I would not have discovered this terrifying factoid had I not watched this Robert Scoble video where he is talking to Teacher of the Year Elliot Soloway. Only 28% of American 9th grade children (14-16 year olds) in Detroit go on to graduate from school. Elliot believes part of the answer will come through cell phone usage. He says that’s because of the cell phone’s perceived ‘coolness.’
That’s an interesting observation but one that worries me. My 17 year old son speaks to me in ‘txt msg’ speak when he sends texts or the (very) occasional email. When he writes more formal things his command of English is OK but I wouldn’t say it’s great. It’s not because he’s dumb. I suspect it is because text messaging has drawn him into lazy habits. Which leaves me wondering what will happen when the next generation of students come through for professional training. The heart of being a professional must be to have great communication skills. How else are our clients supposed to make sense of the sometimes strange and often arcane world we occupy?
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