Why Grammar Check Programs Frighten Me

When spell checkers first became available (yes, I remember that far back), I cringed. Spell checkers are convenient, but (as I feared) they have created a society of non-spellers. Who needs to worry about spelling when the spell checker will make corrections for you?

Now we are being bombarded by an advanced species of spell check—the grammar checker. Yes, my word document program has made grammar suggestions to me for years (well, until I turned off that annoying feature), but these new grammar checkers go way beyond what my document software can do.

And I don’t like it. At all.

My goal as a writing teacher is to teach students to think like writers—to make good rhetorical choices, to edit their work, to word their writing in a way that promotes effective communication. It has always been a challenge to convince students to care about such goals rather than to throw words on paper and be done with it.

And it just got harder.

One grammar checker I can purchase online claims it will make me a better writer. Really? By doing my work for me? This grammar checker might make me look like I’m a better writer, but it’s really just making me dependent on its services. 

Sound scary? It is. 

Proofreading programs fly in the face of what language arts teachers struggle every day to do: create writers who understand the art of writing--writers who think for themselves.

One available grammar checker has good intentions. It will explain errors to users in an effort to help them understand the errors and avoid making them again in the future. 

Yeah, most students are going to pay attention to that feature instead of just clicking “next.”

I showed a 15-year-old what a certain grammar checker can do. She said, “That would be great for proofreading, but it wouldn’t make me a better writer. It would make me lazy. I wouldn’t care about editing. I’d just slap something down and let the program do my work for me.”

That’s the attitude I want to engender in my classroom.

A 13-year-old said, “Isn’t that cheating?” Is it? If he runs a school essay through an advanced grammar check program, will his teacher grade him on his own merits or on those of the grammar checker?

The goal of the grammar checker is what? To create a society less able to check our own work? To exploit our weaknesses for monetary gain? To help us take the easy way out? Most students don’t seem to need help with that one.

Is there a place for these advanced grammar checkers? Maybe. I hate seeing published grammatical errors as much as anyone else does (okay, probably more). And I see plenty of them every day. So perhaps proofreading programs are beneficial in the world of business and publishing, where writers have already learned the rules (I hope) and just need a little back-up. 

But in the world of education, they are downright dangerous.

Connecting Grammar and Writing: Parallel Structure

In this post, we are continuing our series on strategies for helping students connect grammar and writing. This week's focus is parallel structure.

In order for students to understand parallel structure, it's important for them to see the parallel parts of a sentence. 

Start by compiling a list of non-parallel sentences from student essays and providing each student with a copy.  (Sentences from parallel structure worksheets will work also, but student-generated sentences are more authentic and usually more complex.) 

Give students the following list of “parallel structure signal words”:

• signal words for coordinate ideas: and, but, or, neither, nor
• signal words for comparison and contrast: than, as well as, as much as
• signal words for correlative constructions: neither/nor, either/or, not only/but also

 Have students circle or highlight these signal words in their sentences.  Then ask them to underline the elements that are being compared or connected.  (Color-coding helps, too.) Example:

Not Parallel: Creon is a hypocritical character who is more concerned with his reputation and power than making the right decision. 

Parallel: Creon is a hypocritical character who is more concerned with his reputation and power than with making the right decision.

Making these marks will help students to see the parts that are supposed to be parallel.  As a class, correct the sentences to make them parallel.  Point out that with correlative constructions, sentences can often be corrected simply by moving one of the signal word pairs.  Example:

Not Parallel: This symbolism not only shows the care Karla has for the relationship but also for its broken fragments. 

Parallel: This symbolism shows the care Karla has not only for the relationship but also for its broken fragments.

As an added challenge, you can ask students to diagram one of the “not parallel” sentences and its corresponding “parallel” sentence to help them visualize the structure.

Finally, have students look through their drafts of a current writing assignment and focus on parallel structure. They should follow the same process as in the practice exercise above so that they can correct problems with parallel structure or provide evidence that they don’t have such errors. This type of annotation will show you without question which students understand and which ones still need more practice.

Tune in next time for another specific strategy for connecting grammar and writing in your classroom!

(This strategy comes from Burnette Writing Process, available from DGP Publishing, Inc.)

GA DOE Statement on Grammar Warm-ups--What Do You Think?

I recently received the following email from a teacher in Georgia (and have posted it here with her permission). I'd love to hear your thoughts on either side!

Ms. Burnette,

I'm writing you today to share an e-mail I recently sent the GA DOE concerning its recent ELA Newsletter, which lambasted DGP and other daily grammar warm-ups as being out-of-date and old-fashioned. I've used DGP for years, and I've never found (in my teaching experience) anything that works better. See my e-mail below:

Ms. Waters,

I was very disappointed to see in the latest ELA newsletter the following lines:

"For example, the use of Daily Oral Language (DOL) or Daily Grammar Practice (DGP) does not support the CCGPS language standards. Grammar out of context is a thing of the past."

Students must have a basis for understanding grammar, its rules and language, before a teacher can assist with grammar within the context of writing. For example, it would be difficult for me to teach my high school students about the comma splices I see in their Beowulf essays if they couldn't identify an independent clause. Daily Oral Language, M.U.G. Shots, and Daily Grammar Practice give students a short, daily exposure to grammar that takes up less than five minutes of class time, while making sure they are versant in the basic concepts of grammar.  This they will need in order to understand the more intricate rules of our language and improve their writing.

My use of DGP does not indicate that I will bombard my students with grammar worksheets, nor will I spend two weeks covering the parts of speech, then two weeks on sentence parts--I recognize THIS style of grammar instruction to be outdated and out of context. However, a short, daily exposure to grammar basics (as DGP, MUG, and DOL offer) is a necessity for students to be able to apply more complicated concepts. As Mrs. Burnette states in her work,

"Daily Grammar Practice is a unique, highly successful, research-based approach to helping students understand, apply, and actually remember grammar concepts. The program is thorough and effective, yet surprisingly simple to implement. Daily Grammar Practice is not "fluffy," and it's not a "quick fix." It is a simple, logical process that actually moves grammar concepts to long-term memory so that students can apply the concepts to their writing."

Although the CCGPS does not support "grammar out of context," it does not explicitly deny teachers any one tool in their toolboxes for achieving the goal of grammar-in-context, either. As Ms. Burnette states in her introduction to DGP, such daily grammar warmups actually AID students in writing improvement.

I will continue to use DGP in my classroom, and I hope that the writers of the ELA Newsletter will keep in mind that ANY tool can be effective in the hands of a good teacher who knows how to use it to meet her students' needs.

Sincerely,

Micki Byrnes

The Simple Secret to Keeping Small Groups on Task

I am a huge fan of small group discussions. Small groups provide an opportunity for every student to contribute, and you can group the students according to your specific, differentiated goals for them.

I use small groups for discussing literature, for editing and other writing tasks, and for working on special projects. Small groups are valuable on so many levels--but only if the students are all on task!

Over the years, I have relied on one simple--yet amazingly effective--trick for keeping students focused while I'm working the room and visiting other groups.

Hand-held tape recorders.

Yep. Accountability in a little machine.

I have a set of hand-held tape recorders. Mine happen to use the old-fashioned, regulation-sized cassette tapes. You could also use small digital recording devices if you're more technologically inclined.

When it's time for the small group to start their task, they set the recorder in the middle of their group and push the "record" button. There are four simple rules:

1. The group may not stop the recording at any point during the discussion. (I know how much time was allotted, so their recording had better be that long. Do I actually time them all? No, but I can, and they know that.)

2. Each student must say his or her name into the recorder at the beginning. (This step helps me keep up with which voice is which if I go back and listen.)

3. I should hear a specific group only on that group's tape, not on any other group's tape. (This rule keeps them from getting too loud.)

4. Students may not discuss how wonderful their teacher is in an effort to garner extra credit. (I had to add that rule after the first taped discussions. You can figure out why.)

You can listen to the tapes on your daily commute (if you take a hand-held in the car with you or drive a really old car with a cassette deck), or while you're straightening up your classroom, or (my favorite) while you're standing at the copy machine. Talk about multi-tasking!

Sometimes I listen to all the tapes in their entirety. Sometimes I listen to a specific group's discussion. (You know which groups you need to check up on more carefully.) Sometimes I just listen to bits and pieces of different tapes.

Sometimes, I confess, I don't listen at all. But as long as the tape is running, my students know I CAN listen, and that's powerful.

Different types of group discussions have different purposes, but sometimes I need to assess the students on their participation. For example, let's say I offer five different novels for students to read. I then group the students based on the novels they have chosen (allowing us to discuss the reading even though different students are reading different books). But I want to be sure they're all keeping up with the reading and contributing to the discussion in a meaningful way. So, I listen to the tapes and grade the students accordingly.

Each of my tapes is numbered and lettered. For first period, I have 1A, 1B, 1C, etc. For second period, I have 2A, 2B, etc. Then I simply make a list of which students are in group 1A, 1B, etc. for a particular discussion. For the next discussion, we just record over the old ones. A-plus for recycling.


Big Brother is watching. Dr. T. J. Eckleburg is watching. And I'm watching thanks to my little hand-held tape recorders.

Connecting Grammar and Writing: Passive Voice

This week we will continue our series on strategies for helping students connect grammar and writing. This week's focus is passive voice. It's a long one, but passive voice is difficult for most students to grasp!

Write each of the following instructions on a separate index card:

Drop a pen on the floor.

Set a book on the desk.

Throw away a piece of paper.
Sharpen your pencil.

Next, ask for student volunteers. Give the first volunteer the first card. She should follow the directions on the card but not read the card out loud. Ask the class to create a sentence to describe the action that just took place. Students will probably say something like Courtney dropped her pen on the floor.

Write that sentence on the board or overhead and ask students to rewrite it so that pen is the subject. If students suggest The pen fell on the floor, point out that fell doesn’t accurately describe the action. Students should then come up with a sentence such as The pen was dropped by Courtney.

Ask students to make some observations about the two sentences. Most will say that the first one sounds better. They might also notice that the second one is longer. Explain that the second one is an example of passive voice because the subject is not active—it’s passively receiving the action.

Bring up the second volunteer and lead students to generate another pair of sentences such as  Kevin set the book on the desk. and The book was set on the desk by Kevin. This time ask students to establish a grammatical definition of passive voice by noting what the two passive examples have in common.

Students should realize that a “to be” verb followed by a past participle creates passive voice. When students are creating sentences for the third scenario, instruct them to use present tense verbs: Sydney throws away the paper. and The paper is thrown away by Sydney. This step helps students see that passive voice does not mean past tense. Just because the sentence contains a past participle doesn’t mean that the whole verb phrase is past tense!

After students create their fourth set of sentences, add the following sentence to the board: Matthew has sharpened the pencil. Many students will identify has sharpened as passive voice because of the helping verb has. Point out, however, that has is not a “to be” verb and therefore does not fulfill the grammatical definition that they have agreed upon. In addition, Matthew is active in the sentence. Finally, try The pencil has been sharpened by Matthew. Students should be able to correctly identify has been sharpened as passive voice.

Be sure to explain to students that passive voice, although stylistically inferior to active voice, is not grammatically incorrect. Although writers should avoid it in most situations, there are times when it is acceptable—or even preferable. For example, I was born in Texas would sound pretty silly as My mother bore me in Texas! Sometimes we need to emphasize the recipient of action rather than the instigator: Most “how to” books are written by adults. And sometimes we really don’t know who is responsible for an action (or we know but don’t want to tell): The jewels were stolen during the night.

Finally, have students look through their drafts of a current writing assignment and highlight all “to be” verbs. Then ask them to check each one to determine whether or not it is followed by a past participle. Once students identify passive voice in their assignments, they should rewrite those sentences. If they believe that a particular instance of passive voice is stylistically acceptable, they should be prepared to explain their reasoning. Invite a few students to share their before-and-after sentences.

When students turn in their next final drafts, they should highlight any intentional passive voice verbs they used and write a note in the margin explaining why they chose passive over active. This type of annotation will show you without question which students understand and which ones still need more practice.

Tune in next week for another specific strategy for connecting grammar and writing in your classroom!

(This strategy comes from Burnette Writing Process, available from DGP Publishing, Inc.)

Need a lesson for a specific area of writing? 

Leave your request as a comment, and we'll get right on it!

Connecting Grammar and Writing: Sentence Structure

This week we will continue our series on strategies for helping students connect grammar and writing. Last week we focused on descriptive writing. This week's focus is sentence structure.

Most students take very few risks with sentence structure. They write short, simple sentences with little variety--usually because they don't know how to incorporate variety, they are too lazy for serious revision, or they know that short sentences are safer from an error standpoint. (The less risk students take, the less chance they'll make a "mistake" and lose points. That makes me sad.)

So how do we get our students to step out of their sentence structure comfort zones and incorporate some real and meaningful variety?

Sentence combining. Old technique. New twist.

Give each student or group of students a different pair of related simple sentences. (Tip: Put pairs of sentences on index cards and laminate them. Then you can use them for years.) Here is a sample pair:

Jay will like that new shirt. 
Jay is always wearing stylish clothes.

Note: It's easier if the subjects are the same. For more of a challenge, go with something like this pair: Jay will like that shirt. Stylish clothes look good on Jay.

Next, give students a list of ways to combine their sentences. Your list will vary based on the level of your students, but here are eight samples (note the use of grammar terminology):

1. two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
2. one independent clause with a compound verb
3. an adverb dependent clause followed by an independent clause
4. a sentence with a nonessential adjective clause
5. a sentence with an introductory participial phrase
6. a sentence with a gerund or gerund phrase as the subject
7. a sentence with an introductory prepositional phrase
8. a sentence with an appositive

Students will compose a sentence for each of the combinations on your list. Here's what that looks like:

1. two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
 Jay will like that new shirt, for he always wears stylish clothes.
2. one independent clause with a compound verb
Jay always wears stylish clothes and will like that new shirt.
3. an adverb dependent clause followed by an independent clause
Since Jay likes stylish clothes, he will like that new shirt.
4. a sentence with a nonessential adjective clause
Jay, who always wears stylish clothes, will like that new shirt.
5. a sentence with an introductory participial phrase
Wearing his new shirt, Jay looks very stylish.
6. a sentence with a gerund or gerund phrase as the subject
Wearing that new shirt will make Jay happy since he likes stylish clothes.
7. a sentence with an introductory prepositional phrase
In his new shirt, Jay looks stylish.
8. a sentence with an appositive
Jay likes his new shirt, a very stylish one. 

Students have now practiced sentence revision, punctuation, and application of grammatical concepts. Allow them to discuss their results. Which structures do they prefer? Why? 

The next time students are revising a piece of writing, remind them of this activity. Challenge them to include AND LABEL three or four of these structures in their final drafts. When you read the papers, you will see more variety, and the annotations will show you the extent of each student's understanding.

Tune in next week for another specific strategy for connecting grammar and writing in your classroom!

(This strategy comes from DGP Plus: Building Stronger Writers, available from DGP Publishing, Inc.)

Need a lesson for a specific area of writing? 

Leave your request as a comment, and we'll get right on it!

Connecting Grammar and Writing: Descriptive Paragraphs

It's so exciting when students are working through their Daily Grammar Practice and the light bulbs come on! And it's even more exciting when they make connections between grammar and their own writing!

But what do you do if your students are having a little trouble making those connections? This is the first post in a series that will address this issue.

It's important to use the language of grammar when you teach writing lessons, and it helps tremendously if your students annotate their writing accordingly.

Suppose you have assigned a descriptive paragraph, and students have written their first drafts. Obviously, you don't want to see paragraphs merely cluttered with adjectives! Let's pull in some grammar.

As a group, brainstorm a list of ways to add description besides using adjectives. It might help to look at some good examples of descriptive writing. Include grammatical concepts as well as literary concepts if you'd like. Here's a sample list (your list will vary based on the age of your students):

specific verbs
specific nouns
adverbs
prepositional phrases
dependent clauses
appositives
participles/participial phrases
absolute phrases
onomatopoeia
similes
personification

Next, put students in small groups, and give each group some chart paper and markers. Show them an interesting picture. Here's one of my favorites:

On the board, write a very bland sentence about the picture. For example,

The bear held the fish.

Have each group embellish the sentence using the suggestions on the brainstorm list. When they have a descriptive sentence they are proud of, have them write it on their chart paper AND LABEL the descriptive elements. Share sentences with the class. Here's an example:

Finally, students should return to their own descriptive drafts. Challenge them to incorporate some of the descriptive elements they have just practiced. When they turn in their final drafts, require them to annotate their work by HIGHLIGHTING AND LABELING the elements they are proud of, just like they did in their group sentence.

Your students have now improved their writing by using their knowledge of grammar concepts. And they have demonstrated their understanding by annotating their work.

Tune in next week for another specific strategy for connecting grammar and writing in your classroom!

(This strategy comes from DGP Plus: Building Stronger Writers, available from DGP Publishing, Inc.)

Cultural Literacy Humor (Straight from the Minds of High School Freshmen)

To ensure that my students understand allusions (and can laugh at Far Side jokes), I’ve always required them to study cultural literacy.

We spend just a minute or two each day going over the day’s term. We discuss terms in categories such as Mythology/Folklore, Psychology/Sociology, World Religions, Idioms, Proverbs, Arts/Entertainment, Philosophy/World Literature, and Bible.

At the end of each category, I give a cultural literacy test. Usually, I have students draw six terms from a bucket and write everything they know about five of them. Over the years, I’ve kept a collection of funny responses. The ones below are all actual answers high school freshmen gave on the Bible category test.

By submitting the following answers, my students have taught me that spelling matters:

Job had lots of patients.

God tested Job to see if he was really fateful.

Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities full of since.

A snake came to Eve, but he was really Satin.

The Lamb of God was cursived for our sins.

Soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head and moked him.

By submitting these answers, my students have reminded me that it’s important to quote and attribute quotations accurately:

God said something like, “Here is my blood. Drink it.”

Jesus said, “An eye for an eye and a cheek for a cheek.”

With these answers, my students have proven that it’s important to know who your characters are:

Samson and Delilah were two brothers.

Sodom had very long hair.

Samson was a strong man, and Delilah was the giant he killed.

Cain and Abel taught us how to get along well with others.

Judas told the Punish Pilot where Jesus was.

The Beatitudes were the twelve disciples.

Finally, one student’s test answer even reminded me of the importance of verb tense:

Armageddon was the end of the world.

In next week’s blog, I’ll provide you with some of my cultural literacy lists and with details about how I implement them. For now, though, I hope you enjoyed some Cultural Literacy Humor!

Get Thee to a Conference!

Have you attended a professional conference lately?

NCTE, IRA, HSTW, AMLE, NAGC, NAIS, NAEP, ASCD, NBCT, ATEG . . . there are so many choices.

As a teacher and curriculum author, I have attended countless professional conferences in the past 25 years. 

Conference Benefits

Usually I return inspired, recharged, and informed. There's nothing like a conference to get me out of a rut--to help me see beyond the walls of my own classroom. (As an added bonus, I've enjoyed seeing some cities I probably wouldn't have visited otherwise!)

Professional growth is crucial for all educators. Taking graduate classes and working on my National Board Certification helped me become a better teacher by forcing me to evaluate my practices and by reminding me of what it means to be a learner. Conferences are a great way to enjoy similar experiences without the long-term commitment and expense!

Conference Sessions

I like attending practical sessions that motivate and prepare me to implement new strategies in my classroom. National conferences provide a wide range of valuable sessions. Although state conferences can't offer as many different choices, I've found that the sessions they do schedule are often more applicable and less theoretical.

If you've never presented at a conference, consider doing so. Professionals should want to share with other professionals. And your school system might be more willing to pay your conferences expenses if you present. 

While national conferences usually have earlier proposal deadlines and accept a smaller percentage of proposals, state conferences provide an easier (and less intimidating) avenue for becoming a presenter.

Conference Exhibits

I always discover quality, innovative resources while wandering through the conference exhibit hall. Yes, I can look at just about any educational resource online. I can even peek inside books and read reviews by other readers online. But in the exhibit hall I discover products I might have never known about otherwise. I also get to put my hands on the books and other classroom materials.

I like to speak to the representatives at the booths. Granted, their goal may be to sell me their products; but as experts on the materials they sell, they can also answer my questions. And I can peruse the products in their entirety and get a better feel for the overall philosophies of the companies. 

Exhibitors give away lots of free stuff, too!

Conference Networking

Often I make positive and meaningful connections with other professionals at conferences. I have maintained friendships with many of these educators over the years, and we enjoy reunions each time we find ourselves at the same conference again. 

In fact, at one recent conference, I reconnected with a former student who is now a teacher herself! Hearing about her classroom experiences inspired me and reminded me that, one way or another, we are all preparing each one to teach one. 

Conference Funding

School budgets are tight, and many teachers are experiencing pay cuts and furloughs. But if you haven't attended a professional conference lately (or ever), make every effort to do so. I recently met a teacher from Trinidad and Tobago who attends a national conference every ten years because that's how long it takes her to save up for the next one!

Don't want to wait ten years? Look for a less expensive state conference or even a national conference coming to a venue near you. Drive in each day to save on hotels, airfare, and food. Driving also allows you to haul home more freebies from the exhibit hall. I've brought back tables, desks, and more books and posters than I can count--just one more benefit of attending a conference!

Win This Shirt!

If you've ever visited DGP Publishing at a conference, you've probably seen this shirt. For a chance to win one, post a comment telling readers what YOUR favorite professional conference is and why!

By the way, DGP Publishing will be at NAGC, AMLE, and NCTE in November 2013. Please stop by and say hello!