Note to students at semester's end...

[Shabo]

40-50% of the test group failed. Then they told everyone the state made them even easier. There were still significant failure rates. We're talking multiple choice, "Which of these four is your state flag" type of questions. Simple algebra. Four digit multiplcation. Reading comprehension. Not exactly rocket surgery...

They probably could have cared less about the exam and didn't even bother to read any of it, and that's why they failed everything.

Probably the same people failed that I would hear talk about reading like it was the worst possible thing you could do.

Probably a lot of them did. And of course, if they hate reading, why bother doing it on an exam that doesn't matter?

I hate standardized testing, regardless of how easy I find them.

[edicius]

I totally sympathize. On my campus, I deal with a lot of the same problems, except I'm not responsible for the video editing labs, but instead all the other non-computer tech stuff (TVs, projectors, etc.).

I've always had a policy during the final week of classes (usually exams) that any standing orders for equipment that were submitted for the semester aren't in effect during exam week, simply because most classes don't need the equipment during exam week. And if someone DOES need it during that week, they're supposed to specifically let us know. We even send out memos to each department (hard copy and e-mail) a couple weeks beforehand. Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, I remember a couple semesters ago (after our office was closed for the day), we received a voicemail from a professor during exam week that went something like this:

"This is Professor Inattentive and I had a standing order for equipment all semester and now I have students trying to give presentations and there's nothing here! This is outrageous! I demand that someone come down here immediately and bring my equipment!"

When we got the voicemail the next day, we laughed. He called the next day to complain about how we ruined his class and that his students are paying all this money to come here and I ruined everything and blah blah blah. I countered with, "Unfortunately, standing orders aren't in effect during exam week. We sent multiple memos to departments stating this information very clearly a few weeks ago. In addition, this has always been the policy, so it's not something new that just started this semester."

He got all huffy and hung up. What's even funnier is that this guy was in line to be the Dean of that department. He lasted for a semester, I think, before he was booted out for incompetence.

[Geek King]

Probably a lot of them did. And of course, if they hate reading, why bother doing it on an exam that doesn't matter?

I see I didn't mention that part. The thing was, we were told if they did implement a required knowledge test for graduation, any parts we passed would be counted towards it. So if you passed it on the experimental test, you didn't have to take that section on the real one. So there were several of us that got a week of bonus all-day study hall the next year. Much Euchre was played.

This is a test to see if you can do basic things you should know for everyday survival. This is stuff that should be known by eighth grade, much less graduation.

[Soulstealer]

This is a test to see if you can do basic things you should know for everyday survival. This is stuff that should be known by eighth grade, much less graduation.

I think education is getting worse, kids today are so reliant on calculators. My professor's kid can't even do simple multiplication in his head whereas I don't think I'l ever forget what 13x12 is.

[technical.angel]

I think that would depend on your definition of "kid". I can only do very simple multiplication in my head, and it takes me awhile. That's what the calculator in my phone's for.

[Shabo]

I think education is getting worse, kids today are so reliant on calculators.

I don't think it's a problem where education is getting worse. I think it's more a problem when society integrates education into current technology when current technology isn't readily available. For example, I have been growing increasingly reliant on calculators, but not because I have never learned how to do math in my head. It is because of the simple fact that I was only required to do math in my head in elementary school, and since then have been doing math on my calculator. Can I do simple stuff in my head still? Sure, but it's far faster for me to whip out my calculator or to write it on paper and do it that way. And once division gets into dividing by anything higher than 10, forget it. I've always hated that.

To Geek King, we had the MCAS here in our state. For several years, trying to perfect the test, they gave it to us at school. Then they decided that my graduating class was going to be the first one to be required to pass it in order to graduate. Everyone was like, "Oh no! Our kids will fail! They can't pass this test!" And all the teachers started teaching us how to pass the exam... But our year did just fine. Sure, some kids had to retake it, but most passed first try. I had a friend in the grade above me tell me he purposely made pretty designs on his bubble sheet because he didn't care since it didn't affect him. I have a feeling he wasn't in the minority there.

[technical.angel]

I had a friend in the grade above me tell me he purposely made pretty designs on his bubble sheet because he didn't care since it didn't affect him. I have a feeling he wasn't in the minority there.

When I was planning on being a teacher, I had all kinds of plans of how to do scantron tests to just freak the kids out. Like putting the answers in a pretty design, or use a pretty design, and purposely put some answers outside the pattern.

[Shabo]

When I was planning on being a teacher, I had all kinds of plans of how to do scantron tests to just freak the kids out. Like putting the answers in a pretty design, or use a pretty design, and purposely put some answers outside the pattern.

*gasp* ME TOO!!!!

I don't plan on being a public school teacher, but a college professor at some point in my life sounds fun. Then I will be able to exact my evil plan...

[technical.angel]

And I wish you the best of luck on this awesome evil plan.

[ArcticChicken]

I hate being first on stuff, that's when the errors and problems are typically found.

Being in the first batch is the reason I dropped put of High School. They changed a whole bunch of requirements, and all of a sudden the teachers had to teach an entirely new class, with absolutely no idea what they were doing. Of course, it turned out that I hadn't learned anything since the seventh grade that I needed on my GED.

[ArenaBoy]

For calculators, I need it. My math is bad, I mean bad that I have a hard time doing simple adding and subtraction. Now English, any foreign language, or music and I am King.

[Soulstealer]

I think that would depend on your definition of "kid". I can only do very simple multiplication in my head, and it takes me awhile. That's what the calculator in my phone's for.

I'd say about 10ish, I remember learning multiplication before that so they should know.

[Hobgoblin]

Part of my job at the college is tutoring math. When I do that, I almost always take the calcualtor away from people and make them do it on paper or in their heads. They aren't allowed to have calculators on most tests, so it doesn't do them any favors to not get that very valuable practice. This isn't ridiculously hard math either, but it can be pretty tough on people who haven't had math in twenty years.