{"product_id":"why-they-cant-write-killing-the-five-paragraph-essay-and-other-necessities-paperback","title":"Why They Can't Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJohn Warner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn important challenge to what currently masquerades as conventional wisdom regarding the teaching of writing.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere seems to be widespread agreement that--when it comes to the writing skills of college students--we are in the midst of a crisis. In \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform \"writing-related simulations,\" which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules--such as the five-paragraph essay--designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere seems to be widespread agreement that--when it comes to the writing skills of college students--we are in the midst of a crisis. In \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform writing-related simulations, which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules--such as the five-paragraph essay--designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat title sounds as if it will be a grumpy polemic, but it's actually an inspiring exploration of what learning to write could be, framed by an analysis of why it so often is soul-destroying for both students and their teachers.--Barbara Fister, \u003ci\u003eInside Higher Ed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArticulates a set of humanist values that could generate rich new classroom practices and, one hopes, encourage teachers, parents, and policymakers to rethink the whole idea of School and why it matters to a society. Warner is pragmatic, not programmatic, and hopeful without being naïve . . . I hope teachers, parents, and administrators across the United States read his trenchant book. We are the reformers we have been waiting for.--Ryan Boyd, \u003ci\u003eLA Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e dissects the underlying causes of why so much writing instruction fails in the American system and it provides tested, practical solutions for doing better. The book is more than a how-to-teach guide, however. It diagnoses several important structural problems in American education, including standardized testing, the allure of educational fads, the abuses of technology-driven solutions, and cruel working conditions for teachers.--Danny Anderson, \u003ci\u003eSectarian Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e--James Lang, Assumption College, author of \u003ci\u003eSmall Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning\u003c\/i\u003e \"Sectarian Review\"\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere seems to be widespread agreement that--when it comes to the writing skills of college students--we are in the midst of a crisis. In \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform \"writing-related simulations,\" which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules--such as the five-paragraph essay--designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"That title sounds as if it will be a grumpy polemic, but it's actually an inspiring exploration of what learning to write could be, framed by an analysis of why it so often is soul-destroying for both students and their teachers.\"--Barbara Fister, \u003ci\u003eInside Higher Ed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Articulates a set of humanist values that could generate rich new classroom practices and, one hopes, encourage teachers, parents, and policymakers to rethink the whole idea of School and why it matters to a society. Warner is pragmatic, not programmatic, and hopeful without being naïve . . . I hope teachers, parents, and administrators across the United States read his trenchant book. We are the reformers we have been waiting for.\"--Ryan Boyd, \u003ci\u003eLA Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eWhy They Can't Write\u003c\/i\u003e dissects the underlying causes of why so much writing instruction fails in the American system and it provides tested, practical solutions for doing better. The book is more than a how-to-teach guide, however. It diagnoses several important structural problems in American education, including standardized testing, the allure of educational fads, the abuses of technology-driven solutions, and cruel working conditions for teachers.\"--Danny Anderson, \u003ci\u003eSectarian Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn Warner\u003c\/b\u003e is a columnist for the \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e, a contributing blogger for\u003ci\u003e Inside Higher Ed\u003c\/i\u003e, and an editor at large for \u003ci\u003eMcSweeney's Internet Tendency\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author or coeditor of seven books, including \u003ci\u003eThe Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 7.9 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 17, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42729759342655,"sku":"9781421437989","price":44.63,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/f2cb196a768309798b957afb9f7bef05.webp?v=1765123505","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/why-they-cant-write-killing-the-five-paragraph-essay-and-other-necessities-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}