As time go by since the 18th century to what is now modern era, humans are not the only one susceptible to development and progression; technology has to. It has shape life to a sense in which life becomes more sped up internally. Life became either more simplistic as technology speeds up research into various subjects or more complicated as the technology developed decreases desire to practice upon literacy comprehension and increase dependency upon a source but oneself. In a crude manner, Bauerlein claims the under-thirty generation of modern history “don’t know anything”. To some extent, it is true that the under-thirty generation is the dumbest due to inadequacy in conceptual knowledge; however, that claim is false due to the rise in intellect and the development of life…
In Susan Jacoby’s essay, “How Dumb Can We Get?” she questions why Americans are becoming less literate and what factors contribute to the lack of awareness in political and cultural issues (261). Jacoby deliberates on the severity of the national crisis presented because of the dullard, irrational citizens of society (262). University students mock their learning experiences by doing the bare minimum and still managing to obtain a college degree, Jacoby assures (260). Jacoby believes that education should not accommodate everyone in regards to simplicity nor convenience but rather students should rely more on reading to simplify their achievements (260).…
“I can’t go to a liberal-arts college. My parents are conservatives!” I told my eight grade focus teacher. He laughed and then went on to explain what a liberal-arts college actually is. Like many others, I believed a common misperception about the liberal-arts.…
An Analysis of Negative Impact of Corporate Interference with Public School Education in “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore This study will define the negative impact of corporate interference with the quality of American public school education in “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore. Moore’s article defines the ethical conflict of interest that private sector corporations that influence the quality of public school education through advertisement funding. The primary issue is the power of corporations to dictate the business-minded orientation of corporations, such food and soda franchises, that “dumb-down” public school curriculums by promoting corporate education over the liberal arts and literacy. In essence, Moore’s “Idiot Nation” illustrates the negative impact of corporate interference in public education a major ethical crisis in American school system.…
In Stephen Prothero’s Religious Literacy, the author gives us an insight into the controversy of teaching religion in United States’ public schools. Prothero’s premise is that we as a nation of supposed religious citizens are actually lacking in any real knowledge of the core teachings of the many world religions, “I am convinced that one needs to know something about the world’s religion in order to be truly educated”(Prothero 11). Is this lack of religious knowledge at the core of the intolerance that is so pervasive in our nation and threatens to continually drive us apart? At the core of Prothero’s book is that we all need religious literacy in order to truly be effective citizens, and being effective citizens we must realize that religion…
In today’s society, education equals freedom. Without putting forth more effort to properly educate children, the children will be easy prey for any person trying to persuade them. While many people do talk about the educational crisis in America, there is no effort from those people to change the situation. Benjamin Barber delves deeper into the problem in his article “America Skips School.” Barber explains exactly how American children have become intellectually inferior and supplies ideas to fix the situation.…
In “Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why,” John Taylor Gatto discuss how schools are just a prison for children to dumb them down and destroy any possible for geniuses to be created. In “Dude, Where’s My Job?” Walter Benn Michaels discusses that the social standing of our student determine how high the degree we can puress. In "The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society" Jonathan Kozol explains the problems and difficulties that the illiterates in our society have today. Education is precious and wanting that knowledge is the first step to gaining it.…
Distracting Writing and Weak Evidence That Only Convinces an Idiot Nation In Michael Moore’s “Idiot Nation,” Moore talks about how the American public is stupid and why he thinks so. He talks about the state of the educational system, and examines the reasons for its deterioration. Moore implies that Americans are stupid because the educational system is in a bad state.…
The text written by Rick Rogers is a brief introduction to give students an idea of what to expect in the course. This text also builds a foundation needed for future endeavors within the course. As stated previously, the assigned text written by Rick Rogers is written with a purpose of creating the foundation needed to venture into the enigma of religion. The foundation consists of defining key terms, understanding origins, how to categorize religions, and understanding the methodologies of approaching religion (historical and scientific).…
The increase in numbers of uneducated people in America demonstrates how the government and politicians are failing to notice the downfall of the education system throughout the United States. With federal funding for education being cut, classrooms are overcrowded, supplies are inadequate, and many students are not able to learn even the most basic level of education. To criticize and address these issues, a filmmaker and best-selling author, Michael Moore writes “Idiot Nation”, to emphasize who is at fault and why the education system in America is failing. Moore argues by blaming the general population and politicians for prioritizing unimportant issues over the academic system. He clearly shows his frustration with the American education…
Teachers have a vast amount of control over the young formative years of installing certain ideas and beliefs in children. That being we must have a deep concern over what is being portrayed to children involving religion. We must address the importance in not just understanding of different religions, but the concept of tolerating them, not because you are forced, but because you understand the role religion plays in each person’s life. Religion connects to vast amounts of situations and is deeply rooted in our history. We must not confuse our own ideas, with the illusion that one religion is better than the other.…
In a small section of the first chapter, “Our Schools and Our Children”, in Lives on the Boundaries by Mike Rose, Rose describes his observation of an English course at the University of California, Los Angeles titled English A. He explains how it is the university’s most basic writing course and how a dean even described the students taking the class as “The truly illiterate among us.” Rose then shares his observations of the students engaging in classroom discussions about Greek culture, the origin of Greek words, and the names of Greek gods and goddesses. This part of the chapter stuck out to me because it brings back those discussions in class we had about what literacy truly is and what it means to be literate. Students and faculty at…
Education and society Why we should learn to read write, and become educated within our society. “Without education, many of our ideas and opinions can be stereotyped or prejudiced, bearing no relationship to the truth” (ch.5, p.254). Learning to Read and Write This reading by Fredrick Douglas on his experience to read and write shows great commitment by an African American during a time of slavery. Douglas was a slave that whose duties were to work and obey, not read and write.…
A Great Dislike for Intellectuals “[I]ntellectuals constantly see their efforts trivialized in the rush to lavish compliments elsewhere,” (759). This is a statement from Grant Penrod’s article, Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids, that creates a strong inquiry as to why the problem occurs. His article presents an in-depth exploration of the reasons. Penrod starts off the article by stating that an Arizona high school football team was praised for their championship, but that the academic teams, at that same school, were hardly praised at all. He presents another example, of these injustices, by mentioning the horrible online messages about intellectuals and how they are too prevalent in today’s society.…
Religion in School Religion in school has always been controversial. When one attends a public school he is not allowed to praise his God. Why? Because it would not be fair for one student or a group to follow one religion when another student is of another religion. For example one kid is Christian and another is Muslim.…