: I'm blogging State (part 5)
I don't care what you say, 828 is a good team score in math.
And I don't care what you say, you can't have invalid mathematics count as correct on a mathematics test. There's nothing wrong with throwing out an question with no correct answers. I've always thought having E) None of These was an essential part of the mathematics test; not the least benefit would have been the questions in question would have been able to stay.
N.O.T. is not an out for a lazy testwriter -- it's an essential problem solving skill. You should have enough confidence in your mathematics to choose N.O.T. when you don't get one of the posted answers.
Giving correct credit for an answer blank is just wrong. Each blank is already worth two points -- why give them six additional points on the suspicion of leaving it blank because the answer wasn't there.
In that case, let them choose N.O.T.
Just came back from Bennigan's. It's a math team tradition, dating back to the first year I brought a student (Kevin Hughes) to state from O'Connor. We were just a fledgling school, and my student decided at TMSCA that he wanted to do well at state.
So he took gauntlets. Packets of that year's tests put together. Tests one right after the other.
I wasn't interested in him learning the answers verbatim -- I was more interested in him getting the "flow" of how the NS tests were written. To let him anticipate what types of questions would come next.
He got the second place award in 5A. It was a killer test (his score was 220, and the only higher was Daniel Davila with a monstrous 350) but he persevered.
He represents the left-most pin on my hat. My highest placer at state.
Today Amy got second in mathematics. She got a 324, one less than the bear of a score that Jeffrey Chen posted (a 344 -- his only flaws were the question that got thrown out and the question that a blank was counted correct on.)
She represents the right-most pin on my hat. Her and her group this year.
At the mathematics meet, Mrs. Cole (the Bridgeport coach) had her pin-heart pointed out by Mr. White. Each pin represents a state champion. Best of the best. She can probably put a name to each pin, telling a story when the lovingly touches each one.
Each one is a student's soul. A success.
She wears hers on her heart, I on my head.
At Bennigan's, Kevin joined us. He's graduating in two weeks from U.T., and will be going to Princeton for graduate school. I also meet another of my exstu's -- Jason Tang. He's from the same class as Kevin, also graduating, and will work at his parent's software company.
It was nice, watching the generations co-mingling. Hearing them exchange stories of past and present glory, of future hopes and dreams. My batch of seniors are going off to college (one, to Princeton, two more to Rice, another to St. Mary's)
Dreams exist because we dream them.
Good luck to all Number Sensers tomorrow (but not that much to those of you in 5A :)
~MP
I don't care what you say, 828 is a good team score in math.
And I don't care what you say, you can't have invalid mathematics count as correct on a mathematics test. There's nothing wrong with throwing out an question with no correct answers. I've always thought having E) None of These was an essential part of the mathematics test; not the least benefit would have been the questions in question would have been able to stay.
N.O.T. is not an out for a lazy testwriter -- it's an essential problem solving skill. You should have enough confidence in your mathematics to choose N.O.T. when you don't get one of the posted answers.
Giving correct credit for an answer blank is just wrong. Each blank is already worth two points -- why give them six additional points on the suspicion of leaving it blank because the answer wasn't there.
In that case, let them choose N.O.T.
Just came back from Bennigan's. It's a math team tradition, dating back to the first year I brought a student (Kevin Hughes) to state from O'Connor. We were just a fledgling school, and my student decided at TMSCA that he wanted to do well at state.
So he took gauntlets. Packets of that year's tests put together. Tests one right after the other.
I wasn't interested in him learning the answers verbatim -- I was more interested in him getting the "flow" of how the NS tests were written. To let him anticipate what types of questions would come next.
He got the second place award in 5A. It was a killer test (his score was 220, and the only higher was Daniel Davila with a monstrous 350) but he persevered.
He represents the left-most pin on my hat. My highest placer at state.
Today Amy got second in mathematics. She got a 324, one less than the bear of a score that Jeffrey Chen posted (a 344 -- his only flaws were the question that got thrown out and the question that a blank was counted correct on.)
She represents the right-most pin on my hat. Her and her group this year.
At the mathematics meet, Mrs. Cole (the Bridgeport coach) had her pin-heart pointed out by Mr. White. Each pin represents a state champion. Best of the best. She can probably put a name to each pin, telling a story when the lovingly touches each one.
Each one is a student's soul. A success.
She wears hers on her heart, I on my head.
At Bennigan's, Kevin joined us. He's graduating in two weeks from U.T., and will be going to Princeton for graduate school. I also meet another of my exstu's -- Jason Tang. He's from the same class as Kevin, also graduating, and will work at his parent's software company.
It was nice, watching the generations co-mingling. Hearing them exchange stories of past and present glory, of future hopes and dreams. My batch of seniors are going off to college (one, to Princeton, two more to Rice, another to St. Mary's)
Dreams exist because we dream them.
Good luck to all Number Sensers tomorrow (but not that much to those of you in 5A :)
~MP