I
saw an article in the local newspaper about the Scripps National Spelling Bee and thought
that it was still nice to hear this event goes on. In an age where information circulates at a
breathtaking pace, spelling has suffered.
Look at any email or social media post.
Even our presidential candidates carelessly tweet misspelled words. Spelling has declined, but it is indicative
of a larger issue in America. Do you
feel people use a high-level vocabulary?
Do you think the average person writes well? Do you see the reading levels of students
dramatically improving?
We are
a nation of sophisticated social media users. We know our way around Netflix,
Amazon, Apple and all the sites to buy junk, download things and share photos. We live on Facebook, You Tube, Twitter and
the blogsphere. But can we think
critically, engage in a clean debate, use words exceeding five letters – and
spell them correctly?
I
don’t want to go on a rant about how dumb America is but the statistical evidence
and day-to-day firsthand experience of life shows that our nation has some
troubling challenges. I don’t mean our deficit or immature politics, but I’m
talking about how tens of millions of people in our advanced country are
illiterate. Tens of millions more hug
the line between being functionally literate and not. Only three in ten adults have a college
degree.
How
often do we hear someone say: “I don’t
have the patience to read a book” or “I’m too busy to read a book”? How many towns no longer have a bookstore
nearby? When you look around in a park,
on a train or bus, at Starbucks, or wherever, how many people do you see
reading a book?
The
spelling bee has value, as it sheds light on students’ abilities to spell. Spelling is not just memorizing words but
about understanding how words are put together and how the roots of words help to
define them.
We
need more contests like the spelling bee.
We should have a vocabulary bee – let kids tell us what words mean. We should have a book bee -- let students
publicly debate the ideas or writing styles of various books. We should have a writing bee – let kids
compete by writing essays, short stories or poems.
And
let’s continue this as adults. Learning doesn’t end with a diploma or degree.
It’s just the beginning. Learning is a lifelong process; it’s not something you
complete and tuck into a drawer.
Learning is a living activity, one everybody should want to engage in.
I
have never been a great speller, which forces me to look words up, and in the
process learn more about them. We can’t
just say “Why do we need to learn how to spell if we have spell-check”? That lazy attitude not only will expose you
to embarrassment when it comes to spelling – it will put you in a frame of mind
that comes to dismiss other vital areas of learning.
“Why
do I need to know what words mean? I
just look them up online.”
“Why
do I need to read a book when I can get the summary on a website?”
“Why
do I need to call people when I can just update my status with Facebook posts?”
“Why
do I need to know how to write well when I can just dictate into my smart
phone?”
This
kind of lazy, ignorant, and unproductive thought mode is getting the next
generation into trouble. It’s a generation that is willfully unaware. If they don’t know about it, then it doesn’t
matter. If they don’t know of something
and can’t look it up, it won’t hurt them.
If they don’t know spelling, have a good vocabulary or have decent writing skills, they
believe they can outsource it to the digital universe.
We
need to show people how to transition into a hybrid world, one where old
paper-type ways no longer dominate but where we can’t just give up and let the
Internet dictate our lives. We need to
exploit the best of both worlds, to show how we can -- and should – use both to
make us better than prior generations. Nothing here is mutually exclusive. You can pursue obtaining a great vocabulary
and be proficient in spelling while using advanced technology to discover new
things and share them with others.
Here’s
an analogy – it’s okay to defer to a robot on certain tasks but don’t give up
your physical autonomy. Just because cars get you somewhere fast and easily
don’t give up on walking too. Just
because machines can do certain errands, repairs, or clean things that doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t be physically active around the house.
Humans
must learn to work with machines, technology, and mass media in a way that
expands our abilities, knowledge, and health
Right now we just allow ourselves to get dumber, lazier, and less involved
in our minds and body’s health. Keep stimulating yourself and look to improve
your life by learning, reading, exercising and engaging in life. Otherwise, the
next button you press for yourself will be “delete.”
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