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Post by Ildûrest on Feb 15, 2006 4:30:49 GMT
That’s a shortcoming of the American school system. In Australia, marking is very impartial. And the more important an examination is, the more rigorous the measures to make it fair.
In my state, the “School Certificate” (Final exam of compulsory schooling) and “Higher School Certificate” (An exam by which entrance to Australian universities is decided) are marked according to extremely strict guidelines, by people who aren't teaching anyone doing the exam. Everyone in the state gets the same exam, and I think that the same marker marks all the students’ answers to a given question. (I.e. each Question X will get marked by the same person.)
I also think that essays are marked by two different people, and if there is a difference between what they each give an essay of more than a mark or two, they get some other people to mark that essay.
So being a teacher’s pet won’t get you far here. But if the teacher hates you, you still have the same chance to do well. And the school you go to isn't all that important.
And on another note: it’s your own future at stake if you don’t do any homework. I wouldn't laugh if I were you. (Unless your teachers are actually very good but just don't demand homework. As if that ever happened.)
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Post by earlofqb on Feb 15, 2006 21:50:41 GMT
I see it as such, if he understands the material in depth, why do the homework? This is like asking a Maths Prof to do 2,000 1st grade problems (ie 2+2, 1+1, etc). There's no point in it (unless you completely doubt reality and want someone to double-check it ). Now, a test is a poor mark of understanding, however it is really the only one outside of your own personal statement. While you may get all As in your classes, do you really understand it? If need be, could you tutor someone who had no idea what the class was about (actually, that's a good idea. Ask your teacher if you could pick up some extra credit (or money, although I doubt that one) by tutoring the less-understanding students. Also, keep in mind that you might need the practice anyway, as while you might conceptually know it, you might not fully know it. You might have memorized some Pythagorean triples (ie "2, 3, 4 triangle"). However, you might not know that Pythagorean Theorem states that for any right triangle, a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where a and b are the sides, and c is the hypoteneuse (well, I learned something after all from Geometry ). My point is, you might be getting the stuff now, but are you sure that you're just not getting the simple stuff; and not the entire thing? I won't preach more, as I've homework to do.
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Post by mopsy on Feb 15, 2006 22:39:55 GMT
Hah, while we're on the subject of homework I've some to do my self (grumbles about evil algebea) I hate this class, though i must say it's getting better.
I've had a few times where the thing we learn is simple and the teacher just beats it and beats it and it gets really boring. For example: In algebra one my teacher was teaching us positive and negative numbers. And we were learning opposites, and we did that for a FULL WEEK!!! It was amazingly stupid. It's not a hard concept, the opposite of a number is the positive or negative form. Whichever it isn't. THATS SIMPLE AND SOMTHING MY EIGHT YEAR OLD BROTHER COULD DO! We had FULL peices of paper 'What's the opposite of -3' then a space to write whichever it was. Needless to say I didn't do the homework on the first day.
And there's my rant about my stupid teacher.
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Post by earlofqb on Feb 16, 2006 1:20:10 GMT
I do admit that in that case, you could get away with not doing homework. In fact, I have an algebra class (Algebra III) that bores the Canada out of me. I've had Calculus already, and have no idea why I signed up for a class designed for folks who are too stupid to get into geometry or trigonometry.
Anyway, all we've "learned" so far is how to factor and how to divide polynomials (its not that bad). Synthetic division and long division, how to use the quadratic formula, etc. I know all this stuff already, and so do most of the people in my class (about half of it is from my old Calc class). So, we sleep, or talk amongst ourselves; basically not "learn".
However, we do make sure that we read over the day's work and understand it before we do any of the above stuff. If someone wants to listen to the lesson, we respect that and let them be. Its a fairly good system and overall we're happy. The only problem is that it still bores the Canada out of me!
Of course, I could have always taken Business Mathematics; which is basically the stuff simpler than even what you're doing mopsy. I'm talking about stuff like 2+2, rounding figures, converting common fractions and decimals, etc. I suppose I'm fortunate I didn't take that class, for I'd have immediately started screaming in the middle of it ("I can't take it anymore! Why'd I sign up for this {censored}!!!! <jumps out window, falls to death, but is happy the pain of the world's stupidest class is over>").
Also, needless to say I didn't bother doing my homework either. It was just a review for the test we're doing tomorrow, and after half an hour wishing death upon myself for signing up for that class; I gave up and came on here.
I think tomorrow I'll stand up in class and start screaming. It is that bad...
{I suppose that I should retract my prior statement, so that it says basically "Homeloaf, if you understand the material, feel free to apply yourself as little as possible. Use your creative energies in a more productive manner". I use my time in boring classes by writing blog entries and stories for it. Then, when I get home, I submit them, often getting some spiffy acclaim because apparantly when I'm bored, I am very creative}.
Don't get me started on my first period class (Accounting I), the second worst time of my day (simple math, but at least I learn how to write a balance sheet, and have unlimited comp access. Too bad they blocked this site because I spent all of last year on various forums, seriously angering my oppressive teachers. So, that answers the question of why I don't write on here as much as before, so don't bother asking it).
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Post by mopsy on Feb 16, 2006 4:44:34 GMT
Ah, I'm not in that class anymore. Algebra II for me now (junior level). We are... (picks up homeowrkd)Solvog quadratic formulas by completing the square, Uswing the quadratic formula to solve each equation, Determining the number of real solutions for equations using discminanant (which I can't do), and finnaly, Graphing and perfomring operations on complete numbers(can't do that either).
That's what the chapter review has on it. Ugh, I have a test on friday on all this.
If you can help with that stuff (I want to learn this stuff not get the answers) then message me (blinks)
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Post by earlofqb on Feb 17, 2006 0:25:06 GMT
Never heard of that stuff.
<checks book>
That's in Chapter 9, we're just started with chapter 7 yesterday. So, apparantly my Algebra III is just your Algebra II, but re-named. Of course, that does make sense as all we learned in Alg II was how to factor and the logic behind it all. Well, knowing that if I had dropped the class, I'd be at an enormous disadvantage, I'm starting to like the idea of pounding my brain while in that class (at least I'll end up on-par with the rest of the world, instead of "advanced" with those in my area).
Still, that class args; although the work is fun (had a test today that actually gave me the fun of a challenge. Been a while since that happened, and it was truely fun).
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Post by mopsy on Feb 17, 2006 15:09:12 GMT
I'm having the problem that I just transfered schools and the ciriculum (excuse me killing words, my english teahcer would be in tears) is extremly different. So in my old school we we're a couple of weeks ahead of here. And so I'm going over stuff I already know. And then I was absent for... like 10 school days and now I'm completly lost. And so I'm having issues.
(blinks)
Sorry I never got back to you Ildurest, you sent it to my hotmail and I didn't check that. I have a test on that whenever I can get in the class and take it so I'll try and get in gear.
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