![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyShe homeschools! She doesn't like the idea of tests and homework! She must be stupid!
I love the assumptions:
There's no way to judge how much a student learned unless you give tests and homework. Well, yeah, I guess they could check class participation and classwork - but how could there possibly be enough time??? Because all my classes, which ran on the "tests and homework" idea, were lecture-based, so this class must ALSO be large and lecture based, and there wouldn't be enough time to do classwork. I've never heard of class discussions, or labwork before!
And:
She withdrew her kids over this! She must not want them to learn! This must make her a bible-thumping fundie!
Aside from the obvious WTF prejudice, I have this to say: Of course, you can't learn unless you have homework and tests! This, despite the studies saying that homework and tests can be detrimental to actual learning. Seriously, think back: which did you learn better, the subject you didn't stress out over but instead liked, or the subject which had lots of tests, which you crammed for? Even if you disagree, which is fair, do you *really* think that there's no other way to learn than by lectures, homework, and tests?
I love the assumptions:
There's no way to judge how much a student learned unless you give tests and homework. Well, yeah, I guess they could check class participation and classwork - but how could there possibly be enough time??? Because all my classes, which ran on the "tests and homework" idea, were lecture-based, so this class must ALSO be large and lecture based, and there wouldn't be enough time to do classwork. I've never heard of class discussions, or labwork before!
And:
She withdrew her kids over this! She must not want them to learn! This must make her a bible-thumping fundie!
Aside from the obvious WTF prejudice, I have this to say: Of course, you can't learn unless you have homework and tests! This, despite the studies saying that homework and tests can be detrimental to actual learning. Seriously, think back: which did you learn better, the subject you didn't stress out over but instead liked, or the subject which had lots of tests, which you crammed for? Even if you disagree, which is fair, do you *really* think that there's no other way to learn than by lectures, homework, and tests?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 10:25 pm (UTC)However, *I* don't need to test them. As their mother I know them both intimately and can tell when they're "getting" something and when they're not, as their teacher, I have only two students with whom I spend 5+ hours a day with, five days a week, going over everything, answering questions, discussing things with them.
My kids have been back in school since Tuesday and in science we are currently covering human cellular structure. They are 10 and 7 years old. They have never studied cellular structure before. They were discussing it with their father tonight when he returned home from work and my my husband said something about mitochondrion being his favorite parts of the cell. My seven year old daughter turned to him and said "Daddy, it's mitochondria if it's more than one. Mitochondrion is for just one."
This tells me that not only has she absorbed information about the organelles of cells, but that she also understands singular and plural forms of words. In one sentence. No test required.
I read what you wrote at the other page, Connie, thanks for defending us (homeschoolers). And thank you for being open-minded enough to know that not all of us are Bible-thumpers or idiots.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-09 04:55 am (UTC)Eh, no problem. Some people need saving from the stupid people more than most.