This [updated] is a draft ‘missive’ … spent a week’s holiday in France and mostly listened to Richard Dawkins’ ‘The God Delusion’ whilst trolling around the place. Anyway, it made me think once again about the origin of ‘stuff’ [as Dawkins avoided it (for a later book?)], like believing in ‘invisible friends’.
Just a draft/daft right now; but I would welcome feedback; and lots of ‘argument’.
Professor Randy Pausch finally lost to the ‘Big C’ last Friday. Very sad, and a reminder to us why we should all help fight this disease in anyway we’re able to. If you’ve not seen it, find some time to watch his last lecture.
As well as many sources, The Times has an obituary today.
… that standards are at an all time low, or that it’s easy to pass exams!?
From the BBC
An exam board is to review its marking guidance after one of its top examiners gave marks for a script which contained only a two-word sexual expletive.
The Times reported that Assessment and Qualifications Alliance chief examiner Peter Buckroyd gave a pupil two marks out of 27 for an English GCSE paper.
He is quoted as saying the candidate had demonstrated more skills than one “who doesn’t write anything at all”.
AQA said this was not in line with its guidelines, which would be clarified.
The pupil is reported to have written “fuck off“, and would have had another mark for adding an exclamation point.
Mr Buckroyd is quoted by the Times as saying: “It would be wicked to give it a zero because it does show some very basic skills we are looking for – like conveying some meaning and some spelling.”
Well, at least it supports my view that youngsters don’t know how to use punctuation these days!
