Literacy in America falling?

[aussiewannabe]

And yup I'm quitting teaching for a good reason, Hungary is copying the American and British educational models and I'm sick of being sworn and spat at!

Don't blame you Mark! I wrote a 32 page paper on the history of classroom discipline about a year and half ago while in gradute school. There was a time when teachers were encouraged by the parents to do whatever it took to get their kids educated and if discipline was needed, they could use it. My conclusion was that discipline will continue to be a major problem with teachers despite all the workshops and books on the subject of discipline.

[Katahu]

Well, I'm just glad that I don't have to go through that kind of crud anymore and I'm glad I chose to study real hard regardless of how easy the tests and classes were. On top of that, I always respected my teachers' decisions because I clearly understood their predicament back then and I still understand them to this day. You know what we need? Someone to stand up against the loose, liberal doctrines of always appeasing the little spoiled brats by defying that lame doctrine and start disciplining the little monsters the way they were meant to be disciplined while still managing to avoid getting fired. 8-)

EDIT

cant be bothered with all this 'txt' speak.  it takes me longer to type a 'txt' message than it does a message using proper words.  its not just literacy, but basic numerical skills to, as the following link shows.  its quite a funny read.

CLICKY!

That article made me laugh. I mean, how could a 23-year-old woman not know the difference between negative and positive integers?

[ozzy72]

I mean, how could a 23-year-old woman not know the difference between negative and positive integers?

A failing education system? Or she could just be a complete ****wit! And her family might possibly practice incest to increase the IQ drop in future generations

[The Ruptured Duck]

Pfft, Americans don't need to read, thats what computers are for.  We're above that.

I blame white collar CEO's for making America stupid.  I mean, its in their best interest to have their workers dumb and vulnerable right?  Rich people invent new ways to hamper the cognition of their workers (i.e. text messaging, MTV, and cup holders).  This leaves them stupid and easy to take advantage of.  Why stop there?  Easy to dominate and kill; fits right in with my "Wal-Mart and the destruction of the middle class" theory.

Or maybe I can blame medical science.  We keep admitting dumb people into hospitals!  They should be allowed to expire- its what nature intended afterall.

I could blame political leaders, but they're kinda stupid too.

[The Ruptured Duck]

I mean, how could a 23-year-old woman not know the difference between negative and positive integers?

A failing education system? Or she could just be a complete ****wit! And her family might possibly practice incest to increase the IQ drop in future generations

"Increase the IQ drop"  you can't help but use integers can you?

[Brett_Henderson]

If there is a conspiracy to render the general population impressionable, distracted and mis-informed... ironically, there's evidence in this thread that it's working...

[The Ruptured Duck]

If there is a conspiracy to render the general population impressionable, distracted and mis-informed... ironically, there's evidence in this thread that it's working...

Is that a shot directed at me?:-[  

If it is, then man don't ask me for help when the class war begins, you will be on your own.

[Brett_Henderson]

Yeah, it was a shot (in fun)  

I sure hope the class-warfare wagers know where to draw the line when sides are picked. I mean.. if they're gonna wage war it's important to know which side you're on  :-?

I'll just be a spectator (but I know who my money will be on).. (pun intended)

[Katahu]

If there is a conspiracy to render the general population impressionable, distracted and mis-informed... ironically, there's evidence in this thread that it's working...

I don't see that happening here in SimV where almost all of us here know how to type and read effectively. If anything, I think we might be the sole survivors of literacy. kind of like in the movie "28 Days Later" where one man in Britain finds himself to be all alone in the world.

[spitfire boy]

This is turning into one of those 'good-old-days' topics; we're not all thugs, we don't all need a smack round the face, not all teachers are angels, and some of us are actually civilized people. Surprised? Of course you are. Bloomin' media hype. I hate it.

Rant over.

[ozzy72]

Alas a lot of good kids are being tarred with the same brush as the chav/ASBO set. The trouble is the majority are now the chav/ASBO set, not nice kids.
I'll feel terribly sad to leave my good students behind but at the end of the day I've just had enough...

[Mothball]

I'm going to throw a match in a bucket of gasoline. I like to listen to the illiterates who can't conjugate the verb "be".  :P  :P  :P  :P  :P  Running for cover! INCOMING!!!    Semper FI, Dave

[MattNW]

One of my pet peeves about education today is the standardized test. Most schools in our state spend most of the year priming for the ISTEP tests. Real education goes by the wayside in favor of higher ISTEP scores by feeding students the answers. Standardized tests should reflect the norm that a student at that grade level should be at with no preparation and should be given with no preparation except for a well balanced curriculum. If they aren't ready for it unprepared they won't be ready for life.

Also I think the state puts too much importance on standardized tests. They determine which schools will get funding and which will not. Now why would you want to cut funding for a school that has low test scores? I would think that they should receive more funding in academic areas to bring the scores up. Low scores are a sign that a school needs help the same as a low grade should show that a student needs help. The schools are so in fear of a point or two drop in standardized test scores they are virtually paralyzed. That's why the spend 90% of the school year cramming a bunch of dry facts into students. No wonder so many students have a hard time concentrating. They are boring them to death. A good interesting curriculum will accomplish the same thing without the test cramming.

Another point is that American schools have the lowest rate of administrators to teachers. Why does a school with only 150 students need a four story office building downtown to house almost sixty administrators? Put some of those administrators to work teaching. That'll cut class size down immensely. When I was in grade school our principal also taught fifth grade. Also bigger isn't better. Education was much better when schools were small and community based. Some of our greatest literary minds were educated in a one room school house with students of all ages and grades working together. Many times the younger students would learn from the lessons of the older students giving them a head start.

Our schools also need to sort out their priorities. A nearby school has recently fired three teachers because there wasn't enough money in the budget yet they also managed to build a 3 million dollar physical education center with swimming pool. Those activities are great but the purpose of a school is to educate the students. If the budget can stand it then fine. A new auditorium is a great addition but not at the expense of the education of the students.

[H]

One of my pet peeves about education today is the standardized test. Most schools in our state spend most of the year priming for the ISTEP tests. Real education goes by the wayside in favor of higher ISTEP scores by feeding students the answers. Standardized tests should reflect the norm that a student at that grade level should be at with no preparation and should be given with no preparation except for a well balanced curriculum. If they aren't ready for it unprepared they won't be ready for life.

I transferred out of my first secondary school for similar. They handed us a sheet with the questions and the answers; on the test day they swapped us for a sheet with only the (very same) questions. All we'd had to do was memorize the printed words -- no need to even know the language. Just give me the books and I can go memorize it on my own without paying tuition for it.

8-)

[Dr.bob7]

text messaging? well with the way some girls i know do it that probly does lower it  :-/