quinta-feira, 17 de novembro de 2011

Por que ele(a)s estudam?

Um colega americano pergunta:
"What is a college instructor's biggest annoyance? Not the low pay, the bloated administration, or even grading frequently unreadable student exams although this last runs a close second. The biggest annoyance we face--or, at least, I do on a regular basis--is the utter indifference of the majority of students to matters of learning. Except for perhaps 10 percent, you have to wonder why they are here, taking up space. Is it because they believe the myth that everyone should go to college? I doubt it, because they probably haven't considered the issue. Is it because they think a college degree will help them get a job, & they're now taking the easiest path to getting that degree? Perhaps they think so, but if that is the reason than they shouldn't be here. Is it because the only alternative to going to college is looking for a job? That's plausible, given that you really have to have your head in the sand not to realize how deep in the toilet the U.S. economy is. But again, I have the impression that many students really haven't thought about it. They haven't thought about much of anything, it seems. They are content just to exist, day to day, & in class they are content to fool around with God-knows-what that is entertaining them on their laptops instead of listening in class; or worse yet: to lay their heads down on folded arms & go to sleep when they could be learning something about the forces shaping their world (today's topic was globalization). In any event, even while teaching is a better way for someone with advanced degrees to earn a living than practically anything else I have run across out there, those of us involved in the academic system & battling student anti-intellectualism or non-intellectualism on a daily basis have to wonder whether it is worth the aggravation.

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