From Judith Diamondstone:

 [following a discussion of explicit vs. implicit learning]
>>>>>With respect to gtrammar instruction, the problem is one of WHAT is
>explicated -- wh. pretty much covers the history of discussion on ATEG.
>WHICH meta-language, which concepts....

Maybe this isn't the most productive focus . . .  If you really want to get
grammar back into the curriculum, we need to look not only at the WHAT, but
also at the HOW.  Teachers that associate grammar instruction with drill and
kill are of course going to be reluctant to putting it back into the
curriculum -- it looks like a focus away from really critical thinking
skills, although it doesn't need to be that way.  We need to rethink our
approaches to teaching grammar, and look at new possibilities.  Connecting
sentence structure to style is one vital component of that, but may not be
the only possible way of critically approaching grammar instruction.  It
definitely needs to go beyond memorizing names for structures and being able
to identify them in boring grammar book exercises that consume time but do
little else of worth.

It may also be worth noting, that if we look at different types of HOW, some
of our understanding about WHAT is possible might conceivably change.  We
might find that when the HOW is approached differently, children are capable
of doing things they hadn't been when we tried other approaches to teaching
them.

Not to say that there is one right way, but we do need different approaches
than is currently the norm.

>>>>>>>But for me, questions of identity (motivation) enter the
>picture from the start. The question of explication has to follow what it
>is the student wants to know. Woops - I'm about to veer off topic so I'll
>stop here.

Ah, but perhaps this is an important topic, as well.  If you catch a
student's attention, the student just might start to want to know things
s/he wasn't interested in previously.  (Another benefit of sentence
structure imitation, BTW -- it's just plain fun.  It allows a certain amount
of humor and creativity even as it restricts the form.  The kids love it!)

Susan

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