How far we have fallen

[fairdinkem]

This story pole axed me. My mother and grandmother were teachers their whole lives. My wife is going on her 16th year of teaching chemistry & forensic science. I took the challenge and got a passing grade, barely, but it took 2-days. I thought the penguins in grade school were tough but this is crazy.

An 1895 8th Grade Final Exam: I Couldn't Pass It. Could You?

An old pal from Brandeis—Sheldon Gray—has a knack for the ironic. He's very well educated, and so am I. But I don't know whether we could pass this test, from 1895 in what looks like a little red schoolhouse in Salina, Kansas, at all. Let alone with flying colors. Shelly sent on this object...

newrepublic.com

 

[2012Bearcat]

Test is racist, does not celebrate diversity, mentions nothing about climate change, doesn't take the students feelings into account and it's not a multiple choice test. How can our little darlings of today be expected to be put through the torture of of test like that.

 

[fatman76]

This story pole axed me. My mother and grandmother were teachers their whole lives. My wife is going on her 16th year of teaching chemistry & forensic science. I took the challenge and got a passing grade, barely, but it took 2-days. I thought the penguins in grade school were tough but this is crazy.

An 1895 8th Grade Final Exam: I Couldn't Pass It. Could You?

An old pal from Brandeis—Sheldon Gray—has a knack for the ironic. He's very well educated, and so am I. But I don't know whether we could pass this test, from 1895 in what looks like a little red schoolhouse in Salina, Kansas, at all. Let alone with flying colors. Shelly sent on this object...

newrepublic.com

1) A 5 hour test for 8th graders is diabolical.
2) Alot of the terms and units are not really current - hard for me to calculate how many bushels of wheat fit in a wagon if I don't know how big a bushel is, but I don't live in a farming community.
3) I could only pass 2-3 of these subjects. Grammar, US History (maybe) and Orthography.

and how do you grade yourself - for example, how do you know the correct answer to "tell what you can about the history of Kansas?" or "Describe the Mountains of N.A."

You could write 3 paragraphs or a complete book on those subjects.

 

[AC2020]

I'm not even going to try.

I identify as a student that made an A on that test.

 

[2012Bearcat]

1) A 5 hour test for 8th graders is diabolical.
2) Alot of the terms and units are not really current - hard for me to calculate how many bushels of wheat fit in a wagon if I don't know how big a bushel is, but I don't live in a farming community.
3) I could only pass 2-3 of these subjects. Grammar, US History (maybe) and Orthography.

and how do you grade yourself - for example, how do you know the correct answer to "tell what you can about the history of Kansas?" or "Describe the Mountains of N.A."

You could write 3 paragraphs or a complete book on those subjects.

All about knowing what the teacher is looking for. Read over a few notes from the classes and I have no doubt most of us would ace the test.

 

[OUSOONER67]

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

Our failing public education system does not teach the structure and history of the US dollar. It took me about a minute to teach educators in 47 states while I spent 12 years as a "professional tourist."

.99 cents is 99/100ths of 1 penney. 99 cents is 99 cents. $.99 equals 99 cents. US was first with a decimal/metric currency. 1000 mills equals 1 dollar. Russia was first with a decimal currency. 100 kopecs to the ruble.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Back in '85 I remember sitting beside a Vietnamese kid while taking a calculus test. Community college mind you. This kid took 10 minutes to ace this test what took me an hour to ace.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Back in '85 I remember sitting beside a Vietnamese kid while taking a calculus test. Community college mind you. This kid took 10 minutes to ace this test what took me an hour to ace.

I was 18, kid was 10.

 

[OUSOONER67]

Here ya go libtards, says unavailable but it works.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Dang almighty! 🤣

 

[JimmyBob]

Here ya go libtards, says unavailable but it works.

View embedded media

Needs music:

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

Back in '85 I remember sitting beside a Vietnamese kid while taking a calculus test. Community college mind you. This kid took 10 minutes to ace this test what took me an hour to ace.

The world has 4 family groups:

1. East Asian
2. European Caucasian
3. Indigenous American
4. Sub-Saharan African.

I'm part of all 4. My 9% East Asian comes from my 12% Chreokee (Indigenous American). I noted the groups in order of average IQ. All American Indians have East Asian DNA with Cherokee having the most. Cherokee are believed to have walked across the Bering Strait to North Amerca 13,000 years ago. And yes, I am of Neanderthal descent as many, many of us are.

My DNA ethnicity documents come from Genelex Labs in Seattle and they cost me $600, the world's first decimal/metric currency.

 

[fatman76]

All about knowing what the teacher is looking for. Read over a few notes from the classes and I have no doubt most of us would ace the test.

Of course, you let me sit in that class all years and I'm good.

It's just - you'd think an 8th grade final from 130 years ago would be something a 47 YO adult with a masters degree could ace. I could not.

The education system has been bastardized in some ways, changed to reflect the times in others.

 

[2012Bearcat]

Of course, you let me sit in that class all years and I'm good.

It's just - you'd think an 8th grade final from 130 years ago would be something a 47 YO adult with a masters degree could ace. I could not.

The education system has been bastardized in some ways, changed to reflect the times in others.

Yes it has but most of us were fortunate enough to have received a real education. No way 8th graders of today could pass a test like that.

 

[aix_xpert]

I think the thing I find most interesting from this test is how practical it was to the era. Not just in the expected knowledge of bushel sizes, etc. but also things like loan interest.

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

Lawton Taft Elementary introduced me to the struture and history of the US dollar in second grade. I introduced said knowledge to my bank Extraco. Not a single Extraco employee was able to teach me to count US currency. .99 cents is not 99 cents. .99 cents is 99/100 of 1 penney.

The US dollar was the first decimal/metric currency.

 

[fairdinkem]

What totally stuns me is that the way most rural schools were set up with a single teacher to teach all subjects. This is probably not true across the board in "cities" but I'm pretty sure it was out in the country. How smart were those teachers?!

 

[aix_xpert]

What totally stuns me is that the way most rural schools were set up with a single teacher to teach all subjects. This is probably not true across the board in "cities" but I'm pretty sure it was out in the country. How smart were those teachers?!

It was that way for me through 6th grade, then we went to the multi-teacher format. Ironically, I don't remember any of my middle school or high school teachers' names, but can still name my individual 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher.

 

[fairdinkem]

It was that way for me through 6th grade, then we went to the multi-teacher format. Ironically, I don't remember any of my middle school or high school teachers' names, but can still name my individual 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher.

K through 6th I not only remember their names, I remember where they lived.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

K through 6th I not only remember their names, I remember where they lived.

Funny, my grade school principal lived two houses down from my grandparents. I had to pick his ring up from the floor many times. I was a rowdy kid.