My professor at it again......

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Again, this speaks to not solving the problem- indoctrination. Sure, you should have formed your own opinions, but lets look at the majority of folks in college, 18-21, were you culturally and politically "awake" at 18? I know I sure wasn't nearly as much as I am now. Sure back then I voted conservative, but that was because my parents made sure my public education was augmented with their tidbits of wisdom that I wasn't taught in school. But I'm not most kids. So we just let these "teachers" continue to spew this rhetoric to young impressionable minds? Just take the grade, move on, and we are surprised by the majority of American youth voting for Socialist Kings? Am I the only one who gives a shit about this dangerous road we're moving down at a higher and higher rate of speed? Am I the only one who notices that dangerous pit in the distance that we seem to be speeding toward?

This begs the question of whether you have placed the blame correctly. Is it the parents who have neglected this duty, or should the individuals in the schools be forced to offer up no political thought? Or the political thought YOU agree with? And who gets to decide that? And how popular is it when "all points of view must be taught" are applied in places like evolutionary biology or religious studies?
What would your solution be?


It seems to me the variety of youth are becoming increasingly Libertarian, but that's just my own observation. No more valid than assuming the Colorado public thinks the way the Colorado AR15 forum thinks.

[RblDiver]

I tend to think along the lines of "Evil will only triumph when good men do nothing."

At that age, I was a lot less engaging than I am now. Had I taken a course with a vocal prof at that age, I probably would have just fumed too, but now about 7 years later I'd be willing to challenge the professor. By challenge, I mean present reasonable counterarguments, not "You're a stupid moron Professor Knowitall."

Nobody wants to be the first. I'm sure that there are more in that classroom that agree with a conservative point of view, but when noone else speaks up they think that they must be the only ones thinking it. If one person has the courage to speak up, this'll encourage more discussion and facilitate learning.

I would say that documenting everything is a good start. If you think you're in jeopardy of losing grades, keep before and after, document what you say/when/how, and if need be present your argument to the appropriate levels.

If we don't speak out now, then this just emboldens the other side to make even further claims, and make laws like the ones that went into effect yesterday. But if we speak out, this may help bring more to our side and prevent stupidity from spreading (or at least spreading as quickly).

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

At that age, I was a lot less engaging than I am now. Had I taken a course with a vocal prof at that age, I probably would have just fumed too, but now about 7 years later I'd be willing to challenge the professor. By challenge, I mean present reasonable counterarguments, not "You're a stupid moron Professor Knowitall."

Nobody wants to be the first. I'm sure that there are more in that classroom that agree with a conservative point of view, but when noone else speaks up they think that they must be the only ones thinking it. If one person has the courage to speak up, this'll encourage more discussion and facilitate learning.

I can't disagree with any of this, and I might even do the same depending on who it is. It is obvious to all the students who the professors are that are willing to engage in real and constructive debate and which ones just like their pulpit and can't be presented with ideas opposite their own. OTOH, I took those sort of classes because I had to. Whatever I was interested in, I'd do all the readings and more, but if i wasn't - just tell me the bare minimum, but let's not make the bare minimum bigger with a lot of classroom discussion. $0.02


But the part about evil - my own experience is that in academia, these folks are so disconnected with reality that they aren't really evil. There is Washington DC-disconnected-from-reality who I'd say are more evil and interested in absolute power and control, and there are academics-disconnected-from-reality who have never served in the armed forces, seen evil around the world, worked as an emergency worker, ran a business, sold something, etc, etc who are simply true believers and really think folks like Marx or Woodrow Wilson were really on the right track but executed incorrectly and done better, it would work. You won't convince them, but you'll frustrate yourself. $0.02

[Ronin13]

This begs the question of whether you have placed the blame correctly. Is it the parents who have neglected this duty, or should the individuals in the schools be forced to offer up no political thought? Or the political thought YOU agree with? And who gets to decide that? And how popular is it when "all points of view must be taught" are applied in places like evolutionary biology or religious studies?
What would your solution be?


It seems to me the variety of youth are becoming increasingly Libertarian, but that's just my own observation. No more valid than assuming the Colorado public thinks the way the Colorado AR15 forum thinks.

No, I'm not saying all points of view need to be taught... I had teacher in high school that could do it correctly... Teach the f***ing subject OBJECTIVELY and don't let your personal opinions and politics get involved. We can't demand this? What happened to objectivity. Of course a college professor I had, and admired, who taught political science always said "Of course, there are always two sides to every story... and then there's the truth." The only way "all points of view" can be taught is in something like religious studies. In, say, history class, there is only the facts that pertain to the subject matter and no "points of view" so to speak. I mean, can we really argue who murdered 6 million Jews in WWII?

I tend to think along the lines of "Evil will only triumph when good men do nothing."

At that age, I was a lot less engaging than I am now. Had I taken a course with a vocal prof at that age, I probably would have just fumed too, but now about 7 years later I'd be willing to challenge the professor. By challenge, I mean present reasonable counterarguments, not "You're a stupid moron Professor Knowitall."

Nobody wants to be the first. I'm sure that there are more in that classroom that agree with a conservative point of view, but when noone else speaks up they think that they must be the only ones thinking it. If one person has the courage to speak up, this'll encourage more discussion and facilitate learning.

I would say that documenting everything is a good start. If you think you're in jeopardy of losing grades, keep before and after, document what you say/when/how, and if need be present your argument to the appropriate levels.

If we don't speak out now, then this just emboldens the other side to make even further claims, and make laws like the ones that went into effect yesterday. But if we speak out, this may help bring more to our side and prevent stupidity from spreading (or at least spreading as quickly).

THIS!

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

And I'm not saying "shut up and spit it back" as an absolute. Again, it all depends on what you want out of the experience. Some of the things you hear go from mild eye-roller to outrageous.

I just also think some of the suggestions are equally disconnected with reality.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

No, I'm not saying all points of view need to be taught... I had teacher in high school that could do it correctly... Teach the f***ing subject OBJECTIVELY and don't let your personal opinions and politics get involved. We can't demand this? What happened to objectivity. Of course a college professor I had, and admired, who taught political science always said "Of course, there are always two sides to every story... and then there's the truth." The only way "all points of view" can be taught is in something like religious studies. In, say, history class, there is only the facts that pertain to the subject matter and no "points of view" so to speak. I mean, can we really argue who murdered 6 million Jews in WWII?

Positive and Normative. There is a big difference and I'll let you guess which area these guys are playing around in.

[Inconel710]

Thank God, I was an engineering major! Not much argument about the direction of gravity.

I have a good friend whose degree is in International Relations and there are idealist and realist camps there too. He just puts up with the idealists and parrots the prof when he has to. He'll let his opinion be known, but do what he has to do to pass the class.

Personally, arguing with a liberal prof is like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Pointless.

[UrbanWolf]

To end the "do or do not" debate here. I will make negative comment on the end of term anonymous review for the instructor for letting his personal view get in the classroom, but only that. God forbit I file a complaint to a dean who think Obama is 21 century Christ.... Like one of the deans from my high school...guy had the biggest Obama face poster hanging in his office.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

To end the "do or do not" debate here. I will make negative comment on the end of term anonymous review for the instructor for letting his personal view get in the classroom, but only that. God forbit I file a complaint to a dean who think Obama is 21 century Christ.... Like one of the deans from my high school...guy had the biggest Obama face poster hanging in his office.

Those really are cathartic, and they do get around.

[Ronin13]

Add his/her name on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/