Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Too Funny
Beverly Mickens, comedianne, said: Conservatives say teaching sex education in the public schools will promote promiscuity. With our education system? If we promote promiscuity the same way we promote math or science, they've got nothing to worry about.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Testing: the Lifeblood of Learning
It seems to me something very basic is wrong about testing students. The meaning of testing is to try something to see if it's good, interesting, worthy, or true. Is that what schools do with students?
I think the best purpose of testing is for learning. A person tests what is being learned about and judges what is interesting to them about it and then tests it still further to see what else there is that's interesting about it. Therefore any test in the hands of the person learning benefits them, even if the thing turns out *not* to be interesting.
In my opinion, to the degree that the test is the property and instrument of the learner, it can facilitate learning. Tests don't belong in the hands of teachers.
Here are some ways that testing is what learning itself is all about. To go by the list below, testing is simply put "experiencing" anything at all in the world to find out what's valuable about it.
Test: to try, tempt, feel, sample, choose, approve, prove
Chois: French for to choose, to taste, test
Approve: to attest something with authority; to try, test something (to find if it is good)
Prove: to test, prove worthy
true: O.E. triewe (W.Saxon), treowe (Mercian) "faithful, trustworthy," from P.Gmc. *trewwjaz "having or characterized by good faith" (cf. O.Fris. triuwi, Du. getrouw, O.H.G. gatriuwu, Ger. treu, O.N. tryggr, Goth. triggws "faithful, trusty"), perhaps ultimately from PIE *dru- "tree," on the notion of "steadfast as an oak." Cf., from same root, Lith. drutas "firm," Welsh drud, O.Ir. dron "strong," Welsh derw "true," O.Ir. derb "sure." Sense of "consistent with fact" first recorded c.1205; that of "real, genuine, not counterfeit" is from 1398; that of "agreeing with a certain standard" (as true north) is from c.1550. Of artifacts, "accurately fitted or shaped" it is recorded from 1474; the verb in this sense is from 1841. Truism "self-evident truth" is from 1708, first attested in writings of Swift. True-love (adj.) is recorded from 1495; true-born first attested 1591. True-false as a type of test question is recorded from 1923.
I think the best purpose of testing is for learning. A person tests what is being learned about and judges what is interesting to them about it and then tests it still further to see what else there is that's interesting about it. Therefore any test in the hands of the person learning benefits them, even if the thing turns out *not* to be interesting.
In my opinion, to the degree that the test is the property and instrument of the learner, it can facilitate learning. Tests don't belong in the hands of teachers.
Here are some ways that testing is what learning itself is all about. To go by the list below, testing is simply put "experiencing" anything at all in the world to find out what's valuable about it.
Test: to try, tempt, feel, sample, choose, approve, prove
Chois: French for to choose, to taste, test
Approve: to attest something with authority; to try, test something (to find if it is good)
Prove: to test, prove worthy
true: O.E. triewe (W.Saxon), treowe (Mercian) "faithful, trustworthy," from P.Gmc. *trewwjaz "having or characterized by good faith" (cf. O.Fris. triuwi, Du. getrouw, O.H.G. gatriuwu, Ger. treu, O.N. tryggr, Goth. triggws "faithful, trusty"), perhaps ultimately from PIE *dru- "tree," on the notion of "steadfast as an oak." Cf., from same root, Lith. drutas "firm," Welsh drud, O.Ir. dron "strong," Welsh derw "true," O.Ir. derb "sure." Sense of "consistent with fact" first recorded c.1205; that of "real, genuine, not counterfeit" is from 1398; that of "agreeing with a certain standard" (as true north) is from c.1550. Of artifacts, "accurately fitted or shaped" it is recorded from 1474; the verb in this sense is from 1841. Truism "self-evident truth" is from 1708, first attested in writings of Swift. True-love (adj.) is recorded from 1495; true-born first attested 1591. True-false as a type of test question is recorded from 1923.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What Jon Kream said on FB
And I quote:
"Children are not just awesomely cool. They are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. They didn't ask to be here, you dragged them into this world. They naturally know what they like/don't like, when they are hungry/not, what they want/don't want and what their bodies need. 'Eat it or fix something ... is shirking your responsibility once YOUR needs are met . We prepare and share meals with each other out of love for our families, not to meet some minimum traditional standard of care set by society, ("I made dinner its not my fault she wont eat it") It is your fault - If you cant want to prepare food they want, in order to meet their needs because you love them, then at least do it because its your responsibility to feed them what they need, not what is convenient to feed them. The alternative shows them that their best interests are not yours and negatively impacts their attitude towards and relationship with you and food forever."
"Children are not just awesomely cool. They are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. They didn't ask to be here, you dragged them into this world. They naturally know what they like/don't like, when they are hungry/not, what they want/don't want and what their bodies need. 'Eat it or fix something ... is shirking your responsibility once YOUR needs are met . We prepare and share meals with each other out of love for our families, not to meet some minimum traditional standard of care set by society, ("I made dinner its not my fault she wont eat it") It is your fault - If you cant want to prepare food they want, in order to meet their needs because you love them, then at least do it because its your responsibility to feed them what they need, not what is convenient to feed them. The alternative shows them that their best interests are not yours and negatively impacts their attitude towards and relationship with you and food forever."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
