I spoke with a high school teacher friend the other day, who mentioned that one of the most frustrating aspects of his job today is getting otherwise bright kids to read.
What? I said.
"They can crack the alphabetic code," he said. "But they can't stay focused and comprehend what they've read. And if they run into something that doesn't seem right to them, they simply don't believe it. I'm not talking about differences of opinion; I'm talking about facts. They don't even form an argument against it, they just decide that it doesn't feel true to them, so it must not be."
I see this kind of thing all the time in trying to discuss politics and current events. Do you? And you teachers among the readership, do you see this kind of thing in your students? To what do you attribute it? I say postmodernism, emotivism and the fragmented media environment. But you knew I would.
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I definitely don't read as much for pleasure as I once did. The Internet has taken care of that, though I suppose I still do a fair amount of reading on the Internet. I do read well over two books a year. I'm introverted and, while not a genius, I suspect my verbal IQ is probably above the average. Both of my parents are English teachers and the house was filled with books and bookshelves in every nook and cranny. My mother spent hours -- literally -- reading to me from the Little House books when I was 4. When I did well at something she rewarded me by buying me books. That's probably the prime environment for encouraging someone to read. But I think there are probably ways to get kids like the ones I'm working with to enjoy reading more and to do better at it so they can better understand all material and do better in life. I'm not convinced that what the school is doing right now is terribly successful.
I'm glad to have amused. ; ) As a serious footnote, though, I don't despise that other 84%, even though what Crustacean says is sadly true--they all think they're above average! Being very smart and having a taste for abstract thought doesn't guarantee success in other areas of life, and it certainly doesn't make you a good person, absent other important factors. So it's still worth asking what is the best kind of education, even for people who may never read a lot. I also think that, while genetics plays a big role in determining intelligence, environment has an effect as well. Just as a person may have the genes to be tall, but end up stunted due to malnutrition or illness, we all have a range within which our potential intelligence will fall. Helping everyone get up to the top of their own range is a worthwhile endeavor that benefits all of us. (I say that because, as a smart person, I naturally think it would be best if everyone were more like me! Nature doesn't seem to agree with me, though, so I could be wrong about that.)
Sigaliris, in my years in public schools, I was administered four IQ tests, which show that I am somewhere between 70 and 145. They are evenly distributed too, not all clustered at one end or the other. I think that says something about IQ tests. I do think that college has been over-rated. There is a crying need in some industrial areas right now (even in the midst of recession) for skilled machine operators, tool and die, etc. Those are jobs that often pay well, and they should, and are honorable occupations. Everyone doesn't need to go to college to be skilled, intelligent, useful, and to be competent citizens of a republic. Ditto for carpenters. It was wrong for Malcolm Little's teacher to tell him he COULD NOT be a lawyer because of his complexion, but, those who CHOOSE to be carpenters are worth at least as much respect as lawyers, and in many circumstances, would be much more useful to have around. If I heard that a candidate for public office was a member of MENSA (not eligible, but chose to join) I would automatically decline to vote for them. You can't tell what weird idea they might latch onto.
I am way late on this and doubt if anyone will see this post, but I am a teacher that sees this more often than not. I think all of the things Rob and others have thrown out there on it are factors. But the factor that makes the situation seem hopeless to me is that schools cater to the problem instead of trying to fix it. If one makes kids read "boring" things for comprehension and pushes them to do it they are not using "researched based strategies". I could go on and on about this type of stuff. I will repeat my plea for an investigative reporter to talk with teachers anonymously and start exposing this stuff. I can get you started; trobius@hotmail.com .
Hey Rod -
Just saw this guy on The Colbert Report and thought some of his critique of the education system sounded similar to some of what you wrote on in Crunchy Cons. I've attached a link to the video for anyone who's interested.
JLK
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