Polylogue - As We agreed.....

Supplementary Notes from you

I am going to have to disagree with your dislike of exams and evaluations. I understand it can be hard and tedious for teachers to write a test and then mark 30 or so tests but I like having tests. I like knowing just how well I'm doing, whether it be a 90% or a 60%.

Exams and evaluations can be considered as a game of soccer or as a performance of some sort. You spend some time, whether it be a 1 week or 5 months in between evaluations, studying and learning something and then when you come to the test day, you show what you've learned. If you put in the effort, it will show. If you were lazy and didn't put in the effort, it will also show. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way that you will know how well you understand the material until you do a test just like you will never know how well you practiced until you play a game. I like knowing how well I'm doing in a course and how well I understand the course. If I'm doing well on evaluations, I know to continue what I'm doing. If not, I need to change something and put in more effort to overcome the difficulty. 

Currently, for my courses, we have a quiz every week that somewhat forces us to study. I'll be honest and say that I dislike studying constantly, but I have realized that having quizzes will only benefit me. Constantly studying the material makes me so much more prepared for midterms and finals and so in the end, I will have learned the course a lot better because like you said, practice makes perfect. 

I think that the problem with exams and evaluations, and I'm sure that you'll agree with me on this, is what our marks are worth because of the system. Nowadays, the majority of students only care about marks and not what they actually learn. Without high marks, you won't get into your desired university program. You might not get a good job with low marks. You might fail and course in university or even get a 50-60% average and then be put on academic probation. Unfortunately, marks can in no way, shape or form define a person nor should they. Like you said, somebody can have a bad day and it can end up costing them. We're only human and bad things will happen but one bad day should not have as huge an effect as it does. 

Just an example of the flaws of the marking system. I got into a top program where the average of the incoming students' average that year happened to be 91%. I also had a high mark but when we started school, I started meeting people who got averages like 97% or 98% and was a little intimidated at first. Then, after the first semester, I see some of those same people dropping courses, failing courses and even failing first year. Then I met others who got much lower averages and they were excelling in the program. In the end, the marks ranged from 20/30% all the way up to 100%. How is it possible that with an average of all averages of 91%, that there can be such a huge distribution of academic performance? The marking system is completely flawed and it's sad that it really doesn't benefit anybody. Those who don't get high enough marks are punished. Those who did get higher marks but only because their only focus was their final mark, will end being punished later on in life when they get a test that they can't study for, when true intelligence will have to be shown. 

In conclusion, I like tests/exams/evaluations as a means of a measure of my knowledge so I know where I stand BUT what the government has done with the emphasis on marks is detrimental to society.

F.S.

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And now Imagine....

Imagine a school where there are no failures.

Imagine a school where all are successes relative to themselves.

Imagine a world where people do not judge each other, but celebrate their achievements.

Imagine a world where people do not bully others.

Imagine young kids growing up and metamorphose into cupids...their only weapon and arrow of love.

Imagine a world without wars and bombs and not marks or markers.

Imagine a world where people cooperate and love each other.

Where people do not gang up against their fellow man; where people do not hurt their fellow human being.

Imagine the world in a wonderful and magical GROUP HUG...

Imagine...There are no limits...and everything is possible.

Competition brings out primitive instincts...and tests and exams glorify them.

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  Patrick writes

I am very glad that you enjoyed the poems and am honoured that you added them to your blog.
 
Well I am just finishing up school at this point. I completed my undergraduate degree in biology and psychology and then went into medical laboratory sciences thereafter. I'm currently in my last week of placement at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, after which I will be writing my licensing exam. After nearly seven years of post-secondary education, I am very ready to enter to working world.

............
 I will make an honest and true effort to write you poems on a weekly basis, but unfortunately it will have to wait until after my licensing exam on February 20th. It is a six hour exam covering a cumulative three years of theory and practical knowledge, so as you can imagine it is occupying nearly all my attention at this point. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers that day as I will need all the help I can get. To be quite honest, I have not written anything since I graduated from university back in 2011. When I found your blog, I felt I should send you what I had written during that time and in doing so, I realized I very much miss writing. I welcome your invitation with open arms. 

Take care,
Patrick

Patrick,

You read for us your poems in math class.

Some commented that poems have no room in math...”This is not an English class”!

Imagine math and art and paintings and music and poetry all in one room.

Indeed MAGICAL...

Thank you, Patrick.

We will wait in anticipation of a better tomorrow and your poems.

H.K.