When I first started teaching, a 9th grader told me he didn't need to know how to spell because he would have a secretary to do his spelling for him. Then along came spell checker, and kids insisted that learning to spell was a waste of time. I asked my writing class just last week about that. They know that Word underlines spelling errors in red, but they aren't sure what the green underlines are for. I recently heard a conversation in the Teachers' Lounge about whether or not kids need to learn how to write in cursive any more. That, too, is going by the wayside. I worry about things like this. Because I can spell, punctuate, write in complete sentences, and understand how the grammar of the English language works, I wonder how, without this knowledge, people will be able to communicate with one another. I texted my 16 year old granddaughter, "How was school today?" Her reply: "gay" And yet...I knew exactly what she meant.
