Summary Of America Needs Its Nerds

Gerald Graff explains, “the fact that we associate those street smarts with anti-intellectual concerns. We associate educated life, the life of the mind, too narrowly and exclusively with subjects and texts that we consider inherently weighty and academic. We assume that it’s possible to wax intellectual about Plato, Shakespeare, The French Revolution, and nuclear fission, but not about cars, dating, fashion, sports, TV, or video games” (#). What he is explaining is that to many times school systems force feed student’s material that they have little or no interested in and think they will read the item and not google it and take the easy road. Now Graff doesn’t say that students should not learn about the important figures that shaped the world as it is, but instead ween them in by getting them interested in something they enjoy first.

Luigi Vittatoe Professor Luke Leonard WRI1001 First Year Writing 2 October 29, 2015 Week 1 Discussion In Gerald Graff’s Hidden Intellectualism, he discusses the differences between street smarts and having intellectualism. He explains how these street smarts are just as important as doing well academically.

In “Hidden Intellectualism”, Gerald Graff argues the difference between “book smarts” (intellectualism) and “street smarts.” Graff explains that some people take on different approaches and interests certain subjects not related to “book smarts”, such as sports, television, fashion, etc. Everyone has a variation of both “book” and “street” smarts, but one is more profound than the other in a person, thus making the other a form of “hidden intellectualism”. He then claims that intellectualism in someone is often belittled and labeled as being geeky. As a kid, he was afraid to show his intellectual side in fear that he would be bullied and made fun of.

"Anti-intellectualism is rampant. " This quote from the passage, " America Needs Its Nerds" by Leonid Fridman is portraying the author's main point that intellectual students are frowned upon by our society. He uses examples, strong vocabulary, and facts to develop his argument.

“Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, argues that being street smart can bring more intellectualism to a person then being book smart can, and how schools and communities contribute to them.

The newspaper editorial “Someone has to stand up for the gifted students” Heather Mallick’s October 2017 article for the Toronto Star, takes a stance on the topic on gifted programs for students. The author seeks to convince readers that gifted programs should be implemented in schools. Based on ideas and key writing concepts from the reading “Mind Wide Open” by Jean Prinsen, it is clear that Mallick words the article in a way that is easy for the average person to understand. However, it ultimately lacks sufficient evidence, and uses threatening condescending language to make up for her lack of sufficient evidence.

Hidden Intellectualism is an article written by Gerald Graff on the school system and how being street smart is better than being book smart. Graff fills most of the article with stories from his childhood and relating the issue back to himself. He starts the article by asserting that “…schools and colleges might be at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into good academic work.” Immediately Graff blames the school system for not providing a way for street smart students to be academically engaged. Graff goes on to talk about his childhood throughout most of the article and strongly relates his love of sports to how this love could be academically applied in a classroom.

In the article "America Needs It 's Nerd" Lenid Fridman begins to build his arguement that America needs its nerds by first pointing out how much American 's discriminate the intellectually curious. Fridman first points out the derogitory nature of the word "nerd" which is defined as a freak that bites of the heads off of live chickens. Moreover, Fridman point out the discrimination of the intellectually curious at Prestigious school like Harvard, where he says "anti-intellectualism is rampant...nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized." He then begins Amerias anti-intellectualism to the rest of the world that values education, Stating "in East Asia, a kid who studies hard is lauded and held up as an example to other students."

Graff grew up believing that because he was not concerned about the traditional academic topics, he was not intellectual. In social situations, an individual’s self-esteem is significant in successfully communicating, but students that do not excel in school may fear being ridiculed around those who seem more educated. In reality, it was Graff’s street smarts that taught him the language of intellectualism and he believes that the first step to incorporating this into schools is the use of interesting topics. Graff quotes professor Ned Laff who believes the challenge in this approach “is not simply to exploit students’ non-academic interests, but to get them to see those interests through academic eyes” (Graff, 2013, p.250). If this perspective is successfully obtained, the second step in Graff’s proposal is to introduce the typical writing that challenges intellectualism.

The Other Education Rhetorical Analysis David Brooks is a well-refined journalist for the New York Times News Paper Company. He writes many different controversial articles, that tends to focus around arguments of education. Within Brooks’ arguments he uses effective techniques to persuade the audience. In this specific column, he addresses society as a whole, but with special emphasis on students. David Brooks successfully persuades his audience through his presentation of his claim, his persuasive writing style, and his usage of emotional appeals.

Mid- afternoon on a blis day an article “ Anti-Intellectualism and the “ Dumb Down” of America” by Ray William appeared to be the highlight of my day. Not only does Ray William present great arguments on why the uprising generation - in context “Dumb” but the new generation has be constructed to do one thing only, Jump over hoops. Which has eliminated all acts and process of showing true intellectualness. Making Ray William completely making well-founded thoughts in the article “Anti-Intellectualism and the “ Dumb Down” of America” Why is our society taught to jump through hoops, instead of thinking outside the box?

In Gerald Graff 's essay “Hidden Intellectualism” starts of by talking about the stereotype of being so called “street smart” and and being “book smart” and how in school when you see someone who is street smart but doesn’t do go in school get a bad wrap. People look at them as a waste because they can’t apply there intelligences that they have and use it towards school, so people view them as not the right kind of smart because they are not a A student in school. Graff then goes on to say that maybe it is not the students that are the problem with how they do in school but maybe it is the school that have missed or overlooked the intellectual potential that kids with street smarts have. Graff also says that we only view the educated minds through schooling as the right way and schools and colleges look at kids who do not like school and don’t do well as anti-intellectual people.

“Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff starts off with an older argument between being book smart and street smart. Throughout the reading, Graff uses his own life experiences to critique the education system today. Points made focus on the idea of overlooking the intellectual potential of those who come across as being, “street smart”. Different authors cited in the reading to show how to accept another’s different intellectual. However, we realize that people who come across as being intellectual weren’t always labeled as that.

The Rhetorical Analysis of the “America Needs its Nerds” The mental capacity is treated as a disadvantage in the America, despite the fact it already helped the country many times. This long-term problem became the main topic of the Leonid Fridman’s essay “America Needs its Nerds”. The work first appeared on January 11, 1990 in the New York Times as a part of the series “Voices of the New Generation”. The author spoke about the negative attitude the American society has to smart people and demonstrates it with the usage of words like “nerd” or “geek”.

The reading "Hidden Intellectualism" by Gerald Graff reflects views on being "street smart" and "book smart." He explains that society tends to associate people who are intelligent on solely being "book smart" and performing well in academics, rather than being street smart. He goes on to further explain that students perhaps can be intelligent on topics that interest them. Graff opens up the reading by giving his own personal experience on feeling torn between trying to prove that he was smart yet fearing that he was overdoing it. He was trying to prove that he learned just as much about the real world by reading his sports books and magazines as he would have if he had read the classic works of literature like most students in school.