TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
One of the more amazing things I've witnessed in the past few years is the
inability of (some) high school graduates, and youngsters still in high
school, who can not figure out simple math...addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. Many are incapable of accurately counting
change back to a customer.
I was in a fast-food restaurant recently and watched as a young man
literally asked his manager to help him give me change for a ten dollar
bill. I was embarrassed for the young man and for the manager. My order
came to something like $4.27 and this young man was totally clueless.
The same principle holds true for (some) high school students and graduates
who can not write coherent sentences and paragraphs, coupled with their
inability to spell correctly. My neighbor is a high school English teacher
and has frequently told me horror stories about the abilities (or lack
thereof) of some of the students she has attempted to teach.
I have a friend who is an English instructor at a local Community College.
She has related stories about students at all levels who have atrocious
writing skills. The situation is so bad that some colleges here in my area
are offering remedial English classes to teach the fundamental skills that
students should have learned in high school.
Another friend is a college Math instructor. She says that up to one-third
of her semester in class, is review work specifically to make sure that
students are up to par before she goes on to the work the class is designed
to teach. She says it is this way in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
When I was in school there were no pocket calculators. I was in my teens
before the transistor was widely used to miniaturize electronic devices. We
had to learn math the old fashioned way. We memorized the multiplication
tables. I don't know if that is still required in school.
I don't know what all the underlying reasons are for the lackluster
performance(s) by our youth in academic pursuits. The bottom line is that
high technology careers like technical communication are undoubtedly going
to get some of these folks. Whether the influx of these ill-prepared
youngsters has a "watering down" effect on the future quality of technical
communication remains to be seen.
Even some of the "highly educated" folks in my current line of work have
serious (glaring) Math and English deficiencies. And these are not people
from broken homes, from the ghetto, or from second-class institutions of
higher learning. They are however, generally folks under age forty.
It is a sad commentary on contemporary American society.
Take care and be good to yourselves!
T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----- Original Message -----
From: "tronajc" <tronajc -at- freemail -dot- absa -dot- co -dot- za>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Cc: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2001 11:20 AM
Subject: Asimov - Assumptions, the audience and arithmetic - Rant?
No I am not bragging but some of the more recent generation seems to be more
spoon-fed and reliant on technology with out understanding the basic's. (<g>
No I am not always right but usually close to bluff / wing it.
Some of the best programmers / developers I know ( not just worked with) -
understand the basic ground roots of not only there tools but also other
related topics and Many are maths related.
<<Knowing how to add a positive number to a negative number is something
like knowing how to spell: it doesn't come instinctively, but once you learn
it, you have it for life.>>
rant....
IMO Many companies indirectly / directly discourage this approach - WHY ?
Many reasons are given are they right or wrong - again IMO I say understand
the fundamentals then grow / develop on that - Don't jump in half way and
Assume any thing.( Does this originates from our School / education systems
which yearly churn out 100 of thousand graduates world wide whom are in
general totally unsuited to enter the work place / higher learning
facilities (see the 1st year Drop out rate ) ? - Another question with
multiple answers
most right or nearly right and some not so right but never totally wrong)
(Assume = ASS out of you(U) and ME - old but still true)
*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com
A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
