10-second review: Gore Vidal suggests that students substitute “good words” for obscenities like those in The Catcher in the Rye. A good way to neutralize them.
Title: “Holden Caulfield Is Alive and Well and Still Causing Trouble.” RL Page. English Journal (May 1975), 27-31. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary/Quote: “…Vidal’s solution: eliminate all ‘bad’ or ‘dirty’ words, and replace ‘the missing bad words with some very good words indeed: the names of the Justices who concurred in the Court’s majority decision. Burger, Rehnquist, Powell, Whizzer White and Blackmun fill, as it were, the breach….’ I believe [Vidal continues] that these substitutions are not only socially edifying and redemptive but tend to revitalize a language gone stale and inexact from too much burgering around with meaning.” p. 31.
“Pretty soon he’ll be telling me to get my blackmun out of here. I guess I will.”
Comment: I’m still laughing. What a great idea. Should also help keep the discussion clean. RayS.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Secondary School Topic: The Relevance of Literature
10-second review: Why do we teach literature in the age of science and technology?
Title: “English Literature: The Enemy Within.” Adrian Peetoom. English Journal (May 1975), 10-11. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary/Quotes: “What is so beautiful about scientific knowledge is that it works. Just look around you. The impressive achievements of technology are not due to literary knowledge, of that, we can be sure.”
“Literature places people before choices about truth.” [That, my friend is an ambiguous sentence. RayS.]
“Literature is the opus of artists, and artists seldom build—they break apart the card houses of false notions and easy answers….”
“Literature divides man against man, for if it is good literature it expresses…that people are forever choosing new gods, new hopes, new anchors in life.”
“To be really confronted with literature is to be confronted with choices.”
“Literature dis-unites people. And literature slows down production of a higher standard of life. That is why literature is dangerous in schools in North America.”
Comment: In other words, literature puts people first. Literature slows the scientific, technological and affluent world down. How does literature compare to the productivity of business? Business downsizes. Business puts people dead last when it comes to a choice between people and profit. I would be very much interested in my readers’ answer to the question, “Why teach literature? Why read literature—in a scientific and technological world?” RayS.
Title: “English Literature: The Enemy Within.” Adrian Peetoom. English Journal (May 1975), 10-11. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary/Quotes: “What is so beautiful about scientific knowledge is that it works. Just look around you. The impressive achievements of technology are not due to literary knowledge, of that, we can be sure.”
“Literature places people before choices about truth.” [That, my friend is an ambiguous sentence. RayS.]
“Literature is the opus of artists, and artists seldom build—they break apart the card houses of false notions and easy answers….”
“Literature divides man against man, for if it is good literature it expresses…that people are forever choosing new gods, new hopes, new anchors in life.”
“To be really confronted with literature is to be confronted with choices.”
“Literature dis-unites people. And literature slows down production of a higher standard of life. That is why literature is dangerous in schools in North America.”
Comment: In other words, literature puts people first. Literature slows the scientific, technological and affluent world down. How does literature compare to the productivity of business? Business downsizes. Business puts people dead last when it comes to a choice between people and profit. I would be very much interested in my readers’ answer to the question, “Why teach literature? Why read literature—in a scientific and technological world?” RayS.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
K-12 Topic: The Challenge of Censorship
10-second review: A vivid retelling of the 1974 Kanawha County, West Virginia, book banning case that led to bombings of school buildings.
Title: "What Happened in Kanawha County.” Lester I. Faigley. English Journal (May 1975), 7-9. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Begun in1970 with a local protest against sex education, exacerbated by outside right-wing extremist groups, well organized and funded, the book banning in Kanawha County led to the vandalism of school property, bombing of three elementary schools, and the dynamiting of the [school] board office building. Some of the literary works challenged: Catch 22, Plato’s Republic, Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, The Deerslayer, Moby Dick, Old Man and the Sea, Animal Farm, The Good Earth.
The author concludes with this challenge: “The time has come for educators to deal with the motives underlying censorship and to anticipate problems before emotion rules out rational solutions.” p. 9.
Comment: While banning books and censorship are not national concerns in 2009, they will be again, some time in the future, GUARANTEED. No strategy for dealing with censorship is ever a certain solution. Still the NCTE’s recommendations of questionnaires completed by book challengers and committees to discuss the challenges are sound ways to take care of the problem after the challenge is made.
Still, one other action needs to be taken to, perhaps, forestall well-intended challengers from setting in motion an emotional firestorm—rationales completed by English and other teachers for books that are required to be read in class.
Following are the NCTE criteria to be considered when preparing to teach a required book in class. Note that I did not say “required controversial book,” since any book can be censored by anyone and probably will be.
A brief summary of the book.
Objectives in reading the book.
Brief description of the controversial parts of the book.
Appropriate grade and maturity level of the students who will be reading the book.
A detailed plot summary.
Values of the book to the students who read it.
Literary qualities of the book.
Summary of the reviews of the book.
Teaching methods to be used in reading the book.
Assignments to be completed by the students while reading the book.
Possible objections to the book.
Professional educators’ opinions about the values of reading the book.
As a supervisor, I never set in motion this process of making sure that teachers know why they are teaching the required book. One more mistake I made in my career. RayS.
Title: "What Happened in Kanawha County.” Lester I. Faigley. English Journal (May 1975), 7-9. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Begun in1970 with a local protest against sex education, exacerbated by outside right-wing extremist groups, well organized and funded, the book banning in Kanawha County led to the vandalism of school property, bombing of three elementary schools, and the dynamiting of the [school] board office building. Some of the literary works challenged: Catch 22, Plato’s Republic, Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, The Deerslayer, Moby Dick, Old Man and the Sea, Animal Farm, The Good Earth.
The author concludes with this challenge: “The time has come for educators to deal with the motives underlying censorship and to anticipate problems before emotion rules out rational solutions.” p. 9.
Comment: While banning books and censorship are not national concerns in 2009, they will be again, some time in the future, GUARANTEED. No strategy for dealing with censorship is ever a certain solution. Still the NCTE’s recommendations of questionnaires completed by book challengers and committees to discuss the challenges are sound ways to take care of the problem after the challenge is made.
Still, one other action needs to be taken to, perhaps, forestall well-intended challengers from setting in motion an emotional firestorm—rationales completed by English and other teachers for books that are required to be read in class.
Following are the NCTE criteria to be considered when preparing to teach a required book in class. Note that I did not say “required controversial book,” since any book can be censored by anyone and probably will be.
A brief summary of the book.
Objectives in reading the book.
Brief description of the controversial parts of the book.
Appropriate grade and maturity level of the students who will be reading the book.
A detailed plot summary.
Values of the book to the students who read it.
Literary qualities of the book.
Summary of the reviews of the book.
Teaching methods to be used in reading the book.
Assignments to be completed by the students while reading the book.
Possible objections to the book.
Professional educators’ opinions about the values of reading the book.
As a supervisor, I never set in motion this process of making sure that teachers know why they are teaching the required book. One more mistake I made in my career. RayS.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Secondary School Topic: Evaluating Creative Writing
10-second review: What characteristics can you evaluate in creative writing?
Title: “Evaluating Creative Writing: A Different Ball Game.” Ken Kantor. English Journal (April 1975), 72-74. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Divergent thinking and convergent thinking. Convergent thinking has a pre-determined answer. Divergent thinking searches for a range of possible solutions. JP Guilford. Following are some characteristics that teachers can identify in their students' creative writing.
Playfulness and fantasy. Willing to create own reality.
Risk-taking and skepticism. Resist pressure to conform and take the risk of adopting an independent or unique stance.
Openness to experience. Original, concrete details.
Effective surprise.
Symbolic expression: metaphor and symbol.
Comment: Useful way of thinking about how to deal with creative writing. Identify one or several characteristics of creativity. RayS.
Title: “Evaluating Creative Writing: A Different Ball Game.” Ken Kantor. English Journal (April 1975), 72-74. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Divergent thinking and convergent thinking. Convergent thinking has a pre-determined answer. Divergent thinking searches for a range of possible solutions. JP Guilford. Following are some characteristics that teachers can identify in their students' creative writing.
Playfulness and fantasy. Willing to create own reality.
Risk-taking and skepticism. Resist pressure to conform and take the risk of adopting an independent or unique stance.
Openness to experience. Original, concrete details.
Effective surprise.
Symbolic expression: metaphor and symbol.
Comment: Useful way of thinking about how to deal with creative writing. Identify one or several characteristics of creativity. RayS.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Secondary School Topic: Writing Assignment
10-second review: Students select a picture from a folder. Then they choose a particular type of writing to write about the picture.
Title: “A Visual Approach to Writing.” N. Fahner. English Journal (April 1975), 71. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Types of writing include fables, myths, biographies, character sketches, directions, recipes, poetry, drama, want ads, questionnaires, dialogues, interviews.
Comment: Students have a chance to explore writing something different from the 5-paragraph essay. Don’t forget to tell students how to write these types of writing. Could be the beginning of a unit on how to write specialized types of writing. Use models to help students learn how to write them. RayS.
Title: “A Visual Approach to Writing.” N. Fahner. English Journal (April 1975), 71. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Types of writing include fables, myths, biographies, character sketches, directions, recipes, poetry, drama, want ads, questionnaires, dialogues, interviews.
Comment: Students have a chance to explore writing something different from the 5-paragraph essay. Don’t forget to tell students how to write these types of writing. Could be the beginning of a unit on how to write specialized types of writing. Use models to help students learn how to write them. RayS.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Secondary School Topic: Two Approaches to Teaching Style
10-second review: Deductive and inductive teaching.
Title: “Instruction in Style.” RL Graves. College Composition and Communication (May 1974), 186-190. Quoted in English Journal (April 1975), p. 70. Both are publications of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Deductive. Give the name of the stylistic feature (alliteration). Then give three examples from published material. Define the stylistic feature. Students write their own examples. They look for other examples in their reading.
Inductive. Give three sentences with the stylistic feature (alliteration). Ask students what they see in common in the three sentences. Students then label the stylistic feature and define it. Write their own examples. Look for examples in their own reading.
Comment: Two basic approaches to teaching. RayS.
Title: “Instruction in Style.” RL Graves. College Composition and Communication (May 1974), 186-190. Quoted in English Journal (April 1975), p. 70. Both are publications of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Deductive. Give the name of the stylistic feature (alliteration). Then give three examples from published material. Define the stylistic feature. Students write their own examples. They look for other examples in their reading.
Inductive. Give three sentences with the stylistic feature (alliteration). Ask students what they see in common in the three sentences. Students then label the stylistic feature and define it. Write their own examples. Look for examples in their own reading.
Comment: Two basic approaches to teaching. RayS.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Topic: Speaking and Interviewing.
10-second review: A three-part article taken from my book, Teaching English, How To…., (Xlibris, 2004) consisting of my approach to teaching formal speech, engaging in small-group activities and responding to interview questions, especially job interviews.
Title: “How Can Teachers Help Students Overcome Their Fear of Speaking in Public?” Teaching English, How To…. Raymond Stopper. Xlibris, 2004. pp. 297-305.
Interviewing is the art of asking questions that elicit responses and, on the other hand, learning how to make those responses, as in an employment interview. Training in interviewing begins when guest speakers are invited to the classroom. Students should prepare questions for the speaker. Students from grades 5 to 12 can practice interviewing each other in preparation for a class booklet that introduces each student—an activity to use early in the school year and one that helps the class to become a “community.
Older students can also watch interview shows on TV like Larry King Live and analyze the types of questions. By the way, when asked about how to conduct interviews, King had this advice: Keep the questions short, be a good listener and keep yourself out of it, meaning do not become involved in long speeches about your point of view and then pretend that they are questions. (King, however, as your students will note, does not always follow his own advice.)
Any unit on employment interviews should begin with the Internet. Type into the Google Search Engine the words “Employment Interview” and you will find 14,000,000 Web sites dealing with employment interviews.
Some of the interview questions I found on these sites are as follows:
1. Do you remember what attracted you to the ad for this position?
2. Tell me a brief history of your background and experience.
3. What are the key responsibilities for ………. position?
4. How do you use your time?
5. When have you been the most satisfied with your job?
6. Give me an example of when you’ve done more than your job required.
7. Do you have any questions? (Among suggested answers: “What is the best thing about working here?” “Why is the position open?” “Is there a job description?”)
8. Tell me about the most difficult assignment you had in your last job.
9. Why did you leave your last position?
10. Tell me about when you had to adjust to change.
11. What do you think are the key qualities for ………. position?
12. Tell me about a time you had a confrontation with a co-worker.
14. What is your past experience in ………. position?
15. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
16. In what way can you contribute to our company?
17. Tell me about a time you tried and failed.
18. What are some things you find difficult?
19. What are your short-and long-term goals?
20. What can you add that would make us want to hire you?
21. What do you know about our company?
22. What motivates you?
23. You have an employee who starts coming in late. How will you handle this situation?
24. How confident are you that you can perform successfully the duties of this position and why?
25. Tell us about a situation that would show ………
Recently the Wall Street Journal suggested that a “trap” question is “What is your greatest weakness?” The column gives one helpful piece of advice—always tell how you overcome the weakness.
Three helpful Web sites are “Monster.com,” “Job-Interview.net” and “Jobnext.com.”
Many of the Web sites give suggested answers to employment interview questions. They discuss the purpose of the question and the suggested purpose of the answer.
You could give students the project of identifying the top ten Web sites for helping people prepare for job interviews. You could assign a paper on how to prepare for a job interview with possible questions and answers.
These last eight blogs on the subject of preparing to speak with confidence were taken from a chapter I wrote in my book, Teaching English, How To….. RayS..
Title: “How Can Teachers Help Students Overcome Their Fear of Speaking in Public?” Teaching English, How To…. Raymond Stopper. Xlibris, 2004. pp. 297-305.
Interviewing is the art of asking questions that elicit responses and, on the other hand, learning how to make those responses, as in an employment interview. Training in interviewing begins when guest speakers are invited to the classroom. Students should prepare questions for the speaker. Students from grades 5 to 12 can practice interviewing each other in preparation for a class booklet that introduces each student—an activity to use early in the school year and one that helps the class to become a “community.
Older students can also watch interview shows on TV like Larry King Live and analyze the types of questions. By the way, when asked about how to conduct interviews, King had this advice: Keep the questions short, be a good listener and keep yourself out of it, meaning do not become involved in long speeches about your point of view and then pretend that they are questions. (King, however, as your students will note, does not always follow his own advice.)
Any unit on employment interviews should begin with the Internet. Type into the Google Search Engine the words “Employment Interview” and you will find 14,000,000 Web sites dealing with employment interviews.
Some of the interview questions I found on these sites are as follows:
1. Do you remember what attracted you to the ad for this position?
2. Tell me a brief history of your background and experience.
3. What are the key responsibilities for ………. position?
4. How do you use your time?
5. When have you been the most satisfied with your job?
6. Give me an example of when you’ve done more than your job required.
7. Do you have any questions? (Among suggested answers: “What is the best thing about working here?” “Why is the position open?” “Is there a job description?”)
8. Tell me about the most difficult assignment you had in your last job.
9. Why did you leave your last position?
10. Tell me about when you had to adjust to change.
11. What do you think are the key qualities for ………. position?
12. Tell me about a time you had a confrontation with a co-worker.
14. What is your past experience in ………. position?
15. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
16. In what way can you contribute to our company?
17. Tell me about a time you tried and failed.
18. What are some things you find difficult?
19. What are your short-and long-term goals?
20. What can you add that would make us want to hire you?
21. What do you know about our company?
22. What motivates you?
23. You have an employee who starts coming in late. How will you handle this situation?
24. How confident are you that you can perform successfully the duties of this position and why?
25. Tell us about a situation that would show ………
Recently the Wall Street Journal suggested that a “trap” question is “What is your greatest weakness?” The column gives one helpful piece of advice—always tell how you overcome the weakness.
Three helpful Web sites are “Monster.com,” “Job-Interview.net” and “Jobnext.com.”
Many of the Web sites give suggested answers to employment interview questions. They discuss the purpose of the question and the suggested purpose of the answer.
You could give students the project of identifying the top ten Web sites for helping people prepare for job interviews. You could assign a paper on how to prepare for a job interview with possible questions and answers.
These last eight blogs on the subject of preparing to speak with confidence were taken from a chapter I wrote in my book, Teaching English, How To….. RayS..
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