The Most Depressing Thing I've Ever Seen

[Matt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCkYfYa8ePI

Reason #4389 why I'm leaving this country.

 

[cF=)]

You know they clearly took all the stupid people from a bunch of intelligent men and women who answered correctly. I mean, why would they show you geniuses on camera when they want you to get pissed and just go down the street asking government to inject more money in the school system.

United State of America has dumb individuals like any other countries.

 

[Xsyven]

Stay in school, kids.




I honestly don't understand how people don't know how many sides a triangle has.

 

[commonyoshi]

You can tell how some of the people interviewed were expecting them to be trick questions.

Triangle.

 

[FastFox]

If you think that's bad, watch Talking To Americans.

Rick Mercer is Canadian, and he goes around asking questions to Americans about Canada. It's sad how little they know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0mjZR8-vw0

 

[Venom Dream]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI

This is worse. My god.

 

[Crimson King]

This is why I am against public education. We don't need people failing out the system of money I pump into it and not take advantage of what they are given. On top of the fact the government pushes their agenda first on all cases.

 

[EEvisu]

I found that more funny then sad

 

[GoldShadow]

Are those people for real?

 

[dr.neo]

Why does EEvisu always have the funniest sigs ever immagined? Just thougt I'd throw that out there.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI

This is worse. My god.

Have any of you actually heard of any of these other ways to find the answer??? I cannot believe how complicated they made that. I feel so bad for whoever had to learn it like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA&mode=related&search=

The video listed above proves how terrible American schools are right now. I left a comment about how I've got a best friend who hasn't graduated from high school. Baha and I are going to have to teach her everything so that she can pass the GED so that she can continue on with her education. It's sad that Baha and I can teach better than many teachers in the US.

The reason is this: there is no incentive to go into education because teachers get don't get paid enough. All the money that the school systems recieve is invested in technology.

But I don't think this is the only this reason. I think it's the general US perception of learning and the world around them. No one seems to care about learning anymore. Even in college, people just sit back in class and feel like they are forced to be there. I watch students that sit around me and they really don't care to learn any of the material.

This semester I tried something. I'm taking three different economics classes and for each class I've chosen seats in the front, middle and back. The front row are friends that I've had in previous classes who all recieved high grades in that previous class. The middle row has some distractions, and people seem to text people and not pay attention as much. The back row is interesting. I don't sit in the back very often but I decided to just to see what it was like. I missed the first day of that class because I switched into it from another class. I asked the guy to the left if he had gone to the first day and he said no. Then, another guy sat to the right of me and I asked him if he'd gone to the first day and he also said no. The next class period these guys were the ones late to class. Do you guys think where you sit has an effect on the students? I find it interesting...

And I'd have to admit, I don't know much about Canada. We are never taught anything about other countries here. The only reason I know anything about the world outside of the US is because I lived in Scotland for almost three years. I'll try and learn more about Canada. I am very sorry. But I have visited Canada before and I liked it too!

 

[Venom Dream]

And I'd have to admit, I don't know much about Canada. We are never taught anything about other countries here. The only reason I know anything about the world outside of the US is because I lived in Scotland for almost three years. I'll try and learn more about Canada. I am very sorry. But I have visited Canada before and I liked it too!

I'm in Canada, Ask me anything.

Public education here is very good, atleast, right up there with the private schools. Going to a private school in Canada is just a way to flaunt at other people how much money you have, it doesn't really give you an advantage.

 

[FastFox]

That's very true.

Our public schooling system is excellent.

 

[GoldShadow]

Aren't they considering entirely dropping calculus from Ontario schools? It won't even be an option for students who wish to take it.

But I've also heard about how Canada has good schools/hard grading, etc. I'm guessing that's what it's like in most other places?

 

[Xx GuNz xX]

I'd have to admit, my school isn't as efficient as I'd like it to be. I'm in a private school, and even I don't apply myself as much as I could and get straight As. I've been known around my friend's to complain that school is just too easy.

 

[commonyoshi]

You can blame the school system as much as you want, but isn't the problem the students? If they truely wanted to learn something, or anything, they could conveniently do it on-line. Most of us will acknowledge that the majority of schools in America aren't that great so it's really the student's fault he's not prepared. It's not as if he doesn't know alternative means of study. (Maybe not most schools in America, but definitely all the schools around where I live. They suck, except SI Highchool. Those people are geniuses @_@)

The problem I've noticed with my school is that people dont want to learn. It starts with one person and soon spreads throughout the whole class. I can testify to this since I'm the one who started the lazy thing with my class. (the whole grade goes to the same classes since it's a small school) You know that one kid in class who always goes, "How will this help us in life"? That's me all my life from Kindergarden to Freshman year, which was when I stopped. I realized I didn't need to say it anymore. Everyone was already thinking it. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been such a brat.

 

[Eor]

You know, I have a very good feeling that the Canadian one was blatantly edited. Mainly the Igloo one. He only did the Igloo explanation once, while the rest of it was just people saying "Congratulations on preserving your Igloo". He was probably said something completely diffrent to them.

Besides that, the majority of people he interviewed just seem to take his word, and just don't correct him on things. Hell, if a Canadian told me the capitol was Toronto, even though I'm **** positive it's Ottawa, I'd just take his word for it.

 

[Xsyven]

Stupid people are everywhere.

Don't blame it on the schools.

 

[Venom Dream]

Stupid people are everywhere.

Don't blame it on the schools.

We're blaming schools for not doing their job (that is, to teach students) properly, not for stupidity in general.
Read the topic.

 

[commonyoshi]

It really doesn't matter how well they teach the students if the students dont care.

I had one of the greatest Spanish teachers last year, and I got a "C" because I was too lazy to study.

Now I miss my old Spanish teacher...

 

[Xsyven]

We're blaming schools for not doing their job (that is, to teach students) properly, not for stupidity in general.
Read the topic.

How does one teach properly?

Like commonyoshi said, the best teacher can give the best lessons. It's the student's fault if they want to listen or not.

 

[Wak]

It's really easy to make people look stupid in front of a camera, and it can get really worse if you decide to edit out and remove the people who corrected the right answer to the questions.

It's a bit like any ssbm combo videos
- You being the pwner, the guy interviewing in the vid
- Your opponent getting mindgamed, the people answering wrong to his questions

You put in the video YOUR mindgames and YOUR nice shots, so much that your opponent always look like bad because they got tricked in something you think you wouldn't have got hit by.

I don't really buy this video, but I laughed out loud many times.

 

[Venom Dream]

How does one teach properly?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUM...elated&search=

You didn't watch these, eh?
If you had, you'd understand what I meant.

Some schools are better than others (*le gasp*). If it is possible for one school to teach it's students better, than it is possible for all schools to do so.
If you can not teach things such as Literacy in the English language to students who speak english, then you are doing something wrong.

 

[sheepyman]

Well, to be blatantly honest, the people in both videos were probably

A) Paid.
B) Not paid, but there was a big-*** filtering process from lots of people he interviewed.

Even if that wasn't the case, I agree with Commonyoshi. I've gone to both terrible schools, and good schools, and the end result was the same. I learned passable english, mathematics, science, and history. I know enough about politics and the like.

Teaching is a vessel that allows a student to become engrossed with a subject. If he or she does not accept the teaching, then he or she must A) be engrossed with the subject to begin with, or B) fail.

Basically, self-education is generally what happens in schools anyways. Only very poor neighborhoods that don't have money for textbooks and paper are truly bad. However, attitudes in poorer neighborhoods (being naturally less-educated, since educated people tend to have jobs, and thus money), are less emphatic about education, thus the kids don't want to learn, and that's why (often) they don't.

Those are just my thoughts, though.

I'm watching the first video, and I already have a number of things to say:

She's assuming that the first method is THE BEST method, and that everyone should use it. I'm 16, and I've already taken Calc 1-3, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations. I can't multiply using anything but the second method, and since I was 8 when I learned I did not use paper to multiply, unless it was 3 digit or more times 3 digit or more, which I can still do in my head but would rather do on paper.

The fact is that someone of IQ 95 or so should be able to write their own problems, and practice as much as they'd like that way. "Decimal and Fractional multiplication is shallow" is another assumption.

Again, it's all about Self-teaching.

Let me watch the rest of the video though.

EDIT: Okay, that was complete bull****. It's ridiculous. Kids, if they start in 5th grade, will have mastered the subject through indirect use by the 6th grade.

EDIT2: Watching second video.

EDIT3: Second video has a malformed video ID.

 

[tmw_redcell]

This semester I tried something. I'm taking three different economics classes and for each class I've chosen seats in the front, middle and back. The front row are friends that I've had in previous classes who all recieved high grades in that previous class. The middle row has some distractions, and people seem to text people and not pay attention as much. The back row is interesting. I don't sit in the back very often but I decided to just to see what it was like. I missed the first day of that class because I switched into it from another class. I asked the guy to the left if he had gone to the first day and he said no. Then, another guy sat to the right of me and I asked him if he'd gone to the first day and he also said no. The next class period these guys were the ones late to class. Do you guys think where you sit has an effect on the students? I find it interesting...

And I'd have to admit, I don't know much about Canada. We are never taught anything about other countries here. The only reason I know anything about the world outside of the US is because I lived in Scotland for almost three years. I'll try and learn more about Canada. I am very sorry. But I have visited Canada before and I liked it too!

For the seating placement thing: I think you have your cause and effect reversed. The lazier students sit in the back so they can get away with texting people, messing around on their laptops, whatever. The good students are eager to learn so they sit up front where they can hear and see the professor and the professor can see them so when they want to ask a question they'll get noticed right away. Also a bunch of other factors like sitting by the door to leave early or because you came in late. But if you have assigned seating in your college then I don't know.

And I forgive you for not knowing much about Canada. Canadians learn a lot about America through stuff like TV and movies as well as school. But we don't have to memorize the fifty states and their capitals or anything. I think I actually learned more about Australian geography than I did U.S. Geography in school.

And I definitely agree that teachers should be paid more. I see this point brought up a lot and people argue against it for the stupidest reasons. "If you increase the pay, you'll get people who just want the money!" It's fairly common for teachers in North America to have to pay for school supplies out of their own pockets every once in a while. If I worked in government I'd be ashamed of that. And they have to spend a lot on their own training, going to conferences etc. for their entire career. "They get their summer off!" They're basically laid off for two months a year, that's NOT a vacation. If the government's making education mandatory then they do it right. Teachers should be paid and trained as well as police officers.

Also another thing I dislike about the education is their ridiculous 'emphasis on critical thinking' where they pretend to teach it by merely teaching subjects that involve critical thinking. Students should be learning actual critical thinking, that is, how to construct an argument, spot fallacies in your own thinking and in others', etc. in like third grade.

Also, illiterate students should not pass. I think it's hilarious that we do a literacy test in tenth grade. How the **** are illiterate people passing all their other courses? It's great that we want to make everyone literate before they graduate high school but maybe by someone's thirteenth year of education they should be able to read at a fourth grade level.

Also foreign language education needs a revamp. So many people have bought into the 'immersion' technique, which is so retardedly ineffective if you only do it a few hours a week in a thirty-on-one scenario. How about we tell people how the language works in a language they already understand instead of in the language they don't know. However, people often call Americans stupid for not being bilingual, mostly Europeans, but the fact is they don't need to learn another language, and often, Americans who do learn foreign languages forget them due to disuse since they barely use it.

Also the videos didn't load for me. But I know the Rick Mercer one. Judging by people's reactions I'm guessing it didn't have the clip where Rick Mercer asks President Bush if Canada can borrow a tugboat so we can "pull our polar ice cap back together" and Bush of course said that he will do that since he supports Canada, disregarding the stupidity of the question.

Also, tying into the anti-intellectualism thing, I really hate it when people say they'd vote for someone because they'd 'want to sit down and have a beer with him' or some ****. Would you want the last person you sat down and had a beer with running your god**** country?

Also on the comment that Canadian schools are harder than U.S. schools, I'm not sure. But I know that other countries have a lot more intense schooling than we do here. Japan and India make our schooling look like a journey to Toyland, but they have their own problems.

Also I'd be pretty surprised if they removed Calculus from Ontario high schools. A lot of University programs considered it a necessary requirement three years ago. I'm pretty sure all Math, Science, Engineering, and Business students needed to take it to be considered. So unless the Universities are/were re-teaching it to begin with it'd mess things up for them. I know we had three sections of it in my senior year, which made it the second most, taken course after English, which was required for everyone.

 

[Sporkman]

That first video would have been the greatest thing I've seen this week had it not been for a clip on youtube fans of New York Rev's supporters singing "Where in Ireland is Glasgow?" to Celtic fans. An absolute classic, you may not think so, but I am a Rangers supporter.

To say that it's all wrong because of the editing is a bit too defensive. Everyone knows, well maybe not those from the clips, that these videos have the correct answers edited out, who wants to watch the correct ones? it's because the wrong ones are so damn stupid it is actually amazing, there was no editing for the Yugoslavia answer, double whammy on that answer because Yugoslavia doesn't even exist anymore, although you would have to check the date of the video. What is worrying is those people have the power to vote, and some of the views on the Bush support was scary. I cracked up at most answers, but definately worried by those texans. "if he says it I'll believe it". Scary indeed.

The Canadian one wasn't as good, most answers seemed forced. The maths was also peculiar, if schools are accepting those books over perfectly normal ones (such as those found over here) then you have to blame the people in charge of the schools' resources. Why would anyone condone those methods?!

Didn't watch the school one, too long.

Seating, well I dont know, depends what kind of seating, not sure of the correct word so i'll go with "cinema-style" (should be able to get what I mean) style seating, like the seating arrangements of the Roman senate or just tables dotted around a room with seats around them. I mostly find that students cluster with their friends in the same places without changing seats all year. Nothing to really do with willingness to learn, but i wouldn't be surprised if it is a factor.

Anyway, all this is (in the beginning) was a good laugh. That shouldn't be taken away.

 

[Matt]

Oh, cool. I like that people are discussing stuff in this topic. I just posted the link because I thought it should be shared but I had no plans of discussing things. = D

But since we're on a topic! I would like to say that I work in a kitchen and I know firsthand that people are completely ******** about culture and other countries and their own country and anything that isn't related to them (or unrelated! gossip is fuuuun). They know more about ****ty movies and ******** celebrities thanks to the shameless vile filth that is corporate news than they do about why we're in Iraq or the actual platforms of the idiot politicians that they vote for on such wonderful grounds as "He has good Christian values." I love how having good Christian values means having absolutely no sense of empathy whatsoever. I LOVE IT.

Eric and I were talking about this the other day, and we agree that it's a **** shame that everyone is considered equal in this country under our "Democracy." How quaint! There is no such God****ed thing as equality when there are clearly people who are too bigoted, short-sighted, self-deluded, religiously blinded, poorly educated, and tragically apathetic to deserve a say in anything, especially not a say in electing the people who are going to tell the (albeit few) intelligent people how to live their lives. What a ****ing backwards country this is.

Fun fact: next to Turkey, the USA is the second leading country in idiots who don't believe that evolution exists. There were people in my Anthropology class who took it for a general education requirement who--after being confronted very clearly with scientific factual discoveries of undoubted material detailing key points in human evolution--came out of the class insisting "I still don't believe it, because it's against my religion." My dad thinks that evolution evidence is a liberal conspiracy to undermine Christian values. I wish I was joking.

I had a class that talked about all the issues facing schools in America. There is absolutely no doubt about it that our schools (grade schools, high schools, charter schools, private schools, and universities alike) are failing compared to a number of other countries. Don't blame the methods. Don't blame apathy. Don't blame the money. Blame the ridiculously low standards governed by the afore-mentioned quaint notion of equality. The fact of the matter is that education simply is not challenging enough. With little or no effort, teens are graduating from High School with piss poor grades (and on the verge of illiteracy), low entry test scores for universities, and no appreciation for education at all. The majority of them go onto college because their parents have the money, and that's all a university cares about. Merit and effort don't mean **** in this country. Whoa, big mystery that our jobs are being outsourced!

I could go on with millions of observations of the stupidity of my fellow Americans, but I wouldn't want to sound too bitter!

WHOOPS TOO LATE

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

I didn't look at the videos but I agree with common to an extent. It is true that the students must apply themselves BUT I have gone to several schools in my day since I move a lot. Some schools have excellent and easilly understood teaching and others just flat out suck. It is extremely difficult to pick up on something at the school I am currently going to because the teachers suck at teaching. Unlike most people I actually want to pass so I pay attention and I still find myself having a difficult time when in most cases I can pick up on something quickly.

Edit: Ticked off, Matt? I have to agree with you completely because I see my friends passing despite the fact that they show me their perpetual amount of F's. Not to mention simply talking to them reveals their stupidity.

 

[Sporkman]

I forgot to put in the joke that video reminded me of:

"A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question
asked was:"Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the
food shortage in the rest of the world?"
The survey was a huge failure...
In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant.
In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant.
In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant.
In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant.
In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant.
In South America they didn't know what "please" meant.
And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant"


And don't worry, we know there are dumb people in other countries too, such as over here Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo from S-Club 7 slagging off Shilpa Shetty with comments such as "the reason indians are so skinny is because they undercook their food".

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

For the comments about Texas, I mentioned on Youtube that the captital, Austin, is very democratic and pretty much everyone you run into hates Bush and republican decisions in general. So, no, not all Texans are republican and support Bush. I know I sure don't support him and his war. He's only going through with it because he doesn't want to be proven wrong....even though he already has.
I sure hope our next president elected is smarter. Surely the next one will be better...right? RIGHT??

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

So, Obama or Hillary...

 

[plasmawisp6633]

This video is like Jeopardy for people with an I.Q. of AMERICAN.

 

[Vinnie275]

So, Obama or Hillary...

Anyone versed in actual political circles knows full well of the overestimation of Hillary Clinton's political prowess. If you payed attention to the Senate, you would fully realize how well she fits the title of "Most Inept Senator".
Her only "reedeming demographic" for voters is that she is
1. A woman

It is not common sense to elect a person to office because they, "watched their hubby do it" and so they naturally can do it too.

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

We're talking about the President of America here! A monkey can do it *coughbushcough* so can she!

Edit: Now if only I was kidding...

 

[the Marronator]

Wow, I feel really fortunate that I am in the IB program. Some of thoes videos scared me quite a bit.

They probably just edited all of the people who got right answers out on the first video, but it still is a bit scary.

 

[forward]

This guy needs to get laid. He walks around interviewing dumb people to make him self feel smarter, amazing, good job.

People are dumb, we get it. The problem is tho, this isn't going to help any of those dumb people. How about instead of ridiculing them on national television he gives them a history book?

Too many haters in the world.

 

[Zink]

Man, it is so easy to make anyone at all look stupid. It's a bit funny the first time but after that, meh. Also, I'm with forward.
what did forward say?

 

[Hiemie]

http://smashboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10

 

[Venom Dream]

So, Obama or Hillary...

It's going to be Hillary. It doesn't matter at all what platform she has, what her opponents say, ad campaigns, & ect.
She will win. ****, democracy ;_;

 

[Sporkman]

Cousin just linked me another similar video, classic from the Clarkson meister.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1GrcQ2KuI&NR