English Department
The English Department at Dallastown School District has changed substantially over the years. The introduction of typewriters and computers has made a big difference in the writing classes. Students have many more choices about what courses they will take. Electives have changed form tow or three thirty years ago, to more than twenty now. The English Department has improved a lot.
Writing has become much more important to the English Department. "The use of computers improves neatness and grammar, it also makes it a lot easier on us teachers to read and critique stories or projects," commented Mr. Mike Baldwin. Using computers on school assignments helps students when it comes time for revising and making corrections. "Students with bad handwriting can receive a better grade without getting points taken off for sloppiness," replied Mr. Baldwin.
Teachers now practice many different writing techniques like journals, projects, and reports, "When I began teaching we used a book called Anthology, it had many different stories which the teacher would read to the class. Now, the English Department buys many copies so each student can read along with the class," declared Mrs. Linda Myers. The school also buys videos for classes. Videos are helpful to watch after reading a story to help understand a book better. For example, Edgar Allan Poe stories are very hard to comprehend and can be very complicated. So, watching a video of a story can help a student better analyze a book.
"In the sixties there were eleven English teachers in the high school and now there are seventeen English teachers," recalls Mrs. Baldwin. "In the late sixties there were four English teachers in the middle school and now there are twelve teachers," said Mrs. Myers. Also, with the increase of teachers there is an increase of electives to over twenty. "Some of the electives include Russian Literature, Eastern European Literature, Minority Groups Literature, also many having to do with sports," commented Mr. Baldwin.
In the long history of Dallastown, very few books were determined inappropriate for school. "One, includes Hex a story about an old man that lived in Rehmyers Hollow, who was accused of voodoo and witchcraft," recites Mrs. Myers. Mr. Baldwin recalls, "Huckleberry Finn was approached by the NAACP. Saying that the book was racial, but I backed the school by saying that it is not racial and that Tom Sawyer spoke with a racial content, because it was written like how kids would have talked in that time period."
The Dallastown English Department has changed very much since the opening of the school. Technology has played a big role int he improvement of the English Department. Teachers are now getting students ready for life after school. TEachers are getting better reading material and videos. All these critical parts are what make the Dallastown English Department one of the best.
