Quote: Griff @ June 19 2008, 11:49 PM BSTand that the most telling sign of plagiarism (according to a friend of mine who works on an exam board) is a correctly punctuated sentence.
Thatcher. The Iron Lady Page 5
Quote: Griff @ June 19 2008, 11:49 PM BSTStill, all must have prizes, which is why whenever I interview graduates at my workplace for a job, they always have starred firsts and fifty A-levels but none of them can add up or string a coherent sentence together.
Yes I was speaking to one of our training managers about this and they were saying the same thing about the written language skills of graduate entrants. I was sceptical until I had to conduct a sift of application forms, and oh dear...
Quote: Timbo @ June 19 2008, 11:47 PM BSTThough having been to a comprehensive school I can spell scourge.
Can't believe I used a foreign spelling. *shudder*
There are those who would say in an age of cheap calculators, wikipedia and spell checkers. That the most important skills we can teach are research, and information management.
But I admit that's a cop out, and as with so many things in the state of the nation. Targets with out funding, or support, leads to endless fudge. Be it wars, hospitals, policing, or education the appearance of succes is all.
I did the first couple of years of GCSE, and they were tough. Maybe not as tough as Olevel, but a fair mix of coursework and exam work.
The 100% course work GCSE hadn't yet arrived.
The real trick the government have done is to change the the results curve. The top percentage then the majority then the bottom. Now pupils results are not presented like this. It was easy for uni's to identify the top group then. Now impossible.
Quote: Aaron @ June 19 2008, 11:56 PM BSTCan't believe I used a foreign spelling. *shudder*
What? Foreign spelling as in rong 
Quote: roscoff @ June 19 2008, 11:58 PM BSTWhat? Foreign spelling as in rong
No - Cymru when everyone knows it's Wales!
Quote: Griff @ June 19 2008, 11:59 PM BSTOn a lighter note. My favourite thing I've seen on a job application form, which was shown to me by a friend. The form contained the question "How would you get to work", requiring a one-word answer along the lines of Car, Bus or Train. The applicant wrote something like "I would get the number 19 bus along the Hagley Rd, walk across to the other bus stop, then get the number 38 and get off at the roundabout."
They then sent a letter in a couple of days later to clarify the situation further, saying "When I filled in the application form I did not realise that the number 19 goes all the way to Edgbaston and I could get off at the shops and walk the rest of the way thus saving a further five minutes".
That's genius. I hope they got the job.
Hmm recruiting in care I have had,
I cared for my mother till she died.
See job specification
See job specification, I do that.
I have a very powerful personnality, and easily bend others to my will.
Quote: sootyj @ June 20 2008, 12:03 AM BSTI have a very powerful personnality, and easily bend others to my will.
How much is in your will?
Badoom tish!
[quote name="sootyj" post="186626" date="June 19 2008, 11:56 PM BST"]There are those who would say in an age of cheap calculators, wikipedia and spell checkers. That the most important skills we can teach are research, and information management.
But I admit that's a cop out, and as with so many things in the state of the nation. Targets with out funding, or support, leads to endless fudge.
Oi no chopping my posts to make it look like I'm not saying what I'm saying.
That's cheating, that is.
When ever I come into contact with education these days, it has a whiff of Orwellian madness.
New one learning disabled chap, who wanted to learn to read. Was told to do the course he would have to do Yoga.
With new legislation on compulsory therapy in the Mental Health Act an option. Conceivably he could be dragged from his home, and forced to do Yoga against his will. Unlikely, but.....
Am thinking of doing a skit on a deeply weird crisis management course I just went on.
Free yoga? Hook me up
You like yoga? You truly are an enigmatic chap.
Quote: sootyj @ June 20 2008, 12:18 AM BSTNew one learning disabled chap, who wanted to learn to read. Was told to do the course he would have to do Yoga.
With new legislation on compulsory therapy in the Mental Health Act an option. Conceivably he could be dragged from his home, and forced to do Yoga against his will. Unlikely, but.....
I am very much an advocate of the benefits of yoga and would like to see it promoted in schools. But, yes, that's not right.