Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/06/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Sun, 27 Jun 2004, Peter Dzwig wrote: > Politicians have to realise that there is a lot more to an educated work > force > than mere statistics. There are, it is ever so true, "Lies, damned lies and > statistics". I don't really want to take issue with your point, Peter, that more effort has to be put into basic education in order for higher education to perform well. I did want to add that I'm not sure how much we can fault politicians for this. If we can, we can certainly not lay the blame with one party or the other. The situation you describe, if not global, is at least international. Europe is experiencing the same frustrations. I can't see that there are political interests that are strong enough to influence educational systems across borders. Sometimes I wonder if not the needs of modern workplaces is changing so rapidly that the educational system, if it tries to target those specific needs, simply does not have a ghost of a chance of succeeding. Perhaps education should consist of fundamental subjects and focus on teaching study skills so that when students are faced with a new subject once they come out into the working life, they will have the skills (a disciplined approach to mastering a new subject) to tackle it. There are few professions where you can actually take a course of studies and expect to find a job: medicine, the legal profession ... anything else? Technology is moving so fast that schools are having a difficult time of staying abreast with engineering. Advancement in technology and science is no longer the monopoly of higher education, if it ever was. Since educational establishments are no longer the guiding forces behind advancement, they are struggling to find a new role and are aiming at a moving target. One thing I know ... I would not like to be 18 today. I have one of those and a couple more on the way. On the other hand, I'm glad they don't see things the way I do. It makes it easier for them. I've noticed I've learned a lot from them too. Daniel > > Peter Dzwig > > Don Dory wrote: > > Sorry for the rant, but if these 18 year olds are being admitted to > > university; shouldn't they be able to string a few words together > > coherently? > > > > Perhaps it wouldn't be too much to require basic communication abilities > > before admission. My mother taught at the graduate level and every > > semester flunked out a few who couldn't/wouldn't write the required > > papers in the format provided the first session. I can still hear her > > on the phone to the Provost explaining that if a student could not > > follow a basic style requirement at the graduate level she saw no reason > > to provide a passing grade, and explaining it again, and again. > > > > 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 Adam Bridge > > Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 3:17 PM > > To: Leica Users Group > > Subject: Re: [Leica] declining quality of writing > > > > My engineering education dates from the early 1980s, but at UC Davis > > at least writing reports, GOOD reports that people could understand > > and which were literate, was a part of the general engineering > > curriculum that all engineers were required to take. > > > > The University also had entrance tests to discern who could actually > > write an essay in English that someone might, should they read it, > > have a shot at understanding. I used to carpool with one of the > > specialists who taught that course and the amount of understanding she > > brought to her course was well beyond what a vast majority of the > > engineering faculty had at their disposal. > > > > Teaching writing and composition is a specialized field, just like > > teaching circuit design, chemistry or any other field. It seems > > natural to me to let those who studied how to do it actually do the > > job they studied for. > > > > On the other hand the demand for well-written reports and essays in > > the sciences and in engineering seems even more crucial now than it > > ever has. But in an era where some elementary curricula are designed > > around using Power Point (shuddering) I wonder how well we're going to > > be doing a decade from now. > > > > Adam > > > > On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 14:32:08 -0500, Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com> > > wrote: > > > >>I have tried to push "writing across the curriculum" at three > > > > different > > > >>colleges, and each attempt has invoked cries of "academic freedom" > > > > being > > > >>violated. The invention of the scantron hasn't helped our cause > > > > either. > > > >>Jeffery Smith > >>New Orleans, LA > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >