Are we getting dumber?

The film Idiocracy is a dark comedy about our culture, 500 years in the future, and the amazing level of stupidity achieved as a result of intelligent couples having less children, while the more stupid couples seemed to be breeding almost for sport.  Consumerism, anti-intellectualism, media saturation, and general apathy rule the new day.

A popular tv show is "Ow My Balls!" in which male contestants are kicked in their junk for audience amusement, and the President of the United States, a former porn star and professional wrestler, drinks 40oz. beers on his monster truck and fires high-powered weaponry into the air.  The movie is hilarious and quotable- and some would say prescient.

Seven things teachers are sick of hearing from school reformers.

This article begins with a mention of a psychological study that showed how polite people are more likely to follow orders, good or bad, and not question authority.  An important point because many teachers are too concerned with keeping their jobs to raise questions and spark debate amongst teachers and administrators.  It ends with a call for reformers to stay out of the way of teachers.

Ian Altman is the author of this scathing response to school reformers.  Altman equates these people to  condescending propagandists for a top-down system that only seeks to promote its own relevance, despite all evidence to the contrary.  The simple fact that the common core is near-Gospel and was "passed" (read: monetarily coerced into practice, read this) without any justification for doing so is enough to make the most complacent parents and educators wonder why we spend any time and money on it at all.

Notes for Learning Skills and the Integrated Trivium online class.

REMEMBER: Deconstruction, Selection, and Deliberate Practice!!!

Neuroplasticity (Wikipedia)

Metacognition (Wikipedia)


Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck

Article: Even Geniuses Work Hard by Carol Dweck

The real reason that children fidget in class.

This article hits upon a topic that I have very strong views about: fidgeting children as targets for the "ADHD" label. I personally do not believe that ADHD exists as there is no scientifically verified physiological backing for it, and it's coming from a culture that does not in any way promote focus, concentration or what is best for children in public schools.

 Surfers have a slang term called "lurking heavy" which describes a state achieved after a long morning of surfing wherein the surfer's body is exhausted but the mind is still sharp and awake. Those who deem children worthy of the ADHD label are the equivalent of expecting a surfer to "lurk heavy" before going out for a ride! How can children, so full of energy and requiring hours of physical activity per day, be expected to sit still and quiet like good little puppies (something that most adults loathe doing)? I call bullshit.

 http://www.balancedandbarefoot.com/blog/the-real-reason-why-children-fidget?