Helpful or Tedious Punishment?
In the excerpt from his autobiography “Learning to Read”, Malcolm X talks of how he learned to read by copying words from a dictionary. He started by copying a page, and then would study them until he knew every word. This action he took made him write in a more eligible way and also made him write faster. He also became a better reader because he would pick up a book and instead of just stumbling over words he did not know, and getting a mild understanding of what he had read, he could remember the words from the dictionary and understand exactly what the book was saying.
Copying words from a dictionary seems like very tedious work, and it is to some people. Malcolm X used it to better himself as a reader; however some schools are using this as a method to punish students. I remember a time back in middle school when I would have to spend time in detention, I would be made to copy entire pages from the dictionary and turn it in to the instructor before I could leave. This action made me not like reading and writing much, because it was boring, a punishment, and it made my hand cramp at times because it was so much to write. It could have also made me a better writer and possibly expanded my vocabulary, as it did to Malcolm X, yet I tried to do it as fast as I could and did not pay attention to what I was writing so I could just get the very boring task over and leave.
Why should schools take copying words from a dictionary, which could help people learn and better their education, and turn it into punishment for doing something wrong? Does anyone else know of any ways schools take something that could help students better their education and turn it into something students hate?
4 comments:
I think that the only reason why schools use those types of methods for punishment is to make the child know that this is what happens when you are bad, you have to do school work. I understand exactly what you are trying to say. Why should they use a form of learning (such as copying words from the dictionary) as punishment? Won't that just make the kids think that learning is a punishment?
I really liked Malcolm X's essay. It really amazes me that he taught himself how to read and write by doing simple things such as copying words form a dictionary. It just goes to show that people will do almost anything, even if it is as tedious as copying words from a dictionary, to get what they want.
I agree with kristen being that they want to create the image of you having to do school work when you are bad. But is is something to think about why would they make you do something that should be used to help you against you.I can recall having to do chapter outlines when i got in trouble which is suppose to be something to help me but i was only required to do it as an act of punishment.
Personally i think standing in a corner or taking away special priviledges would be just as effective.
I understand what you are talking about Justin. It just doesn't make any sense. Not only were they making you copy words but they were words like improvement, for subliminal messages i guess. Those and words that had seventeen different meaning depending on how they are used. My question is was this effective? Did students do this and then say I'm not gonna do that again or did they scrug their shoulders and walk away from it?
I agree that using certain things as punishment basically tags them as something undesireable. There are plenty of things that are "torture" for a child that don't involve the actual education. Also, just as the your blog said, a student never learns anything from copying the words. i know I didn't.
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