Happy to Be Here

I'm certainly excited to be working at OUC's Writing Center.

So, here's some background info on me. I'm happily married to an Adult Services Librarian and have a gorgeous soon-to-be five-year-old daughter. We live in Waverly with our three cats. I previously worked as the editor of "The Pike County News Watchman" for five years. I returned to OUC last Winter to finish a degree I put off for six years. It's about time, is all I can say.

I've finally decided what to actually do with my English degree, which is teach. Therefore, I'll make my attempt at grad school before long. I'd like to attend OSU, since they offer a five-quarter Masters program in English Education. I've just always known that teaching is my niche, and I can't waste it. However, I've been determined to avoid majoring in education. I'd rather specialize in my field, and then learn all of the administrative/paper work/how-to-teach mumbo jumbo.

So, this new opportunity is particularly exciting for me. My goal is to immerse myself in this wonderful language we call English, while teaching others how to use it. At my job as editor, I worked mainly fixing others' writing errors, without having the opportunity to sit them down and correct their issues one at a time. Since we were constantly on deadlines, this was just the most efficient way to get the work done. However, I know that those poor writers weren't getting any better by me fixing their errors. Working here at the Writing Center, I'll be able to actually feel like I'm making a difference in my peers' education. I truly believe knowledge is power, and I want other people to have this revelation, as well. I plan to bestow it upon everyone I possibly can!

I also welcome this opportunity to learn and grow my own skills. I know everyone has room for improvement, and I'm ready to improve! I hope this experience gives me more ambition to produce my own works, as well. I've never really thought of myself as a writer, per say, but I think it's in me, somewhere, somehow. Maybe this experience will help draw it out of me!

Day One of Fall 2008 Training!

Glad all could come and participate in this WC orientation/training gig. I hope you find our time together meaningful and helpful when you sit down with your first tutee next week!

For the next 30 minutes, I would like for you to take the time to peruse our Writing Center blog and to join in on our conversations.

[I have handouts of the reading materials we have used so far. Catch up on them as you can.]

Otherwise, I challenge you to further reflect on today's topics and to create your own post here, summarizing, analyzing, critiquing, and/or simply responding to what you have learned.

Then, be sure to comment on at least one other post from today.

See you tomorrow!

A Pest Ghost! Er, I mean... a Guest Post! ...Or Was I Right the First Time?

Geia sas, agapati filia moy! Yes, it's all Greek to you... for the annual Labor Day Greek Festival is going on in Columbus and I'm a-gonna be there this year. w00t! Er, I mean... OPA!! I am an admitted Hellephile (and no, that doesn't mean I molest people named Helen), so I'm all happy about going.

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend! Don't get pulled over by cops or anything. Don't burn any body parts on the grill.

...No, there's really nothing special about this post. I just wanted to post.

From the coast.

As a ghost.

...with some toast.

Shutting up now.

Two Great Tutors

Yes, we lost Tim and Kelly at the end of Spring quarter as they transitioned to Shawnee University, but most recently, we've lost BRANDI and KATIE!

Brandi has tutored for ages and we will certainly miss her expertise and charm. Kent State's MA program is certainly lucky to have her. However, we know that no matter what Brandi does, she will excel and bring back lots of new stories with her visits to the Writing Center. Perhaps we will even be treated with an occasional guest blog . . .

And Katie is off to Muskingum to study our ever-pressing environmental issues. Will she survive dorm life? Will she find a handy Starbucks or Subway? Who will create our fliers and bookmarks? We will miss you Katie, and we hope you find a fantastic niche at Muskingum where they appreciate you as much as we did/do!

Visit anytime, folks!

Is this what we do?

Found this site, which seems more like a game to me.

http://www.telescopictext.com/

Somehow this seems like what I do as a tutor, but the angle is unclear. Do we as tutors build three word sentences into short essays? Or do we cut all the stuff out about the choice of biscuit and the color of the sky? And what are digestive biscuits?

Bye Bye Katie & Brandi!

Go ahead, leave us here to mourn your previous contributions. Like you really loved us anyway! No, I don't believe you! You SAY, you liked it here. If that's true, why are you both leaving? Oh, I see how it is, you think you're going to run off and "better yourselves." HA! Fools you both are! Remember, the devil you know is always better than the devil you don't know! Someday you'll both look back and realize what you left behind. And when you do...you'll rejoice with song and dance. That's when those of back at the ranch will know how cold and calculated you both were about "getting out." Yes, yes, one of these days you'll both get what's comming to you...a degree from a fine institution of higher learning. Good luck guys! We'll miss you both!

EBSCO Host Database

Thanks to all who participated in the EBSCO Host
database training on Friday.

Although the training was brief, I think those of us
who attended picked up a couple of useful skills
for searching EBSCO.

If you missed the session and would like more information,
contact Sarah Dilley at dilleys@ohio.edu .

Hypothetically Speaking

In Nicole Kraemer Munday's essay "(Non)Meeting of the Minds," she offers a close analysis of a tutoring scenario in which the tutee is actually empowered enough to take control of a writing session, only to have it flop.


What went wrong? If you were Sally, how would you have handled the situation? At which point?


Somewhere in your post, analyze your own tutoring approach--are you "nondirective or directive" (18)? Explain.

Can we aim for Wednesday, August 20 as a pseudo-deadline?