The Benefits Of A Spell Checked Education

I am amused by the big controversy over primary and secondary education here in Oregon. Once touted as a leader in education, Oregon's students have slipped quite a bit in standardized test scores because of two factors. A decrease in spending on education because of a worsening economy the past several years and the typical Oregon trend "feel-good attitude" toward most things (They love "global warming" ecology at all costs here) has arrived at the education school desk to the point where there is a de-emphasis on thinking skills and shift tends toward frill courses in middle and high school years.

The latest education drama is about state testing of 7th- 12th graders. It seems that the state has mandated that..I am not kidding...that all kids in those grades will be able to use spell check on their state required writing skill tests. Oregon's education officials officials explained that spell check is an accepted part of life "in the workplace, college, post secondary training and the military." Hmmm It's sort of like giving a student half the answers to a test beforehand. But since being trendy is more important than being educated here, Oregon is leading the way in spell check education.

I have been reading the banter between pro spell check advocates and anti spell checkers, but today one letter caught my eye for originality and for making the point for why spell checking in testing is such a silly idea. I think you would give the writer of this letter an A+ for his efforts. Here is his letter in full."Watt a good lessen two no that student's kin now use spell check on there state proficiency exams ("Oregon students will be able to use spell check to pass state writing test," Sept. 2). Its good that Oregon has it's students well fare in mind with this grate decision.

All sarcasm aside: The best way to eradicate stupidity, it seems, is to make stupidity the norm. Hooray to Oregon for being so progressive "

GREG BOESHANS

I think we should make Greg the Superintendent of Education for the State of Oregon. But Wait! In fairness to the other side. here is an example, one letter published today with Greg's on the subject to let you know what that spell check mob is thinking."I applaud the Oregon Department of Education's decision to allow the use of spell check on the seventh grade writing assessment. First, we should acknowledge that it takes spelling knowledge to use spell check correctly.

Second, by seventh grade you are either a good speller or not; poor spellers need to be proficient at using spell check to succeed in the modern workplace, and good spellers won't be harmed by it.

Third, using spell check consistently actually teaches students to be better spellers. And last, I have always disagreed with the Department of Education's weighting of conventions twice as much as any of the other characteristics of writing (including organization, voice and sentence fluency), so I see allowing spell check as a long needed correction to a system that overemphasized spelling and punctuation at the expense of content.

This is a time to embrace technology as a way to level the playing field and to silence our inner Luddite

"SUZY HARRIS
Southeast Portland

Fact is... spell checking 1) doesn't correct all errors (as when we write a word that is a homonym and it "corrects it" to the wrong homonym 2) an important party of learning to use the language properly is understanding spelling nuances. Spell checkers prevent one from ever learning that. 3) the decision to let students artificially enhance their spelling skills might create a fake boost in state writing scores next year ("We are doing so well now" 4) Employers crave workers who can draw up handwritten signs, job estimates, menus, paper receipts and quick notes without spelling errors. They don't crave more spell check stars. 5) The more deeply and thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is to recognize it, spell it, define it and use it appropriately in speech and writing."

Uh..if you find spelling errors in my comments today, blame it on spell check, not me