Keep telling it like it is, Edg. Your voice is appreciated.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "brontebaxter8" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
>
> Edg, I loved this. This is you at your best. And you make a very good
> point. Elitism is crap, wherever it rears its ugly head. It's also
> true that our kids are dumbed down, taught by teachers who "teach to
> the test" because they'll be fired if their students don't perform on
> the standardized testing. I have a beautiful, idealistic neice in
> this situation. Fresh out of teacher's college, she got a job
> teaching fifth grade and was so excited to have a chance to "make a
> difference." But what she had to spend 80 or 90 percent of her time
> doing was teaching answers to the standardized tests, which had
> nothing to do with real education. At the end of the school year, she
> asked to be transferred to second grade, because there aren't
> standardized tests at that level, and she thought she'd be free to
> really teach. But she wasn't allowed to transfer.
>
> I was a schoolteacher in the days before standardized testing took
> over and dictated to teachers what to do. Even back then, in most
> schools, a creative teacher who could develop exciting lessons of her
> own was considered a little suspect. The dutiful teacher who humbly
> followed the textbook chapters and never did anything original that
> challenged the students was considered a good, safe bet. But now it's
> a far more serious situation, with the most creative teachers getting
> disgusted with the profession and moving on to other careers, leaving
> behind those who are willing to tow the line and teach kids to tow
> the line. And what kind of citizens will those kids grow up to be?
>
> - Bronte
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > About 50 years ago Issac Asimov wrote an essay entitled something
> > like: "Forget It." In it, he listed the kinds of information that a
> > hundred years early was considered "vital" knowledge, and I was
> aghast
> > at what kids were expected to memorize, back then, and feeling like
> I
> > had dodged a bullet by being born in a later era where, you know,
> > everything was "actually important to know." I never was required
> in
> > elementary school to know that a hogshead was two barrels.
> >
> > There's no knowledge "set" that won't "date." I can hardly watch a
> > movie over ten years old because the production standards are so
> > antiquated -- like Curtis and Turq's complaining about the Beatles
> > music being tailored to the fidelity of the AM radio speakers extant
> > then. All our "ears" are being made evermore sophisticated by
> > ordinary life's educational impact. Just so almost any knowledge
> > taught in schools today is going to age rapidly in today's e-world.
> >
> > And don't forget Henry Ford. Henry was involved in a libel trial
> and
> > had to testify in front of a jury with an incredibly hostile lawyer
> > cross examining him whose purpose in life was to make a fool out of
> > Henry. The lawyer took the tact that he'd show Henry was an
> > uneducated bumpkin, and that he'd ask Henry questions that Henry
> > wouldn't be able to answer.
> >
> > I cut and paste quote a googled-netizen's description of Henry's
> > answer: "His response . . . was to testify or state that if he had
> a
> > legal problem, he could push a button on his desk and several top
> > Harvard Law School graduates would quickly enter his office to do
> his
> > bidding....similarly, if he had an engineering problem...push
> another
> > button and several MIT top grads would enter his office to assist
> with
> > THAT problem, etc." (See:
> > http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=306615 )
> >
> > Don't obscure the point by making Henry a straw dog -- Henry was a
> > bastard of deep degree -- what with his union busting and his
> > anti-semitism. The point is that the self-vaunted educated
> > Harvard-type ilk are mere minions to those who are not interested in
> > acquiring an encyclopedic acumen at one's ready, but are instead
> > involved with the big questions of policy -- how to use that
> knowledge.
> >
> > (For his failings, Henry is a tainted hero, but read Buckminster
> > Fuller description of Henry in "Nine Chains To The Moon." Henry
> really
> > faced some evil forces-afoot, and empowered the ordinary worker with
> > an astounding pay rate for the times -- allowing them to buy the
> very
> > cars he was making. Not sure if his good out weighed his bad,
> but....)
> >
> > For most of my life, I've thought of an ivy league education as
> > something attained in a romantic ashram where everyone was a scholar
> > and seemed to be able to remember EVERYTHING -- Yamantaka in modern
> > guise with a girdle of PhDs instead of a belt of skulls. But given
> > that the haughty elitists are churning out such scholars on a
> regular
> > basis and given that an evil dog like Bush can still ruin the
> country,
> > of what use have these scholars been to America/world if they can
> not
> > even stand up and be leaders -- make policy decisions instead of,
> you
> > know, quoting the exact words of some poem by Ezra Pound that
> faintly
> > applies to the discussion at hand?
> >
> > Don't get me wrong; I know tons of stuff too, and can impress most
> > crowds with bon mots and be ever so contributive to the dialog --
> I've
> > never stopped studying since my undergrad work, but the sheer mass
> of
> > knowledge I've acquired that is of utterly no use is a sour truth --
> > I've used my nervous system to do so much of such little
> consequence.
> >
> > But I can win at Trivial Pursuit, do crossword puzzles with my left
> > foot, and do an impromptu stand-up routine that'll stop most parties
> > in mid-gossip. That, and $3.50, and I get coffee.
> >
> > Think about all the facts that would go into a book entitled: "The
> > Regis and Kelly Show 10-26-07." Imagine the work involved if some
> > Harvard PhD candidate wanted to really do a complete outlaying of
> > everything that that event required to manifest. What a tome it
> would
> > be, eh? Hundreds of pages of iotas, asides, jargon, professional
> > histories of guests, etc. Whew, anyone?
> >
> > Not me, but here's where I'm Henry Ford: I can push a button and up
> > the stairs comes a woman who has awoken with a smile on her face
> every
> > day of her life who will tell me the best jokes that Regis and Kelly
> > said today. In fact she just did this and had me laughing
> instantly.
> > (Jimmy Kimmel is guest hosting for Regis it could be quibbled, but
> feh!)
> >
> > See? There's knowledge, and then there's use of knowledge.
> >
> > I submit that a typical educated elitist has dropped the very ball
> > that has been acquired with such immense effort and mastery. Let's
> > face it, egg-heads are kept in the carton by the true leaders of
> > society and are merely pulled out of the frig when, you know, keish
> is
> > desired.
> >
> > Oh, it'll be the best keish with ever so many steaming savory
> > chunkettes, but, most of us only need pizza and beer to dig 200 post
> > holes while fencing-in the back 40.
> >
> > And where is even educational leadership? Here's all this precious
> > knowledge, but it's not taught until post grad level. Precious
> > knowledge ensconced in nervous systems so sharp they could be cut
> gems
> > -- we've got these minds coming out of Harvard like frat party puke,
> > but where is any child under 16 being taught that Israel is allowed
> by
> > the US government to have nuclear weapons, and every president of
> > America for decades has had that country on a leash like an attack
> dog
> > straining to be set upon anything Arabic? Where is any child under
> 16
> > taught that Clinton fiddled while half a million Africans were
> hacked
> > to death by BigOil's psychotically ferocious assassins? Where is
> any
> > child under 16 taught that Harvard grads are all so chummy cuz
> they're
> > all from the power-mongering, elitist, upper class families that
> raise
> > their children to think that a telescope is needed in order to look
> > down one's nose at blue-collar workers? Where is any child under 16
> > being taught that raping whole countries for their riches is a huge
> > dynamic in the American psyche? Where is any child under 16 being
> > taught to "follow the money to understand war?" And on and on this
> > listing could go, right? Kids are taught almost NOTHING OF
> PRACTICAL
> > IMPORT.
> >
> > Even Justice Thomas has griped about this.
> http://tinyurl.com/2zxym6
> >
> > Hell, where are children anywhere being taught real practical daily
> > life knowledge that could boot-strap their lives notches above their
> > parents' lifestyles? Where is integrity and emotional honesty in
> > relationships being taught? Where is "spiritual-good" in education
> > today? Where is love, sweet truth, or tolerance taught? In what
> > classroom in America are photos of the carnage of bombed innocents
> shown?
> >
> > Don't tell me educated persons are of much worth in this world.
> > They're bought and paid for and, worse, use their large brains to
> > rationalize their employment.
> >
> > Follow the money. That'll educate ya better than anything Ezra
> wrote.
> >
> > Edg
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@> 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
> > > <mailander111@> 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 <feste37@> 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
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
