Below was my response to the week seven hot topic. In conducting this response I realized two things.
Firstly, I did not realize how many pet peeves I had about dictionaries and directories. I didn't realize how much the addition of pop culture slang to dictionaries bothered me. But the more I thought about it, it really made me think that it is really hurting student's ability to communicate formally and eloquently. The amount of students that submit assignments with pop culture slang and LOL's or JK's is astounding (even at a high school level!). Adding pop culture slang to dictionaries is definitely not going to help the cause of making students speak and write more formally. I also never considered frustrating using a directory such as the phone book could be. Something needs to be done to make them more user friendly!
Secondly, I never took the time to consider how valuable dictionaries and directories can be. They can help individuals communicate better and they can connect individuals with others.
While I may have found many issues and flaws with dictionaries and directories, they really can serve a valuable purpose in the education of today's students.
WEEK #7 HOT TOPIC RESPONSE
With the advent of spell check and online dictionaries, I do not find myself turning to print dictionaries all that often. However, when I do I prefer Webster’s or Oxford. They are credible dictionaries that have been around for years. I also like that they do remain current by adding new words from popular culture. That being said, print dictionaries do have some inherent problems.
Problems:
Firstly, since they are print they can not be updated unless a new edition is purchased. However, it should be noted that the content does not change as rapidly as other reference sources such as encyclopaedias.
Secondly, dictionaries are now incorporating too many popular culture words. As a humanities teacher I feel that this is bringing down the level of language that students use. These popular culture terms would be better suited in online dictionaries such as “Urban Dictionary”.
Thirdly, dictionaries are often big and heavy. They often take up space in a classroom with students rarely making use of them. Instead, students tend to rely on spell check and online dictionaries. This ends up leading to the bigger issue of whether we should bother investing money into print dictionaries.
Benefits & Essentials:
Despite there being some obvious issues with print dictionaries (like any reference material), they are important. They help students learn to spell properly. They also help students develop their vocabulary which in turn benefits their ability to communicate orally and through writing. Aside from having a good copy of the Oxford or Webster’s dictionaries, I believe that the most essential are the English-French or English-Spanish dictionaries. These make students lives so much easier when it comes to learning a second language (which is a requisite of the BC Education system).
Telephone Dictionaries:
There are a few issues with telephone directories. Actually there are a lot of issues that bug me. However, here are the two that get to me the most.
Firstly, the telephone directory only lists home and business numbers. Therefore, if an individual only has a cellular phone their number will not be listed.
Secondly, the telephone directory often only includes a last name and first initial for personal numbers. If you are looking up a number but do not know the first name or address of an individual, you will likely never find the number! This can be very frustrating!
Trivia Answer:
I would have to think that the most essential directory for a TL would be one that lists names, classroom numbers, telephone numbers and e-mails of all the staff in the school. As a classroom teacher I find this really helpful when trying to get in touch with my colleagues. If a TL is trying to connect with their colleagues and students, this directory would allow them to reach and work with them.
It might not be your essential directory, but if I were a TL this is one that I would love to have at my disposal.
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