Collecting writing samples that I have to pass on to someone else for a purpose that I don't fully understand is punishing enough. Collecting writing samples that have nothing to do with English is just plain frustrating. I was given a math and science prompt for my kids to use. Those are two subjects that I've spent the last 10 years trying very hard to forget about, so I knew that I wouldn't be much help to them in those areas, but I did my due dilligence and figured out how to explain perpendicular bisectors and angle bisectors of triangles.
We needed 5 samples. The first 3 are past tense narratives. I chose to toss out the science prompt and give the kids a social studies prompt. Simple enough, right? Let's write about the Civil War. I just wanted them to explain the conflicts between the North and South. That's it.
The kids came in. They looked at the prompt on the board. They started their barrage of questions and comments. Questions that made my jaw drop and my tears fall.
"Which war was that?"
"I don't remember anything about the Civil War!"
"Who did we fight in that one?"
Are you kidding me?! These are seniors in high school and they couldn't intelligently tell me what the Civil War was all about.
What a sad day.
On to day two. Bisectors. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know what bisectors were, but when I looked them up...not that tough. Lines that cut lines/angles in half. Wow. That's tough. You'd think that I would've asked them to explain Einstein's theory of relativity.
I see Jay Leno stopping them on a street in New York and asking them who the first President was. And I hear them saying, "Abraham Lincoln!" And then, the rest of America laughs at them.
So, what went wrong? When did our kids stop being able to think for themselves? When did they start relying on other people to do their work? Maybe we just stopped expecting enough from them. I don't know, but it sure is a sad day when 18 and 19 year olds can't tell you anything about the Civil War.
Are you fearing for our future yet?
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I teach history and there is nothing more gut wrenching than spending a year teaching the students this stuff and then have them give those types of answers and act like you never mentioned any of this stuff before. Here is something that actually happened in my class one year while doing a TAKS review a few weeks before the big test.
ReplyDeleteMr. Willy: Who was unanimously elected as the First president of the United States?
Class: (Awkward silence)
Mr. Willy: We all remember who was the 1st president of the United States. Who was it?
Student in class: Oh yeah, it's Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Willy: No
Another Student in class: George Washington?
Mr. Willy: Yes that's right. We all remember that. Right?
First student who responded: Oh that's right! Abraham Lincoln was the first black president.
Mr Willy: (Long pause staring with complete shock) You are right. (then I moved on to the next question of the review.)
I figured there was no helping him at that point and I couldn't even decide how to tell him that he was wrong.
Thank God for Obama! There was enough hype about his race throughout the election that I will hopefully never have to go through that again.
Oh seriously Dave... I'm crying because I am laughing so hard. The really crazy thing is that no one else chose to correct him and say, "um, no... that's wrong!" I don't think I would have been able to resist!
ReplyDeletePatrick, I'm very sorry. I don't have an answer for you. This makes me very sad! I wonder if our children's obsession with technology and the answers to every question being just a click away has anything to do with this? Ugh!!
1. The internet
ReplyDelete2. 4000 channels on cable TV
3. Playstation, XBOX, Wii
4. The TAAK/TAAS test
5. Cell phones
Let me explain...
1. Kids spend hours and hours on computers surfing the net for porn, facebook, myspace, IM'ing, whatever. They're not learing ANYTHING. They are vegetating.
2. If the kids aren't on the computer, then they're laying on the couch watching the latest "reality" show on TV. Yes, boys and girls, The Bachelor is how real life works. One day you too will be 35 years old and single. However, at that time you will have the chance to make out/sleep with 20 beautiful bimbos who have zero self respect without repercussion.
3. Gaming systems have become incredibly realistic these days with the enhancements in graphics. I'll be honest, I played video games growing up and I still partake in a mean game of NCAA 2010 from time to time. However, for kids today, if they're not on the computer or watching TV, you can bet they're playing video games. Just another way to waste time NOT reading or studying.
4. By now you all should know my abject distaste for the TAAKS/TAAS testing system. Each day our public school teachers are forced to teach to this test is another day lost in the classroom. School these days has become a numbers game. Who can get the highest marks on the TAAKS test? Who can get the most students to pass the TAAKS test? Who can get the most state funding because of great scores on the TAAKS test? Who gives a flying crap about some stupid arbitrary test? Seriously, this test only hinders the kids at the top of their class and does a disservice to the kids at the bottom of the class. Tests (especially multiple choice tests) are incredibly bad indicators of actual knowledge gained.
5. I'm strongly considering making cell phones number one on my list. Consider this. You can watch TV, surf the net, play video games, talk and text all on your cell phone. Cell phones are so out of control that I now regularly see people using them DURING church services. Apparently it is no big deal to purchase an iPhone for your 7 year old child. Let's fry their brains as early as possible so that next time Mr. Willy asks who the first president was they can respond with "Tiger Woods".
Jeff I agree. Every year I have my students tally the number of hours they spend on these 3 categories.
ReplyDelete1. Television/Movies
2. Video Games
3. Texting/IMs
These are the three most passive things that human being do and cause the least amount of brain activity. We have more brain activity when we are asleep than when we are watching television.
The results of the tally. The majority of students spend at least 40 hours a week while many spend between 80 and 100 hours a week doing these things. What I explain to them is that those students have a full time job of retarding the growth of their brain. Some of them have between 2 and 3 full time jobs doing this. I then give them an assignment to not do any of those activities for a weekend. Only a few say they even tried it, fewer say they succeed, and of those I am sure some are lying.
I recently saw a news report about internet addiction. South Korea has recognized this as a medical problem that has to be dealt with. People have died from sitting in front of their computers and gaming systems so long that they are developing life threatening blood clots.
I don't know what the answer is for society as a whole, but I know that I want to find a way to restrict my kids from doing these things all the time.
Get those kids outside! And teach them the value of reading a book. Bring back PE to the school day...5 days a week!
ReplyDeleteSports can be a great outlet to get kids away from all the techno brain drain. Sports teaches kids about competition, fair play and working as a team. Plus, there's the added benefit of keeping your body in relatively good condition.
After playing an afternoon game of baseball, shuffle the kids off to the local library and have them pick out a book. I know it's a radical idea in today's world, but reading can actually stimulate brain activity. Crazy, I know.
Put limits on things like the internet, phone, TV and gaming systems. Call me a fun-nazi if you will, but where is the dicipline in our world? How about we exercise a little moderation? Does a boy/girl age 7-15 really need to use a computer for anything other than schoolwork/research? I say no. Facebook and the like is quickly becoming the bane of our society. Seriously, people spend HOURS a day on this stuff under the guise of "keeping in touch". I call bull@$%&.
Get the kids interested in reading and learning about the Bible. I truly believe that the most important thing we can do as parents is to make sure that our kiddos find their identity in Christ. Not in sports. Not in television. Not in the internet. Not in magazines. Not in anything this world has to offer.
Our identity should be in Christ and Him alone. And I'm speaking to all of us, kids and parents (myself included). If our kids see that we find joy in reading God's Word, they will be more likely to as well. If our kids see that serving others is more important to us than spending time on the computer or watching TV, they will feel that way as well.
Each new generation is a reflection of the generation before them. And WE are doing a lousy job. If kids want to spend all day on the computer, TV, cell phone, Wii, etc. it's ONLY because they see us doing the same things. The onus is on us. We need to be proactive in this battle.
DISCLAIMER:
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to intimate that any of this is easy. Heck, my oldest kid is only three. We've got a ways to go before we have to deal with things like the internet or cell phones. I don't even want to know what techno gadgets will be available in another five years.
That said, I stand by what I've posted. Now Jessica and I have to be up to the task.
Amen to the facebook rant! That stuff is evil!
ReplyDeleteReading is the 2nd most interactive thing to do. Interactive meaning it stimulates brain growth. The number one thing is writing.
Creativity is dying out. With computers games and television creating all of our thoughts for us our brains don't have to do hardly any work.
I am reading a book that makes the argument that the next 100 years is going to be a time where Right brain creativity will be more important and will bring in more money. Not that money is the answer or key to life. But the book addresses that without a little creativity left-brainers are left to competing for jobs with some guy in India who will do the work for a 10th of the cost and work 20 more hours a week. The book is titled A Whole new Mind by Daniel Pink. Interesting. I would recommend it.
So if you want your kids to excel in thier life do things with them that encourage brain growth and creativity. And like Jeff said, connecting those things to living out our faith is the most important thing for us to pass on to our kids.