A Poem in Favor of Humanity: A Teacher Sees Students

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1. Yvonne Siu-Runyan says:

   May 9, 2017 at 2:05 pm

   Diane,

   Hardly anyone has manners anymore. Example: I have witnessed people with their devices on speaker phone in restaurants. Do they think they are the only ones in the room? I have had to tell some people to NOT USE THEIR speakers on their cell phones, because I really do not want to be privy to their telephone conversations. They give out credit card information and other sensitive information while speaking in a public space with their smart phone speakers on. OY!

   I feel like another machine when I try to speak to someone. They mutter something unintelligible then dismiss me and go back to their devices. And this is when they are WORKING, too.

   I feel our your young. They have no clue about the wonders around them or the issues they face, because they are too busy texting or playing some game on their devices. This frightens me more and more with each passing day.

   Some have even suggested that all we need to do is teach kids how to keyboard
   and not how to write using paper and pencil. I find this to be short-sighted and stupid.

   There are even apps designed to teach young children numeracy. When I learned about this I shook my head. Where are the marbles, jacks, legos, and other manipulative object, which children can move around and not just be in TWO DIMENSIONAL space.

   I think all this electronics has made us dumb, impolite, selfish, and unmannerly.

   I have seen parents use devices as babysitters without any concern for what is on that screen. OY!

   In the meanwhile, people like Gates, Zuckerberg, and the other billionaires are making gobs of money while collecting massive data about us.

   Thanks for this post, Diane. I love the poem and your post.

   It is “Humanity that keeps us human, not a data point.”

   Reply
   • Duane E Swacker says:

     May 10, 2017 at 6:06 pm

     “Hardly anyone has manners anymore.”

     Can’t agree totally with that statement especially since your explanation is a diatribe against the oh so ubiquitous electronics/technology phenomena as it is occurring now and not really a discussion of manners. Not that I necessarily disagree with your assessment. But in things relating to manners, well, let me explain:

     In my rural community, people say “Hi” to total strangers, striking up what many might consider mundane conversations, but it serves to strengthen the community in that members get to know each other better, even if they don’t “know each other”. Around here people hold the doors open for each other, and then the person walking through the held open door says “Thank you” usually with a heart felt smile. At the schools teachers do so for students and students do so for the teachers. And when that door holding takes place many times the two continue with a conversation as they are going to their respective destinations. Yes/no maam and yes/no sir are daily commonly heard phrases.

     Generally people will let others in when there is any kind of traffic slow down, or pull over and let faster drivers pass (that’s mainly on the backroads). Not to mention the hand greeting of a little lift of the fingers off the steering wheel or a full fledged wave that occurs all the time out here in the countryside. It’s a way of acknowledging your neighbors for who they are and letting strangers know that good common folk live out here.

     No, manners and politeness are not lost for many but are a part of our daily lives.

     Reply
2. Poetic Justice says:

   May 9, 2017 at 2:40 pm

   Thank you so much Diane.

   Sent from joanne’s iPhone

   >

   Reply
   • Laura H. Chapman says:

     May 9, 2017 at 4:28 pm

     It is a lovely and timely poem. A large suburban school district just spent a fortune on Chrome books.

     Reply

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