Well, the man did say that folks can no longer read English. And my spellchecker works just fine. If I "misspell" a word, then chances are I've got my reasons.
But none of that is to the point. The discussion is about whether or not the man is right in saying that American kids are dummer than dirt. Has there been, in fact, a dumming down of Americans? I say there has, I'm not by a long shot the only professional in the field who says there has, and the dumming down is visible everywhere to anyone not completely embedded in this culture. I also know that folks get their dander up when you say that not everything is perfect in the good old U.S. of A. But, things can't get better until someone acknowledges that there is room for improvement. And, by the way, I don't agree that the stance that all is right with the world is particularly enlightened or the stance that if a thing is the way it is, then it must be God's will that it be so. Humanity is a work in progress. I agree that my thoughts are God's thoughts, and so are yours, but neither yours nor mine are therefore co-extensive with God's. Newspapers in the U.S. are written to what passes for eighth grade reading levels in this country. And even that standard is slipping. My experience in teaching at various colleges and universities around the U.S. is that the preparation of college freshmen has been getting worse and worse. Big businesses are hiring consultants at a thou a day to educate their management trainees in using their native language well enough to do international business with the rest of the world who does business in English as well, but learns it as a second language. Or third, etc. The U.S has slipped to about number 23 among industrialized nations in educational standards. The U.S. is also no longer the world leader in the sciences. The slipping of educational standards should be of concern to anyone who cares about the future of our children. And it's about more than a specific kind of education, as some have suggested. IQ is about 40% language related. The way you teach reading and writing to children can foster the growth of IQ or suppress it, and the educational establishment in this country is doing all it can to suppress the growth of IQ. Now this doesn't mean that they are 100% successful. But the intelligent question to ask about this state of affairs is Qui Bono. Who benefits? As long as folks get personally insulted when folks point out that public education in the U.S. is in a pitiful state, then those who benefit from that state of affairs have won. And here's an eighth grade English version of what I said about my grandfather. He was educated by a river clear as glass. Not by a school. a feste37 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I don't know what Jesus has got to do with it, and I can't make much sense of this post. I have no idea what the following sentence is supposed to mean: "Where did I say that a clear river, for example, the river clear as glass that educated my grandfather wasn't the best schooling a man can have?" And by the way, it's "dumber," not "dummer." --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Jesus Christ. They guy either told the truth: American kids are dummer than dirt, or he didn't. If it's true, then we have better things to do than to engage in pissing contests on a personal level. Then there are serious questions to ask about that. Plus, once again, you're not reading what I actually said. Where did I say that a clear river, for example, the river clear as glass that educated my grandfather wasn't the best schooling a man can have? You are imputing motives to my statements that I do not have. If what the guy said is true, and I believe that it is true from my perspective as a professional in the field of education, then, as I suggested earlier, we are all embedded in it including the folks in Ff. The forest is green, remember, because every leaf of every tree is green. Why are you taking that personally? a > > > feste37 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Every generation that has ever lived has complained about the younger > generation, but what young people need to know changes from generation > to generation. Has it ever occurred to you that the young people today > do not necessarily need to know everything that you learned so long > ago, and that they may know things that you are entirely ignorant of? > > And as far as brilliance is concerned, I wasn't talking about > illiterates. These were very well educated young people. I'm sorry you > appear to have had such little luck in finding high-quality students > to benefit from your great wisdom and knowledge. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander > <mailander111@> wrote: > > > > Of course there are brilliant students, but that doesn't mean > they've had an education. I met brilliant illiterates all over the > world. They're illiterate, not stupid. Get the difference? I don't > have a particularly low opinion of most of the members, but somebody > posted something about the educational level in the U.S. generally, > and I have to agree that it is abysmal. Europe is deteriorating too, > but not as fast. > > One Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, one from Kent State. My > profs wanted me to go to Harvard, and I was accepted, by my husband > didn't want to go there. > > > > And th > > > > feste37 <feste37@> wrote: You must > have taught at some lousy colleges. I have taught at high > > school, undergraduate and graduate level and have been fortunate > > enough to have had some brilliant students. In the words of The Who, > > "The kids are all right!" > > > > I wonder why you deign to contribute to this list since you have such > > a low opinion of the educational attainments of its members. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander > > <mailander111@> wrote: > > > > My career has been unusual because I've taught at every level of > > instruction from preschool through graduate school. I have NEVER > > taught anything at the undergraduate level in college that shouldn't > > have been covered by eighth grade. > > > > > > I hate to say this, but the low level of education is felt > > EVERYWHERE in America, including Ff, including this group. a > > > > > > > > Bhairitu <noozguru@> wrote: > > Warning: The next generation might just be the biggest pile of > idiots in > > > U.S. history > > > > > > > > > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/10/24/notes102407.DTL > > > > > > (Would be FFL "columnists" would do well to study how Morford's > > writing > > > style can carry you forward like butter instead of looking over > at the > > > pane slider to see how much more you have to read). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends > > http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends > http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
