Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Dumbing down?

(We are in Sturbridge, MA. Terrible cell signal, I hope this gets on)
I make notes when I think I have an idea for a blog. I noticed a survey where high School kids were asked to name two of the great lakes, and a good percentage could not, and could not identify where they were.
Some could not give the Revolutionary war combative nations.
I hear cursive writing will no longer be taught in school.
Now I ask, are those items important to the existence of this country?  I ask because I honestly do not know.
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I see my girl and Shirl worring about ‘secretarial skills’ they were taught, but are ignored in the world today.  English is a very confusing language, I see Your, you’re and yore confused all the time in young written conversations. Then there is There, Their and They’re, butchered by college grads.
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But I must ask myself, how important is this? I do not know.  As a high School Drop out myself, I sure cannot judge. In the BIG SCREEN of life, is it a deal killer.
ignorance-is-not-bliss
Something in me says YES, but the other part of me ( that is lost on modern technology), knows my grand kids can teach me a lot. Yes  my Great grand kids could teach me a lot (If I would let them).
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I actually think some of these kids can do more words a minute with their thumbs, than our typist used to with both hands. (they combine typing and short hand, I guess like a court recorder)
Then I say, maybe it is me who is dumb in a NEW world. Who knew that one day, when a phone rang three people would not run to it to see if it was for them; that someone would reach into their pocket, look at it, know it was Bill or Carolyn five states over, and they would call them back later.
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Yes, the younger generation has dumbed down from my standards, BUT I am DUMB IN their generation. I am A square peg looking at nothing but round holes.
grandma-with-granddaughter
I sat once on the trail in a rain, shielded from the rain by a poncho, looking at a phone on ‘Camera’ and not knowing how to get it off so I could text my Sherry. A young lady was nice enough to touch the right spot and say, “There you are sir.”
TechHelpForGrandma
(and the one that says it all!)
I sat there thinking, I have been called a genius by my generation, and cannot even handle a smarter than me phone! WHO IS DUMB?
DO NOT EVEN ASK ME.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Medication-Supervision
I can hear the attendant in the nursing home now, “Come on sir, time to take your meds and go to beddy bye!”
There are times being assigned the job of handling world affairs is tough!Angry smile

<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
And I will say to the attendant “kid, if you only knew the fun I had in my 1948 Chevy……She was maroon and……ZZZZZZZZZZZ”
1948-chevy-100177

11 comments:

Paula said...

Wonderful entry. Isn't it amazing what we've seen transpire in our lifetime. Yesterday I rode with my daughter in her brand new red caddy. Like an SUV but I think it's called something else. It does everything but drive it's self.

Sheila Y said...

Yes sir, this world is a'changing. I've been home a little over a week, from three weeks at the parents... Finally caught up on blogs again. Got caught up once while there but it didn't last long... :-) The weather was nice here yesterday, mid 80's with a stiff breeze. Supposed to be only 81 today, I could get used to this...ha. Though I'm a little sad for you I am glad you picked safety over the trail. Take care, sending love from NC, Sheila

Cindi said...

I've always thought our country doesn't respect their elderly. Thus missing out on an opportunity to their history, and wisdom..thx for sharing

Rose said...

Great Post!

shirl72 said...

I think about this younger generation running the Country.
The ones I have had contact with have no common sense. They don't show any ability to get into to
the big world and start their on
life. Maybe they can get lessons
from their I Pod.

Lucy said...

You just wrote one of the best blog entries you have written.. I have lost some of my abilities to SPELL. The only thing I liked in school. Everything is moving way to fast for me, That may be a good thing, then I don't know what I am missing.

TARYTERRE said...

My best friend's granddaughter helped her and I figure out how to text between an iPod and a Droid phone. It was wonderful.

betty said...

I hear that at some major universities/colleges, teachers are astounded with the papers the students are presenting; they are filled with misspelled words or they use the jargon of text in their papers they are turning in for grades. I think we have a responsibility to know our nation and its history; I don't think a lot of the kids are getting that in school. It is good they are technology oriented, but I think more needs to be centered upon not to get dumbed now like I feel they are doing. Having said that, I can't tell you how many times son has had to show me something to do on my smart phone. Glad he has that figured out :)

betty

Mevely317 said...

What an entertaining - and thought-provoking post, Jack.

Here, I spend so much time lamenting the lack of education - not to mention common sense! ... and fail to appreciate what's coming down the road.

PS - But for the life of me, I can't figure out who thought it was a good idea to quit teaching cursive. :(

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

It is a fast changing world for sure! I don't even try anymore to keep up with technology. The kids are all on top of it, but there is more to life I'm thinking...I shake my head a lot but that's about all. Will it matter? Their world will never be like ours, and ours is very different from our parents. Did it matter? Good questions.

Chatty Crone said...

They are behind in a lot of things - BUT - not with technology!