Youth and Reading

In today's society, one might notice a disaffected youth. Resentful and rebellious against authority, tomorrow's future shirks education and reading for video games, TV and cyberspace. Students see reading as a chore, an obstacle to be overcome before they can sit down and laze about and perhaps play a game or surf the web.

Books and knowledge are seen as negative aspects of life, pop culture doesn't uphold these values. From gossip magazines at the checkout line, to scrolling bite-sized packets of information on the ticker at the bottom of the screen, information in today's age is streamlined and watered down to the lowest common denominator.

Adolescents are more focused on which rapper's shooting who, the effeminate lead singers of today's bands and the latest jailbait teenage pop sensation sweeping the nation. They skirt along from one trend to the latest, never stopping along to a read book, much less buy one.

The University of Liverpool's Active Learning Lab ...

Adler

The University of Liverpool's Active Learning Lab ...

They receive little or no positive influence from the media and there are few educated role models to emulate and look up to.

They need to be motivated to read and learn and we will do this by giving them full possession and ownership rights of course books. They will be free to mark the book however they wish. We need to teach them that active learning involves active engagement. Not only will they read the books, they will be able to keep records, notes, thoughts and reaction about what they are reading, consumption with a purpose. As Dr. Adler said, "marking up books is not an act of mutilation but of love."And the good doctor is correct. After all, lending a book to a student is like babysitting a child. You will oversee it for a while, but it must be maintained in the utmost condition...