Or they could work on policies that reward significant improvement throughout the year. A rough start can be just that. Mandating that everything is at least 50%, even when a student gets a 0%, is a terrible idea.
Really, I have no problem with a "lousy start" policy of some sort, but to guarantee 50% while other students are giving and earning 100% annoys me to no end. How about simply this, guarantee that all quizzes and tests can be made up after hours (before/after class) that were taken in the first half of the semester for a maximum score of 80% of the total points awarded (gotta at least give a small late bloomer penalty)? Higher of the 2 scores will apply. Thoughts there?
Cool, now if I'm really good in that subject (math comes to mind), I can just skip the entire first half of each semester and still get a B in the class!
Ever taken a math class... generally you can't skip the first half (fundamentals) and pass the second half (more advanced stuff). And while that might not motivate students to "be your best!", if the student is smart enough to pull that off... well I guess being smart does have benefits!
On a good day I would half-ass pay attention in my math classes and never bothered doing homework unless it had serious potential for affecting my grades. All honors classes, all tests aced.
This 50% minimum is bull shit any way you slice it. Sure, give the kids a chance to fix-up their fuck-ups by getting with the program and doing the work, although late, but don't give them grades better than the shitty one they earned. There are no breaks like that after they get to the real world, it will only hurt t
Which school classes exactly helped you in the real world? Had a need to solve a cubic equation at work lately? Your car wouldn't start without you knowing quantum physics. Lets face it, every day life and work need completely different skills, and not ones that can be measured by a test with point score. Even programming needs zero math skills.
Yes, a good school grade will get you into a good university and a good diploma might lend you a higher-paying jobs. But that is just an admission that our education
Pardon me, but... LOL WUT? Lady Ada and Messr's Babbage, Turing and Godel would like to talk to you before they beat you up and leave you for dead in a bad neighborhood.
No, the poster is right. I know many programmers who ahve weak math skills, but don't really need them for the type of programming they do. That's fine. In fact, I would rather have those application written by someone who was an English major and some software training. Seriously, they will write documentation, and there code will probably be more maintainable.
There is also programming that requires heavy math skills.
Th days of needing to calculate memory and disk storage are long gone for much of the softwa
You don't need what most people consider mathematics to program well. Yes, you are using logic, and logic is math, but most people don't think of it that way.
In the same way, most people don't consider cooking to be chemistry, but it is. Does this mean that all cooks should be good chemists or vice-versa? No.
Disobedience: The silver lining to the cloud of servitude.
-- Ambrose Bierce
Or more reasonable policies (Score:5, Insightful)
Or they could work on policies that reward significant improvement throughout the year. A rough start can be just that. Mandating that everything is at least 50%, even when a student gets a 0%, is a terrible idea.
Re: (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:4, Insightful)
Cool, now if I'm really good in that subject (math comes to mind), I can just skip the entire first half of each semester and still get a B in the class!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:4, Insightful)
On a good day I would half-ass pay attention in my math classes and never bothered doing homework unless it had serious potential for affecting my grades. All honors classes, all tests aced.
This 50% minimum is bull shit any way you slice it. Sure, give the kids a chance to fix-up their fuck-ups by getting with the program and doing the work, although late, but don't give them grades better than the shitty one they earned. There are no breaks like that after they get to the real world, it will only hurt t
Re: (Score:-1, Troll)
Which school classes exactly helped you in the real world? Had a need to solve a cubic equation at work lately? Your car wouldn't start without you knowing quantum physics. Lets face it, every day life and work need completely different skills, and not ones that can be measured by a test with point score. Even programming needs zero math skills.
Yes, a good school grade will get you into a good university and a good diploma might lend you a higher-paying jobs. But that is just an admission that our education
Re:Or more reasonable policies (Score:5, Funny)
Pardon me, but... LOL WUT? Lady Ada and Messr's Babbage, Turing and Godel would like to talk to you before they beat you up and leave you for dead in a bad neighborhood.
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Lady Ada and Messr's Babbage, Turing and Godel would like to talk to you before they beat you up and leave you for dead in a bad neighborhood.
Yeah, don't mess with mathematicians. They'll kick your asymptote.
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No, the poster is right.
I know many programmers who ahve weak math skills, but don't really need them for the type of programming they do. That's fine.
In fact, I would rather have those application written by someone who was an English major and some software training. Seriously, they will write documentation, and there code will probably be more maintainable.
There is also programming that requires heavy math skills.
Th days of needing to calculate memory and disk storage are long gone for much of the softwa
Re: (Score:2)
You don't need what most people consider mathematics to program well. Yes, you are using logic, and logic is math, but most people don't think of it that way.
In the same way, most people don't consider cooking to be chemistry, but it is. Does this mean that all cooks should be good chemists or vice-versa? No.