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It seems like most students/young people have no problem with wallowing in ignorance. They show zero interest in expanding their knowledge.
You'd think that immediate access to vast amounts of information would make people more interested in knowledge, instead it's made them lazier.
You'd think that being able to look up any word instantly instead of having to leaf through dictionaries would make them masters of their language, instead they struggle to understand even basic words.
You'd think having access to all the greatest classics online for free (and a LOT of more modern books through piracy), ready to be read on computers, smartphones, and ereaders, would turn them into avid readers. Instead, they eschew books, treat them as obsolete, and the occasional book they read is crap like Twilight or Fifty shades of gray that will improve neither their writing skills nor their creativity.
Poor writing skills are merely a symptom.
^^This. To the nth power.
I guess I differ here among some that poor writing skills is a result of grammar not being taught in schools. Truth is, it is taught. However, students, this generation in particular, are increasingly becoming academically lazier than previous generations. And there are few repercussions in being so.
Despite having more access to knowledge and more resources that are free and convenient, they are choosing the easy way to "get by." Criticism is so frowned upon that even when people point out that Wikipedia (this is not a sufficient research site) is not the same as an online Encyclopedia, like, Britannica, folks get upset and defend the site. If articles on Wikipedia are poorly written, which thousands are, then how can a student learn to write well if they use sources such as this? I applaud educators who require more of their students. Who push them to do better. I don't think it's them per se, rather a culture of complacency and coddling. When teachers actually critique a student's work, they are attacked. "Not my child." "You're unfair." Or, the most disturbing..."No child left behind." Some children need to be left behind in order to advance forward.
We've become a culture where everyone deserves an A for C-level work. It's pathetic. When entry-level management jobs at McDonald's now require a college degree, it demonstrates a symptom of a larger problem: Everyone cannot be an A student or college graduate and not all jobs require a degree (well, they will soon); giving an A to an undeserving student doesn't magically make them smart, competent, or college-ready. It makes them adverse to constructive criticism and therefore reluctant to advance intellectually because they don't feel they need to.
I also think a lot of it has to do with kids not reading anymore. I mean reading entire books. They get their info in Internet snatches and bites, and not reading a lot generally corresponds with being unable to write well.
I guess I differ here among some that poor writing skills is a result of grammar not being taught in schools. Truth is, it is taught. However, students, this generation in particular, are increasingly becoming academically lazier than previous generations. And there are few repercussions in being so.
Despite having more access to knowledge and more resources that are free and convenient, they are choosing the easy way to "get by." Criticism is so frowned upon that even when people point out that Wikipedia (this is not a sufficient research site) is not the same as an online Encyclopedia, like, Britannica, folks get upset and defend the site. If articles on Wikipedia are poorly written, which thousands are, then how can a student learn to write well if they use sources such as this? I applaud educators who require more of their students. Who push them to do better. I don't think it's them per se, rather a culture of complacency and coddling. When teachers actually critique a student's work, they are attacked. "Not my child." "You're unfair." Or, the most disturbing..."No child left behind." Some children need to be left behind in order to advance forward.
We've become a culture where everyone deserves an A for C-level work. It's pathetic. When entry-level management jobs at McDonald's now require a college degree, it demonstrates a symptom of a larger problem: Everyone cannot be an A student or college graduate and not all jobs require a degree (well, they will soon); giving an A to an undeserving student doesn't magically make them smart, competent, or college-ready. It makes them adverse to constructive criticism and therefore reluctant to advance intellectually because they don't feel they need to.
It's certainly true that there's a "everyone is special and great" culture, that's partially promoted by parents as well. I guess it might be related to the idea of PC and "let's make sure no one gets emotionally hurt for any reason."
What baffles me, however, is how people completely ignore all the knowledge that's available to them. Unless they're looking up a disease or restaurant, it's all about Facebooking, tweeting, or doing some other things that are supposed to prove the importance of their lives and opinions.
When they are looking something up, it's always about making the least amount of effort, and let's not even talk about possibly verifying the sources of the information.
Schools have gotten pretty sh*tty, but students should be able to make up for this by using the internet.
Having unfettered and instant access to all this information and not using it is something I find absurd. How can one not have any kind of craving for knowledge whatsoever? Isn't that part of what makes us different from other animals?
Of course, I'm generalizing, but I think it applies to most, at least from what I've seen and heard.
That's one reason that I think psikeyhacker's idea of a national reading list isn't such a bad idea.
I literally spent hours with our family's World Book encyclopedias,
So, not everybody thinks I'm an idiot.
My science fiction books pointed me at what to look up in our World Book Encyclopedia. I would have three encyclopedia open on my bed with on SF book. The peculiar thing is that looking back none of my teacher ever explained what caused winter and summer but I found that as a result of SF books.
SF has gone down hill since the 70s though many people say the writing is better. But I wonder how much is the result of word processors. How much does someone want to write and revise on a typewriter? In the 60s books were usually 150 pages. Now 300 pages is short.
A national reading list would be great. Short novellas, short stories. All can be used to increase an interest in reading which can affect one's writing skills.
It's certainly true that there's a "everyone is special and great" culture, that's partially promoted by parents as well. I guess it might be related to the idea of PC and "let's make sure no one gets emotionally hurt for any reason."
What baffles me, however, is how people completely ignore all the knowledge that's available to them. Unless they're looking up a disease or restaurant, it's all about Facebooking, tweeting, or doing some other things that are supposed to prove the importance of their lives and opinions.
When they are looking something up, it's always about making the least amount of effort, and let's not even talk about possibly verifying the sources of the information.
Schools have gotten pretty sh*tty, but students should be able to make up for this by using the internet.
Having unfettered and instant access to all this information and not using it is something I find absurd. How can one not have any kind of craving for knowledge whatsoever? Isn't that part of what makes us different from other animals?
Of course, I'm generalizing, but I think it applies to most, at least from what I've seen and heard.
Yes. Anything that requires much effort is a turn off. Even placing citations in a paper or creating a bibliography is pretty easy today, it's all electronic. There is an App or a program for this now. Actually, you may be on to something here. If there isn't an "App" for that...then it isn't important! I fear this is the prevailing attitude for many youth.
From what I've read about this issue, it seems as if another contributing factor is the lack of quality writing feedback.
In that's true, how could a student improve his writing ability, despite receiving little if any quality feedback?
I agree. As a business student if you do not work with someone to develop better writing ability, all you will see is garbage in, garbage out.
I always did well with essays. Why because in school you spoon fed which topics you needed to mention in essays. Reading Jeckel and Hyde, it was about duality; reading To Kill a Mockingbird, it was about racism and innocence; reading Lord of the Flies, it's about dealing with groupthink and being rational/irrational. You hear buzz words like (this will be on the test) and you know it is important. However, when students graduate and move onto the wild, it's not the same. We need less of this style of thinking and more what do you personally get out of the story and what is your take on the themes rather than spitting back the themes.
From what I've read about this issue, it seems as if another contributing factor is the lack of quality writing feedback.
In that's true, how could a student improve his writing ability, despite receiving little if any quality feedback?
Reading more quality work. Also, expanding what you read. For example, reading the newspaper is fine, but it is written at a level for the masses, not too many articles will require one to actually look up the meaning of a word. I'd say students who lack good writing skills should read book reviews, short stories, peer- reviewed articles in journals, trade magazines, how-to manuals, heck, even comic books!
If they have a hobby or interest, like video games, then buy a subscription to a gaming magazine. Anything that peaks his/her interests. Learning to love reading and loving to learn from reading can greatly improve one's writing ability.
I guess I differ here among some that poor writing skills is a result of grammar not being taught in schools. Truth is, it is taught. However, students, this generation in particular, are increasingly becoming academically lazier than previous generations. And there are few repercussions in being so.
Despite having more access to knowledge and more resources that are free and convenient, they are choosing the easy way to "get by." Criticism is so frowned upon that even when people point out that Wikipedia (this is not a sufficient research site) is not the same as an online Encyclopedia, like, Britannica, folks get upset and defend the site. If articles on Wikipedia are poorly written, which thousands are, then how can a student learn to write well if they use sources such as this? I applaud educators who require more of their students. Who push them to do better. I don't think it's them per se, rather a culture of complacency and coddling. When teachers actually critique a student's work, they are attacked. "Not my child." "You're unfair." Or, the most disturbing..."No child left behind." Some children need to be left behind in order to advance forward.
We've become a culture where everyone deserves an A for C-level work. It's pathetic. When entry-level management jobs at McDonald's now require a college degree, it demonstrates a symptom of a larger problem: Everyone cannot be an A student or college graduate and not all jobs require a degree (well, they will soon); giving an A to an undeserving student doesn't magically make them smart, competent, or college-ready. It makes them adverse to constructive criticism and therefore reluctant to advance intellectually because they don't feel they need to.
ITA! We have coddled our kids to the point they are handicapped. The root reason I'm under fire WRT my job is I don't give out enough A's. 25% A's isn't sufficient in a world where every parent thinks their child is an A student.
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