22 Jan 2006 @ 18:44, by Ned Hamson
Keyword Speak, Think is an affliction that not only affects the two Bush Presidents and their thinking, speaking styles, it has infected millions of Americans. As a result many Americans can no longer think is complete thoughts, let alone write of read in complete thoughts or sentences.
It's the result of 20-30 years of teaching to the test and rank as a means to get funding, certified, etc. It is perhaps the greatest unintended consequence to rather lame attempts to reform, improve American education.
Just get this picture in your head and you will understand.
You give students a reading check list. They have not read what was assigned but look at item number one and then look back in the text to find key words, or phrases that relate to the question. Once they find them they write their answer in key words and phrses from the section of the story to which the question directed them. No context, no reading for understanding or enjoyment, just to fill in the check sheet.
The unintended result - many students educated in this manner can no longer read in complete, speak in complete or think in complete sentences or thoughts. Read on or not - if you can.
(I have walked 30,000 miles over the past 6 years as of 1 January 2006 and am now heading toward 50.) Sunday, 22, January, 2006 Another 6,000 miles down and what do I know? Keyword reading, thinking,talking, and writing is not helping matters at all! Some laughed and some cried when they realized that politics and public discussion was reduced to sound bites. Those, now, were the good old days when even if thoughts were reduced to kernels, at least they were complete thoughts or sentences.
Now, after 30 years of inane teaching methods and two President Bush's who only keyword speak, we find people are just as disconnected from each other and reality as are keywords designed to mean: whatever, Boomers. Xers, entropy, take responsibility, word, stay course, honor, no way, money sings. The object of keyword marketers and politicos is to have you fill in spaces between the keywords with your own context or meaning, so their product or candidate will not be all that it, he, or she can be but whatever you want them to be -- as long as you buy what they are selling.
Beware of unintended consequences! Working to the test score for funding in education led to 20 or more years of students looking at the test or assignment, see what it wants and then look for keywords in what was to have been read for learning and comprehension -- read only, consume only what you needed to fill in the blank, then empty your mind and regurgitate it on paper or in digital speak. What did I just say? Twenty years of teaching and learning to the test and score only has produced people and leaders who cannot think in complete thoughts, let alone sound bites. Now do you understand why Uncle Johnny cannot read, talk, or vote in complete thoughts. Now do you understand why we seem to be going in circles on a descending slope? Our best hope is that today's or tomorrow's rebellious youth discover that complete thoughts, speech, sentences, and writing is beyond their parent's comprehension and upsets them to the maximum and therefore creates the space these young people need to find their feet and chart a new sane course backed by sound thinking.
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