ALL I EVER REALLY NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT MYSELF I LEARNED IN GRAD SCHOOL
I need to keep it simple
I know how to live off the bare essentials of survival
I need to care about what I am doing, because whatever it is, it’s worth finishing
I have the right to free speech and the right to be heard
I don’t need someone to tell me what to do; I have the ability to make my own decisions
I don’t need to be evaluated or told what I’m worth, I already know
I need to be accountable for myself
I need time for myself, to pursue my interests
I need to play an active role in my community
I deserve to be and can be trusted
I know there isn’t always someone watching me,
I have nothing to hide
I don’t have a set place in society; who I am and what I do could change tomorrow if I want it to
I’m just one person in the world, but I know that what I am doing can make a difference
I know what I believe in and I’m passionate about it
I know that if I don’t do it myself, no one else is going to do it for me
I am in control of my future
Everything you need to know to be a self sustained adult is in there
Think of what a better world it would it would be if we kept life simple, were accountable for our own actions, and didn’t always look over our shoulder to see if anyone was watching. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world make sure you are an active part of your community and know that you can make a difference.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
The obsolete grading system
How many highly intelligent and creative people fail to complete a formal education because of the tedium? How many students ‘slide through’ the system without having an understanding of the material or developing critical thinking skills?
the problem......tedious lectures, tedious assignments and without question, the grading system. The grading system in high schools doesn't work because the amount of actual learning/development and preparation for adult life is not something that can be evaluated with a number...
best example I can give is looking at the grades on assignments during a unit that progressively builds on concepts
student a)......35%, 58%, 79%, 97%----grade = 67%
student b) same unit 88%, 89%, 93%, 87% -----grade = 89%
who's performance warrants a better grade? Did student B actually learn ANYTHING?
The undefined problem is 'the untold story'. In the end both student A and B had nearly the same understanding of the material when the unit ended....their experiences were different but the goal was accomplished in either case...most likely the student who failed off the start will have learned more about 'learning', problem solving, and would as such be MORE adjusted in a university and work setting then someone who simply drags there ass through the motions and gets it all off the start....
curriculum's are set up such that each course has 'specific tasks' for the teacher to deliver. I certainly have had several experiences as a student where all of these 'specific tasks' need only be understood well enough to achieve a cumulative passing grade on average with all the content....one could get 100 in one section and 1% in another and sufficiently pass the course if only 2 tasks are outlined.....but that means they only understand 1/2 of the course content.......is that sufficient.....because according to the grade system......IT IS!!! This is how I passed Math 111 at the UofR. It always bothered me, and I always wanted to do that class over again, I guess now I know why.
My ideal situation would be one in which the student must prove in any way possible that they can individually perform EACH task as the term progresses....this need not require a grade or an examination......but via student and teacher interaction or some form of independent assignment that was performed by the student to do so....
Core curriculum is shrinking in size as much of the material becomes outdated and other aspects are deemed trivial in nature.....delivery of this curriculum is often done by rote with tedious lecturing.....this is OK for building the framework to a certain extent....but the process of learning is via EXPERIENCE....it then becomes my job to FACILITATE and INSPIRE those EXPERIENCES for the student.....not simply provide assignments and ensure they do their assigned work.....this process cannot be evaluated via grade distribution for performance on regurgitation of material on examinations
If for advanced students the curriculum is met in a shorter period of time then the course entails, then you guide them in applied assignments that meet their specific personal interests and to areas that may aid them in future material (university/workforce) and helps them continue to grow and develop as functional LEARNING and ADAPTIVE members of society......for the not so accomplished student should it be the teachers responsibility to ‘push through’ the student into the next level is the required tasks were not completed in the allotted time…. I would hope not, but it becomes our job to facilitate that this be achieved.
Number grades are removed and it becomes what is called......a learning assessment....is that harder then marking a multiple choice test.....you are DAMN RIGHT it is!! Is EVALUATION AVOIDED.....absolutely not.....it is just evaluated without a number value.....education become goal oriented...a quest of knowledge, not a quest for a number.
does that not sound better on a universal scale then simply listening to a lecture, being assigned something that you may or may not understand, getting a grade, and then moving on whether you understand or not? All in the hope that you reach the end of the year with an average understanding of the topics that equals 50%...
There are other alternatives to removing ‘grades’ of course. There has been substantial evidence that the pass/fail system works very well and also something called criterion referenced assessment (which is a lot like what I’m talking about here but still with a number assigned). There is also, negotiated marks, where the student and the teacher actually discuss what mark they receive at the end of the term.
Either way, the grade system is obsolete. It may not seem so because many are successful because of it, but those that are, are minorities…
the problem......tedious lectures, tedious assignments and without question, the grading system. The grading system in high schools doesn't work because the amount of actual learning/development and preparation for adult life is not something that can be evaluated with a number...
best example I can give is looking at the grades on assignments during a unit that progressively builds on concepts
student a)......35%, 58%, 79%, 97%----grade = 67%
student b) same unit 88%, 89%, 93%, 87% -----grade = 89%
who's performance warrants a better grade? Did student B actually learn ANYTHING?
The undefined problem is 'the untold story'. In the end both student A and B had nearly the same understanding of the material when the unit ended....their experiences were different but the goal was accomplished in either case...most likely the student who failed off the start will have learned more about 'learning', problem solving, and would as such be MORE adjusted in a university and work setting then someone who simply drags there ass through the motions and gets it all off the start....
curriculum's are set up such that each course has 'specific tasks' for the teacher to deliver. I certainly have had several experiences as a student where all of these 'specific tasks' need only be understood well enough to achieve a cumulative passing grade on average with all the content....one could get 100 in one section and 1% in another and sufficiently pass the course if only 2 tasks are outlined.....but that means they only understand 1/2 of the course content.......is that sufficient.....because according to the grade system......IT IS!!! This is how I passed Math 111 at the UofR. It always bothered me, and I always wanted to do that class over again, I guess now I know why.
My ideal situation would be one in which the student must prove in any way possible that they can individually perform EACH task as the term progresses....this need not require a grade or an examination......but via student and teacher interaction or some form of independent assignment that was performed by the student to do so....
Core curriculum is shrinking in size as much of the material becomes outdated and other aspects are deemed trivial in nature.....delivery of this curriculum is often done by rote with tedious lecturing.....this is OK for building the framework to a certain extent....but the process of learning is via EXPERIENCE....it then becomes my job to FACILITATE and INSPIRE those EXPERIENCES for the student.....not simply provide assignments and ensure they do their assigned work.....this process cannot be evaluated via grade distribution for performance on regurgitation of material on examinations
If for advanced students the curriculum is met in a shorter period of time then the course entails, then you guide them in applied assignments that meet their specific personal interests and to areas that may aid them in future material (university/workforce) and helps them continue to grow and develop as functional LEARNING and ADAPTIVE members of society......for the not so accomplished student should it be the teachers responsibility to ‘push through’ the student into the next level is the required tasks were not completed in the allotted time…. I would hope not, but it becomes our job to facilitate that this be achieved.
Number grades are removed and it becomes what is called......a learning assessment....is that harder then marking a multiple choice test.....you are DAMN RIGHT it is!! Is EVALUATION AVOIDED.....absolutely not.....it is just evaluated without a number value.....education become goal oriented...a quest of knowledge, not a quest for a number.
does that not sound better on a universal scale then simply listening to a lecture, being assigned something that you may or may not understand, getting a grade, and then moving on whether you understand or not? All in the hope that you reach the end of the year with an average understanding of the topics that equals 50%...
There are other alternatives to removing ‘grades’ of course. There has been substantial evidence that the pass/fail system works very well and also something called criterion referenced assessment (which is a lot like what I’m talking about here but still with a number assigned). There is also, negotiated marks, where the student and the teacher actually discuss what mark they receive at the end of the term.
Either way, the grade system is obsolete. It may not seem so because many are successful because of it, but those that are, are minorities…
A New Thing For Me
So I'm not making this blog to update anyone on my life or to provide my day to day thoughts. This blog will be intended to discuss the deep dark dirty stuff that apparently is not acceptable at 'the dinner table.'
I will attempt to provide a blog entry about once a week on my thoughts in regards to politics, religion, financial / economic concerns, first nations issues, science and scientific discoveries, experiences with health care and issues in regards to health care...and undeniably issues with the education system. Just for the hell of it I might throw something in about sports, travel and photography if it I am so inclined on that day and have nothing else to talk about.
I hope not that people only read my posts but respond to them in a critical manner so that people can talk about the issues. If we talk about them maybe we can all learn something...the best thing about a blog is that you can say whatever you want...I won't judge you on your view...even if I express that I thoroughly disagree with you. :)
I will attempt to provide a blog entry about once a week on my thoughts in regards to politics, religion, financial / economic concerns, first nations issues, science and scientific discoveries, experiences with health care and issues in regards to health care...and undeniably issues with the education system. Just for the hell of it I might throw something in about sports, travel and photography if it I am so inclined on that day and have nothing else to talk about.
I hope not that people only read my posts but respond to them in a critical manner so that people can talk about the issues. If we talk about them maybe we can all learn something...the best thing about a blog is that you can say whatever you want...I won't judge you on your view...even if I express that I thoroughly disagree with you. :)
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