Monday, December 20, 2010

Reflection Post

I thought the most accurate of all the information from the entire book came at the end. Bauerlein finally gave some insite to what youth should be learning about and studying rather than technology. "The Dumbest Generation will cease being dumb only when it regards adolescence as an inferior realm of petty strivings and adulthood as a realm of civic, historical, and cultural awareness that puts them in touch with the perennial ideas and struggles." (p. 236) So we finally know what the author suggests this generation do to cease being 'dumb' but is that actually probable.
As a Government teacher of Seniors who are finally realizing they need good grades to get into college, they don't even have the grasp of civics and cultural awareness as Bauerlein puts it. I have colleagues that don't even grasp these ideas, in fact if it were not my job I might not follow every aspect of politics and current events either. This is just not the norm in today's society. People don't stand around the water cooler and talk about any good books they've read lately, instead they talk about what they made for supper or who was five minutes late for work today.
Overall I actually found this book to be interesting. It was an eye opener to the fact that the youth are of course the generation of our future and if they are not informed of history and cultural foundations those foundations America was founded on will be lost. For the sake of our founding fathers, the writers of our Constitution, the military men and women who fight for our freedom; we need to stay informed of how we came to be the 'land of the free and the home of the brave'.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Final Reflection

In The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein presents the argument that today’s youth while at ease with technology, lacks basic civic, historic, artistic, literary and philosophical intelligences. They read less for leisure than any other previous generation. They also don’t vote, nor do they care about political issues on any thing more than a superficial or shallow level. They are, according to Bauerlein, “incomplete people and negligent citizens” (Bauerlein 233, 2008). Nor does he make this statement without a mountain of empirical data to back it up. Indeed, Bauerlein cites so many studies and data results throughout his book that I oftentimes found my head swimming. He also reiterates many times throughout the book that he offers his argument and statistics as a counterpoint to the “techno-zeal” sweeping the U.S. educational system and mainstream society.

While I found many of Bauerlein’s arguments and studies to be intriguing, especially as they related to leisure reading habits, I took much of what he had to say with a grain of salt. As evidenced throughout his text, Bauerlein is a debater. In The Dumbest Generation, he is giving us his well-researched, albeit biased argument against youth’s use of technology. We as readers can either choose to join his team, or we can do our own pro-technology research and formulate a rebuttal. Personally, I plan to use Bauerlein’s research and studies as a counterpoint for debate with my colleagues. One aspect of Bauerlein’s book that frustrated me immensely while reading it was his lack of solutions on how to reach this digital millennial. So in addition to using his research as a point of discussion, I also plan to use it as a way to start brainstorming ways to engage our students in the educational process.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Reflection Post

The assignment for this post is to reflect on how I believe Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation can be practically applied to my classroom or professional setting. It makes me wonder why the creators of this class offered this book as a reading option. The book essentially argues against everything we are being encouraged to do in our classrooms. Even if I don't agree with everything Bauerlein presents and even if I found most of the book to be riddled with statistics and no discussion of how to make a change, the book did make me think. The book also validated personal beliefs that I already held that included resisting the over inclusion of technology in the classroom and the over indulgence of my students' whims and interests. However, these are core ideas being presented in this course. Each week I felt as if the required reading for the course directly contradicted my reading from Bauerlein. Obviously, this is not a bad thing. As I stated in my final discussion positing over chapter six, and as Bauerlein himself would argue, it is important to be well informed about both sides of an argument. Maybe I have answered my own query; the creators of the class wanted to present the counter argument against the main points of the class. If it has done nothing else, it has in fact made me think and reflect.

In relation to age, I am a member of Bauerlein's "dumbest generation." I am under 30 years of age and he frequently quotes statistics from my years in high school and college. Part of me became defensive and indignant towards his ideas; part of me agreed with him based on what I see in my classroom. However, in some ways I see myself, and many of my peers, disproving his argument. Then again, I enjoy reading for pleasure and I frequently have intellectual discussions with my close friends and significant other, which would eliminate me from his main focus, but I also have friends and acquaintances that fit every definition of Bauerlein's "dumbest generation."

Since I am caught between believing everything Bauerlein says and wanting to stand my ground and defy his observations, I plan to use this in the classroom as a means of defining and understanding the students before me. If nothing else, the statistics and observations Bauerlein has made about today's youth are accurate. It is now up to us as educators to decide if where we are heading is a good thing (which Bauerlein says it is not) or whether we need to take a stance and demand a change and a return to traditional education (which Bauerlein says we should). Personally, I tend to lean towards the latter, at least in terms of demanding our students still be taught key basic concepts, which they can later apply to their areas of special interest; however, I also realize education will never be what it once was. Just like the student and the technology, it must evolve.

Friday, December 3, 2010

ReflectionPV

Bauerlein plays the devil's advocate throughout his book, The Dumbest Generation, to forwarn the nation's "mentors" that it's time to get serious about determining high priority principles. He uses the advent of the digital era as the backdrop for the demise of individual pride and responsibility. He presents statistics and studies by the chapter which would appear to support some very credible and reasonable concerns, and his arguments are well thought out and logically presented.

What is not so evident, is what naturally occurs once our young "leave the nest," so to speak. If we take a minute to review our own lives, it is certain that there was a moment for each one of us, when our attention was turned away from our own desires and impacted directly by an outsider. I might associate this with the finding of a lifemate or birthing of a child, for another, it could be the meeting of a significant friend or a lifechanging event. Typically that kind of life altering maturation doesn't happen in our teens or maybe, even in our twenties. There is no specific season in which we ripen as individuals.

I followed Bauerlein faithfully through his book, silently nodding my head as I visualized the classrooms at work, but as chapter six began - with the reference to Rip Van Winkle and his focus on the responsibility of American youth towards their civic duties, he began (or I did) to draw a line in the sand between us. If our children were politically active and hosted protests and intellectual all-nighters under giant trees, would that prove their social worthiness and safeguard our nation's future? I'm not so sure. A nation may rise or fall based more upon the greed of man as an animal, than on the literacy level of it's people.

If we go back to his preface, Bauerlein himself tells us he never expected people to simply accept his point of view, he wrote the book to aggitate the "mentors" and get them talking and thinking. "The realistic goal was to open the issue...to blunt the techno-zeal...to counter the sanguine portraits of informed and agile teens...' (p. vii)  I think he has accomplished that goal.

Growing in Technology

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Kathy's Animoto

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Reflection

Throughout his book, Bauerlein expresses his feelings of disdain for youth. Each chapter reverberates with this message. Youth are more interested in their social life and the here and now than anything the author reveres as important in our world or country today. History and traditions have little or no importance in their lives. He fears that their lack of interest in what he holds to be the foundation of our country will lead to the slow disintegration of our democratic republic.

His critical attitude toward youth may not be totally unfounded. The research and reports he looked at seemed to support his feelings. But, research can be found to support any ideas and beliefs if you look hard enough. Is his pessimism truly founded? It does take an educated public to make informed decisions. Also, by nature most youth are self-centered and view the world around them based on their own lives.

Educators need to do all they can to make sure students gain an understanding of their world. By instilling a love of learning teachers can insure that Bauerlein’s prediction will not come true. Not all students will find the joy of knowledge and value the feeling of accomplishment but we can give them the tools by which they will be an informed generation.

Chapter Six Summary

Bauerlein begins the final chapter by recounting the story of Rip Van Winkle and stresses the importance of the specific time period (1776-17960) covered in the tale.  This appears to be his way of directing our attention to the importance of civic minded people in the development of our nation. He refers to Jefferson and his view of the import of our "need to read" (p. 211).  He explains the role of journalists, the ignorance of voters and states that tradition acts as a yardstick (p. 215). He comments that at some point in our maturity, we move beyond the individual and and begin thinking in terms of community duty, and it would seem, we fail miserably.

Our author emphasizes that knowledgable antagonists elevate thinking levels and, in general, society (p.218) and puts context to our lives and accomplishments. He then moves on to tear down several civic groups stating, in essence, that they are shallow in their content and are not "sufficiently prepared or interested in pursuing the cultural, ideological warfare" (p. 223). He states that the Establishment of the sixties and seventies fell "to the Adolescent horde" (p.223). 

Bauerlein believes that those few who do attempt the task of warring for the benefit of all, are "limited by having no youthworld of ideas and arguments" (p.224). He speaks of pockets of intellectuals who are unable to match the depth and quality of those who came before.

John Erskine is quoted as saying that people have "the moral obligation to be intelligent" and Bauerlein proposes that knowledge is as basic as individual rights (p. 232-3).  Ultimately, he ends the book with his call to set the bar higher (for adulthood) or the habits of the under-30's will cuse them to "be recalled as the generation that lost that great American heritage, forever" (p. 236). 

chapter 5 comment

Chapter five comment

Whether or not I believe Bauerlein's total portrayal of the typical American youth, I will tell you I am the proud "owner" of a twixter. I have been frustrated for several years at my son's inability or nonexistant desire to get the teaching job he has worked so hard for- or move beyond his social life which involves writing groups (yah) and gaming (huh?). He is 29 and fits the description to a tee. (This is my personal issue- I know, but I present it to say that I can verify that twixters exist.)

I do happen to believe that we have fallen into the "rub your tummy and make you feel good" syndrome and what, by all imaginable, would make an individual want to change-if they have always been told, that they are GREAT just as they are??

I am interested in what Bauerlein says about studies showing NO advantages of collaborative learning (p. 187) over lecture. I question how he would propose advancing our teaching methods if everything we try fails by his standards.

I do believe there is value to "connecting to the ancients" as Matthew Arnold says (p.191) but the problem is that life moves on and there are "new" Arnold's (so to speak) out there who have something valid to offer us. We need to find them- we need to hear what they have to say and have the chance to integrate that into our collective consciousness, too.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Chapter Five: The Betrayal of the Mentor

As Bauerlein started this chapter I thought maybe he was going to find something more positive to say about today’s students. I soon found however that he was continuing on with his negativity. He began with a discussion about a study of arts programs for troubled youth. At first he seems supportive of the arts programs, but he soon questions the validity of the reports made by these organizations.

Bauerlein states that if teens are left to themselves don’t have any forward direction (p. 164). The author looks at teen mentors for younger youth as a way to guide these young people by giving them some structure and directing their energy in positive ways. Bauerlein continues to refer to the documentary made by “Art Show” which seems to be an advocate for youth and their potential. This documentary encourages educators to treat students as colleagues (p. 165). If that is done then these students will be able to reach their full potential.

Bauerlein then introduces a group called “Twixters” which includes 22 to 30 year olds who are college educated and come from middle class families according to a Time magazine article (p.169). This group is reported to have achieved little and is on a journey of self-discovery. They are peer-oriented and feel that maturity is more social than knowledge based. It has nothing to do with learning or wisdom (p. 173).

Much of what Bauerlein presents in this chapter he blames on the indulgent attitude toward youth held by teachers and others dealing with youth. Tradition is seen as aggression and cultural tradition is seen as authoritarian (p. 175). He gives many examples of how this all began back in the 1960s and has continued on to the present. He rephrases a quote by Ronald Reagan to say “Knowledge is never more than one generation from oblivion” (p. 186). The implication is that focusing on the present and neglecting the lessons learned from history will lead to the downfall of our youth. He blames the poor achievement scores (p. 195) in relation to other countries on this attitude of making sure youth feel good about themselves. He believes that youth today won’t be able to function in society and lead the country in the future (p. 202).

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Summary Chapt 4 Online Learning and Non-Learning

Chapter 4 begins with the results of a survey of high school and college students and their digital research skills. The study found that while the students surveyed could use technology they were not always able to use it well. "Asked to construct a persuasive slide for a presentation 8 percent of them "used entirely irrelevant points" and 80 percent of them mixed relevant and irrelevant points, leaving only 12 percent who stuck to the argument" p. 114. The chapter continued to list a number of points all telling that increased use of technology has not resulted in achievement gains and suggested that the reader should thus question the value of digital learning.

Bauerlein wrote that vocabulary and comprehension skills gained largely through social and home life are what truly influence achievement gains. He says it is not possible for them to learn all that they need in school and that their use of technology can actually have a negative impact on learning. "Teen blog writing sticks to the lingo of teens and actually grooves bad habits" p. 132. "It (technology) super powers their social impulses, but blocks intellectual gains" p. 139. He says that students don't use technology to learn more about their world they use it to learn more about each other.

The author begins looking at the ways that reading text on the computer differs from reading text on paper. He writes that screen reading is very different from book reading and that, "Only 16 percent of subjects read text on various pages work for word sentence by sentence. The rest scanned them and processed them out of sequence" p. 143. He tells the reader that even when reading news "The most common behavior is to hunt for information and be ruthless in ignoring the details" p. 144. I thought this was interesting because a military recruiter recently told me that when they need a recruit to improve their ASVAB scores the best thing to do was make sure they took the paper version of the test because that always seemed to raise their scores.

Bauerlein closed the chapter by extending the idea that, for this generation, technology will extend their adolescence because they are able to limit their contact with things they don't think they will like and aren't interested in learning about.

I would like to note that while the author has mentioned that employers are not pleased with the lack of what he has refered to as 'basic skills' such as spelling and grammar he never touches on the benefits of having employees who come to them with some technology skills saving them time and money that would have been spent on training. I wonder if this never came up in all of his research or if he just left it out.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Section 3 (Chapter 3) Summary

The Dumbest Generation Mark Bauerlein
Chapter 3: Screen Time

As the title of the chapter suggests, chapter three focuses on the amount of time "millennials" spend in front of a screen, be it TV, computer, etc. Bauerlein begins the chapter with a reference to an Apple Store at Lenox Square and ends the chapter with a discussion of Apple's marketing, which he argues pits computers vs. books. The major argument Bauerlein is making, and it is an argument that seems rather biased, is that print media and screen media are exclusive of one another and more importantly as consumers of this media, we cannot get the same thing from the two exclusive mediums.

With typical structure, Bauerlein begins by establishing that "millennials" do in fact spend time in front of the screen. He provides disturbing statistics that "One-third of the subjects (36 percent) reside in homes in which the television is on 'always' or 'most of the time''', and that "Half of the children occupy homes with three or more television sets in use, and 36 percent of them have one in their bedroom" (75). This leads to a discussion of parenting practices, including the tendency for parents to use the TV and/or the computer as a babysitter, and even more disturbing is the fact he quotes parents who believe it is acceptable because their children are learning (81). On page 77 Bauerlein gives a bulleted list of statistics: 84% of kids watch television on an average day, for an average of 3:04 hours; 54% use a computer for 48 minutes; 46% read a book for 23 minutes, etc. He totals the numbers to give a grand 295 minutes of screen time a day, which computes to 2,065 minutes per week.

In the middle of the chapter Bauerlein focuses on the research that he is arguing against. He looks at those who say the "millennials" have higher intelligence and those who argue all this screen time is a good thing. For instance, he quotes a paragraph from "The Net Generation in the Classroom," which ends with: "Raised amid a barrage of information, they [the millennials] are able to juggle a conversation on Instant Messenger, a Web-surfing session, an iTunes playlist while reading Twelfth Night for homework" (86). Bauerlein then quotes a question if students are understanding the finer points of the play or if they are merely just reading.

Bauerlein quotes an interesting study known as the Flynn Effect, which relates to IQ test scores and then proceeds to argue today's youth are not any more intelligent than others. The most interesting part about this section, for me at least, was his rant against the Apple marketing slogan that the laptop is "'The only books you'll need'' (99). Even as e-readers today are becoming more book like, Bauerlein deems books that are found in a digital format to be less worthy than those found in a library or a Barnes and Noble (99-100).

Calling on the likes of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Ray Bradbury, Bauerlein ends the chapter with a quote from Billy Joy, a software programmer, who was quoted saying, "'I'm skeptical that any of this has anything to do with learning. It sounds like it's a lot of encapsulated entertainment....This all, for me, for high schools students sounds like a gigantic wast of time. If I was competing with the United States, I would love to have the students I'm competing with spend their time on this kind of crap'" (109). This "crap" is referring to the lengthy discussion of Web 2.0 tools on the "Read/Write Web." As this quote sums up, Bauerlein does not buy the research suggesting our students today are smarter, nor does he buy that Web 2.0 tools are any better than other tools in the classroom.

Personally, I'm still frustrated by the large amounts of statistics and the negative attitude. The part I was most frustrated by this week, however, was the discussion of print v. digital medium. Although I agree wholeheartedly that not everything on the web is perfect, in my small school there are almost zero print resources for my students to use and so digital sources are our main source of information. Also, I don't agree with Bauerlein that there is a difference between reading Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities while holding a paperback copy or while holding the latest e-reader. Just because I'm reading it digitally does not mean I'm losing any of the magic of Dickens. Lastly, the one part I did agree with him on was his discussion of Web 2.0 tools and I found the quote by Billy Joy to be interesting. I know for a fact my students are not "creators" on the web. When I tried introducing blogs at the beginning of the year I was met with moans and complaints rather than excitement at being able to create.

Chapter 3 summary response

I found Bauerlein's remarks concerning IQ tests being altered over the years, interesting. Of course, tests would be updated but I never thought in those terms before-probably because I do not work with standardizing test norms and the like...

I had a most interesting conversation yesterday (true) with a female student in second block. She stated that she believed kids now-a-days were so much smarter than their parents and adults in general -because they have the net behind them and adults didn't grow up with the internet.  We spoke for a while and I asked if she peer edited her classmates writings or if she ever read stuff on the net written by other young adults. She said she did. I told her that she was correct, her parents may not have had the net as a tool but, thinking historically of our greatest inventors, thinkers and social movers who also never had access to the net-  technology doesn't equal intelligence. She stopped and considered and then stated, "Yah, some of them are pretty dumb". It wasn't that I wanted her to be ashamed of her views or her generation, but I did want her to think about the greatness of the mind, and power of personal motivation.

 Currently our school is "on alert" and we teachers have been assigned groupings so we can work together to plan a strategy which will (hopefully) give our educational system a kick in the pants. Somehow, I think, it wouldn't be a bad idea if parents got a kick in the pants wake up call regarding what their kids do - and don't do- after school in "free time".

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chapter 2 Summary

A-Literate or E-Literate? That Is The Question!

In Chapter 2 of The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein postulates that today’s youth is a-literate and proud of it. He defines a-literacy as “knowing how to read, but choosing not to” (Bauerlein 40, 2008). He cites a series of series of studies and surveys, among them Reading At Risk (A National Endowment for the Arts study, 2004) and American Time Use surveys that show reading for pleasure has declined significantly among young adults over the last two to three decades.

While today’s youth enjoys more than five hours of free time a day, they are devoting only on average 8 minutes a day to reading activities of any kind (Bauerlein 49, 2008). This lack of reading motivation is affecting standardized test scores adversely (see NAEP Trends mentioned on pg. 51). It is also having an impact on college campuses and in the workplace where there has been an increased need for remedial reading and writing coursework.

Today’s youth and their supporters seem unfazed and defiant by this data and tout their e-literacy skills as more important than book learning. MacArthur Foundation President Jonathan Fanton defines e-literacy this way: “a literacy which extends beyond the traditions of reading and writing into an evolving community of expression and problem-solving” (Bauerlein 67, 2008). It is a literacy based in knowledge of digital tools and the workings of the virtual world. Millennials believe that this type of digital literacy and not print literacy is their ticket to better employment opportunities and higher salaries in the 21st Century world. In reality, Bauerlein shows in Chapter 2, their a-literacy is only holding them back from achieving their goals.

As a school librarian, I found Chapter 2 to be quite an interesting read. What engaged me most on a professional level was his discussion of the Harry Potter book series. He asserts on page 43 that: “Kids reading Harry Potter not because they like reading, but because other kids read it” (Bauerlein 43 2008). To not read Harry Potter and not know the characters he further asserts is to be out of the loop with one’s peers, a fate worse than death for a millennial. He presents the fact that kids are pressured into reading Harry Potter as if it is a bad thing. As a librarian, I don’t care how kids come to books, just that they do. Peer pressure in this case is a great thing. If a student gets another student to read a certain book, I am ecstatic. It is my job as a professional to help kids find other similar great reads when they are done with the peer recommended title. For my project, I plan to harness this peer pressure to read through a digital medium.

Another part of Chapter 2 that piqued my interest occurred on pages 56-58 where Bauerlein discusses the impact that literature and reading have had on the lives of many important historical figures from Frederick Douglass to W.E.B. DuBois. Literature really does have the power to transform lives. For me it was the lifeline that helped me escape and make it through high school. One book that really touched me then and still touches me today is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I make sure to share it and other great books often with my student through booktalks, which are structured as 30-second book ads complete with cliffhanger endings. With the right marketing, books often fly off the shelves. I have found that a lot of getting millennials to read really does have to do with “marketing.” A circulation record at my middle school for this school year of 8, 143 items indicates that kids do still enjoy reading.

What disturbed me about Chapter 2 though was that Bauerlein offers no suggestions on how to encourage reading among millennials. So I thought we could share what ideas have worked for us. What books have transformed your life or the lives of your students? How do you share these and other important titles with your millennial students?

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Summary -- Section 1

Section 1 of the Dumbest Generation went through a variety of statistics on how the Y generation isn't living up to the generation before them. It goes into detail about how the "under 30" group doesn't know the things their parents did and are losing touch with reality because of all this modern technology.



The book starts by talking about the Jaywalking portion of the Jay Leno show. This is where Jay finds random young people on the street and asks them historical and political questions they are not likely to know. In my opinion, this is a television show designed to amuse people and it wouldn't be very funny if everyone he asked knew all the questions; that would be more like taking a quiz or watching the history channel.

The book continues with detailed statistics from the National Survey of Student Engagement, American Time Use Survey, and the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts showing that the Y generation are failing to engage themselves in school and academic activities. It goes on to say that these young folks are spending too much time watching tv, playing games, using the computer, and socializing.

Mark Bauerlein points out individual areas of concern for the young generation starting with History. He uses the NAEP history exam to state that 57% of high school seniors scored below basic and explaining that only 1% reached advanced. He continues on with specific examples in Civics, Math, Science, Technology, and Fine Arts.

Overall the first section of this book summarizes the Y generation as computer literate while lacking academic excellence due to the growing number of hours spent socializing, playing video games, being on the computer, texting, and using other forms of technology. Although this may be a harsh reality, there is good that can come from the growing 21st century learner.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Baby Blogger


I chose this photo as the cover of The Dumbest Generation. I feel it represents the fact that younger and younger generations and kids are using technology and becoming more computer literate while becoming less in touch with facts, history, and politics, etc...

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Book Cover


I found this image at geekandpoke.typepad.com/.../clashofgenera.html using Google image search advanced search options labled for reuse. I selected this image because it illustrates what I have read of the book so far. In reading the book the author outlines negatives of having today's youth so connected to technology, just as this comic jokingly shows a youngster in touch with twitter but out of touch with reality.

Alternative Book Cover

This image, "Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid." Illustration for Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies in charcoal, water, and oil, which I found through google images.com (public domain), appeals to me as a potential cover for our book because technology, like Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid, is overwhelming and feeding our youngest generations. Since I haven't read beyong the introduction I don't know if what is being fed to us is beneficial or not, but the old addage,  "Too much of anything..." would seem to apply. Notice that we can't see her eyes but may only see our own reflections in the glasses she wears. She appears benevolent and yet, she is overpowering in size and strange in appearance.  These feelings are mine when I attempt my first wiki, blog, d2l class and I anticipate they will remain for the next 12 weeks or so while swimming through the waters of the web.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

If I were to pick the cover...



If I were to pick a new cover for Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation, I would choose this image. Although this image consist mainly of words, it captures the idea of what I perceive this book to be about (considering I haven't started reading it yet). Those of us in the younger generation (the under 30 group as Bauerlein claims) are obsessed with "The Google." We rely on it to answer everything. In fact, to find my image for this assignment I "Googled" creative commons images and went through the pages. What captures me most about this image, though, is the nothing aspect. Google does not provide all the answers, which is the argument for the book.

**********************************************************************************

Upon further reflection, I would actually make this saying be on the t-shirt of a typical adolescent, because as a general rule, t-shirts with quirky sayings on them are quite popular. My book cover image might look something like this:

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Dumbest Generation


Who's that Dude?

I selected the picture of Shakespeare for the book cover The Dumbest Generation because the author, Mark Bauerlein, proposes that today's generation of students addicted to technology is slowly losing their understanding of all things intellectual. I got this copyright free image courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Kathy's new book cover

Reluctant to Move Fast on Adopting New Technology (photo credit: Robert Thomson via Flickr.com under the Creative Commons liscence 2.0

I chose this picture because it reminds me of how some are scared to use new technologies. Since I have not read The Dumbest Generation yet I don't know whether this fits the book but the picture was humorous.
http://www.silicon.com/i/s4/illo/photos/2009/October/snail%20crossing%road.jpg

Welcome to Literature Circle Two!

Your Super Summarizer schedule is as follows:

Section One--Due October 28, Jennifer Block (McNaughton)
Section Two--Due November 4, Pamela Kringel
Section Three--Due November 11, Ashley Rives
Section Four--Due November 18, Jennifer Roberts
Section Five--Due December 2, Kathy Seymour
Section Six--Due December 9, Paula Vukonich