For most in this class, this isn’t our first experience with Ballpoint. We heard all about it when we took English 103 and for that reason are somewhat “familiar” with it. After sitting down and actually reading the content in chapters 1 and 2, I feel that Ballpoint is a double-edged sword. This entity that gives the English Department the structured template for all its classes has also, in my mind, limited the uniqueness and spontaneity that make some other classes on campus more enjoyable.
I like to begin with good news; likewise I will start with the good elements of Ballpoint. Ballpoint is a great tool and stands as the outline for all English classes. It is straight and to the point, highlighting area of importance that Ball State deemed worthy of being covered in its classes. From how to research, documenting sources, structure of an essay, and even to the writing process itself, Ballpoint lays out Ball State’s outlook on how/what to teach.
Unfortunately, the same thing that gives the writing program its great structure is also killing the interest in each specific class. I have taken a total of four different English courses at Ball State. That statement is a bit deceiving in the fact that those four classes didn’t seem different at all. In my eyes, it seemed that Ballpoint limited how much a professor could modify the class content to add a personal touch and create interest in the class.
Personally, I have never had a decent amount of interest in the English courses here at Ball State. Some of this is due to my distaste for English and literature to begin with, but I do believe the blandness and “routine” feeling of the English classes contributes to that just as well.
So you have taken literature courses in addition to writing courses?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the limiting factors of ballpoint, as well as the thuroughness of its ability to guide english and writing courses. I would point out however that Prof. Evans has told us plainly that she is more of a journalistic writer and not so much into the ridgid format other instructors might follow. This as well as our actual text, "The Wadsworth Guide...", should allow us to be a little more into the free thinking/writing styles and less on the ridgid end. Not saying that we will have total freedom to just type up whatever we want and know we'll get an "A". You get out of something what you put into it. Okay, so that was my soapbox. Overall, yours was one of the best posts I read for this assignment, in my opinion. I just seem to be quite opinionated tonight, sorry. Thanks for the thoughts.
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