[Captain Rhett Butler]

My teen has to do the following assignment over the Thanksgiving break and I'm just aggravated about having a HUGE homework assignment during the break. How can we have a vacation when he's stuck doing this assignment....?

Physics is hard enough, but is anybody else struggling to understand the Physics teacher from Asia/China/Korea who doesn't speak clear English? My son is a junior at East Paulding and said EVERYONE in that class is struggling.

He has to read and summarize five Physics related articles, etc etc.

ARRRGH.

[tin sandwich]

Captain Rhett Butler, on 23 November 2011 - 11:26 AM, said:

My teen has to do the following assignment over the Thanksgiving break and I'm just aggravated about having a HUGE homework assignment during the break. How can we have a vacation when he's stuck doing this assignment....?

Physics is hard enough, but is anybody else struggling to understand the Physics teacher from Asia/China/Korea who doesn't speak clear English? My son is a junior at East Paulding and said EVERYONE in that class is struggling.

He has to read and summarize five Physics related articles, etc etc.

ARRRGH.

Sorry for your aggravation but the extra work is sometimes needed. Maybe your teen can look at it as learning time management skills early in life. He/she does not want to be that person you see at the beach with the smart phone in one hand and Ipad in the other. Math is a universal language so most of the information should be in the book. I think it was John Wayne who stated "Life is tough, It's even tougher if your stupid"

good luck

[Riograce]

Captain Rhett Butler, on 23 November 2011 - 11:26 AM, said:

My teen has to do the following assignment over the Thanksgiving break and I'm just aggravated about having a HUGE homework assignment during the break. How can we have a vacation when he's stuck doing this assignment....?

Physics is hard enough, but is anybody else struggling to understand the Physics teacher from Asia/China/Korea who doesn't speak clear English? My son is a junior at East Paulding and said EVERYONE in that class is struggling.

He has to read and summarize five Physics related articles, etc etc.

ARRRGH.

Maybe if *American* students (and their parents!) were more interested in physics and other hard sciences and less interested in vacations, we wouldn't have to import instructors from other countries.

Just sayin'.

[bh67]

Have him check http://www.sciencedaily.com they have a physics section. There is actually a lot in the news right now in this area so it should be easy.
If they need help beyond that for the class in general look on You Tube, a lot of students and teachers are putting great lessons on there. Overcoming the
challenges of this teacher will be good as in college there will be some your student does not connect with.
Best of luck

[D-Cinco]

I feel your pain. My daughter is in the same teacher's class and has struggled as well. She finally buckled down and was able to pull her F up to an 80.

To me the project is ridiculous. My daughter told me the articles have to be from magazines and support things they have learned so far this semester. AND they have to write summaries of each article for 5 or 6 different articles. We've looked and cannot find more than a couple of relevant articles. Same for all of her friends. No one has found more than two.

At this point I'm going to be thrilled if she keeps her B average in there, but as long as she passes I will be happy. It's a super tough class and the teacher is very difficult to understand. I had a phone conference with her earlier in the year and I struggled to understand her. I can't imagine trying to make sense of a subject like Physics with the added difficulty of a language barrier.

[i_have3dogs]

D-Cinco, on 26 November 2011 - 11:53 AM, said:

I feel your pain. My daughter is in the same teacher's class and has struggled as well. She finally buckled down and was able to pull her F up to an 80.

To me the project is ridiculous. My daughter told me the articles have to be from magazines and support things they have learned so far this semester. AND they have to write summaries of each article for 5 or 6 different articles. We've looked and cannot find more than a couple of relevant articles. Same for all of her friends. No one has found more than two.

At this point I'm going to be thrilled if she keeps her B average in there, but as long as she passes I will be happy. It's a super tough class and the teacher is very difficult to understand. I had a phone conference with her earlier in the year and I struggled to understand her. I can't imagine trying to make sense of a subject like Physics with the added difficulty of a language barrier.

It's only ridiculous if they haven't learned anything, or retained anything from their classes. It sound like blaming the teacher for the student's laziness.

It would be easier if we knew what they had studied, I can think of at least a dozen different physics topics. But blindly answering a question would be like having an empty box on Jeopardy.

[D-Cinco]

i_have3dogs, on 26 November 2011 - 12:12 PM, said:

It's only ridiculous if they haven't learned anything, or retained anything from their classes. It sound like blaming the teacher for the student's laziness.

It would be easier if we knew what they had studied, I can think of at least a dozen different physics topics. But blindly answering a question would be like having an empty box on Jeopardy.

My daughter is hardly lazy and I'm blaming the teacher for nothing. I said the project itself is ridiculous. Here are some of the requirements for the project which will replace the 2nd lowest test grade from the first semester. It's optional.

Read and summarize five Physics related articles.
1. Each article must be 3 pages in length. Articles must be from current magazines in print. Current is defines as a publishing date after July 2010. NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
2. A complete copy of each article is required.
3. Complete APA reference for all five articles is required. Science classes use APA. See format below.
4. The summary must include the following:
a. A list of five key terms for each article with definition. Key terms must be Physics related.
b. One paragraph overview of the article using five keys words. At least five sentences.
c. One paragraph relating the article to what you have learned in Physics. At least five sentences.
d. One paragraph relating the article to the appropriate standard. At least five sentences.

Yes, I know, this is preparation for college, the real world, etc. It just seems excessive to me to require FIVE different articles. From what I've heard not a single kid has found that many articles that relate to what they have learned this semester. Now, I'm going based on what my daughter told me, that it has to be over things they have already learned. The rubric says five Physics related articles. Not sure if there is some confusion on that part. If it can be ANY Physics topic that would change things, but she said it had to be on topics they've covered this year. Also, the kids are having a hard time finding articles that are three pages or longer. It was surprising that they can't use electronic media for their research. The way everything is so tech driven now old school research is almost extinct.

[stercus tauri]

D-Cinco, on 26 November 2011 - 01:06 PM, said:

My daughter is hardly lazy and I'm blaming the teacher for nothing. I said the project itself is ridiculous. Here are some of the requirements for the project which will replace the 2nd lowest test grade from the first semester. It's optional.

Read and summarize five Physics related articles.
1. Each article must be 3 pages in length. Articles must be from current magazines in print. Current is defines as a publishing date after July 2010. NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
2. A complete copy of each article is required.
3. Complete APA reference for all five articles is required. Science classes use APA. See format below.
4. The summary must include the following:
a. A list of five key terms for each article with definition. Key terms must be Physics related.
b. One paragraph overview of the article using five keys words. At least five sentences.
c. One paragraph relating the article to what you have learned in Physics. At least five sentences.
d. One paragraph relating the article to the appropriate standard. At least five sentences.

Yes, I know, this is preparation for college, the real world, etc. It just seems excessive to me to require FIVE different articles. From what I've heard not a single kid has found that many articles that relate to what they have learned this semester. Now, I'm going based on what my daughter told me, that it has to be over things they have already learned. The rubric says five Physics related articles. Not sure if there is some confusion on that part. If it can be ANY Physics topic that would change things, but she said it had to be on topics they've covered this year. Also, the kids are having a hard time finding articles that are three pages or longer. It was surprising that they can't use electronic media for their research. The way everything is so tech driven now old school research is almost extinct.

What she is doing is forcing more intense research. That is one of the Standards.

All you have to do is do the Net search but then get the a copy of the article. The Standard means some real article, not some fly-by-night Yahoo news article about some news event. Not an article by a reporter who will be covering the Falcons game tomorrow but from a respected publication. GT or Southern Poly library is filled with these periodicals. That is the direction the Standard is wanting the student to get on their own. It is part of critical thinking.

It is not hard to do this assignment. It is pretty much what most schools do.

The language barrier is common. Part of the real world.

[Riograce]

D-Cinco, on 26 November 2011 - 01:06 PM, said:

My daughter is hardly lazy and I'm blaming the teacher for nothing. I said the project itself is ridiculous. Here are some of the requirements for the project which will replace the 2nd lowest test grade from the first semester. It's optional.


So this isn't a *required* assignment? That being the case, what's the beef? Just don't do it.


Read and summarize five Physics related articles.
1. Each article must be 3 pages in length. Articles must be from current magazines in print. Current is defines as a publishing date after July 2010. NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
2. A complete copy of each article is required.
3. Complete APA reference for all five articles is required. Science classes use APA. See format below.
4. The summary must include the following:
a. A list of five key terms for each article with definition. Key terms must be Physics related.
b. One paragraph overview of the article using five keys words. At least five sentences.
c. One paragraph relating the article to what you have learned in Physics. At least five sentences.
d. One paragraph relating the article to the appropriate standard. At least five sentences.

Yes, I know, this is preparation for college, the real world, etc. It just seems excessive to me to require FIVE different articles. From what I've heard not a single kid has found that many articles that relate to what they have learned this semester. Now, I'm going based on what my daughter told me, that it has to be over things they have already learned. The rubric says five Physics related articles. Not sure if there is some confusion on that part. If it can be ANY Physics topic that would change things, but she said it had to be on topics they've covered this year. Also, the kids are having a hard time finding articles that are three pages or longer. It was surprising that they can't use electronic media for their research. The way everything is so tech driven now old school research is almost extinct.

There is a LOT of plagiarism from online sources these days, which may be the reason for requiring hard-copy sources. There's also the chance that the teacher wants to be sure the kids are reading *legitimate* scholastic journals, as opposed to plausible-sounding crap that some techie-wannabe dreamed up and posted on the Internet.

If they can choose from publications dating back to July 2010, allowing for the fact that most monthlies have by now published their December issues, that's eighteen months of periodicals from which to draw five articles.

I dunno - it doesn't sound like an *easy* assignment, but if its purpose is to replace a test grade, then it *shouldn't* be easy.

[PUBBY]

Obviously, if you had ten students and each got two (different) articles and copied them, the group could choose five from the lot.

Think of cooperation in this kind of project as a way of making it easier.

I mean, make a few copies of the good article.

And it is not cheating if each student does their own synopsis and key word definition task.

pubby

Heck, two students could go to the library at southern tech or Kennesaw and make copies of thirty 'qualifying' articles and sell them for $10 each if they were entrepreneurial. (And that would let each student choose an article that is of greatest interest to them.)

[Mikey]

I took a college physics course in high school. Physics is not an easy subject. That said, Car and Driver and Road & Track often have articles on physics topics related to automobiles, performance and racing. There are several scientific trade mags out there, like Scientific American. Maybe the magazine aisle at WalMart might be worth a look. I know we have all become addicted to Google here in America, but there's a world of paper books and magazines out there waiting to be read.

[D-Cinco]

I appreciate the suggestions for sources and will be passing this along to some of her friends who are struggling. She has decided not to do the project since she has steadily brought her grade up and is happy with what she has right now. I guess I'm too old school and feel like our kids are under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure to achieve greater and greater things. I honestly don't know how we all graduated, found gainful employment and led successful lives with the lack of education we were given compared to what kids are being taught today. I know the world has changed and we have to keep pace with it in order to succeed, but sometimes it's nice to just slow down and live life. The work my 5th grader does in school is on the level with what I was doing in middle school. Physics was a college course, not high school. But, times have changed and I guess you either run the race or get trampled.

[i_have3dogs]

D-Cinco, on 26 November 2011 - 01:06 PM, said:

My daughter is hardly lazy and I'm blaming the teacher for nothing. I said the project itself is ridiculous. Here are some of the requirements for the project which will replace the 2nd lowest test grade from the first semester. It's optional.

Read and summarize five Physics related articles.
1. Each article must be 3 pages in length. Articles must be from current magazines in print. Current is defines as a publishing date after July 2010. NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
2. A complete copy of each article is required.
3. Complete APA reference for all five articles is required. Science classes use APA. See format below.
4. The summary must include the following:
a. A list of five key terms for each article with definition. Key terms must be Physics related.
b. One paragraph overview of the article using five keys words. At least five sentences.
c. One paragraph relating the article to what you have learned in Physics. At least five sentences.
d. One paragraph relating the article to the appropriate standard. At least five sentences.

Yes, I know, this is preparation for college, the real world, etc. It just seems excessive to me to require FIVE different articles. From what I've heard not a single kid has found that many articles that relate to what they have learned this semester. Now, I'm going based on what my daughter told me, that it has to be over things they have already learned. The rubric says five Physics related articles. Not sure if there is some confusion on that part. If it can be ANY Physics topic that would change things, but she said it had to be on topics they've covered this year. Also, the kids are having a hard time finding articles that are three pages or longer. It was surprising that they can't use electronic media for their research. The way everything is so tech driven now old school research is almost extinct.

So the teacher is letting students make up their lowest test grades by doing an optional assignment that is difficult and involves work instead of just giving out an easy grade. What is ridiculous about that? Sounds like the teacher is being reasonable and fair by doing this. Most college professors don't do this. Get bad grade, you're stuck with it. Sounds more than fair, they're doing the same amount of work, or maybe more than studying for two tests will. It's fair to expect the students that do the assignment to put in an extra effort, and fair to the students that did well. Should be more teachers out there that make their students earn their grade than to give out assignments that aren't anything more than busy work. And guess what, there are plenty of college courses that also require students to do work and study over the holidays.

[momof 3]

Please bear in mind that physics is only a mathematical expression of the physical world. Any news article dealing with sports, fire, ballistics(firearms), etc is strictly dealing with physics. Check Sports Illustrated, the AJC, GON, and others... Good luck.

[Mikey]

I truly do not believe that our public schools are too challenging; in fact, I think the opposite is true. I can't believe that "make-up work" and extra credit are such common expectations of parents nowadays. Effort should not be the prized activity. Results are what counts.

This post has been edited by Mikey: 27 November 2011 - 11:22 AM

[tatertot]

i_have3dogs, on 27 November 2011 - 12:17 AM, said:

So the teacher is letting students make up their lowest test grades by doing an optional assignment that is difficult and involves work instead of just giving out an easy grade. What is ridiculous about that? Sounds like the teacher is being reasonable and fair by doing this. Most college professors don't do this. Get bad grade, you're stuck with it. Sounds more than fair, they're doing the same amount of work, or maybe more than studying for two tests will. It's fair to expect the students that do the assignment to put in an extra effort, and fair to the students that did well. Should be more teachers out there that make their students earn their grade than to give out assignments that aren't anything more than busy work. And guess what, there are plenty of college courses that also require students to do work and study over the holidays.

A great example, I am an older college student that will be graduating in 3 weeks (Yea!!). I had to do a 15 page research paper over this Thanksgiving week. Not extra credit, not optional; this was a regular assignment. Kids today are smarter than we were. It is expected that they should be doing harder work than we did.

[Just thinkin' hard]

Geez. This is an assignment that my own father gave to his students in 1973. It's a way to expose the student to a REAL scientific journal, the language, the style, etc.

As for the language, better learn this now. I had a French teacher in high school that could speak 15 languages, but was Chinese and everything was stilted. Did prepare me for all the college professors I had over the years.

And, if this was an optional assignment - I personally think it was a great one. Shrug.

I took physics in high school 20 years ago. My dad taught the class because our teacher was a biologist with one semester of physics. It's not that hard. My guess from the tutoring I do is that the students are actually struggling with the math, not the physics.

[eym_sirius]

I think that the onus is on the listener to seek to understand. It would be unreasonable to expect a person raised in another country to lose his or her accent as an accomodation for those who are listening to lectures or other instruction. I would argue that the lecturer/teacher/professor has no way of knowing the background of the students for such an adaptation, even if that were possible.

Regarding the relative difficulty of assignments - Isn't that the point? If you can already do something, what is the purpose of further instruction or giving assignments to the existing knowledge base?

It's "stressful"? Stress is one of the main features of molding something. If you place no stress on a person or an object, everything remains the same and the desired changes are not accomplished. Acquiring knowledge and attaining skill sets require time and energy and it's stressful at times. But going through this means that the person is being molded in way that is valuable and the person will be better for it.

I think that it's a great mistake for parents to take sides against the one doing the molding, unless there's a reason not to trust the teacher/instructor/professor. It pretty much undermines the whole process and that undermining process may be a contributing factor to the dropout rate and the low test scores compared to other parts of the state and the nation.

[Jetasmom]

If your child is going to college, this would have been an excellent opportunity to practice. Unfortunately, I have discovered that our schools are woefully UNDER-preparing our children for college.

[Captain Rhett Butler]

WOOHOO... He passed Physics.... Made an 86 on the research project and that pulled him up to passing. Even though he barely passed Physics, all other grades were A's & B's , so I'm much much more relieved.

[stercus tauri]

Captain Rhett Butler, on 18 December 2011 - 09:59 AM, said:

WOOHOO... He passed Physics.... Made an 86 on the research project and that pulled him up to passing. Even though he barely passed Physics, all other grades were A's & B's , so I'm much much more relieved.

Congrats to him!