| Why are we 'dumbing down' our students? by Cindy Clifford If we want smarter students, we have to expect more of them. Sounds like common sense, doesn't it? Yet, when you examine what is expected of young adults today compared to when I was a kid (almost three decades ago), you'll find our expectations have gone down. Isn't technology supposed to help us go forward? Then why are schools and businesses -- the very same ones now screaming about "poor students" -- contributing to the overall "dumbing down" of our students? For example, my first job at 16 was at a McDonald's in Kansas City. I had to memorize the menu, the prices for each item, be able to punch in the numbers quickly and correctly, count back change, and keep a smile on my face ("the customer is always right" attitude prevailed then). I was also taught to find things to do to stay busy...to give an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. And if I was more than a quarter off in my cash drawer, I had to make up the difference, regardless of whether I was over or under (that taught us how to be accurate). Today, kids push a picture of the item ordered, the machine tells them how much change to give back, and you're lucky if you get a smile. Counting back change? Unheard of in our "advanced" society! In August 1998, discussions were ongoing about changing the way the Iowa Basic Skills test was administered and graded. Some people complained that it's an unfair test, because some students just test poorly, though they're really smart, and that we should be measuring how much they've improved. Some would even have us grade these tests on a curve and not against a set standard. In this entire debate, I've never seen it brought out just how far behind American students already are when compared to their Russian or Japanese counterparts. If we have no common set of standards by which we measure learning, how will we know or feel confident with what they do know? If we change how we measure academic achievement, American students will be ill-equipped to compete in the global marketplace, and that will have devastating ramifications that will reverberate around the world. The children of today are the decision-makers of tomorrow. If they've not been taught how to think innovatively, to reason intelligently, to find creative answers to tough questions, and yes, be able to make change from a $20, then we will live to see the "decline of an empire." I still believe what psychologists and new age religions have been saying for years, and it's summed up in the phrase, "self-fulfilling prophesy." What you believe will happen, will happen. Rather than adjust our testing methods to suit individual needs, why not begin reestablishing the high standards that once set the pace for the rest of the world? Let's do whatever is necessary to equip our children with the skills necessary to achieve and even set new standards of academic excellence. We have the technology, so what is stopping us from expecting MORE from our kids than was expected from previous generations? Why are businesses making it easier for kids to just "put in their time" (which contributes to higher costs all the way around), rather than requiring them to stretch and learn how to be a contributing member of the team? Businesses want good employees...that's a given. Most Americans want to feel needed, be productive, and be well paid for their efforts...another given. Without businesses getting more involved in the educational process, students will continue to graduate from high school and yes, even college, without the skills necessary to succeed in today's global market. The children of today are growing up exposed to so many computers and mechanical toys, they haven't had the chance to learn how to think creatively...like how to get a baseball game going with a stick and a walnut, or how to effectively talk to people face-to-face, because they've learned their communication skills on a computer. Schools also could do a better job in teaching children how to succeed by teaching more classes with real-world applications. For instance, after taking a high-school level math class, a student should know how to balance a checkbook, figure out a mortgage, or how to amortize business expenses. English classes could teach students how to write a cover letter, do a resume, make a sales presentation, and write lyrics to a song (poetry in disguise!). With over half of all Americans overweight, isn't it time we put a priority on health, and taught nutrition along with physical education? And History! Can we finally start teaching the truth and really educate our children about this nation's history, so they can effectively address the problems other societies may have with our way of life? Teachers complain that they have too many children to teach to address the special needs of a few, and I understand that, having taught a class of 30 myself. But with so many lonely, elderly people, it seems to me we have a wealth of untapped talent and a huge pool of mentors from which to find potential teachers who can help our children. The trick is to get people involved, and many won't until they're asked. Some may need to be "taught how to teach," but once you've seen a child light up because he or she now understands something that once was a mystery is a reward in itself, and the payoff is a better world for all of us. A person doesn't have to be a CEO to have valuable insights to offer a child about the world of business...why learning how to do one's best is so important, no matter what the job. It's important not only for their employer but also for the child personally. We need to teach them why it's important to work hard, dress well for an interview (and how to do that from thrift stores), and how to resolve personality conflicts, both in and out of the workplace. Self-esteem is a direct by-product of accomplishment, and most of our societal ills can be traced to individuals lacking in basic self-esteem. These crucial skills (working hard, dressing well on a budget and resolving conflict), among others, can best be taught by example, and by utilizing our country's great "human resource," especially our "mature citizens." With help, our children will begin learning how to find creative answers to the difficult questions that will face them down the road, when we're either gone or too old to do anything about the decisions made. Ecclesiastes says there is a "time for every purpose under heaven." Without basic skills combined with creative thinking, some purposes will never be brought to fruition, and that's a loss for the entire world. Most parents agree that they want their kids to have a better life than they've had. Let's begin by expecting our kids to do better than we did -- at least to be able to make change from a $20. Cindy Clifford is an Advertising Sales Consultant for The Edge in the Springfield, Mo., area. She has been a Writer/Creative Consultant for the past six years here in Springfield, and have worked on and off in radio and television since 1993. She's been published in The Springfield News-Leader, The Kansas City Star, 417 and Unity Magazines, and The KGBX Today's Woman. Contact her at (417) 866-2250, or e-mail springfield@edgenews.com Copyright 2001 Cindy Clifford |
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