If you ask me, it’s getting way out of hand. I am no stranger to standardized testing. My family moved at the most every two years. It seemed as though I would take the assessment test at my old school, then move to a new state and start a new school just in time to participate in their standardized test. But, like many from my generation, I survived. I don’t know how well I scored on the tests, though I’m sure my mother has the reports around somewhere. We did not dwell on the material in the tests in our classes. I remember getting advice on test taking from my teachers: “get a good night’s sleep” “have a good breakfast” “bring an extra pencil.” That was it.

So when the latest article on standardized testing came out, I found myself behind approximately 98% of the contents. Specifically, this paragraph almost made me cheer:

The obvious cure in Illinois, and in other states, is to carefully limit or dispense with test preparation in class. Teachers should instead be working on the high-level academic skills that students need to perform well, not just on tests, but in college and long afterward.

I think it’s obvious that there is too much time spent on testing preparation. Honestly, I have to admit that when it’s in print in the New York Times, though, I do a little happy dance. Why? It’s getting attention outside the educational sphere. This means that the non-educator citizen is starting to pay attention. So, I say thank you, to the New York Times. I thank all of the parents who have called and complained that their child should not fail a math test for bubbling in the wrong answer when they have the work to show that they got the answer write. I applaud the parent able to de-stress their child by not stressing out over the test at home. I applaud the teachers who do not dwell on the test preparation in their classroom. I applaud Carl Chew for standing up for what was right.

Writing…the Black Sheep of the Curriculum?

I do not, however, applaud the New York Times for the ideas they put forth in the opening paragraph of their essay:

To get the well-educated, highly skilled workers that the country needs, states must strengthen public school curriculums, especially in math and science. States also need to adopt high-quality tests that show how students are performing from year to year.

Unfortunately, the New York Times has jumped on the bandwagon of bettering education without looking at the whole picture. If we are going to strengthen public school currriculums, it needs to be done across the board not “especially in math and science.” I spend a good portion of my summer grading writing placement tests and I have to say that each year, the results seem to get even more dismal. In addition to placing more students into basic writing classes because they cannot write to college standards, I hear more complaints from parents about the placement, get more pressure from administration to not place these students in basic writing and continue to grow more annoyed with the entire system. The problem with placing students in basic writing is two fold. It’s a result of bad PR for basic writing and it’s a result of less writing curriculum in the high schools.

Basic Writing (Read “Remedial Writing” to Parents and Students) is for Dummies

The biggest problem with Basic Writing is the bad PR it has gotten over the past few decades. Few schools offer this class as a credit class, which means the students enrolled in the class are paying for a class that does not in any way count towards the credit hours they need for their degree. Writing instruction in this class often begins with writing paragraphs and graduates to writing a full essay. For this reason, students who are placed in basic writing (and their parents by default) see this class as a course for remedial students or Second Language students. They feel that since they passed all of their English courses in high school and did not fail the Written portion of the Standardized Test, this is not the place for them. Unfortunately, this can create a very hostile learning environment for some students.

AP students are the worst in a Basic Writing class. This is largely because they enter into AP classes in high school with the preconceived notion that passing the AP test clears them from all need to take college writing and that if they don’t pass it, they certainly won’t be placed in Basic Writing.

The High School Writing Curriculum

In many high schools, writing is not actually part of the curriculum. Now, I don’t want to generalize, because I have seen several schools that do a great job of incorporating writing into their English classes. However, for the most part, writing instruction seems to simply involve

“Write an essay discussing the symbolism in [enter novel name here]“

When the student turns in the essay, they receive comments on whether or not they interpreted the symbolism appropriately, used MLA correctly, and used correct grammar. Unfortunately, I have found that too often writing instruction beyond these small areas consists of

• An essay has five paragraphs (introduction, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion)

• A thesis statement goes at the end of the introduction and is constructed as such: “In [the novel's name], [Author's name] uses symbolism to [item one, item two, and item three]

That’s about all it seems that my students know about writing. Even when they place into our traditional Composition I class, they don’t have the information to write a persuasive essay of any form. They can inform until the semester is over, but they can’t persuade an audience. In fact, most of them are never introduced to the ideas of writing to an audience. So it bothers me even more to see writers from the New York Times pushing for improvement in math and science curriculums.

Preconceived Notions of Writing

I think the biggest problem with writing curriculum and students’ disinterest in their writing classes comes from being in a field that they don’t believe will use writing. Over the last few years, I have heard more students say “I don’t need writing in my career, I’m going to be a [insert career here].” I’ve heard this from disciplines across the university, including:

• Business students
  • “My job is about numbers and management, not writing”
• History majors planning to attend law school
  • “I’ll have a clerk who will do my writing for me”
• Nurses
  • “All the writing that we do is notes that appear in charts”
• Chemistry
  • “I’m going to find a cure for cancer, I don’t need to know how to write.”
• Theater
  • “I’m an actor, writing isn’t my job.”
• Art
  • “I say it with paint, not words.”

I could go on and on with the disciplines, but I’ll leave it here. I’m not compiling a laundry list. I don’t know where they get the idea that their specific career is not one that requires writing, but I would love to see more emphasis on this in the curriculum. No matter how much I remind students that they will have to write in their discipline, they seem to brush it off as something their English teacher said. I don’t know anything about their discipline because I’m not part of it.

There’s a problem with the entire system. From not teaching students to write well in high school to the preconceived notions that they don’t need to write. Everything that gets done in this world today is in some way connected to a necessary document. Law students become clerks before they become lawyers. Even as lawyers, they still have to write briefs. Business students have to write proposals. Actors have to apply for jobs and those applications sometimes involve a cover letter.

In short, we need to change writing instruction now. We cannot afford to wait for another generation to slip through the cracks.  Please, teachers, start stressing how important writing is to the subject you teach. Kids need to know. If you teach English, move beyond the five-paragraph essay. If you’re a student, look into your career and see what kind of writing is going to be required; I think you would be surprised. If you or your child gets placed in a Basic Writing class, work with it. There are lots of things that you can learn from this class. I promise, it is not a remedial class. It is designed to aid you in becoming a better writer.

Don’t try to tackle that mound of grading all at once

You have a month before final grades need to be in. Sure, the pile is calling your name, but I highly recommend you follow the method one of my colleagues recommends. Set a goal to grade 4 or 5 individual papers (or tests each day). By the end of the week, that pile will be significantly smaller.

Have a Grading Party

If you just can’t set aside the time to grade those papers a little at a time, throw a grading party for yourself and several of your colleagues. You have to be careful who you invite, though. If you know that one of your colleagues is going to talk through the entire thing and keep you from getting nothing done, it’s probably not a good idea to invite that one. You can discreetly plan the gathering via email or phone calls. Then, order a pizza, set a specific time line for grading and then reward yourself for getting some of the grading done. My colleagues and I plan to grade for about three hours and then, at the end of the session, we’ll go out for coffee or some other relaxing treat.

Get Away From it All

There is no written rule that says you simply must accomplish everything right now. If you’re feeling overcome by the stress, take a break. Go to the local bookstore and browse the best sellers. Buy a new book. Take a stroll in the park. Go to the zoo. Get a pedicure. Whatever you choose, vow to yourself that while you’re engaged in this activity you will not think about the pile of things to do at home. If you don’t think it’s possible, invite a friend that you don’t work with. You have a chance to get caught up on each other’s lives and it will keep you from thinking about the “to-do” list at home.

Make a List

I understand that this only works really well for those of us who are true “Type-A” personalities, but I think it can be rewarding for everyone. Make a list of everything that needs to be done and then cross each thing off when you get through with it. It’s always rewarding to see the list getting smaller.

Hold Class Outside

This is my last (and favorite suggestion). I love to plan a day of just talking to my students about their papers and then, instead of keeping them cooped up beneath the florescent lights in the classroom, I’ll take them outside. It’s a great way to get students a bit more relaxed, relieve some stress, and get them geared up for the rest of class. I did this with my students yesterday and the results were amazing. They talked about their papers and asked a lot of questions. We were outside for over an hour and yet they seemed to think only a few minutes had gone by. This is always a method for not only de-stressing the instructor, but the student as well. Besides, sunshine

I’d love to hear how you de-stress in the “final four” so if you have suggestions, please let me know!

Tuesday, I took advantage of an opportunity to teach my students a small Blackboard trick that they would be able to use throughout their academic career. Then, one of my students stopped me as I was leaving the lab. She wanted to talk about a post on this blog that she had read (more on how she got that link coming on Monday). She had read the post on pikiwiki and student presentations and wanted to know if there was a chance that I could be convinced to use it this semester. I told her to argue for it in a comment (which she did effectively–it’s on the post. You should read it). Another one of my students even went so far as to create her own pikiwiki. Check it out here

Then came Wednesday. I’ve been talking all year about needing a mentoring program for our first year instructors. I threw myself on the sword last year and again this year and took on three new teachers who needed some help. Overall, it wasn’t a lot on my part. I just answered questions and gave advice when needed. Since my career plan is to take on a job as a WPA (Writing Program Administrator), this will essentially help me with this endeavor. I know that when I take over as a WPA at a university, I want to make sure that the program I am in charge of has a good mentoring program. So I spent Wednesday (my normal lazy-off campus day) sitting in the office, reading over portions of teaching portfolios and suggesting changes for specific documents. I was really feeling like I had a purpose and was making a difference.

Then came Thursday. I thought to teach my students to use a new technology. Then, I had an awesome discussion with them involving their papers. I have to say that these students are coming up with some rather unique topics and I think this is because of the method that I used to have them brainstorm. So, I’m giving myself a big pat on the back there. And as I stood there helping them start thinking about the points they want to make in their essays, I had a student who just announced in class that it was a “great way” to put the argument together. But they amaze me on their own. I’ve got them thinking critically about their essays and what to include and they came up with great questions during class today. These are not normal questions that my students ask, so take a look at these:

• Can I use a survey in my essay? Do I need to find one or can I do my own?
• Can I use song lyrics in my essay?
• I’m not arguing specifically for my topic. How do I add parameters to my thesis statement?

Honestly, I don’t get these questions on a regular basis. I think I’ve grown as a teacher, but I also think that this speaks to the abilities students have when they’re given adequate preparation.
I also had a chance to meet with one of our potential graduate students this week and had the presence of mind to give her one of the packets I designed for potential and new students. I’ve been talking about them in the office all year, but this was the first chance (outside of a conference our university hosted earlier this year) I had to give out one of these packets. I was suddenly glad that I had created them.

But this post was not intended to sound like chest thumping. I’ll admit that I’m amazed at all that I’ve done this week. But more than that, I’m also feeling extremely motivated to keep putting these ideas into action. We’ll see how well things go from here on out. Look for more coffee breaks in the future. There’s a lot more bragging about my students in my pedagogy post for Monday. I would normally put it here, but I don’t want to be too repetitive.

More to come!

1. Go to FreeRice and play the vocabulary game until you reach 10 bowls of rice (it changes from individual bowls at the right side to one 1000 grain rice icon on the left) at this point.
2. Take a screenshot (see, you learn technology too) of your score. (You can’t qualify without the screenshot).
3. Post the screenshot to your blog and announce that you’re participating. Link back to this post to get your friends participating.
4. Comment to this post to let me know you’re participating.
5. Play as often as you want over the next few weeks.
6. On May 1, play the game again and repost your screenshot to your blog. Make sure you comment here so that I know to add you to the final competition.

So why should you play? Well, besides improving your vocabulary, your technology ability (if you don’t know how to take a screenshot, you’ll learn won’t you?), and contributing to a good cause, I have a little prize for the participant with the most improved vocabulary. You can join in any time between now and April 15. The sooner the better, though.

Now, be honest. Don’t cheat. Each time you participate, contemplate using FreeRice with your students. Set up your own challenge. Good luck, everybody!

Here’s my first screen shot. Don’t break out your magnifying glass, it links to the file. It just looks aesthetically terrible with a full picture.

If you want to show your participation, add the widget on the right. Just click on the “share” button and copy your code.

I got up Saturday morning ready to give my house the full Spring Break clean. I poured my coffee, sat down at the coffee table, booted my precious Mac, and loaded up my feed reader. Ten minutes later, my cat decides he needs attention. He sprung from the floor towards my lap. In the process, he hits the coffee and knocks it over. Within a minute, coffee has splashed across the side of my laptop.

I was quick. I reached for the power button while simultaneously forcing the computer to shut down. I spent the better part of the next half hour mopping up the spills and making sure there was no coffee in the important parts of my laptop. At this point, I was confident all was fine.

But then I rebooted. Or, at the very least tried to reboot. My precious computer would only boot so far and then it would shut down. As this happened, I suddenly realized that I had not backed up my files onto a flash drive in at least a week. It may have been longer. My technology life flashed before my eyes.

So, I loaded up my laptop and headed to the local CompUSA. I know they repair Macs and the store was only 10 minutes from my house. Apparently, CompUSA had gone out of business. But, I thought, I’m still lucky; there is a Best Buy down the street.

At Best Buy, I discover that the Geek Squad is not Mac compatible. They cannot even recover my files. Again, my computer life flashes before my eyes as I try to remember what exactly is still on my computer that is not stored somewhere else. Luckily, I live in Dallas, so we have an Apple store.

So back down the highway I go. I headed directly to the Apple Store in the local mall. I walked in around lunch time and discovered, much to my amusement and dismay, that our local Apple Store is also yuppie headquarters. I am not kidding. With the invention of the iPod and the iPhone, Apple has taken off once again. But, I think to myself, my torture will soon be over.

The first store rep I encounter tells me that I have to set up an appointment. That’s fine. The earliest one I can get is at 4 this afternoon. That too is fine. I can hang around the mall for that long if it means getting my precious laptop and all her files back.

(I should add a sidenote here. When all this happened, I didn’t give a second thought to the condition I was in this morning. So I end up in a very upper class mall in a pair of running pants, an old college t-shirt (Berkeley is not a name brand around here) and a pair of flip flops. I have not showered. My hair is pulled back in a pony tail and I’m wearing no make-up. I look like trash in this neighborhood, so the hours I spent trying to blend in at the mall are excruciatingly painful.)

When my appointment arrives, I sit down and talk to the Mac Genius (not my term, theirs). He listens intently to the problem and just as he is about to boot up my computer, one of his colleagues stops him and intercepts the meeting. I re-explain the problem and his answer is simple. “Tilt the computer, place a fan behind it and wait.” I can do that. I know the waiting will be excruciating, but if it will help, I’ll do it. But then he finishes the statement. “Wait about two weeks. Then boot it up.”

I thought I was going to cry.

Mike explained to him (since I couldn’t find the words) that I’m in a PhD program and there is no way I can be without a computer for two weeks. So the nice genius explains that they have no way of seeing if there is liquid on the logic board without taking it apart. It may be a few days before they can do that. Then he excuses himself.

I’m still reeling over the fact that I won’t have access to my computer for two weeks when he emerges from the back room. He says that the guys in the back are willing to look at it today, but it may take half an hour. I comprehend the logic that half an hour may be an inconvenience for some, but I’m considering two weeks a much longer wait.

So I wait. While I’m waiting, I’m still trying to recall when the last time I backed up my computer was. I can’t remember doing it since the semester started. Now I know that a large number of my most recent and important files are scattered around in email and in various online course management sites. But then I start thinking about documents and files that I’m not sure if I’ve actually stored in an alternate location. I also start thinking about where exactly the disks are that have my previous semesters’ backup files on them. I can’t remember. I’m staring at external hard drives now.

Finally, the tech emerges with my laptop. He gives it a good bill of health and sends me on my way. I bought an external hard drive. I backed up my entire system before I even checked my email.

I am not intending this post to be a whining, complaining post. I want to make sure that each time you think (as I did just the other day) that you’ll do it tomorrow you remember to do it today. Back up your computer. I don’t care if you just do the files. I recommend an external hard drive, but any method is fine. I tell my students this all the time and I’ll share this story with them after the break. But for now, do yourself a favor and back up your material. Do it regularly. Pick a day and make it part of your routine. You never know when a freak accident may make you thank me.

This post written on my laptop. The cat is still alive. Apple Store Geniuses are my new heroes.

Between now and the end of February I will outline how I use Google on a regular basis, what I plan to do in order to March Away, and what I think I might learn. I haven’t the least desire to take part in flame wars about whether or not Google is turning evil or not. I actually don’t really have a strong opinion on the matter–although this experiment has been inspired in part by a conversation with Siva Vaidhyanathan, who has some very strong opinions. As far as I know, I don’t know anybody who works for (or even used to work for) Google, so I don’t have any sort of personal agenda or disclaimer at all. I am just curious to see what happens when one tries to exit Google.

I first spotted this around the end of February. Right before the “March Away” happened. I thought surely, this is a hoax. It is not. I am pleased to report that Andy has survived a full week away from Google. He has not caught fire, shriveled, or suffered any rare side effects. I support Andy in his experiment, but I have to question why a person with no strong say in the “Google is Evil” argument, would choose to see what life without Google is like.

For me, the idea of life without Google is a scary idea. In fact, I’m not sure how I did survive before I was given one of those early “exclusive” invites to Gmail. Now, I feel like Google is my own personal assistant. All of my mail filters through my Google accounts, my wedding blog is on Blogger, my calenders are all synced through Google, and anything else that could possibly need to get my hands on is through Google. I am also one of “those teachers” whose first question to a student asking a ridiculous question is “Did you G/google it?” (I still have not resolved this issue).

But this post is not about my life with Google or Andy’s life without Google. Instead, it’s about paying close attention to what Andy has to say in regards to life without Google over the next month. I’m not sure why anybody would just walk away from something like this without a good reason. So, over the next few weeks, I’ll be paying close attention to what Andy has to say and whether there is any merit to abandoning my personal assistant in lieu of reinventing the wheel.

Good luck, Andy!

I also know that there are going to be times that you’ll be looking for something on my site that I just don’t have. So, to remedy these, let me explain how I determine what goes in which category.

Hot Blog Topics

These posts come from bloggers that I am currently subscribed to in my Google Reader, but whose blogs are on very divergent topics. Sometimes these authors are right on target with what I’m thinking and feeling in my academic endeavors, but I have nothing else to add. In this case, I share the post. If I have something to add, you’ll see it in the new posts.

Blidgets of Interest

In this section, you’ll find members of my Blogroll who have taken the plunge and gotten a Blidget. This is my way of promoting a new technology that I think is brilliant by showing you the “Who’s Who” of my Blogroll. The “Who’s Who” may change or grow as time goes on, but they will always be on my Blogroll.

Blogroll

For a blog to make my Blogroll, they have to be substantial posters who I read on a regular basis for at least two months. To make the Blogroll, these bloggers are talking about topics of interest to this blog and my readers. (In other words, if they take a detour to talk politics between now and the election and fail to talk about teaching, rhetoric, or technology, they’re off the blogroll).

I’m starting an “Up-and-Coming Blogs” section of the blogroll for new teachers who are implementing new technologies in their classrooms and blogging about their successes and problems while doing so. these are the blogs that I read to give myself ideas for the “Hows and Whys” section as well as the upcoming “Troubleshooting” section of my blog. If you want to be added, let me know.

So yesterday I sat down with the prof that has, essentially, gotten me where I am today. Well, in addition to verbally approving my degree plan (with a few minor changes) we got to have a nice chat about my dissertation topic. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s rather broad. “I want to do something with First Year Composition and New Media” is not exactly a focused topic. But he’s all over the idea to the extent that he’s agreed (verbally) to be on my committee and made some recommendations for other committee members. Now, we think along the same lines, but he’s also given me several other rather good recommendations. He’s even agreed to help me get our department chair to approve a tenure track prof as my chair since our ideas align so well. (WOW!)

And as though that isn’t enough, my face to face students this semester seem right on target already (though I’m not holding my breath). I have a much smaller class (technically about 16 on the roster and only 8 showing up), so I have the opportunity to do a lot more class discussion and a lot less lecturing (which I love).

The classes I’m taking this semester are already seeming like hurdles. I know that Advanced Grammar is going to make me a better writer, but the Bakhtin/Dostoevsky class is going to be the one that monopolizes my reading time. Ah, but it feels like it’s going to be one interesting class.

Then there are the THREE conferences this semester. The local Federation Rhetoric Symposium is hosted at my university this semester, so it’s not too much long term preparation. We got our panel accepted to the Conference of College Teachers of English, so I need to put that together. Yet, the biggest bragging right so far is that Maggie and I were accepted to the National Pop Culture Conference in the Rhetoric and Pop Culture section. (YEAH!) I’ll keep you posted.

“new universe of discourse” and I, my friends, am standing at the front door to this universe.

It got better from there though (and I’ll add the disclaimer here that this is a definite bragging moment). I had lunch with some of the other presenters and the infamous (at least around my office) Doug Day from Longman Publishers (I’d link his blog here, but it’s not yet up and running ). I asked about his blog at lunch and the next thing I know I’m chatting up my own blog and presentation. I was SO glad I thought to bring along the handouts that I made for getting started with an FYC blog. I now have four other very interested people.

The presentation itself went very well. My audience included not only six of my own colleagues, but a slew of other interested people. The questions I was asked after the presentation were not condescending but of a tone from interested people. Who knows, this may be the beginning of something. I’m thinking dissertation topic….hmmmmmm. We’ll see.

I know this is amazingly brief, but I want to get a lot covered in a few other posts, so I’m going to sum it up here by saying I had a great time. As did Benedick (my fabulous chauffeur) who has now not only begun a blog, but posted about the conference. This is a must read; writer’s always see these conferences in ways that we rhetoricians never will.

So about now you’re thinking that these are all just badly worded pictures, right? And at about the same time, some small businesses around the country are blushing at their bad word choice, right?

Now, obviously, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the humor that emerges from the irony in these pictures. Anybody can do this. Take Emmalene, for example. She has done an excellent job of proving to us that the art of rhetoric is nurtured as early as high school. How so? Watch the video and see for yourself.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds5y28gZWcU]

So if a high schooler can analyze language well enough to do this video, what does that say about the rest of the world? Sure, you have to have internet access, but the wave of the future (and today) is the internet. Don’t believe me? Take a look at “The Machine is Us/ing Us” and its subsequent popularity:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE]

The video itself is a simplified explanation of Web 2.0. But as the video points out, Web 2.0 is our future. So lets rethink this idea that the only degree that should be considered is in Business. How many business courses teach Aristotle’s Rhetoric? How many teach the fine art of persuasion in multiple forms? While I have no problem with business degrees, they can never completely cover those things that all the other departments cover within their degree. I would wager that if the man with whom I was conversing the other day were to begin advertising for his business via a webpage, he would consult an advertising agency (who utilize the same concepts we rhetoricians use) so that he would not end up with the same problem as those pictured above. While I will not deny that capital is a wonderful tool to have when entering the “real world,” I hold true to the view that there is nothing in the world as powerful as language. Language, my friends, can be manipulated with the proper rhetoric to get a point across in a more effective way. So to my “business oriented” acquaintance, I hope that should you fail to realize the inherent power of words that your business would create an advertisement that ends up in my mailbox one day. Keep in mind that I’m starting my own collection of rhetorical bloopers in advertising.