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Quote by: Athena What a rotten opinion of kids. I can't think of a time when I wasn't thinking. But how would teachers know students are thinking, when they are trying so hard to cram stuff in a students head, instead of making it safe for a student to express what is going on in his/her head? I have listened to young people debate and give speeches, and their thinking was very impressive. But who cares? How many times do debates and speech contest get the news coverage of a foot ball game? I suspect we don't see a lot thinking young people, because we have made it uncool to be one.
How could you think young people do not need to relax anyway? The teen years are very stressful years. A lot of teenagers stay in their rooms doing nothing but avoid the stress of their lives, as best they can. There are many issues that are very important to them, but the chances are good they are not going to talk about them, because they are personal. In the past, book sets for young people, had a book about heros, a book about myths, and book of inspiring stories about young people. These were choosen for the purpose of helping young people transition to adulthood. It seems today, the wisdom of the past is lost. Too often we push adult stuff on them with the expectation they find meaning or some value in it. How many times have students been the ones to make up the reading list and explain why a book is a good book? Am I wrong, or aren't adults making the decisions for reasons other than the reasoning of a young person? And hey, mythology is a great way of learning about history, but I don't think high school teachers know enough about myths to know this. In the stories of myths are real historical facts. My grandson who enjoys myths is getting PBS vidoes about myths and history for Christmas.
Secondly, documentaries are my idea of relaxing. Most the stuff on TV just doesn't hold my interest and if it doesn't hold my interest, it is just irrating noise. On the other hand I have watched my copy of the The Sun Dagger video several times, because I enjoy the frame of mind it puts me in. It is about an ancient celestial calendar in the Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It is really annoying to me to want to relax with a good show, and find none of TV. But then, no one wants to watch these shows with me, so maybe I different? |
I don't have a rotten opinion of kids. I have a rotten opinion of the world we have created for kids. I do not believe that kids have an easy life, but I sure as heck think that we make kids believe they have a much harder life than they actually do. They have a sad life, and an uncomfortable life; they don't have a hard life. i think there's a difference.
I say kids don't think because that's what they show me. On some occasions, I am pleasantly surprised, but not often. I believe very strongly that all kids can think; I also see that they don't. I try to challenge them to think; I think an aggressive challenge actually works much better than saying, "It's okay, I know you have a hard life. you just go ahead and play Halo for ten hours; you can think tomorrow."
And while I make students read some books, because most kids would never choose to read "To Kill a Mockingbird," a book that's worth reading, I do let them choose their own books as often as possible. Even silly ones, and bad ones. My only rule is that they can't read a book that has a movie, because guess what they do? They take the easy way, the way that doesn't require any thinking: they watch TV.
I like TV too. But TV doesn't replace thinking for me; it does, for most teens today. Not all, no -- but most.