Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[DiabloLoco]

An aspect of Mindwar is controlling the thought process to enable the systematic dumbing down of society, right? Here is some proof that their efforts are bearing fruit.

Article found at http://www.lewrockwell.com/

Education Expert Says College Freshmen Read at Seventh-grade Level

http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/19867-education-expert-says-college-freshmen-read-at-7th-grade-level

Stotsky, who received her Ed. D. from Harvard, is a well-known and respected figure in the world of education. She served on the Common Core Validation Committee in 2009-10 and, along with colleague James Milgram, professor of mathematics at Stanford University, refused to approve Common Core’s standards, which she called “inferior.”

In a recent interview with Breitbart Texas, Stotsky said:

We are spending billions of dollars trying to send students to college and maintain them there when, on average, they read at about the grade 6 or 7 level, according to Renaissance Learning’s latest report on what American students in grades 9-12 read, whether assigned or chosen.

Stotsky also pointed out that as a result of students reading on a lower level of difficulty and complexity in high school, colleges now assign a lower reading level of books as summer reading to incoming freshmen.

Stotsky expanded on her statement to Breitbart: “The average reading level for five of the top seven books assigned as summer reading by 341 colleges using Renaissance Learning’s readability formula was rated 7.56.”

A level of 7.56 reflects reading on a level of grade 7 at about the sixth-month mark.

So, instead of expecting that students graduating from highschool to be proficient readers and demanding that they perform at a certain level, the colleges are lowering their standards. Even private colleges. WTF?!? Heck! Even my 9 year old minion already reads at an 8th grade level! For a 9 year old to be a better reader than the average college freshman?!? Exactly how stupid ARE these kids?

[MamaLiberty]

An aspect of Mindwar is controlling the thought process to enable the systematic dumbing down of society, right? Here is some proof that their efforts are bearing fruit.

Article found at http://www.lewrockwell.com/

Education Expert Says College Freshmen Read at Seventh-grade Level

I taught nursing at a community college in 1990. Students came in with all levels of reading, math and other comprehension. Many would struggle with a 7th grade reading level, but you have to ask who set the standard and when. Today's 7th grade reading comprehension is probably not too much greater than what a third or forth grade student could easily read in 1950 - 60.

The real problem isn't the entry reading level, but the big picture of current "education" that actively discourages, even punishes, original and critical thinking. Without honest curiosity, stimulated by interesting reading and discussion, and critical thinking that stretches the known with that curiosity, what they read and how well they can rote define the big words will mean nothing.

Almost anyone can be taught to read, but learning to THINK and explore what is read is much more difficult, especially if curiosity has been carefully extinguished from infancy.

[DiabloLoco]

An aspect of Mindwar is controlling the thought process to enable the systematic dumbing down of society, right? Here is some proof that their efforts are bearing fruit.

Article found at http://www.lewrockwell.com/

Education Expert Says College Freshmen Read at Seventh-grade Level

I taught nursing at a community college in 1990. Students came in with all levels of reading, math and other comprehension. Many would struggle with a 7th grade reading level, but you have to ask who set the standard and when. Today's 7th grade reading comprehension is probably not too much greater than what a third or forth grade student could easily read in 1950 - 60.

The real problem isn't the entry reading level, but the big picture of current "education" that actively discourages, even punishes, original and critical thinking. Without honest curiosity, stimulated by interesting reading and discussion, and critical thinking that stretches the known with that curiosity, what they read and how well they can rote define the big words will mean nothing.

Almost anyone can be taught to read, but learning to THINK and explore what is read is much more difficult, especially if curiosity has been carefully extinguished from infancy.

I agree with everything that you wrote, and all of it is related to Mindwar. By redefining acceptable levels, restricting what can be taught, and trying to control how the mind thinks, they are facilitating the dumbing down of society. Stupid people are easier to control, pacify, and bamboozle.

[Bear]

My maternal grandfather was a teacher and school principle a long time ago.
When he passed away from the flu, one his junior high students wrote an
obituary that was printed in the San Jose Mercury News.

My sister has a copy of the obituary, and the quality of the writing is what you
would _hope_ a college student could produce now.

Our educational standards have fallen a long, long way.

Bear

[FDD]

Which is why more and more families are going to Homeschooling

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

Which is why more and more families are going to Homeschooling

I don't know, most if not all of the "homeschoolers" I know in Wyoming, for an example, aren't doing it for original thinking of any kind, but because their school doesn't teach their religious perspectives (oh noes, aborshun is teh evulz, not like our policy of never talking about sex until our kid comes home preggers in her earlee teenz, yo!), and that offends them.  One.  I repeat ONE individual I know is teaching their kid math, science, etc.  And that individual is pushing the kid harder in what appears to me an attempt to one up what my family did with me (he's only attempted to copy the things I've told him about, and it seems every time the fellow comes by, he copies something he sees at my house, from water filtration to other things.)  Since I won't engage in dick waggling of that kind, I hope that individual continues to teach their kid well even without the chance to one up my exploits of the past.


Modified to remove a vestigial thing that didn't refresh on my screen and I had thought deleted before posting.

[knobster]

Which is why more and more families are going to Homeschooling

Exactly why my wife and I decided to homeschool.  The biggest obstacle to the whole thing was her father (public school teacher).  We've been at this homeschool thing since 2011 and he still inserts snarky little comments into his conversations with her about school.  I wish I would have known about this article when he muttered, "hope they will be ready for college".

My wife is such a trooper though.  When we were first dating it was, "father is always right".  Now it's "father is very opinionated".

[DiabloLoco]

Which is why more and more families are going to Homeschooling

Exactly why my wife and I decided to homeschool.  The biggest obstacle to the whole thing was her father (public school teacher).  We've been at this homeschool thing since 2011 and he still inserts snarky little comments into his conversations with her about school.  I wish I would have known about this article when he muttered, "hope they will be ready for college".

My wife is such a trooper though.  When we were first dating it was, "father is always right".  Now it's "father is very opinionated".

I don't homeschool. At least nothing formal or scheduled. My minions go to public school while the wife and I go off to work. When we are all at home though, the minions REAL education begins. First I ask them about their day and what the teachers were "pushing" that day. This is my efforts to reign in and overcome their indoctrination. Believe me, it's working. Then the minions complete their homework and bring it to my wife or I to go over and look for mistakes. Usually in the evening either while eating dinner or while watching TV, I will think of some "teaching moment", and go off on a 30 minute lecture about something that seemed rather trivial to them, and not worthy of the effort it would them take to learn. They absolutely HATE this, but dang it, those kids are smart as a whip! They'll thank me for it some day.

[MamaLiberty]

They absolutely HATE this, but dang it, those kids are smart as a whip! They'll thank me for it some day.

I wonder if they will. My aunt Kay used to do the "lecture" thing every day after school, which we hated. Mother would come home from work and ask searching questions, then help us research the answers. We loved that.  We also didn't stay with aunt Kay too long.

I equate most "lecture" with waterboarding. Torture that accomplishes nothing positive. And it wasn't any better at the university when I was paying big bucks for that torture. 

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

"Hope they will be ready for college."


SERIOUSLY?!  That's not just insulting, that's rude.  This is America.  Only way to fail out of a year of college is to get depressed over a woman while taking the most advanced courses they got.  On the other hand, I know half a dozen Communications Majors and not a single one of them failed a single course... granted they were taking their senior year classes I aced in tenth grade of high school.

For your FIL to suggest your kids won't be ready for college if you guys are putting a serious effort into it boils down to two things, EITHER:
-- He is saying you won't teach them to pass the SOL/LPT tests or whatever they're doing nowdays (we used to call the SOL's Shit out of Luck Tests since the entire school where I did system admin work for a few months before leaving, used to spend a day a week teaching kids to pass the test, which meant it didn't test anything but regurgitation, thinking wasn't even optional.)   
-- OR, and this is the nastier possibility he's a conformist asshole who can't stomach the fact that his daughter might accomplish what he himself was too chickenshit to even fathom.

If your kids are sharp and aren't learning "fuzzy arithmetic," or "voluntary arithmetic" you're on the right path.  (You know the math classes we've all heard of (though I haven't personally been in one) where we're told the teacher says "2+2 equals whatever you want it to" in order to keep the kids' self esteem high, which means we'll end up sharing society with morons who can't even do basic things like make change... oh wait... we already do...) 

I will make a well founded assumption that your kids and the kids raised by most folk on this board won't be part of that idiotry... But they will be the proud members of a lifelong minority.  And lonely as hell.  Then again, better alone with a pet dog than membership in The Marching Morons.

[DiabloLoco]

They absolutely HATE this, but dang it, those kids are smart as a whip! They'll thank me for it some day.

I wonder if they will. My aunt Kay used to do the "lecture" thing every day after school, which we hated. Mother would come home from work and ask searching questions, then help us research the answers. We loved that.  We also didn't stay with aunt Kay too long.

I equate most "lecture" with waterboarding. Torture that accomplishes nothing positive. And it wasn't any better at the university when I was paying big bucks for that torture.

So you are not appreciative towards your aunt? I know that you weren't then, but are you saying that you STILL don't appreciate it?

[MamaLiberty]

So you are not appreciative towards your aunt? I know that you weren't then, but are you saying that you STILL don't appreciate it?

My sister and I appreciated our aunt, and loved her dearly as long as she lived. Almost everyone does or says things that are not appreciated, and her "lectures" were certainly one of them. Mother made every effort to show Kay that the lectures were counterproductive, I'm sure. We only lived with her for a short time, and our relationship after that was always good.  My sister and I were taught to always be respectful and to listen... and then to discuss it with mother later. Worked out very well - but I'm so grateful that the harsh lectures were not the only thing we were being taught outside of "school."

PS: The interesting thing you might consider is that I don't remember a single word from any of those lectures, or any in "school" including the university. They were all meaningless time wasters. Serious reading, intelligent questions and research were the learning tools that worked.

[Moonbeam]

I did not appreciate any lectures given by a parent, a friend's parent, a teacher, a youth leader, etc. I am sure they meant well, however every time it came across as condescending. I suspect adults do it to make themselves feel better. At least that is how I felt when I used to do it with my own kids. We take a different approach now and if one of us gets to that lecture/preaching stage we gently nudge the other.

As for public school, DH and I seriously contemplated doing what DB is doing. The schools around here receive high marks for teacher and parent involvement. But, what good is that if the materials aren't rich? We also envisioned our kids coming up to us when they're a tad older and asking, "If the curriculum was so crappy, then why in the Sam Hill did you even send us there?!"

One of the benefits of homeschooling: no homework! For the most part, we're done by noon which leaves lots of opportunity for playing, crafting, exploring their ideas and questions further, reading together and just enjoying each other's company.

[DiabloLoco]

I did not appreciate any lectures given by a parent, a friend's parent, a teacher, a youth leader, etc. I am sure they meant well, however every time it came across as condescending. I suspect adults do it to make themselves feel better. At least that is how I felt when I used to do it with my own kids. We take a different approach now and if one of us gets to that lecture/preaching stage we gently nudge the other.

As for public school, DH and I seriously contemplated doing what DB is doing. The schools around here receive high marks for teacher and parent involvement. But, what good is that if the materials aren't rich? We also envisioned our kids coming up to us when they're a tad older and asking, "If the curriculum was so crappy, then why in the Sam Hill did you even send us there?!"

One of the benefits of homeschooling: no homework! For the most part, we're done by noon which leaves lots of opportunity for playing, crafting, exploring their ideas and questions further, reading together and just enjoying each other's company.

I think that you may both be misunderstanding my use of the word "lecture". I am using it in a sense of an educational lesson, not to chastise them for bad behavior. After and during these "lectures", I ask pointed questions, and welcome questions from the minions. The minions don't like it because it feels like school to them. Which it really is. Most of the time, I incorporate these "lectures" into a usually leisurely activity such as playing with legos or other craft activities. For instance, while building legos with the boy, I will turn it into a lesson on structural integrity.

[Bear]

Which is why more and more families are going to Homeschooling

Exactly why my wife and I decided to homeschool.  The biggest obstacle to the whole thing was her father (public school teacher).  We've been at this homeschool thing since 2011 and he still inserts snarky little comments into his conversations with her about school.  I wish I would have known about this article when he muttered, "hope they will be ready for college".

My wife is such a trooper though.  When we were first dating it was, "father is always right".  Now it's "father is very opinionated".

I don't homeschool. At least nothing formal or scheduled. My minions go to public school while the wife and I go off to work. When we are all at home though, the minions REAL education begins. First I ask them about their day and what the teachers were "pushing" that day. This is my efforts to reign in and overcome their indoctrination. Believe me, it's working. Then the minions complete their homework and bring it to my wife or I to go over and look for mistakes. Usually in the evening either while eating dinner or while watching TV, I will think of some "teaching moment", and go off on a 30 minute lecture about something that seemed rather trivial to them, and not worthy of the effort it would them take to learn. They absolutely HATE this, but dang it, those kids are smart as a whip! They'll thank me for it some day.

I think the trick is to keep the lecture short and close to topic.

My daughter sometimes refers to me as the "Dad-o-pedia" because I'm curious about
a lot of things and didn't hold back on sharing what I knew with her when she was growing
up. One day, years later, she's helping a friend prepare for the GRE exam, and while her
friend is having a hard time of it, my daughter knows must of the stuff. In exasperation,
her friend asks her, "Where did you learn all of this?". Daughter thinks about it a moment,
and says, "From my dad, come to think of it."

Bear