[geeks] Mensa

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sat, 12 May 2007 @ 18:56 -0400, Aaron Finley said:

> > I hate schools. The students that succeed are good at memorization and
> > social/personal relationships. "Smart" has nothing to do with it. A
> > college degree means you can do what you are told and get along well
> > with everyone.
> 
> I'm not replying specifically to you, but in general to these kinds of
> attack on education and to the people that say the SAT only measures
> "test-taking ability". I think these kinds of replies are pathetic
> excuses for low scores and low social intelligence. 

I think this reply is a good example of narrow, shallow thinking, and
horrible social intelligence.

> Since when it was not "smart" to be able to make beneficial
> relationships, to know how to play the system, to know how to
> manipulate instructors, to know how to do the least work possible, and
> to obtain the most accurate results in the shortest amount of time?

You are completely missing the point.

No one here is saying those aren't real skills.

What we are saying is that if that allows you to pass a test which was
supposed to measure something else, then obvious the test isn't working.

And no, I don't think it is "smart" to thwart the system which is
supposed to educate you.

In the last 20 years SAT scores have been climbing, while innumeracy and
illiteracty have been skyrocketing.

Those skills--playing the system, manipulation of instructors, doing the
least work possible--they might well be valid skills, but not in the
context of education.

> If you get a 1000 on the SAT, and your friend gets a 1500 in half the
> time it took you to get a 1000, then you could say "oh, he's just good
> at taking tests" but really...

It's a valid fact.

I know engineers that do real work, who scored lower than engineers who
currently wait tables.

You go ahead and tell me the guy waiting tables is a genius.

I know the truth: he washed out because he spent his time on making good
grades instead of engineering.





-- 
shannon          | If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
                 |         -- Mark Twain