[Rhapsody]

[Yavanie]

OOO Diddler pegged it - it's expectations!

While in college I made pizza money on the side helping other students write their essays for lower level English classes. Think beta, cause they had to do the research. And let me tell you, the ones I ended up with most were the hard science majors (physics, engineering, chemistry). Intelligent, but not able to "write".

The worst best example I can think of is when I volunteered to edit my friend's Master's Thesis for his Anthropology Masters Degree. I painstakingly went through the entire document (it was 1 1/2 inches thick when finalized and bound), and corrected all his mistakes. At first he was using his/hers or him/her or he/she for all references to a person in general. I corrected it all to 'he' or told him that as he was using hypothetical cases to make every other case feminine.

He came back with the DEPARTMENT GUIDLINES - all references to A person in general will use "they" or them. ?


Okay, I went to the national publications of the academic eschelons and the bulk of their literature states that the use of the term 'he' refers to a person of the human race and is not meant to be construed as not pertaining to both genders except in specific cases where such is noted to apply to one gender only. (okay well, they said it in some formal jargon, but you get it).

I took this to the department head and the academic standards board. And was summarily dismissed with a thanks for your opinion. (I mean what could I possibly know, not being a graduate or doctoral student nor yet, an English major).

And they wondered why their students did not get the respect the department felt they deserved in academic circles.

[Viv]

[SpaceWeavil]

[Diddler07]

Hello everyone

[NeumeIndil]

I tutor college level writing. The first scary part of that is the number of my coworkers who are supposed to advise students about proper grammar, punctuation, and citations that can't come up with a coherent argument to save their own backsides. The second are the instructions coming from the department heads and our supervisor. We're supposed to work on grammar as a last resort or a "polish" on papers and concentrate on making sure the student has a well structured paper (thesis, support etc.), but when I read through a senior business major's 2 page report about how a managerial case study could be applied to his own experiences in the work world and found (I kid you not) over 3 dozen errors, I had to give it a "polish" before I could even make sense of the argument, which he didn't actually have. That example isn't even the worst I could think of, but those stories belong in the "customer service experience" thread since it's apparently my fault when a football player with an attitude and wandering eyes doesn't listen to my suggestions for his paper, turns it in half finished and then can't play that week because he got a D- on a paper that (if I'd been the prof.) I would have made him re-write completely.

I finally asked to be put specifically with ESL students and students with IEP papers (learning difficulties like dyslexia). Those students were simply still learning written communication; the "regular" students had been taught poorly and resisted the re-teaching they needed to comprehend what they were doing... but the department seemed to think leaving students to work out their own grammar mistakes was good enough as long as we beat structure into their heads. I realize that universities are businesses, but when your product output is sub-standard, your business will either be shut out by superior products or find ways to revamp itself. That's not happening in U.S. universities and it's really starting to make me laugh because in trying to cut costs, the boards of directors seem to forget they lose quality as well and then blame the very people trying to fix it. All this boils down to the one thing I think has saved me as a thinking person in a severely screwed up education system. My parents, especially my father, taught me everything possible outside of school. The teachers weren't sure how to handle a child so well-rounded in the primary grades, but I think those varied interests and the push to always ask why and then figure it out really made me enjoy learning. Granted, knowing I understood more science in second grade than the student teacher did caused some problems, but none of them were life ending. Until we can revise education systems (Anybody else think Satan will be giving sleigh rides by the time that happens or am I the only pessimist wandering about?) the burden of a good education falls on the parents and family. We sure as heck can't lean on the public school system to do it; they're a business too.

[ghettoelleth]

I think that, in general, people are more forgiving of math tards then of those who are limited in their ability to express themselves verbally or in writing. Then again, that makes sense considering we rarely judge anyone based on how well they balance their checkbook, but get just a simple note from someone that is full of errors in spelling, punctuation, syntax discrepancies, etc, and one immediately begins to wonder about the author's intellectual level. That said, I know many many folk, much more intelligent than I who can barely construct a written sentence. It seems to me that the people I know who brilliant in the areas of math and especially science are the ones who leave the house without combing their hair and can't seem to spell their own name the same way twice in a row. I guess its just a right/left brain thing. All I know is, I'd rather be able to write than formulate equations in my head without using my fingers to count with.

[NancyBrooke]

[ghettoelleth]

Not to kiss your ass or anything, Duchess, but I've seen you do better yourself.

Six children, six! We’ve been lucky, Bell and me, blessed.

Gamgees have been tending the Hill for four generations now; four! But there’s just my Sam, now, my Sam’s stayed to home.

A gardener wants to plant somethin’ that’ll grow, that’ll bloom and give back to the soil. Wild flowers are pretty enough, but they scatter their seeds as can, come what may. That’s not what a gardener wants.

Sam’s had all I’ve got to give, now; oh, not letters and such like but things just as important, and I’ve seen them take root and grow in ‘im.

Aye, blessed.

Only 100, you did him four words better and this one makes me cry still, while beautiful, his did not.

[NancyBrooke]

[NancyBrooke]

Not where I meant this thread to go! but Thanks, G, ya crazy kid

[vladazhael]

[Diddler07]

Well put. And we do all make our choices.
A nice healthy mix would be best - I think.

But seriously. What's this hotornot.com? And who's the hottie for today?

[Alassante]

Well Diddler - I was way too curious so here you go -

http://www.hotornot.com/

[Maram68]

Commenting on the original issue, I think that most of the quality and dedication for the written word has not only changed because and through the media, but also because the whole rhythm of life has evolved, which isn'ty such a great thing.

We simply have no more time to indulge into writing, reading the written word and letting imagination unfold and then capture it all over again.

No, I don't make written notes for what I write anymore. I just type ideas, chat bits, links and ideas in a text file and then move on from there.

That is why, for example, I take some time off to send handwritten Christmas cards (to convey my feelings to those I send a card to) and try to write notes with gifts.

My writing has worsened over the years, it has acquired the quality of hyeropglyphs (sp?) but I am still trying.

We should try to return to the world of handwriting and imagination, at least to an extent were we find the beauty of it again and include it in our daily life. Details.