The Texas state government is promoting a concept of education that DOES NOT TEACH CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS!
Imagine this: The second largest state in population and land area, the state which sets the standard for most textbook sdoptions nationally, because of their large student and youth population, has set a goal of discouraging thinking, analyzing, interpreting of learning materials!
How backward can Texas be, which is already in the bottom ten on most educational standards under Governor Rick Perry!
The right wing evangelicals and Tea Party activists are at work, and they do not wish to encourage young people to develop their own ideas and thoughts!
After all, IF young people think, analyze, interpret, and challenge, that is a threat to parental authority and religious doctrine, which promotes obedience without question!
What kind of future does this nation have if we allow what Texas is doing to, effectively, promote obedient people who have no thoughts, who are KNOW NOTHINGS, such as Governor Rick Perry himself?
This is the problem of states rights, and is an argument for nationalizing the educational curriculum, as that is the only hope for high educational standards and the ability of America to compete in the 21st century!
OH Professor!!! How SAD!! No logical argumentation or critical thinking being mandated by the Texas State Government? Are the students just to repeat back what they are programmed to regurgitate back? This is a recipe for Non-thinking George Orwell’s 1984 “Big Brother†scenario.
I have taken an engineering position in Columbus, OH dealing with upgrading and designing new high voltage substations for American Electrical Power in the area.
Today I traveled to Heath, OH to walk and visit the sight of 2000+ year old Indian burial mounds. This mound was done in a large circle and there is another one south of Columbus that is shaped like a snake. The Great Circle Earthworks attributed to the Hopewell Indian culture; is the largest circular earthworks in North America. I might add that the circle is very precision circumscribed and a form of a drafting like compass had to have been used. When I stood on top of the mound circle and viewed it from that vantage point, I could not help but think of the many mass entombed bodies under my feet that had been there for 2000+ years.
http://cleveland.about.com/od/justoutsideoftown/tp/ohioindianmounds.htm
I was telling my wife and daughter about the last one when my wife asked, “Why a snake?†I told her that unlike the Christian Religions where the myth of a snake is linked to evil and was the animal that temped Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, etc. I referred to Joseph Campbell’s book, “The Power of Myth,†where he goes on to explain that because the snake sheds its skin, it was viewed as a symbol of rebirth; a resurrection as such.
I was later talking with my oldest daughter and relaying the same story to her. I went on to give the example of how many myths of many cultures in time had their similar tails. Examples such as Romulus and Remus who are the twin brothers and central characters of Rome’s foundation myth comparing it with the Cain and Able brother’s story found in the Bible. The story of Remus becoming angry at Romulus and in a fit of rage killed his brother. Romulus buried Remus, and carried on with building his city; much like Cain killing his brother Able.
Well to bring this all together and conclude; by not permitting a student to think for themselves, only creates mindlessly non-thinking drones that can be so easily mislead. This only causes a disservice to all and trouble for the future.