Literary prowess rewarded

[Hitcher]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4603492a4560.html

At least it didn't need an apostrophe.

[scorry]

I wish i knew you could get points for that when i was in school :yes:

[007XX]

I am uncertain whether to laugh or cry after reading this.

If it was meant as a clever piss take on the teacher's part, I doubt that the student in question would be gifted enough to understand the subtlety of the joke made at his expense.

If they seriously rewarded him for using such language, then I sincerely despair for the future of the nation's literacy.

[Flatcap]

If they seriously rewarded him for using such language, then I sincerely despair for the future of the nation's literacy.

No - that would only be if it had been spelt "Fuk Orf"

[Big Dave]

Legend has it that the sole question on a philosophy paper was:

Why?

Reams were written but the top score was awarded to:

'Why not.'


Maybe it was art.

[Mom]

No - that would only be if it had been spelt "Fuk Orf"

Or Fuk of maybe.

Heaven help us, PC madness at its finest.

Speaking of getting marks for nothing though, my ex brother in law got 4% in a School Certificate Exam for writing his examination entry number on the top of each page and setting out the question numbers on blank paper. He did not answer a single question.

[jrandom]

The Chief Examiner of the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance Examination Board is either a mind-numbingly awful bore, or a man possessing uncommon wit and nerve.

Or, more probably, a vanishingly rare and peculiarly British combination of the two.

[007XX]

I am honnestly glad I decided against being a teacher...as much as the thought of helping young minds expand and be enriched is poetic and attractive, I doubt I could have done it ethically with the current PC related pressures brought onto the educative representants of NZ.

I can only make this comment based on the topical discussions I have had with 3 teachers of my acquaintance, but I do see all 3 as good teachers with broad minds and the required views towards a lot of subjects which in my view make for good role models for children.

Their hands are tied in so many ways that they can no longer expect anything from their students, just hope they will be able to get the best out of them.

[Swoop]

Presumably, he was marked down for failing to use a capital letter at the beginning.

[Hitcher]

Last century, when I was a university student, the rules and incentives relating to student tenure were somewhat different to what they are today. Suffice it to say that there was a body of "talent" whose lives revolved around Massey University rugby and the consumption of beer, moreso than any academic ambitions they may have had.

I flatted with one such for a while. Let's call him "Dudley", as that was his name. Dudley was a prodigious openside flanker, quaffer of ale (indeed he was a 7oz specialist in the Massey Drinking Team) and shagger of sheilas. Dudley was nominally enrolled as a BSc microbiology major, and had passing the mimimum number of papers required to remain enrolled as a fulltime student down to an artform. I'm not sure if he ever completed his degree, but managed to wring at least eight years out of the system that I know of.

"Interesting, but how is this on topic, Hitcher?" I hear you ask.

Amongst his numerous claims to fame, Dudley once received 17% for a microbiology paper upon which he wrote his name and student number, penned a poem, drew a picture of a house and wished the examiner a Merry Christmas. Telling them to "fuck off" may have threatened his academic career by pushing him within striking distance of a pass mark.

[007XX]

Bling you, I very unfairly cannot...but I did like that story!

[gijoe1313]

Eh, what's up doc? Anyone know the way to Alberqueque?

I'm sitting in lunchtime now in my learning space with a learner. She is trying hard to complete her last submission for an assessment.

A shining star amongst the morass of mediocrity and yet she has not the talent of others in her cohort.

Whenever I hear of such proclivities in my vocational pursuit, I always think of Monty Python and look on the bright side of life ...

At least they turned up for class that day! :rofl:

Oh hark, the bell signalling the end of lunch has begun its gravitic exertion on the learners to attend their final period. I guess I better see if I can engage their brains and hope the kernel of an idea takes root that may flourish at a later date! :baby:

[Mikkel]

Having just done the DDC I can very much relate to being frustrated by absolutely insubstantial questions like that. I'd have been tempted to put down a comparatively short answer as well.


Amongst his numerous claims to fame, Dudley once received 17% for a microbiology paper upon which he wrote his name and student number, penned a poem, drew a picture of a house and wished the examiner a Merry Christmas. Telling them to "fuck off" may have threatened his academic career by pushing him within striking distance of a pass mark.

Priceless! :niceone: Love the part about the drawing...

Reminds me of when I were to sit a 2 hour exam in quantum-mechanics without any allowed aids (no calculator, no book, no nothing, zip, nada - just a pencil). I scanned through the set of exercises and decided I could probably just get a passing grade if I worked really hard for the entire 2 hours.

After 10 minutes I wrote: "See you again during spring. :)" signed it, handed it in and went home to sleep some more.

[jrandom]

Reminds me of when I were to sit a 2 hour exam in quantum-mechanics...

After 10 minutes I wrote: "See you again during spring. :)"

So you saw them again in spring, passed with flying colours, and are now a fully-qualified quantum mechanic?

[Big Dave]

Now we know where t go when our quantums break down.

[Mikkel]

So you saw them again in spring, passed with flying colours, and are now a fully-qualified quantum mechanic?

Pretty much - business is slow though. It's a rather entangled matter though and it can be quite hard to keep a perspective of the entire equation at all times. Keeping track of all the relevant numbers is a bit like herding cats you know - but with added uncertainty. You never know if it's alive or dead - the business I mean, not the cat - that would be a cliche!


Now we know where t go when our quantums break down.

Or if they should be in a undesirable state.

[Toaster]

The Chief Examiner of the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance Examination Board is either a mind-numbingly awful bore, or a man possessing uncommon wit and nerve.

Or, more probably, a vanishingly rare and peculiarly British combination of the two.

Well said that man.

If it was indeed a PC approach to encourage the student, it reminds me of the NZCA system and its no-failures policy that merely sets up school graduates for failure in the real world. I can't see too many employees lasting long if they replied with an "f*** off" to their employers questions or requests.

What sort of grade is "deferred achievement" anyway?

[marioc]

I think it is even viable to use text speak these days during exams.

[alanzs]

Also in the last century, I wrote an answer in an advanced statistics course which I even then found amazingly bold. The extremely long, difficult question asked us to analyze a mass of data, relating to inventory control. Not sure of the correct answer, I wrote "Give me a job and I'll tell you." I received a "c+" on the paper and a "B" in that particular course.
The proffesor later said that he'd rather students be honest, than make up some answer which was not accurate.
Four years ago, I went to Auckland University to get a teaching degree after being in the workforce for 25 years and having a couple advanced degrees from a top university in the US. There were some people there that I wouldn't even want near my kids, let alone being their teacher.
If you failed a paper, you could re-do it until you got it right. I knew a bunch of people that regularly cheated in every possible way, on papers, in exams, always, every time. One person turned in the work of another student and was caught. She was able to do it again, orally, and passed. She now teaches primary school. Scary shit. :eek:

[Swoop]

A shining star amongst the morass of mediocrity and yet she has not the talent of others in her cohort.
Oh goodness. Do they have you referring to a class of students as a "cohort" as well?
When it was pointed out that it consists of a large mob of Roman troops (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohort_%28military_unit%29), our intelligensia refrained from the practice.

[Steam]

If the state collapses, you'll have a coherent career I guess.


Pretty much - business is slow though. It's a rather entangled matter though and it can be quite hard to keep a perspective of the entire equation at all times. Keeping track of all the relevant numbers is a bit like herding cats you know - but with added uncertainty. You never know if it's alive or dead - the business I mean, not the cat - that would be a cliche!

[Mikkel]

If the state collapses, you'll have a coherent career I guess.

Well, I wouldn't want to try and measure it...

[gijoe1313]

Oh goodness. Do they have you referring to a class of students as a "cohort" as well?
When it was pointed out that it consists of a large mob of Roman troops (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohort_%28military_unit%29), our intelligensia refrained from the practice.

Well referring to them as a melange of mistaken gene deviations wouldn't go down too favourably as well! :innocent:

Or inexplicable lapses of prophylactic equipment discharges ...

Or expunged genitalia mucus membrane leftovers ...

Or resource depleting parasitical element of society ...

Or ... you get the general idea :msn-wink:

[Big Dave]

Cohort is one of those morphed words anyway. It has a de rigueur noughties connotation of an associate.

[Swoop]

C4 TV tonight. 8.30. America's Most Smartest Model.

Whoever thought of that name?

[alanzs]

C4 TV tonight. 8.30. America's Most Smartest Model.

Whoever thought of that name?

You'd have thought they'd come up with a more better name than that? :doh: