comparing

http://troyallenharris.blogspot.com/

10. Use orthodox spelling.
I think that text messaging has an enormous influence on these two particular elements. First, number ten, orthodox spelling. Acronyms and shorthand is all the rage these days. We’ve discussed in class that High School teachers are actually accepting work with different variations of this text message lingo just to get them to turn in their work. As I mentioned earlier, depending on who or what you are writing for, such unorthodox spelling may be appropriate and could even give some effect.

To begin, I would like to state that this assignment is the first I have honestly enjoyed. The requirement to read my peers blogs served as a very useful tool (though I wish it had occurred to me earlier to use the other blogs as a reference).

I like Troy's approach to the assigned topic. This post in particular is relevant and interesting, in that Troy's application of this rule is current. The students in our country's public school system are in a different world than I was, even though I graduated high school only three years ago. Students are not learning grammar and language in the same ways I was so few years ago. More and more emphasis is put on math and sciences. The results are poor reading and writing skills. The only written communication they know is that available on their cell phones and on the internet. Kids are turning in papers that are more like text messages and emails, in that there are acronyms and short hand.

Having read Strunk and White, I believe I will incorporate this book into my lessons as a secondary ed teacher. I believe the students will be more welcoming of it because of the format of the book. Given, I wouldn't be able to teach the entire book, I think select passages would be extremely useful. The students having access to this book would also hold them personally responsible for learning some of it on their own. It could be a way to help each student with their individual needs. For example, if I noticed a student was having problems with the possessive, I could tell them, "Go read page one and then we can talk about it". That way the kid will read and then discuss what they personally learned. It will teach them to verbalize their thoughts and to communicate more openly, similar to what they will be facing in college.