Comments on: What Teens Don’t Know http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/ LiveScience Blogs | Science, Technology, Health & Environmental News Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:10:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: pachycephalas http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-46493 pachycephalas Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:05:39 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-46493 Conventional wisdom blames fewer hours in the classroom and "teaching to the test" to pass state and federal education requirements for graduation. While quite probably these are important factors, interest, or lack of it, on the part of the student counts, too. Recently I asked several teens who Joseph Goebbels was and what Dachau was. None could answer. I was about to climb on my soapbox about education when just for a test I asked the same number of folks 50 and over. They didn't know either. I asked why not given the devastation wrought by the Nazis, the Holocaust and propaganda in general (political spin-doctoring), and the answer was they had no interest in history both as a student and now. My survey was limited, subjective and cannot count as proof of anything, but without question motivation (or "interest") is a major factor and always will be. Conventional wisdom blames fewer hours in the classroom and “teaching to the test” to pass state and federal education requirements for graduation. While quite probably these are important factors, interest, or lack of it, on the part of the student counts, too.

Recently I asked several teens who Joseph Goebbels was and what Dachau was. None could answer. I was about to climb on my soapbox about education when just for a test I asked the same number of folks 50 and over. They didn’t know either. I asked why not given the devastation wrought by the Nazis, the Holocaust and propaganda in general (political spin-doctoring), and the answer was they had no interest in history both as a student and now.

My survey was limited, subjective and cannot count as proof of anything, but without question motivation (or “interest”) is a major factor and always will be.

]]> By: prisca_sapientia http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-45611 prisca_sapientia Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:03:31 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-45611 If the previous poster (Debdjw) really is an "Educator", her rationale goes a long way toward explaining why the US public education system is broken. Had Debdjw watched the PBS Brain Fitness special in December, or visited - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/ or reviewed the new & improved "dumbed down" teacher's manual - http://www.pbs.org/saf/1101/teaching/teaching3.htm Debdjw might be familiar with current advances in the study of neural plasticity, memory retention and attentiveness. Despite Debdjw's astonishing discovery that kids prefer not being challenged to learn but rather really really enjoy kicking back during movietime (or cartoons) so they can idly text message each other while the class monitor (can't call them teachers) sits in the semi-darkened room staring slackjawed at the screen, it turns out that the old fashioned system of TEACHING + TESTING + GRADING (not on a curve) does far more for brains of any age. ~ prisca sapientia If the previous poster (Debdjw) really is an “Educator”, her rationale goes a long way toward explaining why the US public education system is broken. Had Debdjw watched the PBS Brain Fitness special in December, or visited - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/
or reviewed the new & improved “dumbed down” teacher’s manual - http://www.pbs.org/saf/1101/teaching/teaching3.htm
Debdjw might be familiar with current advances in the study of neural plasticity, memory retention and attentiveness.
Despite Debdjw’s astonishing discovery that kids prefer not being challenged to learn but rather really really enjoy kicking back during movietime (or cartoons) so they can idly text message each other while the class monitor (can’t call them teachers) sits in the semi-darkened room staring slackjawed at the screen, it turns out that the old fashioned system of TEACHING + TESTING + GRADING (not on a curve) does far more for brains of any age.
~ prisca sapientia

]]> By: debdjw http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-45320 debdjw Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:35:58 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/02/26/what-teens-dont-know/#comment-45320 Students are also taught when the civil war was fought. If 88% of teens know about Pearl Harbor it is not only because it was taught but because a popular movie was made about it. If you cross reference the highest percentages of historical events known by teenagers you would most likely find that a movie reinforced that learning. Teens, like all students, learn and remember best when it is presented in a format that is interesting to them. Pearl Harbor (the movie) was also a love story which appealed to the audience. In fact, the facts about Pearl Harbor may have been reinforced or learned incidentally while the teens were enjoying the entertainment of the movie. Debdjw Educator Students are also taught when the civil war was fought. If 88% of teens know about Pearl Harbor it is not only because it was taught but because a popular movie was made about it. If you cross reference the highest percentages of historical events known by teenagers you would most likely find that a movie reinforced that learning. Teens, like all students, learn and remember best when it is presented in a format that is interesting to them. Pearl Harbor (the movie) was also a love story which appealed to the audience. In fact, the facts about Pearl Harbor may have been reinforced or learned incidentally while the teens were enjoying the entertainment of the movie.
Debdjw
Educator

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