Regarding unions: California's teachers *can* opt out of the union and get about $400 of their $900 rebated to them. Info can be found at the web site of the California Teachers Empowerment Network, ctenhome.org.

And thank you for including my post, even though I submitted it 3 minutes late! Minus five for tardy?
Darren | Homepage | 12.13.06 - 9:53 am | #

Thanks for including my post in your very "educative" carnival
I think with the world becoming one big global village, life's experiences have become more common, rather than region specific. Despite having been raised and educated (mostly) in India, I can relate to almost every post included in this carnival.
Kudos !
Lakshmi | Homepage | 12.13.06 - 12:06 pm | #

Regarding the teaching of grammar, I don't think it should be outlawed, but it should be noted that the value of teaching grammar is one of the most researched subjects in education and the findings have shown overwhelmingly that the study of grammar does not improve students' speaking or writing (and does not result in more correct or error-free speaking or writing). The most recent review of the research was conducted in the U.K. The largest research review to date, it concludes, "We now know that there is no high quality evidence that teaching of traditional grammar or syntax (or the direct teaching of formal or generative/transformational grammars) is effective with regard to writing development. Having established that much, we can now go on to research what is effective, and to ask clearer and more pertinent questions about what works in the development of young peoples literacy." The entire study can be found here: http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/EPPIWeb/ ho...ix_abstract.htm
Another good review is George Hillocks' landmark review of the research, "Research on Written Composition," which arrives at the same conclusion: the teaching of grammar does not improves students' writing.
Jody | 12.13.06 - 12:33 pm | #

Great collection for this week's carnival. Thanks for your work putting it altogether...and thanks for including me.
Carol | Homepage | 12.13.06 - 1:27 pm | #

Your usual excellent job. Thanks for including me.
Mamacita | Homepage | 12.13.06 - 6:25 pm | #

I suppose a good method to improve usage, since teaching and practicing rules is not effective, would be to construct a time machine, go back and ensure that kids spend more time absorbing the conventions of written English through reading.

As for the students I teach, who do not even speak English, rather than waste their time familiarizing them with structure, we could go back in the time machine and make sure they learn it as children. It's unfortunate that teachers so often fail to embrace alternatives.

I'm always enlightened by the myriad of studies that demonstrate everything we practice is incorrect. And the following year, when new studies prove the previous year's studies to have been mistaken as well, I learn even more.
NYC Educator | Homepage | 12.14.06 - 7:44 am | #

From my own experience, I'd agree that teaching grammar doesn't help much with improving writing. But students who know grammar certainly seem to learn foreign language quicker. They understand when I tell them that in German the conjugated verb goes at the end of a subordinate clause. Those who don't know any grammar terminology might eventually get the right word order, but it takes a lot longer.
Frau E | 12.14.06 - 7:53 am | #

How did the post about dividing by zero pass muster?

One divided by infinity isn't zero. The correct formulation would be lim(x/n)=0 as n approaches infinity, which is a very, very different thing.
M. | 12.15.06 - 11:11 pm | #