MLA. and The Element

MLA Formating

Just passing this information along. Joyce Valenza writes of major changes to MLA format that will be coming out in the spring. Here's some major changes that Joyce summarized:

• No More Underlining! Underlining is no more. MLA now recommends italicizing titles of independently published works (books, periodicals, films, etc).
• No More URLs! While website entries will still include authors, article names, and website names, when available, MLA no longer requires URLs. Writers are, however, encouraged to provide a URL if the citation information does not lead readers to easily find the source.
• Continuous Pagination? Who Cares? You no longer have to worry about whether scholarly publications employ continuous pagination or not. For all such entries, both volume and issue numbers are required, regardless of pagination.
• Publication Medium. Every entry receives a medium of publication marker. Most entries will be listed as Print or Web, but other possibilities include Performance, DVD, or TV. Most of these markers will appear at the end of entries; however, markers for Web sources are followed by the date of access.
• New Abbreviations. Many web source entries now require a publisher name, a date of publication, and/or page numbers. When no publisher name appears on the website, write N.p. for no publisher given. When sites omit a date of publication, write n.d. for no date. For online journals that appear only online (no print version) or on databases that do not provide pagination, write n. pag. for no pagination.

So those of you who have citation supports for your students will have to revise them.

The Element

After reading Doug Johnson's post about The Element, by Ken Robinson, I immediately went out, bought the book and started reading it. Robinson defines "The Element" as that place where passion and aptitude meet and he says that education often leads people away from their aptitudes and stifles or eliminates creativity. And creativity is what employers are looking for in their workers. He writes of how schools have a narrow view of what counts as intelligence and schools need to re-invent themselves to support students whose strengths do not lie in math, science or English/Language Arts. . I haven't read very far but I'm thinking that the book will provide strong evidence for differentiated instruction and teaching to student's intelligences.
Here's what I wrote in response to Johnson's post:

I am going to read this book ASAP. I have 3 children - one is almost finished medical school, the other is finishing a master's in biomedical engineering and my third just graduated with a bachelor of music in jazz performance. He wants to compose movie scores. Guess who I worry about? But you know, if I didn't have to worry about income I'd probably be in the arts as well - singing in some band! I have always encouraged my third to follow his passion and I know that he'll probably be OK but I still worry.

Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind writes about how creativity will be the marketable skill of the 21st century. Should I not be worrying about my third and worrying about my other two who have followed a 20th century path?

I really can't wait to read more.

PS I wrote my first poem in about 30 years. I am waiting from feedback from my writing group. Not sure if I'm ready to go public yet as it is a new writing format and not sure if it's a risk I want to take.