Kids should be building rockets and robots, not taking standardized tests

Post by richcollins » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 6:05 PM UTC

smacktoward wrote: post #59

CognitiveLens wrote: post #36

I'm amazed at the short-sightedness apparent in this article and in some of the comments here. Yes, the American public education system is broken and is to a large extent too focused on poorly-constructed standardized testing, but imagining that 1) the system used to be better for students, 2) the resources exist for universal project-based learning/assessment, and 3) project-based learning/assessment would fix many…

In fairness, this is an article from Slate , aka "News For Nervous Upper-Class White People". So it shouldn't shock you that they might not stop to consider how offensive "have the kids build robots!" might be to an educator in a school system that can't even afford to maintain reasonable class sizes, much less a robotics lab.

Post by luser001 » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 6:13 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #66

raganwald wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw that too. It doesn’t change the fact that understanding of the domain strongly biases the result of answering the question. What you’re saying is that it is possible to answer the question while staring bewildered at a device you have never seen or interacted with. What I’m saying is that it is much easier to answer the question if you have hands-on experience. And I think what the author is saying is that we s…

What you’re saying is that it is possible to answer the question while staring bewildered at a device you have never seen or interacted with. Based on my life experience so far; this is one of the most important skills to learn. What I’m saying is that it is much easier to answer the question if you have hands-on experience. Of course; but that isn't the point of the test. And I think what the author is saying is tha…

Post by gcheong » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 6:21 PM UTC

sopooneo wrote: post #93

hef19898 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. And since not everyone has the luxury of his private workshop, I really support that schools should provide that. I'm only affraid that in a world where 8 year olds are still forbidden to use real sicorrs you're gonna have a rough ride in order to do so...

I also live in a small place, but I want my child to have the experience of building and using tools. Fortunately, just a couple blocks from my home is perhaps the most wonderful place I have ever been in my life. http://artisansasylum.com/?page_id=1336 I have read about other similar places in New York, and I'm certain there must be stuff like this in the Bay Area. So if you're lucky enough to have something like th…

Post by fennecfoxen » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 6:31 PM UTC

fennecfoxen wrote: post #110

spamizbad wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The microscope lens should initially be placed close to the glass slide: C. To avoid breaking the glass slide when adjusting the focus." Incidentally that statement only sense if you know which direction to turn the focus knob, and you recognize the fact that the hypothetical microscope is capable of crushing the specimen. I had one when I was a kid that was incapable of doing so. I answered the question correctly,…

Blah blah blah blah. "To avoid crushing the glass slide when focusing, begin with the microscope close to the specimen and then gradually back off to focus." Blah blah blah blah. Utterly incomprehensible!

Post by simonbrown » Tue, Jun 05, 2012, 6:36 PM UTC

protomyth wrote: post #21

Who exactly is going to teach children to build rockets and robots? As a country we have pretty much run all the vocational teachers out of the schools. The vocational teachers were good because most did contracting during the summer. Add to this the decline in schools teaching programming[1]. We need to figure a way to get qualified technical / vocational people back into the schools and realize that they need to pa…