The Evils of the Computer

I must concur with Tim McGee and Patricia Ericsson that the Grammar Checker is the devil. I cannot stand the 'handy-dandy' grammar checker (although, I cannot say the same about spell checker). I am the traditional teacher who does take precious instructional time to teach proper grammar practices and skills. I do this for two reasons: 1) our students must take a state ACT assessment which, through their performance on the test, determines and shows the world what kind of education our students are receiving, and 2) they need to know the best way to organize and write what they are thinking. The kids hate me for it, but by the end of the year, they know most of the rules that matter (punctuation, subject/verb agreement, confusing adjectives, verb forms, and sentence structure). My belief is that if you understand how something works, then you are that much more independent and self-reliant; you do not need to depend on anyone or anything to tell you if you are right or wrong.

There is no definite answer in writing. Math and the sciences usually have the black and white answers; English is covered in grey. Concerning grammar in my classroom, I always tell my students that 99% of the time the rule will apply; but there will be that 1% to contradict the rule. I teach them to find the best answer, not necessarily the correct answer. My job is to create independent thinkers, readers, and writers. They need to make choices and stand by their choice. No computer program can do that for them.

This all applies to "The Politics of the Program" in the sense that the students have a choice to use the grammar checker when composing their papers on the computer with the understanding that there are flaws in the artificial intelligence program. I actually take the time to have my students play with the program using grammar in a very unconventional way. They type phrases and clauses that may be grammatically acceptable, but the computer says it is wrong;and they type phrases and clauses that are completely incorrect, and the computer ignores them. This is the first step of the learning independence process (there's that process word again). Once they learn to rely on their own instincts, then they can focus more on what they are saying instead of writing; the grammatical distractions magically disappear.

MS Word is a corporation that is worth billions and continues to grow; it is a business and is going to advertise and appeal to an audience who wants instant gratification. That is where teachers are going to find the battle with students - learning vs. instant gratification. I understand that technology is inevitable in our classrooms (five computers per room), and I plan to embrace that technology. I will know the technology and use the technology, but I will also continue to teach students that it is not reliable; what they learn, know, and understand is reliable. McGee and Ericsson seem to be saying the same thing.