Every once in a while I check my stats - usually for a good laugh at how people find my site via google. This week Anita Rowland decided to highlight my site on hers... maybe it was a really slow newsweek around her place. One of the blurbs she posted apparently hit a nerve among several communities, resulting in a huge rush to my site and then a run back to their own forums to discuss.
It is always more than a little interesting to see what people will say about each other behind the confines of the computer screen. I was a little upset by the comment that my rule of at least 5 sentences per paragraph (actually, just body paragraphs) contributes to "bloated academic writing." I had just taken a drink of my coffee and nearly spit out all over the keyboard laughing! I don't think anything written by the violaters of this rule would be considered academic, unless one defines this term as anything written within the confines of a classroom. There ought to be laugh warnings or something for readers.
Seriously, I would just like to read a paragraph that was not comprised of only a marathon topic sentence. My focus isn't how the students will write academic papers in college one day - I'm focused on how they will graduate from high school; how they will answer questions on a job application; how they will be write up an accident report on the job one day so that they aren't fired or sued.
I will admit to not always getting this across to my students, which may be readily apparent. I am in no way a perfect teacher. There are a lot of days wherein I feel I'm a horrible teacher... but I believe that all of us (myself and the students) are improving every day. It's the best that I can offer.
It is always more than a little interesting to see what people will say about each other behind the confines of the computer screen. I was a little upset by the comment that my rule of at least 5 sentences per paragraph (actually, just body paragraphs) contributes to "bloated academic writing." I had just taken a drink of my coffee and nearly spit out all over the keyboard laughing! I don't think anything written by the violaters of this rule would be considered academic, unless one defines this term as anything written within the confines of a classroom. There ought to be laugh warnings or something for readers.
Seriously, I would just like to read a paragraph that was not comprised of only a marathon topic sentence. My focus isn't how the students will write academic papers in college one day - I'm focused on how they will graduate from high school; how they will answer questions on a job application; how they will be write up an accident report on the job one day so that they aren't fired or sued.
I will admit to not always getting this across to my students, which may be readily apparent. I am in no way a perfect teacher. There are a lot of days wherein I feel I'm a horrible teacher... but I believe that all of us (myself and the students) are improving every day. It's the best that I can offer.
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