Cadet Essay Problems??

[AirAux]

Have any of you had problems getting cadets through the essay and speech requirement prior to the Mitchell?  Is it the school systems or what?  I am seeing grammar problems, punctuation problems, etc .  Sometimes the essays don't even make sense.  Is anyone else having these problems? 

[MICT1362]

I will attempt to respond with as little opinion as possible and use only what I see in the area in which I live.

The schools here do not teach public speaking, it's not even an elective.  So students here don't even get exposed to this type of instruction until they are in college.  This is a shame, but it is the norm.

Youth from a progressively younger and younger age are using electronic messaging systems like AIM, MSN and Yahoo Messengers as well as cellular phones.  Using these types of media, students tend to use nonstandard abbreviations and punctuation because it has become the norm.  Parents don't even both correcting it because it has become part of culture.

So, to say it is the schools fault is most likely partially true, however, I would suggest that it is more society than anything else.  The only thing that you can do is teach the cadet how to find the correct way of doing things.  Not to suggest that the cadet doesn't know, but remind them about the dictionary and thesaurus as well as APA or MLA formating for grammar in papers.  As far as the speaking portion goes, well, they are just going to have to learn how to do it.  The best way to learn is to practice.  Possibly have your cadet give the weekly announcements for a few weeks or even have them give parts of a public presentation.

I make my cadets draft memos in proper military format regularly as well as give recruiting presentation.  This forces them to learn, regardless of whether they want to or not.

-Paramedic

[EMT-83]

Debate club isn't just for nerds. If there is time in the schedule, maybe a "fifth" week, have a debate night. Assign the topic, divide the cadets into groups and have a quick debate. It's fun and definitely helps develop public speaking skills, along with the ability to form persuasive arguments and think on their feet.

[MICT1362]

Good Idea!  If you want to truly teach the cadets, you could have the debate team from your local HS, come in and teach them how to research and debate.  This would definitely help their skills!

[SarDragon]

IMHO, it's the general culture. I have tried to impress upon the members of CS and CT the importance of writing skills, and have met with limited success. Some care; most don't. I have no quick answers.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Our school had said courses as elective as well as class presentations in required courses. A leadership position in CAP is what really opened my shell and made me a decent public speaker. We also had decent writing practice. However when I got to college, a lot of students couldn't write a 2 page paper which means each course starts with instruction on writing. At 14-15 most cadets should know the basic intro-body-conclusion essay, but probably not anymore than that.

[tsrup]

Cadets should get experience with public speaking (at least in front of their flight/squadron) at the latest when they get their Wright Bros. 
Any one of my Cadet NCO's is fair game with instructing a class and they are required to prepare before hand.  Junior instructors are always evaluated and feedback is given. 

The key with getting cadets used to speaking publicly is to start small, then work them up on their comfort level. 

[CAPC/officer125]

Cadets should get experience with public speaking (at least in front of their flight/squadron) at the latest when they get their Wright Bros. 
Any one of my Cadet NCO's is fair game with instructing a class and they are required to prepare before hand.  Junior instructors are always evaluated and feedback is given. 

The key with getting cadets used to speaking publicly is to start small, then work them up on their comfort level. 

At my squadron, if you are cadet on staff (ie C/CC, C/FltSgt, or element leader) or SrAmn or above, you are put on the schedule to teach a class. My role as mentor is to sit back and help if needed but also to critic their performance and give them my notes afterwards to help them for next time. It really helps them come out of their shell and helps me see what needs work, so they can be the best they can be and better officers.

Our school had said courses as elective as well as class presentations in required courses. A leadership position in CAP is what really opened my shell and made me a decent public speaker. We also had decent writing practice. However when I got to college, a lot of students couldn't write a 2 page paper which means each course starts with instruction on writing. At 14-15 most cadets should know the basic intro-body-conclusion essay, but probably not anymore than that.

For this essay, the basic intro-body-conclusion essay is all that is really needed. You can't do much more than that with a 300-500 word limit. It is about 100 words a paragraph. The problem is that teachers are just happy when a kid turns a paper in, so they don't really focus on the mechanics and skill of writing a GOOD paper. I know from experience.

I think as part of becoming a C/MSgt they need to show they are proficient in writing a paragraph about something. It can be a moral leadership topic (practice for Spaatz), or a general "what are your plans after high school?"

[coudano]

It is no big deal for my cadets to go through 5 or 6 drafts, before turning in a "sat" essay.
I've had one exception that I can think of, a _really_ sharp cadet, got it on the first draft (that I saw)...  her mom is an english teacher at the high school.

Grammar and punctuation are always present, but the ability to identify main ideas and construct sentences around them into paragraphs seems to be the bigger thing to me.

I make my cadets write a five paragraph essay.  That's the easiest and most consistent way to teach, train, and evaluate.  I've run into some cadets that can write 'pretty well' but struggle with the new format.  And i've also run into cadets who struggle with being concise and to the point.

Ultimately though, CAP senior members aren't English teachers (well most of us aren't, anyway).  So I rake my cadets back and forth across the coals over their speech and writing, but the unit down the road might pencil whip it.   Too bad.

I am strongly in favor of programmatically requiring more writing and public speaking earlier in the program (starting about C/SSgt or so)

[dwb]

I am strongly in favor of programmatically requiring more writing and public speaking earlier in the program (starting about C/SSgt or so)

That is something you can implement locally.  It wouldn't solve the problem across the cadet program, but it might make the Armstrong essays a little less heinous when they come around.

[Eclipse]

So, what ur sane is that thr seems 2b an epic !FAIL! (ROTFLMAO) w/the way kidz comm der peeps?

I'm not seeing it...

From "creative spelling" to budget cuts, and parents who barely take the time to turn off ESPN to notice that their kids are home, is it any wonder?  For those who send the "lighten up" responses when we suggest the use of spell check and punctuation, you reap what you sow when you don't require it.

The lower tier of the universe may be moving to picto-grams to insure you know when the fries are done and not to smoke on the train, but it will be a long time before that is acceptable in the boardroom.  The dreaded essays are another safety valve CAP offers to cadets before it is too late for correction.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The lower tier of the universe may be moving to picto-grams to insure you know when the fries are done and not to smoke on the train, but it will be a long time before that is acceptable in the boardroom.  The dreaded essays are another safety valve CAP offers to cadets before it is too late for correction.

No Smoking signs are meant to be trans-lingual. Everyone knows what a Red X means (or most do). Everyone knows what a picture of a crossed out cigarette means.

When it comes to writing essays, I can't say I've ever seen any1 go in to netspeak.

[jeders]

When it comes to writing essays, I can't say I've ever seen any1 go in to netspeak.

Neither have I, fortunately, but I have seen high school juniors writing with the talent of a 3rd grader. I eventually passed the cadet, but it took a few re-writes.

[Майор Хаткевич]

When it comes to writing essays, I can't say I've ever seen any1 go in to netspeak.

Neither have I, fortunately, but I have seen high school juniors writing with the talent of a 3rd grader. I eventually passed the cadet, but it took a few re-writes.

Yesterday I had a buyer call about a tool he purchased. Must have been in his 30s-40s, and he could barely read the description back to me. If we get cadets to write decently, we've already given them a leg up on a lot of people.

[jimmydeanno]

Believe it or not, I've never had any real issues with my cadets.  Maybe it was the school system that I had around my units.  Most of the time I spend working with them on their essays has to do with idea construction, simplification of ideas, etc.  But, those are things that the average 9th grader is going to be working on in their English classes anyway.

If it takes two drafts before the final, they usually don't care. 

I think that many times, it is important to put things into perspective.  I would argue that the average Mitchell cadet is somewhere in 9th or 10th grade.  Take a look at the educational standards and expectations of a student in 9th or 10th grade and see if they're somewhere in that ballpark.

We aren't looking for Pulitzer Prize winning essays, but a good grasp of how to put together something that makes sense.  I've accepted essays that have had some punctuation issues and some sentence structure issues, but the ideas were good and for the most part it was well composed.

As for this,

When it comes to writing essays, I can't say I've ever seen any1 go in to netspeak.

my (ENGL 101) Proficiency in Writing class exposed me to a mixed group of people that gave me a whole new perspective.  The class included a 26 year-in-service E-9 who didn't know how to use capital letters or compose an idea.  It also exposed me to a 20-year-old girl who didn't understand that the discussion board, online, wasn't the same as talking on AIM.  I read essays that actually had, "LOL" in them.  So, yes, netspeak does make it into people's formal writing, but fortunately the educational system hasn't approved of it yet.

[Eclipse]

When it comes to writing essays, I can't say I've ever seen any1 go in to netspeak.

It isn't that they would go l33t in the paper, but that their thought process is all in abbreviations and quick notes instead of coherent
ideas.  Much of life is muscle memory and process - if you train your brain to work one way, that's how it works.

If 99% of a cadet's life ignores proper grammar, spelling, and more importantly, the attention to detail involved with those things, you can't be surprised with the results.

One could make the argument that these skills are only useful in a universe that requires them - do we need good writing skills in a world increasingly visual?  Unknown at this time.  Unlike math, where a calculator is useless without the basic knowledge of the functions behind it, language can be completely unwritten and still function effectively.

I'd say we have another century of societal evolution before we get close to that.

[coudano]

Here is an example essay that I show to my cadets, to show them how to write.
Sometimes the coding and information is overwhelming, but usually they can navigate it.

http://faculty.missouri.edu/~routierd/forums/EssayExample.pdf

If I find errors, I make them fix em.
If they can write an essay which errors dont' jump off the page at me, I call that "pretty darned good"
Granted, I tutored writing for several years in college, so what jumps off the page at me is different than what jumps off the page for joe-blow at podunk squadron 51.
299 words is unsat.  501 words is unsat.

Common structural errors found in achievement 8 essays:
No clearly defined essay structure...   at all...
No clearly identifiable topic sentence / main idea per paragraph.
Insufficient support for main ideas in paragraph.
Support sentences that are unrelated to the main idea.
Trash words in sentences that add to word count but don't add to value of what is being said
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation, of course.

Most cadets that i've graded don't actually make giant gaping logic, consistency, or factually false statements...   They're generally ok there...   It's the mechanics that kill them.

[Майор Хаткевич]

You know, this further leads into the Mitchell Syndrome - SDAs


For whatever reasons, they are a stumbling block for 2/3 cadets who reach the Mitchell.

[AirAux]

Unfortunately, I have to wholeheartedly agree with you on this one.  This is a real pet peeve of mine as I know several squadrons that don't require them and their cadets tell ours that they don't have to do them because they have a promotion board..  Me thinks that it is because the seniors don't know how to do them or don't want to spend the time to learn what's required.  It's a whole new ball game for the cadets, instead of just passing tests they have to start to research and think and write.  As seniors, we don't have a whole lot of guidance, but that doesn't excuse ignoring it or not helping the cadets learn how to progress.  We really need a 4-8 hour seminar at one of the Wing or Regional Conferences on this.. 

[jimmydeanno]

We really need a 4-8 hour seminar at one of the Wing or Regional Conferences on this..

On how to write an SDA?

It really isn't that hard.  There's an SDA guide that even provides an example.  The cadets follow the template, do some research, write their thoughts and voila, SDA done.

Perhaps cadets stall out because people are making more out of them than they really are.  If you're expecting a 30 page report on the functions of the assistant testing officer, it's a bit absurd.

SDAs having never been a stopping block for any of my cadet officers trying to actively advance through the program.  They produce quality reports and they gain some insight into squadron operations.  None of them fear them or are intimidated by them.

Just take a realistic approach to them, walk them through the first couple and back off more and more as they get it.

[AirAux]

So, do your cadets have a problem with the essays and speeches that we were talking about above??

[coudano]

i think he meant a seminar at wing conf for the senior members about how to evaluate sda's.
though having the cadet officers in on it couldn't hurt.

[jimmydeanno]

So, do your cadets have a problem with the essays and speeches that we were talking about above??

Sure, some have problems, the majority don't though.  However, that's where we come in.  As a rated Cadet Programs Officer, using the provided CAPP 52-14 that has a fully written sample, with guidelines in it, published criteria that it should meet, specific questions to answer, etc, it shouldn't be too difficult for an evaluating cadet programs officer to look it over and say, "this is good, this is where I think it's weak, make some corrections and bring it back."

Much of this can be prevented too.  When a cadet earns their Mitchell, a proactive solution is to go over the SDA process with them.  Perhaps, show them an example that was written previously.  Instead of, "you have to write SDAs now, go get 'em tiger."

They get better as they go along and do a few. 

The SDA report is not formally evaluated, but personally review it with the cadet, or delegate that task to the leadership officer or another capable senior member. Keep these guidelines in mind:
􀀗 Relevant directives, forms, and suspenses are listed in Part A
􀀗 The performance requirement(s) have been completed
􀀗 Questions are answered in the cadet's own words in the narrative
􀀗 The report is neatly prepared.
If the cadet's interpretation of the staff position is not completely accurate (as evidenced by the SDA report), provide an explanation or coach the cadet so that he or she better understands the staff position.
The SDA report fulfills the promotion eligibility requirements if the cadet satisfies the four guidelines above. The cadet fails the SDA report only if they do not fulfill those simple guidelines.

See.  It isn't as serious as everyone makes them out to be.