''Stupid in America'' - Documentary America's education system.

''Stupid in America'' - Documentary America's education system

They should do a follow up ... 'Stupid in America - Documentary on America TV Shows" ... then look at the folks who go no Maury and Springer and Jersey Shore and the rest. It's a sad commentary about America. It really is.

There was a movie back in 2006 and I watched it again the other day. But everyone should watch "Idiocracy". It is exactly what we are talking about here. A guy is put in government sleep for 500 years on accident and wakes up and is the smartest man alive when before he was just an average guy. Its kind of one of those so dumb its funny movies. But still pretty funny if you pay attention. There are people that only answer questions with the moronic company slogans and some of the dumbest thinking around. It is worth watching just for the sheer concept of it.

There was a movie back in 2006 and I watched it again the other day. But everyone should watch "Idiocracy".

reply to post by TheTardis


I tell people the same thing because once they watch it, they will start noticing the similarities in their everyday life. Then it will hit them as it did me, wow.... there is some truth in that movie. Kudos for bringing it up

Quick story...
We had an application from a "teacher" (I have no clue why he wasn't teaching, he would have fit in well there). We hired him. His job was simply to sell cell phones, pull up the appropriate forms from the company program, follow the instructions and enter the relevant data. This also included collecting payments and printing receipts for those payments. Every new job takes a little time to get used too, but this "teacher" was not able to repeat a single process from memory after a month of on the job training. He was advised that if he wasn't able to remember, he needed to get a notebook and write the instructions down and keep it handy so he can function in his position. For some reason this guy refused to take notes, he insisted he could handle the job (but couldn't complete a single task that required thought process) then quit a few days later. Here is the kicker, he said he will go back to teaching

Originally posted by OldSchoolMom

There was a movie back in 2006 and I watched it again the other day. But everyone should watch "Idiocracy".

reply to post by TheTardis

 

I tell people the same thing because once they watch it, they will start noticing the similarities in their everyday life. Then it will hit them as it did me, wow.... there is some truth in that movie. Kudos for bringing it up

Quick story...
We had an application from a "teacher" (I have no clue why he wasn't teaching, he would have fit in well there). We hired him. His job was simply to sell cell phones, pull up the appropriate forms from the company program, follow the instructions and enter the relevant data. This also included collecting payments and printing receipts for those payments. Every new job takes a little time to get used too, but this "teacher" was not able to repeat a single process from memory after a month of on the job training. He was advised that if he wasn't able to remember, he needed to get a notebook and write the instructions down and keep it handy so he can function in his position. For some reason this guy refused to take notes, he insisted he could handle the job (but couldn't complete a single task that required thought process) then quit a few days later. Here is the kicker, he said he will go back to teaching

edit on 13-7-2012 by OldSchoolMom because: (no reason given)

I think that movies should be required viewing in Highschools.

Originally posted by watchitburn
I can agree with that documentary without even watching it, I went to a terrible school.

We had about a 75% dropout rate, the teachers had no control over the students. We would just completely ignore the teachers.

Example:
-Teacher would give a test, most did not take it.
-Teacher would give a test and let us use our textbooks,still most did not take the test.
-Teacher pulled out the overhead projector, went through the whole test with us and gave all the answers. only a few took the test.

Don't get me wrong, some of the teachers were very good, and they cared. But most of them were lost without their "teacher's edition" textbook. And the student's didn't care because they faced no repercussions at home.

I think a lot of it has to do with how the kids are raised at home these days.

And vote for me for ATS Regent! ATS Regent Election Thread

Hint: College takeover. Teachers College = No proper student teacher. Have fun in College though.

reply to post by OldSchoolMom


Sounds typical.For most people the truth is too hard to face or take, so they just go on with blinders on..........and teach our kids.

Originally posted by starwarsisreal
And yet many people believe the new generation(generation z) will save their sorry @**es from the collapse of the economy. Really I wonder what have our world turn into?

edit on 2-7-2012 by starwarsisreal because: (no reason given)

Ya know, I don't know whether to make my comment sarcastic or truthful, but here goes: Look at what the highly educated have done to our country, our government's foreign policies, and our economy. Maybe it's time for some real down to earth, not-so-educated people to run the country. Maybe they'll be stupid enough to force back all of the jobs lost to other countries. Maybe they won't stick us in wars that we have no business being in. Maybe they'll work harder for the common citizen rather than big business.

I dunno. Just seems like they can't do any worse than the brilliant people running the show now.

Originally posted by OldSchoolMom

However, the blame shouldn't be to the teachers or there shouldn't be blame.

reply to post by Dgodinez

 

Ah, so let's excuse the professional auto mechanic when he can't fix any cars..(it's the car at fault)

The problem with your analogy is that a car doesn't have free will. The students do. It's clear you have never tried to teach.

EDIT: I read a few more of your posts. Wow. I've been a teacher for 23 years, and love my job. Apparently you have a different set of experiences than I do.

The educational system isn't perfect, and you are right--many of the problems come from government mucking things up. But I disagree with your main premise. I see hard working teachers who are making a difference with students--every single day. Not all teachers are on par with "burger flippers"--in fact, I know of very few that are not hard working and professional. But I also see parents who try to game the system and kids who are allowed to act however they want to act, and the parents are the first to make excuses for their child's behavior. It's hard to overcome the parental influence, no matter how talented a teacher is.

reply to post by GeorgiaGirl

The problem with your analogy is that a car doesn't have free will. The students do. It's clear you have never tried to teach.

If I remember correctly my analogy was referring to being professional at what you profess to be sorry if you disagree.

Ok, tell me... why are you the car? Are you claiming not to have free-will? Are you saying free-will is the problem... If you don't mind please clarify this for me, I would like to be sure I understand exactly what you are saying so I do not misunderstand. I am curious because as a teacher of 23 years, surely you know kids in America have always had freewill and well many have been educated quite well in the past before mastery learning.

EDIT: I read a few more of your posts. Wow. I've been a teacher for 23 years, and love my job. Apparently you have a different set of experiences than I do.

I loved teaching the children when I taught in the classroom. I stopped teaching when they wanted us to pry into the home life by tricking the child into revealing personal family business. I guess you were fine with it yes? This is America, not Russia... we are not supposed to do that here.

So I did have a different experience...I knew it was wrong to betray the parents trust for a paycheck. I figure parents should know what shananagans are going on when it comes to their child so they can protect their child and ensure they are learning exactly what they think their child is learning.

The educational system isn't perfect, and you are right--many of the problems come from government mucking things up.

"Mucking things up"... that is how you describe it? Please if you will give me an example of this "mucking up"..if you don't mind please tell me how they prevent you from teaching the children to read or add and subtract?

But I disagree with your main premise. I see hard working teachers who are making a difference with students--every single day. Not all teachers are on par with "burger flippers"--in fact, I know of very few that are not hard working and professional.

That's good to hear. I do know that the media has a knack for highlighting the worst teachers just at the time congress has new legislation written and ready to pass. (They use the hegelian dialectic too..just like The NEA and you teachers).

But I also see parents who try to game the system and kids who are allowed to act however they want to act, and the parents are the first to make excuses for their child's behavior.

Game the system? excuse me.... are you not permitted to send a child to the office to be dealt with if they disrupt the class? It worked in the past. If the reprimand doesn't work suspend or expel. It is more likely that there was a change in policy of some sort to provoke the loss of control in a classroom.

It's hard to overcome the parental influence, no matter how talented a teacher is.

Wow there it is...."Overcome parental influence" is applied not to poor behavior as we all see...but to the set values that the parents instill in the children AS IF, you think it is ok to disregard parental rights. Maybe this is why America is wondering what happened to our country... they have no clue that you have been teaching their children how bad America is and teaching them a we are a socialist democracy while never teaching them the truth about our form of government and what made this country great in the first place. If you were aware that this is what the school system has been doing and kept your mouth shut for that paycheck.... some might see that as a treasonous act.