New dinosaurs: Spelling, conversation skills | CNET News.com

"Moms who gave up the Internet were very annoyed," Williams said, adding that one mom was exasperated by having to visit an office to put money on a highway toll card. "It was barbaric to her." Another child had to take a trip to the library to finish a report on China.

As a result, technology is driving a shift in behaviors at home. The study showed that, thanks to the Internet, a quarter of parents believe it's no longer necessary to spell well, reference printed dictionaries, or read the newspaper. Kids ages 8 to 14 agreed in slightly lesser percentages (an average of one-fifth) about the usefulness of spelling well, dictionaries and newspapers, except when it came to printed maps. About 20 percent of parents, versus 21 percent of kids, said they no longer need to know how to read a geographic map.

Still, to evaluate the accuracy of information on the Internet in the form of blogs, kids must learn critical thinking skills, she said.

Each one of these points is, in some aspect, a concern to many people, especially those with children.

But many a concern lies inside each of these, while often not voiced, each bring up a problem and bigger situation then often is conceived.


Take for instance, "Still, to evaluate the accuracy of information on the Internet in the form of blogs, kids must learn critical thinking skills." What are these skills? Where are they defined? Where are they taught? A standard US curriculum I finished just recently (last 5 years) did not cover something of this kind directly. It was not a LESSON taught, it was an undertone or "moral" of that lesson. The responsibility of bringing about that realization of ability in students fell squarely between the seats, those seats closest being history, "English" (Literature appreciation and remedial grammar - 12 years) and P.E. The sciences gave you the Scientific Method, it's something but I don't think of that when I read blogs.

Were this subject, content of which is undecided in public schooling, handed to someone as their responsibility it could start turning the scene around. It's a giant leap in the right direction, I thought I'd bring it up.