Partial credit for... 4th graders?!
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Partial credit for... 4th graders?!
Heard on the radio about an academic person outraged by having to give partial credit to wrong answers... this just recently happened in New York... I wonder if other administrations require this kind of work elsewhere around the country too.
Now I understand if it was calculus or some other equation that takes a whole page to answer, where partial credit can be given... however it's addition/subtraction/multiplication/division!
"How long is 2 feet in inches?"
Answer:
24+24=48
Half Credit
"Bob has 400 dollars and spent 1/5th of it on DVDs, how much did he spend on DVDs?"
Answer:
400/5
Half credit
So apparently, as long as you're attempting the right thing (adding something, subtracting, dividing) you get partial credit... that's absolutely too dumb to explain for obvious reasons. Not to be sexist, but our country is still moving in the direction of a Baby Mother Nurture / Matriachic "Its OK if you screw up, but as long as you tried" country.
Damn, if OUR country had these values when IT WAS FIRST created, we'd still be *****es to Britain.
Only reason our country was as strong as it was, was we enjoyed competing to be #1... but apparently everyone enjoys not doing anything and getting free stuff, rather than manning up, follow through with their words, and competition. No more honor... get fat, get lazy.
And wtf are these 4th graders failing at doing? I learned this crap back in 1st grade. It's true (as was stated by a study announced by Immigration somethin' or other) our country is getting stupider and poorer.
A standardized test, just like the high school exit exam, is testing to see if you're ready for the next level... apparently we're lowering the standards even more, even earlier.
Now I understand if it was calculus or some other equation that takes a whole page to answer, where partial credit can be given... however it's addition/subtraction/multiplication/division!
"How long is 2 feet in inches?"
Answer:
24+24=48
Half Credit
"Bob has 400 dollars and spent 1/5th of it on DVDs, how much did he spend on DVDs?"
Answer:
400/5
Half credit
So apparently, as long as you're attempting the right thing (adding something, subtracting, dividing) you get partial credit... that's absolutely too dumb to explain for obvious reasons. Not to be sexist, but our country is still moving in the direction of a Baby Mother Nurture / Matriachic "Its OK if you screw up, but as long as you tried" country.
Damn, if OUR country had these values when IT WAS FIRST created, we'd still be *****es to Britain.
Only reason our country was as strong as it was, was we enjoyed competing to be #1... but apparently everyone enjoys not doing anything and getting free stuff, rather than manning up, follow through with their words, and competition. No more honor... get fat, get lazy.
And wtf are these 4th graders failing at doing? I learned this crap back in 1st grade. It's true (as was stated by a study announced by Immigration somethin' or other) our country is getting stupider and poorer.
A standardized test, just like the high school exit exam, is testing to see if you're ready for the next level... apparently we're lowering the standards even more, even earlier.
Last edited by iLoqin; Jun 15, 2010 at 09:22 AM.
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our country is getting stupider and poorer.
While I agree that this half-credit BS is ridiculous, your point would be better made had you used proper grammar in your criticism.
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People parent their children the same way. They let people think failure is ok so they never learn to do things correctly and how to deal with rejection. When these kids enter the real world they are gonna have a hard time.
Last edited by papakiet; Jun 15, 2010 at 11:32 AM. Reason: had to correct all my grammatical errors.... lol again!
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(NOT bill gates's word, but good advice anyways)
Rule No. 1: ; Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teen-ager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule No. 1.
Rule No. 2: ; The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)
Rule No. 3: ; Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.
Rule No. 4: ; If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.
Rule No. 5: ; Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.
Rule No. 6: ; It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it, or you'll sound like a baby boomer.
Rule No. 7: ; Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your bedroom.
Rule No. 8: ; Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn't. In some schools, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone's feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. (See Rule No. 1, Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 4.)
Rule No. 9: ; Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Not even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on. While we're at it, very few jobs are interested in fostering your self-expression or helping you find yourself. Fewer still lead to self-realization. (See Rule No. 1 and Rule No. 2.)
Rule No. 10: ; Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be as perky or pliable as Jennifer Aniston.
Rule No. 11: ; Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.
Rule No. 2: ; The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)
Rule No. 3: ; Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.
Rule No. 4: ; If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.
Rule No. 5: ; Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.
Rule No. 6: ; It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it, or you'll sound like a baby boomer.
Rule No. 7: ; Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your bedroom.
Rule No. 8: ; Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn't. In some schools, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone's feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. (See Rule No. 1, Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 4.)
Rule No. 9: ; Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Not even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on. While we're at it, very few jobs are interested in fostering your self-expression or helping you find yourself. Fewer still lead to self-realization. (See Rule No. 1 and Rule No. 2.)
Rule No. 10: ; Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be as perky or pliable as Jennifer Aniston.
Rule No. 11: ; Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.
Last edited by chimchimm5; Jun 15, 2010 at 12:02 PM.
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Here's what one of my undergrad prof's told me in engineering:
Some students ask me if I give partial credit. I told them, "NO! I don't get partial credit!"
If you design a bridge and it breaks and people die because you misdesigned it; you don't get partial credit!"
If you design a bridge and it breaks and people die because you misdesigned it; you don't get partial credit!"
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Last a checked, 50% is still failing. In the "Asian" culture, A is average, B is bad because you are below average, C is crap, D is dead, and F is f***ed.
The question is out of two points. Unless you can give partial points, I don't see what the problem is.
The first question, I'd give half credit. Right procedure, wrong numbers, right answer with wrong numbers.
Second question, right numbers, wrong procedure, no answer. That would be zero points because the student didn't even attempt to solve it. Just jotted down some numbers.
The question is out of two points. Unless you can give partial points, I don't see what the problem is.
The first question, I'd give half credit. Right procedure, wrong numbers, right answer with wrong numbers.
Second question, right numbers, wrong procedure, no answer. That would be zero points because the student didn't even attempt to solve it. Just jotted down some numbers.
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So we can expect to have children move up without knowing there are 12 inches in 1 foot, and knowin' when problem asks for an answer, we just set it up and dont answer it.
This is the 4th grade. THE 4th grade. There is a reason why there is a huge push for GED/High School diploma. Not enough get them, yet we want to rule a world with stupid people. The smarter the nation, the better chances of them developing something that moves toward the future.
We are in a place where we want things done perfectly. The oil spill is almost 99.9% safe, and is considered safe for the amount of time the United States has been drilling and moving oil around.
Anywho, I agree to your statement Darkonion. Good point on correct idea with wrong numbers.
This is the 4th grade. THE 4th grade. There is a reason why there is a huge push for GED/High School diploma. Not enough get them, yet we want to rule a world with stupid people. The smarter the nation, the better chances of them developing something that moves toward the future.
We are in a place where we want things done perfectly. The oil spill is almost 99.9% safe, and is considered safe for the amount of time the United States has been drilling and moving oil around.
Anywho, I agree to your statement Darkonion. Good point on correct idea with wrong numbers.
So we can expect to have children move up without knowing there are 12 inches in 1 foot, and knowin' when problem asks for an answer, we just set it up and dont answer it.
This is the 4th grade. THE 4th grade. There is a reason why there is a huge push for GED/High School diploma. Not enough get them, yet we want to rule a world with stupid people. The smarter the nation, the better chances of them developing something that moves toward the future.
We are in a place where we want things done perfectly. The oil spill is almost 99.9% safe, and is considered safe for the amount of time the United States has been drilling and moving oil around.
Anywho, I agree to your statement Darkonion. Good point on correct idea with wrong numbers.
This is the 4th grade. THE 4th grade. There is a reason why there is a huge push for GED/High School diploma. Not enough get them, yet we want to rule a world with stupid people. The smarter the nation, the better chances of them developing something that moves toward the future.
We are in a place where we want things done perfectly. The oil spill is almost 99.9% safe, and is considered safe for the amount of time the United States has been drilling and moving oil around.
Anywho, I agree to your statement Darkonion. Good point on correct idea with wrong numbers.
I wouldnt be one to meddle with the teaching methodology of a professional educator unless i could first hand see a communication failure between student/teacher. Why are you so concerned about how a teacher motivates their students to learn? partial credit is a method of communication used by an educator to signal to the student, that while they are showing an understanding of the concept behind a particular method of problem solving, they have applied the methodology incorrectly or incompletely. I fail to see the issue here.
All that has happened is more information was transferred from teacher to student by the teachers response. a simple incorrect mark, says nothing at all to the student.
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oh the irony.
I wouldnt be one to meddle with the teaching methodology of a professional educator unless i could first hand see a communication failure between student/teacher. Why are you so concerned about how a teacher motivates their students to learn? partial credit is a method of communication used by an educator to signal to the student, that while they are showing an understanding of the concept behind a particular method of problem solving, they have applied the methodology incorrectly or incompletely. I fail to see the issue here.
All that has happened is more information was transferred from teacher to student by the teachers response. a simple incorrect mark, says nothing at all to the student.
I wouldnt be one to meddle with the teaching methodology of a professional educator unless i could first hand see a communication failure between student/teacher. Why are you so concerned about how a teacher motivates their students to learn? partial credit is a method of communication used by an educator to signal to the student, that while they are showing an understanding of the concept behind a particular method of problem solving, they have applied the methodology incorrectly or incompletely. I fail to see the issue here.
All that has happened is more information was transferred from teacher to student by the teachers response. a simple incorrect mark, says nothing at all to the student.
The bottom line is that the kids know the material at the END of the year... NOT what people on the outside see through a keyhole at one single instance.
The concern however, is that the article interviews staff and the STAFF voice concerns over the practices. THAT'S what's unnerving.
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oh the irony.
I wouldnt be one to meddle with the teaching methodology of a professional educator unless i could first hand see a communication failure between student/teacher. Why are you so concerned about how a teacher motivates their students to learn? partial credit is a method of communication used by an educator to signal to the student, that while they are showing an understanding of the concept behind a particular method of problem solving, they have applied the methodology incorrectly or incompletely. I fail to see the issue here.
All that has happened is more information was transferred from teacher to student by the teachers response. a simple incorrect mark, says nothing at all to the student.
I wouldnt be one to meddle with the teaching methodology of a professional educator unless i could first hand see a communication failure between student/teacher. Why are you so concerned about how a teacher motivates their students to learn? partial credit is a method of communication used by an educator to signal to the student, that while they are showing an understanding of the concept behind a particular method of problem solving, they have applied the methodology incorrectly or incompletely. I fail to see the issue here.
All that has happened is more information was transferred from teacher to student by the teachers response. a simple incorrect mark, says nothing at all to the student.
It's pretty bad how many reiterated course taught in middle school still exists in high school, and so on and so forth into college. It makes sense that some answers, like calculus answers, or even as Darkonion pointed out, correct aim, just wrong numbers, are for partial credit.
But when 2+2=5 and you get 50%, that isn't letting the school know they are proficient enough to move onto the next grade level. These are the standards these tests are testing for.
Why wouldn't you be concerned? We're babying our future, patting them on the back saying it's ok, maybe next time... Again, a matriarch nation won't be the leader of the pack. It's the assertive ones who grab the opportunity, not the ones that keep getting it wrong saying next time.
Competition is what makes people strive to be better. That is what makes a country great, not picking up the lackies from behind. The more lackies we have, the more murderers, robbers, rapists, drug dealers we have in the future. The strive to be smart is falling off IMO.
What's worse is the amount of POLITICS in public schools. A school based on mere academics would be suitable, but the amount of teachers that rave (even I as a student think back) is so democratic is insane. (so far from the districts I've been in)