Poor Testing

Early in my teaching career I had the transformative experience of speaking with a student who had high grades about a possible application of some concept we covered in class. The student gave one of those blank stares that had just a hint of the primordial fear that I have seen in the eyes of my children when confronted with a loud noise or large vehicle barreling by over the speed limit.

The experience convinced me of the ineffectiveness of tests. I have had an army of students who can ape almost anything they see me do on the board, but I began to worry that test taking was a cover up for failings on both my part as an educator and the student as a learner. Perhaps American education is under-preforming for a similar reason: tests of procedure only measure a student's ability to mimic. And many test really only do test procedure.

Those we cannot have

**This needs to be edited, I know, so comment away, but I'll fix it later!

Tonight my wife and I were surfing the net for funny/sappy videos to watch. It's a nice way to unwind and spend time together. In my meandering I saw this. Sure its sad, and maybe a bit self-indulgent, but it reminded me of a comment I read somewhere in the Net that seemed to be quite insightful.

The post claimed that Star Wars, and I'll put Star Trek in here, too, is targeted at young men as a teaching instrument of the values that build greatness in men: Selflessness, sacrifice, honor, and putting childish ways behind us. (Come to think of it, did Kirk ever grow up? Or is that his facade? As Orion said, "You play the clown to hide a warrior's pain.") Roddenberry did grow, and TNG, in my opinion, bears that marks of a writer and thinker that has had time, in this case decades, to mature and deepen.

The aforementioned post contrasted Star Wars with the Harry Potter franchise. The contributor claimed that Harry Potter is aimed at girls, and is about feminine virtues: community, connectedness, unconditional acceptance, and I forget what else. Girl stuff tends to bore me, but girls have always fascinated me. Guess that is why I married one.

ANYWAY... the video seemed to be a bit darker of an interpretation of the relationship between Picard and Dr. Crusher than I remember feeling during my viewings of TNG. But has this stumbled on something a bit deeper?

I can't help but think of a young lady I once knew who seemed to be smitten with me in the worst way. She wanted my love, and, so far as I can tell, very much needed some personal validation and affirmation. The details shall remain undisclosed out of respect for someone who was for a short time close to me. Let it suffice to say that I soon realized that we were not right for each other, and thus I was not right for her.

So not being with her became an act of love.

I did not sleep with her and then dump her after her utility faded. Did not even kiss her in a romantic way, if I kissed her at all. But ending the relationship was awkward and painful. I wanted to be with her at that time, even though I knew it was not to be. And for the first time, I was really able to understand with my heart something that my mind had just dimly grasped beforehand: It is not enough to be in love, you have to be right for the person you are with.

And so I ask you: How do we love the ones we cannot have, should not have? Did Jean-Luc treat Beverly in full charity in his dealings with her? I know I hurt a young woman who just wanted to be loved and accepted. Clumsiness and immaturity, not malice, was my fault.

How could I have done better?

Poerty

I've tried my hand at poetry, too. I like poetry, but feel incapable of controlling when I write it. Some one has suggested that our modern concept of creativity is wrong, and that we should go with the flow of the muse, and not worry about our creativity drying up. So much for mass production.

Freshman Essay

This is an essay that I wrote during my freshman year of college. That was about a decade ago. I wonder how you, the reader, will judge my concerns. Has time borne out some of the possibilities?

I also wonder, have I become a better writer over the years?

Safety

Many people fear for the safety of their children. Dua.

Some refuse to keep a gun in the house for fear that a child will get his hands on it and shoot someone, including himself. OK.

But what is the leading cause of death among children in the United States today?

Car accidents.

So what should the advocates of safety demand of our government?

How about raising the legal driving age from a frightening 14-16 to 18? After all, if a child cannot buy cigarettes, vote, sign a contract, or have a credit card, why the hell do we let them operate two to four ton killing machines?

Instructions!

Recently a student asked for some guidance on a project:

"Sorry to bother you again about the project, but I was wondering if you gave anymore guidelines for the project? What kind of format, how long you are expecting it to be, etc. It's been a while since I've written a paper, so the more guidelines I can get the better."

So I gave a utilitious reply.

"I want a cover page, table of contents, and citation. I prefer Chicago style citation, just because! Each section does not need to be longer than it needs to be, but not shorter either."

It has become a pet peeve of mine, but mandating that a paper be of a certain length, rather than of a certain LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT is common in academia. This encourages wordy, snow-filled papers that mask the barrenness if some students minds. Pity!

Nobel Laureate in Economics

This guy has hit the nail on the head! Health care is expensive now, how will we stop runaway spending? I know, deathpanels!

No seriously, how will we controll spending?



...deathpanels...


Remember the Law of Unintended Consequences?

Not That I care About Attempts to Form Unions, But

No secret ballet? Forcing People to join the union? Is this democratic in principle or practice? This worries me. I believe in democracy, and I believe in faculty led institutions. So, what shall we say to these things?

Complex?

A Democrat-Media Complex? SOunds scary like the Minitary-Industrial Complex!

But is there such a thing? Or should be just be wary of one forming?

Unintended Consequences!

Remember that for every action there is a reaction, just not always what you would expect.

So... Congress wants to encourage the use of renewable fuels.

Of course, Wahington being Wasington, now we have:

An increase in the consumption of fossil fuels!

Money being taken from "hard-working-Americans" and being given to Evil Corporations!

A trade war with Canada!


But will it stop? Let's hope not!

Land of the Free!

Soon I won't be able to watch my own children in my own home. What about privacy? As it turns out, this right only exists so far as it is convenient for the government and the people don't make a stink losing some aspect of it. But how did the government know that someone was watching neighborhood children? Ever wonder how "they" figured that out?

Big Brother is watching.


But that is a good thing, no? More on that to come!

I do not recieve this.

So apparently researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago have proposed that women make better lawmakers. However, if you think about some of the reasons they propose as arguments, you may conclude that the late C.S. Lewis was correct in the assertion that logic, one of the classical foundations of education, has been discarded from education.

1) More bills = better
Come on, and bigger is better, too? Ask anywoman that. Actually, less is more, especially considering the Law of Unintended Consequences. More on that later.

2)More co-sponsors = better.
Women also go to the bathroom in groups, do they empty their bladders in a superior fashion as well?

3) More money sent to home districts = better.
Are we not having run away deficits? (here and here) Don't we need to cut back on spending? Does this imply that women are better at playing the system?

Protect the Children!

Well! Isn't Big Brother caring for all the children of the world!

Too bad my mom can't watch my kids and then eat dinner in my house anymore.