Thursday, July 17, 2014
TESTING WITH THE INTERNET
I remember when the first Texas Instrument calculator was introduce to the public it only added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. I eagerly bought this miracle machine for around fifty dollars, which was back then allot of money. I was at UCLA and wanted to use my new technical device for a Chemistry test instead of my old, but faithful, slide ruler. It took a semester to finally use the “new technology” on our tests.
http://www.vintagecalculators.com/assets/images/TI2511_1.jpg
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My point is there are always going to be questions on how to use any new technological device. I believe that a policy that allows internet use on all test would be a mistake. I understand where James Cash is coming from when he says that critical thinking skills need to be the goal of higher education. But I am an old school future teacher and believe in the building block philosophy in education. I believe that certain facts need to be common and set to memory. The dates: 1492, 1776, December 7, 1941, or September 11, 2001 should not be researched on the World Wide Web to know why they are significant. To use Jeffrey Starr’s example, everyone in high school should be able to see the 11 X 36 is 10 X 36=360 + 36 or 396. The point is mastery of the basics is among the first steps to critical thinking. That said, there is a place for the internet in testing, but it needs to be focused and limited in the lower grades while it can be expanded, but still controlled, in the older grades. Yes we have to embrace new technology but I believe we have to be slow to “pull the trigger”.
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ReplyDelete“I understand where James Cash is coming from when he says that critical thinking skills need to be the goal of higher education… mastery of the basics is among the first steps to critical thinking.” – Matthew Barbato
ReplyDeleteMatthew,
I agree with your perspective mentioned above. After pondering for a while about the stuff I posted on my site concerning this same topic. I am now starting to think differently. The four-wall-in-boxed institutions/and or classrooms of our past will remain in our past.
It appears the 21-century classrooms may all become hybrids: boxed-in classrooms and internet combined. This is an educational revolution (complete change) for sure, and all - if not most - educational rules may also have to be revised to catch up with 21-century hybrid thinking (global classrooms). So yea, I think it's Ok for students to take test using the internet to find answers, generally speaking.
This is an educational revolution, but we as newly trained teachers have an advantage when it comes to the 21 century classroom because of courses like this.
DeleteHi Matthew,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post here. Fifty dollars for a basic calculator today is still a lot of money! So was there issues with professors and teachers at the time with their students using calculators on tests and other assignments? I definitely think that is interesting and like how you connected it to this article. I agree with you completely. There is a place for open internet testing, and then there is not a place for it when it comes down to the basics. Like I mentioned in my own posting, if people don't know the basics, they just don't know anything but how to type on a computer for answers to everything. I do like the idea that the internet would allow students to research, synthesize and come up with their own responses that reflect critical thinking, though.
Sarah- Glad you appreciated the similarity of the issues from 40 years ago and now. The more things change the more they remain the same. Thanks for your comments.
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