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Western Civilization Dumber Than 100 Years Ago
Breitbart's Big Government ^ | May 23, 2013 | William Bigelow

Posted on 05/23/2013 5:19:17 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

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To: rlmorel

That’s true, but I also think we are suffering from a kind of “information overload” these days. The sum total of Human knowledge has expanded (and continues to expand) at an exponential rate, and in response educators have pretty much given up on teaching facts. The emphasis now is on knowing how to acquire facts, rather than knowing the facts themselves. I can kind of see where they are coming from, but at the same time I do believe they have gone too far along that route. Kids really do need to have certain details at their fingertips, even today.


61 posted on 05/24/2013 5:52:09 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: I still care

“Western Civilization Dumber Than 100 Years Ago”....

And WHO is really surprised at this? We may have lots of new technology, inovations etc., but the one MAJOR thing that is NOT being taught is plain old common sense. Without that critical element, society will continue to remain “Dumber that 100 years ago”.


62 posted on 05/24/2013 5:57:24 AM PDT by DaveA37 (I'm for HONEST government)
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To: freedomfiter2
Yes, but there is another pernicious effect of that.

Because large rafts of education is now under the control of the state, its provision and effectiveness become a valid political point. Now, no elected official is going to want to lay themselves open to a charge of "letting the kids down" by poor education, so there is a built in bias to see "improvements", in financial provision, attendence, and (especially) exam results.

Now, theres only three ways exam results can continously improve. Either 1) children are getting smarter, or 2)Schools are getting better at teaching or 3) the exams are getting easier. Care to place a bet on which one it is? Hint, the last option is by far the easiest and cheapest to do.

63 posted on 05/24/2013 6:01:27 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: Vanders9
"Either 1) children are getting smarter, or 2)Schools are getting better at teaching or 3) the exams are getting easier. Care to place a bet on which one it is? Hint, the last option is by far the easiest and cheapest to do. "

option 4 - teaching to the test.

64 posted on 05/24/2013 6:08:32 AM PDT by Think free or die
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To: Future Snake Eater

Thanks man. I’ll be on the lookout in July. I wonder if we’ll get two three-time winners this year.


65 posted on 05/24/2013 6:14:15 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Third Person

66 posted on 05/24/2013 6:18:55 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Vanders9

Heh, I have always been of the opinion that much of the overload has to do with what gown Kim Kardashian wore at the awards ceremony last night on ABC or the “funny” line from “The New Normal”, rather than what is natural law,how do humans fit into it, and what are the ramifications of that on our daily lives?

I suspect there are large swaths of people who could name the last five winners of American Idol, what they are doing now and where they live, but would say “Natural Law? What is that?”

Of course, Jedidiah Woodman might have said the same thing from beind his plow in 1762 in Groton, Massachusetts, but it is just as possible he might have an opinion on the basis of something his clergyman said in the sermon last Sunday.

But I know what you mean...


67 posted on 05/24/2013 6:20:51 AM PDT by rlmorel ("We'll drink to good health for them that have it coming." Boss Spearman in Open Range)
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To: EEGator

Josh Bridges from SoCal might actually give Froning a run for his money this year, but, likely, he’s overhyped like Ben Smith and Dan Bailey were last year.

For the women...no clue. Annie T. hurt her back and she wasn’t able to finish the Open or compete in the Regionals. CFHQ can still invite her to the Games. In fact, they did that with Kristin Clever who placed fourth in SoCal last weekend after hurting her shoulder in the 3RM Overhead Squat event. She still pushed through, but didn’t make the cutoff. Given her status as a past champion, HQ invited her to the Games anyway. If Annie is healthy, I’ve no doubt that she’ll get the same invitation. If she doesn’t then that combined with Julie Foucher not competing this year will leave the female side of the house wide open for a new champion.


68 posted on 05/24/2013 6:30:18 AM PDT by Future Snake Eater (CrossFit.com)
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To: Future Snake Eater

I didn’t know Annie hurt herself, that sucks. I like her, as she seems to have a great attitude. Hopefully the competition is close so it’s more exciting.


69 posted on 05/24/2013 6:40:40 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Think free or die
What I see makes me very concerned about our future.

Me too, but that's what happens when we look at all the morons on this thread.  

When we look at the world we see increased literacy rates and higher education levels.  The article's a crock, based on a study from (are you ready?) the Huffington Post.  Aside from the fact the 19th century was two hundred -not one hundred- years ago (for the math challenged on the thread) let's check out the nut of the entire rant:

 "women of high intelligence tend to have fewer children".

My question is, if they're so smart how come they're incapable of accomplishing the most basic and most necessary of all human needs?   Makes me wonder of these so-called 'high intelligence" babes are unable to feed themselves too.

70 posted on 05/24/2013 8:03:46 AM PDT by expat_panama
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Devo is playing in Tucson tonight. Just sayin.


71 posted on 05/24/2013 8:08:23 AM PDT by discostu (Not just another moon faced assassin of joy.)
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To: RFEngineer

The part regarding examinations. Like I said - we were taught and trained how to do with just pencil and a pad, and we did our labs that way.

First lab we had - we had to do statistical analysis, and we had an extremely long list of calculations to do in class. About 3x as many as were possible to do in the time given. They had to be precisely right.

My professor said at the end of the class that you had to get so many questions done and if you didn’t get enough, you were advised not to pursue the program!

No calculators or anything. My math classes were the same.

I can speak for other places - but that’s what we did.


72 posted on 05/24/2013 2:19:49 PM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Texas is a state of mind - Steinbeck)
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To: Think free or die

Oh yes...I forgot about that one. Its kind of allied to the last point, and is a function of political control. The demand for results leads to an over-emphasis on passing exams, to the detriment of the actual imparting of both knowledge and wisdom. Its reached the point today where schools no longer teach math, history or geography, they teach how to pass exams.


73 posted on 05/25/2013 12:37:14 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: Vanders9

jumping through hoops.


74 posted on 05/25/2013 7:27:14 AM PDT by Think free or die
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To: EEGator

Watching South Central Team WOD: CrossFit Strong’s team, male and female, are wearing “Obama Can’t Ban These Guns” shirts!


75 posted on 05/26/2013 9:25:13 AM PDT by Future Snake Eater (CrossFit.com)
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To: Future Snake Eater

Sweet!


76 posted on 05/27/2013 7:38:15 AM PDT by EEGator
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