Child born in the US. Diagnosed ADHD and had been transferred from 4 schools because of "behavioral problems". He was "taught" in the US till age 9. IQ test administered by his school just before he left indicated an IQ of 80. Left US for South Africa. Arrived high on Ritilin. Was unable to read, unable to spell (even phonetically), unable to write, unable to do basic arithmetic. Utterly addicted to TV. Completely uncontrolled and uncontrollable. Enjoyed torturing small animals. Mother a manic-depressive drunk with associated behavioral problems.
Removed him from Ritilin on arrival, taught him "walking meditation" instead. Spent one year in South Africa. Completely banned him from watching TV. Received 20minutes to 2hrs of drilling per day depending on mood and need. Physical discipline as needed.
Returned him to US at age 10. School tested on arrival. IQ tested at 120! Reading, writing and arithmetic abilities "ahead of peers". Placed in normal class. Minimal behavioral problems other than ongoing enjoyment at torturing animals (managed by keeping him and animals separately.
After less than 1 year in the US, behavioral problems reappeared. The school insisted that the child be placed back on Ritilin. After 2 years. IQ back to 90. Re-addicted to Television. No longer reading. Writing and arithmetic capabilities no longer apparent. Placed into "Special Class".
Of course, the child is atypical, and we know he suffered a fucked up childhood (note carefully phrased clinical evaluation - thus reducing a 7 page assessment to one sentence). However, I would say that it indicates that the US education system is not serving all its pupils as well as it should. Perhaps it is failing "normal" and "gifted" children just as badly. That would explain the ongoing collapse of American literacy when compared to the rest of the world.
"Explaining it away" through clever apologetics does not help. Children in the rest of the world are acquiring the new skills alluded to by some of the responders to this thread, as well as the classical educational skills so lacking in 20% of American school leavers.
TheHermit
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-virus@lucifer.com
> [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
> Of Tim Rhodes
> Sent: Saturday, April 10, 1999 2:59 PM
> To: virus@lucifer.com
> Subject: Re: virus: Too Much TV
>
>
> I have several friends who volunteer as literacy tutors for
> school children.
> (In fact, one is stopping by here after her training class
> this afternoon.)
> I'll see if I can get one of them to write a response to
> this, since if I
> wrote one here it would just be more of the same arm-chair
> activism evident
> in the post below.
>
> -Prof. Tim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: KMO <kmo@c-realm.com>
> To: virus@lucifer.com <virus@lucifer.com>
> Date: Friday, April 09, 1999 3:32 PM
> Subject: Re: virus: Too Much TV
>
>
> >Language is adapting, by necessity, to work in the
> stream-lined time scale
> of the
> >electronic age. I agree that this is happening and that it
> is a good thing.
> >
> >What is also happening is that increasing numbers of
> fifteen-year-olds are
> >starring at lines of print, furroughing their brows and
> struggling to get
> out,
> >"I... can... see... the... cat..." Spending an average of 6
> hours a day (a
> full
> >third of their waking lives) watching television is a
> significant part of
> the
> >cause of this appalling situation. As a nation, we watch too
> much fucking
> >television, and our kids, while still marvelously
> intelligent, adaptive,
> and
> >miraculously resilient, are increasingly functional
> illiterates who have
> been
> >thoroughly indoctrinated in what William Finnegan calls "the
> tepid faith of
> >liberal consumerism." Sure, they're more comfortable with
> technology than
> their
> >parents, but that is to be expected, and the sacrifice of
> literacy is not a
> >required toll for young people to be adapted and at home in
> their media
> saturated
> >environment.
> >
> >-KMO
> >
> >
> >
> >Bill Roh wrote:
> >
> >> Yes, I agree for the most part. i do think that at the
> elementary school
> >> level, the US is doing well, statistically speaking, its
> about 6th-7th
> grade
> >> that our schools start failing. And there are still some
> excellent public
> >> schools, though that number is certainly in question. I
> agree that proper
> and
> >> business English is suffering right now, and that it is
> causing harm.
> >>
> >> What I meant in my 5 word foray is: Due to the speed of
> communication,
> people
> >> that communicate in the way we do, Email, news groups,
> instant messages,
> >> etc... especially the young, are evolving this new
> computer speak we
> have.
> >> Many find fault with this, I don't. I think we have the
> opportunity to
> make a
> >> new, fast and highly functional language, a literacy
> standard like your
> >> definition below made up of CYAs and LOLs.
> >>
> >> Bill Roh
> >>
> >> KMO wrote:
> >>
> >> > I have considerable sympathy for this idea. Even so, literacy as
> defined
> >> > as the ability to look at strings of static words on a
> page or screen
> and
> >> > effortlessly and spontaneously have images and complex
> ideas form in
> >> > one's consciousness as a result of that activity is a
> skill that is
> >> > imparted less and less by public education but is still
> consistently
> >> > imparted to students in private academies and by home
> schooling. It's
> not
> >> > the only means of conveying or receiving information,
> and those, like
> >> > Harold Bloom, author of "Closing of the American Mind,"
> who define
> >> > cultural literacy as familiarity with the cannon of Western
> Civilization
> >> > are oblivious to important new ways of thinking and
> communicating.
> >> >
> >> > Still, the ability to express oneself in writing and to
> be able to read
> >> > and comprehend what others have written is a valuable skill that
> improves
> >> > ones ability to navigate consciously in a memetic
> landscape. It is also
> a
> >> > skill that the institutions of public education in the US are
> >> > increasingly unable to impart to students.
> >> >
> >> > -KMO
> >> >
> >> > Sodom wrote:
> >> >
> >> > > Literacy isn't falling - its adapting
> >> > >
> >> > > Bill Roh
> >> > >
> >> > > > -----Original Message-----
> >> > > > From: owner-virus@lucifer.com
> >> > > > [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
> >> > > > Of KMO
> >> > > > Sent: Friday, April 09, 1999 2:05 PM
> >> > > > To: virus@lucifer.com
> >> > > > Subject: virus: Too Much TV
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Dr Sebby wrote:
> >> > > >
> >> > > > > Downfall?..sometimes i wonder where it is
> 'we're' falling from.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > As a society, literacy.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > -KMO
> >> > > >
> >
>
>