Goodbye Writing Center, Hello WALES. During the summer, Bloomsburg University decided to update their Writing Center into the Writing and Literacy Engagement Studio a.k.a. WALES for short. With this came a few updates and changes, but also a lot of continuation of what the writing center was and still is in place for. However, not a lot of people know about WALES on campus or even that there was any kind of a place where students could get help with their writing or reading skills. So here are 5 reasons why you should visit the Bloomsburg University WALES this semester.
- Fellow Peer Consultants Trained to Help You with Your Papers
Let it be noted that these WALES consultant will not edit your paper for you, but work with you to help discover improvements or changes that could made to your writing assignments to help make them even better. These consultants are trained and continuously training throughout their career as a consultant; however, they are also students just like you, which can bring a level of comfort and/or understanding to whatever assignment and struggles you are having. The students who are working here are also various years, ages, majors, and come from a variety of different backgrounds. The many different consultants available to help you along the way is just one of the reasons to visit WALES this semester.
- More Than Just Papers
WALES is not only for papers a student may have to write, but other writing assignments as well. Consultants have worked on, and will continue to work on a variety of different writing assignments. These assignments include things like letters, resumes, scripts, summaries, and more. If it is any kind of writing assignment, WALES can most likely help you. Grammar practice is also offered through WALES. If students wish to work on certain grammar issues they are having trouble with when completing writing assignments, we have an array of exercises and consultants whom can assist students with gaining better knowledge about grammar rules (whether or not the student has a writing assignment they wish to work on currently). WALES not only helps with improvement on writing assignments, but other types of practice and assignments too.
- Putting the L in Literacy
While in the past, the Bloomsburg Writing Center was able to offer help with reading, not many students were informed of this. Many students, it seemed, only thought of the writing center as a place to get help on their papers. However, now that the Writing Center has changed from Bloomsburg University Writing Center to WALES, the additional focus on literacy in the engagement studio is trying to be more publicized. WALES offers an opportunity for students to work on their reading skills by allowing students to read aloud with consultants. Writing and reading can sometimes go hand in hand, so by helping students to become better readers, it also can also offer the opportunity to help students with their writing and grammar skills on top of reading.
- E-Portfolios
Many classes, especially English 101 courses, require students to create e-portfolios to help organize and display the work that they have completed over the semester. While this may be new to many students who probably have not completed a e-portfolio before in their life, WALES is here to help. Not only can teachers schedule to have class workshops delivered by WALES consultants to teach the class how to create and add to an e-portfolio, but students can also come into WALES at any time and a consultant can offer assistance in helping to teach a student how to make an e-portfolio. E-portfolios may be required for other classes besides English, so by being able to learn and practice through with the help of WALES consultants, students can also learn a new skill that could possibly help them in more than one class.
- Path to Employment
If you decide to pay WALES a visit you may not only discover a way to better your writing assignments and reading skills, but also find a new job opportunity. WALES offer student employment and a lot of great benefits that come with that. If you are interested in becoming a consultant you can not only get paid to help other students with their writing, reading, or e-portfolio assignments or practice, but also gain 1 free credit with the ENG 297 and 397 courses that employees take and a variety of experiences and opportunities that are exclusively for writing center consultants. This includes traveling to conferences revolving around writing centers, possibly presenting your own presentation at these conferences, and more. Employment at WALES can also help students to grow friendships, relationships, knowledge, and connections that could last a lifetime.
WALES is a great place to learn new things, meet new people, and develop your reading and writing skills. For more information about Bloomsburg WALES, please visit https://intranet.bloomu.edu/wales or speak to Professor Ted Roggenbuck.