An interesting article in the New York Times discusses how measures of intelligence can be affected by invoking stereotypes. To me it is interesting that intelligence is fluid and influenced by context, something that should be important to students and to educators alike. Here is the link.
Disclaimer: This may not apply to you at all, in which case I apologize for using the general pronoun, "you." Apparently this is a hot issue at all of the magnet schools and is being addressed through policy. It is unfortunate that the behavior of some students can affect those that are without blame. This is not a topic that I really want to address but I feel compelled to after discovering that many of my students presented work as their own that was not. Let me begin by saying that I realize that you have chosen the most difficult of paths through high school, one that requires an astonishing level of maturity, an uncommon work ethic and the willingness to risk being average among a pool of people that are extraordinary. I respect and admire the strength of character that being an IB student demands. As a student myself, I empathize with the pressures that you are under and I understand how one's self-esteem can be affected through fears that you are not smart enough or through being validated externally. Even as an adult, getting an A in a class resonates for me emotionally, seems to assure me that I am competitive intellectually and feeds my ego. I am aware, too, that GPA is the all important driver and that many of you feel that your very future depends on getting the best grades. All of that being said, in my opinion, a grade that is achieved dishonestly rings hollow, is not an accurate reflection of the progress that you have made and cheapens the value of high grades. Cheating lessens your integrity. There are many things that are beyond your control as a high school student but one thing that is not is your moral code. Here are some links to statistics about academic dishonesty. I hope that you will share your own opinions with me and you are free to choose a screen name that does not identify you if you do not feel comfortable talking about this publicly. 8 astonishing stats Here is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle. I am disheartened that I am going to have to make some changes after my discovery of what I consider to be cheating, using Internet resources not to find information about problems rather than the problems themselves. This is going to mean more work done in class, under my watchful eye, that is going to count. The things you do at home have lost some of their meaning for me as a way to determine how much you are learning.
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Sandi YoderI have been a teacher for 27 years, 14 of which have been in the Campbell High School IB program. Archives
August 2014
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