Flada Blog

Update: Welcome, Carnival of Homeschooling #65 readers.

Cheating

Yesterday, I was on one of the OpenDiary boards where a public school teacher was lamenting that it seems to have become a socially acceptable practice for students to cheat. This got me thinking quite a bit about the topic of cheating. My actual reply was as follows:

My opinion:

It all depends on how you define cheating. As someone who has homeschooled and will homeschool again when my sons are of school age, it is difficult to cheat. Except for things like plagiarism, how does one cheat if one doesn’t have classmates?

As a former instructor, I have always been a believer that getting the correct result is the most important thing. Having worked in the real world, I know that when it comes to getting a job done, getting it done correctly matters a lot more than what resources one uses to complete an objective. Let’s say I have to repair a control system that isn’t working. Should I just walk up to it and rely on my memory of how the machine functions? There’s a really good chance that if I manage to fix it at all, it will take me a lot longer than it should. And when it comes to industrial machinery and down time, time really is money. On the other hand, I can review the manuals, maybe call tech support. Combined with my experience and troubleshooting skills, this should have the machine returned to service pronto.

Which type of repair man will keep his job longer?

I realize that fundamentals and things that require memorization should probably be tested individually. But, IMHO, the most important things for anyone to learn through school and beyond is how to find answers and solve problems. It’s difficult to test for those skills.

_____________________________

Ed Snyder

How Necessary Are Tests?

Of course, I’ve given this even more thought since I left that comment. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that tests are only important when you have a large student to teacher ratio. If I teach my two sons at home, I will have enough time to spend with each of them to know sans testing how they are progressing. This realization led to another–poor tests grades are a much greater measure of the success of the teacher (or institution) than they are of the individual students. This may seem obvious, and I guess I knew it instinctively before actually stating it, but it is an important thing to remember.

Consider: what happens when a student fails a test in public schools? Well, of course they get a failing grade. But why should they get a failing grade that will stay on their record forever when the real failure is with the school/teacher? This is made even more questionable when you consider that some subjects probably aren’t necessary in the future adult’s life. Don’t get me wrong here, I believe that knowledge of all subjects is beneficial. I’m a huge fan of learning everything that I can and I think my children will have happier lives if they are equipped with well-rounded knowledge. Still, beneficial does not equal necessary.

Furthermore, even if the grades that are now incorrectly applied to the students’ records were instead applied to the teachers and schools’ records, it is unlikely that the administrators would gain any insight into ways to improve the performance of their schools. After all, they know how badly they are performing and still manage to get worse every year.

A Method of Control

This takes me to my final point. If testing isn’t really necessary why do they do it (and for that matter, if you’re a homeschooler, why should you)? The answer is that it’s a method of control. I’ve hinted at this in a previous entry: public schools are charged with so many “bodies” (let’s face it, that’s what your kids are to them) that the only way they can keep any kind of order is through strict control. This type of control also leads to citizens who don’t make waves, and accept the status quo regardless of how much liberty has slipped away. Bigger and more powerful bureaucracies arise, making for very happy bureaucrats.

What about the homeschoolers? Whether or not to test your child is really up to you. I realize that college-entrance exams are a necessity if your kids are college bound. However, for the reasons I’ve outlined, it is imperative to fight against any mandatory testing laws. The government does not own you. The government does not own your kids. Don’t allow them to control you and yours.