tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976649508784349030.post7375075440104206245..comments2024-03-11T02:24:26.062-05:00Comments on hide-n-(sensory)-seeking: This Week in ScienceJudith Lloyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12020288554761012445noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976649508784349030.post-30822979248812523962014-03-10T09:00:31.117-05:002014-03-10T09:00:31.117-05:00I never liked the science fairs either. It was al...I never liked the science fairs either. It was almost always 95% parent produced and reflected more of the resources of the parent's job or career access for materials or research. The computer age was blossoming by the ages of my two youngest kids, but not every home yet had printers, copiers, color graphs, etc. And getting that stuff done at the local Kinko's was another parent cost. Presentation seemed to matter on the scoring, so handwriting, cut and paste the old-fashioned way seemed futile when you got to the fair and saw the rest. Topic knowledge in interviews was supposed to matter, but shy kids had trouble talking to strangers, especially knowing that it was a "judging."<br /><br />By Child Number 5 I had come to the conclusions that those projects were futile. Lab work during class had far more learning value. Basing 50% of a semester grade on mandatory science project participation was non-reflective of a students acquired knowledge (and the teacher's ability to teach), and just plain wrong.Nananoreply@blogger.com