Blog 7

Dean's article describes the limited ways we tend to approach grammar and writing in schools. Formulaic sentence patterns, fill-in-the-blank word choices, "circle the nouns," and period/comma-centric focus tend to be repeated as the grammar norm, even in more "progressive" classrooms. For example, Dean describes how they switched up their English classroom by incorporating computer lab activities. Despite the technological change, the essentials of the activity were the same. They give us some questions that, while typically asked by teachers for classroom discussions, are not the most effective or productive use of their time. A simple change Dean employed in their own work was introducing key grammar terms or concepts only as the students encountered them in their own work, or in open discussion of readings. Dean advocates for English classrooms to be more focused on language use and language options in the world--shifting perspectives.

For my final portfolio, my philosophy cover letter will contain these main points:

• grammar should be used to strengthen our communication (verbal or written)
• expressing student voice
• allows the audience to understand the tone or emotion behind the writing
• arbitrary grammar terms and rules aren't helpful for communication
• experimentation should be encouraged
• Grammar Alive goals A, B, and C in relation to these points and examples in my portfolio
• grammar should be a tool of expression

Pattern of the week: bullet points as a list

[I can't figure out how to put a bullet point within a bracket, so "BULLET POINT expressing student voice." in this case, I am using a list to summarize main points and an outline of my thoughts. I used bullet points to convey that these points don't need to be in any specific order (as opposed to using a numbered list), and that they are all equally important.]

Blog 5

I read and am responding to Geneva Smitherman's first chapter of Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America. The first thing I noticed in the reading was where Smitherman said that a black writer named Claude Brown referred to black english as "the language of soul" while a white writer named Norman Mailer referred to it as "the language of hip." It seemed like an interesting contrast to me in that the black author saw it as organic and genuine, and the white author seemed to think it was used to be trendy and cool. They directly contradict each other, and it seems to highlight the misperceptions of white professors and writers. The chapter relates to our Tea Party activity because we read an excerpt on Geneva Smitherman--specifically, the way she is combining black speech patterns with academic language. This spoke out to me because I love the idea of changing what is considered "academic" or "professional" speech, to allow a less racist implementation of language in schools. I appreciated the breakdown of some West African speech patterns and the way black english follows them, since it's a good example of the fact that language varieties aside from SAE have legitimate patterns and are just as valid. A challenge I might face with this concept is figuring out a way to balance academic and professional success with embracing home language varieties. Since I know that my students will be unfairly judged based on language, I want to help them develop their academic Standard Edited American English tools, without negating the importance of using their own language varieties and speaking styles. My own identity doesn't really intersect in that I don't have a different language variety specifically, aside from trends in social media slang. I have always used Standard English, and although my parents aren't the best with Edited Academic English, I grew up constantly reading, which gave me an innate sense for grammar and the basics of this English type. Because of this, I know that I need to continue to work on understanding the importance of and implementation of supporting other language types in the classroom--I simply got lucky in an inherently rigged system of language. I want my research topic to help explain why the idea of SEAE is unfair and linked closely with racial discrimination. From there, I'd hope that I can help broaden my audience's view of what makes language "academic," "correct," and "professional."

Pattern of the week: exclamations
We knew that these "new Negroes" (as they were often described in Colonial America) did not jump fresh off the boat doing the Bump and speaking White English! [exclamative to engage the reader and emphasize points, often with some pointed humor that also comments on the racism and forced assimilation of African Americans]. (Smitherman, 5).


5b)

Talkin' and Testifyin'
The Bilingual Advantage
Bridging the Gap

Blog #4

Suresh Canagarajah's The Place of World Englishes in Composition in the section “The Implications of Globalizing English” discusses some major points of the way English Language varieties. Canagarajah explains how a change in pedagogy--to globalized English--could benefit diverse language varieties in academic settings [an aside within two em dashes. It is an aside because the addition is not a complete clause on its own. Thus, it is not just a dependent clause in the midst of an independent clause. Here it is giving a clear name to the idea being explained. It is not crucial, but is something I wanted to add in. Thus, it is an aside]. Metropolitan Englishes (in the U.S., Australia, England, etc) are typically focused on as the "Standard" Englishes. He further explains that many other "minor" Englishes, such as Indian English, Nigerian English, and Trinidadian English have speakers who were raised speaking english, studying it in schools, and speaking it fluently for their whole lives. However, based on the typical rule of Metropolitan Englishes being the "correct" Englishes, those exceedingly proficient speakers would be considered nonnative. Furthermore, since communication forms are frequently based online and through technology, it is even more controversial to categorize students as native or nonnative speakers of English, since their performance in class can differ greatly from their English abilities online or in the written format.

One excellent realization Canagarajah led me to have is that, although teachers might have students read works written in World Englishes (a "minor" variety instead of "standard" English), the students will then have to do an analytical essay on the work--in a standard, academic Metropolitan English. It is important for me to consider this when I am forming lessons and deciding on student projects and major assignments. One way I could incorporate this thought process is by asking students to choose the variety of English that best suits their personal project, and with which they are most comfortable. Instead of requiring standard academic essays, I could ask students to use the most appropriate language variety or format depending on their home languages and on the text which is provoking the assignment.

Blog post 3

In the article "Sudden Possibilities," Crovitz explains some reasonings behind typical misunderstandings of idioms and sayings. I agreed with their point regarding "error analysis"--we shouldn't just assume that someone is incorrect because they replace words in a saying with phonetically similar words. I feel this way because (as the article explains), there's usually a logical sequence of thoughts behind the phrase and the substituted words. Regardless of whether the original meaning is retained, there is still thought behind the new saying. On top of that, the student is applying the saying to a situation where they have discerned that it is appropriate. Thus, the point of sayings and idioms is still being accomplished; an often-used phrase is being applied to a fitting situation. As for DOL, it is very obviously harmful to effective and healthy english education if we make students sit and identify solely what is "wrong" with text--especially in a situation where another student could write or speak that way. They are essentially being told by their teacher and classmates that they are wrong and that everyone but them seems to get the "right way." This will further alienate any students who follow different grammar rules based on language varieties at home, and any students whose thought processes lead them to different outcomes than the traditional grammar rules of Standard American English (as emphasized by the "eggcorn" examples).

My DOL alternative had the objective of combining sentences to promote more sophisticated sentence structures. The stem sentences given were:

a. The lawyer was in the courtroom.

b. The lawyer turned.

c. The turning movement was sudden.

d. The lawyer pointed at the defendant,

e. The lawyer shouted while pointing.

f. The lawyer shouted that "this man is a murderer!"

Our lesson plan is to provide some examples of compound sentences and ask students what they notice about the sentences (similarities, characteristics, function, etc.) and guide them to discussing that they are independent clauses joined together. After that, we will briefly share ideas of why you might combine sentences (rhetorical or narrative purposes, etc.)

Following the class discussion, we will provide the sentence stems and let students work for 5 minutes or more (depending on time allowance for the lesson) combining the stems into compound sentences. We will ask students to share some they wrote down.

As a class, we will then collect examples of the stem sentences being combined with various punctuation options (em dashes, semicolons, parenthetical asides, etc.)

We will discuss the effect of the various punctuation options.

As a bonus challenge at the end, we will ask students to somehow combine all of the stem sentences into one monster story of a sentence, and share them with the class.

Pattern of the week: Combine all of the stem sentences into one monster story of a sentence, and share them with the class [two independent clauses which caused me to FANBOY aka I joined them with the coordinating conjunction ",and" to form a compound sentence. Almost like I was writing a lesson on joining sentences. Ha, ha.]

Pattern of the week 2: . . .form a compound sentence. Almost like I was writing a lesson on joining sentences [rhetorical sentence fragment, boldly written and with sass heavily implied. However, it didn't begin with a coordinating conjunction, so I'm not sure it entirely counts as a pattern of the week. If not, refer back to Pattern 1. Thank you.]

Blog posts 1&2

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

#2

In Christensen's article, she discusses the way teachers often subject students to harsh criticisms and systematic disadvantages based on their assumed "inadequacy" as a result of their SES (Socioeconomis status). For example, her teacher made her stand in front of the class and pronounce words in her "incorrect" way, as compared to the pronunciation of a girl in a higher economic class (Christensen, 100). Christensen discusses the desire of teachers to provide students with a handle on Standard Edited English for career and academic purposes, and the harmful ways in which that desire manifests. In chapter 1 of Grammar Alive, three goals are discussed—of which, Goals B and C are most relevant to my interpretation of the Christensen article [use of an em dash to emphasize the importance of Goals B and C, and to highlight that I might focus on these goals in the sentences following]. Using culturally responsive teaching (attempting to understand and incorporate students' backgrounds and communities in their education to avoid unfair assumptions and exclusion) is very important to me as a future teacher. Goal B explains that there are different varieties of writing and English language that are appropriate for different contexts, instead of only academic, Edited English being the only correct form. This reflects the huge variety of uses for the English language, and emphasizes that it's illogical to only force SAE on students, as they use colloquial and informal communication more often. Goal C urges the reader to reflect on students' cultures and language varieties and to view them as valid and correct. Respecting the rules for grammar and language in their varieties is important because it validates the student's identity, and encourages other students to respect each other as well—if teachers refuse to acknowledge the rules of grammar that students follow in their home languages, they will never get recognized for their efforts, and a major part of their identity will be dismissed or deemed incorrect [em dash used to emphasize the latter part of the sentence].


I chose to experiment with em dashes in this piece in order to emphasize my main points. Persuasive writing seems more powerful when em dashes are used, and I always feel uncertain about my own use. For some reason, it always feels incorrect when I try to place them in my writing, since the rules have always seemed unclear to me.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Blog Post #1 self-assessment

This semester, I would like to focus on two main goals– one practical and the other more creative. The goals are: to build confidence in my use of commas, as I tend to go overboard and thus perpetually doubt my comma placement, and to explore creative options for punctuation such as colons, semicolons, and em dashes.

When I write, I tend to overuse commas. In fact, I may even be doing so right now, in this post. Truly, it is hard to tell. If anyone reading this can help me structure my sentences around punctuation other than commas, then by all means, help me! All jokes aside, I do actually want to branch out from my comfort zone and experiment with some new syntax. Aside from the more tongue-in-cheek examples of repetitive comma usage, another comes to mind. When emailing regarding a lost package, I struggled to keep the tone somewhere between friendly and formal. I ended up getting so nervous about my commas that I created an awkwardly long sentence with pauses in the wrong places: "I have two packages that I thought never arrived, but I was finally able to get info on them and it turns out they arrived a couple days earlier than predicted, before I had filled out the mailbox slip with my name." Though I didn't reconstruct the sentence before sending the email, I caught it when I was compelled by typo anxiety to read through again.

Stylistically, I'd like to work on my informal writing skills. My years of AP English classes and Standard English-focused education has led me to develop my formal and academic writing skills, but neglected my creative and more expressive skill development. My first genuine creative writing piece was assigned last year for my Queer Literature Studies class, in a fictionalized biographical paper. By challenging myself, I designed some impactful sentences wherein I got to use punctuation that I don't frequently get to use in academic writing. An example: "Consider this: a twelve year old girl. Any face, any name– the serials don't matter. She is riding home from a family potluck, a small and anticipatory dessert box in her lap." In the first few sentences of my piece, I used several punctuation types. It allowed me to hit the main bullet points of scene-setting that I needed to open my story. It also lent an air of impatience, I think, to have so many short and pointed sentences. I would love to experiment more with informal or unusual uses of grammar and punctuation, in order to build on my emotional tones in my creative writing.