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The reason college kids go gaga over Obama (undeveloped critical thinking skills)
American Thinker ^ | 01/18/2011 | Rick Moran

Posted on 01/18/2011 7:16:48 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Younger voters are usually liberal anyway - until they get a real job and see how much the government takes out of their paycheck. By the time they get married and have kids, the natural equilibrium in politics is re-established and a majority become Republicans.

But how could they have been fooled by such a charlatan? A new study shows that college students fail to develop critical thinking skills.

McClatchy:


An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education.

Many of the students graduated without knowing how to sift fact from opinion, make a clear written argument or objectively review conflicting reports of a situation or event, according to New York University sociologist Richard Arum, lead author of the study. The students, for example, couldn't determine the cause of an increase in neighborhood crime or how best to respond without being swayed by emotional testimony and political spin.

Arum, whose book "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses" (University of Chicago Press) comes out this month, followed 2,322 traditional-age students from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2009 and examined testing data and student surveys at a broad range of 24 U.S. colleges and universities, from the highly selective to the less selective.

Forty-five percent of students made no significant improvement in their critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills during the first two years of college, according to the study. After four years, 36 percent showed no significant gains in these so-called "higher order" thinking skills.

Perhaps it's because students are more likely to get professors who believe in brainwashing rather than teaching.




TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: college; collegekids; criticalthinking; mushheads; obama
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1 posted on 01/18/2011 7:16:50 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

because they don’t pay taxes yet


2 posted on 01/18/2011 7:17:49 AM PST by Doogle ((USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: SeekAndFind
I will soon be adding Obama Zombies to my reading list. It might be interesting to those who want to look closer at the development of Obama's youthful goose steppers.
3 posted on 01/18/2011 7:19:44 AM PST by HushTX (I have finally started reading The Federalist Papers. Great stuff!)
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To: SeekAndFind
A new study shows that college students fail to develop critical thinking skills

I recall a Fox poll a few years back that showed 82% of college freshman couldn't name who America fought in World War II.

4 posted on 01/18/2011 7:20:03 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: SeekAndFind
Public schools are very big on pushing "critical thinking" which means a belief in Marxism.

Social Justice isn't justice.
Social Work doesn't work.
Social Studies aren't studies.
Critical Thinking doesn't require thinking.

5 posted on 01/18/2011 7:20:22 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: SeekAndFind

1. They’re not taught critical thinking skills.
2. Their profs indoctrinate beliefs (I have had a couple admit that they need to get them young).
3. Free beer.
4. Free concerts.
5. Free food, ‘brownies,’ etc.
6. Easy was to meet and hook up with someone.
7. Wanting to be in the hip crowd.


6 posted on 01/18/2011 7:20:49 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
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To: SeekAndFind

General studdies, and BA students are not taught critical thinking skills.


7 posted on 01/18/2011 7:20:57 AM PST by brownsfan (D - swift death of the republic, R - lingering death for the republic.)
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To: SeekAndFind
(undeveloped critical thinking skills)

It's about common sense. My then ten year-old instinctively knew not to trust Obama.

But I do suggest all these people read Stranger in a Strange Land. They'll love it because of all the hippy free love bits, but there's an important bit in there called a Fair Witness. These people see things absolutely objectively, no emotion, no preconceptions. It's interesting idea that should be a foundation of critical thinking.

8 posted on 01/18/2011 7:21:41 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: SeekAndFind

You nailed it.

Our education establishment sometime after the 1960’s, began to be infiltrated by leftists who sought to “work within the system”.

Unconcerned whether kids were actually receiving quality educations, the takeover was spectacularly successful for the ex-hippies, if somewhat less so for the quality of kids’ educations.

We now have a fully co-opted system of education. Turning out kids trained to believe propaganda without question.

Unfortunately they can’t read or do math. But they can be brainwashed like no others.


9 posted on 01/18/2011 7:22:08 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network (McCarthy was Right.)
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To: Doogle

Let’s elaborate, shall we?

“Because the kids haven’t yet realized that 50% of their income is confiscated by an out-of-control tyrannical government run by politicians who buy votes with their money; politicians who have no concern for the long-term health and welfare of the nation as a whole, want to create a perpetual underclass, and benefit from class warfare.”

That’s the problem with having no real-world experience.


10 posted on 01/18/2011 7:24:08 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ClearCase_guy
Public schools are very big on pushing "critical thinking" which means a belief in Marxism.

Their version of critical thinking has nothing to do with thought. Its repetition as a means of indoctrination. Conservatives are true critical thinkers. We don't have predetermined conclusions and look for evidence as a means of reaching conclusions.
11 posted on 01/18/2011 7:25:21 AM PST by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: SeekAndFind

Critical thinking can also be taught. We do none of that until a student reaches college.

I remember when I took logic 101 in college (it was a required course at the time for everyone). I thought it was a “gimme” class; I pretty much slept through class and still got an A. As far as I could tell though, the majority of the class either failed it or just squeaked by. I’ve never head so much complaining about how hard a class was.


12 posted on 01/18/2011 7:26:10 AM PST by Brookhaven (Moderates = non-thinkers)
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To: SeekAndFind
Kids have no responsibilities and have to that point had mom and dad paying for everything.
They have leftist teachers who tell them government is going to be their new mama.
My niece was lied to in college by a teacher being told that Obama was going to bribe her with free college. Rates instead are going up a third and there is no free anything.

Then there is all the emotional bullcaca with “For the children, the teachers, police and fire (unions)”.
Republicans supposedly want people to be slaves, homeless and also want to take their social security away.

A lot of this stuff should be seemingly illegal IMO as false representation and advertising.

13 posted on 01/18/2011 7:30:43 AM PST by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: SeekAndFind
An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education.

Liberal arts college education today is THE most overpriced scam of all time. Funny how it is overrun with liberals, and you never hear politicians saying that college professors and administrators are overpaid, or that the costs of college are completely out of proportion to what they deliver. And of course, liberals constantly push for more and more government assistance (a.k.a. forcing taxpayers to pay for college tuition for everyone). The result is that colleges can continue to charge far more than the market would otherwise support, because the government is forcing everyone to pay more than they otherwise would.

Without the government involvement, people would opt to send their kids to affordable colleges (rather than sending them to expensive schools using lots of government (that is, other people's) money. Over time, the ridiculously overpriced schools would have no choice but to operate with more reasonable budgets, or lose to their competition.

14 posted on 01/18/2011 7:31:02 AM PST by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: SeekAndFind

I was Jesuit-educated in high-school, and was appalled by this trend when I hit undergrad (late 1980s, PoliSci major) at a very Liberal private university.

Many of my professors didn’t really know what to do with me, since I was accustomed to the kind of Socratic and argumentative (in the positive sense) classroom environemnt that comes with a Jesuit education ... and was fully capable of meeting their agitprop head-on in a critical manner.

When I hit business school (5 years or so after undergrad) I noticed that my classmates had excellent critical thinking skills. It really came out in force during the core International Management class where we had a group of International Relations grad students in with us. They learned to be very, very quiet after the 2nd or 3rd week of being cut to figurative ribbons not only by us B-school students, but the professor as well.


15 posted on 01/18/2011 7:32:13 AM PST by tanknetter
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To: SeekAndFind

After their brainwashing in Liberal/Marxist ideology, they quickly learn that none of it is real or applies to the real World. They either learn the hard way, or they refuse to accept reality and stay in their fantasy world, living in their parent’s basement.

And, DAMN those Liberal parents for not forcing them to go out on their own!


16 posted on 01/18/2011 7:32:40 AM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP (Patriotic by Proxy! (Cause I'm a nutcase and it's someone Else's' fault!....))
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, I can testify to the truth of the old saying: If you’re not a liberal at 20 you have no heart, and if you’re not a conservative at 40 you have no brains.


17 posted on 01/18/2011 7:33:10 AM PST by Marathoner (Repeal the 17th amendment, and the 16th for good measure.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Kids are NOT encouraged to mature. They are DUMBED DONW in school through LIBERAL INDOCTRINATION and taught that FEELINFS are all that matter. They are as immature as Obama and have learned to HATE their country too.


18 posted on 01/18/2011 7:35:18 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I remember being a youngster, and another young man saying
“why do the old farts have all the money?”.

He really didn’t know. The QBQ here is, “Obviously it’s not fair that they have all the money, so how do we get it from them?”

This is what empowers people like Barky.


19 posted on 01/18/2011 7:35:31 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: Puppage

I recall a Fox poll a few years back that showed 82% of college freshman couldn’t name who America fought in World War II.””

Whoopi Goldberg said on The View that “Japan did NOT bomb Pearl Harbor”.

There are plenty of examples of how poor the education system is in this country.

The Teacher’s Union has done a wonderful job of indoctrinating these kids.

The only bright side to all of this is that those indoctrinated kids will be the ones who pull the plug on elderly TEACHERS as well as the rest of us!!


20 posted on 01/18/2011 7:43:53 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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