Response #9

This weeks readings covered two related topics, "Public Writing" and "Writing for Tests and Assessments".  Strategies for both of these are very similar, since both must conform to standardized conventions and meanings.  Although allowing students to cultivate their own forms of speech and writing is valuable, the ability to communicate in formal modern language is critical for further education or entry into the workforce.  For better or for worse, society makes judgments based on an individual's grammar and vocabulary, and there is no guarantee that students will have picked these up outside of school.  Communicating effectively, particularly in the subject field but also in a more general sense, are important skills for students.