"Oregon will allow students to use spell check on state writing tests in 2011"
The Oregonian
December 15, 2010
Summary:
Topic: Students can use spell check in Oregon state writing tests in 2011
This article says that it is the first time that Oregon allows students to use spell check in their writing tests. The legislators questioned whether research showed that was in the best interest of students, and whether the move could put Oregon students behind peers in other states. There are people agree and disagree. On one hand, state officials say the change is an opportunity to better assess students' writing skills and focus less on typos. But this is not for all kinds of students. For middle and high school kids, they can use the spell check. For fourth graders, they can't use the spell check, because elementary students are still learning the foundations of spelling. But those kids will have access to a dictionary or a hand-held electronic spellchecker. On the other hand, there are people disagree with the whole idea. At the end of the article, it says while students use spell check, they still need to know how to spell and use grammar successfully. Instead of giving students correct spellings, the system will provide several options for students to choose.
Intended audience: All the teachers, students and parents.
Key point: 1. Seeing a kid struggle with spelling on the test forces teachers to continue to work on spelling with that student, but not on writing skills.
2. Students must still know how to recognize a correct word and correct spelling. We are giving one additional tool to students to identify potential misspellings.
Relevance: Spelling is one of the most important skills that students must learn in writing. It is hard to use spell check correctly to help students improve both their spelling and writing skills.
I read this article and I must say that I come down firmly on the side of the opposition here. Effective communication through the written word is essential in order to be taken seriously out in the real world, and we cannot rely on the omnipotence of technology to save ourselves from our own laziness. To rely on technology so that we can, well, be dumber, really frustrates me.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, spell check is not reliable to find and fix mistakes that are not spelling related. "There" vs. "their," "lay" vs. "lie," "impotence" vs. "importance." Spelling is part of writing!
To lighten this up a bit, watch this hilarious bit of slam poetry on the topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ&feature=related
Jeff, I agree with you! Although I am an ESOL, sometimes the spell check really helps me to correct my spelling, it will point out that my spelling for "travell" is wrong and give me "travel". There are lots of other examples related to British spelling and American spelling. It's hard to balance how to use it correctly in developing writing skills.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, I also came down firmly on the side of opposition. After giving the subject additional thought, I am more torn on the matter.
ReplyDeleteI agree that learning how to spell is an important part of becoming an effective writer. However, as we all know, spell check does not replace careful proofreading. I loved the bit of slam poetry on the subject! That video just goes to show that spell checker is far from being a replacement to learning the correct usage and spelling of words. Spell check is a tool that is available to us in the professional and academic world. Even as I type this comment, typos can be caught by the embedded spell checker.
On the other hand, I keep going back to the idea that spelling is a vital skill, the value of which should not be diminished. In the end, I think the solution of providing students with a dictionary serves both purposes. If a student is unsure of a spelling, the answer can be looked up for clarification, but students wouldn't be permitted to rely on technology in order to become dumber, as Jeff is concerned.
Jessica, I like your comment. It is very reasonable. But can students really use the spell check as well as we expect them to? As long as they use the spell check too often, they will rely on it. Their brain will become lazy to think about the spelling of a complicated word, because the spell check is always there for them. When a paper-based test comes, lots of them might forget many spellings. I think both spelling and writing should be focused, but it is hard.
ReplyDeleteYinyin is spot on- Spell check is a great tool (I use it all the time!) and I think it's important to show students how it can help them.
ReplyDeleteThe line becomes blurry very quickly as soon as students are no longer proofreading and examining work because the assumption is that spell check will correct everything. Keep in midn Jeff's comment, that spell check is often not able to pick up on certain word confusions such as there and their, nor will it help with sentence structures.
Spelling/ writing is something all students need to master, but spell check should be a tool, not a shortcut.
I agree with Tristin. It should be a tool, not a shortcut.
ReplyDelete