Helping your kids with kids with GCSE coursework?
Discussion
My eldest kid, is a VERY bright lad of 14 years. He's a Mensan, with an IQ of 162 (when he was 11) - and is officially "gifted". As such, academically he's sailing through school. However, he doesn't really like creative subjects (story writing, poetry, art, drama, etc), preferring problem solving stuff. Accordingly, sometimes he asks for help with this work - ideas for a story, etc. However, the school has made it clear that you can't assist your children with GCSE coursework. So, my questions are two-fold:
1) Where do they drw the line as to what constitutes helping?
2) How can the authorities possibly enforce such a policy? I bet there are parents all over the country assisting their kids with their GCSE homework.
1) Where do they drw the line as to what constitutes helping?
2) How can the authorities possibly enforce such a policy? I bet there are parents all over the country assisting their kids with their GCSE homework.
Think you should use your discretion here, a little push here and there to guide him along is OK, but he should not become overly reliant on you, after all you are not going to be there in the room at examination time....
If you are seriously worried, I would discuss it with his teacher.........
If you are seriously worried, I would discuss it with his teacher.........
Muncher said:
They can't enforce such a policy at all.
Helping with ideas, helping with corrections, suggestions, proof reading is ok. Anything besides writing it completely for them or employing someone to do so is perfectly acceptable in my view.
Are you serious? I can proof read my kids' work - that's astonising! My lad asked me to check his punctuation and I said no. Quite frankly, it totally undermines the GCSE coursework principle. No wonder the grades are getting better year on year - it's the parents who are becoming more practised I reckon!
Your kid may be very bright, but he is also possibly not "creative" - he is in others ways as you say he likes "solving things". He will obviously do fine, why worry? Let him succeed at what he is good at - there are not prizes in later life for A* at art if you are a scientist (for example)
prof Beard
prof Beard
srebbe64 said:
They can't enforce such a policy at all.
Helping with ideas, helping with corrections, suggestions, proof reading is ok. Anything besides writing it completely for them or employing someone to do so is perfectly acceptable in my view.
Are you serious? I can proof read my kids' work - that's astonising! My lad asked me to check his punctuation and I said no. Quite frankly, it totally undermines the GCSE coursework principle. No wonder the grades are getting better year on year - it's the parents who are becoming more practised I reckon!
You may well be correct but the principle of coursework counting for a substantial part of the marks is of course part of the general dogma of everything being input related. Outcomes count for nothing anymore and as education is managed by the government it is largely worthless. Just cheat I certainly would if were taking GCSE today. Provided you stick to your story the is nothing anyone can do and trust me everyone is at it.
nonegreen said:
Muncher said:
They can't enforce such a policy at all.
Helping with ideas, helping with corrections, suggestions, proof reading is ok. Anything besides writing it completely for them or employing someone to do so is perfectly acceptable in my view.
Are you serious? I can proof read my kids' work - that's astonising! My lad asked me to check his punctuation and I said no. Quite frankly, it totally undermines the GCSE coursework principle. No wonder the grades are getting better year on year - it's the parents who are becoming more practised I reckon!
You may well be correct but the principle of coursework counting for a substantial part of the marks is of course part of the general dogma of everything being input related. Outcomes count for nothing anymore and as education is managed by the government it is largely worthless. Just cheat I certainly would if were taking GCSE today. Provided you stick to your story the is nothing anyone can do and trust me everyone is at it.
As an employer I've always totally ignored exam quallifications. I reckon I'll continue with that policy!
srebbe64 said:
They can't enforce such a policy at all.
Helping with ideas, helping with corrections, suggestions, proof reading is ok. Anything besides writing it completely for them or employing someone to do so is perfectly acceptable in my view.
Are you serious? I can proof read my kids' work - that's astonising! My lad asked me to check his punctuation and I said no. Quite frankly, it totally undermines the GCSE coursework principle. No wonder the grades are getting better year on year - it's the parents who are becoming more practised I reckon!
Proof reading is perfectably acceptable. It is acceptable at degree level for law coursework and disertations. The idea being you are marked on your application, style, knowledge and argument rather than on spelling, punctuation and grammar.
It is a flaw in the system, but that is the way the system works.
srebbe64 said:
As an employer I've always totally ignored exam quallifications. I reckon I'll continue with that policy!
I am dyslexic, not that you'd ever guess
, and although i'd like to think i'm reasonably bright my exam results would be dire by the grades kids are getting today. I mean i wasn't going to get on an LLb course with them but I did a different degree and then the CPE. being able to do a job has almost naff all to do with how good you are at exams. They have their place but the person is far more important.
srebbe64 said:
who gives a flying , help him as much as you can- they cant do
Very eloquently put. You help your child and I won't help my child (other than encouragement) and we'll see how they compare.
I think we have to be careful to remember the posters original comment in that, it was with "creative stuff" that the child needed a little inspiration. I think helping your child is a long way off doing it for them. Talkign to them, and letting them think for themselves and coming up with their own ideas has to be the right way, and I don;t see anything wrong with asking them quetions that they answer which will hopefully spark off a creative thought. Do it enough times and they'll sit there and think "what would dad say if I asked him?" et voila!
With more teachable skills such as - with the checking of the punctuation, why not read through it and say, "Yes, you really do need to go back and check that." You are not doing it for them, just re-emphasising the need to check through your own work (not that most of us do when posting!
Give them the oppotunity to find their own mistakes, after all we all know that if you find your own way down an unkown road you'll remember how to get there in the future - if you are just a passesnger, you simply don't take as much notice - human nature. You do all know that if I child has messy writing they are entitled to have an adult write their English exam for them? I personally don't agree with it, however it does back up the comments that the exam boards ultimately want to know what the child can do, whether or not they have the ability to express it correctly.
Obviosuly the child says what has to be written, and it's the same for coursework too.
Cheers,
JC
Any exam system which has a strong element of coursework is inherently flawed, not only do we have widespread parental assistance, but in the age of the internet much of what is needed can be simply downloaded.
I think myself that the element of the marks derived from coursework should come instead from smaller tests under exam conditions spread throughout the year.
I think myself that the element of the marks derived from coursework should come instead from smaller tests under exam conditions spread throughout the year.
srebbe64 said:
My eldest kid, is a VERY bright lad of 14 years. He's a Mensan, with an IQ of 162 (when he was 11) - and is officially "gifted". As such, academically he's sailing through school. However, he doesn't really like creative subjects (story writing, poetry, art, drama, etc), preferring problem solving stuff. Accordingly, sometimes he asks for help with this work - ideas for a story, etc. However, the school has made it clear that you can't assist your children with GCSE coursework. So, my questions are two-fold:
1) Where do they drw the line as to what constitutes helping?
2) How can the authorities possibly enforce such a policy? I bet there are parents all over the country assisting their kids with their GCSE homework.
JagLover said:
Any exam system which has a strong element of coursework is inherently flawed, not only do we have widespread parental assistance, but in the age of the internet much of what is needed can be simply downloaded.
I think myself that the element of the marks derived from coursework should come instead from smaller tests under exam conditions spread throughout the year.
Of course it's flawed.
But come on grade inflation keeps the parents, the pupils, the government, the schools, and the exam boards happy. The only ones to loose out are universities and employers who aren't involved until much later.
>> Edited by timmy30 on Tuesday 27th September 09:25
It sounds to me like you have the right approach to this one srebbe64. It doesn't sound like your son will have much use for the creative arts in his future professional life (although at 14/15/16 who can tell?), in which case a GCSE in an art is going to be irrellevent. However, in terms of becoming a rounded individual, a creative pursuit can be very rewarding and of course some of the worlds best 'problem solvers' have had to think creatively. If it were me then I would take whatever oppurtunity presented itself to encourage his creativity, using whatever you deem to be the correct amount of encouragement/assistance, and pay no heed to the affect this may or may not have on his exam result.
If a parent can't be allowed to assist their child with their schoolwork that becomes a sociofascist state, where meddling through incompetent know-alls is the rule!!!! Britain of the free thinkers where have you gone?????
Time for a revolution methinks where all these meddlers get strung-up!!!
NO ONE will EVER tell me how to bring-up my children and certainly no jumped-up socialist do-gooder!!!!I'll be out with a rifle first taking pot shots at these meddling scum!!!
Time for a revolution methinks where all these meddlers get strung-up!!!
NO ONE will EVER tell me how to bring-up my children and certainly no jumped-up socialist do-gooder!!!!I'll be out with a rifle first taking pot shots at these meddling scum!!!
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