[geeks] New Tech Schools: Digital Harbor in Baltimore

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Mike Meredith <very at zonky.org>
" 
" 
" To some extent it's the same thing ... people have a tendency to pick
" on the things that are missing (like no latin in schools) and assume
" that the current education is worse for the lack. For example, both my
" parents went through grammar school (elite 'public' schools for the
" academical gifted) and learnt latin, and claim that the lack of latin
" and the lack of teaching English with formal grammar leads to a lower
" standard of English.
" 
" To some extent they're right, and I suspect most here would agree and
" would prefer to be taught that way ... I would! Mind you this lower
" standard could be confined to a rather narrow area being formal English
" grammar. Not being familiar with the formal rules of English grammar
" does not necessarily mean one cannot write grammatically. It is not
" necessary to know the term 'split-infinitive' to avoid sticking adverbs
" in the wrong places (and yes I know that split-infinitives are no
" longer totally condemned).

a lot of the horseplay over english grammar stems from the idea that
it should be more like latin [norman french?], whereas it in fact has
a much stronger germanic foundation.  split infinitives is one area.

" I was taught English in the modern way, where more time was spent on
" learning the love of reading and writing than on analysing what was
" good and bad English. Not that we were allowed to get away with bad
" English ... "No! It works better like ...." rather than "Don't use
" split-infinitives". I think I qualify as moderately literate.

in line with this, recall all the flack mark twain got for writing
'huck finn' in dialect.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought