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The Stupids...
Jan. 2nd, 2006 08:45 amJeremeanie gave me this cute little article to read, thinking it might be of use to my students:
Misinformation Age
More computers, less learning
by David Gelernter
01/02/2006, Volume 011, Issue 16
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=6532&R=C81E1E8B7
Actually it will, though it is much like whatshisnames "Amusing ourselves to death." More of a call to victorian cultural imperialism (we know and control culture and will inform you of it as we see fit). I like the quote: "Schools should be telling students to read books, not play with computers". why? because we control what books they can read.
Personally, I agree that students are fantastically uninformed about the world around them. They don't read newspapers to the degree that we did. When there is more than one TV in the house you are not forced to see what is interesting to other people. There is so much information out there that it is easy to just surf the comfortably meaningless.
But to blame computers? To blame schools? That's silliness. The previous generation set up the schooling system (Yes, that includes everyone who can vote. I'm not excluding myself.).The governments we voted in listened to business and politicos of all stripes in reforming education. And have the cognitive version of a free-market-economy... that is pretty much trickle down.
We know very well that at all levels of society most folks have their heads wedged between the cheeks of their own personal lifestyle experience. And those who are not have it worse off. The few that are firing at least half their cognitive cylinders work so hard to avoid inflicting the negative experiences on the next generation that they forget that it was probably those experiences that made them the almost clear thinkers that they are.
Solutions? Don't have none. There's no value in being a critical thinker when it comes to life, as proved by our man with the finger on the button down south. The educational system has been carefully designed and honed so that people have the illusion of education, and their world is informed by sensationalism, fear and self-interest. Rant as the right may wish to, this is EXACTLY the system that they wanted. Moan as they may, but this is what the left allowed to happen because they couldn't get their act together and stop infighting.
Deal with it honies. This one came out half baked... but that's ok.
Misinformation Age
More computers, less learning
by David Gelernter
01/02/2006, Volume 011, Issue 16
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=6532&R=C81E1E8B7
Actually it will, though it is much like whatshisnames "Amusing ourselves to death." More of a call to victorian cultural imperialism (we know and control culture and will inform you of it as we see fit). I like the quote: "Schools should be telling students to read books, not play with computers". why? because we control what books they can read.
Personally, I agree that students are fantastically uninformed about the world around them. They don't read newspapers to the degree that we did. When there is more than one TV in the house you are not forced to see what is interesting to other people. There is so much information out there that it is easy to just surf the comfortably meaningless.
But to blame computers? To blame schools? That's silliness. The previous generation set up the schooling system (Yes, that includes everyone who can vote. I'm not excluding myself.).The governments we voted in listened to business and politicos of all stripes in reforming education. And have the cognitive version of a free-market-economy... that is pretty much trickle down.
We know very well that at all levels of society most folks have their heads wedged between the cheeks of their own personal lifestyle experience. And those who are not have it worse off. The few that are firing at least half their cognitive cylinders work so hard to avoid inflicting the negative experiences on the next generation that they forget that it was probably those experiences that made them the almost clear thinkers that they are.
Solutions? Don't have none. There's no value in being a critical thinker when it comes to life, as proved by our man with the finger on the button down south. The educational system has been carefully designed and honed so that people have the illusion of education, and their world is informed by sensationalism, fear and self-interest. Rant as the right may wish to, this is EXACTLY the system that they wanted. Moan as they may, but this is what the left allowed to happen because they couldn't get their act together and stop infighting.
Deal with it honies. This one came out half baked... but that's ok.
