The Great Comma Debate
In "Real World Learning Projects" I described a class that had come to function as a team by employing the Cooperate With Others standard as a teaching, learning and assessment piece of the quarter's work.
There came a time, mid-quarter when a core class had emerged. These students rarely, if ever, missed class, and they took their personal and class responsibilities very seriously. While other students who were unable to attend as consistently were always accepted as part of the whole, it was this core group who had fits about commas.
First, students pointed out that commas were not necessary to separate items or mark place values in math in their native languages. They insisted that their English teachers in their home countries had taught them where to put commas, and that I wasn't using enough. We reviewed various grammar texts, had a guest ESL teacher give an explanation, and checked dictionaries. Finally, I'd had it. ABE-ESL isn't a hardcore grammar course. Comma fits were taking us off task. While reviewing subject verb agreement in the irregular past, someone suggested a comma. It was enough. I gave homework.
Students had been working with the Technology standard all quarter. I had spent time on the COPs, but hadn't been as fastidious in devising tasks and projects in Tech as I had for Cooperate With Others. Still, they were clear on the COPs and used the CALL lab regularly.
I gave them this to do: find three grammar websites, list the addresses, and hand it in. Cut and paste a punctuation explanation of comma use into an e-mail and send it to me. Review punctuation software and make a recommendation as to the most helpful. Complete the exercises on the software and have the scored printout sent to me. Go into MicroSoft Word and punctuate this sentence: Commas are annoying irritating and maddening. Grammar Check your answer, print it and produce it in class. You have until tomorrow at 11:30 (the minute class began) to finish.
It was a good enough Tech task for both EFF and the WA State competencies which include a technology component. (WA State competencies and rubrics are available on-line at
http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu./Board/Educ/ABE/assess.htm I assumed that given the time-frame, people would break into groups, divide the work, and share answers and ways to get them. They did and we spent three hours in the CALL lab that day working on the assignment.
The experience drove home the essence of "partners in learning." This time I wanted the answers as much as they did. While I scoured grammar sites for a definitive rule, the class worked in small groups. They e-mailed the cut and paste answer by completing one cut and paste, forwarding it to one another and each forwarding it to me. The Grammar Checked sentenced was xeroxed and each student handed in one. A list of grammar websites was handed in with twenty-three names on it. Only the software piece had to be done individually. To get a scored printout meant each student had to enter their student ID number and complete the exercise. These were sent to me by CALL lab staff. By the time they'd finished they were clear on commas.
In the debrief session which included a self-assessment, the group was especially proud of the e-mail forwards and xeroxes. A student reminded me that, after all, classroom rule number three was "Many minds are better than one."
Fits ceased.
Susan Rowley