I just won't stop. Another rant, coming up! This time:
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[glow=green,2,300]MORE RANTING ABOUT SCHOOL PROJECTS AND LETTING STUDENTS GRADE THEIR PEERS[/glow][/shadow]
The reason I say more is because there was some thread (I can't find it) where I was talking about this subject. I dunno who was there, but it was a pretty long conversation. I know Silos was there, and Cutter may of been too. And maybe Gen and Nam were there at first, but, to refresh anyone who may of read some of it....
It was about an RLA project for school. The project was to create a Power Point slide show or Publisher brouchure about a utopia. Now, this is a utopia you have to make up, giving it attributes of culture, food, buisness, education, enviroment, law, etc.
But I, as you may or may not of guessed, took it too seriously. I wasn't expecting that my RLA TEACHER (Reading Language Arts...otherwise known as English) wouldn't of put the real defintion of utopia into thought.
Utopia: a place of
ideal perfectionespecially in laws, government, and social conditions
I mean, come on! She taught us the freaking word and meaning! But
NNOOOO, I still see people around me making their dream islands with tropical beaches, free video games, and giant shopping malls. While I, being the only person taking the word "utopia" seriously, was making a PERFECT place, whether I liked it's traits or not. I eliminated religon prejudice, deathes, and poverty in very realistic ways. Realistic, unlike other people with their "You can't be racist" laws. How the hell would you bring that law out? And it seemed I was the only one in my HONORS class that saw the important meaning of taxes. These little kids must think their baaad things because people complain...
So I later bring it up to the teacher in the politest way I could:
"Excuse me, Mrs. Biblow? For the brouchure, does it have to be a almost perfect utopia, or is it just what we like it our dreams?"
She was obviously shocked by the question. I could tell by her face and how her voice sounded afterwards what she was thinking:
What? What is wrong with this nerdy kid? I thought he, like all the other kids, would WANT to make a dream society. Is he actually taking this project that extreme? All of the other kids are having a ball, not even taking this like a project...more like a social game...Then she said, "Uhh, yeah. You can do whatever you want. Whatever you like."
I didn't take that as an answer. And so, in my "I just got ripped off and pissed off" kind of way, I grumpily continued my great project, of a real, slightly futuristic utopia.
So then, we presented. And oh how THAT went...
I listened to all of the happy little children brag about their dream islands, dream malls, dream everyday football and crap like that. They read it off of their "pretty" PowerPoints with pictures and animations and crap. My teacher gave us all the ability to grade the other kids on a scale of 1-5, on different points of view of the project. She also had a space where you can write a comment. Too bad it was against the rules to right a negative comment. It would hurt their feelings. Ugh..when will they learn that criticsm is the only way to learn? So I did so, purposely grading some bad on purpose, cause they weren't utopias. Then, it was my turn. Since I did a printed out brouchure, not a Powerpoint, I had to pass it around, and present off the top of my head. I didn't know this, and she didn't say make que cards, so I had to think on my feet. And I did. That was like 3 monthes ago, this is now...
Today, we finally got the grades by the teacher and students back. I was glad to see I was one of the few people that got an 100% and "Outstanding!" due to detail. DETAIL, not the fact is was ACTUALLY WHAT THE PROJECT ASKED FOR!
But then it happened....Finally, I'm finally up to the part I'm actually typing a rant for. The response I got back from other students. I realized with a smile that all of the students gave me 5's, and a "Good thinking on your feet!"
I realized with a confused frown, that an angry mob of children was yelling at me, cause I didn't give them straight 5's, and all I gave them was a "It was unique..." Cause that is all it was. I'm sorry guys, but giant shopping mall worlds are NOT PERFECT SOCIETIES!
But be sure you can take the criticism. I hate people who can't take criticism, and just yell saying things like "Give me a break!!" And then make excuses instead of just changing.
Exactly. 1. Don't let children grade things if you can't actually comment without lying. And 2. TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICSM! Geez!