75 Percent of Oklahoma High School Students Can't Name the First President of the U.S. (Oklahoma City: law, to move)
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Enough already, lets quit the bickering and answer the question.........
Just who WAS the first president of the United States?
OK I'll bite George Washington. Now do I go to the head of the class?I have read this thread, took the test (did quite well mind you) the beginning of the thread in my humble opinion was simply a statement on the current state of education. Personally I didn't think the original poster was trying to slam anyone. Just repeating the facts. Yet this thread turned into a bashing of each other. What gives? Can we not discuss something intelligently without slamming each other?In my opinion the state of education in all states across the board needs some work. I think we need to get back to the original basics of education. Ok I'm done.
You should try watching Jay Leno's "Jay Walking"? Its funny as heck to see how dumb even the teachers and college students are. He once asked a high school History Teacher what this was and she had no clue, "Fore Score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth to this continent". Or my favorite, "what year did Columbus come to America?" The kid answered "1942".
You should try watching Jay Leno's "Jay Walking"? Its funny as heck to see how dumb even the teachers and college students are. He once asked a high school History Teacher what this was and she had no clue, "Fore Score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth to this continent". Or my favorite, "what year did Columbus come to America?" The kid answered "1942".
Did you see the one where he asked a young lady how many stars were in the flag and she answered "I can't count them the flag is moving too fast"
.......I think we need to get back to the original basics of education.
therein lies the problem, though, doesn't it?
What is "basic education?" One of the things we need to do is adapt to the new society. I saw a three year old carrying an ipod kind of thing in a restaurant a few days ago. In my childhood and youthful years, that kid would have been carrying a doll or a firetruck or a toy gun.
What we thought was sufficient a generation ago is totally irrelevant today. You and I and some of the others on here were able to grow with society and with technology. We HAD the classes on civics and "new math" and political science and basic biology and chemistry and literature. Frequently today's kids don't have time for that stuff cause they are doing other stuff.........8th graders are learning about registry stacking and string theory. We no longer have the ability to absorb all that is required to be a Renaissance man......most of us are just dilettantes for this stuff and we have been trying to maintain and keep up for 50 years. We expect kids to be on top of the world after 12 years of school.
Right now it appears we are trying to "fix" schools so we can cram more stuff in their brains in less time. I think we need to rethink what are basics, what are essentials, what can be shunted off, and how we can still retain some modicum of childhood.
Unfortunately, as demonstrated by the totally tasteless and inappropriate jpg posted by farnum, we have a culture of opposition. the GOP is opposing virtually every effort at change simply because they oppose the present administration. We are going to have to develop leadership that can articulate a vision, get the nation on board, and have our representatives implement it in a functional manner. this partisan bickering will destroy us as a nation.
70% of the American people see the need for serious health care reform. Yet our own senators and congressmen are opposing virtually every effort and trying to keep the current broken system in place.
One of the neat things about technology is that we do not have to have a "one size fits all" approach. We can have lots of approaches, even individualized ones. IF, that is, we can get past partisanship and work together for the well being of our nation and the world.
as to heatherdawn's befuddlement about a conservative think-tank conducting and publicizing such a survey, i had the same thoughts. here's my hypothesis:
conservative think-tanks, and conservatives in general [myself included], are generally big proponents of school choice. drawing attention to the currently abysmal state of public education can only strengthen their arguments for more school choice, magnet schools, and the like.
that said, the corollary of such a bias is that they have a vested interest in getting the worst possible outcome from a test such as this one.
I'm not gonna lie I couldn't remember how many justices are in the Supreme Court or the Senator one, sad considering I minored in Political Science.
I was nine when my parents took their citizenship test and it looks exactly like the same test I helped them study for.
The new one looks a bit harder though. Top that off with someone who's trying to learn English at the same time, that just makes it even harder to pass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkey cabal
First, I would not take a test that included this question very seriously.
Second, 50% of all people are of below average intelligence. I suspect that stat includes the person who wrote the questions for this test.
Well, there's a reason why it's a citizenship test.
It's not geared towards American, it's aimed at those completely foreign to America and new to the English language.
That's not to say there aren't any English speakers taking this test but the majority aren't.
Reasons kids are dumb today.
#10 Because it's cool to be dumb.
#9 Too much tv/cable.
#8Too much video games.
#7 Cell phones.
#6They have watched more porn by 12 then i did by 25.
#5My parents rarely took aspirin,their parents have pills to lose weight,wake up,go to sleep,be happy.
#4 They want to be like their parents and take pills.
#3They have parents that are jerks.
#2A culture that is all about instant gratification.
#1Parents that want to be friends and not parents.
My son is above 90% average kid since pre k till 3rd grade.Started going downhill in grades in 4th.Came home with final card failing science with a 75% average at end of 5th.I explained that this was unacceptable and said no grades no sports,no video games and no nothing in 6th grade without good grades.
He came home with a 60% on his first test.(science)I explained again the rules.No basketball,no soccer,no baseball next year.The playstation was broken into pieces and deposited in the garbage.I got his attention while he was crying and hysterical.I explained i would get him a new one for christmas if he got the grades he is capable of.I explained he would be signed up and dad would pay the money for the sport leagues.If his grades were the same we would go to watch the games,explain to his coach and teamates why he couldn't play.I also explained we would bring a text book that we would read together during timeouts,or any break in the action.
My job is to be his parent(i am a single parent/male)not his best friend.Guess what? 92% on next science test,97% math test,84% language arts(english).Lots of studying for social studies test.I believe i got his attention.He is now focused.I explained until he understood,...your wants come after your needs.Just like an adult.If he gets above a 90% average dad doesn't have to pay $8,000.00 for tuition for a good school.Dad can then put a b-ball concrete court in,buy a pitching machine and get a used cruiser bike that he can have some rides on.After he can do 20 pushups,20 situps,20 pullups.He seems to understand the program.Make dad happy and you will be happy too.Make me miserable and i will reciprocate.
American kids are dumb and weak and immature because their parents are.
Sand, I agree with most of your post, but not the last sentence. I don't believe Americans are dumb at all. Look at the inventions and accomplishments that Americans have contributed to the world. We're the ones that others always look to whether it's for a handout or help from persecution. Young people in other countries, Japan for example, mimic and idolize American teens.
Personally, I think we're cool!!!
However, congratulations on being a good parent.
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I have read this thread, took the test (did quite well mind you) the beginning of the thread in my humble opinion was simply a statement on the current state of education. Personally I didn't think the original poster was trying to slam anyone. Just repeating the facts. Yet this thread turned into a bashing of each other. What gives? Can we not discuss something intelligently without slamming each other?
In my opinion the state of education in all states across the board needs some work. I think we need to get back to the original basics of education. Ok I'm done.
