New Perspectives in Patterns for College Writing Toward Renewing America
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New Perspectives in Patterns for College Writing came about as result of my Plan B project—required of M.Ed. candidates in the Education Department at the University of Hawaii. This study is neither sponsored nor endorsed by anyone associated with UH, but is being published solely as a text to share common instructional and historical information, and to strongly urge implementation of a more viably relevant, culturally-centered educational agenda in America. Research and experience bears out that valuating the student’s culture with information relevant to his/her societal experience, while connecting the student to the ‘culture’ of the educational system, helps to instill a more purposeful interest in one’s developmental possibilities. Writing—essays, speeches, auto (biographical) sketches, short stories, etc.—sharpens focus. Introspection lends clarity to self-image, which often leads to more complex ideation concerning goals and direction. The student who learns early to apply critical thinking skills, prioritize, and differentiate—will likely fare better in all matters of discernment. Included in New Perspectives... are referenced papers describing events and conditions during significant periods of America’s cultural evolvement— with attendant ‘prescriptives’ of the educational system. New Perspectives… presents a backdrop of disparate conditions which required mandate in order to provide all Americans with equal educational opportunity. Our democracy has historically required timely intervention on knotty problems. At this point, it’s our educational system. It’s obvious the implementation of certain measures (NCLB, exit exams, etc.), has had its part in education’s 40-year regression in high school graduations. Preponderant factors within today’s educational system also consistently serve to inhibit ‘passage’ for certain sectors—i.e. built-in controls, self-adjustment features, and prejudicial methods and aims—information included in ‘Indispensable,’ and ‘Fine-Tuned Machine.’ I hope that New Perspectives in Patterns for College Writing will prove valuable as an educational handbook for all genres. If this text serves, additionally, as motivation to encourage maximum involvement in the movement to upgrade our educational standards—it will have served its intended purpose. We must change the inappropriate principles, methods, and aims which lead 1.3 million students to walk out on the U.S. educational system yearly. To those charged with implementing educational objectives—no longer can we watch present and future generations walk out the school door because there is no hope for them within our educational system. What we do now to turn this catastrophe around will determine the future of our increasing task-oriented society and the state of American democracy. We must organize, orchestrate, and mandate imperative change
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About the Book
New Perspectives in Patterns for College Writing came about as result of my Plan B project—required of M.Ed. candidates in the Education Department at the University of Hawaii. This study is neither sponsored nor endorsed by anyone associated with UH, but is being published solely as a text to share common instructional and historical information, and to strongly urge implementation of a more viably relevant, culturally-centered educational agenda in America. Research and experience bears out that valuating the student’s culture with information relevant to his/her societal experience, while connecting the student to the ‘culture’ of the educational system, helps to instill a more purposeful interest in one’s developmental possibilities. Writing—essays, speeches, auto (biographical) sketches, short stories, etc.—sharpens focus. Introspection lends clarity to self-image, which often leads to more complex ideation concerning goals and direction. The student who learns early to apply critical thinking skills, prioritize, and differentiate—will likely fare better in all matters of discernment. Included in New Perspectives... are referenced papers describing events and conditions during significant periods of America’s cultural evolvement— with attendant ‘prescriptives’ of the educational system. New Perspectives… presents a backdrop of present-day disparate conditions which require intervention in order to provide all Americans an opportunity to survive amidst critical cultural change. Our democracy has historically required timely intervention on knotty problems. At this point, it’s our educational system. It’s obvious the implementation of certain measures (NCLB, exit exams, etc.), has had its part in education’s 40-year regression in high school graduations. Preponderant factors within today’s educational system also consistently serve to inhibit ‘passage’ for certain sectors—i.e. built-in controls, self-adjustment features, and prejudicial methods and aims—information included in ‘Outmoded,’ and ‘Fine-Tuned Machine.’ I hope that New Perspectives in Patterns for College Writing will prove valuable as an educational handbook for all genres. If this text serves, additionally, as motivation to encourage maximum involvement in the movement to upgrade our educational standards—it will have served its intended purpose. We must change the inappropriate principles, methods, and aims which lead 1.3 million students to walk out on the U.S. educational system yearly. To those charged with implementing educational objectives—no longer can we watch present and future generations walk out the school door because there is no hope for them within our educational system. What we do now to turn this catastrophe around will determine the future of our increasingly task-oriented society and the state of American democracy. We must organize, orchestrate, and mandate imperative change!
About the Author
From youth, I observed that language and culture were all around me. Following high school, a desire to explore city life led me to reside in Cleveland, New York, San Francisco, and Denver. After completing this ten-year tour, I returned to school and received a B.A. in English. A short stint in the Army inspired me to become a teacher. Our family enjoyed a fulfi lling cultural experience in Denver, Colorado where I attended UCD for elementary teacher certifi cation. A fervent interest in the sociological aspect of education (culture and ethnology) led me to pursue a master’s in educational foundations (M.Ed.) at the University of Hawaii @ Manoa. Th is text grew out of the research for the Plan B project required for the master’s. Educational writing should illustrate connections to and modes of incremental areas of cognition—thus, this is a main objective of the text. Th ere is a concerted eff ort to link relevant factors of today’s most critical issues, to a gamut of background information available—especially as it relates socially and culturally to those who are educated in our present system. Provided are old and new academic forms in standard language usage, creative writing models, and pertinent information which will aid in understanding the need for change in classroom teaching and learning modes. In the process, we also get an overview of related recalcitrant eff ects generated outside the classroom. An overview of the inner-workings of our society will help to increase awareness for profi cient address of matters that seriously concern our entire society. If through one book readers could access a similar mindset (all on one page) about what is real concerning the condition of our society, we would be better able to meet the formidable challenges awaiting each age group in mainstream modern-day America.