The Know-Nothing Generation

[fbWldcat]

In Texas, the public schools don't teach math, they teach the TAKS test. Were not learning math, were learning how to take a test, same goes for all other core classes.

I'm pretty sure it's the same thing in other states aswell.

Here in Kentucky, we actually LEARN the content, not just how to test on it.

[stealth]

If we already knew everything how are we supposed to learn. Don't worry, kids will listen to even more bad music as we go into the future.

[Plawranc]

I would love to say that I do not fit in here, but the sad thing is I do.

I, according to United States averages of intelligence am about 32 years old. I am literally half that age. But even at that measure there are guys on this board and in this world who I would sit down and listen to just for the sheer amount of fascination that is there.

Ranger and Deebs are two examples on the board, and guys at my local veterans hall (RSL here) and other people of note. Guys doing things most guys can't do at 20 years old for THAT MANY years and seen or done things that 95% of people never dream of.

I have seen jack shicze and know alot less, and I am one of the intelligent ones.

So it puts it in perspective.

[thndregg]

You nail it on the spot.  From what i been reading, <sup>Second-graders who can’t tie shoes or zip jackets. Four-year-olds in Pull-Ups diapers. Five-year-olds in strollers.

Teens and preteens befuddled by can openers and ice cube trays. College kids who’ve never done laundry, taken a bus alone or addressed an envelope.</sup>

In today world, both parents work full time, cellphone and computers are baby sitting the kids and we are not teaching thing that our parents tough us.  Not saying all kids are like this, but a growing issue.  
For example in a college class in a currently in.  We where talking about the earth tilling on it axis.  Most kids in the class did not believe that the earth dose that and a few really thought the sun moves.  I told them about balancing a egg on it end in the summer and trying it again int he winter.  I had one smart-ass argue with me that it was impossible to do it.

I will differ slightly on the "parents work full time" thing. That's IF they have those jobs now. One thing these kids (my three sons included) are going to have a hard lesson in at this rate is survivial. Despite their good standing in school at present, and quite possibly doing well in whatever further education they choose if they so desire, there may not be any jobs for them no matter what they do. There are so many parallels to what lead up to the Great Depression, and this generation & the next seem so blind to it. It is too unpleasant and takes too much effort to even look it up on Youtube, let alone the encyclopedia, even just to see the same kind of events unfold.

This time, at least presently, there is no war to industrialize ourselves out of it.

[druski85]

really thought the sun moves

Ermmm....it does.     (just kidding man, I know what you mean)

There are a lot of things I disagree with about today's youth, but I'm not naive enough to think that this belief is anything new.

This nails it.  While I may personally dislike some of the facets and changes of the younger generation, (only 25 myself) there is absolutely nothing new about any of this.  Think of how atrocious it would be for some of our grandparents (or some of the  folk here ) to imagine a world where most people cannot write in cursive.  Turns out in the modern world, it is an antiquated and nearly useless skill.

[SWkiljoy]

Hmm, as I fall into this "category" I will keep an eye on this for knowledges sake    Always better to keep your mouth shut and hopefully find a good post about some intellectual aspects that these "old timers" may give.  

[branch37]

I'm not sure that my generation is just outright dumb, some members are just severely lacking in common sense. 

[Dichotomy]

Well I'm going to throw a blanket amnesty to all of the young men posting in this thread.  I don't always agree with you gents but had you not said at one point or another that you are teenagers I would have never known it. 

I guess I got lucky with my kid.  He's blowing through high school with straight A's, is polite, responsible, and emotionally mature.  What's unfortunate in his life is that, due to my current custody arrangement, he's never been able to get a job.  Nobody want to hire a young man that can only work every other week. 

Now some of his friends that come to visit I can see the thoughts of 'we're doomed' being well founded.  Not that they're bad kids but none of them can hold a job if they get it and they're generally sponging off of someone or making excuses as to why they can't get a job (umm sleeping all day and not looking for one until 4:00 pm), or why they don't clean up after themselves.  They do okay around my house (Squid says they're scared of me) but I do have to stay somewhat on top of them.

[oakranger]

Ermmm....it does.     (just kidding man, I know what you mean)

This nails it.  While I may personally dislike some of the facets and changes of the younger generation, (only 25 myself) there is absolutely nothing new about any of this.  Think of how atrocious it would be for some of our grandparents (or some of the  folk here ) to imagine a world where most people cannot write in cursive.  Turns out in the modern world, it is an antiquated and nearly useless skill.

They think that the sun moves around the earth.  Really!

[druski85]

They think that the sun moves around the earth.  Really!

Oh I know.  I was referring to the fact that our solar system is cruising about the galaxy at 483,000 mph.  Then you've got the galaxy cruising about the universe as well.  http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/71/howfast.html

[Tac]

But over the last 60 years everyone has stopped learning how to hand wash clothes and now use washing machines.  Over the last 100 years people have stopped learning how to ride horses because they can drive cars.  Over the last 130 years people have stopped learning how to use Morse code because of the telephone and the internet.  (Not that these skills don't still exist, but not as prevalent as before). 

Those are technological advances that improved previously used tools making them obsolete. My point is that using these electronics to replace the need to learn things (because the info is available with a click) is a whole different ball game. Take that electronic device away and they're screwed.

I see it all the time as I tutor college kids and even my own teenaged cousins and some of their friends. They can find the information mighty fast with a google search or a wikipedia click...they write their research essay (I force them to turn off their spellcheck just to watch them google the underlined red words in HOPES that by rote it sticks in their brains ) .... and a few days later I ask them about the very subject they wrote the paper on and get blank stares. The info just isnt on their heads, its on the internet...waiting for them to click it.

The Dean of the School of Education at KU told me once that (paraphrasing here) there was no reason to spend time drilling facts and figures into kids heads when they can pull out their phone and access them in a matter of seconds.  His focus was on teaching how to learn, and how to function in a changing world. 

I agree with that to a certain degree. Yes, they dont need to know the exact date when historical events happened but they should at least know they happened and roughly in what spot on a timeline/sequence of events it happened in. It is dumb to expect people to memorize inane equations but they should at least understand what is going on when they use them... and it is great that they know how to find that information and apply it in a dynamic environment. What I dont agree with is that things that are crucial such as basic mathematics (+,-,/,X), basic sciences (why boil water again?) and basic humanities (reading,writing, basic world history) are not being stored in their brains but on the internet. Without those foundations they merely become google zombies.
 

The real world doesn't give you a multiple choice test, but when faced with something you don't know, you're going to head to the internet to find out, why is that such a bad thing?

take their internet away and you'll see why.  

[Jayhawk]

I guess I don't know who you are tutoring, but if they are in tutoring, aren't they the ones who need the tutoring?

I think we can find some middle ground here though.  I'll use math as an example, there is so much math I have learned that is completely useless.  However, there are plenty of things that I use every day.  I can't tell you how useful the Pythagorean theorem has been for me.  Teaching concepts and real world applications is more important than drilling something like inequalities into their heads.  The amount of information we  expect our students to learn today is so much more than what we expected in the 1800s, and with that we realize that students learn differently.

I have written many papers with a lot of help from Google, only to forget them the second I turn them in.  It's not long term memory, but that's often because it's a topic I'll never care about or use again.  I think there needs to be a reevaluation of what is important knowledge for our young children.

The one thing I really dislike about people my age is work ethic.  Seems like there are a lot of kids my age who just don't know how to work.

[grizz441]

I would love to say that I do not fit in here, but the sad thing is I do.

I, according to United States averages of intelligence am about 32 years old. I am literally half that age.

You are 32 years old according to U.S. averages of intelligence?  That doesn't make sense.

If you said you were 32 years old according to the average educated 32 year old U.S. citizen, that might make a little bit more sense, but still doesn't mean anything, since the average person is not very bright.

The human population will continue to get dumber and dumber since less educated, less intelligent, and less responsible humans will reproduce more often than intelligent, responsible humans.  There is no darwinism anymore to weed out the bad genes.  There are still many young intelligent people that become more valuable in each generation.

[druski85]

The human populated will continue to get dumber and dumber

Sorry Grizz, too easy.   

[grizz441]

I think we can find some middle ground here though.  I'll use math as an example, there is so much math I have learned that is completely useless.

Almost everything I have ever learned in mathmatics I have used in real life including high level calculus and diff eq.

If you don't believe try me and I will attempt to give you a real life application.