[lit-ideas] Re: WWII? WTF?
- From: "Edward Moore" <edwardm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:10:34 -0400
This is a well written response. I've seen these kinds of "research"
things before and it's just a hand picked collection of bad answers.
It's stale and not very interesting. Our young people are not all
ignorant, they are young people, still learning. We should all be still
learning. Maybe if our leaders were learners and not believers we would
be in a better place in the world.
Ed Moore
Access Services
University of So. Maine Libraries
Professional Staff Senate
207 780-5346
edwardm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
WAR IS FAILURE
>>> <eternitytime1@xxxxxxx> 10/2/2007 8:13 PM >>>
HI,
While I agree that few of us know that much of about lots of stuff, I
will point out that this was NOT a scientific poll of what high
schoolers know about World War II.
This is a poll of only 36 students. Following that poll is a cool piece
about what a high school history/social studies teacher has done in
regards to creating a scrapbook. I would be interested in what a more
scientific poll had to say about the state of knowledge of our
students.
As was pointed out in discussion at?a training session that I'm
coordinating for all our front-line staff on the issues of serving
culturally diverse families (by one of the presenters), even the stats
on the Missouri Assessment Tests (and esp No Child Left Behind stats) do
not separate out the different ELL or disability aspects in the
results--and the speculation (by one of the state literacy folks who is
helping train on these issues) is that it would be far more
interesting/helpful if those student results were pulled out and
measured separately. The question was whether or not the student
achievement levels might be different--esp in the urban areas. It was an
interesting question and one I will be asking some of the school testing
types that I know.? But, to wave a hand at a poll of 36 students and
state that it is the knowledge level of practically an entire generation
of learners--ouch.? Though, as my son's history teacher states to them
(she spends a few minutes each
day giving them those sorts of questions as well as the Letterman
sorts of 'man on the street' polls - which one can see as being
different than what ought to be published in a reputable newspaper ...
sensationalism is not what I consider responsible journalism. She says
that she does not want to ever be embarrassed at being their History
teacher--<g>)? WWII is being taught in ninth grade here--though they are
on the Cold War now. (there was some explanation of the jumping around
that is being done--it's more on topics than on dates--guess it is the
new thing. Theoretically it is supposed to reinforce the learning they
are doing as they go back through some of it each time they do another
topic.)
The education of these young ones is?not all that bad, Andreas.?Some of
the most passionate people on the face of this planet are those teachers
in those schools of those high school students. That hardest thing is
for them to learn to sift through all the information that is 'out
there'.
Still, if these young ones don't get their heads lopped off before
their time--you'll be okay and so will all of us.?
Best,
Marlena in Missouri
believing that the younger generation is not lost (the marketing stats
show that they are more in tune than most believe--and volunteer & are
passionate about fixing what their olders have ruined...)
-----Original Message-----
From: Andreas Ramos <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 6:19 pm
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: WWII? WTF?
This sort of item is interesting for me because we usually think an
entire generation will understand and remember a defining event (WWII,
the Vietnam War, Paris Hilton's DUI). The article points out that WWII
defined the second half of the 20th century. WWII was easily the most
significant event of the 20th century. It ended only 60 years ago. Yet
today's kids are unaware of it.?
?
I happen to have a very good memory for political and social events; I
remember many of the events of the 70s and 80s. Yet I've noticed that
many people simply don't remember the 70s or 80s at all. Mayaguez, the
severe recession, the oil shock, the Iranian Revolution; all of these
are vague memories for some; many don't even remember these.?
?
What about the present? The 90s is slipping away. The Christmas Tsunami
has faded; Katrina is fading, even the World Trade Center attack is
evaporating. We talk about the WTC attack, but forget the attack on the
Pentagon. Who remembers the anthrax attacks on Congress??
?
There's an article by Oliver Sacks on amnesia in the current New
Yorker. He describes a man who has nearly total amnesia; he can't
remember a few minutes ago and lives in the immediate present. When I
read the article, I wondered if our society has a sort of social
amnesia; general society remembers only the last few years (and only
vaguely); the past slips away into a fog.?
?
yrs,?
andreas?
www.andreas.com ?
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