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August 30, 2004This is why so many teachers smoke...
From an article on how many teachers are using purple pens in grading, as red has been vilified as being too aggressive:
A mix of red and blue, the color purple embodies red's sense of authority but also blue's association with serenity, making it a less negative and more constructive color for correcting student papers, color psychologists said. Purple calls attention to itself without being too aggressive. And because the color is linked to creativity and royalty, it is also more encouraging to students.
Color psychologists? And might the color psychologists be stuffing totally subjective meanings into colors in order to defend the existence of their jobs? Do the students in question even know that purple is linked to creativity and royalty? And why do we want some kid with a half-assed essay covered in purple comments and corrections sauntering around feeling like Louis XIV in the first place?
"The concept of purple as a replacement for red is a pretty good idea," said Leatrice Eiseman, director of the Pantone Color Institute in Carlstadt, N.J., and author of five books on color. "You soften the blow of red. Red is a bit over-the-top in its aggression."
The article goes on, and is an interesting read, but I don’t want to repost it here in its entirety. Suffice it to say that a first/second-grade teacher states, "Red is definitely a no-no. But I don't know if purple is in," and a second/third-grade teacher opines, "Red has a negative connotation, and we want to promote self-confidence. I like purple. I use purple a lot."
Although a high-school teacher and an adult student do get a chance to defend the use of red pens near the end of the article, the general vibe of the article is that, just like corporal punishment before it, red ink is being tossed into the pedagogical dustbin of history. We don’t care if students learn anything, but we’re going to coddle and coo and spin-doctor their weaknesses until they’re walking around feeling like demi-gods, dammit!
I’m only half-kidding when I predict the next trend in grading papers will be refraining from writing comments on the essays themselves, lest the students’ soap-bubble egos pop at the sight of such vandalism on their alabaster-pure masterpieces. Teachers will put the comments on a separate piece of paper, which the students won’t bother to read, so the teachers will phase those out, too. Fast-forward ten years, and essays will be handed back looking as they did when they were turned in. Everybody will know they received an A because it’ll be the only grade possible, so long as you tried (fogged the mirror, cut-and-pasted from the internet, scribbled something onto a napkin, etc.).
Somebody get me a red pen, immediately! And cut me a switch, as long as you’re up. I’m taking back public education!
Posted by patrick at August 30, 2004 12:34 AM
CommentsHeck, if a fellah's daddy got enough money, his daddy can just up and buy him a whole law degree, ain't that right George Dubya?
In any case, those responsible for picking up where high school leaves off see the results of this hands-off and overindulgent methodology. We also see the results of the standardized exit exams, for which a senior need only show 10th grade level ability to graduate.
I wrote a longer, more preachy response to this, but I’ll not clutter your blog with it. Interested parties can see the entry of mention later today or even tomorrow on my home page.
Posted by: Mad Monarch Voards at September 1, 2004 12:59 PM
Holy mother of CRAP! I thought we left this tripe in the 90's with all that new age political correctness and massage-train bullshit!
PURPLE INK? How much money was wasted figuring that out that could have been spent buying updated history books for high school students?
Red is aggressive? DUH! They're WRONG answers! If children want to feel less intimidated then they should STUDY MORE.
This whole thing makes me want to spit.
Posted by: James at September 3, 2004 08:20 AM
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