I wont let exam results decide my fate.

[Pete McCluskey.]

I'll be interested in your comments on this. Personally I think it's pretty good stuff innit?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-eVF_G_p-Y"]I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate||Spoken Word - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Pete, That was very good, I can relate to that. When I was that age, forty eight or so years ago I thought those thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Al Jones]

Well, the premise has merit, that is, not letting test scores determine where you will go in life, but it remains that exams taken over a period of time, not a single test, are an effective method in determining suitability for accomplishing a task. That simply means you may not be able to convince a prospective employer that you really are a genius even though your entire college transcript shows mostly D or C- grades. The speaker questions the validity of taking courses unrelated to his 'major' or personal interest. Certain studies help the individual realize the world works on more than just his special talent, i.e. the engineer who must take economics or language (his own, like English) courses so he is aware of budgets and so he can articulate his ideas and findings properly and coherently. I was once told the measure of a good student is the ability to do well in a course that is decidely not his or her favorite subject. Success in your chosen field may well be aided by your ability to manage problems not related to it. As for remembering a fact for a test 5 minutes after the question needed answering, in the real world, that is what separates the quick from the dead.

 

[Keith]

Exam results? And they might be what exactly? :shrug:

 

[Mark]

Thanks Pete. A very good piece. We all learn far more from life after education, yet are not tested or scored by what we learn.

Through employing other people I have discovered, those with the best exam results, are often the poorest employees. I was far from being an A student myself.

Educators should educate, not test, after test, after test, after test. I suspect that the system of testing, scoring and splitting children by the results, is more to do with serving the education systems themselves, than it is about educating the children.

 

[Mike Pass]

There is a well known saying used in education. Weighing pigs doesn't make them any fatter.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

There is a well known saying used in education. Weighing pigs doesn't make them any fatter.

Cheers
Mike

Wise words indeed Mike:thumbsup:

 

[Mark]

I recently attended a charity fund raising event through a major client. Late in the evening, 'chewing the fat', several of us (all business owners and cheif execs), commented that it was ironic, that of the 6 or 7 of us discussing the issue, not a single one had been to Univerisity or completed 'higher' education!

Yet the media and politicians of all persuasions, keep banging on about we need all our young people to have easy and open access to a University Education, in order that they are guaranteed to gain better prospects and careers as a result. Suggesting that without, they are all condemed to being unemployable and/or fit only for the lowest tier of employment.

These poor kids are pressured to believe they are worthless, if they cannot achieve good results in exams. How sad.

 

[Keith]

Thanks Pete. A very good piece. We all learn far more from life after education, yet are not tested or scored by what we learn.

Through employing other people I have discovered, those with the best exam results, are often the poorest employees. I was far from being an A student myself.

Educators should educate, not test, after test, after test, after test. I suspect that the system of testing, scoring and splitting children by the results, is more to do with serving the education systems themselves, than it is about educating the children.

With that all the way Mark. Today's teachers are more inclined politically than educationally - usually in a leftward direction, and with the average parent's disengagement in the education of their children and the introduction of 'self-select' subject modules (how I hate that word) plus 'targets' is the cluster f we have ended up with.

A further problem was the homogenisation of education and the destruction of Grammar Schools in UK by the damned Socialists. (Sorry for the political thrust - won't happen again I promise).

It has to be recognised that there is such a thing as a 'slower' pupil without dumbing down the whole process to that level.

 

[Randy V]

Aspire to mediocrity ?

Back (way back) when I went to school - you could select to be either on a precentile letter grade or a simple pass-fail. I chose the letter grade as I needed that feedback to tell ME how I was doing. I knew that I needed to shore up more insome areas over others. Did it cause me stress? Yes, but I knew that going in.
Some people need that letter grade or percentile to drive them to achieve.
I am one of those people.

In the end -
Whether you were on a pass/fail or letter grade program matters not one bit save for the top 10% of the class which stood a far better chance of being hired by the top corporarions in America right out of school.

Very thought provoking. Thanks for posting it!

 

[Mike Pass]

There is a big difference between education and training. Many people confuse the two things. Training is to equip you to do a job. Education is to equip you for your life in ALL it's aspects. Education does not happen only in educational establishments. The idea of schools and colleges is to impart knowledge and skills in a more efficient, comprehensive and economic way than otherwise.

I used to think I was stupid. Now thanks to education I know how stupid I really am.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Keith]

But I always knew that about me Mike, and I never really had an education!

 

[Mark]

stoopid is as stoopid does

 

[Ian Anderson]

If 50% is a pass and you get 52% you have worked 2% too hard and probably reduced spending time in sport, outdoor activities etc

After all in 5 years time will anyone ever ask you what % you got? or just how many "O's", "A's" etc

Ian

 

[Keith]

stoopid is as stoopid does

That's clever.

 

[Mark]

That's clever.

Who Sir? Me Sir? :stupid:


:thumbsup:

 

[Randy V]

After all in 5 years time will anyone ever ask you what % you got? or just how many "O's", "A's" etc

Ian

That may be true - however - many corporations offer the best positions to the top tier of the class.. :thumbsup:

Also -

What is to happen to the special robes and caps reserved for Valedictorians ??? :shocked:

 

[Randy V]

If 50% is a pass and you get 52% you have worked 2% too hard and probably reduced spending time in sport, outdoor activities etc
Ian

Not sure if you are saying this tongue in cheek or not... :huh:

Again -

Aspire to mediocrity! IE - just do enough to get by...
It may well have something to do with why our jobs have been heading overseas...

 

[Keith]

That may be true - however - many corporations offer the best positions to the top tier of the class.. :thumbsup:

Also -

What is to happen to the special robes and caps reserved for Valedictorians ??? :shocked:

All my teachers (barring sports) wore gowns (robes) - it was mandatory for them. One little shite named Tyner, a 5'2" Irishman was my early Math teacher. He used to slip a large ball bearing into one of the hollow ties of the gown, and randomly whack us around the head with it. I was, needless to say, his favourite target.

Am I good at Math? Well he asked what a Polygon was and I replied "a dead parrot". That was in 1957.

Whack!

1+1 = 3

 

[dave harris]

I don't know about you guys, but if I ever need open heart surgery, I sure as hell don't want the "D" student (or one that did not think that knowing enough to pass his medical exams to be necessary) working on me!!!!