Based on today's empirical evidence with my high school students and their substitute, they think that they can figure out what to do by themselves, and that whatever they decide is the assignment is, they will get a 100 for trying it.
Put that way, it sounds a lot like kindergarteners: "I can do it myself!"
The funny thing is that I'm not generally all that fond of rules and exact directions; at least when it comes to figuring out how to express their ideas, I want them to do it themselves.
But when even 10% of a 50-person class decides to hand things in any way they judge best (including combining three overdue assignments that belong in 3 different assignment turn-ins on the LMS into a single emailed attachment), I become a born-again rule-layer-downer.
Because that would require reading and thinking, that's why.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, instead of dictating arbitrary rules to them, you could meet your students where they are.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried posting the directions on Twitter? That's where the real learning that counts takes place.
...and will, one day, count toward tenure.
DeleteIn the meantime, please accept this comment as a "publish as is" peer review.
Although in this case, the peer might be the sort that calls sawdust to mind.
(...it's because he's a peer.” “Is that a fact? I'll go and put down some fresh sawdust)
Pratchett, T. (1996). Feet of clay. Gollancz.
RIP, Sir Terry.
DeleteTo be fair, our colleagues aren't much better at it.
ReplyDeleteTrue. I found this out as an assistant editor of a professional journal.
DeleteDirections are hard.
ReplyDeleteI think it's because their parents did too damn much hand-holding, as in today's post by Dr. Amelia.
ReplyDeleteBased on today's empirical evidence with my high school students and their substitute, they think that they can figure out what to do by themselves, and that whatever they decide is the assignment is, they will get a 100 for trying it.
ReplyDeletePut that way, it sounds a lot like kindergarteners: "I can do it myself!"
The funny thing is that I'm not generally all that fond of rules and exact directions; at least when it comes to figuring out how to express their ideas, I want them to do it themselves.
ReplyDeleteBut when even 10% of a 50-person class decides to hand things in any way they judge best (including combining three overdue assignments that belong in 3 different assignment turn-ins on the LMS into a single emailed attachment), I become a born-again rule-layer-downer.