So are we Stupid or Not? (BLA Final)

The above video explains a documentary that is looking at new and over the top disciplinary measures in public schools. I found this striking because it may explain some of the decreasing test scores in public schools. If children do not feel safe or on edge at school they are less likely to be paying attention the lesson.

For more information on how the education system is declining visit http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Shocking-Education-Statistics 

Bauerlein's argument can be boiled down to this: people under 30 spend too much time online, goofing off and with technology, and are now under prepared for the real world, incapable of making sound political decisions, and culturally unaware. He starts with a misconception of how hard high schools work in school and then goes into how little time on average they spend on homework. He then goes into the main point of his argument of how much of a "knowledge Deficit" young people have.

Two passages that caught my eye in a positive way were on pages 2 and 3:

 "AP Frank" became a Whiteman legend when as a junior he manages a "seven AP coarse load that had him studying every afternoon, sleeping during class and going lunchless."

and "Consider a school that constantly emphasizes the importance of performance.....  he may be so concerned about the results that he's not engaged at all in the activity that produces these result."
 
These passages really stuck with me because by the end of high school I will have taken 7 AP classes just like "AP Frank" and I do fall asleep in class a lot be cause I'm so sleep deprived. Also, I have gone lunchless many times trying to get work done. It was practically explaining my life.

Two passages I disagreed with were on pages 5 and 55:

"In 2003, homework time for 15-17 year olds hit only 24 minutes on weekend days and 50 minutes on weekdays."
and: "81% of percent of freshmen in "03 read four books or fewer."

I had to wonder, where are they getting these stats? I read about 20-30 books annually and I'm so sleep deprived by the time the week is over from homework that I crash on Friday nights at around 6 and don't get up until 9 the next morning. I honestly don't know more than 3 people who fall into that category they are describing as the norm for teenagers. 

Bauerlein's argument is effective in that he uses an over load of supporting numerical and quantitative data to support his claims. He also explains the significance of the data and contrasts it with earlier data. He uses many scare tactics by stating scary sounding facts, which is effective but misleading.