When Will We Ever Use This Stuff?

"When will we ever use this stuff?" is an oft heard refrain in middle and high school classrooms, and I'll admit I often asked that question myself (most often in Math and Science). According to Carol Jago, it's a valid question, especially when students are asked to write responses to literature. After all, apart from college professors, who does that in real life?

In her NCTE white paper titled "Crash! The Currency Crisis in American Culture" Carol provides some answers. Jago has taught middle and high school for 32 years in Santa Monica, California, and directs the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA. She is president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of English and has written four books in the NCTE High School Literature series.

After you check out her white paper, be sure to weigh in at the NCTE ning. The follow-up comments make for interesting reading as well!