Chicago Teaching style: 3x4=11 is ok

[brutal]

Originally Posted by rondog Just got this email from one of the grandson's teachers - gives me a headache trying to figure out WTF he's talking about. Glad the kid's a junior this year.

Hello everyone -

I wanted to say hello and clear up what an M would mean in the gradebook for Algebra 2. Students have the chance to make their homework better if needed (so an extra night). You should see scores of 10, 9, 8 or 7 for scores. If a 10 is earned, then the student did all homework with no more than 3 errors. If there is an M for now, then the following class time day should have a better score. A grade of 9 would mean a student missed 4 or more problems and are doing corrections on a separate sheet of paper. If a score of 8 is earned, then the student tried 1/2 to 3/4 of homework took it home to complete/correct. If a 7 is earned, then less than 1/2 was tried and it was taken home to complete/correct. If an M stays in the gradebook, then a student did not submit.
If you happen to see the grade of 0, 4, or 5 are earned, then your child is not completing the work. If the above scores are earned, then by completing the 0 would have earned a 7, the 4 would have earned an 8, and the 5 would have earned a 9 if the student had taken home and completed. If you see an M, please realize your child is doing completion and should earn a grade of 7, 8 or 9.

Today's lesson in stupidity is brought to you by the same dickwads that won't spank a child for behaving badly and EVERYBODY gets a trophy!


I find the above e mail virtually incomprehensible.

No kidding! What is wrong with A, B, C, D, F!

Life doesn't give you any do-overs. Get it right the first time, or learn by your failures.

[Inconel710]

Agenda21 and other examples aside, the video sounded like the way my college engineering statics and mechanics courses were graded. In a ten point "problem", having the correct answer would be one point. Breaking down the forces and following the procedures to determine the answer accounted for the other nine. Those problems were a lot more complicated that 3*4, but the process was the important thing in those courses. This is bringing that type of grading down to a ridiculous level though.

[rondog]

Today's lesson in stupidity is brought to you by the same dickwads that won't spank a child for behaving badly and EVERYBODY gets a trophy!


I find the above e mail virtually incomprehensible.

Glad to hear it. I tried to understand it and thought "wow, I've been drinking too much cocoa...."

[Circuits]

Liberalism in education - teaching your kids to feel great about their own ignorance!

[sellersm]

Liberalism in education - teaching your kids to feel great about their own ignorance!

And applauding the ignorance of their teachers!

[RblDiver]

It's one thing to have a long process and series of equations and give partial credit for an incorrect answer (perhaps you read a 3 as an 8, or something, but everything else was correct) (and definitely not give full credit for a wrong answer). It is totally separate to give full credit for a wrong answer on a one-step process!

(And while on the subject of teaching, anyone remember CSMP? I think they got rid of it after I'd just finished third grade, so I don't remember anything EXCEPT the "magic computers," which were really just teaching binary counting. It's too bad that in this technology-driven age that they don't teach binary more; if you learned it, you could count up to 1023 on your fingers!) (just be careful on numbers 4, 128, and 132 lol)

[Circuits]

It's one thing to have a long process and series of equations and give partial credit for an incorrect answer (perhaps you read a 3 as an 8, or something, but everything else was correct) (and definitely not give full credit for a wrong answer). It is totally separate to give full credit for a wrong answer on a one-step process!

Totally - in advanced calculus, advanced physics and honors chemistry, where some proofs or derivations run tens of pages (more in some really difficult cases), I was graded about 50% for applying the correct lemma or whatever, and the other 50% credit was for correct answers. If you did everything else right, and just screwed up a substitution late in the game, you might be able to get 60% credit for that problem - but no credit for wrong procedure or work not shown regardless of answer provided, and not possible to get full credit for a wrong answer.

[BPTactical]

Glad to hear it. I tried to understand it and thought "wow, I've been freebasing too much cocaine...."

IFIFY........

[ZERO THEORY]

Agenda21 and other examples aside, the video sounded like the way my college engineering statics and mechanics courses were graded. In a ten point "problem", having the correct answer would be one point. Breaking down the forces and following the procedures to determine the answer accounted for the other nine. Those problems were a lot more complicated that 3*4, but the process was the important thing in those courses. This is bringing that type of grading down to a ridiculous level though.

In mechanical engineering or organic chemistry, manipulating functions and equations is a valid cornerstone of grading.

You can't sublet a fundamental principle. Imagine if you took your truck into the shop and they poured coolant into your crankcase. Your motor blows up because it's not lubricated with a catalyst of the proper viscosity and temperature resistance, but you should give the mechanic credit for understanding the principle of using fluid to lubricate moving parts?

Do liberals genuinely believe that in the future we're all just going to sing "We Are the World" and never say mean things? Because aggression, selective breeding, and "unfairness" is inherent in life across all species. They're not fixing anything; they're trying to pretend that sentience makes us immune to nature. And weakening our naturally-given means of self defense and survivability in the process.

[JoeT]

how times have changed....I was a Jr or Sr in high school and we were having a test, I think it was Calculus. I had the right answers, but the work was incorrect to get the answers. I got an F on the test and a note from the teacher

"Right answers, wrong work!!! did you CHEAT or GUESS?"