As I said a the the start of this series , there were several hats to wear in telling about my education. Sometimes it switched from student to teacher to just a kid in the same post.
Even though I was a classroom teacher for 37 years I have a healthy skepticism about some of the things that go on in education.
When I was finishing Gr. 12 we had to fill out a form for the exams we wished to write . In that way, the powers that be, knew how many exam copies to send out and then there was less risk of extra copies circulating.
As I was carefully filling out the form so that I would get all my exams , the teacher came along and said , "Why don't you order the exam for Agricultural Economic?" What? Write an exam for a course I didn't take? The teacher told me that I should get the exam and on the day to write the exam , I could look at it. If I thought I might be able to pass it I would write it. If I thought it was too hard I could get up and leave the examination room. The teacher told me that he thought I had a good chance of passing the exam as I was a farm kid and followed news on agriculture. I was also active in 4H.
Well you know the rest of the story. The exam came and I wrote it and got a good mark that increased my average.
So there's my learning things that are out of the classroom!
So my skepticism is this. There is something wrong with the curriculum if somebody can pass an exam and get credit for course they didn't take. So over many years I realized that in some cases we did not teach much. I 'm not worried about teaching a whole lot of facts but teaching skills that help a student to evaluate, analyze and make judgments. With world events and elections right now, I don't think we got these skills got across to the students.
Seems like some practical skills could be taught...how to balance a checkbook instead of some Math we would never use again...instead we had to use a Slide Rule...I hated the Slide Rule. Common sense cannot be taught!
ReplyDeleteI agree that a slide rule is a waste of time but having kids balance check books and learn things about finance and money is a waste of time. their heads are not ready for money matters.
DeleteThere is still too much rote learning and focus upon subjects that are naively deemed to be of direct economic value such as Mathematics, Science and I.C.T.. Creative subjects get pushed out or demoted as if they were somehow of less value to the progress of our societies.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Was 4H a Nazi youth group?
I'm with you on the creative side. FActs, dates ... a waste of time unless you're a little nerd like me. 4 H a youth group connected to agriculture.
DeleteYes. There is a lot to learn outside of a classroom. Especially if one happens to have an interest in that subject.
ReplyDeleteFrom a little guy , I liked reading the newspaper. Maybe we didn't have anything else in the house to read. I also liked reading and listening to the radio. No TV in my time.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am sure many can pass exams on subjects they have learned first hand from experience or work doing a job. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy new week!
There are also situations where an adult student can challenge a high school course needed for entry into another program.
DeleteGetting credit without taking a course simply by passing an exam. What an interesting story! I've never had such an experience.
ReplyDeleteAdult students sometimes are able to challenge courses so that they can proceed to a program.
DeleteI think the most important thing I learned going to school is how to read for myself. I well remember my English classes and learning about books of all sorts. :-)
ReplyDeleteReading is key. there are many bright people who did not get reading and so they didn't succeed.
DeleteReading this reminds me that there were ways to test out of a course in college. If I remember correctly you could take an exam and if passed, get the credit for it.
ReplyDeleteI think in many places there are opportunities to challenge a course. Adults can do this since they have more experience.
DeleteFacts are at our fingertips today. Critical thinking must be taught.
ReplyDeleteYes, we don't have to do much to find information. We have to be able to judge whether it's good information.
DeleteI did BS my way through many exams as I was an English major in college (and I did not always read all of the books assigned)! But you are right in that I was taught the skills I needed to BS my way so I had learned something after all. Now when I need to learn something I do not know, I usually check out YouTube for a simple video on how to do what I need to do!
ReplyDeletePractical skills were learned through school and life when I might not have even realized it! Thanks for your interesting posts on education!
Interesting point that we learn some things and don't know it.
DeleteWell, I could see how you'd learn enough through "life experience" to pass an exam covering material taught in a course. After all, the course has to assume you know NOTHING and start at the beginning, right? When you already knew a lot! I can imagine people passing home economics in the same way.
ReplyDeleteI was up on the topics in this course by experiencing what went on.
DeleteYour example showed, Red, that many times there is no substitute for practical learning. Even though you had not taken the course, your farm work experience had you well prepared.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have to get out there and get some good experience.
DeleteIf you can pass the exxam then it's good that you can go on without getting bored with something you know. It's a good challenge to move forward.
ReplyDeleteI may have been bored if I actually took the course. I never thought of it that way.
DeleteIt does seem you should take the course if you are going to get credit for it but at the same time it is good when they recognize the practical skills you learned outside of school.
ReplyDeleteThe key in this course was economics. so was all about the economics of farming.
DeleteI've seen students who wouldn't attend classes, and somehow passed exams.
ReplyDeleteYou are on another whole issue. Nowadays I think some courses are set up to take into account the no shows.
DeleteIn the States you can take a CLEP exam in college and test out of taking the course if you pass. Pretty nice if you already know the answers. 4H is short for the US youth farm club Heart, Health, Home and Hands, isn't it?
ReplyDelete4 H was a good program and still is for farm kids.
DeleteI don't have a problem with what you did. You were being tested on knowledge, which you obviously had.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look back I wonder how much creativity influenced what happened.
DeleteI think it's good to get credit for stuff you already know.
ReplyDeleteI was certainly knowledgeable in that field
DeleteThree thumbs up today. I'll have to do better.
ReplyDeleteA teacher who recognised your background and capabilities. And a good result.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
You are a teacher I would like to have had teach me Red.
ReplyDeleteOh good gosh, Red. This is something that definitely needed to be taught to the students in the U.S. Looks like lots of people haven't learned to evaluate and analyze, from the looks of our political situation. Whenever we were traveling in Canada we were amazed at how much more Canadians knew about our politics than Americans did.
ReplyDelete