ARE SMARTPHONES

DUMBING
DOWN OUR KIDS?
50%
of teens said they use informal
writing styles instead of proper
capitalization and punctuation in
their school assignments.
38%
of teens said they have used
text shortcuts in school work
such as LOL, or laugh out
loud.
25%
of teens said they have used
emoticons, such as smiley faces,
in school work.
M
onmouth University professor Elizabeth Gilmartins
writing lab is lined with computers but she starts her
classes out the old-fashioned way. First things first:
She instructs students to put away their smartphones. Then, she
tells them to write an essay by hand. Sometimes the response
is downright hostile, Gilmartin says.
You see a decline in respect (for
working without technology) in
some ways, in ways we never would
have done when we were young,
Gilmartin said. The technology has
changed the way students communi-
cate.
Therein lies the problem, say
some Shore area educators heading
back to school this week.
Educators said crutches like au-
tocorrect, spellcheck and text mes-
sage shorthand are teaching stu-
dents to LOL at the idea that they
may need to sharpen their writing
skills. As a result, teachers said
theyre struggling to teach stu-
dents to write, spell and use proper
grammar.
Others, however, say technol-
Real writing is not 2M2H 4U, RLY! >:0
By Carol Gorga Williams @APPCarol
See DUMBING, Page A6
RED BANK CATHOLIC EXTENDS
SHORE CONFERENCE VICTORY
STREAK WITH WIN OVER WALL
PETER ACKERMAN/
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SPORTS, C1
ARE FOREIGN
FLIGHTS REALLY
RISKIER? 1B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TransAsia Airways
Flight GE222
Asbury Park Press APP.COM $1.00
),
/sbury Park Press daily

SATURDAY 09.06.14
VOLUME 135
NUMBER 214
SINCE 1879
ADVICE D6
CLASSIFIED D7
COMICS D5
LOCAL A3
MOVIES D4
OBITUARIES A8
OPINION A11
SPORTS C1
WEATHER C12
YOUR MONEY A4
SEASIDE BOARDWALK SHOP BUSTED
$11,000 worth of fake Rolex watches, other counterfeit goods seized in raid; owner arrested A4
SCHOOL OFFICIAL: I WAS THREATENED
Lakewood Board of Education member wants woman banned from meetings after spat A9
HOME DELIVERY ADVANTAGE!
Coupons inside today only for home delivery subscribers.
To subscribe to the Asbury Park Press, call 1-800-822-9779. UP TO $840
S
A
V
E
SWEET SURRENDER:
STIR UP THE WEEKEND
WITH DESSERT-INFUSED
COCKTAILS
INDULGE, D1