Writing Skills Are Not What They Should Be

Students are increasingly lacking adequate formal writing skills and are not workplace or college ready.  Why?  One reason:  Texting and tweeting have dumbed down English grammer to abbreviations that are not acceptable to real-world writing standards.  The question is, "How can teachers help in schools, and this includes Title I teachers who attempt to improve language arts skills aligned to common core standards." 
Have you seen the decline due to technology use?  Many of our students lack these skills anyway, but are they due to technology or from inadequate instruction and practice?

Texting, Tweeting, and Terrible Grammar in K-12 Schools.  Matthew Lynch. 8.6.13.  Education Week - Education Futures, Emerging Trends and Technologies in K-12.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2013/08/texting_tweeting_and_terrible_grammar_in_k-12_schools.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS2

What's Happened to Spelling & Grammar?

Thought you’d be interested in reading this article published in the Milwaukee Journal, but originally written 8.10 and published in the Kansas City Star.  The article talks about the gatekeepers:  standardized tests, college essays that require standard English, etc.  Many of our digital natives are line sqigglers who fake actual spellings.  My thoughts: I'm guessing that our Title I kids don’t have as many digital opportunities as kids in more affluent families, but I could be wrong on that.  In either case we need to make our students aware that each as its place.

In rush to write, students leave spelling, grammar behind.  Joe Robertson. 8.10.13.  The Kansas City Star

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/10/4402846/in-rush-to-write-students-leave.html