kitchen table math, the sequel: banished!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

banished!

Lake Superior State University 2012 List of Banished Words

In 1977, one year after Lake Superior State University Public Relations Director W.T. (Bill) Rabe released the first "banished words list," he said that the international reaction from news media and the public told him "it would go on forever."

Forever may be stretching it, but the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness has been going strong since New Year's Day 1976 and shows no signs of stopping. People from around the world have nominated hundreds of words and phrases such as "you know," "user friendly," "at this point in time," and "have a nice day," to be purged from the language.

This year's list:

AMAZED
BABY BUMP
SHARED SACRIFICE
OCCUPY
BLOWBACK
MAN CAVE
THE NEW NORMAL
PET PARENT
WIN THE FUTURE
TRICKERATION
GINORMOUS
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
OK, so....this is not the list I would pick, but I see the logic.

Disagree re: amazing, however. An excellent word, overused or not. I'm keeping it.

Baby bump can go.*

Ditto the new normal. I am against the new normal, and I am against calling the new normal the new normal. Get rid of it!

I'm keeping ginormous. Also bazillion and gazillion, in case anyone has big ideas for next year.

Never heard of pet parent or trickeration; don't care about blowback, shared sacrifice, or occupy. I don't spend time around people who say "man cave." If I did, I'd put it on the list.

Which brings me to Thank you in advance:
"Usually followed by 'for your cooperation,' this is a condescending and challenging way to say, 'Since I already thanked you, you have to do this.'" Mike Cloran, Cincinnati, Ohio
Oh, man. That takes me back. Do any of you remember all the 'Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and support' communiques we used to get from our erstwhile superintendent of schools?

I sure do. I'm going to have to dig up the citizens' op ed I wrote on the subject of parents being thanked for their ongoing cooperation and support. I was against it.

Back to the Lake Superior State:
The first list was dreamed up by Rabe and a group of friends at a New Year's Eve party in 1975. The following day, he released the list and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, nominations for words and expressions to be banished have been invited and accepted throughout the year.
I've already got my list for 2012 started.

Edu-words that should be banished from the queen's English:

Start with ENHANCED.

* Does anyone who is NOT an actress ever have a baby bump?

11 comments:

MagisterGreen said...

Edu-words that should be banished:

Authentic
Student-centered

Bostonian said...

Differentiated instruction -- the magical technique that makes it possible to teach 20+ students at very different levels, simultaneously.

Karen W said...

Rigorous

Karen W said...

Also relevant!

SteveH said...

21st Century Skills
(You mean there are skills they approve of?)

Drill and Kill
(For those 21st century skills.)

Constructivism
(Struggle and Kill.)

Critical Thinking
(Let the other students in the group figure it out.)

Discovery
(Kids being taught by the first student who figured it out wrong.)

Discovery
(Not possible individually, with direct instruction, or with homework.)

Flipping The Classroom
(Eliminating homework.)

Node Chairs(TM)
(Bumper cars.)

Online Learning
(The only option left for students.)

Best Practices
(Their own favorite ideas.)

Research Driven
(See "Best Practices".)

Data Driven
(For all of those individual needs.)

Rote Learning
(It's OK if it's self-selected, but it has to be the lattice technique.)

Superficial Knowledge
(All content.)

Spiraling
(Repeated partial learning.)

Circling
(See "Spiraling".)

Trust the Spiral
(Pass the buck.)

Scaffolding
(See "Spiraling".)

Voice
(Do you really expect us to teach writing?)

High Expectations
(Low expectations.)

Engagement
(Ditto.)

Active Learning
(Ditto.)

Motivation
(It's the student's fault.)

Life-Long Learner
(It's the student's fault.)

Differentiated Instruction
(Differentiated learning.)
(See also "Life-Long Learner".)

Full Inclusion
(Public schools have to teach ALL kids ... together.)

No Tracking
(Tracking by age.)

Educational Opportunity
(Equal education.)

Different Learning Styles
(As long as they include dioramas and group learning.)

Teacher as the Guide-On-The-Side
(Teacher at the desk available for questions.)

Balance
(No. Just kidding.)

Critical Thinking
(Opinion and feelings.)

The Smart Kids Will Do Just Fine
(With help from parents.)

All Kids Even Out By 4th Grade
(No child gets ahead.)

NCLB
(Low raw scores are turned into high proficiency percentages.)

Smartboards
(Dumbboards)

Calculators
(Avoidance tools.)

Parents Need to Turn Off the TV
(Parents need to practice math facts with their kids.)

College Prep
(The lowest level in high school.)

College
(The new high school.)




The worst part is that this just flowed out. It took me only a few minutes.

Anonymous said...

Peer tutoring

Mandatory volunteering/community service (as grad requirement - see MD/Montgomery County)Only certain kinds of service count, of course - nothing Boy Scout, church or temple-related

lgm said...

Seat Time (guaranteed employment)

Catherine Johnson said...

Can anyone tell SteveH has been at this for a while?

Catherine Johnson said...

LITERACY!

Banished.

Catherine Johnson said...

I need a separate list of words I want reinstated.

Starting with READING.

I would like the schools to teach READING.

Catherine Johnson said...

Also: STUDENT

I would like the word STUDENT reinstated in the Queen's English.

Goodbye to "learner" and "learners."