Visual Rhetoric Depicting US Education

This political cartoon is first set in the year 1960 and shows parents blaming their kid for not succeeding academically. Then, it shows the parents putting blame on the teacher for their kid not succeeding 50 years later, in 2010. This relates to my research paper because I'm writing about the current decline in US education compared to the rest of the world, and this cartoon tries to identify what is causing this fall.

This cartoon clearly contrasts the differences in values and parenting styles from 50 years ago versus today. It tries to convince people who read it that parents are unfairly blaming the establishment, rather than their own children, for academic struggles. Although this claim may not necessarily be true, the author tries to persuade his audience through emotion and nostalgia.

The illustrator of this cartoon tries to generate an appeal to pathos by bringing back thoughts and emotions from the past for some of the audience. Using a comparison from 1960 brings back a nostalgic feeling to certain readers, which adds persuasive value. Older readers who see this will be more likely to empathize and become persuaded by it because of how the illustrator appeals to how things were in 1960.

Image source 

Analysis of a Scholarly Source

The United States education system was ranked 1st in the world among other developed countries as little as 20 years ago. But as of last year, the United States is ranked 17th in the world in education. How can we explain this sudden drop?

In order to find a credible explanation for this problem we must locate a scholarly article that has been published on the topic. On my search for good sources, I came across "No Country Left Behind" by Rodger W. Bybee and Elizabeth Stage. I found this article on Academic Search Complete, a database full of scholarly articles. After checking to ensure that the article had an abstract and had been published in a legitimate publication or journal, I could be certain that it was a scholarly article.

This article gives insight as to how the under-emphasis in math and science in the U.S. accounts for part of the educational decline we have experienced over the past 20 years. They analyze different math-based assessments given to K-12 students in the United States, and show evidence of U.S. students' lack of mathematical understanding in school. The article concludes by stating that the results of these assessments should provide the motivation to change the educational curricula around the nation. In summary, the article provides well-researched and insightful points and provides evidence to support its claims regarding the K-12 education in the United States.

Source:

Bybee, Rodger W., and Elizabeth Stage. “No Country Left Behind.” Issues in Science

            and Technology. 21.2 (2005): 69-75. Web. Winter 2005.

The Digital Age and America's Youth

America has become obsessed with letting technology entertain us. For our youth, the implications of a growing dependency on laptops and smart phones can mean shorter attention spans and a decrease in face-to-face interaction.

The ability to access almost any information on a whim can be an amazing thing. Though, more time spent using our electronic devices equals less time spent socializing with others -- and the effects of spending less time with friends and family affects our children the most. Are smart phones doing more harm than good for our youth?

Now that most modern children can escape into the virtual worlds of their phones and avoid being  forced into awkward and spontaneous social situations, their social development is at a high risk of being stunted. Melissa Ortega, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute in New York, states, "They don't know how to handle conflict face to face because so many things happen through some sort of technology" (link). Ortega warns how as these children progress into high school, they will begin to use their phones and portable electronics as an "avoidance strategy".

I'm all for technology and progress, but I believe that we need to be careful as we assimilate ourselves and our children into this new highly technological, quickly changing culture.