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Monthly Archives: September 2013
Deciding on a direction
“Say what you are going to say, say it, and finally say what you have said.” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this rule for organizing the written word repeated in the educational realm. But rules are meant … Continue reading
The speed signs for writing
The way we string together words and the type of words we use contribute to the “pace” of writing. Longer sentences with a plethora of subordinated clauses provide an intellectual sound to the writing. The reader takes more time to … Continue reading
Order matters how?
While diction determines word choice, syntax determines where the words are placed. Language without syntax are words strung together with no method to the madness–in other words, nonsense. Our normal syntax mimics what we have heard before. Unique syntax requires mixing … Continue reading
Posted in Style and voice, Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Sentence (linguistics), Star Wars, Syntax, Writer's voice
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Tone of voice
Tone of voice… you have probably heard this phrase used frequently, such as in “I don’t like your tone of voice.” As a child I often assumed that phrase was the adults’ way of reprimanding someone whose statement was not … Continue reading
Write or wrong word
Diction is one of the building blocks of voice that pushed far enough can become a two-edged sword, making the written word dangerously inaccessible to readers. When teaching Shakespeare’s plays to students I frequently pointed out that it was not … Continue reading
Voice, deconstructed
Voice in writing can be best defined by breaking it down into its components. But the problem remains that voice is comprised of different things, depending on who you ask. According to the Texas TAKS writing rubric, voice is demonstrated … Continue reading
The writer’s voice
When people speak they produce many different signals that the audience can interpret: facial expressions, gestures, and timbre of voice can add to the meaning of the words, or reverse them. For example, a person saying “Good job!” in a … Continue reading
Posted in Style and voice, Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Creative writing, Voice, Writers Resources
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Write about writing
When students face the task of writing for state mandated tests, there are always a few that want to vent their spleen by describing how much they hate to do this kind of writing. The hapless scorer must read through … Continue reading
The reason for writing
Because of the glaring short comings of multiple choice question as an indicator of persons ability to evaluate or synthesize idea, the written essay has become a staple of state-mandated educational tests. Writing does take a lot more planning of … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Alan Paton, Essay, state assessments, Writers Resources, Writing
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The higher level gamble
The attempt to create “higher level” multiple choice questions does not always result in valid assessment. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if this kind of close-ended, limited choice question can even legitimately test anything beyond a simple analysis. In … Continue reading
Posted in Education trends, Standardized testing
Tagged Bloom's Taxonomy, Multiple choice, Skill, Tests
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