???

[A Horse called Juan Face]

To be fair, if you took a vox pop of most countries you would get answers like this, but that's not really an excuse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Ah yes, americans... phoo king stupid and naive..

I wonder how many other people they asked who answered correctly.. oh wait.. we don't want to hear about those.

[hugh]

I know of at least two intelligent Americans. One's already posted on this thread and the other said in the clip "Tony Blair? He's an actor."

[hugh]

How about Britishisms? This from a conversation I had in the Rock, my local, a couple of years ago.

Wee barmaid. "You're into football, intya?"
Me "Yep."
"My dad''s goin' up Scotland for that George Best guy's funeral."
"Thought it was in Belfast?"
"Well, du-uh!"
"??"
"Belfast's in Scotland, innit?"
"Oh, yeah, silly me."

She was on a gap year from Leicester University, where she was studying history. True.

To be fair to the barmaid, I didn't look too clever myself the night I was in the Rock bog, trying to dry my hands in the durex machine.

[EMDEE]

A number of years ago, I was in Canada on a concert tour. A Canadian woman stopped me in a shopping centre and asked why I was wearing the kilt. I replied that I was doing a tour with a Scottish fiddle orchestra, and she said “Oh, so you all flew over here from England?”

[A Horse called Juan Face]

Ah yes, americans... phoo king stupid and naive..

I wonder how many other people they asked who answered correctly.. oh wait.. we don't want to hear about those.

I agree. I posted it mainly because I think it is ridiculous that anyone could be that stupid, and I know there are plenty in the UK as well. However, everytime I go onto the imdb boards I want to stick knitting needles in my ears. The people there are so stupid. They go to a film and then ask the most ridiculous questions about things that were clearly spelled out in the film. Some people might say they went with a date or whatever, but if you care about the film, why the hell did you go there on a date? Sorry, but this is the kind of stupidity that really pisses me off. People can't interpret things anymore, they need everything spelled out for them and even when it is they still can't comprehend it. It's shocking, if anyone has seen the film Idiocracy, I wouldn't be surprised if that is how we end up in a few years. I should probaly stay off IMDB, but it's a bit like staring at something you know you shouldn't. I just can't help it.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Enjoyed your post (as I usually do), and of course you're right!

Take away the expectation of critical thinking, expect teachers to teach to a standarized test instead of educating children, only ask questions the children can answer by choosing A., B., C., or D. If a child appears to be interested and thinking and asking questions, reign them in, you have a standardized test to worry about them passing. This way, in due time, the powers that be can do almost anything, and people won't be educated enough to even know what questions to ask.

Am I a cynic? YES!

And you are also right asking who would take a person to a movie on a first date! Not only do you not know if they'll be bored, yawn, snore or worse, talk! but they might even want to share your popcorn!!

(sorry if I sounded pissy on my previous post.. i was )

[westport321]

I think a lot of the moron problem has to do with todays ways of receiving information. You really dont need to be able to read anymore, all things on the net are video, so most people just space out while they are watching. I have been asked if cars in the UK drive on the wrong side of the road because they are on the other side of the world, answer, no it has to do with stronger magnetic fields due to the polar wind.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

A lot of that is sarcastic wit or silliness, westport.

I had a friend from New Zealand who lived in the US for a few months. Being in a new place she had a hard time with directions. The discussion turned towards the direction the sun sets. I told her that although it sets in the west in New Zealand, this is the northern hemisphere and it sets in the east up here. For more than a split second she believed me!

I can only wonder if she went back home telling people about the american who thought the sun set in the east.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

Sorry, but Im at the stage where I think humans are a frick cancer and its time the vast majority of us were eradicated.

The ones that know what symbolism is can stay, thatll leave about 12 of us.

[Govangirl]

Ah yes, americans... phoo king stupid and naive..

I wonder how many other people they asked who answered correctly.. oh wait.. we don't want to hear about those.

Take away the expectation of critical thinking, expect teachers to teach to a standarized test instead of educating children, only ask questions the children can answer by choosing A., B., C., or D. If a child appears to be interested and thinking and asking questions, reign them in, you have a standardized test to worry about them passing. This way, in due time, the powers that be can do almost anything, and people won't be educated enough to even know what questions to ask.

Ah yes, teachers..... if only they knew how to teach..

I wonder how many other teachers go about their chosen vocations with passion and knowledge ....oh wait.... we don't want to hear about those.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

and I quote myself as a reminder what I posted:

...Take away the expectation of critical thinking, expect teachers to teach to a standarized test instead of educating children...

You should have read the post, Govan .. You would have understood .. mwahh!

I know more than one teacher who has quit in frustration because they went into the profession to educate children and then realized they were to teach to a test. One of the most interesting men I have known, r.i.p. Tom, had travelled the world, loved history, could have brilliant discussions, had a thirst for learning up until his death at 59, and genuinely loved teaching. He had so much knowledge to share, as well as being interesting.

He isn't the only one, but the one who always comes to mind first.

I'm not sure how it works there, but many school systems in the states get financial support based on how many children pass standardized tests, so, much more focus is put on those (multiple choice standarized tests) than on superior education.

I don't put down teachers, Govan. I put down administrations that don't allow them to do their job.

[Govangirl]

Take away the expectation of critical thinking, expect teachers to teach to a standarized test instead of educating children, only ask questions the children can answer by choosing A., B., C., or D. If a child appears to be interested and thinking and asking questions, reign them in, you have a standardized test to worry about them passing. This way, in due time, the powers that be can do almost anything, and people won't be educated enough to even know what questions to ask.

Bobbie, I would say that these were the words which caused most damage. These are factors only teachers can control, NOT administrations. Yes, even here, we have to teach to tests some of the time but good teachers, and I count myself and many of my colleagues in this, go down a different route in their approach. We do not passively comply with government initiatives, nor do we point blank refuse to implement them. Instead, we adapt them creatively and that involves high expectation of students.

And if society continues to focus on criticising teachers then it should come as no surprise when teachers lose interest in what they do. I'll join you in any protest march about 'administrations' destroying education but when people jump on this popular bandwagon, they invariably end up blaming teachers themselves. There are poor teachers in schools, just as you would expect in any profession, but don't tar the majority with the same brush.

And Mr Govangirl landed in Texas yesterday so I'm going to get him to go round your house tonight with a big Scottish mwahh! of my own!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bobbie En Tejas]

I was jumping on no bandwagon. I had a thought, which may or may not have any validity.

The point was, if a system wants to better control people, seems a good way to do it would be to not educate them or only educate them in the way you want them to think and not outside the box. I wonder if George Orwell thought that a time or two, or Fritz Lang or Huxley..

I'm really not sure why it is that when anyone says anything negative about the education system, teachers insist on taking it personally, even if they are frustrated with that very system themselves.

Where in Texas might Mr. Govan be?

[Govangirl]

The problem is, Bobbie, that whenever ' anyone says anything negative about the education system', as you say, it always ends up a, perhaps unwittingly, gripe about teachers. This country is great at it (and if you were fed a staple diet of our tabloids for a year you'd see why) and perhaps the teachers in your part of the world are not as put down as a profession as they are here. If you look at your post again, you'll see it's only classroom teachers who could do what you suggest and I'm just making the point that good teachers, and that's the majority of the profession, would never end up in that situation.
But I'm sorry it ended up as a personal spat

And we as a family had a great laugh when we found out where Dad was going in Texas - Amarillo!!!!!!! When he left for the airport, we sang the song to him out in the garden (well, my daughter and I did as my two teenage sons were mortified - not an unusual situation, mind you!). I didn't even know Amarillo was in Texas. Anyway, that's where he is and then he's off to somewhere else he hasn't been before - Montana. I just imagine there's lots of cowboys there?????????? Anyway, you'll know more than me about these places but they do sound kinda quiet places?