Summer 2024 Newsletter

Hello everyone. I hope you are having great summer. Reaching out today with an update about services as well as a few exercises to keep your mind sharp as we approach the autumn semester!

Expanded Teaching Team:

Our team at Guthry Island has grown to 4 members, and we are excited to offer you classes in Math, Science, and French along with our usual list of academic subjects. Skylar (English), Mamédy (French), and Cicy (Math & Science) are all long-time friends of mine whom I originally met through teaching and writing circles.

It is with pride and confidence that I recommend their classes to you. Find out more here.

Streamlined Booking:

• It has never been easier to book one-off classes, even on short notice.

• Auto-confirms are sent to your email, and there is zero back-and-forth.

• Check out our Booking page for more info, and don't forget to bookmark Calendly.com/GuthryIsland.

  
  

Social Media:

We've just launched our Facebook Page, so if you use that platform, be sure to follow & like the page. Your support is very much appreciated. I will be doing my utmost to ensure that the page is somewhat relevant.

RE...ChatGPT:

Alright boys and girls, it’s finally time for...the talk.

'ChatGPT is a valuable tool, and we would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand. However, it must be used, as a tool, with care and vigilance.'

By now, you must have heard something along these lines a million times . Today, I bring to you two recent cases that I hope will illustrate this point and inspire your future writing.

First, check out the following sentence, generated by ChatGPT:

1. Additionally, online gaming is immensely popular among young people, who frequently play video games with others over the internet.
   
   

Students and parents, ask yourself, what is the matter with this sentence?
Is it the grammar?
Is it the transition word?
Is it the comma?
Really think about it for a few moments...
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If you didn’t see it right away, don’t be embarrassed. I, too, was initially blinded by ChatGPT’s shiny veneer. However, if you actually took the time to think about the substance of this sentence, you probably noticed that the second half (after the comma) says pretty much the same thing as the first half.

• online gaming = play video games with others over the internet

• immensely popular = frequently

  
  

The result: the sentence as a whole ends up conveying an impression of...thoughtlessness.
Not good!

Let’s take a look at one more:

2. Finally, the immersive world of online gaming has become a common hobby for young people.
   

Okay, what’s so bad about this one? It sounds okay, right? Well—again—let’s think about it….

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This time, email me your answers!
The student with the best answer will receive a $50 Steam gift card, and their answer will be posted to the Guthry Island Blog alongside my own breakdown of the sentence.
Second and third best answers will receive honorary mentions.

Deadline: August 14th, 11:59 PM, JST