 |
| |
|
| |
|
|
GePap
|
 |
of the Big Apple
Nov 2001
time: 23:37
|
|
Actually Che, from what I have heard about Kuci's High School, and correlating that to my experience, most college classes would not be any better for Kuci than what he got in high school, which is one of the points of this entire thread, that colleges have to bring down their material to deal with the general level of unpreparedness from HS graduates.
As for heavy coure work, I never had that problem, for a variety of reasons. Some of the poor fools taking biochemistry and Arabic, or Chinese at the same time, now THEY had heavy coursework.
I have to give thanks though for the education I have had, even if I am 20,000 in debt because of it. I think both my HS and my University gave me a very well rounded education, and the sad part is that I have forgotten many of the things I had to learn in both areas-just too much info.I can't remember how to integrate for the life of me, and I have forgeten how to do use CAD programs and make technical drawings (had to take an entire year of technical drawing in HS).
What annoys me is that students going to both my HS and my University can opt out of more and more courses as time goes by.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Jon Miller
|
|
if Kuci doesn't beleive in american lit, then probably (no matter how good his calculus is) he is missing some part of his education
now, I wasn't paying attention, so that might have been a smart alecky comment
JM
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Jon Miller
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Kuciwalker
America has produced no literature [worth reading].
(except for science fiction) |
Faulkner?
JM
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Rufus T. Firefly
|
 |
is one way of saying it, though I prefer "mensch"
Sep 2000
time: 07:37
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Timexwatch
Engineering majors usually have the easiest time avoiding humanities classes because of their heavy courseload. My roomates never had to take anything beyond introductory English and the occasional humanities/social science class. It's a crying shame because engineers are some of the most godawful writers. |
Beyond that, it's how most engineers end up mired in middle management.
Everyone loves to trot out jokes about liberal arts majors that have punchlines like "you want fries with that?" -- but the fact is that most upper-level executives, including CEOs, at most Fortune 500 companies were liberal arts majors. Corporate America actually loves the liberal arts, because a good education in the humanities will teach you to communicate well and to be critical and flexible in your thinking, abilities that are most important in the private sector; it will also teach you how to learn, perhaps the most valuable skill of all, far more fully than any other area of academic study.
Of course, that's not why I bothered with the liberal arts; I've never aspired to corporate work, never done it, and never will. But there it is...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Rufus T. Firefly
|
|
is one way of saying it, though I prefer "mensch"
Sep 2000
time: 07:37
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Kidicious
RTF,
It's the professors who decide the grades for college students and there is little presure on them from anywhere. High school is much different. Yes, teachers do the grading, but there is a lot of presure on them to pass students. |
Kid, I've been a professor, and an academic administrator, and what you're saying is just bullsh*t. If a school is so good that it can pick and choose its students, then handing out F's is no problem. But farther down the educational ladder, it's a buyers market, and if you're liberally handing out the F's, you will hear about it.
And that's not even taking into account the fact that most people handing out grades at a college are grad students or adjunct faculty, not professors...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Sikander
|
 |
Boulder, Colorado, United Snakes of America
Jan 2000
time: 22:37
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ted Striker
Simple fact, okay.  
The problem with that theory is that this same "talent pool" of educated women is now directly competing with the entire labor force, thus squeezing them out of their own fields. So you have people coming out of other fields and into teaching, instead of lifelong teachers.
On top of that, there is the increased opportunity for minorities to become teachers, so it's really a wash.
Sorry to burst your bubble. |
After reading this a couple of times I think I understand what you're trying to say, though really the whole thing needs a rewriting. I think you are correct that now (my post was about 20-50 years ago but nevermind that for the moment) a lot of people are getting into teaching as a second career etc., which theoretically should / has improved teacher quality. But it is most certainly not a wash. Our economy will never again be able to manipulate the talents of more than half the population so that they are left with only a few realistic choices for the educated amongst them. Good and talented people will be drawn to teaching as they always have, but they will no longer to be forced by necessity.
In short you are wrong, incapable of following what someone else has written and incapable yourself of writing something that can be readily understand. You're a perfect poster child for the decline of American K-12 education in the latter half of the 20th century.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Alexander's Horse
|
 |
Panmunjon, hands up!
Jan 1970
time: 15:37
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Everyone loves to trot out jokes about liberal arts majors that have punchlines like "you want fries with that?" -- but the fact is that most upper-level executives, including CEOs, at most Fortune 500 companies were liberal arts majors. Corporate America actually loves the liberal arts, because a good education in the humanities will teach you to communicate well and to be critical and flexible in your thinking, abilities that are most important in the private sector; it will also teach you how to learn, perhaps the most valuable skill of all, far more fully than any other area of academic study.
|
Rufus nailed it.
One thing a good liberal arts degree gives you is something called dialectic reasoning. It is known by other names - serendipity, insight or intuition for example. This is where you can synthesise a lot of information and then make a leap to a new hypothesis or solution which breaks the mold and resolves the issues, sometimes in a novel way. This is very valuable for leaders in all walks of life. Dubya for example clearly has none. Good scientists however also have a lot of it.
This is quite different from what I term "technical" or "professional" degrees like economics or law where you operate within an existing framework of ideas, sometimes quite rigid. This is called analogous reasoning. Its like learning a maze to find the cheese.
I got a brilliant education from people just like the good Professor Firefly for which I am deeply grateful.
I've never felt like I really made the most of what I was given but that's probably because the gift of a liberal education is so rich. Its a precious gift, you can't repay it.
|
|
| |
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:37.
Apolyton Time is 00:37. |
top of page
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
21-08-2005 23:33
Finally went to DePaul in Chicago. 
Publicly schooled, and a history major in University.
|