their homework so that they can learn new study habits and raise their mathematics grades. Math can be confusing at times, but Tutor Pace can ease all of these worries, and provide your child with one-on-one virtual tutoring for all of their math needs. All you need is an internet connection, a comfortable place to learn, and the determination to achieve awesome grades. Tutor Pace Online Math Tutoring Program Features: Tutor Pace tutoring progam can help boost your child confidence, strengthen subject comprehesion and gains important math learning skills: 24/7 access to our math tutors. No more worrying about business hours. Pre-scheduled and on-demand appointments. Help whenever you need it. Personalized learning from your own home. No more drive time or taxi moms. Choose and keep your favorite tutor. Familiarity and consistency for your child. Instant feedback and recordable sessions for your convenience. No need to remember everything at once Our Online Tutors Can Help with Learning All Math Subjects! Tutor Pace can help you with all math subjects, including algebra, calculus, geometry, probability, statistics and more. When you work with our math tutors, you will get the opportunity to discuss your homework, develop a new study plan that works with your learning style, and the time to ask questions to better understand the problems. We will use our diagnostics tests to help identify your childs key strengths and weaknesses so that you can pinpoint their trouble areas, and overcome them. This will give your child not only the math skills they need, but also the confidence that they need to ace their next mathematics exam. Watch Your Childs Confidence in Math Class Skyrocket with Tutor Pace! Here at Tutor Pace, we use many different resources to ensure that your child has the best tutoring experience. You can be confident that your tuition dollars are well spent as you watch your child progress and advance after each online tutoring session. Our tutors work at your childs unique learning pace, so there are never issues with falling behind. Our primary focus is to help your child grow. ?Throughout our tutoring program, we use many tools to maximize success including: 500 math practice worksheets Engaging and interactive question and answer software Effective diagnostics tests to identify students strengths and weaknesses Numerous free math exercises Online math flashcards Our tutors are ready to stand by your side to meet all of your math tutoring needs. Our tutors can help you get your assignments completed quicker and more successfully. Chat with Your New Online Mathematics Tutor Today If you have questions and want to get your child started with their new one-on-one personal math tutor, contact us today! We would love to be a part of watching your child grow in learning mathematics and developing the confidence that they need to ace all of their math tests. Get Math Help from Online Math Tutor Now! Are you worried that your math grades are falling? What if you could get a math tutor online to go over with your math problems and you take control of learning at your own pace by working with a tutor in one-on-one environment. In one-on-one online math tutoring, our tutors help you develop a skill so you not only master the subject but also build confidence and therefore receive higher grades. Students who opt-ins for our tutoring program have actually raised their grades from Bs to As after completing our online tutoring program. Our math tutors develop a personal student learning plan (SLP) by using an interactive and engaging technology (such as math fun games, iPad, diagnostic tests). These techniques in fact help in identifying students weaknesses and strengths areas. Tutor and student work together to stay focus on the weak areas and therefore improve learning in overall subject. Help Your Childs Get a Head-Start and See their Skills and Confidence Soar: It is not uncommon for a child to have their confidence issues at one time or another, we help build their self-esteem and help them develop a healthy sense of their own abilities. During the entire tutoring program, student is asked to use : 500 math worksheets to practice. Question and answer tool which student find it to be very interactive and engaging tool. Diagnostic tests: a very powerful tool to find out students weakness and strengths. Free interactive math exercises. Math flashcards online. Chat with a Live Math Tutor Online Can Really Help During exam time, students need more help than ever before. Our Tutors stand ready when you need them before or during your exam time to provide the help you deserved. You get personalized one-on-one attention to get your math homework help and assignment done quicker and easier. Our Tutoring Program Features: Expert math tutors online 24/7 Get help in any math subject, from calculus and trigonometry to calculus and statistics Connect with tutor either from your computer or mobile device No appointments to make for your session Live on demand or schedule-based tutoring Ability to choose and keep your favorite tutor No drive time to learning center Instant feedback to student and parents after each session and test Cover all topics including algebra, calculus, geometry, probability, statistics and more. Each session are recorded and archived to replay later for practice. Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics; I assure you that mine are greater. Einstein, Albert (1879-1955) If you ask mathematicians what they do, you always get the same answer. They think. They think about difficult and unusual problems. They do not think about ordinary problems: they just write down the answers. Egrafov, M. Inspirational Success Story: I still remember the day when a shy 6th grade student named Vanessa took her first online math lessons with me. Vanessas vice principal had actually recommended her to utilize Tutor Pace after school tutoring service program. I asked to the student to take a diagnostics test so I can find out where she was struggling in math. After seeing her result from diagnostic test, I decided to develop a student learning program for her and planned to boost her confidence by teaching her to add fractions. I knew from my previous experience that children build anxiety and nervousness about math when they first start working on math problems. Because I developed my lesson plans which involved multiplications, math magic and math techniques but when I asked Vanessa if she knows anything about multiplications, she stated she had no idea what the multiplications meant. Even she was struggling with the counting a number. She was terribly kept saying that I dont understand it at all But with the right lesson plan, I was able to help her into developing mathematicians. My secret was for her to carefully guiding her adventure in numbers

Interesting Phrasal Verbs Learn English with Harry

Interesting Phrasal Verbs Learn English with Harry Here you will learn interesting phrasal verbs. Ive taken them randomly, theyre not very normal phrasal verbs. So hopefully youll understand them and find a use for them in your English conversation.First one isPUT IT DOWN TOMeaning: to blame something or to think that something happened due to a particular reason Interesting Phrasal Verbs Its a multi part phrasal verb, and we can use this in many ways. For example,if I am suffering from a bad cold or sore throat or generally dont feel well. And somebody had said:?? How did you get the cold??? I think I put it down to the fact that Id been working hard recently. Ive been tired, Im not eating properly. So Id put it down to that.Meaning I will blame or thats my excuse.We can  also use  PUT IT DOWN TO  if somebody is in a bad mood perhaps, and when youre talking to them, they get a little bit snappy, meaning  they give you a very gruff or a sharp response. And then they  say:I’m really really sorry. Look, just put it down to nerves.So again, they are blaming or attributing their bad manners or little bit of a aggressiveness and their vice, theyre putting it down to the fact that they have to make an important presentation in the next few days.The government  put the increase in crime down to the fact that young now are using computer games too much.The next phrasal verb is to SINGLE OUTMeaning: to select or to pick someone or something particularlyFor example, in school, the students are all pretty good. Theyre getting good marks. But one particular student has done really, really well  consistently. So the teachers single out this student for a special merit award.Youve all done really well, but Mary Smith  has been singled out to receive an award as the  person who has gone beyond what they needed to do and has performed exceptionally well in all subjects.You can use single out  phrasal verb with  a positive or with a negative  meaning.In the above example I gave you about  school,  were using it in a positive way.Also in school you might find some boy or girl is a little bit different from the other children. They get  picked on or bullied, which nobody likes to see happening.So they were singled out for some attention by other students because they are different.We could also use single out phrasal verb  in a sporting context.For example, you have  a very, very skilful  player on one team. Such a player is usually  singled out by the opposition for special attention. Phrasal Verb Drag Out Meaning The next phrasal verb is TO STICK TO SOMETHING.Meaning: to continue doing something that you promised or decided to doWell, of course we can use this in the literal context when we are cooking and you forget to put enough on oil or something in the pan and do your meat or whatever youre cooking will stick to the pan and youre have to scrape it off.But stick to means when we decide not to change our mind or not to change our opinion about something.If youre playing a game of cards, poker, perhaps, you decide to stick to the hand that you have, the cards that youve got, you dont want to change any of them because you think youve got a good hand and therefore youve got a good chance of winning.Or you can say, Ill stick to my decision.So here is how you can use stick to something in a sentence: What are you going to do at the weekend? Well, I was going to just have a quiet night in. Why, what are you suggesting? Well, you know, with the us are thinking of going for a few beers and then p erhaps to a nightclub. No, I think Ill stick to my original idea. The quiet nights sounds a little better. Ive got to get up for work tomorrow. Phrasal Verb Pile Up Meaning And then the final phrasal verb I have in this particular podcast is TO GET ACROSS.Meaning: make your point to so that somebody understands where youre coming fromTo get across in its literal means to be able to go from one side of the street to the other, to get across the road to get across the bridge.If you want to use it metaphorically to get across, we usually refer to points or information. To get across your point.If youre having a debate and argument or discussion with somebody, its really important that you get your point across. So to get your point across a means to make your point to so that somebody understands where youre coming from and perhaps helps you to win that argument or discussion. Or you might like to get across to somebody that youre annoyed.So you know, you stand up and you ask a question and you say to whoevers in charge of the meeting or eh, somebody in authority:Id like to get across to you how annoyed I am about the situation in our streets.So to get acr oss your point means to make sure the other person listening to you understands exactly what youre trying to say and the reason why youre making that point. Okay.So to get across your point, to get across your ideas.  Or to get the point across. Yeah, you can use it in that context.  Hopefully, you enjoyed interesting phrasal verbs. Phrasal Verb Narrow Down Meaning

12 English Travel Phrasal Verbs - Learn English with Harry ??

12 English Travel Phrasal Verbs - Learn English with Harry ?? Here you will learn 12 travel phrasal verbs in English.If reading is not really your cup of tea, scroll down to watch a short video lesson on Travel Phrasal Verbs. 12 Travel Phrasal Verbs in English Travelling is a year round activity as people now go on holidays more than once a year. The following are phrasal verbs that are related to travel or, as you may name them, travel phrasal verbs. I have set out some key phrasal  verbs that we use in a typical holiday trip. SET OFFWhen we begin a journey anywhere of a short or long duration we have to start from some  place either our home or our office perhaps.So we normally advise our friends or family that our  holiday is about to start or we will set off shortly.Example: John was going to Italy for a week. He told his family that he was due to set off at 4 pm for the airport and asked if someone could give him a lift.SET OUTSimilar to set off we can also use this to describe the beginning of a journey. It sometimes  refers to a shorter journey than a holiday, perhaps a trek or a walk.Example: Michael is gone for a trek. He set out about an hour ago.  HEAD FORto start moving towards a place (town, city, etc)Example: We had decided to head for Edinburgh.CHECK IN/CHECK OUTWhen we arrive at our destination, a hotel or apartment on Airbnb (perhaps)  we usually have a time when we can check in.And when we leave our hotel or apartment at the end  of our vacation we are given a time to leave or check out.Ex ample: When I arrived in Barcelona I made my way (travelled to) to my hotel and checked in at about 2.30 pm. On my day of departure I had to check out before 12 noon. It suited me fine as my flight was due to leave at 3 pm.Scroll down for Everyday English Travel Phrases. 12 Travel Phrasal Verbs in English HOP ON/HOP OFF  Im sure you are familiar with these 2 travel phrasal verbs.Nowadays most of the cities offer visitors  the red bus option to get a tour of the city. This red bus is sometime a replica of (a copy of) the old  London buses.These buses offer the option to hop on or off as you please at different locations  around or across the city. You buy the ticket and you can get on (hop on) or get off (hop off) the bus  at any location.Example: We hopped on the train and went back to the hostel.  GET AROUND  Travelling is very enjoyable at any time. However, it is made easier due to the advances  in transport options. We can travel by car, train, plane or even ship!When setting out our plans for  our holidays it is important to know how we will travel from one destination to another. Our friends  may ask us what type of transport will we use.How are you getting around? = How will you travel?Example: David was travelling to 5 cities in 10 days. His friend wanted to know how he intend ed getting  around. He had arranged to hire a car for that purpose.SEE SOMEBODY OFFWhen somebody is leaving for an extended time it is normal for family members  to travel with that person to the point of departure (airport or train station) to wish them well and  to wave goodbye. This we refer to as seeing somebody off.Example: Mary was leaving for an extended  working holiday in Australia. Her parents were anxious to go to the airport to see her off. She was  going to be away for approximately 6 months. Everyday English Travel Phrases 12 Travel Phrasal Verbs GET BACKWhen we go on a holiday or a business trip we usually have to come back at sometime. It is also normal for our colleagues family and friends to ask us when are we due to return when talking about our holiday.Example: Declan was going on holiday to the USA and his boss wanted to know when he was due to get back to work. So we can ask When are you getting back? or When do you  get back to the office/home? or When are you due back?GET GOINGWhen it is time to depart or to leave we often use the phrase get going.We often use  it together with the words its about time because usually we are in a hurry or in a rush.Example: Igor was late packing his bag and needed to get to the airport as quickly as possible. He told his wife it was about time he got going. He had to leave immediately otherwise he might have missed his flight.BREAK DOWNto stop working (a machine, a vehicle)Example: Our car broke down on the way to Nice, so we phoned breakdown recovery service.START OFFto begin a jou rney at a particular placeExample: We started off in Heidelberg, which is this old-fashioned, nice town in Western Germany.PUT SOMEONE UPto give (someone) temporary accommodationExample: My friends put me up for three nights.Do you like travelling? What was the last trip you took? Try to write a short story about your last trip and use as many travel phrasal verbs as you can. This simple exercise will help you remember them.If you would like to continue learning English phrasal verbs (Im sure you would!), continue reading my other posts. I also have a post about Intermediate English Travel Vocabulary where you can find English words and expressiong related to travelling.And if you would like to improve your English faster and in an easy way, consider taking our English Lessons on Skype. Remember, we do offer a FREE English lesson to try it! English Travel Verbs - Video Lesson

When and How to Ask for a Job Promotion

When and How to Ask for a Job Promotion via Pexels.com 1. The When While time does not always equal effort, it is necessary to consider how much time you have spent working in this company. If you have been at this company for less than six months, it may not yet a good idea to ask for a promotion. It is likely that you are still developing your knowledge of the processes, expectations, and responsibilities involved. If you are still fairly new, but feel you could be doing more, you could ask your supervisor or manager for some tasks with more responsibility involved. This will show initiative while also allowing yourself to build up your skills without having to take a huge leap before you’re ready. In some companies, you will go through a probation period where they will review your work after around 3-6 months. This is a great time to discuss with your supervisors any changes you may like to see to your responsibilities, tasks, and pay. Similarly, if you have just switched to a new role, it probably isn’t the best time to ask for a promotion. Even though you may have short term success already, you need to show your colleagues that you will have long term success too. Give yourself some time to really dedicate yourself to this role. If you aren’t feeling like you are doing enough, talk to the workers above you about some ideas you might have for improvement. 2. The Why The next step is to figure out why you are wanting a promotion. It could be a range of things from boredom to money to ambition, or a combination of all three. You’re also going to need to begin gathering information from your boss about why you’d make a good candidate for a promotion, or perhaps why you are better off in the role you have now. The feedback culture of each company is going to vary widely. It is essential that you receive feedback from your boss to know how to improve. If your company regularly gives you feedback and holds meetings about your progress, think about the things said, especially things that have been repeated. If your feedback is mostly positive, and you’ve been working hard on strengthening your weaknesses, it may be time for you to ask for a promotion. If your feedback is mostly negative, you may want to take some more time to fix the recurring issues before tackling new things. If you work somewhere that doesn’t give regular feedback, it is a good idea to seek some out to know where you stand. Ask your supervisor or boss to schedule a meeting with you to discuss your work thus far and come up with ways to keep improving. After the meeting, take into consideration what you can improve on and put forth your efforts towards those things. If your meeting was mostly positive, this may be your cue to ask for a promotion. It is very important that you meet with your supervisor specifically to discuss your progress and your contributions so far. You should not be making assumptions about your work based on day-to-day comments. Most often, the things discussed every day will be negative: things that need fixed or have gone wrong. A job well done can easily go unnoticed. If you solely base your judgment on the day-to-day, you may have a more negative view of yourself which may not be accurate. 3. The How It is essential that you speak to your boss directly when asking for a promotion. In the case that your boss doesn’t have a lot of influence, then you’ll want to speak to someone with an even higher role, perhaps the CEO. Make sure to set up a meeting that allows plenty of time for you to pitch your promotional case and plenty of time for follow-up questions and negotiation. By this point, you should have gathered some key information about your success in the company and why you think you’re suited for a promotion. If there is a specific vacant role that you’re after, make sure you touch on how you would take on the aspects of that role. No conversation will go exactly the same, but remember to always remain calm, confident, and respectful regardless of the outcome. Although scary at first, the task of asking for a promotion can be broken down into easier, more manageable steps. Remember to believe in your abilities and act on those beliefs. You’ll be on your way to a better role in no time.

What is 8 x 9 - Tutor Hunt Blog

What is 8 x 9 What is 8 x 9? What is 8 x 9?NewsWhat is 8 x 9? School`s Minister Nick Gibb`s answer: `I`m not going to get into this.` School`s Minister Nick Gibb faced an embarrassing situation recently, when he was asked a simple multiplication question by Good Morning Britain presenter Jeremy Kyle: `What is eight times nine?` The Minister Dodged the question adroitly, employing a sophisticated and cunning retort: `I`m not going to get into this. I`ve learned through bitter experience never to answer these kinds of questions on live television.` He must have been aware that his demurrer was perhaps a little surprising, for he went on to express that he was keen to provide an answer: `I`m very tempted to, but I`m not going to.` If only I had known such tactics were available to me when I was at school, and could be employed whenever I was pounced upon by teachers who succumbed to the urge to become quizmaster. I thought the only options open to me were an array of wrong answers, inevitably leading to a humiliating spectacle of chastisement in front of the whole class; if only I had been aware I could politely decline to answer - simply say `I`m not going to get into this,` and return to my seat, secure in the knowledge that I was a model student. Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway seemed dumbfounded by Mr Gibbs answer, asking him: `Why is it so important for an eight-year-old to do it when clearly you feel vulnerable about it, and there you are, a government minister?` `No eight-year-old or nine-year-old will be doing it on live television,` The Minister replied, settling the matter. Nick Gibb had appeared on the morning show to discuss the Government`s new times tables tests, which are part of a numeracy programme to help ensure school children are proficient in their multiplications up to 12. A brief, five minute online test is being trialled in march, with plans for it to become mandatory for all year 4 students by 2020. Many teachers are strongly opposed to this new test, seeing it as just another incarnation of the SATS test in mathematics, which was phased out after numerous complains that it placed an excessive amount of stress upon seven year old pupils. Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, expressed his dismay about the proposed new test: `We`re working constructively with the government on primary assessment generally so it`s hugely disappointing that they are still intent on the introduction of a multiplication tables test, which the NAHT opposes.` In my opinion ensuring children have a good grasp of their times tables can only be a good thing - many complain that this kind of teaching is just brute force memorisation, but numerical proficiency will actually be useful in day to day life. Given the ever increasing technical demands of the modern workplace, more attention needs to be focused on mathematics at a younger age. This test will ensure each pupil can be accurately assessed, and any pupils that are struggling can be helped. Nick Gibb himself has extolled the virtues of this new times tables check: `Just as the phonics screening check helps children who are learning to read, the multiplication tables check will help teachers identify those pupils who require extra support.` `This will ensure that all pupils leave primary school knowing their times tables off by heart and able to start secondary school with a secure grasp of the fundamental mathematics they need to fulfil their potential.` Given his enthusiasm for times tables mastery, it is disappointing that he failed to display the skill he means to inculcate in pupils. To put it in stark terms: the School`s Minister failed to answer a question he expects all 11 year old children to be able to answer. He is of course not the only politician to come unstuck when presented with a numerical conundrum - who could forget Diane Abbot`s flailing when asked about the funding for extra police officers? Her calculations, given live on LBC radio, meant that each officer could expect to be paid about 10 pence a day! If only to avoid embarrassing (and potentially career ending) situations like this, and Mr Gibbs` muted calculations, the formalised teaching of times tables to young children can only be a good thing. 2 years ago0Add a Comment