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Never send 20 language arts teachers in a room to discuss. Around 20 language arts teachers K-12, were sent to the hallway to define what parents, teachers, students and business leaders would expect or be defined as 20 years from now. The only thing we could all agree on is that the hokey pokey would not be our demonstration. (My idea, but I was willing to give it up for the good of the group.) Micro-fiction, symbolic language, and from the token male--a return to the caveman way of communication.
Many of us agreed that the teen speak so popular today--text messaging, tweeting, etc.--is OK. We had one self-proclaimed grammar nazi who foretold of a future without formal language as the end all be all of her world. Another was concerned that we would fall even further behind in the global economy as everyone else in the world is learning formal English and we r lrning to shrtct.
I imagine it to be a combination of the two. I hate to believe that the language I love portrayed through generations of authors and poets and essayists who manipulated it to their advantage... wait a minute.
The multitude of writers and speaker before us manipulated the language? NO, how can that be? Does this mean that our student's manipulation of the language will be accepted and revered hundreds of years from now.
One teacher referred to a novel--Feed--which I had read, but dug out again in order to better understand some of the points my colleagues were making. I don't think we'll be behind the rest of the world, but I know that people will be communicating differently.
This blog, for example. A random set of thoughts going out to the worldwide web and any reader who is willing to listen. Before this technology, the words may have been lost on the random stray farm animal willing to listen, or to myself as I sit at a stop sign. Today, my thoughts might be read by more than one or two people. That's an increase in communication. And isn't that the goal?
I should mention that our intention was to present a skit or some other equally as creative presentation to demonstrate our thoughts, and as English teachers, we assign that type of assignment a lot. We presented, but not creatively, in fact, and I know you'll be surprised here.... we ended up talking the entire time and... communicating. With words, real English words....