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Re: Banned Words & Topics

BlueNote — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:17:15 GMT

Author: BlueNote

Posted: 03/31/2012 20:17

Mr. Shankly wrote:

Uh, no. I seriously doubt the left had anything to do with banning books like Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye and the Harry Potter series. That was the religious right.

Not quite. Huck Finn? Left. Harry Potter? Right. Catcher in the Rye? I didn't know any tried to get that one pulled. Can you point me to an article? If it is true, my guess it would be the right.

Quote:

On this issue though, I agree with you. I am absolutely against censorship, especially when it comes to education.

I'm not. Some things are not appropriate for preschool students, though by the end of high school you should have access to nearly everything.

Quote:

If you really look into it or ask around, you'll find that most left-leaning progressive types are against this kind of censorship.

I've not seen that. The Left tends to wish to prevent political speech they disagree with (see: Rush's latest episode, the Fairness Doctrine, imprisoning idiot Holocaust deniers in Europe, creation of hate crimes (meant to punish thoughts, not actions), etc.).

The Right tends to try to prevent speech on moral grounds (see: trying to get Married With Children off the air (yes, I'm old school), porn laws, Harry Potter, etc.)

Neither camp is fully for free speech. And given the Left's firm grasp on the education industry, my guess is this list has way more to do with leftist though patterns than right-wing agitating.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

junodog4 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:41:57 GMT

Author: junodog4

Posted: 03/31/2012 04:41

RFNAPLES wrote:

It is not just the words but also the topics that are being excluded. But I agree with your next to last sentence.

The article doesn't say the topics are being excluded from class, just the words from exams.

...and you missed my sarcasm in the next to last sentence.

Never mind. No point trying to present a different point of view. You've already made up your mind.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

RFNAPLES — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:05:38 GMT

Author: RFNAPLES

Posted: 03/31/2012 04:05

junodog4 wrote:

You missed my point. If a word is excluded from the standardized tests because they want to be sensitive to diverse perspectives (I still think it's dumb), it doesn't mean that it won't be in the classroom. Teachers aren't harming their student's preparedness for exams if they inform them of words that are excluded. Students won't perform worse on tests if their teachers tell them about cancer, even if the word is avoided on these tests. Your logic is flawed.

But go ahead... Let's dive right into your logic: Namby-pamby socialists are ruining education in America by compromising to everyone. This list is concrete proof.

It is not just the words but also the topics that are being excluded. But I agree with your next to last sentence.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

junodog4 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:53:23 GMT

Author: junodog4

Posted: 03/31/2012 03:53

RFNAPLES wrote:

I have lived in NYC and am a former professor. I am not knocking the teaching profession but pointing out the likelihood that some teachers will teach to the test for job security and advancement. Must we test to the lowest common denominator to be politically correct? Wimps. Is it better to have our children graduate to fail in life?

Re: Banned Words & Topics

RFNAPLES — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:45:58 GMT

Author: RFNAPLES

Posted: 03/31/2012 03:45

junodog4 wrote:

Not necessarily. Removing words from tests doesn't ban them from the classroom. While standardized tests is a whole different issue (gotta love Bush and his No Child Left Behind ) and teachers shouldn't teach to tests (but do out of concern for job security), this does not mean teachers aren't mentioning sports teams or swimming pools to their students. Don't insult the teaching professionals of the USA or even the school officials by thinking that this list is reflected in classroom teacher behaviour. Granted, our society has become alarmist about 'sensitive' topics, and schools are the canary in the coalmine. We should remain vigilant for censorship and sugarcoating in schools. However, this article is sensationalism at it's worst. They have keyed on a stupid government policy and used it irresponsibility to blow it out of context and get reaction out of readers.

You should know better, Naples. Stick to bashing Obama.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

junodog4 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:30:04 GMT

Author: junodog4

Posted: 03/31/2012 03:30

RFNAPLES wrote:

Teachers in New York know that a good part of their evaluations will rely upon standardized exam scores. This means that a great deal of class time will be spent on test prep. That means that a great deal of class time will not be spent covering any of these topics. While banning these words does not directly impact the curriculum, it is obvious that they will impact it nonetheless.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

RFNAPLES — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:05:29 GMT

Author: RFNAPLES

Posted: 03/31/2012 03:05

junodog4 wrote:

Thanks for addressing this, Higher...

Exams are routinely scoured of potentially contentious words, so as to avoid unnecessary anxiety, or throwing the students off topic or focus. Schools need to ensure the students are being assessed for their knowledge, skills and attitudes towards course concepts and material, not their reaction to language (unless it's course vocabulary).

I teach high school, and almost every term on the list is appropriate in class, and most are addressed in the curriculum. While I don't support the removal of most of these terms from the standardized tests, it's not the same as sterilizing or bubble wrapping the classroom experience. We have moved in that direction in some cases, but in others, our curriculum is becoming more diverse and critical, and we expose the students to more than in previous generations. I think it's a little dangerous when the media grabs a hold of a story like this and people miss the details or context.

That said, I'm speaking from a Canadian perspective. I don't know if my point applies in the USA.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Mr. Shankly — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:46:39 GMT

Author: Mr. Shankly

Posted: 03/31/2012 02:46

RFNAPLES wrote:

It's just the left trying to protect wimps from politically incorrect words and topics. Wouldn’t want any hurt or unpleasant feelings now would we? Too bad with the list we can't educate either. What's left lullabies?

Uh, no. I seriously doubt the left had anything to do with banning books like Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye and the Harry Potter series. That was the religious right. I swear to god, I think you live in some sort of alternate universe you've crafted for yourself. I am endlessly astounded by how many things you post that make absolutely no sense.

On this issue though, I agree with you. I am absolutely against censorship, especially when it comes to education. If you really look into it or ask around, you'll find that most left-leaning progressive types are against this kind of censorship. What we don't like is ignorance, which is why we find politicians like Sarah Palin and Rick Santorum and right wing commentators like Rush Limbaugh so abhorrent. To me, censorship = ignorance.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

junodog4 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:40:40 GMT

Author: junodog4

Posted: 03/31/2012 01:40

HigherThanTheSun wrote:

Whilst I think this list is a little ridiculous and likely the product of some overzealous public worker trying to justify his/her position, the list isn't about subjects to be banned from the entire curriculumn, just exams.

To be honest I think exam makers should be trusted to not raise innappropriate topics in their exams without this sort of guidance, but I can't say it's a bad idea to try to avoid evocative subjects in exams.

Just another case of public officials acting in good faith but going unneccessarily overboard. Not something to be too scared about though.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

HigherThanTheSun — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:40:54 GMT

Author: HigherThanTheSun

Posted: 03/31/2012 00:40

Whilst I think this list is a little ridiculous and likely the product of some overzealous public worker trying to justify his/her position, the list isn't about subjects to be banned from the entire curriculumn, just exams.

To be honest I think exam makers should be trusted to not raise innappropriate topics in their exams without this sort of guidance, but I can't say it's a bad idea to try to avoid evocative subjects in exams.

Just another case of public officials acting in good faith but going unneccessarily overboard. Not something to be too scared about though.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Hermes_requite — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:40:08 GMT

Author: Hermes_requite

Posted: 03/30/2012 11:40

19loveless91 wrote:

nanny state. that recent south park ep is not far from truth, is it?

Truth be told, South Park has more truth than the nightly news.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

19loveless91 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:38:22 GMT

Author: 19loveless91

Posted: 03/30/2012 11:38

nanny state. that recent south park ep is not far from truth, is it?

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Eggman/Walrus/Taxman — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:20:53 GMT

Author: Eggman/Walrus/Taxman

Posted: 03/30/2012 11:20

I don't see the point of this list either. One can't even talk freely about their own religion? And yeah, diseases, crimes and such things might be unpleasant, but WHY ban them? They are an important part of understanding what the world is like. Looks like the people who banned all these words were trying to make sure children would never learn anything. And anyway, so many of these topics are unavoidable, that one wonders why anybody would bother to ban them. They might as well ban school too. Or, as Hayden said, the news.

The thing in the world that I would consider deserving the most to be banned, is censorship itself.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Jackwc — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:03:19 GMT

Author: Jackwc

Posted: 03/30/2012 07:03

I definitely agree with Naples, this is some serious bullshit. How in any way are you protecting a child by keeping them from hearing the word "crime"?

HOWEVER

BEA does not ghettoize "certain" forums. The users that incessantly comment in them do. Now that GARY has left us, more people are coming to comment in the politics forums. Because GARY is no longer there. No one ever commented in the Iron Maiden thread, but it wasn't thrust into the politics ghetto. Why weren't people commenting there? Well, GARY, for the most part. It's a user thing.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

RFNAPLES — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:04:19 GMT

Author: RFNAPLES

Posted: 03/29/2012 16:04

It's just the left trying to protect wimps from politically incorrect words and topics. Wouldn’t want any hurt or unpleasant feelings now would we? Too bad with the list we can't educate either. What's left lullabies?

Re: Banned Words & Topics

an_outlaw — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:58:16 GMT

Author: an_outlaw

Posted: 03/29/2012 15:58

Hayden wrote:

Yeah. It's just to ban mention of them in class discussions or tests or w/e It's only in some parts of New York I think. I don't even know what happens if you do mention anything on this list. Either way, it's not to be taken seriously.

I see. Reading the article it seems like they are trying to please everybody but are likely to please very few.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

itsit — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:56:26 GMT

Author: itsit

Posted: 03/29/2012 15:56

I thought we got over this whole "rock music is evil!" thing back in the 70's.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Hayden — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:54:03 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 03/29/2012 15:54

an_outlaw wrote:

What is the meaning of this? Is it to remove them from schools and other places? Censorship can only lead to bad things.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

an_outlaw — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:52:07 GMT

Author: an_outlaw

Posted: 03/29/2012 15:52

What is the meaning of this? Is it to remove them from schools and other places? Censorship can only lead to bad things.

Re: Banned Words & Topics

Hayden — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:45:30 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 03/29/2012 15:45

RFNAPLES wrote:

Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, or drugs
Birthday celebrations (and birthdays)
Cancer (and other diseases)
Celebrities
Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting)
Evolution
Halloween
Homes with swimming pools
In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge
Rap Music
Rock-and-Roll music
Sex
Vermin (rats and roaches)
Witchcraft, sorcery, etc.[/list]

Some of those I can understand. Like..3 of them. But I list I kept is fucking ridiculous. HALLOWEEN?, Cancer?

Rap Music pisses me off too. What's wrong with it? What's wrong with Rock music? What do they want these kids listening to? Radio shit?

Witchcraft is a joke I'm slightly confused why that's always an issue.

And avoiding the use of Celebrities, Sex & Computers is impossible. Might as well ban the news as well.

Math makes me feel unpleasant. Maybe we should ban that too.