Logical extensions of misinterpretation

Writing is a part of language and has a rather curious history when it comes to including it as a part of the educational curriculum in the public schools.  In the 1800s, grammar was taught, to be sure, but not for the purpose of writing.  It was taught for proper speaking.  In the early 1900s, higher education wanted to ensure that the idea of grammar could be reflected in writing especially on tests.  From that point on, composition began being taught with the idea of propriety in writing.  Then it filtered into the public schools from higher education so that students could perform better on college entrance exams.  Of course, now, writing has become a staple of the curriculum.  The idea of the 3 Rs (Readin', 'Ritin', and 'Rithmetic,) illustrates how entrenched writing has become in the public school system.

That means that the socialization process that gives us different language features seen in speaking can now be seen in writing.  That causes a real problem since in elementary school the bulk of the teaching corps is female.  Roughly half of the students are male.  So, both stylistics and topics are affected.  Girls write about the same topics they would speak on, as do boys.  That's expected.  But, who does the grading?  Ay, there comes the rub.  Students using an inside out perspective and personal topics tend to have higher value than the students using outside in perspectives and topics about external events and the environment.  Grades are affected.  A quick review of grades given for writing in elementary schools shows higher grades for girls on the whole than for boys.  Male high school students fare a little better since more teachers  who teach writing are male, but not that many more.  So, writing is greatly discriminatory in the school system.

Fortunately, that will be changing over the next 5 years as more emphasis will need to be put on visual organizing, video organizing, storyboard organizing, and eventually, holographic organizing.  Presentations through YouTube and PowerPoint have absolutely changed the playing field from writing to a medium more visual.  Therefore, writing skills as a way of presenting information will be taking more and more of a backseat.

While it is possible that language behavior of women and men will continue to bleed into visual presentations, it might be less likely since the visual world includes an environment for words to happen in and a personal extension of what the world means.  Something for men, something for women.  So, while writing has reigned for 100 years tormenting its male users, visual organization and presentation will replace it and hold out the promise of more equally guided language expression.