Re: Help needed on computers/sofware. (fwd)

["BARBARA BIASIOLLI, LEARNING ASSISTANCE CENTER" <BARBLAC@stmarytx.edu>]

One program we've had a lot of fun with is MLA Editor.
After midsemester, I instruct students to remove all headings
from one paper, simplify it to simple text: single space,
double space between paragraphs, two spaces after each period.
Then we all meet in the Learning Center and run the chosen
paper through MLA Editor.  It first prints out the whole
paper in numbered sentences.  Then we apply all the USAGE
dictionaries to the paper.  The dictionaries are entitled:
FIX, TIGHTEN, CONSIDER, POLISH, SPELL.  I am always surprised
how quickly we accomplish these two printouts in a class of
25 with 10 computers.

Once students have printouts in hand, they sit at tables in
small groups of 2-4 with the MLA Editor Handbook, a regular writer's
handbook, a dictionary, and a thesaurus.  I instruct them
to put a check by the line on the printout they agree with
and an X on the line they disagree with.  I encourage them to
"disagree with the computer" as long as they have a good reason.
For freshmen I worry that they will give in too quickly to the
machine.  Not a problem with upperdivision students; they
usually get into wonderful discussions of style, especially
when they compare each other's printouts and wonder why their
neighbor's printouts say different things than their own.

My favorite part always comes when a student looks at me
totally perplexed and says something like, "Redundant! That's
what you are always telling me."  Or "Now I see what you 
mean by wordiness.  The computer says the same thing."  I just
cracks me up...when the computer tells them something I've been
saying all along, my credibility suddenly grows.

Anyway I continue to be pleased with these sessions.  The topic
of style seems to take on new and relevant importance.  

I am home so I don't have the address for MLA Editor at hand but
obviously it is put out by the Modern Language Association and
is networkable.

Hope this helps.
Barbara Biasiolli
St. Mary's University
Learning Assistance Center
San Antonio, TX  78228-8554
barblac@stmarytx.edu