http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:42:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1785 Queenannelace Mon, 17 Apr 2006 11:34:00 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1785 Doug, thanks for responding. I agree with your analysis of this and appreciate that you checked this out. Some of the grads at school were looking at this but no one was willing to talk about it. Thanks again! Doug, thanks for responding. I agree with your analysis of this and appreciate that you checked this out. Some of the grads at school were looking at this but no one was willing to talk about it. Thanks again!

]]> http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1777 Doug Sun, 16 Apr 2006 22:47:12 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1777 From a brief look, Iserbyt's book reads like a right-wing polemic that is antithetical to most everything I believe. While I may share some of her broad conclusions, I disagree with most of her assumptions. Rhetorically, her book reads more like propaganda than reasoned argumentation. For example, to link whole language with Skinnerian operant conditioning is simply wrong, as they stand in complete opposition to one another. I don't have time to read about conspiracy theories, and that's what this looks like to me. I don't believe schools are being "dumbed down" from a formerly excellent state. They've always had problems, and the "crisis" is a manufactured one that is more a response to cultural trends than intellectual deficits. From my point of view, we're off-track because of a lack of consensus about whose knowledge has value, and what kind of society we envision for ourselves. I don't see Meier as sharing the same point of view as Iserbyt whatsoever. From a brief look, Iserbyt’s book reads like a right-wing polemic that is antithetical to most everything I believe. While I may share some of her broad conclusions, I disagree with most of her assumptions. Rhetorically, her book reads more like propaganda than reasoned argumentation. For example, to link whole language with Skinnerian operant conditioning is simply wrong, as they stand in complete opposition to one another. I don’t have time to read about conspiracy theories, and that’s what this looks like to me. I don’t believe schools are being “dumbed down” from a formerly excellent state. They’ve always had problems, and the “crisis” is a manufactured one that is more a response to cultural trends than intellectual deficits. From my point of view, we’re off-track because of a lack of consensus about whose knowledge has value, and what kind of society we envision for ourselves. I don’t see Meier as sharing the same point of view as Iserbyt whatsoever.

]]> http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1776 Queenannelace Sun, 16 Apr 2006 21:39:29 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/16/democratic-tensions/#comment-1776 Doug, you may want to check out Charlotte Iserbyt's website @http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/ She was one of Reagan's education policymakers and claims to be a a whistleblower over the entire standards and testing movement. I can't find anyone that refutes what she says or Meier's. Let me know what you think... Doug, you may want to check out Charlotte Iserbyt’s website @http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/ She was one of Reagan’s education policymakers and claims to be a a whistleblower over the entire standards and testing movement. I can’t find anyone that refutes what she says or Meier’s. Let me know what you think…

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