Well said. Like music, knowledge is a social phenomenon. You have to be part of the milieu before you can stand out from it.
There are far fewer opportunities now to be outstanding. The churning of practical applications of the already known occupies the lives of most scientists and musicians.
Freedom has no meaning outside politics and religion. It's just a euphamism for social irresponsibility.
I teach in a tech college and the standard from schools is woeful.
It's totally corrupt too. Useless.
Years ago you managed an A, B, C,D etc these days, in maths for instance, there is a higher and lower paper, one has a C minimum and the other a C maximum, but they aren't really the same "C".
It was brought about as many students were failing to hit the C grades to get into college. So now we have to take them as it says C on paper.
They have unrealistic grades AND the attitude that we'll do the work for them.
Don't blame schools the fault lies squarely with the government and it's funding structure. League Tables. While financial reward is directly linked to results it will be forever crooked. Sad but true.
"Sit down shut up and pass" is the motto at colleges these days. I go off script at work all the time to tell them what they need to know rather than the bare minimum.
Many two year courses are now one year, universities dumb down to mop all the aimless students up (bums on seats = £) and so you have it.
As for the GCSE fiasco, the grades are set each year you see, largely by volume taken, so the overall pass rate keeps going up so that exam board looks good, and there you have it. Remember the news headlines "A Level Exam Results Highest Ever" don't be surprised if you hear it again. Soon it ill will be 100% and why have a test that everyone passes, the nation didn't all of a sudden get brighter.
As for the standard of question then yes it's largely as difficult as it always was. You just need less of them to pass.
Cunning what they did there.
The government is at fault. The institutions have given all the power to the kids and parents and the teachers get it in the neck all the time.
But it's easier to blame them so it all carries on. Ad infinitum.
It's totally corrupt too. Useless.
Years ago you managed an A, B, C,D etc these days, in maths for instance, there is a higher and lower paper, one has a C minimum and the other a C maximum, but they aren't really the same "C".
It was brought about as many students were failing to hit the C grades to get into college. So now we have to take them as it says C on paper.
They have unrealistic grades AND the attitude that we'll do the work for them.
Don't blame schools the fault lies squarely with the government and it's funding structure. League Tables. While financial reward is directly linked to results it will be forever crooked. Sad but true.
"Sit down shut up and pass" is the motto at colleges these days. I go off script at work all the time to tell them what they need to know rather than the bare minimum.
Many two year courses are now one year, universities dumb down to mop all the aimless students up (bums on seats = £) and so you have it.
As for the GCSE fiasco, the grades are set each year you see, largely by volume taken, so the overall pass rate keeps going up so that exam board looks good, and there you have it. Remember the news headlines "A Level Exam Results Highest Ever" don't be surprised if you hear it again. Soon it ill will be 100% and why have a test that everyone passes, the nation didn't all of a sudden get brighter.
As for the standard of question then yes it's largely as difficult as it always was. You just need less of them to pass.
Cunning what they did there.
The government is at fault. The institutions have given all the power to the kids and parents and the teachers get it in the neck all the time.
But it's easier to blame them so it all carries on. Ad infinitum.
Mind you I think the tide is slowly, slowly, turning.
Thank God.
PS Functional Skills was for kids with lower than C. It begs the question though, and remember they've been at school 13 years before we get them, and the come to us unable to read or write. Wtf are they doing at school?
Thank God.
PS Functional Skills was for kids with lower than C. It begs the question though, and remember they've been at school 13 years before we get them, and the come to us unable to read or write. Wtf are they doing at school?
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It all started to fall apart when they stopped beating them.
I remember an old black-and-white film, one of the characters said something like, 'A good man was never spoilt by an unjust blow'.
God alone knows, I got a few unjust blows, Scotland was a savage place in the '60s, but at least the rabble could be intimidated into silence for the benefit of the rest of us.
We had an English teacher, 'Wee Fluff'.
She said, 'You are the 'A' stream. Therefore you are capable of learning to spell. One of the belt, for each spelling mistake after the first. 20 words every time you see me.' They came from a spelling textbook. Graded words for each educational year. I never had another teacher who used corporal punishment in a purely educational context, but I knew, and admired more than one who kept discipline using the tawse (belt). Tawse:- Tawse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I could learn 20 words in seconds. I didn't often get the belt, it was mostly for inattention. Daydreaming, or being so fixated on something that it had become hard to get my attention.
I used to admire countries (still do) that had no corporal punishment in schools, but I think the UK introduced it at the behest of the European Union when the country was insufficiently civilized for it to work effectively. I didn't go through the American education system.
Interesting.
I remember an old black-and-white film, one of the characters said something like, 'A good man was never spoilt by an unjust blow'.
God alone knows, I got a few unjust blows, Scotland was a savage place in the '60s, but at least the rabble could be intimidated into silence for the benefit of the rest of us.
We had an English teacher, 'Wee Fluff'.
She said, 'You are the 'A' stream. Therefore you are capable of learning to spell. One of the belt, for each spelling mistake after the first. 20 words every time you see me.' They came from a spelling textbook. Graded words for each educational year. I never had another teacher who used corporal punishment in a purely educational context, but I knew, and admired more than one who kept discipline using the tawse (belt). Tawse:- Tawse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I could learn 20 words in seconds. I didn't often get the belt, it was mostly for inattention. Daydreaming, or being so fixated on something that it had become hard to get my attention.
I used to admire countries (still do) that had no corporal punishment in schools, but I think the UK introduced it at the behest of the European Union when the country was insufficiently civilized for it to work effectively. I didn't go through the American education system.
Interesting.
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You know, having said that, we had some crazy teachers.
Guys who didn't match up to the challenge. The occasional sexual pervert. Everybody knew. You just didn't linger when he put his arm round you. There was never any question of prosecution, but then - nothing ever actually happened.
One guy chased a pupil all round the top floor of the building with a stool. He would have done him serious injury if he'd caught up. Everybody knew. He didn't get the sack though. He just couldn't understand why everybody wasn't as interested in geography as he was. And he used to spit when he got excited. But everybody knew that the kid had a talent for being infuriating.
And ev'ry body kent that 'The Gub', coud'nae 'draw' (really hurt you with) the belt.
Bah!
Christmas. Humbug.
Guys who didn't match up to the challenge. The occasional sexual pervert. Everybody knew. You just didn't linger when he put his arm round you. There was never any question of prosecution, but then - nothing ever actually happened.
One guy chased a pupil all round the top floor of the building with a stool. He would have done him serious injury if he'd caught up. Everybody knew. He didn't get the sack though. He just couldn't understand why everybody wasn't as interested in geography as he was. And he used to spit when he got excited. But everybody knew that the kid had a talent for being infuriating.
And ev'ry body kent that 'The Gub', coud'nae 'draw' (really hurt you with) the belt.
Bah!
Christmas. Humbug.
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I studied Engineering from 1969 to 1978 . State University plan had 56 courses in 6 years + 1 extra "Pre University" year (which you could study on the double during 3 months Summer Vacation and pass the exams, if qualified).
I studied at Catholic University which added 9 extra courses, Religious or Social, which raised the total to 65.
State University had a full Mo/Fri class schedule; Catholic had also classes on Saturday or time would simply not have been enough.
Besides our own Labs, we had monthly special classes at "real world" Labs: at the Public Works, Gas, Water, Electricity, or in real factories: Ford, Chrysler, Coca Cola bottling plant, etc.
Now my Son is also studying Engineering ("like Dad"), his full career lasts 5 years, grand total of 40/42 courses, many 2 year ones were compressed into a single yearly one (as in: Thermodynamics + Thermal Machines > plai Thermodynamics or "Fluid Mechanics + Hydro Machines > Hydraulics" and so on.
Plus we actually made experiments, divided in groups of 4 to 6 students; now a bored teacher rushes through it, mumbles, and says: "did you see it"?.
Many times my Son can't tell me even what the h*ck the experiment was about or what it was trying to prove.
No wonder the Chinese and Indians are going to run the world and we'll be their cheap slaves.
I studied at Catholic University which added 9 extra courses, Religious or Social, which raised the total to 65.
State University had a full Mo/Fri class schedule; Catholic had also classes on Saturday or time would simply not have been enough.
Besides our own Labs, we had monthly special classes at "real world" Labs: at the Public Works, Gas, Water, Electricity, or in real factories: Ford, Chrysler, Coca Cola bottling plant, etc.
Now my Son is also studying Engineering ("like Dad"), his full career lasts 5 years, grand total of 40/42 courses, many 2 year ones were compressed into a single yearly one (as in: Thermodynamics + Thermal Machines > plai Thermodynamics or "Fluid Mechanics + Hydro Machines > Hydraulics" and so on.
Plus we actually made experiments, divided in groups of 4 to 6 students; now a bored teacher rushes through it, mumbles, and says: "did you see it"?.
Many times my Son can't tell me even what the h*ck the experiment was about or what it was trying to prove.
No wonder the Chinese and Indians are going to run the world and we'll be their cheap slaves.
I have no idea what schools are like now, as I went to school in the 1960's and 70's. Back then we were claimed to be the laziest, least disciplined, most poorly taught, illiterate group of heathens that had ever come thru the school system. Not stupid, mind you, just poorly taught with no skills, knowledge, morals or discipline.
Wonder if they tell that to all the kids.
Wonder if they tell that to all the kids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons
&
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
That's why we hang out here, isn't it?
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons
&
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
That's why we hang out here, isn't it?
Scary isn't it!
What if the culture and drive to make money by the institution is the only goal..keep the industry running...Make everyone do NVQ's now QCF...
Assessed by anyone they can get...read electrical engineering assessed by a carpenter..Oups...well he makes a better job of it..why because the students know everything and always pass...(read because the assessor can be told anything)..ie whats that then..its a relay we look down its an overload device..oh thats great isnt it..well done you have passed...do you know the regs? Yes oh great see you next week..
Then lets ask..OK ...where are the Machine drawings..OK explain the operation of the feedback control starting with the comparator..then watch the er//umm..err//..OK what voltage is on the drive?...er ummm...explain the shut down sequence for field failure...er ....Ummm..This PCB has the wrong polarity coming out of an op amp and the output is modulated find the fault...er how do I connect the test rig??? er
By the way their working on their own next week because of holiday and sickness (people off)..never mind they have passed...(They were competent at the time of assessment)
Regards
M. Gregg
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I don't recall in which grade I was but I wasn't too tall. Our math teacher had some slight problems with his nerves (haha he was crazy as hell), scary looks too. All hairy and eyes filled with red veins. Tall and thin, he looked like a scarecrow. Everyday was the same, first thing was checking the homework (I never did my homework) so I could see the shitstorm coming every day in class and was scared and nervous hoping I wasn't the chosen one but (for some unknown reason) I never did my math homework. The days he checked my papers I was instantly caught and there was a lot of yelling, a lot of hand movement in the air; occasionally he would throw objects at me: the blackboard eraser, chalk sticks, books, whatever he had on hand. I would just duck my head...sometimes I could avoid the impact and sometimes not. After a while he usually calmed down. There was some kind of punishment awaiting for me at the end of class but I don't remember what it was. To be honest I felt a little sorry for the guy, I could feel his passion but, still, the homework was never done. Mysteries of life.
That guy was a piece of work, I think he was kicked out. The teacher, not me.
Can't they... if it's via MTV?
I do think the students get a rough deal...OK some of it is OK..some of it is so so sad..then again the college can't function without funding...the teachers get an even rougher deal if they really care about the students (They know and can do nothing about it)..and some care about what happens to the students so they leave!
Regards
M. Gregg
I watched the Feynman documentary "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" over the holidays. He passionately expresses therein the difference between knowing and understanding that has been stated in this thread. This is also where I find the most good in the OP story - that the students were being taught to not just know things but also to think for themselves to expand on that knowledge. The humanitarianism as a byproduct of the goal, not the goal itself.
The animals are learning fast!
Funny Animals' Videos - YouTube
Perhaps the need to know is linked to the NEED to survive...
Regards
M. Gregg
Funny Animals' Videos - YouTube
Perhaps the need to know is linked to the NEED to survive...
Regards
M. Gregg
Yes. Essentially you write the definition of the number, and use that as a symbol for the number. You then use the known properties of the number in algebra e.g. (sqrt(2) x)^4 = 4 x^4.
I was always a bit baffled by surds. Not that I couldn't do them, but in using them I wasn't sure I was really doing anything new which needed a special name for it.
For many years I wondered about the distinction between irrational numbers and transcendental numbers - I couldn't see why this was a useful distinction. Then when doing my research I found myself with big equations with lots of powers of pi cropping up. I then realised that as pi is transcendental, no power of pi or rational combinations of powers of pi could ever cancel with a different power of pi. This meant that pi's on the LHS had to balance with pi's on the RHS (just like x in algebra) so I could equate coefficients of powers of pi. The coefficients had to include pi too: (pi^2 + 4) kept cropping up so often (in Class E PA theory) that my supervisor suggested we call it Kimber's constant!
I was always a bit baffled by surds. Not that I couldn't do them, but in using them I wasn't sure I was really doing anything new which needed a special name for it.
For many years I wondered about the distinction between irrational numbers and transcendental numbers - I couldn't see why this was a useful distinction. Then when doing my research I found myself with big equations with lots of powers of pi cropping up. I then realised that as pi is transcendental, no power of pi or rational combinations of powers of pi could ever cancel with a different power of pi. This meant that pi's on the LHS had to balance with pi's on the RHS (just like x in algebra) so I could equate coefficients of powers of pi. The coefficients had to include pi too: (pi^2 + 4) kept cropping up so often (in Class E PA theory) that my supervisor suggested we call it Kimber's constant!
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