I love this. A creator can get just as much joy (and frustration) in the process compared to the finished product. Watching how someone problem-solves to get there would be very rewarding to the teacher.
You have very clearly expressed what teaching and learning should be about. Clear, understandable communication and the ability to support one's position without the "page" in front of them. I find that even these substack comments sections are designed to not let us respond in the way we might prefer. There are times when I, and no doubt others, write a comment like this one. Usually immediately after reading the essay. Then as soon as we hit the Post button, it gets posted. We ofte;n may re-read what we wrote and, lo, there is that sentence or phrase that didn't quite hit the mark we aimed for. Then we are stuck. We cannot simply hit an edit button and fix the error. we must reply to ourselves with the correction which is not really a big deal but the original error is still there, staring readers in the eye and many do not look at the "self reply' and see the correction or explanation. I suspect that has something to do with the AI being involved in creating some form of "click count", more replies creates better numbers. It is just frustrating to not be able to edit our errors without having to actually re-write the explanation of the error rather than just change the word. Proof reading is great but often we do not actually see the mistake or even a false statement until we have put it out to the world.
I read a book this week on writing called Shifting the Sails. It was good. She recommends we read aloud as part of the editing process. Even that though isn’t fool proof because the brain fills in words we miss! lol
I was once accused of cheating on a Social Studies essay in Grade Seven. I had spent time downtown at the main branch of the library to borrow books. I poured my heart and soul into that project. Isn't this what assignments are supposed to do: teach children how to learn for themselves and how to do research?
My teacher didn't accuse me directly. She went to my parents, who had seen all the effort I made. No, they told her, my father's secretary did not write the essay for me. My father didn't have a secretary. When the time came a few weeks later to go on a field trip related to the assignment, I argued with my parents that I didn't want to go. I told my teacher that my father wouldn't be driving, as was the custom at the time. This meant the field trip would be cancelled, with insufficient parent driver/chaperones. My father showed up. I really didn't want to go. I wanted my dad to stay home. That's why we argued. If she could sabotage me, the only power I had was resistance.
I never got an apology from my teacher. Why did she think I was too stupid to do my own work? Why didn't she talk to me before she went to my parents with her false accusation? I don't know.
Later on, the school guidance counsellor refused to sign off on my high school Senior Matriculation course choices, telling me that girls are supposed to be secretaries. My parents told me about that, too. They visited the principal. I went into the academic stream. My junior high teachers didn't believe in me. Why the running theme involving secretaries, who were apparently smart enough to write essays that no child could write, but not smart enough for academic classes? I guess secretaries were the AI of that era. ;) Evil geniuses!
I love this. A creator can get just as much joy (and frustration) in the process compared to the finished product. Watching how someone problem-solves to get there would be very rewarding to the teacher.
You have very clearly expressed what teaching and learning should be about. Clear, understandable communication and the ability to support one's position without the "page" in front of them. I find that even these substack comments sections are designed to not let us respond in the way we might prefer. There are times when I, and no doubt others, write a comment like this one. Usually immediately after reading the essay. Then as soon as we hit the Post button, it gets posted. We ofte;n may re-read what we wrote and, lo, there is that sentence or phrase that didn't quite hit the mark we aimed for. Then we are stuck. We cannot simply hit an edit button and fix the error. we must reply to ourselves with the correction which is not really a big deal but the original error is still there, staring readers in the eye and many do not look at the "self reply' and see the correction or explanation. I suspect that has something to do with the AI being involved in creating some form of "click count", more replies creates better numbers. It is just frustrating to not be able to edit our errors without having to actually re-write the explanation of the error rather than just change the word. Proof reading is great but often we do not actually see the mistake or even a false statement until we have put it out to the world.
I read a book this week on writing called Shifting the Sails. It was good. She recommends we read aloud as part of the editing process. Even that though isn’t fool proof because the brain fills in words we miss! lol
I was once accused of cheating on a Social Studies essay in Grade Seven. I had spent time downtown at the main branch of the library to borrow books. I poured my heart and soul into that project. Isn't this what assignments are supposed to do: teach children how to learn for themselves and how to do research?
My teacher didn't accuse me directly. She went to my parents, who had seen all the effort I made. No, they told her, my father's secretary did not write the essay for me. My father didn't have a secretary. When the time came a few weeks later to go on a field trip related to the assignment, I argued with my parents that I didn't want to go. I told my teacher that my father wouldn't be driving, as was the custom at the time. This meant the field trip would be cancelled, with insufficient parent driver/chaperones. My father showed up. I really didn't want to go. I wanted my dad to stay home. That's why we argued. If she could sabotage me, the only power I had was resistance.
I never got an apology from my teacher. Why did she think I was too stupid to do my own work? Why didn't she talk to me before she went to my parents with her false accusation? I don't know.
Later on, the school guidance counsellor refused to sign off on my high school Senior Matriculation course choices, telling me that girls are supposed to be secretaries. My parents told me about that, too. They visited the principal. I went into the academic stream. My junior high teachers didn't believe in me. Why the running theme involving secretaries, who were apparently smart enough to write essays that no child could write, but not smart enough for academic classes? I guess secretaries were the AI of that era. ;) Evil geniuses!
Wow!