English 100 at Ashland

Last Friday, I visited the computer help desk in Patterson 100 to ask some questions about printing and other computer-related issues. Here is what I learned, in no particular order. Printing They no longer recommend printing from your personal computer. The official computer application you must use is unreliable. Instead, they recommend printing from a university-owned computer, which is connected more directly to the printer. One way to do this is to save your file to a flash drive and plug it in. Another way, if you are using Google Docs or Microsoft Word Online might be to simply open the file on the college computer and print from there. (I have no way to test that out.) Microsoft applications Microsoft Copilot: When the new Microsoft setup was rolled out a couple of years ago, we were told that Copilot was the only real way to get into your email, Word, etc. I was totally unthrilled by the idea that your fi...

Your first major essay is due in a few days, so here are a few last-minute rules about submissions in our course: Papers are due at 11:59 PM. (I could not do 12:00 because computers cannot figure out whether 12:00 is noon or midnight.) If you miss that deadline, you can still submit, but the late penalty discussed in the syllabus applies. I have set the number of attempts to “infinite,” so if you upload a draft in the morning and have a better idea in the afternoon, just load the new one. The only one I will read is the most recent. I have disabled the option of typing the whole thing raw into the Blackboard drop box. (That causes trouble for both of us and does not allow you to show where your paragraphs are.) You will have to figure out how to type something in a word processing program and upload it. If you decide to use the “Share” button in Google Docs or MS Word Online, I ...

Later in the course, I will have a lot to say about the difference between hard skills and soft skills . Briefly, hard skills are things you can write an instruction sheet for: changing a tire, writing a computer program, or taking blood pressure. Soft skills are all about attitude: how you approach the world and the work you do there. That’s what this list covers. Interestingly enough, in both the academic world and the world after college, soft skills determine your success more often than hard skills. I can teach you how to run a printing press or drive a stick shift much more easily than I can teach you how to be a cooperative part of the workforce, but that doesn’t mean the soft skills are unimportant. One of my friends who owns an electrical contracting company says the rule is “Two strikes and you are out”—late to work twice and you are fired. This list comes from a website for athletic coaches , but I think ...

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. ...

Stuff that just isn’t true A lot of fake news circulates concerning college life. I’m not sure where all of this comes from, but kids seem to tell each other these lies—and you need to ignore them. “College attendance doesn’t count” Yes it does, in two ways. In our course (and in many courses) attendance is part of the grade, and unexcused absences count against you. And obviously, if you weren’t here and the teacher said something you need, that hurts too. Some teachers don’t appear to take attendance, but they really can—they just know who is supposed to be in their small classroom. (I’m not that good. I will usually call roll.) You only think that absences don’t count against you because we don’t have an assistant principal phoning your mother. You are an adult now, and you should know how much absences hurt your grade. “Showing up late is how I assert my independence” No, showing up late is how you miss im...

Almost every bit of printed information in this course will come through the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS). I assume you learned how to use it during orientation, but just in case you missed that part, here is a quick access guide. There are a lot of ways to get to the first entry point. Here is one that works. You are already in our blog, so go back to the home page and look in the upper left for the little three line thing ☰ (it is called a hamburger). Click that to open the sidebar and find Our English Course. Now click Blackboard Log-in . The username and password are the same ones you use for Ashland University email. If you cannot get in using these, your next step is to talk to the IT people in the library or Patterson Hall. Once you are in, you are faced with (unfortunately) a very confusing screen which has little to do with you. On the left, in the dark grey area, click Courses. Th...

The word “syllabus” is one of those specifically academic words (perhaps your first) that only means something in college. You did not have one in high school, though a good teacher had a lesson plan and probably a set of personal rules and regulations. I have intentionally made our syllabus very complete, probably more complete than the ones you will meet in other courses. This is because I assume you are new to the college game and I want to give you a good overview of the sort of requirements you must face. In a way, the syllabus is a legal contract between you (the student) and me (the representative of Ashland University). When a dispute comes up between me and a student, the first question my supervisor asks is “Was it in the syllabus?” If you have ever dealt with union contracts, a college syllabus will make more sense. A word about audience On your first pass through, you will notice a lot of jargon and technical language. This is because—surp...