Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>Joanna:
>That crossed my mind too, but I observed a similar divide elsewhere. When I
>was still teaching, I saw a big difference between college kids and older
>folk coming back to school to supplement their education. I am not talking
>about knowing more facts, for both groups were more equal in their priors
>re. the subject matter, but their communicative skills and their skill of
>learning new things. One way to describe it is "attitude" but I am afraid
>it may create wrong connotation. I am not talking about "behavior problems"
>but about general interest in learning new things - which seems to be
>vanishing.
>
There is such a thing as maturity. The other day my son came by to work
on a college paper, and I noticed that somehow, miraculously, he is now
able to write well. What is the difference between what he can do now
and what he could do two years ago? He didn't really study composition,
though he did get a little practice writing papers. I'd say the
difference was time and maturity.
Nevertheless, it's my turn to concede that you are right too. The current coming-of-age generation has grown up in a virtually content-free world. It has all been about filling in the form, attending the right school, knowing the right people, mirrorring the right stuff. There is no there there.
Joanna
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