I still don't see the point in the assignment. Regardless of what it is, it should have some educational value. You say it is to force the students to pay attention to the writing process, but that's just plain ridiculous. All they're going to do is open up their friendly neighborhood word processor, get roughly 130-150 words, and switch around the wording in one or a few sentences. If you're a high school teacher, I'd say you're an egomaniac. College intro, annoying. Anything beyond that, surely you can come up with something more worth your students' time and money. As for real world applications, when's the last time you had an exact word count amount (i.e. 27, 644, or 1,248 ) in order to post on a message board? Write a term paper? A letter to the editor? An article? A book? No. Absolutely not. They will not pay attention to the writing process. They will not pay attention to proper presentation of an argument. They will not be paying attention to fleshing out a thesis. They will not be paying attention to intro/body/conclusion form. They'll just think, "Hmm, how can I say these two sentences in X amount of words so I can be done with this and hand it in."
Seriously...make them use 137 UNIQUE words. I think it would be a much more valuable lesson to them. It would reveal to them how few words we really do use and force them to expand their linguistic horizons.
Seriously...make them use 137 UNIQUE words. I think it would be a much more valuable lesson to them. It would reveal to them how few words we really do use and force them to expand their linguistic horizons.
It could work, but articles would have to be allowed. I just went through an exercise with my students today where I had them get rid of all but two "to be" verbs on the first couple of pages of their essays. It gets rid of a great deal of rough constructions like "Thoreay is trying to say..." and whatnot.
I was thinking of something along the lines of a contest to see how few total words it takes to come up with a composition containing 137 unique words.
I was thinking of something along the lines of a contest to see how few total words it takes to come up with a composition containing 137 unique words.
If you like that sort of thing, you should check out the novel Void, which was written without using the letter "e."
137 word essay is neither cruel, pointless nor unreasonable. 13,700 words might be a different story. Or, making them memorize a 137 word oral presentation... but 137 word essay -- when you think about it -- is NOT that hard to do.
Just write 150 words or so, and go back and make a few of the sentences more succinct until you hit 137. Anyone who sincerely takes pity for a student, because they have to stop and think a little bit when writing a short essay, is probably the same kind of person who supports giving credit for partially correct math problems. "It's OK Johnny, 6x8 is not 47, but you tried so hard and came so close, we'll give you credit anyway".
Crap like that drives me up a wall. We have become so soft as a nation in some respects that it truly scares me. What are these "I got an A for effort" kids going to be like when they're running the country's businesses and governments? Is solving their problems "half way" going to be good enough for them because that's what all these touchy-feely moronic teachers have been spoon-feeding them all their life?
Ugh!
"It's not OK Johnny... and it's not going to BE OK, until you correctly ascertain that 6x8 is 48. That 16 + 16 + 16 is also 48. ...And that e [does NOT equal] mc³. ...And Pocahontas was NOT famous because of the movie. Bring your homework to me when you're done, Johnny, and we'll talk...."
Crap like that drives me up a wall. We have become so soft as a nation in some respects that it truly scares me. What are these "I got an A for effort" kids going to be like when they're running the country's businesses and governments? Is solving their problems "half way" going to be good enough for them because that's what all these touchy-feely moronic teachers have been spoon-feeding them all their life?
You have no idea how difficult or traumatic confronting this is, both for teachers and students. Some students have grown so accustomed to not working that they express outright resentment and hostility towards anyone who attempts to make them work. It?s a bizarre position for a student at a university to take, in the end. It doesn't help that students often feel entitled to a B for simply showing up. Nor does help that they'll complain if they don't get it. It also doesn't help that their parents will complain if the student's complains don't get anywhere. It also also doesn't help that they'll threaten litigation.
Just look at that school in KS where the entire class plagiarized on their work and the school board overturned the teacher's grades. She resigned her job in protest.
It also doesn't help that their parents will complain if the student's complains don't get anywhere. It also also doesn't help that they'll threaten litigation.
My Department chair has an interesting approach to dealing with parents - he simply refuses to talk to them. He says their child is an adult now, and he even uses a line about how federal privacy laws prevent him from discussing those matters (not sure if that's true though). Parents say "but I'm paying the tuition" and he just says that's their choice, but that's between you and your son/daughter, not me. Man, it ticks them off, but he's right.
Midwinter, have you ever read "Generation X goes to college."
Parents say "but I'm paying the tuition" and he just says that's their choice, but that's between you and your son/daughter, not me. Man, it ticks them off, but he's right.
As I said above, this is the mantra of the consumer-based model of education, which renders students "customers" of a product we "sell." The result is that, as the saying goes, there exists the notion that "the customer is always right." Why else should it matter who's paying the tuition?
Quote:
Midwinter, have you ever read "Generation X goes to college."
Me too. I'm not kidding about what I said either. We have an entire *generation* of kids who feel it is their right to be rewarded "for just showing up" as midwinter noted. Sooner or later that weakness will reveal itself on a wide scale, as these under-educated, over-sheltered babies start running the show. Fall of the Roman Empire indeed. How will they ever correct the problem if they themselves don't eventually recognize its root cause? How will they raise their kids??
I think this country needs to adopt a more Japanese-like primary education system (though not completely like it as that would be a mistake in the opposite direction). It could do nothing but help a generation of over-sensitive, under-thinking kids understand what real work and education is about. That "rigorous curriculum" is not the enemy....
By the way . . . it is a great idea, and will be fun for the students. They'll have to edit and/or stretch out sentences while maintaining sense and also some sort of interest.
Sooner or later that weakness will reveal itself on a wide scale, as these under-educated, over-sheltered babies start running the show.
I'd say that it's already started.
And that's not meant as a political swipe.
I?ve noticed it in the general attitude in businesses. At my job we have one employee who seems to think that being asked to take on any more responsibility without a pay raise (which nobody is getting) is some sort of personal insult. When I take the bus to work, I thank the driver when getting off. I get a response only about 30% of the time. I?ve stood behind people in line at the airport who are pitching fits because they?ve been waiting in line and demanding that they are upgraded to first class, while yelling for a supervisor. People need a reality check; sometimes I want to ask if other people are still real to them after they leave the room.
I?ve stood behind people in line at the airport who are pitching fits because they?ve been waiting in line and demanding that they are upgraded to first class, while yelling for a supervisor.
And those supervisors who really know their customer service will know when the customer REALLY has been wronged. That employee will then offer a compensation or upgrade without having it demanded of them.
But to stay on topic, I think most of todays kids are being taught by their greedy parents to demand as much for as little effort as possible. Heck, look at the people on the internet and THIS VERY FORUM who complain about having to pay for software upgrades, music downloads, or any other service or product. These same people probably expect to not have to do projects where they write a 137-word essay (which is really not asking much). They expect to get partial credit for a COMPLETELY WRONG math problem, or they get disappointed because they only get a "B" on a paper because 1 word is spelled wrong.
Face it folks, life ain't all tea and cakes. The people in this world who have been so successful have gotten there through hard work and determination. Why should we care about your success if you aren't willing to care about it? Midwinter asked for 137 words from his students...and that was taking it easy on them.
Kids these days! Why in my day, in addition to having to manufacture our own pencils and notebooks for class, we had to write 237 words... EVERY WEEK!
Seriously, the kids are f-cked up if you ask me. There's a difference between being a bit rebelious and lazy (like all kids of all generations have been at times), and being so spoiled and lazy as to demand things in pubilc from your parents (to name one example). Or being so sheltered as to think the teacher is there to "serve you" or otherwise make your life as easy as possible.
It almost borders on delusion, they're so out of touch with reality.
its a good idea, but i think students (i'm one myself) need to be able to break loose sometimes and just be creative. while making them write 137 words forces them to carefully choose their words, why not let them write about something they enjoy, with absolutley no parameters other than basic grammar stuff. i know you cant do that all the type, but i like being able to be "to the point." if i want to type a lot to express my point, then so be it, but if i can express that view in a few words or something, then that should be acceptable too.
its a good idea, but i think students (i'm one myself) need to be able to break loose sometimes and just be creative. while making them write 137 words forces them to carefully choose their words, why not let them write about something they enjoy, with absolutley no parameters other than basic grammar stuff. i know you cant do that all the type, but i like being able to be "to the point." if i want to type a lot to express my point, then so be it, but if i can express that view in a few words or something, then that should be acceptable too.
have a field day with my lack of capital letters
Very quickly. Tone not meant to be snippy:
That's all they've every been asked to do, for the most part. In addition, it pre-supposes that this should all be "fun," which it isn't. Writing is often difficult.
Comments
Originally posted by midwinter
212 words.
Seriously...make them use 137 UNIQUE words. I think it would be a much more valuable lesson to them. It would reveal to them how few words we really do use and force them to expand their linguistic horizons.
Originally posted by BR
Seriously...make them use 137 UNIQUE words. I think it would be a much more valuable lesson to them. It would reveal to them how few words we really do use and force them to expand their linguistic horizons.
It could work, but articles would have to be allowed. I just went through an exercise with my students today where I had them get rid of all but two "to be" verbs on the first couple of pages of their essays. It gets rid of a great deal of rough constructions like "Thoreay is trying to say..." and whatnot.
Cheers
Scott
Originally posted by BR
I was thinking of something along the lines of a contest to see how few total words it takes to come up with a composition containing 137 unique words.
If you like that sort of thing, you should check out the novel Void, which was written without using the letter "e."
Cheers
Scott
Just write 150 words or so, and go back and make a few of the sentences more succinct until you hit 137. Anyone who sincerely takes pity for a student, because they have to stop and think a little bit when writing a short essay, is probably the same kind of person who supports giving credit for partially correct math problems. "It's OK Johnny, 6x8 is not 47, but you tried so hard and came so close, we'll give you credit anyway".
Crap like that drives me up a wall. We have become so soft as a nation in some respects that it truly scares me. What are these "I got an A for effort" kids going to be like when they're running the country's businesses and governments? Is solving their problems "half way" going to be good enough for them because that's what all these touchy-feely moronic teachers have been spoon-feeding them all their life?
Ugh!
"It's not OK Johnny... and it's not going to BE OK, until you correctly ascertain that 6x8 is 48. That 16 + 16 + 16 is also 48. ...And that e [does NOT equal] mc³. ...And Pocahontas was NOT famous because of the movie. Bring your homework to me when you're done, Johnny, and we'll talk...."
Originally posted by Moogs
Crap like that drives me up a wall. We have become so soft as a nation in some respects that it truly scares me. What are these "I got an A for effort" kids going to be like when they're running the country's businesses and governments? Is solving their problems "half way" going to be good enough for them because that's what all these touchy-feely moronic teachers have been spoon-feeding them all their life?
You have no idea how difficult or traumatic confronting this is, both for teachers and students. Some students have grown so accustomed to not working that they express outright resentment and hostility towards anyone who attempts to make them work. It?s a bizarre position for a student at a university to take, in the end. It doesn't help that students often feel entitled to a B for simply showing up. Nor does help that they'll complain if they don't get it. It also doesn't help that their parents will complain if the student's complains don't get anywhere. It also also doesn't help that they'll threaten litigation.
Just look at that school in KS where the entire class plagiarized on their work and the school board overturned the teacher's grades. She resigned her job in protest.
Cheers
Scott
Originally posted by midwinter
It also doesn't help that their parents will complain if the student's complains don't get anywhere. It also also doesn't help that they'll threaten litigation.
My Department chair has an interesting approach to dealing with parents - he simply refuses to talk to them. He says their child is an adult now, and he even uses a line about how federal privacy laws prevent him from discussing those matters (not sure if that's true though). Parents say "but I'm paying the tuition" and he just says that's their choice, but that's between you and your son/daughter, not me. Man, it ticks them off, but he's right.
Midwinter, have you ever read "Generation X goes to college."
Originally posted by BRussell
Parents say "but I'm paying the tuition" and he just says that's their choice, but that's between you and your son/daughter, not me. Man, it ticks them off, but he's right.
As I said above, this is the mantra of the consumer-based model of education, which renders students "customers" of a product we "sell." The result is that, as the saying goes, there exists the notion that "the customer is always right." Why else should it matter who's paying the tuition?
Midwinter, have you ever read "Generation X goes to college."
I have not! But I think I need to.
Cheers
Scott
I think this country needs to adopt a more Japanese-like primary education system (though not completely like it as that would be a mistake in the opposite direction). It could do nothing but help a generation of over-sensitive, under-thinking kids understand what real work and education is about. That "rigorous curriculum" is not the enemy....
Originally posted by Ganondorf
really, I wasn't aware that a guy invented fire.
Well, not invented so much as gave it to us mortals . . . his name was Prometheus
Originally posted by Moogs
Sooner or later that weakness will reveal itself on a wide scale, as these under-educated, over-sheltered babies start running the show.
I'd say that it's already started.
And that's not meant as a political swipe.
I?ve noticed it in the general attitude in businesses. At my job we have one employee who seems to think that being asked to take on any more responsibility without a pay raise (which nobody is getting) is some sort of personal insult. When I take the bus to work, I thank the driver when getting off. I get a response only about 30% of the time. I?ve stood behind people in line at the airport who are pitching fits because they?ve been waiting in line and demanding that they are upgraded to first class, while yelling for a supervisor. People need a reality check; sometimes I want to ask if other people are still real to them after they leave the room.
Originally posted by tmp
I?ve stood behind people in line at the airport who are pitching fits because they?ve been waiting in line and demanding that they are upgraded to first class, while yelling for a supervisor.
And those supervisors who really know their customer service will know when the customer REALLY has been wronged. That employee will then offer a compensation or upgrade without having it demanded of them.
But to stay on topic, I think most of todays kids are being taught by their greedy parents to demand as much for as little effort as possible. Heck, look at the people on the internet and THIS VERY FORUM who complain about having to pay for software upgrades, music downloads, or any other service or product. These same people probably expect to not have to do projects where they write a 137-word essay (which is really not asking much). They expect to get partial credit for a COMPLETELY WRONG math problem, or they get disappointed because they only get a "B" on a paper because 1 word is spelled wrong.
Face it folks, life ain't all tea and cakes. The people in this world who have been so successful have gotten there through hard work and determination. Why should we care about your success if you aren't willing to care about it? Midwinter asked for 137 words from his students...and that was taking it easy on them.
(CosmoNut carefully steps down from the soap box)
Kids these days! Why in my day, in addition to having to manufacture our own pencils and notebooks for class, we had to write 237 words... EVERY WEEK!
Seriously, the kids are f-cked up if you ask me. There's a difference between being a bit rebelious and lazy (like all kids of all generations have been at times), and being so spoiled and lazy as to demand things in pubilc from your parents (to name one example). Or being so sheltered as to think the teacher is there to "serve you" or otherwise make your life as easy as possible.
It almost borders on delusion, they're so out of touch with reality.
have a field day with my lack of capital letters
Originally posted by ipodandimac
its a good idea, but i think students (i'm one myself) need to be able to break loose sometimes and just be creative. while making them write 137 words forces them to carefully choose their words, why not let them write about something they enjoy, with absolutley no parameters other than basic grammar stuff. i know you cant do that all the type, but i like being able to be "to the point." if i want to type a lot to express my point, then so be it, but if i can express that view in a few words or something, then that should be acceptable too.
have a field day with my lack of capital letters
Very quickly. Tone not meant to be snippy:
That's all they've every been asked to do, for the most part. In addition, it pre-supposes that this should all be "fun," which it isn't. Writing is often difficult.