{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"61164090","dateCreated":"1357094873","smartDate":"Jan 1, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"esautter","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/esautter","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/61164090"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"I am confused","description":"I wrote an article response before school dismissed, but I can't find it. I don't know if anyone responded because it doesn't seem to be here. ?????","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"50134128","dateCreated":"1328560639","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"mrheinrich","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mrheinrich","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/50134128"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Article Response - Mediocrity: The American Way","description":"I hate that American youth sports leagues give every participant a trophy. I hate that kids today say things like: "It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you have fun." And I HATE the fact that students feel that grades are something they are entitled to rather than something they earn. This problem is much bigger than spelling and grammar in the classroom. Its roots stretch into the very heart of American society. Americans have become arrogant, complacent, and lazy. We no longer lead the world because we are no longer the hardest workers or the best innovators. Our students come out of college expecting to be hired for executive-level jobs without a single day of experience under their belt. We are enduring one of the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression, but there are "Help Wanted" signs in every McDonald's storefront. Those jobs are simply perceived as beneath most Americans, and they would rather go jobless.
\nMediocrity has been woven into every fabric of our society, and there is no easy fix, but it has to start somewhere. Why not in school?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"50128858","dateCreated":"1328555538","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"jgabborin","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jgabborin","imageUrl":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1326429178\/jgabborin-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/50128858"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Boosting Student Esteem","description":"Although it is true that we, as a profession, have let spelling and grammar slip in our schools, the idea that a student\u2019s mastery of mechanics is equally as important as his ability to produce meaningful, valuable content is outrageous. This article\u2019s premise is so lost in sensationalism and hyperbole that any depth of meaning is completely lost. At least the grammar is impeccable!
\nThe author points out, quite correctly, the necessity for perfect or near-perfect mechanics in the business and publication world. What she fails to take into account, however, is the fact that our students do not have (nor do they need) armies of editors working to pull that perfection from their writing. How many commercials go into production without having been proofread? How many books are published without several rounds of editing, revision, and rewriting?
\nThose authors, slogan makers, technical writers, and executives would never distribute a piece of work without having an expert examine and correct their mechanics. That doesn\u2019t take anything away from the brilliance of the novel, the wittiness of the advertisement, or the importance of the document. The value of the writing comes from the synthesis of ideas and the expression of creativity the author brings to life.
\nIt is important that we use the English language correctly. Mechanics errors can be embarrassing and can certainly affect our credibility. In the end, however, spelling and grammar are not nearly as important as the content of the writing.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"50130780","body":"I don't think I clearly differentiated three different things from the article, so I'll add on two more ideas:
\n
\n1) Many of the problems our students have with mechanics, and specifically with grammar and syntax, are the direct result of a lifetime of incorrect modeling. It stands to reason, therefore, that a non-native student, in learning a new language, would not have this incorrect schema. Is it any wonder, then, that ESL students often have superior English grammar skills?
\n
\n2) Mediocrity is not failure. Period. Mediocre means average, neither good nor bad. The author's assertion that she has moved from gross overuse of positive reinforcement to the belief that anything less than mastery is failure shows that her goal in writing this article was not the sharing of insights and knowledge. Instead, it shows that the article was written for shock and sensationalism alone.","dateCreated":"1328557139","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"jgabborin","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jgabborin","imageUrl":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1326429178\/jgabborin-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"50078514","dateCreated":"1328474392","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymanley","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymanley","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/50078514"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Boosting Self-Esteem article by Marsello","description":"This was a very thought-provoking article for me. I often have weighed the implications of focusing on building a student's self-esteem at the cost of not pointing out obvious areas that are in need of improvement. I think we as a society do this not only in the realm of education, but in other aspects of our lives. Take for example sports. When I was a child, I never remember getting a "participation trophy" just for being a member of a team. We only received these awards for being the best player or the first place team. I realize many students maybe don't have the stable family supports that used to be around 30 years ago and that schools as always try to "fix" whatever is broken, but after reading this article, my eyes have been opened to the fact that we as educators need to find a balance between helping students realize their strengths while at the same time helping them improve areas of weaknesses and not accept that it's okay not to be a good speller and be happy with mediocrity. Another part of the article that stood out to me was the part about the Cambodian students and their thought that "...English mastery (is) their ticket to American success" and that their knowledge of English composition was superior to the English-speaking students. In this case, I think cultural norms\/expectations play a factor---mediocrity in a lot of cultures is not acceptable, nor tolerated. Probably the part of the article that made me uneasy the most was the part about how the job employer expressed how poorly completed job applications were and how it affected whether he chose to hire or not hire a person based on it. That part really made it clear to me that the so-called "lies" we are perpetuating now have far-reaching affects for our students.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"50078840","body":"When I read this article that part that stood out to me was also the first part about how poorly job applications are being filled out by potential employers. My father owns a small business and it is comical how unimportant the details are for this next generation of Americans entering the workforce. We have a file that we keep of poorly completed applications and the mistakes are mind numbing but even more mind numbing is the fact that this is becoming the norm anymore and not the exception to the rule. If a potential employee comes in and has a full resume, presents himself well, and has an effective grasp on the English language we know that we are not going to be able to afford this person because they are in such short supply that this person will be in high demand.
\n I am also a coach and I feel strongly that the sudden shift in the culture towards this generation of self esteem is dangerous. We have a generation of athlete who does not know how to compete and does not know how to work hard to accomplish things that are difficult. They instead want to be told that they are ok and rewarded for not only effort but minimal effort. This work ethic is not permeating our classrooms. Until we are able to take start demanding more from our students again (as a culture) and toss the ideals of this mythical self-esteem aside we are producing a very dangerous next generation.","dateCreated":"1328474944","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"wildo72psu","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/wildo72psu","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"50088948","body":"Responding to sherrymanley.
\nYour statement about sports really hit home. As the Varsity Girls' Soccer coach for my school, I give out awards to every player at the banquet at the end of the season. I feel I have to do this nowadays to keep the girls interested in playing. It has become such a headache to think of 30 different awards to fit each girl. My assistants and I thought about not doing it this year, but were afraid if we just gave out the 4 main awards - offensive, defensive, midfield, and mvp - we would lose some girls or hurt their feelings because they did not get an award. I believe this stems from the home life. I have parents that would complain and moan because their daughter didn't get an award. This does not set a good example for the player.
\n
\nI do believe schools try to fix what is "broken" at home. However, sometimes parents can hinder their child, too, because when educators do try to demand more than the parents are calling or coming in jumping down our throats because they didn't get and "A" on their paper or their test. Because of that, I think educator's expectations drop.","dateCreated":"1328492454","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"reneelepley","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/reneelepley","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"50094838","body":"I also liked your point about sports because I think it does go hand in hand with what is going on in the classroom. I also have been a coach and it does bother me that everyone gets a participation prize. What has happened to awarding those (on the field, court, or classroom) who stand out because they have put a lot of time in? I'm currently taking some elementary kids to tournaments and I can't believe how much it has changed since I participated. There used to be a winner, now everyone just plays an even amount of games so no team feels bad for not making it to the championship. I think we are going too far now to make sure everyone has that positive self-esteem. We need a balance!","dateCreated":"1328500684","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"EricT40","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/EricT40","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"49666000","dateCreated":"1327608064","smartDate":"Jan 26, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"reneelepley","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/reneelepley","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/49666000"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Boosting Self Esteem response","description":"I thought Boosting Student Esteem All the Way \u2013 to Failure was a great article and one that every teacher should read. As a matter of fact, I am going to have it copied and placed in all my fellow teachers\u2019 mailboxes because I think many of them will be able to relate to it, as I did. The first point that really caught my attention was in the very first paragraph where the author speaks of encouraging and assuring her students, but in the process has lied to them to do so. I think at some point, every teacher has \u201clied\u201d to a student to encourage them because we did not want to hurt that student\u2019s feelings or discourage them in any way, which leads to the second point that stood out to me. That point being the author\u2019s talk of positive reinforcement to help students make great strides in composition development. To me, positive reinforcement is necessary, but so is constructive criticism. I believe students need both to be successful in the real world. Finally, the third point that stood out was the mention of students applying for jobs and not being hired because of misspelled words or grammar errors on the applications. To me, this shows how we, as educators, can set students up for failure when we do not require the very best work from our students. As a teacher, I must instill in my students the importance of content and mechanical correctness when writing to help them succeed in life.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"49421938","dateCreated":"1327077926","smartDate":"Jan 20, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"llepley","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/llepley","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/49421938"},"dateDigested":1532760887,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Boosting Self ","description":"This article made me feel awful. I am poor at spelling and my grammar could use some work, as well. I can assure you that it is not because of a lack of trying. It has always been a struggle for me and embarrassing at times as well, especially because I consider myself a perfectionist. I promise you it is something that I work at all of the time and have improved.
\n
\nI do agree that we sugar coat things at times but truly believe that students need support, encouraged, and positive reinforcement in their lives which definitely includes school. All of this can be done without lying to a student.
\n
\nI do not believe that most students are proud of the fact that they struggle in certain academic areas. I do believe that they use different methods to cover the fact that they care. I believe that students do all sorts of things to cope with their issues, academic and social.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"34221116","dateCreated":"1297727124","smartDate":"Feb 14, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rjchamberlain80","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rjchamberlain80","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/34221116"},"dateDigested":1532760888,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Boosting Self Esteem","description":"Boosting Student Esteem
\nI can relate to the article by Angie Ward Marsello. It is a joy to teach Language Arts. I also value boosting student self-esteem. She is also correct in the notion that we must be willing to own up to the truth and stop the lie. Spelling is important, but this is more than just spelling.
\nThe three elements of her article that I agree with are:
\n
\n1. Students wear their ineptitude as a badge of honor symbolizing their superiority. Some gifted students do fall into this category, but so do some of our learning support students. They repeated stress that they have special rights. Rights that exclude them from following all of the standard rules of learning. Whether it is a GIEP or a LS IEP, we should never permit mediocrity. Yes, we must follow the IEP, but permitting students to underachieve is not acceptable.
\n
\n2. Individuals who cannot express themselves in complete thoughts will not be hired. I agree. I would not want to hire an individual who would not represent my business well. We should not accept a final copy of written work containing sentence fragments, misused contractions, or \u2018spell-check\u2019 homonyms\/homophones.
\n
\n3. We also share a desire to never give a student a failing grade. Giving a student a passing grade, when the essay was a failing assignment, is a disservice to the student. How unfair of us, to give a false compliment (or grade). False compliments are hollow and students can see through them.
\n
\nNow, having stated all of numbered elements above\u2026we can debate the standards for writing on the PSSA. ARG.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"49421570","body":"This article made me feel awful. I am poor at spelling and my grammar could use some work, as well. I can assure you that it is not because of a lack of trying. It has always been a struggle for me and embarrassing at times as well, especially because I consider myself a perfectionist. I promise you it is something that I work at all of the time and have improved.
\n
\nI do agree that we sugar coat things at times but truly believe that students need support, encouraged, and positive reinforcement in their lives which definitely includes school. All of this can be done without lying to a student.
\n
\nI do not believe that most students are proud of the fact that they struggle in certain academic areas. I do believe that they use different methods to cover the fact that they care. I believe that students do all sorts of things to cope with their issues, academic and social.","dateCreated":"1327077574","smartDate":"Jan 20, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"llepley","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/llepley","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"34120814","dateCreated":"1297541078","smartDate":"Feb 12, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"acmaddox","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/acmaddox","imageUrl":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1315567181\/acmaddox-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/34120814"},"dateDigested":1532760888,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"article response","description":"1.Why do we not mark off or count spelling?
\n2.Why do teachers and employers view this differently?
\n3.Does this truly boost esteem, or boost anything?
\n
\nThe first thing that I thought when reading this article was why do we choose to relax on spelling? There are many areas and focus skills in writing. Students may misuse words, not capitalize, confuse subject verb agreement, or forget about commas all together. Why has spelling become an \u2018acceptable\u2019 mistake? Is it because it is a common mistake? I believe, though I may be wrong, that technology encourages the poor spellers of the world. When I was writing an essay in high school, I had two options as a poor speller. I could look up the word that I didn\u2019t know how to spell or I could change my mind and use a different word. Now there is always option three. Spell check! Their you go, an easy fix. Wait, was that supposed to be \u201cthere?\u201d how about \u201cthey\u2019re?\u201d Students believe in the almighty power of spell check and they begin to get lazy on the do-it-yourself options. So why don\u2019t we choose to focus on spelling as a must have? I\u2019m afraid it comes down to a bit of laziness on our part as well. We have to give students a reason to care about THEIR spelling.
\n
\nThis leads into another idea in the article that stood out to me. If we, as teachers, are not giving students a reason to care about this, employers definitely are. Why are we not on the same page? If school is a student\u2019s \u201cworkplace\u201d then the rules should mirror each other. We have a set start time and end time. There is a lunch break. We require certain standards. I believe that we would be doing students an injustice if we taught them, however unknowingly, that poor spelling was acceptable. No! Thinking along the same lines as their future employers, I believe that we must help them find their flaws and then teach them how to become stronger in these areas. Then we will truly be preparing them for life after high school.
\n
\nDoes all of this mean that we are shattering self esteem? I don\u2019t think so. How would a student feel if they left our school and found out that we had not truly prepared them for their work place? That they had actually NOT learned, after all this time, the skills they needed? Now, what if they left knowing that we had done everything we could to prepare them as fully as possible? Yep. We have to push the real world skills. So how do we keep boosting their self esteem in all of this? Reward the efforts! Recognize their growth! Praise them when they do well! Spelling is equivalent to any other skill. Our students deserve to be taught what they need to know to succeed, and that teaching will include both criticism and praise.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34165880","body":"Three things that stood out to me in this article were:
\n1) Some bright students wear their ineptitude with spelling as a badge of honor.
\n2) Ms Marsello rarely had the courage to mark a piece of student writing with an F.
\n3) If you don\u2019t master your language, you are a failure.
\n
\nacmaddox,
\nI completely agree with your point that we're not shattering self-esteem when we expect proper spelling\/grammar and quality work from our students. In fact, it\u2019s the opposite. Their self-esteem will be damaged if we permit them to make careless mistakes, or to truly believe that a word is spelled a certain way, when really it is not. Imagine how embarrassing it would be for the child to finally find out they had been misspelling a word for years and none of their teachers found it important enough to address. It would be like going through elementary school with toilet paper stuck to your shoe and no one telling you about it! Then, finally an honest teacher in junior high points it out. Won\u2019t this make the child think about all the teachers who accepted mediocrity? I wouldn\u2019t want to be a teacher who is remembered as the one who really didn\u2019t\u2019 care if a student\u2019s work was accurate or not. Or as the teacher who didn\u2019t \u201cpush\u201d their students to reach their fullest potential. When giving feedback on written work, it\u2019s our responsibility to find a way to say it that will help the child to be proud of work completed with accuracy and to the best of their ability. I guess I\u2019m fortunate to have had English teachers who pointed out errors, expected quality work, and guided me to develop my own writing skills. It never hurt my self-esteem. In my opinion, we owe our students the truth.","dateCreated":"1297652812","smartDate":"Feb 13, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tswinefo","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tswinefo","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"33767926","dateCreated":"1297087680","smartDate":"Feb 7, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"sburket","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sburket","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/33767926"},"dateDigested":1532760888,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Marsello article","description":"1. I find it interesting that Marsello makes no mention of the fact that IEPs forbid the grading of spelling. I don't know what other schools put in their IEPs, but I believe that all of my IEPs have this.
\n2. While some gifted students are poor spellers, I do not see this as a pattern in my gifted students.
\n3. I think your school's culture has a lot to do with this phenomenon of false praise. I started teaching at a time when it was considered important to make everybody feel good, and I absorbed the expectation of that culture after a few years. I stopped grading spelling, I gave bonus assignments to failing students who begged for it at the end of the marking period, and found myself having to give students more and more structure for them to succeed. I think a lot of the impetus behind this emerging school culture was parents who were more concerned with Johnny getting an A than with Johhny getting a quality education. Now I am appaled at the lack of work ethic among students, and at the parents who balk at any attempt to challenge their children.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"33654424","dateCreated":"1296822681","smartDate":"Feb 4, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"acmaddox","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/acmaddox","imageUrl":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1315567181\/acmaddox-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"http:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/33654424"},"dateDigested":1532760888,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"To spell or not to spell? ","description":"I wonder about this question every time I sit down to grade a stack of essays from my students. How important is spelling, really? My students hack their way through a rough draft (hand written!) just waiting to get their fingers on a key board and click the magical spell check button. Does that make all of the mistakes disappear? Not at all. Very few papers escape spelling marks in my room. Why do I mark them up, then? Because I am a terrible speller myself.
\n
\nI usually operate with the idea that writing is about communication. Students will need to be able to communicate their thoughts and their ideas through writing when they leave my classroom. A spelling mistake here or there won't slow that down, but an entire slew of mispelled words will. These mistakes will also affect how others view my students. Will a potential employer respect a students who makes a simple spelling mistake on an application? How about a college admissions board? Definitely not.
\n
\nStill, there are some places where mispellings are allowed in my room. Formal essays demand formal attention, but blog posts, free writes, and brainstorming are all areas where students can relax and focus on their ideas without worrying about the rules and mechanics. This freedom is meant to encourage and reward quality thought.
\n
\nStill, what are students going to encounter outside of our school? Encouragement to think freely? Respect based on careful writing and editing? My vote goes to correct spelling.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34217192","body":"cmaddox...
\nI agree with you that there are instances in the classroom where my primary focus for the students is to get their thoughts on paper. Quality of thought, original ideas, critical problem solving and analysis is rewarded regardless of spelling. When it comes time to formalize the assignment, grammar, sentence structure and spelling needs to be corrected and aligned with conventions of the English language. But, I also agree with 'sburket' that IEP allows our learning support student to tread water in a mire of mediocrity. Even on their final writing submissions, they are not held accountable to spell correctly. What a disservice to their achievement. We do not need to insult them, just hold them accountable to a level higher than mediocrity.
\n
\nrjchamberlain","dateCreated":"1297723096","smartDate":"Feb 14, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rjchamberlain80","url":"http:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rjchamberlain80","imageUrl":"http:\/\/c1.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}