Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/06/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have made it a minor hobby to collect old text books, generally middle and high school level. All of the previous comments are spot on regarding the level of ability required to navigate mid-century and earlier texts. One mitigating factor in this discussion is that fifty years ago finishing high school was considered a major achievement; the materials used assumed a level of ability and desire that is not there anymore, at least in the U.S. Now that a high school diploma grants the recipient almost no rights other than to join the military or perhaps attend an institution of higher education the course work has been dumbed down pervasively. Perhaps that is one reason that real estate is so expensive in those regions where the public schools are still genuinely good or why so many private schools have cropped up where they have not. One area that has become far more rigorous is the sciences. Just as my chemistry at the B.S level required mastery of concepts that my father in law touched on in his Masters, my daughter's I.B high chemistry and biology cover ground that I didn't see until the 200 and 300 level courses. Perhaps that is one reason that the "highly selective" universities like to see AP or I.B. level sciences in the transcript. That is one area where a long rambling term paper can never paper over the lack of basic knowledge. As to Civil War letters being linguistically excellent, most people were not literate at that point in U.S. history so those who were literate wrote for those who could not. The sum of my ramblings is that we expect from all that which has historically been accomplished by the few and then malign whoever does not measure up. Don dorysrus@mindspring.com -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of B. D. Colen Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 6:39 PM To: 'Leica Users Group' Subject: RE: [Leica] RE: While it is happening (B. D. Colen) I believe we are - dumber - if you're referring to basic knowledge. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Dan C Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 3:04 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: RE: [Leica] RE: While it is happening (B. D. Colen) When I was a physics major in university, the standard classical mechanics text was the one by Goldstein (first edition; dates me a bit). When my professor was my age, the text he used was a book by Whitaker. I always considered Goldstein to be a fairly difficult book, at least it was for me when I was in 2nd year, but Whitaker's book makes Goldtein's look like a high school text by comparison. I don't know how I would have made it through a course on mechanics if I had taken it using Whitaker as a text. But that was the standard "back then". I think we are just plain dummer now, not just in language skills.. -dan c. At 09:43 AM 23-06-04 -0400, B. D. Colen wrote: >You're absolutely correct, Mark; there are different standards. The >problem, however, is that the formal standard has weakened enormously >in the past 40 years, and having the second standard weakens it >further, as the sloppy Email writing carries over into more formal >communication. At least that's how I see it. > > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information