I have long considered the whole notion of SATs as the twenty first century's equivalent to the Victorian practice of shoving kids up chimneys and down mines or between flying shuttles.
Who benefits from this archaic process of academic testing?
Who benefits from the 100% level 4s?
The whole premise was built on a pile of rubble inconsistently stating that 100% = average.
Of course it encourages cheating.
I always tell my year six students that you cannot fail a SATs test. A driving test, yes. SATs test no!
When are educators going to grasp the nettle and become trail blazers instead of trend followers?
I remember one teacher telling me that the only thing you could ever be one hundred percent certain of being free from the cheat factor was, 'Can you swim 25m?' 'OK. Show me.'
I think they encourage teachers to be less honest - teachers under pressure may be more likely to help students to a point where work is not classed as the pupils own!
There was a poster about cheating in my maths classroom when I was at school (many years ago). It had statements like "looking up the answers and trying to work out how to get them isn't cheating". It ended up saying "pretending that you understand when you don't is cheating. That's when you're cheating yourself."
I fear that a lot of the time, due to the pressure for results, we are helping pupils to answer questions and achieve grades when they don't necessarily understand. "That's when they're cheating themselves!"
Comments
Shove 'em up chimney!
I have long considered the whole notion of SATs as the twenty first century's equivalent to the Victorian practice of shoving kids up chimneys and down mines or between flying shuttles.
Who benefits from this archaic process of academic testing?
Who benefits from the 100% level 4s?
The whole premise was built on a pile of rubble inconsistently stating that 100% = average.
Of course it encourages cheating.
I always tell my year six students that you cannot fail a SATs test. A driving test, yes. SATs test no!
When are educators going to grasp the nettle and become trail blazers instead of trend followers?
I remember one teacher telling me that the only thing you could ever be one hundred percent certain of being free from the cheat factor was, 'Can you swim 25m?' 'OK. Show me.'
League table culture/cheating
I think they encourage teachers to be less honest - teachers under pressure may be more likely to help students to a point where work is not classed as the pupils own!
That's when you're cheating yourself
There was a poster about cheating in my maths classroom when I was at school (many years ago). It had statements like "looking up the answers and trying to work out how to get them isn't cheating". It ended up saying "pretending that you understand when you don't is cheating. That's when you're cheating yourself."
I fear that a lot of the time, due to the pressure for results, we are helping pupils to answer questions and achieve grades when they don't necessarily understand. "That's when they're cheating themselves!"