We are weird. And somewhat echoey.
May 26, 2008 3:01 PM Subscribe
KnowHow2Go wants you to take on the tough classes - such as Biology, Foreign Languages, and Algebra II - to prepare yourself for college.
Knowing how to do a western blot and having a all the armour a man could want, I'm gonna have to point out that the two really don't rub up against one another as often as the Biology video might suggest.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:18 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:18 PM on May 26, 2008
What is this shit? Are this why our children isn't learning?
posted by nowonmai at 3:39 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by nowonmai at 3:39 PM on May 26, 2008
Ahhhh, I just saw an ad for this today. On a bus. At UCLA. Don't think that's quite the audience they were going for.
But much thanks for the well-timed explanation!
posted by librarylis at 4:54 PM on May 26, 2008
But much thanks for the well-timed explanation!
posted by librarylis at 4:54 PM on May 26, 2008
Algebra 2 is a tough class? Why aren't they promoting Calculus?
posted by LSK at 4:55 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by LSK at 4:55 PM on May 26, 2008
Before I even watch this... stuff... can I just ask - are there really 11 other CitrusFreaks already registered? Mefi must love its fruit.
posted by abulafa at 5:40 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by abulafa at 5:40 PM on May 26, 2008
Biology? Seriously? Isn't that renowned for being what the dumbest people have to resort to in order to fulfill their science requirement?
posted by Hal Mumkin at 6:11 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by Hal Mumkin at 6:11 PM on May 26, 2008
At the risk of sounding like grouchy-old-get-off-my-lawn guy ... kids today don't have the slightest clue how wonderful the Intertubes are for foreign language acquisition. The sheer tonnage of resources is staggering. I recall spending $50 bucks for a tattered issue of "Америка" and 4 copies of "Правда" back in the day. Now I can read endless stuff on line, go into a chat room, subscribe to podcasts, stream radio and TV, or hook up with a Skype study-buddy. Sheesh, you could learn fluent Thai even if you're stuck in Dry Heaves, Wyoming.
posted by RavinDave at 6:12 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by RavinDave at 6:12 PM on May 26, 2008
And the last one sort of reminds me of that old Marines recruiting commercial they used to play...
posted by Hal Mumkin at 6:15 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by Hal Mumkin at 6:15 PM on May 26, 2008
You are thinking of Botany. Biology is the new hotness with the digital and computation and engineering and MONEY.
posted by DU at 6:32 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by DU at 6:32 PM on May 26, 2008
In order to turn students’ college dreams into action-oriented goals, the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council launched the KnowHow2GO campaign.
Wait, what? I assumed this was from some hip and awesome private company. These are PSAs? Not your father's "Just Say No" that's for damn.
posted by DU at 6:35 PM on May 26, 2008
Wait, what? I assumed this was from some hip and awesome private company. These are PSAs? Not your father's "Just Say No" that's for damn.
posted by DU at 6:35 PM on May 26, 2008
So then they go to college where they are prepared for jobs that don't exist.
Take on the tough classes, kids!
And the tough student loans!
Social mobility is not a myth at all!
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:13 PM on May 26, 2008
Take on the tough classes, kids!
And the tough student loans!
Social mobility is not a myth at all!
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:13 PM on May 26, 2008
Yeah, no jobs out there for people who can do algebra or know the parts of the body.
posted by DU at 7:30 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by DU at 7:30 PM on May 26, 2008
DU, the message of these ads isn't about learning things for the sake of learning. It's about taking classes to prepare for college. It's a subtle distinction, but it's an important one.
And you'd be surprised, I think, at the incredible malaise of the job market at the moment. There really aren't that many jobs for anybody. Many of the areas that aren't within driving distance of one of the top ten or fifteen MSAs have been in a state of collapse since the 70s.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:45 PM on May 26, 2008
And you'd be surprised, I think, at the incredible malaise of the job market at the moment. There really aren't that many jobs for anybody. Many of the areas that aren't within driving distance of one of the top ten or fifteen MSAs have been in a state of collapse since the 70s.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:45 PM on May 26, 2008
I guess if someone's in college, they're probably not going to report unemployment and help further push down the statistics down a bit, for a while.
There really aren't that many jobs for anybody.
Across the board or in certain sectors?
I'm really curious as to what mefites feel about the near-term economic future in terms of "pessimistic" or "optimistic?"
posted by porpoise at 7:57 PM on May 26, 2008
There really aren't that many jobs for anybody.
Across the board or in certain sectors?
I'm really curious as to what mefites feel about the near-term economic future in terms of "pessimistic" or "optimistic?"
posted by porpoise at 7:57 PM on May 26, 2008
porpoise, in my area there seem to be jobs only in education and service. Manufacturing has been lost, with nothing to replace it. We have no corporate headquarters, and no prospects for them; we have no research parks, no office parks. There is a call center and there are still about 1.5 thousand jobs in heavy industry. Unemployment officially stands at 10%, but working in education (of course) I would peg the number closer to 25%. People who are seeking further education--even people who are 45 or 50 and can never expect to be employed in the sector for which they are being "retrained"--are not counted as "unemployed."
Oh, and there are plenty of doctors. So many doctors, in fact, that some have begun to leave town because there aren't enough patients--or, rather, patients who can pay.
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:10 PM on May 26, 2008
Oh, and there are plenty of doctors. So many doctors, in fact, that some have begun to leave town because there aren't enough patients--or, rather, patients who can pay.
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:10 PM on May 26, 2008
or, rather, patients who can pay. - ouch. That puts you in the pessimistic camp, no?
After watching some more of these videos, the message to "go to college" never really got to me.
posted by porpoise at 8:15 PM on May 26, 2008
After watching some more of these videos, the message to "go to college" never really got to me.
posted by porpoise at 8:15 PM on May 26, 2008
Sure it puts me in the pessimistic camp. Why not? I live in a city gutted by crime and unemployment. Doctors hang signs that say "Cash Only. Office Visit $75." A sizeable portion of the city--and it's only a small city!--consists of shattered ghetto where houses stand vacant and there are quite a few murders per year. (You can get a house there for $11k, though.)
There are more towns like this than most people realize. What prospects for improvement are there? $5/gal gas isn't going to help, certainly. Rising food prices, of course...
Optimism is predicated on the idea that "it'll all work out, somehow." I don't want to be offensive, but I find this infantile, and the overselling of American optimism is getting old. I guess pessimists just don't work as hard to buy stuff. We hurt the economy.
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:22 PM on May 26, 2008
There are more towns like this than most people realize. What prospects for improvement are there? $5/gal gas isn't going to help, certainly. Rising food prices, of course...
Optimism is predicated on the idea that "it'll all work out, somehow." I don't want to be offensive, but I find this infantile, and the overselling of American optimism is getting old. I guess pessimists just don't work as hard to buy stuff. We hurt the economy.
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:22 PM on May 26, 2008
Pessimism vs. optimism?
How about a healthy combination of the both, such as "the job market is really bad right now and may not be getting any better. It's better to learn some skills that will make you valuable to someone (fluency in rare but critical languages, anyone?) or get you a free college education than simply being a mediocre high school student."
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:53 PM on May 26, 2008
How about a healthy combination of the both, such as "the job market is really bad right now and may not be getting any better. It's better to learn some skills that will make you valuable to someone (fluency in rare but critical languages, anyone?) or get you a free college education than simply being a mediocre high school student."
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:53 PM on May 26, 2008
No wonder I never paid attention in math class. Algebra has an insanely ridiculous accent.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:18 PM on May 26, 2008
posted by miss lynnster at 10:18 PM on May 26, 2008
Biology? Seriously? Isn't that renowned for being what the dumbest people have to resort to in order to fulfill their science requirement?
Um, no? What a bizarre thing to say.
And you'd be surprised, I think, at the incredible malaise of the job market at the moment. There really aren't that many jobs for anybody.
Another bizarre statement. The unemployment rate is up, but it isn't like a majority of people in the U.S. are unemployed. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for college graduates have always been far lower then that for non graduates. Whatever the situation in your own town, there are plenty of great places for graduates to live. San Fancisco, Austin, TX, New York, etc. Lots of smaller towns have booming economies as well. You don't need to return to the city you grew up in after graduating, and it's as you describe a lot of the kids from your town probably aren't.
posted by delmoi at 11:01 PM on May 26, 2008
Um, no? What a bizarre thing to say.
And you'd be surprised, I think, at the incredible malaise of the job market at the moment. There really aren't that many jobs for anybody.
Another bizarre statement. The unemployment rate is up, but it isn't like a majority of people in the U.S. are unemployed. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for college graduates have always been far lower then that for non graduates. Whatever the situation in your own town, there are plenty of great places for graduates to live. San Fancisco, Austin, TX, New York, etc. Lots of smaller towns have booming economies as well. You don't need to return to the city you grew up in after graduating, and it's as you describe a lot of the kids from your town probably aren't.
posted by delmoi at 11:01 PM on May 26, 2008
As I undestand it, the "college premium", the extra income earned by college graduates over high-school graduates, is pretty big: you earn about 70% more with a degree. And you're considerably less likely to be unemployed. College is generally worth doing if you can.
I'm not sure if this campaign will work. But it seems like a nice idea to try to persuade kids that studying is a challenge and not just something done by dorks to be dorky.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:06 PM on May 26, 2008
I'm not sure if this campaign will work. But it seems like a nice idea to try to persuade kids that studying is a challenge and not just something done by dorks to be dorky.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:06 PM on May 26, 2008
There are no jobs NOW so be sure to drift through HS and college for the next 5 to 8 years so you can flip burgers. Yes, incredible logic there.
posted by DU at 3:58 AM on May 27, 2008
posted by DU at 3:58 AM on May 27, 2008
I'm not sure if this campaign will work. But it seems like a nice idea to try to persuade kids that studying is a challenge and not just something done by dorks to be dorky.
The problem, in my view is that more and more menial jobs are going to be automated away. So lots of low-skilled jobs are going to be replaced by one or two robot technicians.
posted by delmoi at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2008
The problem, in my view is that more and more menial jobs are going to be automated away. So lots of low-skilled jobs are going to be replaced by one or two robot technicians.
posted by delmoi at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2008
I have to say I love this approach. These classes are hard, rise to the challenge! Like He-Man! As someone who always took the easy humanities way out, and who after graduation became really interested in maths and foreign languages, I wish I'd seen this stuff ten years ago. (Not that it would have changed my decisions, I was a lazy little pigshit.)
posted by greytape at 7:26 AM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by greytape at 7:26 AM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
delmoi, I hope (and would pray if I did that sort of thing) that you're right, that the solution is just to tell people to move to the city. I hope that I'm hideously overly pessimistic, but I don't think I am. I think the failure of the hinterland--and I promise you that there are many more failing towns than small towns which are booming--will have an impact that you may not see in the city yet. People pulling up stakes in droves, well, that has implications.
posted by sonic meat machine at 12:30 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by sonic meat machine at 12:30 PM on May 27, 2008
abulafa: Sorry for the late response. There are actually 10, but I mistakenly thought 11 was already taken.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:41 AM on May 29, 2008
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:41 AM on May 29, 2008
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posted by CitrusFreak12 at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2008