The two words my college-level students did not know on their final

[leftyclimber]

permissible

legislation

:wtf:

[GOPisEvil]

1. *weeps for the future*

:cry:

[leftyclimber]

7. At one point in the semester

I asked them how much time they spent in K-12 learning how to take tests vs. just learning "stuff."

Overwhelmingly, they felt that the focus was on learning how to take tests.

I don't know how K-12 teachers put up with it. :cry:

[vard28]

22. Our teachers don't necessarily put up with it

It's just the way it is. "Teach" to the test, plain and simple. There are no teachers anymore, at least not in VA schools. They are here to make sure our kids memorize test questions and answers. I am a teacher assistant in the VA middle school that my 8th grade son attends. It makes me sad and also made me decide not to get my teaching degree.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear leftyclimber!

Holy cow...

That's friggin' unbelievable.

Ugh.

:wtf: is right...

[leftyclimber]

8. What's sad

is that these are great kids, for the most part. They are excited to go out into the world and make a difference. And they get mad when they think there's something they may have missed that might help them do that.

[Sultana]

3. I was hoping we would be the next greatest generation

:cry:

But alas there are too many idiots.

[leftyclimber]

5. Oh, I'm sure there were plenty of idiots in previous generations

It's just a matter of making sure the with-clue people end up in the right places, ultimately.

[Sultana]

4. Dupe

:D

[grannylib]

6. Oh. Dear. God. Reminds me of my (FORMER) boss...very

vocabularily-challenged *lol*
She wrote in the minutes of an office meeting that she would try to be more "contentious" of giving people her full attention when they came in to talk to her...
Her communication skills are horseshit, and her people skills are non-existent...
BUT she's no longer my boss, the tender-toed, territorial little twit...
Shoulda bought her a dictionary before I cleaned out my desk, sheesh...

[leftyclimber]

9. The difference is

your former boss is an adult. My students are fresh out of high school, or close to it (generally 18-20). They have a chance to pick this stuff up, hopefully (I suppose your ex-boss does, too, but we're less bendy as "total" grownups).

This year's students are not nearly as fascistic as last year's, thank goodness, but they've definitely got some holes they need to fill in.












......contentious. :rofl:

[grannylib]

10. Well, she THINKS she's an adult...I suppose chronologically she's

right; I think she's in her 30s...
Maturationally, she's about 14.

[leftyclimber]

11. Ouch.

Some people just can't be reached.

[MountainLaurel]

12. Welcome to the results of the WV public school system

Where sports are funded but academics are not and too much learning is considered getting above yourself.

[leftyclimber]

13. Actually

most of my students are from OH, MD, PA, and NJ. (Most of our student body is from out of state -- a dirty little state university secret for most state schools.)

The WV students are quiet in class, but seem to be pretty on the ball in one-on-one conversations. They're intimidated by the out of state students (you know, the fancy kids and the city kids), but when it comes down to the wire most of them can hold their own. They just need to realize it.

It's the double-edged sword: you can't go home (there aren't any jobs at home for people with college degrees) but you'd really like to go back there (pressure from the family). I'm from rural Oregon and it's exactly the same there. My parents are still pressuring me to move back home, even though there are no jobs for me there that involve (a) a Ph.D. and (b) enough of a paycheck to deal with the debt I've incurred in school.

[MountainLaurel]

25. Thanks for the info

When I was at WVU the ratio was still about 60 percent for in-state residents to 40 percent for out of state.

And I so relate to that sword. My bachelor's was in journalism. At the time I graduated (early 90s), reporting jobs in WV were paying about $14K/year. Even with lower costs of living and relatively small student loans, I barely would have been able to get by without having 4 roommates or living with my parents. Of the people I graduated with, almost all of them are living out of state or in the Eastern Panhandle. Luckily, my family is fairly understanding about me not living near them (which is good, because Mr. Laurel would commit seppuku before moving to WV), but I am always so torn.

[barb162]

14. It seems they are not reading any more on their own.

They're texting, playing games, etc., but not reading. They're not reading newspapers because I swear "legislation" appears on many pages of an average newspaper.

[DarkTirade]

16. That was my first thought.

The reason I'm so erudite is because when I was a kid I read ALL THE (*&%ing time. And if I didn't understand what a word meant via the context, I looked it up.

Which is a helluva lot easier for the kids who were born in the late 80s/early 90s... because they could just hop online and go to dictionary.com. :P

[WinkyDink]

17. Trust me; this stopped WAAAAY before texting and other technologies!

Why, yes, I DID teach h.s. English.

[Jamastiene]

15. We really ARE screwed.

:crazy:

[whistler162]

20. True.. of course that is what

Abraham Lincoln's elders said and George washington's elders said about the on coming generation!

[Wapsie B]

18. I have to wonder why they were given high school diplomas in the first place?

[whistler162]

19. What kinda course you teaching?

where you teach about hair(perm issible is about hair ain't it) and legs(leg islation)?

[swag]

21. They probably don't have maps.

[tigereye]

23. well, but now they will!

Weird that they didn't know legislation, though. I would suspect it has something to do with lack of civics courses - are there any of those left? That's how we learned about such things back in high-school.


I keep thinking of those college students Jay Leno always button-holes... :scared:

[Rambis]

24. Next of Kin

I would venture to guess that 85% of college students ask what that means on our application for degree (4 year University).

[jobycom]

26. Spelling, definition, or essay?