The United States Literacy Rate ranks, according to Census data, tied for 18th in the world. This number gives the US a rate of 99%. However, that number is simply a default rate given to countries with no data for literacy among adults. The actual rate, depending on whose survey or book you consult, varies from 65% to 90%. 65% is below the average literacy rate for developing countries, 76.6%. Among those ranked above the United States are: Georgia, Cuba, Estonia, Poland, and Tajikistan.
With that as a preface, what is wrong with America?
I will call the first glaring issue the Geography of Importance. If one were to poll American high schools in 2000 for understanding of geopolitics in west-Asia and Africa, many would return a completely blank map. Some would attempt to label Israel or Egypt somewhere. Now in 2008, the same maps would be equally blank of Africa, but much of the West Bank and central Asia would be correct on many responses. Is it because professors are focusing on this region more? No, I argue it is because the media is. People have only learned how to pronounce Iraqi cities because the United States occupies them. We only know about Lebanon because they are involved in a conflict with Israel. In short, the only education the students (and adults) are getting is that from the maps on their TV.
This highlights another problem, because their tutoring is insufficient, they turn to television for their learning. Maybe they turn to television because they are lazy and it is easier to learn from a series of pictures that reads to you than read yourself. Though it is admirable to seek education where possible, the issue here is that the media is hardly more educated than their audience and their bias results in the passing on of erroneous and false 'facts'.
The Geography of Importance - because these places have military, economic, or scientific importance to the country, they are well known. Other regions near these countries are completely forgotten. It seems that the US only teaches about what it cares about - the good guys, the bad guys (all relative of course) and who has the stuff we want.
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The next issue I'll address as the Scorn Of Books. While the English programs in American schools do still select many books for their courses, the selections tend to follow one of several troubling trends. The first is that the school is one of those open-ended touchy-feely schools, and so the students get to pick the books. This can be advantageous as they will be interested in what they must read. However, it opens the door to a lack of meaningful content if they pick pulp fiction like Dan Brown.
The second kind of problem is that the professors choose works too abstract or challenging for the grade level. This turns students off to reading (it's too boring/difficult). The few who do embrace the challenge, however, benefit greatly.
And finally a third problem is that the professor or students choose books that although meritous in the public sphere, are not relevant to the culture that is studying them. This results typically in disinterest/boredom again. The books aren't too hard or too easy to read, but the students don't connect.
So far I've just discussed school. Adults seem to read less because other media are faster and require less effort. Television shows consume the hours they would otherwise consider spending on reading. The internet, a valuable tool, replaces how-to and knowledge books. Though the internet can be considered an improvement, as it does allow a user to interact and converse with the topic, television is clearly a detrimental effect as the watcher simply sits and views, without any mental exercise to refute, contribute, or discuss.
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Nationalism I will dubiously coin my third point.
Early in school, students are taught forms of government and economy. The various ideologies are presented along with their founders and some cursory history, and then, the issue presents itself.
The class is given the "correct" answer. Democracy and Capitalism are the greatest ideals of their respective subjects. This statement is given typically without recourse and without justification. Students accept it and believe it to be so.
The problem? While in many situations those two ideals are the best choice, they are not universally superior and that aspect of the truth is not revealed to students. Instead, a simplified version is given, with the effect of nationalism- the United States, as champion of both, (though often practicioner of neither), is then by conclusion the greatest place to live in the world. And that is a subjective idea not to be confused with one person's particular opinion based on certain values.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Demise Of Grammar, Diction, and the Written Word shall come next.
Students are exposed to shortcut grammar, text message language that does little to reinforce understanding of English. "U" replaces "You". "Their/They're/There" become more common spelling errors. This I will attribute to the exposure (while exposure is not enough, it is a contributing factor) and the allowance of use of that exposed dialect by parents and teachers without instruction. (Such as "this is fine for texting, but don't write letters or speak this way.")
The next factor in destroying English is the failure of the abysmal 5 paragraph essay. Simply telling students to write an introduction ending or starting with their thesis and then 3 body paragraphs, followed by a restatement conclusion, is perhaps the worst instruction possible. It discourages creativity. It also greatly limits structure development skills and argument development skills. Furthermore, the result is something that no one wants to read, and because students know that, they don't want to write it. Instead of presenting a hard-coded format, professors should elucidate the mechanics and tools students have available to them in order to effectively make their point.
In the same breath as the 5 paragraph essay, the formatting war continues as students are forced to adhere to a prescribed method of writing. First brainstorm, then choose a topic, then write an outline, then a rough draft, then peer edit it, then revise, then continue until a final draft is submitted. While this teaches students the writing process, it also constrains them. Instead, as above, the professor should teach the reasons behind each step and let students come up with their own best working methods. Students who work well putting their work off until the last moment and writing a solid, unified paper on the final day suffer from the prescribed set. And they aren't the only ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrong Science. Or Junk Science.
I remember learning in 6th grade chemistry that the atom was a cluster of neutrons and protons, and that the electrons orbited in rings. This I later learned was false in 10th grade. What I was taught in 10th grade was proven false again Sophomore Year in college. And not because scientists did not know and only just now improved their understanding, but because for some reason the professors decided to dumb it down depending on the audience. While I don't expect advanced quantum physics in 6th grade, suppose a student *doesn't* go to that college. They will leave fully believing in something that is false.
Controversial science is also a point of contention. Instead of omitting it, I believe it is better to include all controversial science (and none of the philosophy, leave that for its proper course).
History, like junk science and biased nationalism, also suffers from selective teaching. It seems that many Americans only learn limited American history, and virtually no world history. They then go forth believing again whatever appears on television, whatever they hear in church, or whatever authority they ascribe to. Their ignorance is perpetuated by the failure of their education.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Curse of the Lazy
The final source of it all seems to be the same. The way that classes are organized lends itself to teaching students to be lazy. Do not worry. You don't need to learn about this topic. The teacher will tell you the 20 words you have to remember, and when the test comes, you just need to arrange them on the page in a neat way and you will get full points. Reviews do not simply review, they completely reteach. And since what is taught is so threadbare, it is possible to hold single day reviews. The entire course, ultimately, is simply one day's worth of selected actual learning. Once you learn it, pass it, you forget it. Because the material (except perhaps in math, the only subject where Americans are exemplary) is not built upon.
That's my opening for this thread.
With that as a preface, what is wrong with America?
I will call the first glaring issue the Geography of Importance. If one were to poll American high schools in 2000 for understanding of geopolitics in west-Asia and Africa, many would return a completely blank map. Some would attempt to label Israel or Egypt somewhere. Now in 2008, the same maps would be equally blank of Africa, but much of the West Bank and central Asia would be correct on many responses. Is it because professors are focusing on this region more? No, I argue it is because the media is. People have only learned how to pronounce Iraqi cities because the United States occupies them. We only know about Lebanon because they are involved in a conflict with Israel. In short, the only education the students (and adults) are getting is that from the maps on their TV.
This highlights another problem, because their tutoring is insufficient, they turn to television for their learning. Maybe they turn to television because they are lazy and it is easier to learn from a series of pictures that reads to you than read yourself. Though it is admirable to seek education where possible, the issue here is that the media is hardly more educated than their audience and their bias results in the passing on of erroneous and false 'facts'.
The Geography of Importance - because these places have military, economic, or scientific importance to the country, they are well known. Other regions near these countries are completely forgotten. It seems that the US only teaches about what it cares about - the good guys, the bad guys (all relative of course) and who has the stuff we want.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The next issue I'll address as the Scorn Of Books. While the English programs in American schools do still select many books for their courses, the selections tend to follow one of several troubling trends. The first is that the school is one of those open-ended touchy-feely schools, and so the students get to pick the books. This can be advantageous as they will be interested in what they must read. However, it opens the door to a lack of meaningful content if they pick pulp fiction like Dan Brown.
The second kind of problem is that the professors choose works too abstract or challenging for the grade level. This turns students off to reading (it's too boring/difficult). The few who do embrace the challenge, however, benefit greatly.
And finally a third problem is that the professor or students choose books that although meritous in the public sphere, are not relevant to the culture that is studying them. This results typically in disinterest/boredom again. The books aren't too hard or too easy to read, but the students don't connect.
So far I've just discussed school. Adults seem to read less because other media are faster and require less effort. Television shows consume the hours they would otherwise consider spending on reading. The internet, a valuable tool, replaces how-to and knowledge books. Though the internet can be considered an improvement, as it does allow a user to interact and converse with the topic, television is clearly a detrimental effect as the watcher simply sits and views, without any mental exercise to refute, contribute, or discuss.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Nationalism I will dubiously coin my third point.
Early in school, students are taught forms of government and economy. The various ideologies are presented along with their founders and some cursory history, and then, the issue presents itself.
The class is given the "correct" answer. Democracy and Capitalism are the greatest ideals of their respective subjects. This statement is given typically without recourse and without justification. Students accept it and believe it to be so.
The problem? While in many situations those two ideals are the best choice, they are not universally superior and that aspect of the truth is not revealed to students. Instead, a simplified version is given, with the effect of nationalism- the United States, as champion of both, (though often practicioner of neither), is then by conclusion the greatest place to live in the world. And that is a subjective idea not to be confused with one person's particular opinion based on certain values.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Demise Of Grammar, Diction, and the Written Word shall come next.
Students are exposed to shortcut grammar, text message language that does little to reinforce understanding of English. "U" replaces "You". "Their/They're/There" become more common spelling errors. This I will attribute to the exposure (while exposure is not enough, it is a contributing factor) and the allowance of use of that exposed dialect by parents and teachers without instruction. (Such as "this is fine for texting, but don't write letters or speak this way.")
The next factor in destroying English is the failure of the abysmal 5 paragraph essay. Simply telling students to write an introduction ending or starting with their thesis and then 3 body paragraphs, followed by a restatement conclusion, is perhaps the worst instruction possible. It discourages creativity. It also greatly limits structure development skills and argument development skills. Furthermore, the result is something that no one wants to read, and because students know that, they don't want to write it. Instead of presenting a hard-coded format, professors should elucidate the mechanics and tools students have available to them in order to effectively make their point.
In the same breath as the 5 paragraph essay, the formatting war continues as students are forced to adhere to a prescribed method of writing. First brainstorm, then choose a topic, then write an outline, then a rough draft, then peer edit it, then revise, then continue until a final draft is submitted. While this teaches students the writing process, it also constrains them. Instead, as above, the professor should teach the reasons behind each step and let students come up with their own best working methods. Students who work well putting their work off until the last moment and writing a solid, unified paper on the final day suffer from the prescribed set. And they aren't the only ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrong Science. Or Junk Science.
I remember learning in 6th grade chemistry that the atom was a cluster of neutrons and protons, and that the electrons orbited in rings. This I later learned was false in 10th grade. What I was taught in 10th grade was proven false again Sophomore Year in college. And not because scientists did not know and only just now improved their understanding, but because for some reason the professors decided to dumb it down depending on the audience. While I don't expect advanced quantum physics in 6th grade, suppose a student *doesn't* go to that college. They will leave fully believing in something that is false.
Controversial science is also a point of contention. Instead of omitting it, I believe it is better to include all controversial science (and none of the philosophy, leave that for its proper course).
History, like junk science and biased nationalism, also suffers from selective teaching. It seems that many Americans only learn limited American history, and virtually no world history. They then go forth believing again whatever appears on television, whatever they hear in church, or whatever authority they ascribe to. Their ignorance is perpetuated by the failure of their education.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Curse of the Lazy
The final source of it all seems to be the same. The way that classes are organized lends itself to teaching students to be lazy. Do not worry. You don't need to learn about this topic. The teacher will tell you the 20 words you have to remember, and when the test comes, you just need to arrange them on the page in a neat way and you will get full points. Reviews do not simply review, they completely reteach. And since what is taught is so threadbare, it is possible to hold single day reviews. The entire course, ultimately, is simply one day's worth of selected actual learning. Once you learn it, pass it, you forget it. Because the material (except perhaps in math, the only subject where Americans are exemplary) is not built upon.
That's my opening for this thread.
