Modern students have perfected the deer-in-the-headlights look, and use it at the drop of a professorial hat. I often get the impression that they would like "the" and "and" explained to them.
On the other hand, they have no problem understanding "I" or "me."
They're REALLY good at texting and checking their Facebook pages. They are also good at forming numerous unexamined opinions on pop culture issues. Oh, and my students are pros at having children out of wedlock and smoking weed.
They can quote line for line from a movie they've watched once and then shift to blank-faced stupor when required to recite something we have spent four weeks "learning."
They're really good at complaining that the university uses 'outdated' technology (OK, in the case of the VLE thay may have a point)... but they are absolutely useless at learning new pieces of software and make a lot of noise about it. Especially if told to either read the manual or to 'just experiment with it' because 'we don't know how to do that'.
Yet a new phone system comes out and a third of them are masters of it within a day. It's a mystery...
I used to teach a computer-assisted drafting (CAD) course. I'd begin each assignment by showing the students at least one way of drawing a certain feature on the object. They could watch what I was doing because I connected my station's video output to an overhead projector and the image was on the room's screen.
I'd take them through all the steps I knew, including which menu to go to and the appropriate mouse actions. Sometimes I even showed them what not to do so that they could avoid some common mistakes.
How much good did that do? Almost every time after I finished my demonstration, I'd get a quarter or a third of the students immediately sticking their hands up, claiming they had no idea what to do or how to even start.
It was like what I said and did went into one ear and out the other, without anything in between to stop it.
They're not just good at that but also in claiming full credit for any good results that may arise. As for bad results, guess whose fault that is?
I've often wondered why, when it came time for graduation, I wasn't the one receiving the diplomas instead of the work-shy twerps who were getting them. After all, I did a lot of *their* work for them, so why shouldn't I collect the rewards?
As a corollary, they are also good at pretending they know what they're talking about while being utterly incapable of communicating clearly. As in "Ow, my brain hurts!" when I read their incomprehensible gibberish trying to pass itself off as English.
Modern students have perfected the deer-in-the-headlights look, and use it at the drop of a professorial hat. I often get the impression that they would like "the" and "and" explained to them.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, they have no problem understanding "I" or "me."
Louis CK knows about this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JW1tJLRtsk
ReplyDeleteSure they are good a something, assuming that their tuition checks clear.
ReplyDeleteThey are good at making sure they get their way, even if their way is not in their best interest. They all know the way to the dean's office.
ReplyDeleteThey're REALLY good at texting and checking their Facebook pages. They are also good at forming numerous unexamined opinions on pop culture issues. Oh, and my students are pros at having children out of wedlock and smoking weed.
ReplyDeleteThey can quote line for line from a movie they've watched once and then shift to blank-faced stupor when required to recite something we have spent four weeks "learning."
ReplyDeleteThey're masters at raising the ire of the professoriate to the point we run to the comfort of CM ... and adult beverages, oh, the beverages!
ReplyDeleteThey're really good at complaining that the university uses 'outdated' technology (OK, in the case of the VLE thay may have a point)... but they are absolutely useless at learning new pieces of software and make a lot of noise about it. Especially if told to either read the manual or to 'just experiment with it' because 'we don't know how to do that'.
ReplyDeleteYet a new phone system comes out and a third of them are masters of it within a day. It's a mystery...
I used to teach a computer-assisted drafting (CAD) course. I'd begin each assignment by showing the students at least one way of drawing a certain feature on the object. They could watch what I was doing because I connected my station's video output to an overhead projector and the image was on the room's screen.
DeleteI'd take them through all the steps I knew, including which menu to go to and the appropriate mouse actions. Sometimes I even showed them what not to do so that they could avoid some common mistakes.
How much good did that do? Almost every time after I finished my demonstration, I'd get a quarter or a third of the students immediately sticking their hands up, claiming they had no idea what to do or how to even start.
It was like what I said and did went into one ear and out the other, without anything in between to stop it.
That would be because ... there was nothing to stop it. :)
DeleteThey are very good at pretending they are clueless and getting other people to do their shit.
ReplyDeleteThey're not just good at that but also in claiming full credit for any good results that may arise. As for bad results, guess whose fault that is?
DeleteI've often wondered why, when it came time for graduation, I wasn't the one receiving the diplomas instead of the work-shy twerps who were getting them. After all, I did a lot of *their* work for them, so why shouldn't I collect the rewards?
As a corollary, they are also good at pretending they know what they're talking about while being utterly incapable of communicating clearly. As in "Ow, my brain hurts!" when I read their incomprehensible gibberish trying to pass itself off as English.
DeleteReally, really good at spreading diseases
ReplyDeleteWhinging. Endless, groundless whinging. They seem to be absolutely exceptional in that category.
ReplyDeleteWhat are they good at? VIDEO GAMES!
ReplyDelete