Comments on: It’s Greek to Me http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/18/its-greek-to-me/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:34:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Robert Pondiscio http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/18/its-greek-to-me/#comment-2893 Robert Pondiscio Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:50:52 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=331#comment-2893 That's a gracious and generous offer. Since you're praising our writing and content, I'll count that as two positive comments. I look forward to the third! Warmly, Robert That’s a gracious and generous offer. Since you’re praising our writing and content, I’ll count that as two positive comments. I look forward to the third!

Warmly,
Robert

]]> By: vital core http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/18/its-greek-to-me/#comment-2879 vital core Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:10:52 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=331#comment-2879 <i>You, sir, are a curmudgeon</i> :-(. For penance, I will (struggle) to provide at least three positive comments on this blog before my next negative one. <i>Then what do I know about good writing?</i> I only visit blogs that have great writing <i>and</i> content. Now, this has gotta count as a positive post! You, sir, are a curmudgeon

:-(. For penance, I will (struggle) to provide at least three positive comments on this blog before my next negative one.

Then what do I know about good writing?

I only visit blogs that have great writing and content.

Now, this has gotta count as a positive post!

]]> By: Robert Pondiscio http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/18/its-greek-to-me/#comment-2741 Robert Pondiscio Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:21:43 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=331#comment-2741 You, sir, are a curmudgeon (not that there's anything wrong with that). Then what do I know about good writing? Why use two words when ten will do, I always say! Cheers, Robert You, sir, are a curmudgeon (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Then what do I know about good writing? Why use two words when ten will do, I always say!

Cheers,
Robert

]]> By: vital core http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/04/18/its-greek-to-me/#comment-2730 vital core Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:04:47 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=331#comment-2730 <i>You don’t have to know baseball to make sense of this delightful paragraph. But you need a solid vocabulary (journeyman, trek, daunt)</i> Delightful? I'm still trying to understand what he's saying. Heck, I'd say this paragraph perfectly illustrates the correlation between excessive prepositional phrases and poor writing: “The 33-year old right-hander has <b>put</b> the journey <b>in</b> journeyman. It’s just 20 miles <b>from</b> his Lincoln High School alma mater <b>to</b> Shea, but <i>his</i> trek <b>from</b> <i>his</i> Brooklyn upbringing <b>to</b> Queens would daunt Odysseus.” Ahhhh! Doesn't his guy have an editor? 99% of mankind will just skip <i>over</i> this paragraph and reach <i>into</i> their lunchbucket <i>on</i> the table and pull <i>out</i> a cheese steak sandwich and take a bite <i>out</i> of it <i>after</i> a hard day <i>in</i> the trenches. End rant :-). But regarding the vocabulary: I don't think focusing on content is the key to learning words like "journeyman, trek, daunt, alma mater." Rather, lots of plain old-fashioned reading alongside <a href="http://vocabularyflashcards.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">vocabulary study</a> is the key. You don’t have to know baseball to make sense of this delightful paragraph. But you need a solid vocabulary (journeyman, trek, daunt)

Delightful?

I’m still trying to understand what he’s saying. Heck, I’d say this paragraph perfectly illustrates the correlation between excessive prepositional phrases and poor writing:

“The 33-year old right-hander has put the journey in journeyman. It’s just 20 miles from his Lincoln High School alma mater to Shea, but his trek from his Brooklyn upbringing to Queens would daunt Odysseus.”

Ahhhh! Doesn’t his guy have an editor?

99% of mankind will just skip over this paragraph and reach into their lunchbucket on the table and pull out a cheese steak sandwich and take a bite out of it after a hard day in the trenches.

End rant :-).

But regarding the vocabulary: I don’t think focusing on content is the key to learning words like “journeyman, trek, daunt, alma mater.” Rather, lots of plain old-fashioned reading alongside vocabulary study is the key.

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