Sunday, November 25, 2007

I'll admit I haven't read the NEA report very closely - although I did go through all 99 pages. If I have time, I'd like to look at in in detail, but I've never been a big fan of surveys. Maybe it's just me (since I wouldn't be inclined to fill out a survey or answer questions over the phone), but I don't see any reason to assume everyone's answering honestly.

(Side note: I really don't trust any conclusions derived from asking high school students to report their drug use or sexual activity. I remember being given a questionnaire to complete in health class once: "How many times have I consumed alcohol in the past twelve months? Well, I had a sip of wine at a bar mitzvah, and another sip of champagne at a wedding. Let's call that 4-9 drinks, and I expect to consume alcohol 10-14 times in the next twelve months. Because I don't want all my answers to be 'none.' I feel like enough of a dork, thank you very much.")

But other people have taken the time to analyze the report, and what should be done about it. Check these out for more coherent thoughts than mine:

Chasing Ray
Shaken & Stirred
The Miss Rumphius Effect
A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Original Content

As for me, I read two amazing books yesterday. Details coming soon.

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