TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:re. Report on how kids can't write well From:Arthur Comings <atc -at- CORTE-MADERA -dot- GEOQUEST -dot- SLB -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 11 Aug 1994 14:47:52 PDT
To paraphase the language of this report, according to my personal
observations, at least 33% of educators and 30% of employers can't
write worth beans themselves.
You should see the stuff my kid brings home: from her teachers, from
the school itself, and from extra-curricular activity sponsors. These
aren't complicated essays; they're only a few sentences here and there,
and as often as not they're wrong in some way.
I sent a polite note about faulty capitalization in a spelling list
awhile ago -- the kids were learning that the only right way to spell
"autumn" and other seasons was with a capital letter -- and the teacher
never responded, except for an offhand remark to my kid that "it could
be either way," but she didn't change the list that all the kids had to
memorize.
Hey -- the Parents' Club doesn't even know how to spell its own name,
and I don't either. In the same flyer it can be Parents, Parent's and
Parents'. I'm afraid to ask.
I don't know how the kids can learn to write if their teachers can't.
Looks like we`ll always have lots of jobs for technical editors.
Arthur Comings
GeoQuest
Corte Madera, California
atc -at- corte-madera -dot- geoquest -dot- slb -dot- com
