Nancy (more) History lessons
I did not agree or enjoy this article as much.
First, the author Danald Stewart seemed angry. It is true that as the ancients said, when we want to persuade someone, it is good to be aware of the feelings of the audience. His arguments sounded like rhetoric in the negative connotation.
Secondly, I am fatigued with the position that misguided composition teachers are ruining our children because we believe that grammar matters. ( I am trying to sound not angry - but logical. I hope to learn more about enthymemes and syllogisms as I continue in this class!)
Third, from my own 15 years of teaching writing to K-adults, I know that elementary, middle school, high school, and adults who missed the basics along the way need punctuation and organization to successfully explain, persuade or entertain through composition. If young students don't learn to make their writing readable by putting in periods , capitals and commas, then when?
If they come to college still not having this skill because some one thought it was not important enough, then it has to be taught a the university level. We know that this crisis is requiring more remedial classes at the freshman level. The argument that writers can use the computer for all their spelling and grammar needs is like telling the employees in fast food stores that they don't need to know how to calculate the math to figure out the bill, or even read the items in order to use the cash register(now with pictures) . Technology has taken care of that for them too.
I do agree that there is a bit too much emphasis on the framing part ( 5 paragraph essays and other writing recipes) and often the grammar is addressed first instead of last in the writing process. But consider the shy student or the ELL that is culturally and linguistically challenged and will not write because she doesn't know how to start and is terrified. Vygosky taught us that students learn best in their zone of proximity. That means that we support learners on a certain level and encourage independence until they can move up the levels of freedom of expression where little guidance is needed. There are many formulas to help students of composition get started in the right direction.
One mistake may be giving too much framing at a point where students no longer need it. Middle school students should have moved away from colored paper to help with organization and students in high school and college may not need the 5 paragraph essay structure. Happily we are growing younger and younger writers - K-1 who are able to express themselves freely and feel good about writing. With some direct instruction from the teachers, these young authors will go into the second grade automatically knowing when to capitalize to show the reader that a new sentence has begun and making that decision when to end a thought with a period!
We have learned that the ancient orators had definite pauses, possibly marking the end of a thought. Eventually that pause, chosen by the orator, became a period in composition for the same reason. If orators were not taught explicitly, then certainly by example. I believe the sacred example is one of the best ways to teach writing.
The following quotes from the book Because Writing Matters, by the National Writing Project and Carl Nagin, clarifies my point, in the section 'Integrating Content and Skills." ( pp 36-37)
Donald Graves , proponent of writing -as- a process acknowledged that their research "prompted a rigid sequence for the writing process: a day of freewriting, another class on drafting,, followed by a workshop on editing, and then the final draft." ( Because Writing Matters 2006)
Jim Burke, high school teacher in Burlingame, California and founder of CATEnet describes the problem,"States throughout the country are drafting legislation for curriculum that calls for renewed emphasis on the teaching of grammar ( or conventions). This stems from the frustration in the workplace and in college writing programs with students lack of grammatical correctness. (The English Teacher's Companion. 1999)
Lisa Delpit, author of, Other People's Children, Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, focuses on the practice of "teaching down" to minority children. She says that focusing just on isolated skills can be boring and meaningless for low-scoring students. On the other hand when students are asked to"find their own voice" or write endless drafts, minority students may never learn the basics of standard English.
Delpit criticizes those who view direct instruction as "repressive."
"Students need technical skills to open doors, but they need to be able to think critically and creatively" (also.)
"Let there be no doubt: a "skilled" minority person who is not capable of critical analysis, becomes the low-level functionary of the dominant society."
"On the other hand, a critical thinker who lacks the "skills" demanded by the employers and institutions of higher learning, can aspire to financial and social status only within the disenfranchised underworld.
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