It is important that students are able to apply grammar knowledge to writing. Traditionally, students have gained grammar knowledge by working out of workbooks, but the majority of students fail to apply the gained grammar knowledge to their writing. My research aims to close this gap. Hoping that students would be more engaged and willing to learn grammar through technology, I created grammar lessons that my sophomore class could interact with using Classroom Response System (also known as clickers). The six lessons addressed correct usage of the dash, colon, semi-colon, parallel structure, complete sentences, and active voice. Each lesson contained identification and application questions. Prior to and following the clicker lessons, I collected various forms of data to measure progress. Quantitative data includes a grammar pre-test and post-test. Qualitative data includes pre-writing and post-writing samples. I also administered an open-ended survey in which each student responded about the clicker lessons after the project was complete. My results show that minus a couple of exceptions, participating in the clicker lessons did result in an increase in grammar knowledge. Also, the majority of students were able to correctly apply this grammar knowledge in their post-writing sample. The findings from this study can be used to encourage other English educators to find ways to implement technology in their classrooms as well.
William D. Copeland (CC class of 1919) served as instructor in English and secretary of the College from 1920 to 1935. He later served as president of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, vice president of Lake Forest College in Illinois, president of Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Polson, Montana. Copeland gives his impressions of Colorado College both before and after World War I, including memories of Presidents Slocum, Duniway, Mierow, and Davies. He talks about the effects of the Depression,"straight-laced CC" in the 1920's, athletic teams, fraternities, and the San Luis School. Faculty mentioned in the interview: Cajori, Schneider, Parsons, Blum, Parrish, Hills, Howe, Hulbert, Gilmore, Strieby, and Okey.
Professor Ormes (CC class of 1926) taught English at Colorado College from 1952 to 1973. He was also well known and highly regarded as a mountaineer, raconteur and author of several books, including A Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Colorado Skylines, Pike's Peak Atlas, Tracking Colorado's Ghost Railroads and Railroads and the Rockies. Born in Colorado Springs in 1904, Ormes was the son of Manly Ormes, former head librarian of Coburn Library, Colorado College. Ormes recounts his memories of growing up around Colorado College and his adventures in the nearby mountains.
Professor Neale Reinitz received a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1947, an M.A. in English from Harvard in 1949 and his Ph.D. in English from University of California at Berkeley in 1958. Professor Reinitz was a member of the English department at Colorado College from 1953 until his retirement in 1991. His special interests include biking, hiking, rafting, wine, books, jazz, the Marx Brothers, cross-country skiing and photography.
Legal Traditions in Anglo-Norman England and their Scandinavian Roots is a thesis about the origins of liberty in England and their roots in Scandinavian traditions. Tracing the Scandinavian influences in England all the way back to the ancestors of the Normans in Norway, and following the evolution of the traditions until the issuance of Magna Carta in 1215 which formalized the modern iterations of ancient Scandinavian traditions.
Professor of English George Butte explains how the Block Plan differs from traditional schedules in classroom intensity, coherence and continuity.
Professor Krutzke was a member of the English department at Colorado College from 1939-1971. He talks about his impressions of professors Daehler, Ellis, McCue, Bramhall, Abbott, and Gilmore. Krutzke discusses life at Colorado College during World War II, including student Bert Stiles, a pilot in the war who wrote a well known book, Serenade to the Big Bird. He gives impressions of the administration after the war and his involvement with the formation of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter at Colorado College. He also discusses the changes that President Benezet brought to the College, the McCarthy era, Colorado College students from 1939 to the 1970s, and the Block Plan.
Born in St. Louis in 1930, Professor Gordon received his B.A. from St. Louis in 1955, a second B.A. from DePaul University in 1958, his M.A. from Colorado University in 1960 and a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1967. A specialist in American literature, Professor Gordon came to Colorado College as assistant professor of English in 1964. He was promoted to associate professor in 1970 and to full professor in 1977. In 1970, he became both the creator and director of Colorado College's Southwest Studies Program, a position that he held most of the time until his retirement in 1994. One of his chief accomplishments was the establishment of the Colorado College Baca Campus in 1987. Joe Gordon was also an avid tennis player, skier and fly fisherman.
