A rant about high school English classes:

[hedgehog]

I understand all about alternative learning styles and the current trend to reach out to all kids. But my daughter's class just finished reading the Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird. The kids were required to complete a project on each novel and to select from among making a comic book version, a soundtrack , a mobile, etc. The one project that is missing? Anything involving writing an actual essay or book report!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Meh.

I'd presume that the students have or will have plenty of opportunity to write essays on other subjects.

Sounds like the teacher's wanting to explore something alternative.

[mtnester]

2. They still teach that in high school?

I wondered about that...

sarcasm oh sweet sarcasm...


I read things kids of a certain age write, and cringe.

[supernova]

3. Well, the comic book version comes close

and could potentially be even more challenging that writing a theme paper.

To write a comic book, you would have to:

Be able to recognize the major points of character development, dialogue, and plot points.

Illustrate all the above in a limited number of panels.

[Reverend_Smitty]

4. I think it's alright to do something a little more creative every so often

I would tweak the assignment a little bit if I were the teacher, for some of the options like the soundtrack I would require the student to do a little write-up explaining why she picked the songs that she did. This way you let the student be creative, use a little critical thinking and still have a little writing element to the assignment.

[yellowcanine]

5. Well for my money, book reports are over rated. I think a well designed set of study questions

and class discussions of the book accomplishes more.

[hedgehog]

7. I picked up my daughter and her project partner at school and they're

upstairs writing trivia questions about To Kill a Mockingbird. They say they had time for the project, but were busy with silly things like AP courses and a science presentation.

I like the idea of study questions myself. For example, my nephew said he didn't "get" the novel becaue it was set in another time and place. How about a question on the universal themes? My daughter mentioned a recent trial in Massachusetts that tracked the trial in Mockingbird. How about a discussion of whether it was written by Capote or Harper Lee, and whether that would make a difference?

[LeftyMom]

6. Some of the teachers can't write one. Really.

My kid sister is just about finished training to be a high school English teacher. She gets good grades at a decent university and can't write a coherent essay, even with a very simple format like the five paragraph essay. So far none of her instructors seem concerned about her (lack of) writing skills, and we're talking maybe junior high school level writing- very disorganized, frequent grammatical errors, a lot of rambling.

I've been waiting since high school for one of her instructors to read something she writes and shit a brick, but they all keep telling her she's doing a great job, and I have no idea why. She's not learning disabled, she's a native English speaker, and she's bright enough that if somebody showed her what she needs to do (plan out her points and break them down into paragraphs) she could learn without much effort. The disservice to her is bad enough, but when coupled with the harm to future students it's quite frightening.

[citizen snips]

8. not to mention the lack of grammar instruction

In my four years of high school I did not learn any grammar.

[hedgehog]

9. Now, the project meant to enhance their understanding has them

upstairs making little Sculpy figures.

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. Did the project have a rubric?

If so, can you post it?

[triguy46]

11. In our local HS...

You can graduate with honors and not have to do a single research report. Writing is apparently optional.

[lightningandsnow]

12. Weird.

I'm in a lot of gifted/AP courses, but still... basically all I've done in high school is write essay after essay. I've done a few oral presentations, but at my school, it's almost all essays.