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Subject:RE: Help - my consultants cannot write! From:"Michael West" <mike -dot- west -at- bigpond -dot- com> To:"'Kat Kuvinka'" <katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com>, <ruthsessions03051 -at- yahoo -dot- com>, <mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net> Date:Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:13:23 +1100
To the extent that teachers teach children how to think (and communicate
clearly) rather than what to think, there is reason for optimism. But to me,
that extent appears to be diminishing.
I'm sure there are many reasons why this appears to be the case.
--
Mike West
From: Kat Kuvinka [mailto:katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, 12 October 2011 6:14 AM
To: ruthsessions03051 -at- yahoo -dot- com; mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; mike -dot- west -at- bigpond -dot- com
Subject: RE: Help - my consultants cannot write!
No, I'm pretty sure it was a discussion about education in general and how
maybe teachers are to busy being PC to teach children to write clearly.
_____
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:56:49 -0700
From: ruthsessions03051 -at- yahoo -dot- com
Subject: Re: Help - my consultants cannot write!
To: mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net; katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com
CC: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; mike -dot- west -at- bigpond -dot- com
This is not bashing. It is discussing a serious issue about educating people
who want to enter our field.
Indeed, some people think that "anyone can write," but if you are hiring
writers, you soon learn that is not the case...
I believe that tech writing programs tend to assume the person applying can
write and spend most of their time teaching technical information.
Sadly, most people I've interviewed who had technical writing certificates
from such programs could not answer even the simplest technical questions.
The programs can benefit people who make the effort, but apparently people
who don't make the effort and get little out of the program still manage to
pass the courses and get the certificate. That fact diminishes the meaning
of the certificate...
From: "mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net" <mattgras -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: Kat Kuvinka <katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com>
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; mike west <mike -dot- west -at- bigpond -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: Help - my consultants cannot write!
Doesn't sound like teacher-bashing to me.
I've been dismayed, more than once, by candidates for tech writing positions
who can't write -- and who come proudly bearing enthusiastic recommendations
from teachers in prestigious tech-writing programs.
Don't know what those teachers were teaching: but it wasn't how to write.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kat Kuvinka" <katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "mike west" <mike -dot- west -at- bigpond -dot- com>, "eddy skau" <eddy -dot- skau -at- gmail -dot- com>
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 7:21:42 AM
Subject: RE: Help - my consultants cannot write!
This should not be a forum for your political views and teacher-bashing.
Kathee
>
> As for what you call the "wiring" of the brain, I know nothing about that,
> but I do know that the overarching purpose of formal education is to teach
> people how to think clearly and express themselves clearly. At least it
used
> to be - God knows what they think they're doing nowadays. My personal
view
> that is that many teachers are not all that capable of thinking clearly;
> they are too loaded up with dubious ideological baggage and political
> correctness. (Disclaimer: I'm married to a teacher who is a notable
> exception to this generality.)
>
> --
>
> Mike West
>>
>>
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