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Dumbing-down of the educational system?
IainB:
CORRECTION:
Oops. More haste less speed required on my part. Looks like my speed-reading might have crashed into a full stop and killed Comprehension in the process. Sorry.
In the post linked above (see Opening Post), the author doesn't state that he has proven that dumbing down has occurred, but that he has "dumbed down". I missed that bit - all I saw was the headline that he had provided "a proof".
He has corrected me in his blog: The great dumbing down debate
Renegade:
Well, I must warn you... You may just urinate in your shorts while you fall off your chair laughing.
Yes, we have another in that long line of people trying to prove that they are the craziest...
Ready? Might want to sit on a plastic bag for this one...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/10/15/french-president-pushing-homework-ban-as-part-of-ed-reforms/
How do you think this would go over in the United States? French President François Hollande has said he will end homework as part of a series of reforms to overhaul the country’s education system.
And the reason he wants to ban homework?
He doesn’t think it is fair that some kids get help from their parents at home while children who come from disadvantaged families don’t. It’s an issue that goes well beyond France, and has been part of the reason that some Americans oppose homework too.
--- End quote ---
:huh:
Parents, don't try to get involved in your child's indoctrination education! Cause that's not fair!
Way to go France! Show everyone that you're in the race to be the world's top Idiocracy! :P
40hz:
How do you think this would go over in the United States? French President François Hollande has said he will end homework as part of a series of reforms to overhaul the country’s education system.
And the reason he wants to ban homework?
He doesn’t think it is fair that some kids get help from their parents at home while children who come from disadvantaged families don’t. It’s an issue that goes well beyond France, and has been part of the reason that some Americans oppose homework too.
--- End quote ---
:huh:
Parents, don't try to get involved in your child's indoctrination education! Cause that's not fair!
Way to go France! Show everyone that you're in the race to be the world's top Idiocracy! :P
-Renegade (October 17, 2012, 09:41 AM)
--- End quote ---
Shades of Kurt Vonnegut's story Harrison Bergeron!!! :tellme:
It is the year 2081. Because of Amendments 211, 212, and 213 to the Constitution, every American is fully equal, meaning that no one is smarter, better-looking, stronger, or faster than anyone else. The Handicapper General and a team of agents ensure that the laws of equality are enforced. The government forces citizens to wear "handicaps" (a mask if they are too handsome or beautiful, earphones with deafening radio signals to make intelligent people unable to concentrate and form thoughts, and heavy weights to slow down those who are too strong or fast).
One April, fourteen-year-old Harrison Bergeron, a highly intelligent, handsome child, is taken away from his parents, George and Hazel, by the government. George and Hazel are not fully aware of the tragedy. Hazel’s lack of awareness is due to "average" intelligence, which in 2081, is the politically correct way of referring to someone of well-below-average intelligence. George does not comprehend the tragedy since the law requires him to wear the radio ear piece for twenty-four hours a day because he is of above-average intelligence. The government broadcasts noise over these radios to interrupt the thoughts of intelligent people like George.
Hazel and George are watching ballerinas dance on TV. Hazel has been crying, though she cannot remember why. She remarks on the beauty of the dance. For a few moments, George reflects on the dancers, who are weighed down to counteract their gracefulness and masked to cover up their good looks. They have been handicapped so that TV viewers will not feel bad about their own appearance and hence will feel equally as talented and good-looking. Because of their handicaps, the dancers are not very good...
--- End quote ---
TaoPhoenix:
My favourites to watch out for are:
* argumentum ad hominem (argument against the person)
* argumentum ad baculum (appeal to fear).
* argumentum ad ignorantiam (forwarding a proposition without any certain proof).
* argumentum ad misericordiam (appeal to pity; to arouse pity for getting one's conclusion accepted).
* argumentum ad populum (appeal to the people/consensus, popular sentiment - appeal to the majority; appeal to loyalty).
* argumentum ad verecundiam (appeal to authority; conventional propriety).
* ignoratio elenchi (a "red herring" or genetic fallacy) - assuming a perceived defect in the origin of a claim discredits the claim itself.
* non sequitur ("it does not follow"; irrelevant conclusion: diverts attention away from a fact in dispute rather than addressing it directly:
The record for me is when I once spotted someone to have made 6 (six!) logical fallacies in one go. At another time, I pointed out that someone had used a logical fallacy or two (and which), and was answered with "That is your opinion" (OWTTE). Go figure.
-IainB (October 15, 2012, 08:24 PM)
--- End quote ---
(Satire)
Iain is an egg-head, and egg-heads control the Illuminati. They monitor your communications, and if they don't like something they will beat down your door and arrest you. Don't believe me? Look at the **AA monitoring of torrents! You know that they do. After all, the poor artists will starve if you copy stuff, right? Everybody knows that! So remember, that if you copy a song you're a blood-siphoning little mosquito feeding off the poor artists. But you know those pictures everyone reposts? No one cares as much about pictures, because songs are more important. So that's how Facebook came about - everyone likes sharing pictures. Mark Zuckerberg made a lot of money by sharing pictures.
(/Satire)
Did I break your record? ;D
40hz:
@IainB - did you ever think of maybe putting your critical thinking course up on a website? Or as a wiki? That would be a valuable resource IMHO. :Thmbsup:
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