Shakespeare too hard???

[Sexyredhead]

The

\'dumbing down\' of America continues to amaze

me.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,114078,00.html



Edit: Link doesn\'t work, so I\'ll just post the article.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Translating Shakespeare, the Princess and the \'B\'



Friday, March 12, 2004
By Joanne Jacobs
In Atlanta, students who are \"on track to attend

college\" but have \"poor reading skills\" are reading Shakespeare without Shakespearean language. Study guides

translate Shakespeare into pedestrian modern English, so students don\'t have to struggle. From the Atlanta

Journal-Constitution:



Leon Allen, a student in (Connie) Kollias\' class, didn\'t understand

the original line. But he read the translated sentence aloud with ease.

\"It\'s nice because all those

ancient words aren\'t there,\" he said. \"It is a cool story — what with people making plans to kill

one another. It can be difficult because everyone has strange names, but at least it isn\'t using any of those old

words anymore.\"

In one version, \"Beware the ides of March\" in Julius Caesar becomes \"Beware of March

15.\"

I keep wondering about students who are incapable of reading Shakespearean language yet are

considered \"on track to attend college.\" How can they do college-level work if they can\'t figure out \"lend

me your ears\" isn\'t about organ transplants? Maybe they\'ll just \"attend\" college but not actually pass

any courses.

I remember the joy I experienced when I realized that Shakespeare\'s \"hautboys\" were

oboes and that the word comes from haut bois or high wood. That was so cool.

What the Real World Demands



Students should demonstrate the skills needed for college and work to earn a high school diploma, write

proponents of the American Diploma Project in Education Week.

The American Diploma Project \"set out to

identify the core competencies in mathematics and English language arts that high school graduates must have in

order to enter and succeed in credit-bearing college courses and in decent jobs in high-wage, high-growth

occupations.\"

Employers and college faculty want new employees and students to have high-level math and

English skills.

In math, (the ADP standards) contain content typically taught in Algebra 1, Algebra 2,

geometry, and data analysis and statistics. In English, they demand strong oral and written communications skills

that are staples in college classrooms and high-performance workplaces. They also describe analytic and research

skills that today are commonly found only in high school honors courses.

State graduation exams typically

require ninth and 10th grade skills, far below what\'s necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

Bring

back vocational schools, writes the Happy Carpenter.

I don\'t think there are many students who lack the

aptitude for academic courses. But many lack basic skills and motivation. They don\'t want to spend more years in

a classroom. They do want to qualify for a decent job, and they\'ll work a lot harder if they believe school will

get them somewhere they want to go.

A Princess in a Cadillac Truck

Who needs hard work? For a

California girl, a B average got her a Cadillac truck. She tells her tale to the New York Times.

The

Escalade EXT is a luxury version of another GM pickup, the Chevy Avalanche. It has satellite radio, leather seats

and a navigation system. I haven\'t used the G.P.S. yet, but I will — I get lost easily. I\'m going to

get custom chrome wheels and rims for it. My favorite brand is Lexani. They\'re so nice looking.

...When I

was 13, I started to think about what kind of car I wanted when I started to drive. I saw an EXT in a music video

and thought, \"Hey, having a pickup truck is way cuter than having a car.\" I started babysitting every week to

save money for one. Then I went on the Cadillac Web site and saw how much it cost, and I thought that\'s a lot of

babysitting. Finally, my parents told me if I got a 3.0 G.P.A. or higher on my report card, they\'d buy me any car

I wanted, within reason.

...I looked out the window and saw a brand new EXT parked in front of the

restaurant. It was the color I wanted: \"Out of the Blue.\" I couldn\'t believe it. I was like, \"Oh my God,

are you serious?\" I ran outside in the falling snow, climbed into the truck and sat there for a bit. Then I called

my friends back in California on my cell. The whole thing was like a car commercial.

...The first time I

drove up to the school, about 25 girls came running out to look at it. \"That is so cool,\" they cried. \"We hate

you!\" It was like a dream come true. I felt like, \"Wow, I\'m a princess.\"

Wow.

Secret of the

Eternal Nancy

Nancy Drew, who started sleuthing in 1930, is still searching for clues in the 21st century.

The Christian Science Monitor reports:

This month, Simon & Schuster is giving the classic series a

makeover. The titian-haired sleuth is now a strawberry blonde and she volunteers at an animal shelter. She\'s

traded in her blue Mustang convertible for a hybrid car. She\'s Internet savvy and carries a cellphone. The new

books are now narrated in first person.

Maybe Bess and George finally will get married.

Letters



Elizabeth Ketrick, art teacher, writes:

Thank you for that statement that school is not about fun.

I have enlarged it and will laminate it and post it in my classroom. Because I teach an elective, many students

think that we are in class to have fun. They complain when we do a little art history from our book. Many of my

assignments are based in a historical context. Now when they complain and whine, I can just send them to your

statement and have them read it.

Chris Rioux of Lisbon, Maine, writes:

North Atlantic Regional

Schools provides a diploma only when the student can provide a portfolio of high school work and proof of credit

hours that are equivalent to the State of Maine requirements for graduation.



Joanne Jacobs writes

about education and other issues at JoanneJacobs.com. She’s writing a book, Ride the Carrot Salad, about a

start-up charter high school in San Jose.

[Elana]

Public schools

scare the hell out of me.

[Sagacious1420]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I keep wondering about students who are incapable

of reading Shakespearean language yet are considered \"on track to attend college.\" How can they do college-level

work if they can\'t figure out \"lend me your ears\" isn\'t about organ transplants? Maybe they\'ll just

\"attend\" college but not actually pass any courses.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">



[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[bundyburger]

I see no

problem with translating Shakespeare. At school age I remember NOT reading shakespeare cause it hurt my head.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] Too much to think about. Lots of kids give up and aren\'t

interested enough to try and read him.

I agree that anyone heading to college and wanting to major in english

or theatre etc should understand the original. But for those who don\'t care, translating is a great way to get

accross some great stories with sometimes great life lessons in them.

[Elana]

When you talk

to BB about anything be certain to t-a-l-k r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w

Sometimes I even draw him pictures

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[EXIT63]

I remember in

10th grade english class, they played us a record of Julius Ceasar. And I turned out just fine.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Elana]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
And I turned out just fine.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Ummmmmmmmmmmm

well...........uh........ok.....if you think so

[OCP]

The public

school system is in disarray because of the liberals in the USA and it continues to go down hill like a runaway

locomotive. STOP! with the social engineering and get back to teaching academics. Why do I feel like no one is

listening? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[EXIT63]

What

[OCP]

LOL

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Elana]

huh?

[Elana]

Yo

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
The \'dumbing down\' of America continues to

amaze me.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,114078,00.html



Edit: Link doesn\'t work, so I\'ll just post the article.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Translating Shakespeare, the Princess and the \'B\'



Friday, March 12, 2004
By Joanne Jacobs
In Atlanta, students who are \"on track to attend college\" but have

\"poor reading skills\" are reading Shakespeare without Shakespearean language. Study guides translate Shakespeare

into pedestrian modern English, so students don\'t have to struggle. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:





Leon Allen, a student in (Connie) Kollias\' class, didn\'t understand the original line. But he read the

translated sentence aloud with ease.

\"It\'s nice because all those ancient words aren\'t there,\" he

said. \"It is a cool story &amp;#8212; what with people making plans to kill one another. It can be difficult

because everyone has strange names, but at least it isn\'t using any of those old words anymore.\"

In one

version, \"Beware the ides of March\" in Julius Caesar becomes \"Beware of March 15.\"

I keep wondering

about students who are incapable of reading Shakespearean language yet are considered \"on track to attend

college.\" How can they do college-level work if they can\'t figure out \"lend me your ears\" isn\'t about

organ transplants? Maybe they\'ll just \"attend\" college but not actually pass any courses.

I remember the

joy I experienced when I realized that Shakespeare\'s \"hautboys\" were oboes and that the word comes from haut

bois or high wood. That was so cool.

What the Real World Demands

Students should demonstrate the skills

needed for college and work to earn a high school diploma, write proponents of the American Diploma Project in

Education Week.

The American Diploma Project \"set out to identify the core competencies in mathematics and

English language arts that high school graduates must have in order to enter and succeed in credit-bearing college

courses and in decent jobs in high-wage, high-growth occupations.\"

Employers and college faculty want new

employees and students to have high-level math and English skills.

In math, (the ADP standards) contain content

typically taught in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, geometry, and data analysis and statistics. In English, they demand strong

oral and written communications skills that are staples in college classrooms and high-performance workplaces. They

also describe analytic and research skills that today are commonly found only in high school honors courses.



State graduation exams typically require ninth and 10th grade skills, far below what\'s necessary to succeed

in the 21st century.

Bring back vocational schools, writes the Happy Carpenter.

I don\'t think there are

many students who lack the aptitude for academic courses. But many lack basic skills and motivation. They don\'t

want to spend more years in a classroom. They do want to qualify for a decent job, and they\'ll work a lot harder

if they believe school will get them somewhere they want to go.

A Princess in a Cadillac Truck

Who needs

hard work? For a California girl, a B average got her a Cadillac truck. She tells her tale to the New York Times.



The Escalade EXT is a luxury version of another GM pickup, the Chevy Avalanche. It has satellite radio, leather

seats and a navigation system. I haven\'t used the G.P.S. yet, but I will &amp;#8212; I get lost easily. I\'m

going to get custom chrome wheels and rims for it. My favorite brand is Lexani. They\'re so nice looking.



...When I was 13, I started to think about what kind of car I wanted when I started to drive. I saw an EXT in a

music video and thought, \"Hey, having a pickup truck is way cuter than having a car.\" I started babysitting

every week to save money for one. Then I went on the Cadillac Web site and saw how much it cost, and I thought

that\'s a lot of babysitting. Finally, my parents told me if I got a 3.0 G.P.A. or higher on my report card,

they\'d buy me any car I wanted, within reason.

...I looked out the window and saw a brand new EXT parked in

front of the restaurant. It was the color I wanted: \"Out of the Blue.\" I couldn\'t believe it. I was like,

\"Oh my God, are you serious?\" I ran outside in the falling snow, climbed into the truck and sat there for a bit.

Then I called my friends back in California on my cell. The whole thing was like a car commercial.

...The first

time I drove up to the school, about 25 girls came running out to look at it. \"That is so cool,\" they cried.

\"We hate you!\" It was like a dream come true. I felt like, \"Wow, I\'m a princess.\"

Wow.

Secret of

the Eternal Nancy

Nancy Drew, who started sleuthing in 1930, is still searching for clues in the 21st century.

The Christian Science Monitor reports:

This month, Simon &amp; Schuster is giving the classic series a makeover.

The titian-haired sleuth is now a strawberry blonde and she volunteers at an animal shelter. She\'s traded in her

blue Mustang convertible for a hybrid car. She\'s Internet savvy and carries a cellphone. The new books are now

narrated in first person.

Maybe Bess and George finally will get married.

Letters

Elizabeth Ketrick, art

teacher, writes:

Thank you for that statement that school is not about fun. I have enlarged it and will

laminate it and post it in my classroom. Because I teach an elective, many students think that we are in class to

have fun. They complain when we do a little art history from our book. Many of my assignments are based in a

historical context. Now when they complain and whine, I can just send them to your statement and have them read it.



Chris Rioux of Lisbon, Maine, writes:

North Atlantic Regional Schools provides a diploma only when the

student can provide a portfolio of high school work and proof of credit hours that are equivalent to the State of

Maine requirements for graduation.



Joanne Jacobs writes about education and other issues at

JoanneJacobs.com. She&amp;#8217;s writing a book, Ride the Carrot Salad, about a start-up charter high school in San

Jose.




<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

YIKES! Use of the language is most of the fun of

Shakespeare?

Are they correctly translating the (many) Elizabethan double-entendres?

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I see no problem with translating Shakespeare. At

school age I remember NOT reading shakespeare cause it hurt my head.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] Too much to think about. Lots of kids give up and aren\'t

interested enough to try and read him.

I agree that anyone heading to college and wanting to major in english or

theatre etc should understand the original. But for those who don\'t care, translating is a great way to get

accross some great stories with sometimes great life lessons in them.


<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

In high school, I played Lady MacBeth.

[EXIT63]

double on

whaters?

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Public schools scare the hell out of me.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Uh-huh.. something like 40% of CA high school students can\'t find CA on

a globe.

[OCP]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Public schools scare the hell out of me.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Uh-huh.. something like 40% of CA high school students can\'t find CA on a globe.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

What\'s a globe?

[EXIT63]

Come

on...Canada is EASY to find.

[OCP]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Come on...Canada is EASY to find.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Exit is funny tonight. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[Sagacious1420]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I see no problem with translating Shakespeare. At school age I remember NOT

reading shakespeare cause it hurt my head. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] Too much to think

about. Lots of kids give up and aren\'t interested enough to try and read him.

I agree that anyone heading to

college and wanting to major in english or theatre etc should understand the original. But for those who don\'t

care, translating is a great way to get accross some great stories with sometimes great life lessons in them.




<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

In high school, I played Lady MacBeth.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

What a coincidence, in high school I played w/ Lady MacBeth too.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Sagacious1420]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I remember in 10th grade english class, they played

us a record of Julius Ceasar. And I turned out just fine. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

That\'s because they never played it backwards.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Elana]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I remember in 10th grade english class, they played us a record of Julius

Ceasar. And I turned out just fine. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">


That\'s because they never played it backwards.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">



[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] That\'s how I learned that one of the Beatles had died.

[DrSmellThis]

Having

taught at the, ahem, \"college level\", I can verify students are less educated. Many can hardly read or write.

With help, I had many writing by the end of term though, so it\'s just lack of teaching in HS. Yet there is

pressure on profs not to flunk students, as butt-filled seats pay the bills. Screw that. Pitiful.