Millions of Americans likely have felt a little dumb for not knowing some of the answers on the Fox network’s “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” But in her recent article, Eagle reporter Suzanne Perez Tobias spoke with educators who pointed out that “being smart is more than just memorizing details,” especially when technology has put all those dates, battles and state capitals at our fingertips. Our schoolchildren need to have some of those “details” in their heads in order to build upon them. But they also need to see the big picture.
Posted by Patrice Hein
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26 Comments
While I sit at the sunset of my life I see a real need for some common sense to all this eduational uproar. The generation that now has the reponsibility to raise our/my grand children is failing the test of time. I will never forget my forth grade teacher who told me “If you awake and complete a full day on this earth and at the end of the day can not name at least 50 things you have learned that day, you can count that day as a complete loss!” We do not have in this time and place real teachers/nurturers of our young any longer. Think on it!!!!!!
The mind is a muscle the same as any other, if not exercised it can grow weak. If you keep a cup empty on the off chance you may need it to drink wine. You will die of dehydration, lately I have met too many people that could be smarter then they are but choose to remain ignorant on the off chance they may need to know something important? But if you are not knowledgeable, how would you know what is important and what is not?
I think that is the silliest show. How can anyone NOT know those answers? I only watched it twice, the second time I turned it off halfway through, but it was really lame.
I usually like shows with kids, but I predict that one will be canceled before two months is out.
Then again, they haven’t canceled that show that supposedly takes place in KS – after some cataclysmic nuclear bomb.
….sigh…
GS..I hope you are right, but somehow, I don’t think it will be cancelled..just because it is so inane. The dumber the shows, the better the chance they have, or so it seems.
Look at all the phony “reality” shows that have developed over the years. Many of them have a huge following, regardless of the quality of the show. “Super nanny”? Or “trading spouses”? Sheesh…give me a good book or the History channel anytime!
I hear ya.
I never saw the need to pay for cable – just more trash TV that I wont watch, but I do like reading. I get most of my news from the Net, and I can bypass the ’slant’ different media outlets like to swamp us with.
Do you need to be smarter than a fifth-grader?
NOT TO WORK AT A AIRCRAFT COMPANY!
Raptor,
I like the Discovery Channel, Food Network along with the History Channel. 9 times out of 10, you can find my TV on one of thoes channels. If its not them, its a News station…
I still dont understand why we can’t buy TV by the channel, rather than having to buy these dam packages… I hope the FCC breaks the monopoly that Cox (and other cable companies) has on the cable industry…
One of the best teachers I ever had told me that his job was not to fill my head with facts, but to show me how to find the facts I needed and how to question them and process them into a coherent picture. Since then, I have met too many people with heads full of facts and no way to think about them.
Buying the channels would cost you more money in the long run. MSO’s get discounts because many of the channels are owned by the same company. IE Disney, ESPN, ABC are all part of the same family. As are CBS, MTV, VH1 just to name a few. The owners give MSO’s discounts based on numbers of subscribers and where channels are located in what tiers. If you were to buy the channels on an individual basis you would pay a lot more.
As to slanted newscasts, well that is all a matter of perspective. Fox likes to say it is fair and balanced, yet pushes a decidedly right wing format. The maintstream media NMC, CBS, and ABC are the same way but lean to the left.
It is all a matter of which side of the post you tend to lean towards.
I had never even heard of this show until a week ago when some of my coworkers were talking about it. In theory it sounds interesting, but the fact that many adults can’t answer the questions given on the show just scares me too much to even watch! How stupid can our society be??? I have to agree with you Tony, other than a couple shows on NBC, I basically watch Discovery, TLC, or Food. They can be quite educational.
I Work Aircraft – I’m sure I shouldn’t even reply, it will only give you more reason to spout BS, but I’m fighting my instincts… What job do you do, since you feel you are stupid enough to work there? I feel myself to be quite intelligent and other than a few idiots that I’ve met who have somehow lasted, most of my coworkers are quite intelligent.
Part of the identifier in evaluating education and what is pushed more and more in advanced schooling of children and young adults is Critical Thinking.
This is a process recognized by all Educators and it is what is the difference is some advanced High Schools and of course, learning at Universities.
Rote memory is often association with habit or repetitive learning skills. There is nothing wrong with it, but once we get out of the habit or practice then some facts are lost and confused.
However, back to the premise of my argument, it is the people who have advanced their “Critical Thinking” skills that do well in tests that evaluate their educational skills which also includes rote learning.
Education is more than just memorizing rules of grammar, memorizing mathematical formulas and quoting lines of poetry. Proof that you have learned something is when you can apply all of those rote memory exercises into practical solutions as it applied to sciences, the arts, engineering or any field.
Pardon me while I drink by coffee Mind Map and wake up. :)
These are 5th graders. IT’s foundation time. Rote memory and basic learning IS important. The brain is a muscle, and it needs exercising and use to grow. And certainly what we all want are critical thinkers, but —
How do we think critically without a basic understanding of facts to base our thinking upon? Those basic facts ARE important- they are the foundation upon which critical thinking is based.
Thanks for cleaning up my assertion on Critical Thinking GMC70. I couldn’t get my mind in gear without that third cup of coffee. :)
Why you cant buy TV by the channel..? Because it would cost an astronomical amount. The Cableco buys channels in blocks to get a good price. If you want ESPN you also have to buy 20 other channels or the studios wont sell it. Cox pays 2.50 or more PER HOME/Month to get ESPN IF its on the main tier.
If they put it as stand alone…ESPN said they would charge more than HBO, to the tune of 17-20 bucks a month for ESPN alone.
So to get this very popular channel..you pony up and take the other 20 channels the nets want you to take.
The same goes for other popular channels, if you like the family friendly Discover channel, you have to take 10 or so other channels to get it at an affordable price. Or it would cost you 10-15 dollars per month PER CHANNEL.
So if you want ala cart channels, be prepared to pony up BIG Bucks to the tune of HBO prices for EACH channel.
See, those advertisements we all hate are looking good now. Or you will pay mucho for each show.
Take a look at the PPV costs on your cable line up. You would be charged that much each time you watch CSI or more. So watch the adverts and keep quiet.
Or you might just get what you asked for.
> NOT TO WORK AT A AIRCRAFT COMPANY!
This is a statement clearly meant to incite anger.
I was in the Air Force and worked at a local aircraft company as an electrician. I’m now in finance. There are many intelligent people who work in the aircraft industry. However, being an aircraft technician doesn’t require much scholastic education. You do what the print says to do without deviation.
Religious faith is the antithesis to critical thinking and reason. The United States is one of the most religious developed countries and have one of the worst education systems. I don’t see much improvement in the collective reasoning capability until people realize supernatural mythology is for children, not adults.
“Religious faith is the antithesis to critical thinking and reason. The United States is one of the most religious developed countries and have one of the worst education systems.” Posted by: bdanley | March 15, 2007 at 02:44 PM
Interesting viewpoint bdanley.
Would you care to discuss how there are Catholic Priests with PhD’s in many of the science fields, medicine, psychology, arts, and about anything you can think about or study.
Or perhaps the millions of Christians with advanced degrees in almost every discipline there is.
I have one friend who was an Air Force Pilot, with and advanced Engineer Degree and flies test planes for a major Aircraft manufacturing company. He is also very active in his Church and is a Deacon.
Would you care to discuss any conflict in Religion and Education on any of those topics?
“This is a statement clearly meant to incite anger.”
Gee, ya think?!?!?
To think that most facts learned during the first five grades will have any effect on later years is stretching it a bit. For example: I could care less how many cups are in a gallon, or that Canada has a longer border with us than mexico: they are not usable facts to MOST people. Anal retentives maybe, but not me.
The questions asked on the show are chosen for their remoteness, The contestants for their personalities and the fifth graders for their “cuteness.” It is not a very well done show.
“Religious faith is the antithesis to critical thinking and reason. The United States is one of the most religious developed countries and have one of the worst education systems.” Posted by: bdanley | March 15, 2007 at 02:44 PM
I disagree with this. I practice Catholicism and I have degrees in Computer Science and Criminal Justice and minors in math and physics. So I don’t think that religion has anything to do with how I think, I honestly think it has more to do with how much people want to learn and how much they choose not to inform themselves. Just because I don’t agree with the latest scare, or the latest theory doesn’t mean I didn’t sit down and think about it first.
I think education(and lack there of) shows an apathy in our society toward learning or advancing. Some blame could fall on schools for trying to be social guardians of our youth, some could fall on the need in some cases for both parents to work, and some could fall other things in our society such as our schools not challenging our youth enough(I fell into this category myself) or focusing more on those who are more affluent?
I could care less how many cups are in a gallon, or that Canada has a longer border with us than mexico: they are not usable facts to MOST people. Anal retentives maybe, but not me.Posted by: 5th grader | March 15, 2007 at 03:28 PM
hehe 5th Grader. :)
I think they call those Anal retentive people Scientists and Engineers later on in life.
5th grader – I agree strongly with your point about “social guardians of our youth”. Many of today’s parents have abdicated their responsibilities to the churches and schools.
Either you don’t understand Catholicism or you don’t understand physics because the two are incompatible. What did the Catholic church think of Galileo?
Certainly there are those holding advanced degrees AND are religious. This is an anectodal argument and isn’t very compelling.
The type of degree matters. I’m not saying religious people are stupid, they aren’t. But they aren’t the ones making scientific discoveries. Their religions tell them the answers to the big questions and their faith causes them to suppress skepticism. The origin of natural laws probably isn’t important to an engineer as long as they work (they do). The ratio of pious physicists, biologists, anthropologists, or philosophers to those who are not is low.
“Either you don’t understand Catholicism or you don’t understand physics” Posted by: bdanley | March 15, 2007 at 04:04 PM
I disagree with this also. One can choose to follow Catholicism, and follow for matters based on faith and morals(as I do), but does not need it to explain things in the science realm.
And while it is true that the church did condemn Galileo, it later accepted it. Just because it is slower at doing so just means that religions should teach faith and morals, and not science. There isn’t a conflict with following a religion(as I do) and knowing physics(as I do, but only with a minor).
The problem some have is that not being able accept each for what it is. Religion as a matter of faith and morals, and science as a way to understand the world. However, to reciprocate, scientists once thought that space must have had ether gas in it, and it did not. Does this mean that science therefore is inherently flawed also?
No, what it means is that is that at our current level of understanding at the time we thought it had to have existed. Likewise, the Christian and other related faiths thought that we had to be center of the universe. Thinking and knowledge changes, but keeping what is science in the realm of science and what is religion in the realm of religion one doesn’t have a conflict.
” But they aren’t the ones making scientific discoveries. Their religions tell them the answers to the big questions and their faith causes them to suppress skepticism.Posted by: bdanley | March 15, 2007 at 04:04 PM
Here you go bdanley here is a statement by a Scientist who is Christian and a Weblink that talks about Christians and Scientists.
One of the most interesting points in the discussion was by a Scientist (paraphrased) that why were all the huge advances in Science done in the Western Countries that were dominated by Christianity and had Christian run States?
Also,
Dr. Francis S. Collins is Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland Christian
Pretty impressive credentials for a Christina wouldn’t you say?
You can read more if you wish at:
http://www.tektonics.org/scim/sciencemony.htm
Science is flawed…otherwise we wouldn’t need it.
Morals don’t come from religions. If they did Catholic priests wouldn’t be raping little boys and all atheists would be horrible vile people. If you think God was a nice guy you don’t understand the Bible.
Religion and science cannot remain mutually exclusive as long as religions make claims about the natural world that can be studied empirically. You cannot believe the world is both less than 10,000 years old AND 4.5 billion years old.
Religions change only after science proves their teachings to be false. What does this say about the omniscience of god? The Christian god is The God of the Gaps (of scientific understanding).
But I digress. This is getting a bit off topic.
You’re right bdanley, that was way off topic. :)
My humble opinion:
Suzanne Perez Tobias is one of the best writers at the WE.