CCC 19: the politics of the program: MS word as the invisible grammarian

McGee, Tim, and Patricia Ericsson. Computers in the Composition Classroom:

            a Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Michelle Sidler, Elizabeth O. Smith, and Richard

            Morris. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 308-25. Print.

Image from Microsoft ClipArt

In this article by McGee and Ericsson, the issue is brought up about the problems with MS Word's grammar checker. The authors cite that while the MS Word grammar checker is one of the best there is, it still has a ton of flaws, and can actually hinder student learning and writing as a whole. 

What interests me most is that on page 319, the authors state that the best practice for improved writing is a "concern for the social nature of writing, and an eye to the total ecology in which writing is incubated, produced, and consumed." The section goes on to say that writing is "multilayered, collaborative, and digitally enhanced." It is for this reason that the grammar checker is harmful. Students get so hung up on tiny grammar errors-- or lack thereof, in a lot of cases-- that they don't view their writing as a holistic experience, made up of many layers. 

What confuses me is the fact that the programming that shapes grammar checkers in MS Word is being compared to the grammar lessons on school textbooks. Both systems are spoken about unfavorably in this chapter. "Yes, some MSGC content comes straight out of handbooks, and is therefore every bit as beneficial or useless as what can be found in some school grammars." The fact that grammar lessons can be seen as useless is very confusing to me, as teachers expect their students to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout their academic careers. While I understand that writing should be seen as multilayered (as mentioned above), I still think grammar has a place and is valued throughout academia. Even if it is useless, I've never met an English instructor who wouldn't deduct major points from a writing assignment if proper grammar wasn't present. 

I'd like to learn more about what's mentioned on page 313-- the concept of computerizing the activity of grammar checkers. "We cannot computerize any activity without having to completely rethink the activity, including all the assumed behaviors that have become virtually invisible." What exactly does this mean? Does this go back to having to integrate computers into the classroom in an intelligently designed way?