American Teens Write Off the Written Word as a Cultural Antique

[chibiloli93]

Originally Posted by NightChilde25

I know. It wasn't aimed at you. I did read your response, I was just stating my own feelings on it. They just happen to be in line with yours.

academically, the standards have increased, now students graduating after 2010, have to have more credits to graduate and we have to take more required courses...it sort of sucks, but in the long run it'll be good for us...im graduating the year of 2011, so yeah...

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by chibiloli93

academically, the standards have increased, now students graduating after 2010, have to have more credits to graduate and we have to take more required courses...it sort of sucks, but in the long run it'll be good for us...im graduating the year of 2011, so yeah...

Increasing the requirements is a start, but it will only work if the material taught in the classes is improved and is learned.

I was recently asked to proof read a speech on grammar and public speaking that had been written by a local highschool teacher. If it had been my student, the grade would not have been passing. I really wanted to ask where they got the credentials to be teaching. My credentials are only in Speech and Drama, but this was an English teacher who could not explain the parts of a sentence!

[MissMisa]

Originally Posted by MMM

The fact that a person could think that writing an essay in "Text-Speak" is acceptable is what alarms me.

It alarms me too, I wouldn't even dream of doing that. They have changed the catchment area of our school, so a lot of people you would call 'rough' are now entering our school and ruining it. I sound like a snob, but things are really going to shit because of their drinking, smoking and having sex attitude at the age of 12-13. On that estate where they live, they are taught no different. Our school thought they were being awesome, and thought they could turn kids like that around, but they can't. Our school is just too big and can't mentor kids like that on a personal level. So they are ruining for all of us who give a damn about how our lives pan out >.< Their parents don't give a damn either.

[noodle]

hmmm, I'm glad that they are trying to improve those peoples lives... even if it seems like wasted energy, and I don't think it's right to be complaining about that. If you really want to learn, that kinda thing doesn't stop you from learning.

EDIT: I also really have to DISAGREE with all you guys saying that people are getting stupider etc etc... To prove that, that couldn't be any further away from the truth is simple... all you need to do is look at the percentage of people going to university today, compared to a couple of decades ago...

[ivi0nk3y]

Originally Posted by noodle

hmmm, I'm glad that they are trying to improve those peoples lives... even if it seems like wasted energy, and I don't think it's right to be complaining about that. If you really want to learn, that kinda thing doesn't stop you from learning.

I kinda agree with both of you. They need to help but there needs to be a better system for it. I think the school alone can't help people and Misa is right, it'll just bring crap in and mix it up with the rest of the students. I've seen that happen a lot from schools to colleges.
However, if there was a system for the school to interact with parents and the area most of their students come from, it would probably work better.
There isn't enough parent/teacher interaction these days me thinks. The kids can get away with murder >.<

[EveV]

Originally Posted by ivi0nk3y

So its official. Kids have become too stupid to differentiate between txtspk / l33t speak abbreviations and normal language. More precisely, they couldn't give a sh*t.
Its just proof that kids get it too easy these days. They can do mostly what they want and there is no discipline for them. Whats the incentive for them to take any route that requires more effort?

Not stupid or uncaring just lazy.
Which isn't their fault, adults just keep lowering their standards.

Not to long ago 14 year olds with profiles and pictures of themselves all over the net was a taboo.
Now it's all they do.
You can't complain about you're child being lazy when you set no limits on their T.V/Phone/Internet use.

Todays generation makes me sick.
What ever happened to childhood?

[noodle]

Originally Posted by ivi0nk3y

I kinda agree with both of you. They need to help but there needs to be a better system for it. I think the school alone can't help people and Misa is right, it'll just bring crap in and mix it up with the rest of the students. I've seen that happen a lot from schools to colleges.
However, if there was a system for the school to interact with parents and the area most of their students come from, it would probably work better.
There isn't enough parent/teacher interaction these days me thinks. The kids can get away with murder >.<

That is true, but what I meant, was that, in schools, at least in England, the bigger the school is, the more classes there are, and the more students are seperated according to their level. So, the "bad" pupils being at the school doesn't and shouldn't affect people that really want to study... and even IF the classes were not split up, I'm sure the teacher manages to teach those that are willing to teach. If they don't, then its a totally different story!

[ivi0nk3y]

Originally Posted by noodle

That is true, but what I meant, was that, in schools, at least in England, the bigger the school is, the more classes there are, and the more students are seperated according to their level. So, the "bad" pupils being at the school doesn't and shouldn't affect people that really want to study... and even IF the classes were not split up, I'm sure the teacher manages to teach those that are willing to teach. If they don't, then its a totally different story!

Well school is also a place to socialise and those "bad" kids tend to influence a lot of their peers during playtime or even in class. There will be class disruptions and whatnot so even studying will be effected.
Lol in my school, every single class lower than the top set, (which I was in) was just problematic at best. I don't think they learned anything whatsoever.. and that is no exaggeration :F At home time my friends in those classes were still there messing around while the teacher having given up an hour ago, sat on his ass and read a book >.>

Originally Posted by EveV

Not stupid or uncaring just lazy.
Which isn't their fault, adults just keep lowering their standards.

Not to long ago 14 year olds with profiles and pictures of themselves all over the net was a taboo.
Now it's all they do.
You can't complain about you're child being lazy when you set no limits on their T.V/Phone/Internet use.

Todays generation makes me sick.
What ever happened to childhood?

Yep, I absolutely agree. I explained more or less the same stuff you have afterwards in another post.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by ivi0nk3y

Well school is also a place to socialise and those "bad" kids tend to influence a lot of their peers during playtime or even in class. There will be class disruptions and whatnot so even studying will be effected.
Lol in my school, every single class lower than the top set, (which I was in) was just problematic at best. I don't think they learned anything whatsoever.. and that is no exaggeration :F At home time my friends in those classes were still there messing around while the teacher having given up an hour ago, sat on his ass and read a book >.>

I guess you're right... I always forget how much of an influence peer pressure is! I guess, I was lucky to be an outcast/foreigner then. I never followed anyone or any groups. My public schooling wasn't the best, most of the lazy people are working at dead end jobs, while the foreigner (me) that didn't speak English and wasn't cool got offers to go Cambridge etc.

Yeah, my school was almost the same... The top and middle sets were okay, but the bottom sets were a joke, even in primary school . I remember going from the bottom set to the top set in a day for maths even though I didn't speak a single word of English.

[ivi0nk3y]

Originally Posted by noodle

I guess you're right... I always forget how much of an influence peer pressure is! I guess, I was lucky to be an outcast/foreigner then. I never followed anyone or any groups. My public schooling wasn't the best, most of the lazy people are working at dead end jobs, while the foreigner (me) that didn't speak English and wasn't cool got offers to go Cambridge etc.

Yeah, my school was almost the same... The top and middle sets were okay, but the bottom sets were a joke, even in primary school . I remember going from the bottom set to the top set in a day for maths even though I didn't speak a single word of English.

Wow, from the way you write your English its hard to imagine you having a problem with it
I guess that is the problem with public schooling. The heart is there but the money to bring about solutions, isn't.