Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance together as a “pre-celebration” to boost their confidence, then take their exam.
I’ve noticed things like no more cursive being taught, schools dumb down grading systems to inflate test scores to keep gov funding vs tackling the challenges of waning attention spans, and many others.
The other day I saw an ad for Sketcher’s “slip in shoes” for no more tying necessary. It’s not just YouTube or TikTok that’s adopted these quick play video styles that kids doom scroll, now it’s on Disney + and I’m sure other platforms.
It’s a huge technological effort to slowly remove critical thinking skills, independency skills, and just overall more obedient. Legit Idiocracy.
Everyone else seems to be focusing on the slip on shoes, but I just wanted to say cursive sucks and time spent on it is IMO wasted. Should teach/practice legible printing instead, though even bad printing is often more readable than most cursive.
Cursive exercises the brain in different ways than block writing. It’s not strictly about learning and using cursive as a replacement to printing, it’s more about using the brain in a different way and building pathways that otherwise might not get built. Writing the letter G in cursive uses different brain areas than writing it in print.
A similar thing happens in relation to using a keyboard to type words vs physically writing them, the brain functions differently with each method and writing uses more brain to process all the nuance that occurs. Writing the letter G is much different than pressing a G key.
Cursive is likely useful for developing fine motor skills at an age where that’s really important, it probably has benefits for general handwriting legibility while possibly being slightly less boring than just practicing print writing. I’m of the opinion that we should keep cursive, but integrate it into an expanded art class and add calligraphy.
For all the folks that saw they are bad a writting, struggle at writting, one solution for me with this was blending cursive with print. Cursive can be easier to write. Im glad I learned it.
I do think it is important to know, for a few reasons
My wife is highly intelligent and prefers to wear ballet flats, I don’t think you’re going to be able to convince anybody of a relationship between tying shoes and intelligence.
I just mean for younger kids. I get it’s not a whole encompassing thing, but just feels like they’re over simplifying some things vs teaching. Little toddler shoes, velcro or slip on, sure, but the ad had like 8-10y/o slipping on shoes.
Gonna have to call bullshit on the going against slipon shoes. That doesnt necessarily have to involve intelligence, some people just like to be able to come and go without needing to lace up/delace every time or constantly. It arguably makes way more sense than having to deal with laces 2x for every single excursion.
I know its probably an Idiocracy thing but you couldnt pay me to rely on tied shoes, I want to slip in and out and get going. If im going running/rollerblading/skating ofc ill lace up but otherwise why if you have a comfortable aesthetic pair of slipons?
but you already know how to tie your shoes when you need to.
Kids dont know how to tie thier shoes, and if they never own a pair with laces, they wont learn the skill to begin with, nor practice it enough to get good at it.
My point was more so to sign your name, read the declaration of independence or other “valuable” and historical documents. Chromebooks seemed like a good idea for education 10 years ago and now new hires at work look at me like I’m speaking Greek when I ask to click the Start button.
So many programs are moving web-based, which I can understand why from a software control standpoint to help cut support calls, but also at the same time, it’s removing critical thinking skills as its a constant reliance on others to do or fix or troubleshoot or whatever. I feel like its an attempt at oversimplification and automaton to keep people docile and just focus on their tasks.
All that isn’t bad, but when you look at people working longer hours, child labor laws being rolled back, and some combinations of others, it starts to feel very intentional and controlling.
Alright fight me the sketchers slip-in shoes are amazing. Tying both shoes to take out the garbage is 50 seconds of my life I’ll never get back. It’s like having a pair of semi-formal crocs.
Yeah now my neighbors can see me taking out the trash with a greasy grey T-shirt and untied shoes. The other neighbors will call me Grey Goose and shun me into being a hermit that haunts Maycomb.
I think that brand of shoes is at least somewhat designed for the elderly to use. I didn’t know they had ‘no-tie’ shoes but the pair of ordinary Sketcher’s sneakers I have (w/laces), which are great, have this fabric loop thing behind the heels that I think is supposed to help people who might struggle to get them on their feet. You can put a finger in the loop and haul them on if you need/want to.
Loafers (no laces) have been a thing forever. I often wear “boat shoes” or “docksiders” which come with leather laces that you pretty much never tie/untie. These shoes are effectively loafers for most people and are super comfortable.
I’ve noticed things like no more cursive being taught, schools dumb down grading systems to inflate test scores to keep gov funding vs tackling the challenges of waning attention spans, and many others.
The other day I saw an ad for Sketcher’s “slip in shoes” for no more tying necessary. It’s not just YouTube or TikTok that’s adopted these quick play video styles that kids doom scroll, now it’s on Disney + and I’m sure other platforms.
It’s a huge technological effort to slowly remove critical thinking skills, independency skills, and just overall more obedient. Legit Idiocracy.
Everyone else seems to be focusing on the slip on shoes, but I just wanted to say cursive sucks and time spent on it is IMO wasted. Should teach/practice legible printing instead, though even bad printing is often more readable than most cursive.
Cursive exercises the brain in different ways than block writing. It’s not strictly about learning and using cursive as a replacement to printing, it’s more about using the brain in a different way and building pathways that otherwise might not get built. Writing the letter G in cursive uses different brain areas than writing it in print.
A similar thing happens in relation to using a keyboard to type words vs physically writing them, the brain functions differently with each method and writing uses more brain to process all the nuance that occurs. Writing the letter G is much different than pressing a G key.
Cursive is likely useful for developing fine motor skills at an age where that’s really important, it probably has benefits for general handwriting legibility while possibly being slightly less boring than just practicing print writing. I’m of the opinion that we should keep cursive, but integrate it into an expanded art class and add calligraphy.
For all the folks that saw they are bad a writting, struggle at writting, one solution for me with this was blending cursive with print. Cursive can be easier to write. Im glad I learned it.
I do think it is important to know, for a few reasons
My wife is highly intelligent and prefers to wear ballet flats, I don’t think you’re going to be able to convince anybody of a relationship between tying shoes and intelligence.
I just mean for younger kids. I get it’s not a whole encompassing thing, but just feels like they’re over simplifying some things vs teaching. Little toddler shoes, velcro or slip on, sure, but the ad had like 8-10y/o slipping on shoes.
As a parent I know what you mean.
Usually those shoes are for old people who physically can’t tie laces
Or people who like to come and go seamlessly
Gonna have to call bullshit on the going against slipon shoes. That doesnt necessarily have to involve intelligence, some people just like to be able to come and go without needing to lace up/delace every time or constantly. It arguably makes way more sense than having to deal with laces 2x for every single excursion.
I know its probably an Idiocracy thing but you couldnt pay me to rely on tied shoes, I want to slip in and out and get going. If im going running/rollerblading/skating ofc ill lace up but otherwise why if you have a comfortable aesthetic pair of slipons?
but you already know how to tie your shoes when you need to.
Kids dont know how to tie thier shoes, and if they never own a pair with laces, they wont learn the skill to begin with, nor practice it enough to get good at it.
It’s been 23 years and I still view my move from Velcro shoes to laces to be a complete and utter downgrade. And cursive is archaic.
My point was more so to sign your name, read the declaration of independence or other “valuable” and historical documents. Chromebooks seemed like a good idea for education 10 years ago and now new hires at work look at me like I’m speaking Greek when I ask to click the Start button.
So many programs are moving web-based, which I can understand why from a software control standpoint to help cut support calls, but also at the same time, it’s removing critical thinking skills as its a constant reliance on others to do or fix or troubleshoot or whatever. I feel like its an attempt at oversimplification and automaton to keep people docile and just focus on their tasks.
All that isn’t bad, but when you look at people working longer hours, child labor laws being rolled back, and some combinations of others, it starts to feel very intentional and controlling.
Alright fight me the sketchers slip-in shoes are amazing. Tying both shoes to take out the garbage is 50 seconds of my life I’ll never get back. It’s like having a pair of semi-formal crocs.
That’s what “the old pair” is for. Just leave them untied and loose, and your good pair gets tied for doing anything more.
Yeah now my neighbors can see me taking out the trash with a greasy grey T-shirt and untied shoes. The other neighbors will call me Grey Goose and shun me into being a hermit that haunts Maycomb.
Time to move to a lower class neighborhood. Problem solved!
I think that brand of shoes is at least somewhat designed for the elderly to use. I didn’t know they had ‘no-tie’ shoes but the pair of ordinary Sketcher’s sneakers I have (w/laces), which are great, have this fabric loop thing behind the heels that I think is supposed to help people who might struggle to get them on their feet. You can put a finger in the loop and haul them on if you need/want to.
Loafers (no laces) have been a thing forever. I often wear “boat shoes” or “docksiders” which come with leather laces that you pretty much never tie/untie. These shoes are effectively loafers for most people and are super comfortable.