Jay Mathews: Did money keep student out of top school? [TJ]

[Anonymous]

NOVA CAN be better than MIT. Depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to reiterate -- whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid. TJ is not necessarily better for any kid wanting advanced studies in computer science and technology.

Well, of course it depends on the kid. But, generally speaking, TJ unquestionably offers better opportunities than other high schools for kids looking to take advanced courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you have toured TJ 's labs

Have done that.

Anonymous wrote:and looked at the online course catalog (google it),

Have done that, too.

Anonymous wrote:you have no idea whether TJ is better for kids seriously interested in math and science

So I have done both of those prerequisites, as the PP states must be done.

Anonymous wrote: --- and the answer is that TJ is better for any kid wanting advanced studies at his home school in those subjects.

For a "kid wanting advanced studies in math and science" TJ may not necessarily be better than a kid staying at her/his home school.

My kid wants advanced studies in computer science and technology and can better meet these desires at the neighborhood high school, combined with opportunities for internships, extra-curricular activities and online coursework.

As was stated earlier in this thread, whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid.

Some base schools offer multivariable calculus and matrix algebra but that 's about it as far as advanced post-AP courses in math and science. The base schools just do not have the "critical mass" of students or adequate teachers to offer other post AP courses beyond that such as "Advanced Math technique, Complex Variables, Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis etc.". Many teachers teaching post AP courses hold Ph.Ds in physics, chemistry, computer science etc. Some of them were university professors, In addition, I don't think the base schools offer post AP courses in science/computer science such as "Computational Physics, DNA Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence, Parallel Computing etc.". Many TJ kids take these kinds of courses and use the knowledge in their scientific research not to mention all the equipments and facilities at various research labs some of which are not even found at colleges.

Highlighting once again:

As was stated earlier in this thread, whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid.

My kid wants advanced studies in computer science and technology and can better meet these desires at the neighborhood high school, combined with opportunities for internships, extra-curricular activities and online coursework.

The PP stated:

In addition, I don't think the base schools offer post AP courses in science/computer science such as "Computational Physics, DNA Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence, Parallel Computing etc.".

None of these courses are of interest to my kid with a focus in computer science and technology -- maybe AI, but that's down the road after distributed computing (a course my kid is taking now online) and advanced IP.

So -- to reiterate -- whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid. TJ is not necessarily better for any kid wanting advanced studies in computer science and technology.

Some advanced post AP computer science and technology courses offered at TJ (not on line):

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence 1, Artificial Intelligence 2, Web Application Development, Mobile App Development, Parallel Computing 1, Parallel Computing 2, Specialized Computer Assisted Design

Technology: Geosystems, Optics Systems, Relativity, Electrodynamics and Quantum Mechanics, Physiology, Bionanotechnology, Advanced Communications Data Stream, Advanced Communications Signal Processing, Audio Electronics, Advanced Microprocessor System Design, Advanced Analog Electronics, Advanced Digital Electronics, Automation and Robotics 1, Automation and Robotics 2, Engineering Design, Prototyping 1, Advanced Engineering, Energy Systems 1, Energy Systems 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Some advanced post AP computer science and technology courses offered at TJ (not on line):

Not to belabor the point, but my kid either has no interest in these courses, has done the equivalent of these courses already (including website work using HTML5 and AngularJS, as well as apps available on iTunes and Google Play), or can take the equivalent courses in places other than TJ (both online and in-person).

In short, whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to reiterate -- whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid. TJ is not necessarily better for any kid wanting advanced studies in computer science and technology.

Well, of course it depends on the kid. But, generally speaking, TJ unquestionably offers better opportunities than other high schools for kids looking to take advanced courses.

I disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to reiterate -- whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid. TJ is not necessarily better for any kid wanting advanced studies in computer science and technology.

Well, of course it depends on the kid. But, generally speaking, TJ unquestionably offers better opportunities than other high schools for kids looking to take advanced courses.

I disagree.

Is it a matter of opinion? Things like number of courses, qualifications of instructors, and facilities can be objectively quantified.

[Anonymous]

It also depends on your goals and how you determine success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It also depends on your goals and how you determine success.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It also depends on your goals and how you determine success.

Why Google doesn’t care about hiring top college graduates:

http://qz.com/180247/why-google-doesnt-care-about-hiring-top-college-graduates/

In a conversation with The New York Times’ Tom Friedman, Google’s head of people operations, Laszlo Bock, detailed what the company looks for. And increasingly, it’s not about credentials.

Google looks for the ability to step back and embrace other people’s ideas when they’re better. “It’s ‘intellectual humility.’ Without humility, you are unable to learn,” Bock says. “Successful bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don’t learn how to learn from that failure.”

Succeeding in academia isn’t always a sign of being able to do a job. Bock has previously said that college can be an “artificial environment” that conditions for one type of thinking. IQ is less valuable than learning on the fly, Bock says:

“For every job, though, the No. 1 thing we look for is general cognitive ability, and it’s not IQ. It’s learning ability. It’s the ability to process on the fly. It’s the ability to pull together disparate bits of information. We assess that using structured behavioral interviews that we validate to make sure they’re predictive.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fascinating article. Thanks for sharing.

Jay Mathews is being generous when he says that the admissions process at TJ is "unavoidably" clumsy. It is intentionally clumsy and regularly gamed by those who know how to polish their children's applications. Parents who arrive from other parts of the country and don't know the drill can see their highly qualified kids shut out for bizarre reasons.

Conversely, FCPS spokesman John Torre is being completely disingenous when he says that “Socio-economic status has no bearing on a student’s ability to gain access to TJ or any of our other programs.” The FARMS rates at TJ are now lower than at any other HS in the county, including Langley. Does Torre honestly think that's a coincidence?

Ben Moore sounds like a great kid who would be an asset to any high school, and it's great that he found the silver lining at Herndon. Every high school in the county used to have kids like Ben, even if they didn't score quite as high on their SATs.

Got news for you: Every high school in the county still has kids like Ben and many outscore TJ kids on their SATs. Get over yourself: not every smart kid wants or needs to go to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Well I think live classes are probably preferable to online ones for a number of reasons including real social interaction. One could home school online only but most people choose not to.

[Anonymous]

And unless you toured the TJ labs last Friday you haven't seen them. Also pretty hard to complete lab work using expensive technology like MRI machines with online course work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And unless you toured the TJ labs last Friday you haven't seen them. Also pretty hard to complete lab work using expensive technology like MRI machines with online course work.

Cutting edge equipment, such as the 3D sonar mapping system for coastal topography studies in the Oceanography Lab, and the nuclear magnetic resonance tomograph, a two-state quantum measurement system for the Quantum Physics Lab.
Newer models of existing equipment, such as the programmable incubation chamber and the lab-grade aquaria systems for the Oceanography Lab, and incubators for the Biotechnology Lab.
Industrial-sized versions of existing equipment, such as the CNC router system for the Prototyping Lab.
Specialized lab furniture for welding, soldering, and other technical work in the Robotics, Energy Systems, Prototyping, Oceanography, and Engineering Design Labs; and optical tables for vibration-free work in the Quantum Physics Lab;
New technology such as the Android phones and tablets for the new Mobile & Web App Development Lab; Surface Pro 3 computers for the Energy Systems Lab; bioinformatics software package for the Biotechnology Lab’s genome machine; and the SeeMeCNC printer for Energy Systems.

In addition:

"As the only high school biotech lab with a sonifier, we’ve been able to break apart cell nuclei for epigenetic studies. We
use our DNA sequencer to locate epigenetic tags, among other uses. We’re only one of two US high schools with a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) thermocycler, which students use to look at influences on gene expression and telomere length; recently students studied the cause of bee colony deaths.
We may also be the only high school with an environmental growth chamber. Research students have been using it to
bioengineer algae, and students in our DNA II elective class have been using it to study various plant pathogens."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to reiterate -- whether or not TJ is better than the neighborhood high school depends on the kid. TJ is not necessarily better for any kid wanting advanced studies in computer science and technology.

Well, of course it depends on the kid. But, generally speaking, TJ unquestionably offers better opportunities than other high schools for kids looking to take advanced courses.

Q: How will TJ faculty and students use the platform to teach others?

A: JCIRN’s potential to expand TJ’s outreach to elementary and middle school students, including those in economically challenged parts of the county, is extraordinary. Essentially, all the outreach that our students are currently engaged in through our “Stembassador” program, our weekend outreach events such as “Science and Techstravaganza,” and our “8th period” and after- school tutoring and other programs will be amplified by JCIRN.

Once an outreach project is established by a TJ student or teacher, JCIRN members will be able to share curriculum and podcasts, interact via video, broadcast presentations from VIP speakers, and use group or one-on-one tutoring tools. TJ could impact many schools and students beyond our immediate area for the first time.

[Anonymous]

I can see how 3D sonar mapping technology will be such an addition to a kid heading into computer science and cloud computing.