Cell Phones and Such...

Will writes of the local reaction to cell phones at school and the possibility of "cheating" that can happen with them. I guess I look at this and wonder how valuable are the assessments we are giving our students if they can be foiled by giving away answers. If someone asks me a question and I know the answer to the question, but have no clue as to how to apply that answer to a problem, well what have I really learned.

On a side note, our family has an exchange high school student from China staying with us this spring. It is very interesting to talk to her about education in general, and her perspective on her education in China and what she is experiencing in her local high school. More on that later, but basically I think Friedman is on to something...

As for those kids sending answers via cell phone, she says that in China they are all over that. She said that at her school during exams, they employ jamming technology that makes the cell phone inoperable... Now in addition to breaking up fights, and catching kids ditching class, the discipline dean can be in charge of deploying the jamming devices...

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