Comments on: Some More Learning How To Think, Sort Of http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/03/19/some-more-learning-how-to-think-sort-of/ Jane Haddam’s WordPress weblog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:27:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Raphael http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/03/19/some-more-learning-how-to-think-sort-of/comment-page-1/#comment-626 Raphael Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:35:07 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=412#comment-626 I think there is some truth to what Janet wrote. As Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno said: "If you ever dealt with kids, teenagers or younger, you know that to them the world is black and white; It's fair; It's not fair; He's my best friend; He's my worse enemy. When did we learn science? When did we learn religion? We learned it until we were about 12 years old, and then we were distracted by other things. And so most of us are going through life with a 12-year-old’s understanding of what science is and a 12-year-old’s understanding of what religion is." The distractions Guy mentions may include being "hormonally challenged" as Janet mentions. Therefore, it could be a lost cause to get high-schoolers to participate in the Great Conversation when their world's most important issue consists of getting invited to the dance. Certainly gifted kids should be nurtured, but for many one may have to settle with getting them to at least read something and hope when they mature they can move up to more valuable works of literature. I fully expect Jane to marvelously change my opinion when her next promised post arrives. I think there is some truth to what Janet wrote. As Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno said:

“If you ever dealt with kids, teenagers or younger, you know that to them the world is black and white; It’s fair; It’s not fair; He’s my best friend; He’s my worse enemy. When did we learn science? When did we learn religion? We learned it until we were about 12 years old, and then we were distracted by other things. And so most of us are going through life with a 12-year-old’s understanding of what science is and a 12-year-old’s understanding of what religion is.”

The distractions Guy mentions may include being “hormonally challenged” as Janet mentions. Therefore, it could be a lost cause to get high-schoolers to participate in the Great Conversation when their world’s most important issue consists of getting invited to the dance.

Certainly gifted kids should be nurtured, but for many one may have to settle with getting them to at least read something and hope when they mature they can move up to more valuable works of literature.

I fully expect Jane to marvelously change my opinion when her next promised post arrives.

]]> By: jd http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/03/19/some-more-learning-how-to-think-sort-of/comment-page-1/#comment-625 jd Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:24:34 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=412#comment-625 I agree with Cheryl that the dispute is about definitions. She and I are both using the same definition. Jane is using a much more extended definition. Kristof's point is that good newspapers often have opinion pieces from both conservative and liberal authors. But when we use the net, we tend to use sites which only have opinions we agree on. I agree with Cheryl that the dispute is about definitions. She and I are both using the same definition. Jane is using a much more extended definition.

Kristof’s point is that good newspapers often have opinion pieces from both conservative and liberal authors.

But when we use the net, we tend to use sites which only have opinions we agree on.

]]> By: cperkins http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/03/19/some-more-learning-how-to-think-sort-of/comment-page-1/#comment-624 cperkins Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:24:41 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=412#comment-624 I think this dispute is over definitions. I define 'reading' as the basic skills of looking at the letters and identifying words. Anything more is a higher-order skill, like analysis or interpretations. Spotting allusions seems to require a combination of curiosity, opportunity to indulge it in a bigger world than one's immediate family, and the kind of brain that likes to store that kind of information. I think that reading what you agree with far pre-dates the Internet. Back in the days when there were two local daily newspapers, everyone knew what the particular political slant of each paper was, and chose accordingly! I think this dispute is over definitions. I define ‘reading’ as the basic skills of looking at the letters and identifying words. Anything more is a higher-order skill, like analysis or interpretations. Spotting allusions seems to require a combination of curiosity, opportunity to indulge it in a bigger world than one’s immediate family, and the kind of brain that likes to store that kind of information.

I think that reading what you agree with far pre-dates the Internet. Back in the days when there were two local daily newspapers, everyone knew what the particular political slant of each paper was, and chose accordingly!

]]> By: jd http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/03/19/some-more-learning-how-to-think-sort-of/comment-page-1/#comment-623 jd Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:32:55 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=412#comment-623 I hope Jane will forgive me for injecting some politics into this blog. http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/03/19/opinion/19kristof.html is a column by William Kristof in which he claims that a problem with getting news from the Internet is that we tend to read things we agree with. That is certainly true, I've noticed the same tendancy in my own reading. What amused me was one of the readers comment which said "Liberals, like Mr. Kristof, became concerned with news sources when their domination was challenged." If I recall correctly, there was a big fuss when the NY Times hired Kristoff. The major objection was that he is a conservative! BTW, Jane refers to a post by Janet. It took me some time to find it in the comments on "Yes, Given the Chance I cause even more confusion." I agree with Janet. And if I was going to use Ancient Greek literature in high school, I'd probably use the plays by Sophocles or Euripides. I hope Jane will forgive me for injecting some politics into this blog.

http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/03/19/opinion/19kristof.html

is a column by William Kristof in which he claims that a problem with getting news from the Internet is that we tend to read things we agree with. That is certainly true, I’ve noticed the same tendancy in my own reading.

What amused me was one of the readers comment which said “Liberals, like Mr. Kristof, became concerned with news sources when their domination was challenged.”

If I recall correctly, there was a big fuss when the NY Times hired Kristoff. The major objection was that he is a conservative!

BTW, Jane refers to a post by Janet. It took me some time to find it in the comments on “Yes, Given the Chance I cause even more confusion.” I agree with Janet. And if I was going to use Ancient Greek literature in high school, I’d probably use the plays by Sophocles or Euripides.

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