tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post2199588235541524974..comments2024-03-29T01:07:30.224-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: STEM SellsStuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-1718717834976615952011-10-24T06:03:37.542-07:002011-10-24T06:03:37.542-07:00Society did not make anyone go to college. If the...Society did not make anyone go to college. If the OWS people were really serious about anything other than expecting others to pay their way they would be going after educational institutions that have mislead them. They would be going after a Democrat Congress and president who made the bailout possible. They would not be associating themselves with teachers unions or for that matter any union who was the beneficiary of these bailouts.<br />Colleges/universities graduate large numbers of people they have to know are never going to get a job in their chosen career. Just how many lawyers, concert musicians, artists, archeologists, et al does one think any society can support? What good are a bunch of upper level managers without the people too make it happen?<br />If many of those people who populate OWS were lead into believing it was movies like "Animal House" and the assorted ilk that portray higher education as some big party with a lot of drugs, alcohol and sex. For most of these people it is a four year vacation from responsibility.<br />A "where is the Beef" question for all of the OWS crowd, "Where we you when many of us were trying to stop the "bailouts?" Sans the bailout those on Wall Street and businesses that played fat and loose would have paid for their actions.<br />Instead we get a bunch of tribal ululations and whining. it is interesting to see the question posited that we did all that society expected us to do and we deserve to be pandered to, but are you not expecting others who did the same to pay for your desires and sloth?Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14962996070458991675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-6166984989410503092011-10-23T09:01:50.920-07:002011-10-23T09:01:50.920-07:00This generation has grown up being told that colle...This generation has grown up being told that college is mandatory and high grades are all important. Learning a trade is considered embarrassing and entering the workforce without a degree is considered failure. These students who are majoring in soft subjects are just doing what they thought they were supposed to: getting a degree and keeping up their GPA. Now they are suddenly being told that neither matters and what they really need are marketable skills. It's easy to see why they would be angry for having followed the "rules" only to be punished with unemployment. They were told they were doing the right thing. It's just a pity that they blame the free market for not catering to their system rather than blaming the system for lying to them about the free market.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-86081691335692662642011-10-23T08:18:46.103-07:002011-10-23T08:18:46.103-07:00I agree with Katie Lee that many parents have simp...I agree with Katie Lee that many parents have simply not been paying attention to what their children are being taught. Of course, if they pay attention are object they are often chastised and criticized.<br /><br />Unfortunately, they also know that if they complain their children's teachers might easily take it out on their children. Either by downgrading their performance or by humiliating them in class.<br /><br />As a society we have given teachers far too much power and they, along with their media enablers, have done their best to stifle criticism.<br /><br />I also agree with David that a dual major might make sense for some people, but only if the philosophy courses really teach philosophy and do not get mired in political correctness.Stuart Schneidermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-33218464016482507502011-10-22T17:23:48.885-07:002011-10-22T17:23:48.885-07:00Dual majors--English, etc. Management consultant M...Dual majors--English, etc. Management consultant Michael Hammer has argued that the best undergraduate preparation for the future executive would be a double major: one hard science or engineering field, and one rigorous humanity. Examples he cites are:<br /><br />--electrical engineering and philosophy <br />--mechanical engineering and medieval history <br />--aeronautics and theology<br /><br />I excerpted Hammer's thoughts <a href="http://photoncourier.blogspot.com/2004_11_01_archive.html#109987771486855810" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />What Dr Hammer is talking about under the heading of "humanities," though, is a serious and difficult course of study. Unfortunately, the way universities have conducted their affairs over the last couple of decades has crippled any credibility they might have had re their ability to deliver such programs.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-79379232436734544942011-10-22T16:38:56.292-07:002011-10-22T16:38:56.292-07:00You say it so much better than I. :)
I wouldn'...You say it so much better than I. :) <br />I wouldn't say parents were necessarily in collusion. I think many parents really had no idea what their kids were actually being taught. They thought their kids were being taught to read, write, add & subtract, history~~and taught in a way they themselves had been taught. Add to that the idea that teachers are somehow superior in their knowledge and ability to be the shining beacons of their children, and weren't to be questioned, and you have something of a free pass for an errant educational system with a questionable curriculum. <br />Today, degrees are a dime a dozen. They denote very little, much less 'well-educated' or 'bright'. I'd almost say the High School grad 0f 30 + years ago might be better grounded. <br /><br />I'm appalled by the lack of ability of these 'bright' grads to simply write and spell. They aren't taught cursive these days apparently, so everything is printed---and looks like a 12- yr old wrote it. So does the spelling. They can't sound out simple words, it's like listening to 12 yr olds, too. <br /><br />I work in the medical field and am appalled every day. And I'm even more horrified that this group, the OWS players of today will be running the country in another 30 or so years.Katielee4211https://www.blogger.com/profile/14994959732687391703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-24185926028169324052011-10-22T14:49:41.402-07:002011-10-22T14:49:41.402-07:00A local specialty paper plant recently underwent a...A local specialty paper plant recently underwent an expansion that required hiring approx. 250-300 new employees. A friend that works there told me that they didn't have too much trouble filling the first 100 or so positions. However, they had a devil of a time filling the remaining positions due to failure to pass drug tests or lack of rudimentary readin' and writin' skills. <br />These were the type of decent paying factory jobs that are supposedly so hard to find in this country today. Anecdotal, but I'm guessing the U.S. educational system is graduating a lot more functional illiterates today than in the past.Third Coasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18164034977282528857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-5058624180881550142011-10-22T10:39:30.293-07:002011-10-22T10:39:30.293-07:00Great point... what could be more conducive to a s...Great point... what could be more conducive to a sense of entitlement than the value placed on credentials... as though once you have the degree everything had better fall into place... or else you are going to feel that you are being victimized.Stuart Schneidermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-12117211804567184232011-10-22T09:00:15.513-07:002011-10-22T09:00:15.513-07:00A big part of the problem is that higher eduction ...A big part of the problem is that higher eduction has been sold primarily in terms of the credential. It wasn't "learn stuff because learning stuff is interesting and makes you a better person," or even "learn stuff that you will need to know for your career," but rather "a college DEGREE will get you a better & higher-paying job." It's been all about the piece of paper.<br /><br />If as an auto manufacuter you market your car in terms of "this car will attract hot girls," then when people come into the showroom you need not expect them to be interested in hearing about the innovative suspension and the cunning valve motion. That's not what they're buying it for. SImilarly, college has been sold in a way that ensure many students will have little interest in the educational aspect.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.com