Since this discussion has very little to do with Linux or New Orleans, I
guess you won't mind if I side-track it some more ;)
Petri Laihonen <pietu@weblizards.net> writes:
> on the Wall Street Journal - What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
> http://xrl.us/o2hz6
Maybe one of the problems is that Americans are obsessed with “Smart
Kids” instead of children who perform.
I grew up being told I was smart. Adults would tell me “You're so
smart, why don't you do better in school?”
By contrast, my wife (an Asian woman born in Vietnam) was never told she
was smart — she was simply expected to perform.
I would suggest that the problem is that Americans are obsessed with
“natural” talent in a way that is unhealthy. Studies have show that
when a child is praised for intelligence rather than performance, they
fail to perform. An article in NY Magazine (“How Not to Talk to Your
Kids”, http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/) gives an overview.
In all likelihood, there is nothing inherently better about “smart”
Finnish kids than their “dumb” American cousins.
Mark.
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Received on 12/08/08
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