***k, i must be retarded....we truely are being dumbed down

Originally posted by Sleuth
It's heartbreaking to realize where our country is heading.

An excellent thread and yes, where is the U.S. heading? Well, I should say 'world' instead.

Take for example the extempore street general knowledge ‘test’ by Leno in one of his ‘The Tonight Show’ episodes. Some of the questions he asked were plain simple that EVERYONE from grade 3 should have known. But here were college grads and adults who answered sometimes with giggles but most of the time with utter bewilderment, confusion and incomprehension!! What were the questions? Examples in general knowledge were:

> Who was Abraham Lincoln? (Rolls eyes in bewilderment and then...'I've heard of him').

> Why do we celebrate the 4th of July? ('Hmmm…')

> Who was the first president of the United States? ('Was it…ah Roosevelt? Err no. Eisenhower?')

> When did WWII end? (Gives blank look. And then giggles sheepishly). This question was asked by Leno to a school teacher!!

> Where is the United Nations Headquartered? ('Hmmmm……In Europe?').

> How far is the Moon from here? (Shakes head and then blurts out, 'Pretty far'!!.....laughs and turns away).

Now these are just some of the questions asked. Just goes to show where education is headed. No wonder parents are outsourcing their children’s education, turning to countries like India for on-line tuitions!!

Yes. Education per se in the States is going down the rabbit hole! And as sizzle says, we sure are being Dumbed down!




[edit on 4-4-2008 by mikesingh]

O.k. I have looked through the questions and have to say, honestly, i would fail.

Not because my education has been "dumbed down" but purely because most of the questions were deemed irrelevant.

The mathematics questions are used in modern education - the only difference is that they are worded differently to reflect modern culture.

How many bushels of wheat? now its how many Nokia N95's fit in a Nike Rucksack 16" x 16" x 5"?



The methods of using the English language haven't changed but the need to learn everything about Phonetics is unnecesary and detracts from essential schooling.

It's not "Dumbing Down" its just focusing on the necessary.

Thanks for reading.

Mace

It's about 9. but that does leave a little bit of space for a couple of bluetooth headsets, and 2 chargers.

As quoted from a comedy show -

Teacher: How many phones can you fit in a bag this size?

Pupil: About 5, but it depends on whether you have time before the store clerk catches you?

The heading of this thread doesn't make any sense.

These series of tests just arnt relevant to todays living and hence the topics are not taught.
Ask someone from 1895 how to operate an ipod - the same principle apply's.

People arnt being dumbed down, they simply see things and are taught different material from 100 year previous.

Our lives are easier because life has changed. Ask someone how to cook themseves a meal. An answer of 'shove it in the microwave' is correct for the year 2008 - context.

I would not benefit from taking the test, it would not chnage my life or my perspective upon my life. I am a successful business manager with a good University education.

What are you actually getting at here?

[edit on 4-4-2008 by snatchypaws]

I was going to disagree and say no, we aren't being dumbed down, for reasons already articulated.

But after reading some of the responses to the quiz, particularly after it was shown to be a hoax, I have to say yes, we are being dumbed down.

I would fail just by reading the questions, and to answer these in 1 hour. To answer your question if we're being dumbed down; YES. why?

Here's something that I put 2&2 together awhile ago after reading a post on Rense.com that someone found a 194x 8th grade US History test on the political system and congressional processes. Anyways, what I realized after I read the test, was, I don't EVER remember getting any in depth courses in grade school, high school or college that scoured the above subjects throughly. None that I remember were offered, except for some classes that 'touched' on some of the on congressional process(s). The only thing that I remember during the 5th grade was the teacher was reciting the Gettysburg's Address. There was in NO way any test that I remember of what the normal processes were for passing a bill, making a president, what powers does the congress actually have OVER the president...ect.

Here's my train of thought: Since the Constitution of the US is our Government, (for without it we wouldn't have a government) wouldn't stand to reason that, we should be WELL versed in that process ALONE, by the time we hit High School? The school system back in 194x thought it important enough to have it in the 6th grade!

I dunno about anyone else here on ATS, but, I don't see any major courses offered in grade school, High School (besides political science) that goes in depth on specifically, the Constitution of the US, presidential powers, congress...ect..

I can stand to be correct........

dumbed down?
No we aren't being dumbed down. I see some amazing things 8th graders are doing now with technical skillz the old tests can't even begin to touch as far as complexity, memory usage, spatial comprehension etc. is concerned.
hell, watch the "Are you smarter than a 5th grader" show and compare it to your tests.

I'm tired of the word dumb. It's dumb to even compare it like this.
instead of being "dumbed down", I would say we're being "led astray" from facts and figures that are applicable to the intent of reaching a higher consciousness and led astray from being taught to be a true individual.
Sedated is more like it.
I do fear and have been seeing rumblings within reports that what we are taking into our body is "dumbing" us down..



I excel in what I do and people around me are amazed when they watch how I work and my thought process. I'm not being arrogant, it's true and I hear these comments weekly.
At the same time I look at people doing things in areas I cannot even begin to touch and call them amazing.
I learned my lesson when I was arrogant to think that "bubba joe" down the street who works with wood was asked to build a poker table by a friend. He built a table using his own methods that weren't incorporated into his normal job and finished with a work of art that I in never a million years could of accomplished. i was astonished.
He was brilliant. A genius I would say but he spelled genius as JEANYAS. And yes, I build plenty of things with my hands. I have about all the woodworking equipment you need to build anything, plenty of hours behind the machines but mr Bubba is a friggin jeanyas..
Not only because he was able, but because he had the WILL to cultivate that ability.

-I debate with a few "higher intellect" folks and am appalled at how ignorant and how lacking of COMMON sense some can be. Yet they operate within people while being given absolute trust.. After hearing or seeing some of the things some doctors have said/done, I'm afraid to even go to the doctor now.

Have you noticed a common story about some people who society considers the most brilliant. More than a few times I've heard a "brilliant man" was bad in school but in adulthood they excel. Einstein for example..

why? where did school make them brilliant?
Intelligence is directly related to WILL.
Bubba joe had the will to dig within himself and pull something out that his brain could work on.
The key is the WILL.
I also remember a phrase about ingenuity is 100% hard work and 1% intellect.. something like that at least and I can't stress that enough.
---oh.. there's another thing. My memory is horrible. I actually have forgotten people I have dated and I need friends to remind me, show me pictures etc.. Does that make me dumb ? This of course translate directly to "school" I've helped a few people pass advanced mathematics but now I can't remember how to divide fractions. I must be dumb eh?
-----
The comment above about the condoms was a good one and a true one. I may get blasted over this next comment, but eugenics, and the peaceful application of, would be the smartest thing we could do IMO.
How it would work if I were in charge of this program.
Find the lazy people and don't allow them to reproduce. Hopefully after a generation of losing all the lazy people, the next generation will have a greater chance of having a productive oriented thought process.


Sorry about the rant. I've debated this in a myriad of ways and am trying to throw 10 conversations together in one post.


b

When it comes to talking about tests of past eras, I like to look at the origional Stanford Benet IQ test of WWI, where among other things there were pictures with things missing, where you were told to identify and draw in what was missing. (Examples: The horn on a gramaphone, The fork of a boy eating spaghetti.) To a 1940's-1970's child the missing horn would not be obvious, To an Oriental the boy would need chopsticks. Tests need to be recalibrated every ten or twenty years.

How smart were people in the past? If you take the FBI headquarters tour the guide will try to tell you that John Dillinger was not so smart because he never graduated from High School. Prior to 1920 few people even started High School. A better test of his inteligence would be to look at his WWI U.S.Navy records and see what his service records say about him. A second would be to consider that he was the author of the game of "Battleship".

Too many tests are compromised by changes in our culture. Maze based IQ tests were compromised by mazes in the "Cappy Dick" kids pages in papers and magazines.

i brought this up during class and had my MENSA teacher try this. It kicked our butts :S especialy the math part, which is sad cuz he is a math teacher.

Looking over the tests I can answer a good amount off the top of head, but thinking about it all I really feel the point is moot. I say this because what at a glance might seem very advance, to let’s say 2008 8th graders in some ways, it all really only shows what those students were being taught from what was most likely out of one book per subject, and the tests were based on those books.

I can pull any 8th grade book off the shelf and make a test that to anyone of any age would seem rather difficult if they did not review the book first, hence the fun and games with the show “ Are you smarter than a 5th grader”.

I might not be able to measure late 1800s with today’s kids, but I can surly measure my 1960-70s schooling to my two boys who are 5 and 8 and I can say without a doubt that they are extremely more advance than what I was at their age, so I guess like in any era it all comes down to parent’s involvement in ensuring their kids are maximizing all they can.


[edit on 5-4-2008 by Xtrozero]

Originally posted by Bspiracy
I'm tired of the word dumb. It's dumb to even compare it like this.
instead of being "dumbed down", I would say we're being "led astray" from facts and figures that are applicable to the intent of reaching a higher consciousness and led astray from being taught to be a true individual.
Sedated is more like it.
I do fear and have been seeing rumblings within reports that what we are taking into our body is "dumbing" us down..

I do agree,
How much of this so called dumbing down is because parents are not involved with their kids? I always say school is designed for the lowest common denominator, and when a parent relies on only that for their kids they have failed. If anything, back in the day homework was something the whole family was involved with and wasn’t 15 mins.

He was brilliant. A genius I would say but he spelled genius as JEANYAS.

Genius comes in many forms, look at the highest IQ person in the world (215)...he is a bouncer at a night club.