I've been reading those diagnostic essays for about two hours, now. I just finished with one class's set. The last student...bothered me.
That student wasn't the first one who didn't know the difference between a democracy and a republic, instead conflating the terms with Democrat and Republican. This student was, however, the first one who was proud of themselves to be so ignorant. "I don't vote because I don't understand the difference, or the issues, and I have better things to do than pay attention."
Oh, God help us. And God help me, having to deal with attitudes like that.
13 minutes ago
No, no, better they're NOT voting. I think too many stupid, ill-informed people deciding to vote is the source of a lot of problems.
ReplyDeleteI hope they enjoy their life as a night-clerk at a Gas N Go.
I don't want them voting with that attitude, either. It was more that the whole "I'm proud to be ignorant, and have no plans to change it because it would cut into my reality TV time" that was appalling.
DeleteAgreed. Laziness angers me more than simple ignorance does. I get especially angry at students that I KNOW are smart people, but are too lazy to do more than a half-assed effort on stuff.
DeleteIt's less laziness in this student's case, and more misplaced priorities, and pride in ignorance that's gotten me so outraged.
DeleteThere's always got to be some of those. The proper response is to minimize the damage they can do by encourage their continued non-voting.
ReplyDeleteMy classroom students learn how the nation's government is supposed to work because I use it in my sample throw a thesis and points up on the board. And we discuss it. And I usually only get one eye-roller--everyone else is too interested, and I have had students approach me after class with a thank you. Apparently, I'm easier to understand than their political science professors. Or anyone who tried to teach them similar info in high school.
DeleteLittle Proud Ignorance, here, is unlucky that they're in my online class. I can't really do much of that online.
Holly,
ReplyDeleteYou get them early and they fry your mind a bit. Work on them as you can. It helps.
I always saw them later when they were out on the street trying to make a living. My boss would send me "help" (manual trades) and almost to a man they were useless as tits on a boar. How do I do...??? Use Pythagoras! What's that??? And on it goes. Follow the line! When I look after he has completed his task, he has strayed 2 inches either side of the line. WHAT??? Is hard to understand here?
No attention span. Never listen to instruction. 17 year olds with diabetes frightened of a splinter. Out of a hundred plus sent to "help" the only one that made the cut was the 49 year old just released from prison bank robber outlaw biker.
And the whirrled goes on, eh?
Winston
They also can't follow step-by-step instructions with pictures, either. I wrote my own textbooks while I still had control of my own classes, and included step-by-step instructions with screen captures on how to set up a blog, how to write a post, and how to link a source, and it took four weeks of constant "No, you do it this way. No credit for the links," to get them anywhere close to right. The ones that did it right were the non-traditional students (often with a military background) who were nervous about the class and the assignment, but read the text and followed the instructions.
DeleteI do a lot better with face-to-face classes.