where have all the capital letters gone?

We are in a time period where best practices for teaching students in the classroom are evolving and technology is taking a greater and more influential role when we consider punctuation in our schools. This means teachers may be laying aside some of the more traditional things we know work and integrating newer and more efficient ideas for education.

Something that struck me recently was the lack of capital letters in our communication.

I recently visited the website for one of my favorite national retailers only to discover that they have eliminated the capital letters from their design. Now, maybe it’s the former typing teacher in me, but I was not only put-off, I was irked. For some reason this comes across to me as a lack of respect…a feeling that I don’t warrant the time it would take them to pause and use “proper” punctuation.

I get that the lack, or elimination, of capital letters stems from our desire for quick and easy messaging on our phones and social media. What I don’t understand is how, or if, we should respond. As teachers, do we accept this as a cultural change and a new normal with students in class, or do we stay true to “old school ways” and continue to follow the traditional (and correct!) punctuation with students in the classroom?

Some food for thought:

• Even if this is becoming an accepted norm in school today, will you continue to expect correct punctuation from the students you teach?
• What other more traditional ideas are being replaced as we make room for new technology?

Learn about a useful reading strategy to help students with comprehension through this online PD course, “Tackling Tough Text.” Teachers love it and I’m sure you will too!

About the Author
Ellen Paxton is a respected expert in education and best known as the Chief Learning Officer of Professional Learning Board. As a two-time National Board Certified Teacher, Ellen has successfully published and customized online professional development courses and Learning Management Systems for 20 years to help teachers meet their state continuing education renewal credit requirements. Through ProfessionalLearningBoard.com, RenewaTeachingLicense.com, and ConnectedPD.com. Ellen has established solutions and maintained partnerships with several accredited universities, higher education institutions, teachers’ unions and state Departments of Education while setting strategic direction that makes a difference and overseeing implementation of popular online PD.