We Can’t All Be Math Nerds and Science Geeks A convincing argument includes several rhetorical devices all accumulated into a cogent speech or piece of writing. Arguing without emotion or facts will not keep the readers attention long enough for them to be convinced of anything. Ethos, pathos, and logos are a few potent rhetorical devices that could be used to persuade the reader. In Fareed Zakaria’s we can’t all be math nerds & science geeks he effectively persuades the readers that school curricula should push beyond STEM education by establishing credibility, using facts, and connecting with the audience. Zakaria establishes his credibility by quoting several notable innovators and using personal experience. Throughout his article, Zakaria …show more content…
He discusses jobs, education/skills, and ranking of our country against its peers. Zakaria touched on a passionate subject for the majority of readers by commenting on the future of America’s work force. He states, “Critical thinking is, in the end, the only way to protect American jobs.” This is related to his claim because he believes that more STEM education won’t teach critical thinking. Another point Zakaria makes in his article is the skills that are required to succeed and the ones that are taught are different. He states, “No matter how strong your math and science skills are, you need to know how to learn, think and even write...All of this requires skills far beyond the offering of a narrow STEM curriculum.” This is another reason why the curricula of the schools in the United States should extend beyond simple STEM training. Based on what their field is, children won’t be able to thrive off of such a limited education. Another topic Zakaria tackles is the comparison of our nation to others. He mentions that America is behind other countries, particularly in math and science. He continues in his next sentence to say that over the last 50 years, we have also “dominated the world of science, technology, research and innovation.” These statements provoke feelings of pity and hope in the listeners that are crucial to the effectiveness …show more content…
He draws his statistics and other details from different studies, surveys and tests to support his claim. One of his sources is the International test of 2012. The test revealed that pertaining to math, reading and science, “the United States comes in 21st, trailing nations such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Estonia.” Zakaria goes on to explain that The United States has never done well on these test but we still command science, technology and innovation. This proves that we don’t need to push STEM education when it’s already effective. A survey conducted by “Andrew Bennett, a management consultant” showed that 84 out of 100 business leaders “would rather hire smart, passionate people, even if they didn’t have the exact skills their companies needed.” This survey confirms that its better for students to be well rounded in their education rather than have an education based entirely on STEM. Another study conducted by Oxford scholars found that for workers to win the competition against computers for their jobs, “they will have to acquire creative and social skills.” A STEM education won’t teach creativity and social skills; it will stifle them. Overall Zakaria’s abundance of facts were key in persuading the
“How long can America remain a world-class power if we constantly emphasize social skills and physical prowess over academic achievement and intellectual ability?” Leonid Fridman uses this sentence to finalize his argument for why Americans should stop alienating its intellectual citizens. Fridman uses a few techniques to build his argument including word choice, factual based examples, and appeals to emotions. The text “America Needs its Nerds” could be very relatable for some people.
One of the biggest concerning the need for an increase in rigor in instruction in American schools. She discusses that in Poland students must stay in academic classes for an extra year and teachers are paid bonuses to engage in professional development work. She also notes that in Finland they “rebooted their teacher-training colleges, forcing them to become much more selective and rigorous.” In an article written by Sarah Tantillio on Only Good Books, she recognizes the validity of these statements, but comments that in America “the Common Core States Standards, which most states have adopted, they are definitely rigorous, But how they are implemented (and assessed) from state to state and school to school is still a Very Big Question.” Further in her article she points out the large population differences between Finland, Poland, and the United States, and how this affects our education system.
Keith Shirey is a writer for The Spoof!, an online website that focuses on what the title echoes. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a spoof is a light humorous parody (Spoof). Most spoofs are only supposed to only be taken with a grain of salt, but some writers use it to add emphasis to their writing. When analyzing Keith’s article “College Football Teams Should Go Semi-Pro”, he uses examples of humor, ridicule, statistics, and emotional appeal to stress his argument to the typical person that college football has become so enormous that they could create their own semi-pro teams.
In our society today, the terms “nerd” or “geek” are used derogatorily instead of used upliftinglyin an uplifting manner to those who are more serious about their studies or education. In today’s world especially, we are quick to judge based on appearance or what certain people’s interests may be instead of supporting them. In a passage from Leonid Fridman’s literary work titled “America Needs Its Nerds,” he discusses the present issue relating to “geeks” and “nerds” and the positive affect they could have on our nation if they are supported. Fridman expresses his stand on the issue through definition, contrast and appeal to emotion.
Chase Alley Mrs. Haberly W131 19 Oct. 2015 We’re Number... What?: Rhetorical Strategies in “Is the United States Still the Best Country in the World? Think Again” We live in the greatest country on Earth: many Americans grow with the idea instilled since birth in all levels of society.
Identifying Purpose of Argument There are many different kinds of arguments in the world. Some to persuade, some to inform or convince. Arguments can leave huge impacts on people’s lives depending on the seriousness. Most arguments are healthy though, and can end up causing important events to take place.
After reading your article “Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous” I have formed some opinions regarding the topic that was mentioned in the article. This article is relatable to me as a student who has been educated in America’s educational system. Even though students who want to pursue a degree often complain about taking prerequisites, this article demonstrates that those prerequisites are a reason as to why students can be well rounded. I have been one of those students who often complain about the amount of different subject we must take, but I am slowly learning to appreciate it. It is in a way a calming thing to think about that even though I am majoring in one subject, that is not the sole thing I can offer when
Everyone has made an argument. It could be as little as argueing so you can to your friend’s house to as big as why you should be president. Whenever you make an argument you’re trying to persuade the person to listen to you. The points you make are ethos (appeals to credibility), logos (logic), or pathos (emotion). You do it without knowing.
Persuading by appealing to readers emotions. It depends on the language choice of affect to the audience's emotional response. Pathos can make the argument very strong. Many world class athletes have strength, focused on one goal and love is very common in sports today. Nike adds fuel to these emotions by adding ," just do it".
There are numerous persuasive devices that can be used as tricks in order to appear credible in the eyes of the audiences. There will be eight persuasive devices that will be mentioned in this analysis which are artistic proof which consist of ethos, logos and pathos, facts, repetition, positive dictions, analogy and rhetorical questions. 3.1 Artistic proof According to Aristotle, persuaders use proof to persuade audiences. Aristotle describes artistic proof as proof that is created, or invented by the persuaders.
On the contrary, Lloyd M. Bentsen IV, a researcher with National Center for Policy Analysis, states that STEM is struggling with the major problem of student engagement. Him, as well as other critics, believe that there
Education is crucial. It develops us as a whole, which leads to discovery, which then, leads to greatness. Education is the catalyst of every country, and we all know that. It’s common sense. Education is the powerhouse for us to keep on moving.
America is encountering an incredibly large crisis that if ignored, will turn our society into a disaster. The issue at hand here is the incredibly lacking education system that we are putting our kids into. America used to be a world leader in education. America used to be a good example for other countries to follow. America is now lagging behind the rest of the developed world in a very scary way.
Hear that change jingling in my pocket? Good. I have two little questions for you. I have a quarter, a dime and a nickel. How much money DO I have?
Dr. Michio Kaku famously stated: “the United States has the worst educational system known to science.” Were it solely up to U.S. graduates, the scientific establishment and tech economy would collapse, he says, “forget about Google, forget about Silicon Valley. There would be no Silicon Valley.” Instead, U.S. science and tech thrive because of immigrants who come on H-1B visas, “America’s secret weapon… the genius visa.” If it wasn’t for immigrants, the United States of America wouldn’t be preforming financially as well as it would otherwise.