Super Summarizer pages 1-38

Super Summarizer pages 1-38

Chapter 1: Knowledge Deficits

This chapter starts out discussing "Jaywalking" on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This segment on Leno is where he asks random questions to people on the street about supposed general knowledge. The participant of course makes a fool of themselves on how little they do know. The author states that this is the life world of some people who do not know basic information.

The author then goes into the various ways that we chart the intellectual traits of young Americans. The most prevalent are the ACT and SAT. Then there is the NAEP, NSSE, ATUS, the SPPA just to name a few ( found on pages 14-15).

The author then breaks down each discipline and the information that is presented to us as far as how students score on these tests and really how much they do not even know. The scores have been steadily falling and in 2001 57 percent of seniors scored "below basic" on the history exam. 52% thought that Germany, Japan, or Italy was the U.S. ally in WW II.

The topic of Civics really isn't much better. In 1998 41% of teenagers could even name the 3 branches of government. In 2004 1/4 of the teens could not identify the Vice President of the U.S. As the reading goes on, it states that it really doesn't matter what university you go to. If you enroll in Harvard, Yale or UCLA the scores are just as pathetic.

Math/ Science/ Technology: These aren't really much better. It doesn't matter if Congress has passed umpteen bills on the subject, students don't answer the call. The numbers of students that are looking at going into engineering has been less than stellar. In 2002, those student who took, the ACT and were thinking about engineering was less than 6%.
Twelfth graders on the NAEP are sliding down the scale for their scores at a rapid pace. Most 12th graders cannot even score basic.

The current generation has a very distinct advantage. It enjoys first-rate culture and many more opportunities than students did 30 years ago. The spend more time in school. College enrollment alone rose 17% from 1984 to 1994 and in following 10 years jumped 21%. In 1994, 20% of adults had earned a bachelors degree or higher. In 2005, the number increased to 27.6%.
The current generation also has many cultural institutions available. Institutions such as libraries, museums, bookstores and galleries are open and all over.
Young Americans also have more money than they used to. Not many 20 yr olds had a credit card in 1965, but they do now.

The author states that all this is a paradox of the Dumbest Generation. They have life wonderful and have good so plentiful and liberties so copious that they should be above and beyond all.

The last thought that the author has on page 37 sums up most of the ideas in the first chapter.
"We must identify and describe the particular routines of the members of the Dumbest Generation that freeze their likings in adolescence despite more occasions for high culture, that harden their minds to historical and civic facts despite more coursework, that shut out current events and political matters despite all the information streams."

"The unique failings of the Dumbest Generation don't originate in the classroom, this only amounts to one-eleventh of their day. They stem from home, social and leisure lives of young Americans, and if changes in their out of school habits entail a progressive disengagement from intellectual matters, then we should expect their minds to exhibit some consequences in spite of what goes on in school.

This chapter for me was kind of a downer. It doesn't give much hope for those that are under 30yrs old.

I chose this picture to represent the teen social network, which includes teens that are multi aged.  Their social life is increasingly important and ever-present in this age of technology that is part of their lives, twenty-four seven.

Book Cover

I chose this picture because the younger generation uses spell check so often, they often times do not know how to spell words.

Book Cover

I chose this picture because at times I feel people who are under thirty are wrapped to much into their computers. They spend to much time on their computers and not enough time in the "real" world. I feel that peopel under thirty have more of a "relationship(s)" with a computer then with other humans.

I chose this image for my book cover because the book is supposed to deal with the dumbest generation - it focuses on how advances in technology have stupified our society. The image shows a teacher writing on a chalkboard with a flat world, and what does BC stand for? I worry that technology has caused us to go backwards in terms of basic knowledge and societal common sense.

My book Picture

This is what I think the book picture represents. It seems that if teachers aren't as entertaining as a video game then students don't see any relevance in what we have to present.

Welcome to Literature Circle Sixteen!

Your Super Summarizer schedule is as follows:

Section One--Due October 28, Noel Johnson
Section Two--Due November 4, Heidi Kraft
Section Three--Due November 11, Peggy Mattke
Section Four--Due November 18, Wendy Schamber
Section Five--Due December 2, Debra Wilburn-Kerstiens
Section Six--Due December 9, Marie Slovek