English 101 at Ashland

One really important part of my life is the journal I write in several times a week. (I like to say that it is cheaper than a psychiatrist and nearly as effective—and I really do believe that.) I keep several, for different purposes: one is the day journal, which usually gets about a page when I go to the coffee house for a morning muffin, about three times a week; another is specifically church-related stuff; yet another (three, actually) relate to the three English courses I usually teach. These last ones, the church journal and the English course journals, might go several weeks without an entry. The key idea is to get used to putting your ideas on paper. I like to look back sometimes and see where I was a month or six months ago. Sometimes that is very encouraging. Here are some of my personal rules about my journal. It’s very private. I do not want you reading it without permission. (On the other hand, I am aware that my kids ...

Background Beginning about 1980, we got enthralled by computers, the academic world more than anyone else. We got the idea that nobody would ever write anything by hand again and computers would be our only way of communicating. Ohio public schools stopped teaching children handwriting because they were convinced that everything would be done by machine and picking up a pen would become an ancient, useless skill like churning butter. I see the results of this attitude every semester: If I give a quiz in class, half of the students do not have pen or pencil, and I suspect that they do not even own them. If we do an in-class writing exercise, several students will be shaking their hands in pain after five minutes. You would think they had stuck their hands into a fire. If a student must miss a class session, I get an email with the incredibly insulting question: “Did we do anything in class?” It would never d...

Any good musician, athlete, or artist will tell you the same thing: good equipment and setup are extremely important. They all believe in good quality specific tools, so I’m going to send you to the store. Walmart or Target (or the campus bookstore when we are back in session) should have everything you need. (By the way, I want to keep this project very inexpensive.) Pencils, pens, etc. A couple of common yellow #2 pencils would be a good choice (though you would have to figure out a way to sharpen them). Rollerball pens are also very good for what we are doing. There are several good brands, but I like the Pilot Precise V5 Rollerball Pen (you can get a package of seven in a variety of colors for about sixteen bucks). You might like to buy a single pen and try it out; if you don’t like it, you can try something different. Avoid ballpoints, especially the cheap give-aways from the bank. (The lady at my bank says she always brings in her o...

Years ago, I knew a guy who tried to learn tap-dancing by reading a book. It didn’t go too well. He had the history and the theory (sort of) but not the moves and rhythm. We have the same problem with this blog item: I can share some tips and tricks and tell you of some problems I have faced, but handwriting is a very physical skill and a lot of what you need will come from just watching someone do it (and watching yourself for places you can improve). But we have to begin somewhere, so here we go. Personal disclosure: I wasn’t taught very well either, so I began with two really big mistakes. I held the pen in a death grip so tight that my hand was sore after just a small amount of writing (and I destroyed several cheap fountain pens before I learned to lighten up). Not only that, but I somehow got the idea that the goal was to write very fast. So here is the first rule: Relax! Chill a bit! What we are trying to make Seventy-five or a hundred ye...

A little background Years ago, the in-class handwritten exam was standard in almost every college course. Across Ashland University, we are returning to that sort of assignment, and many other colleges are doing the same, to assess what students can do without ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or any other machine doing the writing. What do you know? That’s the question we are working on. Here is my advice for doing well on these tests. Before the test It’s always OK to ask beforehand what sort of test it will be. If you are asked to discuss course content (lectures, reading, and so forth), spend some time reviewing your notes. Bring your own pen and paper. Bring extras—pencil points break and pens run out of ink. If your instructor has special requirements (blue book, for example), be sure to bring the right stuff. A good night’s sleep will help a lot. You probably do not want to tank up on coffee. ...