Re: California Standards Questions

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

At 08:50 AM 5/5/2003 -0700, you wrote:
> Are the kids told the cent value of the individual coins in the item?
> Art

No, Art. Just shown a picture.


> >>> DMDesiderata@aol.com 05/04/03 12:18PM >>>
> George,
>
> This issue has irked me for years!!!!  Besides the fact that kids are
> never
> taught whose face is on which coin (my recollection is that they learn
> values
> of coins based upon relative size of the various coins), the fact the
> pictures of the coins are NOT actual size and are much smaller has a
> serious
> affect on those that are visually impaired.  Even if students were
> taught
> whose face is on which coin, making the coins that small would still be
>
> difficult for those with visual difficulties.  I've always had a
> dislike for
> these types of items.
>
> You did not say which grade level these were for, but I'd say that
> making the
> connections required in these items, when the coins are not the actual
> size
> of the coins, would be a real problem for most younger kids, even those
> that
> had good vision.
>
> There are other types of items I really dislike besides these.
>
> In a message dated 5/3/03 5:22:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> learn@jps.net
> writes:
>
> > What do these questions really measure: the value of different coins
> and
> > the ability to add and subtract money, or the ability to recognize
> > miniature coins by knowing the difference between the profile of
> George
> > Washington and that of Thomas Jefferson when each head is smaller
> than a
> > child's fingernail?

George Sheridan

You cannot measure a love for learning or a joy of knowledge or a passion 
for life. You cannot measure those things with a standardized test but you 
can sure kill them.

Bill Harley, singer and poet