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Re: FormerStudentIntern.
In a world of shiny toys and busybusybusy, who has time to be thoughtful, to delve into books and knowledge, to learn things that don't immediately apply to immediate needs?
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:16 PM
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Re: JimmyA,
We could encourage people to read more... We could bring some interesting things and people up in conversation. We can do more than we do, clearly.
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:13 PM
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Re: CCT,
I bet even the working class of 50 years ago knew the name of Borgia. It was such a good, salacious story, and such rich traditional historical tales get passed around. It isn't all what we get in school, or don't.
We also use "in case" where our great grans would have said "lest."
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:12 PM
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Re: Amanda,
Agreed--and we ourselves have to do something about that, because it's our kids, our country, our national future at stake.
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:08 PM
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Re: TAPS,
And they give a tinker's dam who and what a Kardashian is.
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:07 PM
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Re: Purple Purse
I am in no way judging or condemning you or your son or anyone for knowing different things from what I know. There is a universe of things I don't know, either.
My point is that most of America today is satisfied with very little, very shallow actual knowledge of things, spending far more energy on 'snacking' than on a good solid meal. The general American I'm thinking of in this context is often over-privileged, over-indulged, lacking in critical thinking skills and insightfulness. They have not suffered from living in hard times, or in life-threatening situations.
What I am talking about is not opportunity for education, but a lack of interest on the part of much of our society in improving those opportunities for everyone, or investing in true quality of education for every kid!
If the shoe doesn't fit, don't imagine that I am trying to force you into it.
posted by
Ciel
on February 26, 2015 at 3:06 PM
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Education has changed, and not entirely for the better.
posted by
Amanda__
on February 26, 2015 at 7:49 AM
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Oh what judgment. Some come from "working class" or even "redneck", but can be self educated. I have only one child who has finished college. One who has no interest. He has aspburgers and choses what he chooses. One child who is a cultured as anyone has not finished her education. We were not advantaged at birth. We had to make our advantages.
I did not finish high school until I was 28. But had gone to Seminary. Wanted to be an evangelist. Until I got married. Disappointed a lot of people who had high hopes for me. I got my Doctorate of Divinity finally when I was in a back brace unable to do anything else.
We may know things you don't. Like who was Thomas Merton. Have you read his journals? The life story of the lady who started the Red Cross? The history of race riots in west GA and Alabama. I do, I lived it. I was hidden in the basement of a Baptist Church while my dad was being stoned and my older sister was being beaten and assaulted at her high school.
My son read all the Lord Of the Rings books by the time he was 8. He began writing when he was 6.
We may be the "ignorant" or the "disadvantaged" but we are worthy. In many ways we were more advantaged than those wasting time in University drinking their way through all the culture.
As my husband says "we are low rent".
You may be "high rent". So what.
We have heart. We have empathy for those less fortunate. We can relate to almost anyone. I like video games as it helps with pain. Yes I do know who the "Bachelor" is.
When you judge others worthiness, you are only showing who YOU really are.
posted by
Inside_The_Purple_Purse
on February 26, 2015 at 6:10 AM
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I would guess that most of those of whom you spoke know who wore whom at the oscars and what the stars look like without makeup.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 26, 2015 at 12:55 AM
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I suppose possessions are the in thing, communicating for the sake of doing so.
I don't think the working class as they were once called ever took a great interest in
literature or history. If one moves in circles that have read the classics or whatever this might seem strange. Hey Ciel what word can one use instead of ( lest ) we always say incase round this parts , but it is not defined as such in the dictionaries.
posted by
C_C_T
on February 26, 2015 at 12:08 AM
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I agree. I've run into people ( younger, of course ) who've never heard of H.G. Wells, Stonewall Jackson, Charles Darwin, Franklin Pierce, Beethoven or Fatty Arbuckle. What are we supposed to do . . . ? 
posted by
JimmyA
on February 25, 2015 at 10:40 AM
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I feel that is exactly what has happened as well.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on February 25, 2015 at 8:05 AM
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Re: Annicita,
I think a big part of the problem is that people don't read much. They get their information from running magazines like Facebook and Twitter, and lord knows what kind of history or literature they are told of in school. As to the math, it's like someone decided adding was just too simple.
posted by
Ciel
on February 24, 2015 at 4:05 PM
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I said what I said because I never knew who he was until I took a course in science based on fictional stories. We had to debunk the premises of the books.
Sadly yes education lacks in some areas. I was flabbergasted at the new math they are teaching in school for addition. It's a long convoluted way to get the answer that most if not all of us learned by adding the figures in the column and carrying over the number to the next column. The process takes several steps. My son and his wife had to "learn" this new method in order to understand her homework or grades 
Holding a child's attention is harder due to their being bombarded by tv, magazines, commercials and video games. Many children are attention deficit. I am not talking about ADD or ADHD. I am referring to how many children have a low attention span if not constantly engaged. Thankfully I refused to allow my children video games until in their teens.
posted by
Annicita
on February 24, 2015 at 3:56 PM
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and it isn't going to get better any time soon. High school students are encouraged in their last years to concentrate on subjects where they can have more chance of getting a job. There seems to be little future for folks studying a classical education. I cannot see it happening soon either.
posted by
Kabu
on February 24, 2015 at 3:50 PM
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