Ok, so I will frequently congratulate the millennials for inventing this new language, that I refer to as IM-speak. But what do you think of this, from CNN and brought to our attention by Gary Stager at Pulse?
New Zealand’s high school students will be able to use “text-speak” — the mobile phone text message language beloved of teenagers — in national exams this year, officials said.
New Zealand students may ‘text-speak’ in exams – CNN.com
Shouldn’t you use the communication style that is appropriate to the task at hand? So what style do you think students should use in answering the questions on their exams?
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r5d4, “365.016.” r5d4’s Photostream. 8 Oct 2006. 11 Nov 2006 <http://flickr.com/photos/iiiii/264397153/>.
technorati tags:warlick, text-speak, IM, newzealand, education, technology
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Educators should educate and not concern themselves with being “kewl.”
I’m glad to see that IM speak in English exams would be penalized. If the exam contained the requirement to text an answer to a teacher or text an answer to a website that would score it — it would be appropriate.
We need to teach students effective techno-personal skills. That means that the language is appropriate to the context. Clearly, some things are not appopriate in certain contexts. WE wouldn’t dream of wearing a bathing suit to a funeral. Not appropriate.
As much as I love technology and am immersed in the teenage world, this sends the wrong message.
(I must say that on blog posts, I do not take off as much as I should, however IM speak is deducted as well as lower case i. I want them to be effective communicators not slovenly students who think anything goes.)
All I can say is ur kidding, right? Cu l8r.
CNN – Offbeat News Category. We ask kids to check out the veracity of information and so should we.
Perhaps the actual press release from the NZQA (the actual body that made the statement) might be useful?
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/news/releases/2006/101106.html
“Where an examination requires candidates to demonstrate understanding in an area of study other than language use, they need to clearly show the required understanding.
In these cases, use of abbreviations creates a risk of answers not being understood, Mr Haque said.
“The candidates’ priority at all times should be to ensure their answers are clearly understandable to markers. The best way to do this is to use standard English,” he said
sux0r
I wondered where this “flurry of excitement” came from…
what does sux0r mean?
As a primary teacher in NZ – I don’t have to deal with the chaos and occasional randomness of the NCEA system as yet.
This is really a minor storm of moral indignation though- picked out by some media as yet another sign that our education system is a total failure.
In the discussion I had with my 12 year olds about it – I pointed out that as test takers, they’re responsible for their answers – they are responsible for making sure the test marker is able to read their writing, their answers. If the one marking the test is unable to understand their answer – it’s as good as no answer.
This applies if you’re doing basic facts test – and your 4 looks like a 9 – or if you’re writing an essay on Shakespearean comedy. If you’re writing an essay about how texting and the online world affect students – then IM speak would be appropriate…
Allowing students to be empowered by the choices in their learning – and be responsible for those choices – what a novel idea!
I agree with nix. The intent was taken out of context by CNN (really, what a suprise?!). The exam is about demonstrating understanding. When students misspell, they will be assessed on that if it is part of that particular assessment. However their content will be judged on its own merit. This is what they are saying in NZ as well. We will assess their understanding regardless of how they write it, but of course text-speak may hinder their communication of that content and understanding.
I remember not finishing essays in college and writing out the rest of my essay in outline form to make sure I showed I knew what I was talking about (even if I was long-winded in saying it). This is different, but similar. Penalize if you are grading for communicating to an audience that isn’t on a cell-phone, but don’t penalize again if you are assessing understanding.
I don’t like text-speak either, but this article says more about our media and how they like to get people riled up by manipulating news, than it does about New Zealand’s educational system.
While I agree that we should be context-sensitive as to the appropriateness of our language, I cannot help thinking that we probably don’t have any choice in the matter.
Am I the only one who sees it as slightly ironic that we castigate schools for not adopting the new tools, while at the same time throwing up our hands in horror when the pupils start writing in the new language?
Can we honestly have the one without the other?
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