The Greek word aschematiston means "without form" or "without figure," but, in English, this rhetorical term describes two, nearly opposite phenomena :

• the use of plain, unadorned language
• the artless use of figurative language

This blog is about language; more about its instruction than its use. As a student, I studied language(s) in various contexts; as an educator I have worked mainly with first-year college students, teaching oral and written communication, mostly argument. As an administrator, I am excited by the possibilities that digital communication technologies offer to students and teachers of effective communication.

While more teachers at every level employ more technology in their English Language Arts curricula, certain aspects of English as an academic discipline inhibit the integration of new technologies into the rhetorical education of college students, and, as a result, the literacy education of all K-12 students .

Also, several contemporary assessment practices discourage the integration of new communication technologies into curricula because they test primarily for proficiency in print literacy, and there are powerful political and economic incentives to teach that which is tested.

My goal is to support the integration of new digital technologies into the English Language Arts curricula by influencing both the university-level teacher education programs and K-12 assessment practices for English Language Arts.

This blog is a place where I will collect (and post) my thoughts on this project, along with links to news, information, and research findings that relate to my goals and the challenges before me.

Tim McGee