Hello from my upstairs office,
As I move into my last month of teaching during the academic year, and there is an additional four week summer course to manage, I find myself stepping back to reflect on what being involved in some kind of teaching since 1992 has shown. When I took that first position at Suomi College, a Finnish Lutheran Junior College in Hancock, Michigan, I was naive believing that being a professor, or even an instructor as I was, was valued and respected. What I learned then was I had incredibly talented and brilliant colleagues, ones woefully under-compensated for the amazing things they did in their classrooms. I remember going toe-to-toe with a President at a meeting when I argued that bringing woefully underprepared students to the Upper Peninsula for two years or less and then sending them home for their academic failure was exploitation because the college had received full financial aid, and the students left with thousands of dollars of debt. Needless to say, the President did not appreciate my opinion, and he screamed his displeasure with me. That was three decades ago, and unfortunately, I see this same thing still occurring today. There has been a lot written about this, and while I am certainly supportive of providing opportunity to a wide range of first generation students. Merely bringing them to campus, putting them in a room, giving them a schedule, and feeding them does not create a successful environment. I am also aware of the supportive programs, the early alerts, the recent practice of sending alerts to a web of individuals will somehow remedy their under-preparedness, believing we have done what is necessary seems to be falling short on multiple levels. What have we done by pushing the practice that college is necessary for all to succeed?
This is a difficult question, and it is something that has been decades in the making. The great majority of students I meet have grown up believing they are required to attend college. 529 Accounts, the continued growth of endowments and university foundations have worked diligently to make it fiscally feasible, and yet those often it falls woefully short as the average undergraduate debt in the states is now $37,000 (as of 2023). And that is just the financial piece of the puzzle. The move toward STEM above all else has had consequences also. And I mean no lack of appreciation for my colleagues in the College of Science and Technology or the College of Health Professions, but without an understanding of the world as a complex culture, which requires the Arts and the Humanities, we are little more than the individuals George Orwell predicted in his dystopian novel. And while I appreciate the importance of the Professional U office at our university, and even more so the staff who works tirelessly to prepare students to take what they learn and put it into practice, too often this becomes one more box to check, continuing what seems to be a recipe card to a diploma versus encouraging those in our classes to think, analyze, and synthesize what they are doing in their classes. As I have noted in previous blogs, it was a first trip to Europe during a January interim that I learned how to learn. I was 25 years old, and I had been through the Marine Corps, but I had little idea how do to more than memorize and regurgitate. It was as I walked the streets of Rome, Florence, Munich, Copenhagen, Lübeck, or Aachen that I began to realize learning was experiencing and pondering. Education was absorbing and discussing the experience with someone who offered insight, walking with someone who saw the complexity of the world, but could explain it to a somewhat worldly, and yet simple Midwestern young man in a way that made a difference. It was being that sponge and not realizing what all happened, and often for years. It was connecting the words of Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Mann to the places they wrote of, and for me it was the first experience of what would become a life-long struggle with health that had me depart on my own, attempting to get back to the states (which did not happen), only to find my way around Germany on my own until I was reunited with my classmates to fly back together. Auguries of Loneliness was the title of that interim, and I lived it in a way unanticipated.
What I see and what I hear today is more about just completing the pieces to the requirement puzzle, checking off the boxes and finishing the 120. One of the colleges worked intentionally, and intently, to keep their students from needing anything outside their college, believing such a narrow focus would prepare someone for our increasingly complex world. I think there has been some reversal, but the academic arrogance of that stunned many. And yet, I think there is more of the canary-in-the-coalmine reality to this example than most want to admit. I have noted my appreciation for aspects of STEM education than some of my liberal arts colleagues, but as I watch what is happening throughout the system, I see a sort of vocational reality permeating higher education. And yet in spite of the movement toward the vocationalism of higher education, studies show that a degree in the liberal arts will pay more by the age of 40, the ability think critically will far outweigh the skills someone learns, and the questions of how are you going to get a job is not actual as English and foreign language majors are statistically more likely to be employed, less likely to be underemployed, than they natural science colleagues (43 and 41 compared to 51-47% for sciences and business) (Humanities Works). I am that liberal arts graduate with an undergraduate degree in History and Humanities and minors in German and Religion. When I graduated from Dana, I had a opportunity to go to law school, to seminary, or even to do graduate work in history. Certainly there was more that needed to happen, but I was not looking at being unemployed or underemployed. When I arrived at Bloomsburg for my in person interview, my late colleague Dr. Terry Riley asked me to come into his office and chat. One of the things I will always remember about his conversation was his specific note that in spite of being a professional writing person, which to this day most literature people under-appreciate or misunderstand, I had a liberal arts background. I believe to this day that was the deciding factor that moved me into my position.
During this last semester of teaching I have connected my areas of professional writing, rhetoric, and composition in a manner never before attempted. It has been revealing. Through scaffolding assignments, and working with a writing process, working to help my students develop their writing, the general lack of any sense of process, the struggle to write thoughtful and usable introductions, the overwhelmed feelings they have when I ask them to create a storyboard and integrate sources is both incredible and sad. And yet it is not something that can be laid at their feet in totality. As I have noted with some of them, we speak regularly about the importance of writing of communicating, but we do little to foster or develop it. Think about this: Students are required to earn 120 hours for their bachelors degree, and yet only 6 of them are considered writing specific or intensive or 5%. There is no consistent intentionality about writing, citation, or grammar from most of my colleagues. They look at content, and generally lament the rest, while blaming me that I did not fix them in my 14 week Foundations course. This is not hyperbole. I remember times at ad hoc lunches with colleagues from other departments, and their questioning what I taught in my classes. There is so much to offer here, but it would take a book. As I noted a recent blog, one of my Stout colleagues simply admitted he did not know how to manage the grammatical issues of a paper, and that was more than proofreading and editing. I do not think there is much different now, and perhaps it is even more difficult. Working with writing and deciding what to focus upon has long been up for discussion, debate, and often contentious. The likes of Peter Elbow, Andrea Lunsford, Linda Flower, Patricia Bizzell, or James Berlin all offer something about how we should teach in a classroom, and what I have found as both a process composition theorist, a rhetorician, and someone who believes in connecting culture to the rhetorical situation, grammar still matters. That is both a rhetorical move for me as well as my firm believe in the connection of thought to practice, and practice to genre expectation. I remember as a first year student at Dana being required to compose two essays on the fly for readers. We had three chances to pass two. It was required to move beyond freshman composition. When I offer that remembrance to my students they get the glazed look of “walking uphill to school both ways.” Writing is central to our humanity. It is one of those places we take what we think and attempt to quantify and qualify it. It is where we connect thought to communication. It has significance for identity, for our ability to think and reflect, for our ability to succeed in our world. Certainly technology has affected it, and AI will affect it. There is so much angst among my colleagues. I see students already using technology in a variety of ways that are attempts to circumvent the art of writing. When this is the intent, I too will reject it, but if it done by asking more thoughtful, careful, analytical questions to see what happens, I find the possibilities something worthwhile. Perhaps what I find myself doing is deconstructing the idea of writing. While I find some helpfulness in the idea of post-modernism from time to time, it seems I have more traditionalism in me. As such, I am not post-structuralist, and I am certainly not post-process. I am perhaps more process driven than ever before. I need to consider why that is. Some of it is comfortability; some of it is efficaciousness; but more often most of it is the response of students. They find a way to move forward in a meaningful manner. They approach writing with less trepidation, less disenchantment, and perhaps more importantly, they begin to believe they can write.
That is what education is. It is creating a sense of belief in one’s ability to think, to analyze, and to put that thought and analysis into practice, into communicative practices that help them navigate a rapidly changing world. As I move rapidly toward the end of my daily work in the academy, I am both disenchanted at moments and hopeful at others. As I consider the role of writing, of the importance of the humanities in our world, I know there will continue to be changes, but the basics remain. Critical thought and the ability to articulate that to compose about those thoughts will never lose their importance. Certainly technology will change its form. Certainly AI will offer new and yet unrealized possibilities. To Dr. Richard Jorgensen, my first composition professor (yes, he taught it the fall of 1979), to Dr. John Mark Nielsen and the late Dr. Donald Juel, both who pushed me to improve my writing through their honest critique, and to my mentors, Drs. Diana George, Marilyn Cooper, and Elizabeth Flynn, my composition theorists at MTU, thank you for all you taught me to succeed in the classroom. To all of my students who pushed me to improve my pedagogy, I am grateful. I feel like there is still so much to learn, but I will keep doing it on the other side too. I hope my verse, which has often been a sentence without rhyme, but with punctuation and signs, with thought and reason created a verse that is memorable.
Thanks as always for reading.
Dr. Martin
thewritingprofessor55 
Dr. Martin,
Your comment about acquiring an undergraduate degree has become just checking off boxes and requirements stuck out to me. I believe that this statement is due to a certain degree. As an American Sign Language major, I have a lot to learn. I didn’t come into this major knowing a lot and there are multiple tests/performance interviews that I need to pass in order to graduate. I am very interested in ASL and try to absorb as much knowledge I can on the subject. You also said that we only need 120 hours worth to obtain an undergraduates degree. A quick Google search informed me that to become fluent in the basics of a language requires over 480 hours of practicing. Comparing that statistic to the 120 hours we put into our degree is baffling. That being said, I feel like those of us who are really dedicated to our interpreting degree puts more into it than just checking off the boxes of classes we need.
I know a lot of people who only go to college to get a degree because that is what they are expected to do. They aren’t really passionate about their major and just want to get a degree to get a better paying job. I feel like this is unfortunately becoming more common, therefore, there are more people who just want to check off the requirements needed to obtain that important piece of paper.
However, when it comes to general education classes, it is more of a check off the boxes it takes to finish them. Most of the gen ed classes I need to take, I’m not interested in. Yes, I have many options to choose from but most of the classes that I want to take fall into the same few “Goals” or categories (i.e. Communication, Social Sciences, and Culture & Diversity). I’m not really interested in math or science so I honestly do do the bare minimum for those classes and try and pass them just to check off those boxes. Besides ASL, I have other classes that I want to take that match my interests but they either don’t go towards my major, minor, or gen eds, so why would I spend $1,000 to take a class that doesn’t go towards anything? Thankfully, I was able to add a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) minor that does include a lot of the classes I want to take so I feel like I’m not wasting my time taking a class that won’t amount to anything.
Dr. Martin,
I appreciate the thoughts that you shared in this post, and I do agree with the topics that you mentioned. I agree that college is changing and the priorities within it are shifting as well. Personally, as sad as it sounds, I sometimes am distracted by just completing the work and assignments instead of gaining proper knowledge from it instead. For instance, as a nursing major there are immense amounts of paperwork that need to be completed during clinical days, simulation experiences, etc. Some of the time, my priorities shift and my knowledge is impacted due to my main focus being to just complete the assignment. This is honestly disappointing because clinical hours should be designated to just soaking up the experience, being able to practice skills we have worked hard to master, and learning and growing from the vast amount of situations we encounter. However, due to the long amounts of paperworks that compile into hefty packets with rapidly approaching due dates on top of an already jam-packed schedule, I find myself focusing on working hard to complete the paperwork so I do not have to drown in work at home. Sadly, this ultimately means that I may miss opportunities presented to me while being present on the clinical floor. As much as I try to avoid this situation, and I do still learn and experience a lot of things while spending my time at clinical, I do wish some things were a little different. Sometimes I wish I could be more of a “sponge” on the clinical floor and verbalize everything I learn in a reflective way rather than completing intense amounts of paperwork.
Additionally, you mentioned in your post about how it can be difficult for students to properly learn and write while in school today. I agree with your opinion. I know for the nursing profession writing can be sparse; however, I definitely feel as though I have lost some of my writing skills, as they do not come to me as easily as they once did. Each year in nursing, we are required to write one lengthy scholarly paper that involves nursing research. During freshman year, when I was assigned my first scholarly paper to write, I remember feeling so much panic because I did not feel as though I was a talented enough writer to complete the paper adequately. Moreover, the nursing papers we write require APA format, which is not taught in high school, and was not really taught to us as well in nursing school. Even now as a junior, I still do not feel I quite understand all of the requirements for APA format and sometimes struggle to write papers. To be entirely honest, this writing course challenged me due to feeling that writing has become increasingly difficult since I do not practice the skill quite as often as I maybe should.
Finally, I do believe that college is becoming more and more forced among individuals. For example, I know numerous people that go to college to just “receive a degree” despite having zero desire to really do so. Honestly, this is a sad reality especially because earning a degree is challenging and very expensive. I feel it is evident that numerous students do not appreciate their opportunities within education to the level they should, and sadly I think this is becoming a much more common issue. With the lingering problem of increasing technology use and less true “brain power,” it is scary to wonder what could happen within humanities’ education over time.
As always, I enjoy reading the blog posts you share because they allow me to debate and ponder topics that I might not think about on a day to day basis.
Savannah Bortner
Dr. Martin,
Your blog entry was both shocking and insightful. I have constantly heard about the struggles that primary and secondary education instructors faced, such as low-funding for classroom materials, as well as a state-controlled teaching system that is rigid and non-Socratic in nature. I did not know that a similarly faulty education system was pervasive in the universities of our country as well. Perhaps it should not come as a surprise though, as our nation’s higher education system revolves around tuition costs and subsequently heavy student debt loads, compared to other countries.
I also believe that students require a robust writing education alongside their major. As you said, despite the current focus on STEM as the pathway to progress and the future of our society, strong communication and analytical abilities must accompany those skills for one to truly articulate their work in the field. While many employers value this skillset, in a lot of instances, recruitment software unfortunately continues to automatically toss aside any resumes or applications in the liberal arts for many STEM and business-related fields.
As you stated, we live in an increasingly complex world. Some of the most successful individuals have gained knowledge in a wide variety of fields, so that they can apply their interests in the most marketable way. Steve Jobs for instance was interested in Design. He used his love for simplicity and sleekness to develop and market the first iPhone. This shows that truly anyone, no matter how marketable society believes their skills are, has the potential for success. College education needs to more effectively nurture that varied approach to success, rather than confine students’ futures to one specific field based on their major.
Dr. Martin,
I really enjoyed your insight on the issues that we have in our education system. However, I would like to first focus on the question, “What have we done by pushing the practice that college is necessary for all to succeed?” I would argue that one doesn’t need college to succeed as I believe we should have already been implementing the idea that education is one’s ability to think, analyze, and practice into our high school students. A lot of the seniors and junior in high school that I’ve observed have already concluded whether or not they are going to be receiving higher education in their future. Since I am in a predominantly blue collared community, a lot of the students already have their future planned out going into hands-on jobs. Then, those who do plan on going to college, see it as a stepping stone or a mountain that they have to climb in order to get the job that they want.
Therefore, I believe that it is imperative that educators push the rhetoric that education is thinking and analyzing one’s thoughts because, I agree, that students need these skills to adapt to the rapidly changing world. I will admit, as a student, I often feel as if I am only working towards my diploma. However, I also understand the importance of being able to think and analyze the world around me. I believe that, we as a society, believe that being educated is just mastering the four concentrations that we were forced to learn for years of our lives (e.g., English, Math, Science, and History). Then, we start to automatically associate being smart with the students who are able to get good grades. However, I also have found during my observations that using the “high achieving” or “honors students” are the one’s who lack the ability to think and analyze for themselves as they are so used to being told what is correct. On the other hand, the “low achieving” students just don’t try because they are so used to being told they are wrong.
In terms of college, I also have observed that a lot of incoming students lean towards STEM rather than liberal arts, especially English degrees. Whenever Mansfield has an open house or accepted students day, I rarely see an English major on the list. I do agree that a lot of students struggle to write developed ideas in a coherent way as I have read multiple essays from my peers in Composition 1. When the integration happened between the three schools, I was surprised when the new Gen. Ed. program only required student to take one composition class rather than two. I think it is important, especially in the younger grades, that we promote writing even if it is just putting random thoughts on paper. A lot of students in high school see writing as a punishment rather than something that can use to help organized their thoughts or communicate with others. Therefore, it is important that all educators teach students that, just because you struggle with a certain subject, doesn’t mean that you will never get better. However, I think that this will be hard to implement within our current education system as we rely heavily on grades and test.
Overall, I really enjoyed your personal thoughts on the importance of writing and the humanities. I don’t think a lot of professors think about these things because they are so focused on teaching their content area. However, I think that helping students become educated is a job for all teachers regardless of what content are is being taught. Thanks for the post!
Anna Lewis
Anna,
There are a number of things here that resonate with me. I do not believe everyone should, or needs to, attend college or pursue a university degree. My father and my brother were electricians, and that occupation served them well. The issue of critical thought and analysis is something that should be fostered both at home and in the public schools, but standardized testing has done little to help that. The jump-through-the-hope, recipe card mentality has been something that has flourished in the last two decades.
So much more to consider, but thank you for your thoughts. It has been a pleasure to work with you this semester.
Dr. Martin
Dr. Martin,
I enjoyed reading about your thoughts on the higher education system. The part that stuck out was when you said, “Merely bringing them to campus, putting them in a room, giving them a schedule, and feeding them does not create a successful environment.” I agree with this. As students, we need to fill our time with classes we are not interested in. I am required to take math classes to fulfill goals. I do not have any interest in math. I understand that goal system was placed so students see all aspects of college. We get a taste for all different kinds of classes. As an ASL/English Interpreting major, although I have no interest in math classes or classes I am required to take general education wise, they do help. As interpreters, we will have to interpret all sorts of topics and settings. A major part of interpreting is to understand was is being said so you can interpret it. If you don’t understand biology, interpreting a college level biology class might not be the best. The general education classes do help us build something called ELK, or extra linguistic knowledge. I took an Environmental Issues and Choices class to fill a natural science credit. I am not interested in science but this class was very interesting. I learned a lot so if I need to interpret a science class and the topic is about fracking, I would be able to interpret it a lot more easily than someone who does not have ELK about fracking. In the long run, I am happy that I know some information about a lot of different topics. As far as universities not creating a successful environment, universities do not support students. They suck students dry of their money and motivation. Universities ruin student’s passion for their field. It is disappointing that a lot of professors do not support their students or the student’s mental health. So much money is spent for students to burn out after a semester. I do hope in the future that college is more affordable so colleges do not prey on newly graduated high school students.
The topic of college is something I can talk forever about. I have a lot of opinions about college and especially about what I have seen in my almost two years here at Bloomsburg University. This class has been a journey to say the least. I am appreciative of the lessons I have learned through this class.
Dr. Martin
It is important that all students, no matter what, have the chance to go to college if they want, but it shouldn’t be the only option offered to them. Schools should offer paths like trade schools, showing students how they don’t have to go to a four-year school to succeed in life. They also don’t have to go to any school if they don’t want to. Many trades are available for individuals to learn how to do them by shadowing or an apprenticeship. The push toward STEM has been great, but it has also left a large gap of uneducated students in our generation in specific topics or areas.
When students choose to go to college (yes I think it is a choice) they need to understand what they are signing up for. They need to complete 120 credits to graduate in 4 years, many of which are major focused classes. The other classes are used to expand your knowledge and build a better foundation for your major classes, but not all students do this. I came in with some of my general education classes completed through dual enrollment from high school. This was nice because it allowed me to take other classes here at the university that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I decide to take a minor in Child Life Specialist, and that has required me to take more classes. I will end up graduating with at least 20 extra credits if not 30 because of my minor and taking 18 credits most semesters to complete this minor but also to get the most out of my education.
With the classes I have taken, I still feel ill prepared for the world ahead of me. At this point I only need to take 1 or 2 more general education classes, one being an honors class and that class could fulfil my goal if I wanted it to. These classes have not taught me much about writting or practical math, or even encouraged me to be involved more in the community. I have found that on the college campus I have learned more from being involved in the student government to knowing what is happening in the area, than I learn in my classes. This is an area of concern because the classes should be preparing us as students. If we are involved on campus, why don’t we use the same energy or effort in our classes? Is it how the K-12 education system has shaped us? Go to class show up because you are required, do some work, stay out of trouble, and then repeat- and yet we are the ones paying for the classes.
We have access to so many tools for writing, yet none of them can think critically and write scholarly. This is a skill that needs to be taught. I hoped I would have learned more about research writing this semester, yet I feel like I gained so little knowledge. I feel like I don’t want to write scholarly because I still don’t have the tools to do it. I feel like a teacher needs to be present and constantly involved in the whole process of scholarly writing in order to help students feel like they can succeed at it.
-Morgan
Dr. Martin,
I believe most people think they have to go to college to be successful, might be because they view blue collar jobs as laborious and less fulfilling. Yet when most achieve their white collar job, they find that job boring and unfulfilling. I don’t think young adults are ever exposed to well paying blue collar job opportunities such as electricians. I think this because there is a stigma against blue collar worker’s intelligence and educational background. They didn’t need to take various Gen Eds, pass multiple standardize tests, and graduate high school with amazing grades to learn their trade. Yet all those factors don’t make them less capable than someone that does attend a college. Trades are also challenging and require you to study in trade schools.
Sometimes I wish my life-long “job” could be learning, and that I could study forever without having to worry about debt. I wish I could major in multiple things, then go to grad school, and then study abroad in multiple countries for years at a time. Obliviously this is not feasible, I would not contribute much to society and no one would pay someone to just learn. There just isn’t enough time or money to learn all that I want to learn with my time on Earth.
I believe when it comes to writing, there is no right process. I believe everyone has their own process that works for them. Some might take longer than others and require more editing and revisions because of it, but if that is how one’s brain works, they shouldn’t strain themselves to write in way that isn’t theirs. Ultimately, writing in a process that isn’t yours, makes your end product worse than it would’ve been. I like that in college I have been given more freedom with my writing, and I can use my own writing process.
Grace D’Agostino
Dr. Martin,
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on the under-preparedness of first generation students. I am not a first generation student, but, out of my five siblings, I am the first to make it past a year of an undergraduate program. Now that I will be entering my senior year, I feel like I am treading new waters. While my mom and my stepdad have both graduated with undergraduate degrees, with my stepdad even graduating from Mansfield, I can not go to my siblings for a more modern form of advice. I do, however, frequently get advice from my parents, and I could not imagine how it is for first generation students who have no one to seek relevant advice from.
In regard to your speaking of the checklist-ness undergraduate school has become, I cannot but agree. I have been thinking about the state of the higher-education system we have found ourselves in a lot recently. I enjoy learning, but I hate having a grade attached to seemingly everything I do. I obsess over numbers and statistics a lot. I can’t even drive my car with the MPG tracker on the dashboard, as seeing the number will cause me to drive with the intention of getting it as high as possible. Every assignment, especially if I struggle with it, becomes resentful and something to obsess about. And if the grade doesn’t turn out well, the number becomes a stain that I can now not fix. Somedays I wish I could just turn off the grade feature that comes with school. I wish I could attend lectures and do assignments for the sake of learning and getting feedback rather than being graded on a scale of 0 to 100, F to A. I wish I could just learn for the sake of learning and perfecting the craft in which I am interested in. Obviously, the culture that has been nurtured in America does not allow such a system to exist. Employers want to know how well you did in the classroom, schools need to have a means of determining who passes and who fails, and, obviously, people would abuse this and just not do any work.
For your discussion of writing and its underrepresentation in undergraduate programs, I would like to add my thoughts. I think the lack of writing intensive courses required for STEM degrees is ridiculous. In my time in an engineering program at RIT, I wrote more for my engineering courses than I did for any of the writing classes I took at RIT. With the amount of writing and clear communication required for STEM fields to work, and to actually make progression, you would think more than two courses, like ENGL-270, would be required. I learned nothing from the feedback I received for the lab reports I submitted at RIT, as it was graded by TAs who went through the same writing deficient curriculum. But, in my 12 weeks taking your course, I have learned a lot. I was not required to take this course, but I am very glad that I went outside my checklist and took it. I do like writing, but deadlines are very stressful, and I like to sit on my thoughts for a while. This course, especially with helping develop a writing process, has helped significantly.
Hello!
Wow, that is a long time to have been teaching, you deserve to have a chance to breathe and relax, I wish you a happy retirement. I feel as though you make good points about the shift in which education has taken and the mentality that many people have when discussing education further than what is required. I remember growing up learning and hearing that I must go to college and get a degree in something to be able to be a person in society. I needed to do something after high school with my life and I was really only ever encouraged to go to college. While college has been on the table for me for most of my life, the financial aspects of college were never in the conversation very often. It wasn’t until I was closer into my high school years when I learned the cost of college and how much debt I would most likely be in. I would say that the financial aspect of college was one of the reasons that I came to BU because of how low the cost was compared to other schools. Although BU was and has been a good decision for me financially, that doesn’t mean that I won’t be leaving here with a lot of debt. I feel as though there are many reasons that people encourage college, but I feel as though there should be more encouragement put into trade schools and jobs of that nature.
I will say that this semester has been a rough one as we have been working on the same material all semester building to create one final paper. I feel as though it is challenging to fully comprehend the writing process without having a more structured and guided way of how one is expected to conduct writing. I would have to say that, yes, it is important to learn these skills in high school, however I do not believe that it is the job of our high school teachers to teach us how to properly write a scholarly paper. I feel as though not everyone will be attending college and a very select few people will truly ever have to write a scholarly paper. For classes such as these, I believe that it would be beneficial to be taught how to do each component of our paper for the way that is required to complete the paper to meet expectations. I feel as though I have grown as a writer, but at the same time, I feel the same way with writing the way I did at the start of the semester. It has been difficult to write at a scholarly level, but I believe that the work my group and I have completed and submitted has been well thought out, descriptive, and detailed. We have put hours upon hours of sweat and tears to complete assignments and it has been challenging. I do not feel that I was prepared for this class in any way, shape, or form. The expectations of the workload have not been clear and I feel like the work that my group and I have completed is not given the proper credit. I have learned that there is much more to the writing process than I ever could have imagined. Enjoy your retirement and as always, thank you for sharing!
Hello Dr. Martin,
What a reflective journey you have shared! This post really got me thinking about my own journey through college, navigating the new world of higher education has been both exciting and challenging. Your insight about the importance of critical thinking and writing skills really connects with me, especially as I begin to tackle a more challenging course work. It is amazing to know that there are educators like you, who are passionate about helping students like me grow and succeed. Your dedication is truly inspiring and I’m grateful that i was able to experience your ways of teaching. I am very happy with ho much i was able to grow and learn from you and how well my writing process has improved from having you as my professor. Thank you for sharing your perspective and wisdom throughout the semester and even through your blog posts!
Cassidy Makray
Dr. Martin,
The ideas you shared in this post resonate with me deeply. I have many thoughts about the ways college has changed over the years, and how the importance of being college educated has become less of a priority. I think that simply being college educated isn’t always enough to prepare for a career and is not always something attainable for everyone. College, in my opinion, is outrageously expensive for the amount that is actually learned over 4 years. As an out of state student, I will have paid roughly $120,000 by the time I graduate. This in my opinion is wild, considering that half of the classes I take here are general education classes, and will not directly connect to the career I am entering. I also have found that I do not retain information as much from my gen ed classes as I do from my major classes, and therefore, am wasting money by taking them. I understand the benefits of general education classes but feel that there are more cons than pros from my personal experience. I truly love learning and am grateful for the opportunity to be educated in an environment such as this, I just wish it would not leave me with such high amounts of debt. I appreciate your willingness to share about your personal experiences and have appreciated the way you allow readers to consider things more deeply. I have enjoyed reading about your life experiences throughout this semester and wish you a happy and restful retirement.
Dr. Martin,
Your perspective on the changing landscape of college resonates deeply with me. It’s clear that higher education has undergone significant evolution, impacting both students and educators alike. While this evolution may bring about positive changes, it also highlights areas where improvement is needed.
I share your concern regarding the decline in student engagement and commitment to academic assignments. It’s disheartening to witness a lack of effort and dedication among some students, a trend that seems to be mirrored by certain educators as well. As someone who has personally encountered challenges with professors, I empathize with the emotional toll it can take on one’s college experience.
Furthermore, the perception of the diminishing importance of a college degree is a reality that many individuals grapple with. With the prevalence of job opportunities that do not necessarily require formal education, some may question the value of pursuing higher education. However, like you, I firmly believe in the importance of college for my own future aspirations.
Driven by a desire for personal success and fueled by a competitive spirit, I remain committed to my academic journey despite the challenges I’ve faced this semester. While the road may be challenging at times, my determination to succeed serves as a guiding force, pushing me forward even when faced with adversity.
Sincerely, Lauren Hughes
The idea of critical thinking that you bring up within your post is something that stuck out to me. I have found while I have been in college classes that focus more on critical thinking are much more enjoyable to me. I have found that the classes that offer this the most have been STEM classes. For me specifically the digital forensics classes where I am given a problem and it is up to me to figure out how to solve it. When I reached this point in my academic career it was a shock because growing up all I had ever experienced were classes that set their curriculum around memorizing information for a standardized test made by the state. Not only did having that style of information lack in developing me as a student it also made me despise going to school. Every day and every class were the same there was no challenge. Now that I have classes that encourage the use of critical thinking and present a challenge education has become more enjoyable and less of a chore.
With that being said I do also believe that it is not the responsibility of the college to force students to take general education classes that have nothing to do with their major. Students should only have to complete the classes necessary for their major. The guise that the general education classes are making students more well-rounded people is a fallacy. It would be more beneficial for the students to take the thousands of dollars, they are saving by not having to take general education classes, and travel and create their own educational experiences.
Overall I enjoyed reading and as always thank you for providing your perspective.
-Tenneson Scott
As always, reading your viewpoint is interesting. Even though I am someone pursuing a STEM track, I actually agree with your comment about there being consequences when we place such importance on the sciences at the expense of the humanities. No matter what area we study, it is important that we stay connected as people. Writing is something I struggle with, so it would be far easier for me to take Technical Writing as a 12-week class, in person, in the fall. I would prefer to connect with my classmates in a classroom, chat with my professor before or after class, and see the expressions on my group members face when we disagree about something. But here I am, taking a 12-week course in 4 weeks because I can control one thing: my teacher. I knew this class would be challenging, but I knew what to expect. The uncertainty of a different teacher, an unknown variable from Lock Haven or Mansfield, was way more stressful to me than trying to manage this shortened timeline. I get it, things change, and we need to change with them or get left behind, but there are times we just want them to stay the same.
During COVID, I had to adapt to a lot of changes, like online schooling. I know everyone had to adjust, but it was really hard for me. I did appreciate that technology allowed me to continue to go to school during COVID, but I would have preferred for things to go “back to normal” and I don’t feel like they ever did. I miss the personal connection technology allows us to ignore. I’m fortunate that even though I’m a science major, part of my coursework is “rooted” in the humanities. When we study how humans affect the natural world, we need to look at human behavior. Where do they live and why?
Geography is the study of place and the relationship between people and their environment. This requires us to think critically instead of just memorizing facts and checking the boxes.
I have learned a lot in the short time I’ve been in this class. It gives me hope that, with enough practice, I can be a good writer. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Dr. Martin!
it’s refreshing to hear about your undergraduate experience. As a music major, I struggled with time management and commitment issues. Typically as someone struggling with ADHD and other intellectual disabilities I struggle with obstacles everyday. Learning that others do not struggle with the same issues I have was astounding. Music was the first sign of my struggles, musicians gave up on my goals fast. Since I wasn’t the ideal opera star, professors turned the other cheek if I needed help in different areas. All this because I had no prior vocal training before the tenth grade when my peers were paying for $100 voice lessons every week. At no point did I realize that resources played a tool in success. I regret avoiding how to sing. At 23 I finally understand how to control my voice and I’m happier than ever.
Holding myself back during the COVID-19 pandemic has been my biggest regret and grace period. I forgive myself for doing the bare minimum and I regret not applying myself within these past 2 years. Moral of the story, don’t get comfortable. Keep accomplishing small obtainable goals that soon because massive dreams. Understand the bitterness of life doesn’t last so feast on the sweetness. Now I know when to do and when not to. I know how to slay the Shley way and I’m going to continue on this path. I’ve learned to much and came so far in this class. I can’t wait to retake more classes and continue in my masters program. My endeavors and achievements have given myself the opportunity to start a music masters program in January 2025 along side my reading masters program.
cheers to the future.
Hi Professor!
Your thoughts about the importance of critical thought intrigue me. I grew up in a house that stressed the importance of “common sense”. My Dad is a very intelligent man, with multiple Associate Degrees, a four year degree, and a Piloting license. Throughout all of this, however, he stressed the importance of “common sense”. He attributes his abundance in the mentality as one of, if not, the main factor into how he ended up where he is today. He says that it put him apart from the rest of the pact.
Now, I believe what he is describing as “common sense” is very similar to what you describe as “critical thought”. His idea of “common sense” is being aware of your surroundings, thinking about others and yourself, making sure to do what needs to be done before anyone has to ask. Now, this is the key connection in my mind. The ability to think about what needs to be done before someone even asks is key to the idea of critical thought. Critical though is all about thinking exactly what something means and how that applies to the people around you. This is why I think both “critical thought” and “common sense” are connected. They are the link between people. Thinking about others in a “common sense” type of way and a “critical thought” type of way makes sure that you are always thinking about your fellow man and connecting dots that haven’t been connected yet.
While this may not be how you see the two, I just thought it was interesting as your post made me think about this. Have a great day Professor!
Alex