James Hamblin: The Impact Of Calling Children Smart

In Gerald Graff 's essay “Hidden Intellectualism” starts of by talking about the stereotype of being so called “street smart” and and being “book smart” and how in school when you see someone who is street smart but doesn’t do go in school get a bad wrap. People look at them as a waste because they can’t apply there intelligences that they have and use it towards school, so people view them as not the right kind of smart because they are not a A student in school. Graff then goes on to say that maybe it is not the students that are the problem with how they do in school but maybe it is the school that have missed or overlooked the intellectual potential that kids with street smarts have. Graff also says that we only view the educated minds through schooling as the right way and schools and colleges look at kids who do not like school and don’t do well as anti-intellectual people. As Graff continues his essay he says that he was on the side of being more anti-intellectual and he found that through sports he was more interested in sports then he was in school. He would use this love for sports to build up his hidden intellectualism with sports. I think that Graff is right about what he is talking about with how we as a society think if you want to be smart them you need to do well in school and get all A’s or then you are not that smart. In all reality there are many times that kids go through school and don’t do well not because they are not smart,but because people don’t

“Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff starts off with an older argument between being book smart and street smart. Throughout the reading, Graff uses his own life experiences to critique the education system today. Points made focus on the idea of overlooking the intellectual potential of those who come across as being, “street smart”. Different authors cited in the reading to show how to accept another’s different intellectual. However, we realize that people who come across as being intellectual weren’t always labeled as that.

Over the years, there has been an ongoing debate about “street smarts” and “book smarts” throughout the world. Many people side with either or for their own personal reasons. Although “street smarts” has developed a poor reputation which pushes people to neglect the positive aspects of this particular way of learning. In the article, “Hidden Intellectualism”, Gerald Graff evaluates the structure schools use to teach literature. He explains that intellect is not only found in the academic form of thinking. And furthermore, comprehension goes far beyond academic learning and extends into the day-to-day world. It goes without saying that a lot of people know someone who is “street smart” but doesn't exceed in school, yet “street smarts” are just

The goal of the usage of this fact is to show readers this common term does not reflect real traits of smart people and can be treated as an insult because of that. It is one of the few examples of Fridman’s appeals to readers’ logic. The essay is based on general data; the author mentioned schools and universities promote negative attitude to smart students: “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” (Fridman). But he did not use any statistical or science data to support his position. For example, Fridman could provide data about scholarships and other types of funding for sports and other activities. The author also mentioned that such negative attitude to smart citizens is not common for other developed countries. While he named the region, “in East Asia, a kid who studies hard is lauded and held up as an example to other students” (Fridman), he did not provide more detailed information, like results of surveys or funding statistics of the foreign universities. It is also possible to question this argument, at least in respect of the past. It is difficult to provide a source, but there was a joke that said “the intellectual is a kind of an insult” in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and some of its

In first grade we had to draw a picture of what we would be doing 20 years from then. We had to draw what job we would have, what our hair would look like, what we would be wearing, and I chose to draw a picture of me drawing a picture. As a first grader I knew that my future would mirror what I was doing in that exact moment; I would still have curly hair, and I would still be an artist. Loudly proclaiming that I was going to be an artist when I grew up was ok in elementary school, but at the end of middle school it was often challenged with “but what are you really going to be?” The simple thought that I really couldn’t want to just be an artist confused me more than it embarrassed me, but it embarrassed me enough to

Both articles, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” and “Blue-Collar Brilliance,” differ in many ways from each of the author’s own experiences. The first article “Are Too Many People Going to College” argues a bachelor’s degree is a necessity and your ticket into the working world. If a person doesn’t get a 4-year-college degree society will judge him or her as being not as smart or less than someone who possesses a bachelor’s degree. However, “Blue-Collar Brilliance” argues that while it’s still important to get a bachelor’s degree, there are still some good high paying jobs that don’t require any college education at all. And by working a trade job,

In Gary Blackwood’s story, “Noah Count and the Arkansas Ark”, he demonstrates the value of education by showing how the son’s point of view regarding his family’s lack of education changes over the course of the story. In the beginning of the story, the son feels smarter than the rest of his family, because he has had more education than them. In the middle, the son starts to feel embarrassed by his family because of the way that others talk about them. In the end, the son starts to feel more appreciative towards his family because they were right all along.

Winston Churchill states, “continuous effort-not strength or intelligence-is key to unlocking our potential”. In other words, Churchill believes that hard work is the foundation of success. Success is achieved through effort, making mistakes, choosing to learn from them, and continuing forward. Many individuals, however, have preconceived notions of intelligence and presume it is innate and fixed. On the other hand, Carol Dweck has proven these preconceived opinions to be untrue. In fact, Dweck has over thirty years of scientific research to prove that an overstatement on academic or creative tasks leaves individuals fearful of challenges, vulnerable to failure, and unwilling to remedy their shortcomings. In Dweck's article “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids” she emphasizes that praising children is essential to their

In Grant Penrod 's essay, Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids, Penrod argues that intellectualism is declining in America, not because of poor education or electronics, but because of the current public perception of intellectuals (Penrod 762).

In the essay “Hidden Intelligence” by Gerald Graff he argues that the intellectual world is “much like the world of team sports, with rival interpretations … rival theories… and elaborate team competitions”. He attests from his own experience that intellect does not only exist in the scholarly form of thinking which is known as academic smart, knowledge can also take the form of street smart. He also demonstrates that there are some students are not academically good at school but they are very smart (by explaining a situation about a 14 years boy who does not show intellectual side because of fear of bullying but practices hidden intellectualism). It seems that the students who

While influenced by others the human race is individually minded, and has been able to obtain much knowledge at a substantial rate because of enlightenment. Throughout history man was able to shape the face of the earth by controlling others, but until the age of enlightenment man was not fully aware of the accomplishments he could achieve. In this period the ideals of society having a voice, changed history through bringing light to the genius and talent of not one but the vast majority of the world. To challenge one’s self-worth enlightenment must be achieved through leaving a cowardly stage to become mature. Presently, the enlightenment ideals have given many people around the globe a chance at a free life through natural rights and tolerance,

The common assumption that America is the leading nation in the world takes a hard hit in Amanda Ripley’s The Smartest Kids in the World, a book that explores the top education systems throughout the world, which are not that of the United States. After reading the book, it comes off with strong viewpoints, and makes you think critically about our education system. It highlights the PISA tests, both praised and criticized for their ability to calculate the knowledge and creativity and individual possesses. The book also features a unique narrative style involving three students from America embarking on journeys as “correspondents” to three of the tops ranking PISA countries. They, along with commentary from Ripley, highlight what makes these

In the reading, “Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids,” Grant Penrod recommends that there should be a different way to socialize amongst other individuals. This entire description explains the personal burdens that the intelligent scholars undergo. The ideas are as follows: author 's guilt celebrates, ideas held as standard when communicating, and on the bandwagon to get smart people worn down by the individuals that are against smart people. The author is afraid that people would not take the time out of their day to read or study for their classes. Claiming that bad influence towards education makes it resistant. Penrod’s argument may have several flaws, but overall it is effective because the reading he uses a few appeals throughout; however, not all of his appeals are trustworthy or objective at times, his appeals are still effective through the use of supporting sources, clear-cut thesis, and thought-provoking statements.

Cognition is the study of the mind works. When we study cognitive development, we are acknowledging the fact that changes occur in how we think and learn as we grow. There is a very big difference in the way that children and adults think about and understand their environment.

In today’s society, a large amount of emphasis is placed on getting good grades. Day in and day out students are told that getting good grades is detrimental to their future. Unfortunately what many students are not told is that their intelligence is not defined by the marks they receive, but rather intelligence is defined by so much more than a letter on a report card.