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May 15, 2003
The Back Page
By Amy Poftak & Kristen Kennedy
Gleanings
Spell-Checking Software Fails Writers
Results from a study at the University of Pittsburgh show that spell-checking software may actually make writing worse. Thirty-three undergraduates were asked to proofread a business letter, half using the spell check feature of Microsoft Word and the other half without editing software. Students without spell-checking help made an average of five errors. Those using the software made an average of 16 errors. Researchers speculate that the higher rate of error can be traced to users' trust in the software, rather than their own skills, especially when it suggests inaccurate word changes.
Digital Divide: Signs of Progress
Underserved populations are logging on in greater numbers, according to a new report from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The study found that 58 percent of African-American children ages 2 to 17 now use the Internet, a remarkable 205 percent jump from two years ago. In addition, 55 percent of low-income children have Net access compared to 28 percent in 2000. When looking at the location of access, however, wide disparities still exist. For example, 49 percent of white kids use the Internet from home, compared to only 29 percent of African-American youngsters, who are more likely to rely on access at schools.
Readers Talk Testing
Our March Trend Watch asked readers if their school or district had ever discouraged low-performing students from taking state-mandated "make or break" exams through suspensions, expulsions, or other means-a trend identified by Arizona State University researchers in a recent report, "An Analysis of Some Unintended and Negative Consequences of High-Stakes Testing" (www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/epru.htm). While two-thirds of respondents who logged on to our online poll said these were not practices employed by their school or district, one-third answered "yes."
Hit List
Online
Stumped on where to start investigating the question of Shakespeare's authorship? Searching for Boethius' extant manuscripts? Then start your research inquiries at Voice of the Shuttle, a humanities reference portal of exceptional scope developed by the University of California at Santa Barbara. Voice will delight visitors with links to sites both arcane and popular. From cyberculture and classics to African literature and architecture, there is something for everyone here-even a specialized compendium of the coolest of cool sites on the Web. As with any portal of this size, there are dead links to contend with-some sites were abandoned more than five years ago. In many cases, though, scanning remnants of the early Web is an education of its own, and worth a few forays. For the most responsive results, stick to the Teaching Resources and Libraries & Museums sections listed under Resources.
Books
In Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students, former English teacher Denise Clark Pope profiles five students at a Northern California high school who represent the scholastic ideal: hard-working, high-achieving, and poised for college. What emerges, though, is a revealing portrait of stress, exhaustion, and a widespread acknowledgment among students that they compromise values such as honesty and integrity to "play the game" of school (Chapter Three, "Eve Lin: Life as a High School Machine," is particularly eye-opening). While she doesn't offer many solutions beyond large-scale reform, Pope ultimately raises important questions about our definition of academic success, the effects of "outcome-oriented teaching," and whether schools are turning out students who know how to go through the correct motions but lack authentic intellectual engagement.
Yale University Press; www.yale.edu/yup
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