NYC Dept. Of Education Wants 50 ‘Forbidden’ Words Banned
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 04:43:27 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Politics
  U.S. General Discussion (Moderators: The Dowager Mod, Chancellor Tanterterg)
  NYC Dept. Of Education Wants 50 ‘Forbidden’ Words Banned
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2
Author Topic: NYC Dept. Of Education Wants 50 ‘Forbidden’ Words Banned  (Read 3857 times)
dead0man
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 46,079
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: March 29, 2012, 01:07:44 AM »

link
Quote
You must be logged in to read this quote.
NYC Department of Education.....between this and $65million a year "rubber room" (which is also an offensive phrase) fiasco, the ridiculously overpowered teachers unions and I'm sure a million other horrible stories we probably don't know about....how do they manage to teach anything?
Logged
Negusa Nagast 🚀
Nagas
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,826
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2012, 01:09:10 AM »

Censorship is bad, mmmk.
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2012, 01:35:33 AM »

It certainly makes sense that tests should be designed to be accessible to everyone.
Logged
dead0man
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 46,079
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2012, 01:39:26 AM »

How does the word "dancing" make a test inaccessible?
Logged
World politics is up Schmitt creek
Nathan
Moderators
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 34,248


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2012, 01:53:39 AM »

Few if any of these words make a test 'inaccessible'. I can see arguments for things that involve specific religions but 'Halloween'? 'Dinosaur'? These are some of the most generic cultural terms imaginable.
Logged
○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└
jfern
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 53,611


Political Matrix
E: -7.38, S: -8.36

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2012, 01:55:27 AM »

Birthday? Fail.
Logged
They put it to a vote and they just kept lying
20RP12
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 38,232
United States


Political Matrix
E: -5.29, S: -7.13

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2012, 05:25:49 AM »

This is the most idiotic thing I've seen in a long time.
Logged
Pingvin
Pingvin99
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,761
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2012, 07:44:40 AM »

This is the most idiotic thing I've seen in a long time.
Logged
Pingvin
Pingvin99
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,761
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2012, 07:45:32 AM »

It certainly makes sense that tests should be designed to be accessible to everyone.
It makes sense that tests should be designed for majority and minority should accept it.
Logged
Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese
JOHN91043353
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,569
Sweden


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2012, 07:51:24 AM »

Between this and the "Friends don't let friends use pink bowling balls" I'm starting to wonder if April 1 came a few days early this year.

Logged
World politics is up Schmitt creek
Nathan
Moderators
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 34,248


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2012, 07:57:39 AM »

It certainly makes sense that tests should be designed to be accessible to everyone.
It makes sense that tests should be designed for majority and minority should accept it.

What majority? There are different interlocking 'majorities' and 'minorities' in any situation, ever.

Also, no that doesn't make sense.

Also, that doesn't make this particular case any less absurd.
Logged
memphis
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,959


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2012, 09:06:38 AM »

These words are already banned from big standardized tests like the ACT and SAT. The NYC proposal is only about testing.
Logged
dead0man
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 46,079
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2012, 09:13:43 AM »

These words are already banned from big standardized tests like the ACT and SAT.
cite?  Google is giving me nothing except new standards to combat cheating links...and my Google Fu is normally pretty strong.
Logged
Redalgo
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,681
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2012, 10:13:23 AM »


Agreed, though I reckon to some extent it would make sense to diversify test questions as part of a larger effort to foster a learning environment in which minority groups are included, not marginalized.
Logged
🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸
shua
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 25,663
Nepal


Political Matrix
E: 1.29, S: -0.70

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2012, 10:26:04 AM »

The word "dinosaur" does not suggest evolution.  As most things like this, they didn't talk to people from the groups that they thought might be offended.  Not mentioning divorce is probably sensible.
Logged
Insula Dei
belgiansocialist
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,326
Belgium


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2012, 10:31:27 AM »

The word "dinosaur" does not suggest evolution.  As most things like this, they didn't talk to people from the groups that they thought might be offended.  Not mentioning divorce is probably sensible.

You're a creationist?
Logged
🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸
shua
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 25,663
Nepal


Political Matrix
E: 1.29, S: -0.70

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2012, 10:54:36 AM »

The word "dinosaur" does not suggest evolution.  As most things like this, they didn't talk to people from the groups that they thought might be offended.  Not mentioning divorce is probably sensible.

You're a creationist?
Not in the conventional sense, though I was exposed to it growing up.  The point is, no creationist I ever met or read said that dinosaurs didn't exist or anything of the sort.
Logged
dead0man
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 46,079
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2012, 11:11:20 AM »

The word "dinosaur" does not suggest evolution.  As most things like this, they didn't talk to people from the groups that they thought might be offended.  Not mentioning divorce is probably sensible.
How is "divorce" bad or offensive.  Do children of divorce need to avoid the word?  I can understand keeping honestly offensive words out of standardized tests (3 Heebs walk into a deli with $5.45 between them...), but words that are in our common lexicon shouldn't be avoided because it might make some kid somewhere remember that his parents got divorced last year.
Logged
🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸
shua
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 25,663
Nepal


Political Matrix
E: 1.29, S: -0.70

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2012, 11:29:05 AM »

The word "dinosaur" does not suggest evolution.  As most things like this, they didn't talk to people from the groups that they thought might be offended.  Not mentioning divorce is probably sensible.
How is "divorce" bad or offensive.  Do children of divorce need to avoid the word?  I can understand keeping honestly offensive words out of standardized tests (3 Heebs walk into a deli with $5.45 between them...), but words that are in our common lexicon shouldn't be avoided because it might make some kid somewhere remember that his parents got divorced last year.
Whether something is in the common lexicon is hardly the issue.  Standardized measurement is a pipedream anyway, but making emotionally distracting questions can't exactly help.
Logged
John Dibble
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 18,733
Japan


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2012, 12:55:50 PM »

I wonder exactly how they think taking the word "evolution" out of standardized biology tests will be helpful.
Logged
Snowstalker Mk. II
Snowstalker
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 20,414
Palestinian Territory, Occupied


Political Matrix
E: -7.10, S: -4.35

P P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #20 on: March 29, 2012, 02:09:01 PM »

Also, how would a health class do without mentioning alcohol or drugs? A US History class without nukes?
Logged
Small Business Owner of Any Repute
Mr. Moderate
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 13,431
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #21 on: March 29, 2012, 03:39:48 PM »

As someone who used to work for the text book industry, these banned word lists are much more common than you'd think. Though, of course, this list is unusually oppressive.

Want to hear how stupid it gets some time? A number of state standards call for students to learn probability so they can understand how to avoid unfair games of chance. But for some reason, you're not allowed to use games of chance while teaching students about probability, and in many cases, you can't even reference dice or playing cards.

Also, how would a health class do without mentioning alcohol or drugs? A US History class without nukes?

These topics are off limits for standardized tests, not general discussion.
Logged
They put it to a vote and they just kept lying
20RP12
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 38,232
United States


Political Matrix
E: -5.29, S: -7.13

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2012, 03:52:26 PM »

Also, how would a health class do without mentioning alcohol or drugs? A US History class without nukes?

An algebra class without x's and y's?
Logged
Bacon King
Atlas Politician
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 18,822
United States


Political Matrix
E: -7.63, S: -9.49

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #23 on: March 29, 2012, 04:04:04 PM »
« Edited: March 29, 2012, 04:06:40 PM by Bacon King »

While they obviously erred on the side of caution, I understand the reasoning here and don't think this is as outrageous as it first appears. Any word that has a realistic potential of causing a negative emotional response in a child can cause them to perform below their true ability, thus impacting their results and causing them to score lower than they would have. A little girl that just broke her legs would probably be distraught when remembering her new limitations after reading a test passage about dancing, for example, and a negative emotional state like that has been linked in a number of studies to poorer performance on standardized tests. They're simply going to these lengths here to ensure that the tests truly are fair and standardized for all students; I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Want to hear how stupid it gets some time? A number of state standards call for students to learn probability so they can understand how to avoid unfair games of chance. But for some reason, you're not allowed to use games of chance while teaching students about probability, and in many cases, you can't even reference dice or playing cards.

Oh yes! I remember how much fun we had with our number cubes (which totally weren't dice) in middle school math!
Logged
SteveRogers
duncan298
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,155


Political Matrix
E: -3.87, S: -5.04

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #24 on: March 29, 2012, 06:28:25 PM »

I'm confused about "dinosaur." As far as I know, even among the most hardcore creationists, there aren't many people who outright deny that dinosaurs are a thing.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.058 seconds with 12 queries.