Sample questions from the grade 10 literacy test (PDF).
The first reason I object to this test is because I don't think standardized testing is an effective evaluation tool. The second reason is that it's redundant - a person needs basic literacy to get as far as grade 10, and if people are reaching grade 10 without basic literacy there are bigger problems that need a better solution than throwing a standardized test at it.
But all that notwithstanding, there are some flaws in this test.
A student needs to pass this test to graduate. It is not tied to any specific English course. This should mean that it tests the most basic literacy needed to function in the adult world; if a student doesn't pass this test, they are too illiterate to function in the adult world and should be forceably educated until their literacy improves. Now most questions on this test evaluate this basic literacy, but some do not. For example:
1. In the first story about camping, there are two questions that ask about characters' motivations (7 & 8) and a third (5) that could also be interpreted as being about motivation. Now understanding motivation is very important for English and literature studies, and contributes greatly to the thorough appreciation of any plot-based literature or media. However, it is NOT part of basic literacy. A person can function in society as an adult and not be able to imagine what fictional characters might be thinking. (Their people skills might be a bit off, but that isn't literacy). A high school student should have a basic understanding of character motivation, but if they don't it should be reflected in their English mark, not in a test that determines if they can read well enough to finish high school.
2. In the second reading selection about the train, students are asked if this paragraph makes them want to take this train, and why or why not. This does not test reading comprehension so much as it tests whether the student has formulated an opinion. One would generally assume that after a person reads something they would formulate an opinion about it, but a person could conceivably read and understand the whole thing and not care either way. While the question does have a reading comprehension element to it, there are better ways to test reading comprehension without penalizing people who really don't care either way about this stupid train and aren't up on their BS skills.
3. The museum pamphlet has two question (4 & 6) about graphics and visual design. This has nothing to do with literacy either! It is important in some areas of life and should reflect in a student's mark in Art or Design or whatever they call the class that's responsible for the yearbook and the school newspaper, but it is quite possible for a person to be able to read perfectly well and have a poor sense of design.
4. In the selection about trial by jury, question 5 asks the student to incorporate their own ideas. While applying one's own thoughts to an article is important, it is not an element of basic literacy. The student may have never thought about trial by jury before or may have no opinion, and again they should not be judged as having substandard literacy because of it. If the student is unable to apply their own thoughts to a text, this should be reflected in their English mark, not here.
5. The writing section asks for a precis of the article, (although they call it a summary). I don't know if the people who are marking this want a formal precis, but if they do, this would only be appropriate if a formal precis was taught in grade 9. When I was in high school it was taught in OAC (and not all schools did so). If this has changed and it's now taught in grade 9, this exercise is appropriate. If not, they'd better not be expecting a formal precis!
I might sound rather picky with these issues, but my experience with this kind of standardized test is that people can be marked too low for reasons that have nothing to do with the purported reason for the test. For example, I took a similar test in grade 9. Now in grade 9 my reading ability was the same as it is now, but I was marked as 2/5 or 2/6 on my reading ability because test assessed reading ability by asking students to write a letter to the main character in the short story. Now this was problematic for me because the story was simple, straightforward, and self-explanatory, so there was nothing in there that was worthy of comment; I had nothing to say to the main character at any point in the story, and if they were someone I knew in real life and we were discussing the story face to face, I would still have very little of substance to say. Also, when I write letters, I'm either answering questions in the other person's letter, or telling them stuff from my end. I don't really go around commenting extensively on their lives unless they have specifically asked for advice or something, so if this character was actually my friend, a letter to her would not deal with the event in the story at all! This might be a good writing exercise, but it is certainly not a way to test a student's reading comprehension!I fear that students taking this grade 10 test might have their reading comprehension underevaluated simply because in a high-pressure test situation they can't think of anything to say about the permanence of t-shirts!
Since this test is so important, determining whether students can graduate from high school, the reading part should strictly judge basic reading comprehension. Can this student read and understand English text? That's all. Deficiencies in analyzing and deriving personal opinions should be addressed in the relevant classes, but they certainly aren't a reason to keep a person from finishing high school!
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Monday, February 09, 2004
From the Brilliant Ideas that will Never Work file: Suicide Place
This place is kind of like a hospital or mental institution, except people go there to commit suicide. It provides a controlled environment where they make sure the suicide goes as smoothly as possible for all involved, so we don't have people jumping off bridges and messing up perfectly good ravines, or landlords finding their tenants hanged and half-rotted when the rent is late.
When you want to commit suicide, you check into the Suicide Place. First there's an initial interview, where they ask you why you're committing suicide. They aren't judgemental, they don't try to talk you out of it, but if it's a resolvable problem they'll take that information and see if they can fix the situation for you. After the interview, they show you to your room. There's a waiting period of one week (or whatever would be a reasonable period) between when you check in and when you can commit suicide. In the meantime, clients stay in a hotel/resort like environment with nice rooms and amentities and activities.
Mostly you can do whatever you want (except kill yourself) during the waiting period, but there is one rule: you have to put your affairs in order. Suicide Place has some lawyers and trained experts on staff to help you do this. You have access to psychiatric care if you feel like it, and you can have visitors during your waiting period if you want, and they will also keep visitors away if you don't want to see anyone.
Basically they go out of their way to do whatever is needed to make your last few days pleasant, as well as to resolve whatever problems are driving you to suicide (all while not judging your right and choice to commit suicide). After a week if you still want to die, they provide you with some pills that will give you a quick painless death, put you in a special Dying Room, and off you go. If at any point you decide you don't want to die any more, you are free to leave.
This place is kind of like a hospital or mental institution, except people go there to commit suicide. It provides a controlled environment where they make sure the suicide goes as smoothly as possible for all involved, so we don't have people jumping off bridges and messing up perfectly good ravines, or landlords finding their tenants hanged and half-rotted when the rent is late.
When you want to commit suicide, you check into the Suicide Place. First there's an initial interview, where they ask you why you're committing suicide. They aren't judgemental, they don't try to talk you out of it, but if it's a resolvable problem they'll take that information and see if they can fix the situation for you. After the interview, they show you to your room. There's a waiting period of one week (or whatever would be a reasonable period) between when you check in and when you can commit suicide. In the meantime, clients stay in a hotel/resort like environment with nice rooms and amentities and activities.
Mostly you can do whatever you want (except kill yourself) during the waiting period, but there is one rule: you have to put your affairs in order. Suicide Place has some lawyers and trained experts on staff to help you do this. You have access to psychiatric care if you feel like it, and you can have visitors during your waiting period if you want, and they will also keep visitors away if you don't want to see anyone.
Basically they go out of their way to do whatever is needed to make your last few days pleasant, as well as to resolve whatever problems are driving you to suicide (all while not judging your right and choice to commit suicide). After a week if you still want to die, they provide you with some pills that will give you a quick painless death, put you in a special Dying Room, and off you go. If at any point you decide you don't want to die any more, you are free to leave.
Today, as I walked home from the subway, I was carrying the dullest shopping bag in the world. It contained three pairs of plain black cotton socks and two bottles of dandruff shampoo.
It then occurred to me that that image would be an awesome way to start a novel or a short story! In the right hands, it could be excellent characterization!
So anyone is able to use that image well, feel free to take it.
It then occurred to me that that image would be an awesome way to start a novel or a short story! In the right hands, it could be excellent characterization!
So anyone is able to use that image well, feel free to take it.
I moved to Toronto in Sept. 2000. I moved back to Hamilton for summer 2001, and then back to Toronto for good in Sept. 2001. Here are some ways in which I have become A Torontonian in that time:
1. I no longer blink at the ideas of $1000 per month rent, $100 per month transit pass, or $300 per month condo fees.
2. I find it odd when I see promotional material with all white people on it.
3. I get shocked and offended when policies are made with the assumption that everyone has a car.
4. I don't find it weird that I shop at Dominion.
5. I'm always surprised when reminded that there are places where a person can, in fact, live on minimum wage.
6. I fully expect to see local news in national newspapers.
7. I always recite phone numbers with 10 digits.
8. I only go to Tim Horton's when there isn't a Second Cup, and I haven't rolled up a rim in ages.
9. Putting a sweater and boots on your dog seems increasingly reasonable.
10. I haven't walked across a parking lot, not even once, in 2004.
1. I no longer blink at the ideas of $1000 per month rent, $100 per month transit pass, or $300 per month condo fees.
2. I find it odd when I see promotional material with all white people on it.
3. I get shocked and offended when policies are made with the assumption that everyone has a car.
4. I don't find it weird that I shop at Dominion.
5. I'm always surprised when reminded that there are places where a person can, in fact, live on minimum wage.
6. I fully expect to see local news in national newspapers.
7. I always recite phone numbers with 10 digits.
8. I only go to Tim Horton's when there isn't a Second Cup, and I haven't rolled up a rim in ages.
9. Putting a sweater and boots on your dog seems increasingly reasonable.
10. I haven't walked across a parking lot, not even once, in 2004.
Sunday, February 08, 2004
I have a split end that isn't at the end of my hair. The bottom of my hair is normal, stuck together, and it stays like that for about 1cm, then it splits in 2 for a bit, then about 1 cm higher it goes normal again. The result is a sort of loop in the middle of my hair.
I also had a dream that told me I made the right decision leaving McMaster three/four years ago. I've never questioned my decision to do so, but I'd always had this idea that I could have had a different, but just as good, life there. After all, McMaster is a "good school." But I never would have challenged myself there, would have just worked in fast food for four years, never would have looked for (or even had opportunities for) an internship. I simply would have stagnated deeper and deeper into academics and mediocrity.
It's always nice to wake up in the morning with the enlightenment that one of your major life decisions was irrefutably correct.
I also had a dream that told me I made the right decision leaving McMaster three/four years ago. I've never questioned my decision to do so, but I'd always had this idea that I could have had a different, but just as good, life there. After all, McMaster is a "good school." But I never would have challenged myself there, would have just worked in fast food for four years, never would have looked for (or even had opportunities for) an internship. I simply would have stagnated deeper and deeper into academics and mediocrity.
It's always nice to wake up in the morning with the enlightenment that one of your major life decisions was irrefutably correct.
Saturday, February 07, 2004
As I write this, I'm sipping on Spinelli Quartana Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. I hope I spelled that right. First wine I've ever bought where I didn't know which words were the brand name and which words were the wine type without Google. This wine reminds me of why I like red wine. It's only about $7, but it's neither too tannic nor too young, as I've found is often the problem with inexpensive reds. If you asked me what it tastes like, I'd have to answer red grapes. Which is a strange answer (albeit an eminently reasonable thing for red wine to taste like), but I've never felt inclined to say that a wine tastes like grapes before. It's rich and subdued, with different flavours coming into the foreground depending on what you're eating. It makes me want to eat cheese, which again is eminently reasonable. Quite enjoyable with none of the disappointments of my recent red wine forays, and quite a nice price!
Lately I've seen an awful lot of media pieces about various things that would incline more protective parents to forbid their kids to ever leave the house again, and these pieces tend to be based on surveys of young teenagers.
So I'd just like to remind everyone: KIDS LIE ON SURVEYS! I'd say on the typical survey jr. high students, half of them are lying, either portraying themselves as they wish they were, or portraying themselves as they think they should be.
Why do they lie? To answer this, we have to take ourselves back to that unfortunate phase in our own lives and remember the brutal, cruel, culture that is jr. high. This is a world where people would get spat on for wearing jeans that were the wrong shade of blue. This is a world where if you confessed some weakness, even to your closest friend, the rest of the class would be exploiting that weakness within a weak. It's a world where no one wanted to be seen with you, not even sitting next to you, if you admitted that you liked something that wasn't cool, or weren't familiar with something that was cool.
Now not all kids would give into this massive peer pressure. A great many didn't want to give into peer pressure simply because the grownups were always saying that kids give into peer pressure and WE AREN'T STEREOTYPES DAMMIT! But there's only so much a person can take, so a common coping mechanism would be to lie about stuff. First this would be done in self-defence, then preemptively, then out of habit. For example, I would do things like casually mention that marijuana was so BORING so people would never find out that I didn't even know where to get drugs and had no desire to use them. I would pick some relatively unknown musician, buy one CD by them and learn one song, so that people wouldn't know that I preferred listening to the Beatles ueber alles. Then I'd be justified in not being familiar with what was on MuchMusic because I was too indie for MuchMusic. It was just a survival strategy in a world where people would put spiders in my hair because they'd found out I was afraid of them, and steal and vandalize my possessions because I watched Star Trek. I had no desire to conform whatsoever, but there's only so much a person can take, so a few pre-emptive lies prevented me from having to sell out.
So why would this make them lie on surveys? Two reasons. The first is that if the surveys are done in school, some kids would look at others' surveys. If someone saw that you had portrayed yourself in a manner that was unfavourable on your survey, whether or not it was true, they would take it to be true and torture you for it. But if they wanted you to be a target and you portrayed yourself in a manner that was favourable, they would torture you for having been so lame as to lie on the survey.
The second reason is that within your peer group, everything you'd say or do in front of a peer, no matter how private the situation, it would get back to your peer group. I went through hell because I once wore a nightgown to a sleepover, unaware that the dress code for a sleepover was gym shorts and t-shirts. Once my sister forced open the (locked) bathroom door while I was taking a dump and while she had friends over, and the fact that I had been caught with my pants down was all around the school by morning. In an environment like this, you don't always realize that what's on the survey won't get back to your peers, that telling the truth will give the world a more accurate impression of what kids your age are REALLY like (as opposed to what they pretend to be). You are simply trying to give these people what you think they might want to hear, or what will reflect the least badly on you, and maybe make your life a touch less hellish.
So the moral of the story is don't deny your child a normal social life because of the impression that a sampling of kids thought they wanted to give their surveyors.
So I'd just like to remind everyone: KIDS LIE ON SURVEYS! I'd say on the typical survey jr. high students, half of them are lying, either portraying themselves as they wish they were, or portraying themselves as they think they should be.
Why do they lie? To answer this, we have to take ourselves back to that unfortunate phase in our own lives and remember the brutal, cruel, culture that is jr. high. This is a world where people would get spat on for wearing jeans that were the wrong shade of blue. This is a world where if you confessed some weakness, even to your closest friend, the rest of the class would be exploiting that weakness within a weak. It's a world where no one wanted to be seen with you, not even sitting next to you, if you admitted that you liked something that wasn't cool, or weren't familiar with something that was cool.
Now not all kids would give into this massive peer pressure. A great many didn't want to give into peer pressure simply because the grownups were always saying that kids give into peer pressure and WE AREN'T STEREOTYPES DAMMIT! But there's only so much a person can take, so a common coping mechanism would be to lie about stuff. First this would be done in self-defence, then preemptively, then out of habit. For example, I would do things like casually mention that marijuana was so BORING so people would never find out that I didn't even know where to get drugs and had no desire to use them. I would pick some relatively unknown musician, buy one CD by them and learn one song, so that people wouldn't know that I preferred listening to the Beatles ueber alles. Then I'd be justified in not being familiar with what was on MuchMusic because I was too indie for MuchMusic. It was just a survival strategy in a world where people would put spiders in my hair because they'd found out I was afraid of them, and steal and vandalize my possessions because I watched Star Trek. I had no desire to conform whatsoever, but there's only so much a person can take, so a few pre-emptive lies prevented me from having to sell out.
So why would this make them lie on surveys? Two reasons. The first is that if the surveys are done in school, some kids would look at others' surveys. If someone saw that you had portrayed yourself in a manner that was unfavourable on your survey, whether or not it was true, they would take it to be true and torture you for it. But if they wanted you to be a target and you portrayed yourself in a manner that was favourable, they would torture you for having been so lame as to lie on the survey.
The second reason is that within your peer group, everything you'd say or do in front of a peer, no matter how private the situation, it would get back to your peer group. I went through hell because I once wore a nightgown to a sleepover, unaware that the dress code for a sleepover was gym shorts and t-shirts. Once my sister forced open the (locked) bathroom door while I was taking a dump and while she had friends over, and the fact that I had been caught with my pants down was all around the school by morning. In an environment like this, you don't always realize that what's on the survey won't get back to your peers, that telling the truth will give the world a more accurate impression of what kids your age are REALLY like (as opposed to what they pretend to be). You are simply trying to give these people what you think they might want to hear, or what will reflect the least badly on you, and maybe make your life a touch less hellish.
So the moral of the story is don't deny your child a normal social life because of the impression that a sampling of kids thought they wanted to give their surveyors.
LO-GEY! My eyes are tired but the rest of me isn't since I slept 12 hours last night. I should be doing housework that I've been putting off all week, but I want to put it off some more. I'm in my bathrobe and don't feel like getting dressed. I've been putting off my Harmony studies because the book is currently dealing with cadences and I've always found cadences dreadfully dull for some reason.
I'm going to procrastinate a bit more by painting my toenails a colour called SHAZAM! in order to alleviate February.
I'm going to procrastinate a bit more by painting my toenails a colour called SHAZAM! in order to alleviate February.
It's a long story why, but yesterday I saw a couple of pieces of baby clothes. I immediately made my puppy noise (for those who've never had the unique experience of hearing this, it's the noice I make when I see a particularly adorable puppy) and starting oohing and aahing over how TINY they were. Then I was discreetly informed that these are clothes for a six month old baby.
Moral of the story: Holy SHIT newborns must be tiny!
Moral of the story: Holy SHIT newborns must be tiny!
Friday, February 06, 2004
Thursday, February 05, 2004
You know it's February when I wake up every morning envying people who get to stay home sick. The cool thing about staying home sick is that not only do you get to lie in bed, drifting in and out of absurd dreams, while the whole neighbourhood heads off to work, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing that your lovely lie-in is the best possible thing you could be doing for yourself and for society in general at that particular moment.
Of course, when we're legitimately home sick we're always too miserable to care.
Of course, when we're legitimately home sick we're always too miserable to care.
A story of how screwed-up my moral standards are:
As I opened the door to the tunnel, a lady approached from the opposite direction. With one hand she held the harness of a guide dog, with the other she steadied herself on a walking cane. She seemed to be blind. I evaluated the situation, and held the door open for her as she passed through.
Now normally when a person approaches a door I've just opened, I open it all the way and hold it open for as long as my arm will reach the door, but I don't break stride. If they reach the door in time, fine. If not, they can still interrupt its swing shut with a good bodycheck, and I have done my duty as a good citizen by giving them an opportunity to pass through a door without dealing with the handle themselves.
Now for this blind, disabled lady with the guidedog, I held the door open. But I didn't hold it open because she was blind - blind people can generally manage doors, and I'd seen her pass this way before. I didn't hold it open because she was disabled - she had walking troubles but she wasn't frail (a frail person would probably have gotten a slightly longer door hold than a non-frail person). I didn't hold it open because her hands were full - it was a push door on her side.
No, I held it open because the guide dog was between her and the door, and I didn't know if the guide dog could bodycheck a door open, and I didn't want the beautiful doggie to get hurt. Ladies and gentlemen, my fucked up morals!
As I opened the door to the tunnel, a lady approached from the opposite direction. With one hand she held the harness of a guide dog, with the other she steadied herself on a walking cane. She seemed to be blind. I evaluated the situation, and held the door open for her as she passed through.
Now normally when a person approaches a door I've just opened, I open it all the way and hold it open for as long as my arm will reach the door, but I don't break stride. If they reach the door in time, fine. If not, they can still interrupt its swing shut with a good bodycheck, and I have done my duty as a good citizen by giving them an opportunity to pass through a door without dealing with the handle themselves.
Now for this blind, disabled lady with the guidedog, I held the door open. But I didn't hold it open because she was blind - blind people can generally manage doors, and I'd seen her pass this way before. I didn't hold it open because she was disabled - she had walking troubles but she wasn't frail (a frail person would probably have gotten a slightly longer door hold than a non-frail person). I didn't hold it open because her hands were full - it was a push door on her side.
No, I held it open because the guide dog was between her and the door, and I didn't know if the guide dog could bodycheck a door open, and I didn't want the beautiful doggie to get hurt. Ladies and gentlemen, my fucked up morals!
Incidently, here are the lyrics to that song Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson were singing. Certainly not the most graphic song in the world, but there are definitely a couple of lines that I don't think should be in there if you want your broadcast to be appropriate for young children.
Latest book read: The Bug by Ellen Ullman. What am I doing reading a book called The Bug? Well, it isn't entymological (sp????), it's about a software bug. (Although the icon/motif thing to introduce a new chapter is an ascii insect, so people more phobic than me might be bothered).
It's a mystery/thriller about software testing and debugging, which works better than it sounds like. This book was particularly interesting to me because I can identify very strongly with both of the main characters. Each of them is about 75% me. The story works well and they incorporate a lot of actual code to explain the bug, but through the narration you can get a sufficient understanding of what's going on even if you can't read C.
However, I didn't like the way this book handled relationships/romance/sex. It simply did not contribute anything. Only one relationship had the slightest significance ever to the overall plot. It felt like the author was putting relationships in because she thought there should be relationship stuff in a book.
It's a mystery/thriller about software testing and debugging, which works better than it sounds like. This book was particularly interesting to me because I can identify very strongly with both of the main characters. Each of them is about 75% me. The story works well and they incorporate a lot of actual code to explain the bug, but through the narration you can get a sufficient understanding of what's going on even if you can't read C.
However, I didn't like the way this book handled relationships/romance/sex. It simply did not contribute anything. Only one relationship had the slightest significance ever to the overall plot. It felt like the author was putting relationships in because she thought there should be relationship stuff in a book.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Yesterday I was really tense and stressed, so I was happy when my body and mind reached a kind of meditative calm during my last dream of last night. The dream itself was very odd (it involved a shower on my balcony that worked only when certain TV shows were on, and it also involved the kids from Roseanne immigrating) but physically and mentally I was very very calm and happily floating along. So I was very disappointed when I woke up, because I wanted to stay asleep in happy floaty land.
Many years ago, when I was in grade 5, we had a snow day because of freezing rain. The freezing rain left a coat of ice over everything, strong enough that we could sometimes walk on top of it without crunching through into the underlying snow, and we passed a happy day sledding in our extra-slippery backyard. Ever since then, "freezing rain" has meant "snow day" to me, and whenever the weather seems mildly conducive to freezing rain, as it is right now, a part of me feels entitled to stay home in bed. But of course the world doesn't work that way, so I will have to wait until tonight to get back to my happy place.
Many years ago, when I was in grade 5, we had a snow day because of freezing rain. The freezing rain left a coat of ice over everything, strong enough that we could sometimes walk on top of it without crunching through into the underlying snow, and we passed a happy day sledding in our extra-slippery backyard. Ever since then, "freezing rain" has meant "snow day" to me, and whenever the weather seems mildly conducive to freezing rain, as it is right now, a part of me feels entitled to stay home in bed. But of course the world doesn't work that way, so I will have to wait until tonight to get back to my happy place.
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