MATH EDUCATION Grades (part 2)

Grades (part 2)

When students learn their grade for a given course, what they are learning is how they compare with their peers, which is one indicator of "how they are doing". (See Grades, part 1). Grade or no grade, many students know exactly where they fit in the classroom hierarchy, though some may not admit it to their parents or even to themselves. It is true that some (often boys) overestimate themselves, and others (often girls) underestimate themselves. For those students, knowing the grade may be a helpful corrective. But is it a good idea, educationally, to dwell on comparisons between students?
Teachers are reluctant to make comparisons between students, which they see as unfair and unproductive. Unfair, because students come from many different family and educational backgrounds. Comparisons between students end up being largely about that. Unproductive, because it is not realistic, in most cases, to expect major changes in the short run. A hard-working C student often will need years, not weeks, to become a hard-working B, or even A student. We can point them in the right direction, offer them intellectual tools, help them to improve their work habits, and over the course of their high school career we can see spectacular changes. And we often do -- this is one of the most satisfying parts of working at a good school.

But paradoxically, the way to get there is not to dwell on the grades. (It's a bit like searching for happiness -- you're more likely to find it if you don't dwell on that as a goal.) At most schools, the conversation is about "what do I need to do to get an A?" (or a B), and of course, that is the subtext of many conversations at any school. The teacher's responsibility is to deflect that conversation towards the specifics of this particular student's needs at this stage. Perhaps the A is already guaranteed, but the student needs to focus on their ability to communicate their ideas better. Perhaps the A is just not going to happen this term, but the student needs to work on developing their symbolic manipulation skills. There is always work to do, (and a time to stop working,) irrespective of where the student stands in the grades distribution at this particular time.
A grades-focused conversation means that in these very common situations (the A is guaranteed, or the A is unattainable at this point) there is little to discuss. It can also lead to grade inflation in a variety of ways: in order to motivate students with the grade, we might make it easier to attain. Or in order to not be hassled, we might make A's more plentiful. Grade inflation is not the end of the world, but if we want to inflate grades, we ought to do it deliberately and not as an unexpected consequence of uncomfortable conversations.
If a student's place on the academic ladder is constantly harped on by the school culture, students can internalize the label and stop striving. Skillful teaching is largely about bringing out students' different strengths and different intelligences to the table, whether or not those lead to a better grade in the short run. For example, a strongly visual student can contribute a lot to a discussion, even if he or she is not yet ready to translate that talent into points-earning write-ups.
Bottom line: intrinsic motivators (such as interest in the subject matter) are a lot more powerful, a lot longer-lasting, and a lot more meaningful than extrinsic motivators (such as grades.) Our task, as teachers, is to move students from the latter to the former. It is a challenging enterprise, but we must try to keep the focus on the discipline we teach rather than on the lines separating our students into A, B, and C. Teaching students to be self-motivated learners is a vastly more useful contribution to them as future college students and lifelong learners than (say) the Pythagorean Theorem.

MATH EDUCATION

Grades (part 1)

Grades have no intrinsic, absolute meaning. An A at an elite private school does not mean the same thing as an A at a public school that serves a poor neighborhood. An A at my own school today does not mean the same thing as an A meant 20 years ago. An A in Science does not mean the same thing as an A in History. And on it goes. The one feature of grades that is quite reliable is that an A in a given department at a given school is better than a B, which in turn is better than a C. In other words, the meaning of grades is relative. They are how we compare students to each other.

Almost all teachers will fix how they compute their grades if the outcome does not sort the students correctly. If a student deserves an A, and your calculation yields a B, you will find a way to tweak the percents, or the scores, or the participation points, or the extra credit, or something, to make sure the student does not get cheated by a pseudo-objective algorithm. (Admittedly, if the calculations yield an A, rather than the B we expected for a given student, most of us would let it be.) This makes sense, because teaching is as much an art as a science. Given a small enough class and enough of the right sort of contact with the students, a competent teacher knows better how to sort the students than any formula. (Yes, better assessments yield more accurate grades — that’s what I meant by “the right sort of contact”.)

In the rare case of the teacher who delivers worse grades than expected by their school, they will be taken aside by an administrator, and told that their practice is out of line. This does not require looking at the students’ work — more evidence that grades are strictly a relative measure.

In short, grades compare students to each other. They have no other meaning. This is why colleges are interested in grades. If grades were not about sorting students, they would be useless. (Just to be clear: grades do not compare students only to others in the same section of the same class, but with the somewhat broader group of students in the same cohort at the same school.)

One might argue that grades are a measurement of how well a student meets the standards of a given class. This is true enough, but the standards in question only exist in relation to the specific students currently enrolled at the school. If almost every student met a given set of standards, no matter how valid those are, it could not and would not be used as a way to assess achievement in the class and determine the grade. In fact, such a set of standards would make for a course that is too easy for the given population. Conversely, a set of standards that is met by almost no one makes for too difficult a course. The only standards worth having are precisely the ones that help us sort students into A, B, C bins.

This is an argument against a system with no grades at all. Without grades, it would be easier to set your expectations too high or too low, or to have a bimodal distribution, with some students doing very well, others clueless, and little in between. Giving grades helps us calibrate challenge and access in the classes we teach. (Courses should be designed so that most students get B’s, with the strongest getting A’s and the weakest getting C’s. At least that is a reasonable recipe given societal expectations.) In other words, giving grades is not per se wrong. In fact, it can be useful. 

Faisalabad EDU Notice

Private candidates of Matric (10th) can print Roll No. slips by using their PIN No,




Establishment of educational culture is our national aspiration. Human resource development, talent promotion and overall societal uplift are its direct outcomes. Examinations and evaluation system are the key indicator of the success of any educational system. B.I.S.E., Faisalabad is committed to achieve this assigned task by establishing its integrity through policy of justice, fair play and opportunity to all. Right from its inception this body is striving for the promotion of educational norms through provision of high quality service delivery and erudite grooming of the curricular and co-curricular potential of the student by sticking to its statutory framework and professional obligations. On behalf of all my working partners, I affirm a strong commitment to our assigned goals and objectives.

A Dinosaur of Education

We are in the midst of class warfare

When billionaire brothers David Koch and Charles Koch, owners of Koch Industries funded the Tea Party Movement few questioned why they did it. The Koch’s are trying to shape, control and channel the populist uprising into their own policies. But, what are these policies?
The best way to define the policies would be to check its website. Right away the site defines what the Koch Industries mission is: “Koch Industries, Inc. is a company bounded only by our capabilities, not by specific industries or product lines. Koch companies constantly seek to grow our existing businesses, and build or acquire assets or businesses throughout the world that will allow us to create the greatest value.”
There is obviously nothing wrong with this statement since the primary objective to any business is to make the most money possible. Now, let’s compare Koch Industries mission to what the Tea Party activists hope to achieve.
The Tea Party’s goal from inception has been to replace big-spending politicians from both political parties with common-sense, fiscally responsible leaders. The goals of this grass-roots movement sound good until you investigate what they are trying to cut and what they are leaving alone.
The Tea Party and other political conservatives want to cut entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, legislate less spending on everything else from education to defense, or some combination of the above. In all of my study of the Tea Party movement and their backers I’ve not heard mention of retrieving moneys lost by the bank scandals, taxing oil companies who are now making record profits, or looking at the possibility of reducing the amount of tax credits afforded to the rich. For after all the Koch brothers are billionaires and any effort to reduce their fortunes would be to say the least; odd.
This is what confuses me most about the Tea Party movement. It is said to be filled with every-day people who are not considered rich and who work in order to have their families survive in our complicated world. Then why do these people insist on destroying what little they have in order to make the rich richer?
For example the elected Tea Party candidates want to weaken if not destroy the union movement in our nation. In a discussion with a tea party supporter I was once told that anyone in a union was technically a Communist. Visions of the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s danced before my eyes. It if weren’t for unions, concepts like minimum wage, child labor laws, workplace health and safety laws, unemployment and workers compensation insurance, paid sick days, vacations, holidays, and health insurance would never have happened. Of course this would have increased the profits of industry and eliminated the concept of a middle class. Is this the reason the Tea Party Movement exists?
Education seems to be another front the Tea Party wants to dismember. First and utmost the movement wants to eliminate the Department of Education. President Reagan promised to de-fund the department, formerly part of the Health, Education and Welfare Department, in his 1982 State of the Union address, and the GOP platform in 1996 backed elimination. This failed but is now being revisited.
With the elimination of the Department of Education many successful programs for our children will also be eliminated. For example the eradication of 200,000 children from an early childhood education program like Head Start. They also want to cut financial aid for 8 million college students. Some states like New Hampshire are talking about eliminating Kindergarten programs that have proved its value the instant it was mandated.
It is common knowledge the more ignorant a society the easier it is to control. George Orwell’s novel, ‘1984’ demonstrated this in fiction but do the powers behind the Tea Party movement also have the same plan. A sexist statement of the past comes to mind. When explaining how to control a woman some people used to state, “Keep them barefoot and pregnant.” Could it be the financial backers of the Tea Party movement have evolved this statement to mean, “Keep them poor and stupid?”
There is little doubt we are in the midst of class warfare. The rich want to become richer by making the middle class poorer. The gap between the rich and the poor has never been greater. The question I have is why are we trying to defeat ourselves?

The Education System in Bosnia

 Education System in Bosnia 

In the Republika Srpska, problems arise when Muslim Bosniaks return to their small towns that were ethnically cleansed during the war. In these communities, education policies primarily reflect the domination of the Serbian majority group over minorities. Minority children are allowed access only to education organized to serve the needs of the majority students and the atmosphere is hostile in some schools.  The Serbian curriculum has a Serbian world perspective and is taught in the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet. Students learn of the symbols, struggles and sacrifices of the Serbian people neglecting to explain the other perspectives in Bosnia. For example, in music class students learn patriotic Serbian songs, and in religion class only Orthodox Christianity is considered.  Vague references to “our country” implicitly refer to Serbia and not to Bosnia and Herzegovina.   Although the education system in Republika Srpska is centralized and the administration functions more smoothly than the system in FBiH, schools fail to incorporate minorities.

In FBiH, education is less centralized with many decisions delegated to the local level.  Much tension exists between the Bosniaks and Croats, as evident in their schools, and many parents will drive their children to a school farther away in order to receive instruction with their own ethnicity.  In the five cantons with a Muslim majority, education is taught from a Bosniak perspective in the Bosnian language.  Literature focuses on Bosniak authors, and does not include authors from other ethnicities in the region.  History textbooks heavily emphasize aggression and genocide attempts against Muslims specifically . In the two cantons with a Croatian majority in FBiH, the study of language means instruction only in Croatian without any references to the other languages of the region.  The wars in the 1990s are referred to with the theme of defending “the homeland.”  The history books focus on a Croatian perspective and neglect the “non-Croatian population.”  Bosnia and Herzegovina is referred to like a foreign country such as Serbia or Macedonia and textbooks are published in Zagreb .

Religion, as one of the main distinguishing features of ethnicity in Bosnia, is specifically a sensitive issue in education.  The constitutions of FBiH and Republika Srpska explicitly guarantee religious freedom while implicitly referring to a separation of church and state.  However, with the importance of religion in the last few decades, an American-style separation of church and state is impossible in Bosnia .  Religious education was introduced in all public schools in the 1990s yet only the religion of the majority is taught.  Authorities explain that it is not possible to provide teachers to represent each religious group, reflecting the political divisions in the country .  Technically religion education classes are optional, but in reality, students who opt-out of these courses face discrimination in some school districts.  In some schools if students do not attend the religion classes, they are forced to sit in the hallway . 

Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4 August 2010 – Eldina Ismailij, 11, loves to dance. The wild rhythms of Roma dancing set her free. Last year, she won a dance competition and her picture was in the newspaper. She blushes when asked about her accomplishment, and her mother, Dzemila Bostandzija, beams with pride. The best thing about winning, said Eldina, was the prize cake.Eldina and her family of nine live on the ground floor of a three-storey building on a hillside in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eldina attends Džemaludin Cauševic Primary School in the Svarkino Selo area, a long tram ride from her home.

She says it can be scary sometimes in late winter afternoons, when she has to travel in the dark. On those days, Eldina calls her father to meet her at the tram stop.

Safe learning environment.

Many schools in Bosnia still reflect the ethnic tensions that triggered the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in the mid-1990s. During that time, schools were destroyed and classes were held in basements and shelters. Today, some Bosnian schools house ‘two schools under one roof,’ with separate curricula for different ethnic groups.

Džemaludin Cauševic Primary School is exceptional as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural institution open to all students.

One of Eldina's favorite classes is Bosnian language. But she is also fiercely proud of her own heritage. Her school holds regular classes in Roma language and culture that students of many different backgrounds can attend.

Orchestra in the Schools

Philharmonic Orchestra

The aim of the Hamburg Philharmonic to the students eyes and ears for classical music is open. It does not matter how old or how talented the children and young people: the emotions that music expresses are universally understood. Therefore, the musicians involved since 1978 and volunteers with much success in the Hamburg schools.

When visiting the Hamburg Philharmonic a school, teaching takes place with a difference: The musicians report exciting and interesting information about the orchestra, the sequence of a classical concert and the daily life of a musician. They bring their instruments, they present the students and audition. The instruments may then be tried under the guidance of professionals.So very playful and barriers to be overcome that make it difficult for many children and young people's access to classical music. When playing together in these lessons is the children's interest in music awakened and increased their cognitive performance, learning motivation and social skills.  

The project is aimed at all types of schools and will take place at the moment about 15 times per school year. The educational work takes place in a double period instead of two classes of peers.These sessions replace the regular music lessons and are therefore particularly popular in schools without music education. A didactic curriculum is developed among the musicians of the orchestra and prosecuted. Depending on the age level of students, the instruments are presented and selected the music, but is the focus always the exchange between the children, artists and teachers.

Lehrerstimmen

Selbst wenn – wie an unserer Schule – ca. die Hälfte der Schüler ein Instrument spielt und sich ca. 1/3 aktiv in Ensembles der Schule engagieren, ist es noch lange nicht selbstverständlich, dass, wie hier geschehen, bei einem Gastkonzert alle zuhörenden Schüler “mucksmäuschenstill” sind. Allein der Eindruck und die Art und Weise der Präsentation dieses berühmten Orchesters und seines Leiters und die Besonderheit, dies in der “heimischen Aula” zu erleben, hat jedoch vor den knapp 300 Fünft- bis Siebenklässlern eine faszinierende Wirkung ausgelöst, die lange Zeit nachwirkte… Durch die lockere Art der Präsentation der Musiker und ihre direkte und menschliche Art entstand schnell eine sehr vertraute Atmosphäre – sozusagen “Nähe zum Anfassen”, die in keinem noch so guten Konzert in der Staatsoper hätte vermittelt werden können. Dabei wussten die Schüler sehr wohl zu unterscheiden zwischen der professionellen Musikdarbietung des Orchesters und anderen vergleichbaren Präsentationen anderer Ensembles in der Schule .

Library

An Ideal Library

The masterpieces are old friends who walk beside us, sometimes figureheads, headlights illuminating our path, sometimes consoling memories or warm smile.Those in my pantheon draw a certain idea of man and literature, whose primary purpose is to be shared.

I made ​​a promise here, a user who asked me a few tips to engage in the reading of so-called "classics", books that make up a universal heritage and we offer both shared all the sensitivity of men and the whole weight of the human condition.

The game will therefore, from time to time, add a book to our library great .With each note, each participant in this blog will provide a commentary on his composition, in a note on a book of their choice (one because of too many observations would be lost in limbo your contributions to the internet). A work ranked among the "classics" of literature. This is not to conquer but pedantry to give readers the desire to immerse themselves in a book they know only the name and reputation.

You can of course produce other contributions, comments to the notes of others, but always in a courteous tone, and no, I beg you, these marks of contempt which discourage contributors to continue this game .

10 years 10 stories

CTEF has a long tradition to closely monitor the school renovation project and visit the schools we have built in various developing stages. Wawisiu Law is one of our founding partners and longtime volunteer that leads our operation in China. In 2002, Waisiu and her daughter visited several schools in Qinghai and Yunnan within two weeks. Some of the schools had received funding from CTEF in the last two years, while others are potential recipients. They visited schools to confirm the schools constructions were in proper order and made sure the fund were used without discrepancy. They also brought the students some stationary and clothes donated by CTEF and other NGOs. More importantly they found many practical and important needs from students. For example, for many students in Ledu school, there was no heating stove at all in school dormitory. They also noticed that many students have no access to other books other than the minimum text book. These practical findings helped to inspire many new CTEF projects. Their work has brought major change to the schools and motivated many more volunteers to get involved, either by providing financial aid or provide local material and labor. Our local volunteer Yuan Zhanhai told us about Dennis’s recent one day trip in 2010 to visit Guizhou school and students. It is one typical CTEF school visit but special in a way. It is typical because the school is located in faraway rural area and it takes a long time and many different commuting tools just to get there-- long distance bus, local “taxi”, motorcycle or even ox-wagon. This time it took Dennis and his wife 5-6 hours just to reach the school and as usual they have to walk a long way on the muddy mountain road. It is different this time because Dennis and his wife had to visit several families after completing school activity at 9:00pm. The night in the mountain is chilly and dark. The road is narrow and steep with mountain on one side and cliff on the other. Without any flashlight, they have to “feel” the way slowly and crawl on the steep and narrow mountain road. They made it to the sponsored families after an hour to distribute scholarship and talk to the parents about students’ study progress. Zhanhai was deeply impressed by Dennis’s dedication and leadership. His respect ion to Dennis turned him into one of our longtime partner at local school.

Although CTEF is a Seattle based non-profit organization and most of volunteers are based in US, a significant part of our operation is in China, and we are counting on our hard working China local volunteers and many other NGO partners. We sincerely appreciate our local volunteers' work. Many of our projects are labor intensive, from "5.12 pen-pal project", to the 1+1 Student Sponsorship program and recently the Teacher Award program.  Each stage in these projects requires our volunteer to send out initial survey form, contact every individual involved to explain and follow up. Our volunteer, Fang Fang, called each of the 150 students for 5.12 pen-pal project alone. Our volunteer then has to coordinated collection all the data. The 1+1 program is even more demanding with hundreds of students and matching up them with donors in the program. It is hard to realize a small step in such a project can mean so much work. We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. Thank you, Fang Fang and many other local volunteers that help us to this date!

China Healthcare And Education

A couple years ago, I was on a panel at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business that was asked what we saw as the best opportunities for foreign businesses involved with China. We all agreed on the following five, in no particular order: Healthcare  Education Cleantech/Greentech Food Software/High Tech Nothing shocking or earth shattering, obviously, but as time has gone on I have become even more convinced these are the top five. Last month I gave out this same top five list while interviewed on public radio and my interviewer expressed a bit of surprise at education.