Banned Words & Topics - Politics & Religion

RFNAPLES
Level 8

Gender: Male
Age: 75
Location: Durham, NC, USA

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 Brick wall

) 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.

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?
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junodog4
Future Grumpy Old Man

Gender: Male
Location: Calgary

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?

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.

RFNAPLES
Level 8

Gender: Male
Age: 75
Location: Durham, NC, USA

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.
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junodog4
Future Grumpy Old Man

Gender: Male
Location: Calgary

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. d'oh!

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

BlueNote

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.