Re: [Phys-l] Federally mandated homework

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 11/03/2011 08:58 PM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:

> You are confused as to what the real issue is here. It's hardly about
> learning - it's about providing numbers that can allow an admistrator
> to satisfy the administrator above him in the food chain that
> regulations have been met.

I'm not as confused as you might think.  Perhaps my earlier
sarcasm was too subtle.

Let me spell it out again, without the subtlety.

We have given up on teaching honor and integrity, to the point
where we don't even talk about it.

We have given up on insight and creativity, to the point where
we don't even pretend to teach such things.

We have given up on imparting a love of learning, personal
responsibility, et cetera.

We have given up on measuring actual knowledge and accomplishment,
so instead we claim to measure "effort".

But no, we don't even measure effort; instead we measure "time
on task".

But we don't even do that in a serious way; instead we use a
computer program to measure how much time students /pretend/ 
to spend on the task.

This satisfies a federal regulation as to /minimum/ time on
task ... not mean time, not median time, not two-sigma likely
time, but minimum time.

And then multiple people on this list say they "like" having
that regulation out there.

==========

Wake up and smell the brimstone.  This is the Nth circle of hell.

> It's hardly about learning

Indeed!  That's the point I've been trying to make all day.

Have we all completely lost sight of the fundamental purpose of
what we are doing?  Have we all lost sight of the fundamental
reason why schools and teachers exist?