The March 12 SAT will ask students to respond to a prompt and in just 25 minutes create a logical argument supported with evidence.
I participated in a similar test when I took the GRE last summer. My assessment: It will really shock some of our students because they have not been asked to much like this in classes. That's not a problem. We can prepare them by adding similar situations -- in prompt, test format and assessment -- in our classes. And, I don't think we'll sacrifice anything by "teaching to the test."
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3 comments:
Since you are an English teacher, I'm curious about your thoughts on the importance of teaching grammar in school. It seems like the schools today spend a lot of time on classic literature while ignoring the principles of language. Judging from my personal experience, the ability to speak and write properly and formally is far more useful in everyday life than in-depth knowledge on the works of Charles Dickens. It has been 25 years since I graduated from high school, and I have long since forgotton the themes of "A Tale of Two Cities." However, I apply my knowledge of grammar every time I speak or write. Your thoughts?
Response to post about the value of language instruction over literature study:
Every English teacher has his or her own attitude and philosophy toward the curriculum. I tend to emphasize writing instruction, including grammar and usage, a bit more because that is a focus of the journalistic writing courses I teach. I also believe that most of the writing we assign to students in high school should be expository -- nonfiction explanatory or persuasive writing. To me, writing and communication are what define language arts, not just reading or knowing the rules of grammar.
That said, I don't think we should abandon the study of literature. The best way to learn to write is to read great writing. Furthermore, studying strong works of literature help us understand expression and ideas and allow us to share an experience as humans with a culture. Perhaps we should consider reassessing which pieces of literature we use in our classrooms and broaden our definition of what makes a good piece for study. There's more to English than Charles Dickens, that's for sure.
-- Wenatchee, Wash.
i compleetly agree with you too. gramar is vary impotant to becumming gooder speekers and righters. i hated reeding books in skool and cant sea any point in it. i never reed now. it sucks.
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