Showing posts with label writing for college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing for college. Show all posts

Sunday, May 1, 2022

THINK and brainstorm ideas before writing that paper!

 


Ever get stuck on how to bring an idea forward from your mind and get it onto the paper? Thinking is a process that can also be good for those who need movement or action to help them learn. You may need to write down your ideas.

I'd like to share with anyone who needs help with the idea or strategy of "How do I brainstorm or get out of my head how to write a paper?" (I'm now thinking as a student, so follow along):

(1) What's the issue/reason behind my idea--how is it personally or socially connected to the assignment? How does it affect me or someone else--and why does it matter? Is it costing me money in some way? (Most likely.) Is there a sense of "I {and others} must do something, or that someone else faced up to that issue and resolved it-challenged it in a dynamic way that changed society?"
(Hint: if it helps, how does your idea fit the 4 Major Influences? If you're reaching in your pocket to pay for something because the price is higher, that's Money. If someone is enforcing it by their demand or order, that's Power. If it creates a sense of personal or social unwillingness or resistant to change, it's Fear. And if it's about someone doing beneficial to help Mankind in a small or large way, that's Love.)

    Does this subject or idea that I'm trying to present have any influence of myself or others being worried or scared about changes, both personal and social? What is the reality of those thoughts--just reluctance to adapt or concrete fact that should concern me/others? How do these facts validate my/their thoughts/worries?

     Does this topic enhance or limit me or others in an emotionally binding way? How so? Is it caring about-for someone or something in a personal way or to keep up more extended social contracts and commitments to a group effort?

(2) Establish "Who said something about those ideas?" Where are these people; why are they important references; what credentials or Points of Authority do they merit? What have they said that backs up the points that are being made in the paper/assignment? 

Option: Can their words and ideas be introduced in a way/form by me so that I can then show by MY personal experience or that of others that I validate their thoughts?

(3) Take a significant idea in one paragraph, then explain why it's relevant: use details, facts, examples, quotes. Turn it upside down and inside out if needed. Repeat process again with next paragraph/new idea. Continue until ideas have been exhausted.

(4) "In conclusion, several challenges and options have been presented" is a great way to end a paper like this. Give short summaries--less than 3 sentences at most!--about the relevance/significance of whatever the core idea was about that was assigned/chosen, and also how these ideas were addressed, resolved, or identified. KEEP IT BASIC. Don't elaborate--that was done in the other portions of the paper, yes?

If required, make sure sources/quotes are clearly identified in body of paper by full intro or "A short basic sentence that identifies them as a source" (Lopate) by author or a short phrase "article title" in the paper. If it's used in the paper, put it in alphabetical sequence on the works cited page. 

Hints for research:
The best sources available are from .edu or other educational sites.
If it's a general topic, then try to find something with an author's name to it--and if possible, note the article title if you're using online sources.

Monday, April 8, 2019

Successful hints for a scholarship essay


A hint for an idea about "weaknesses into success": what have you learned to do that took effort, time, and concentration? What was it that you learned to do that made you stay with the idea? For example, I used to have terrible stage fright--and I was afraid to speak in front of an audience. I learned to do this through a career in sales and later, in education. And I love to get up front or on a stage now! I even did a stand-up comedy routine at a school where I taught! In costume! (Yes, that picture of me as a 6th-grade student teacher: I did that at a parochial school talent show. My kids were stunned!) I've used this as a "I've learned to make a weakness into a strength and help empower others" speech.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Academic Writing styles and requirements: Here!

This is a fantastic resource for instructors of writing and students! Look here for advice!


Saturday, January 26, 2019

MLA and APA formats for papers

  • MLA is for English papers. 
  • APA is for Psych or medical papers, or for certain business formats.
MLA has a Works Cited page.
APA has a Reference page.

If you USE the source in the paper, list it. If not...DON'T list it.

MLA works cited page sources are NOT numbered.
APA bibliography page sources ARE numbered.

  • In-text citations should back up an idea being explained or presented.
=========================
In-text formats (the easy way):
  • Try to use as much of an intro for the source to lead into the quote itself. 
  1. If an author's name is available, use it to emphasize the value of the source.
  2. If the source itself is identifiable (book, magazine, web site), illustrate that too, along with the relevant info.
  3. If ENOUGH "intro" is offered, that's fine. It should still match the Works Cited (or Bibliography) listing.
Example: 
In his online article "Inside the College Classroom," Mitchell Lopate, instructor at Brookdale Community College, illustrates several techniques for "the art of effective writing by any student who wants to improve his or her grade."

If NO intro is provided and the quote itself is made, put the author's name (IF AVAILABLE) AFTER the quote: 

     "College students need more work on research papers" (Lopate).

=========================

No author?
 but the article title is available?

Same as above, but put the 
article title in quotes AFTERWARD:
  •     "College students need more work in research papers" ("Campus Writing").
  • ----------------------------------------------
Is the source in a printed/hard copy format?

If it's in print, the page number itself follows the author, but NO comma between name and page #: 

  • "College students need more work on research papers" (Lopate 13).
**APA is a bit different; this is where you use the comma if it's a print source:
    "College students need more work..." (Lopate, 13.)

Friday, January 25, 2019

A proper college paper's presentation DOES matter




This is a good example of spacing for margins, a header, title, and citations.

Needed ingredients:
(1) Header set-up; title
(2) Page numbers
(3) Margin and double-spaced
(4) Thesis: What is the idea of this paper? WHY is the thesis relevant? (What are you trying to endorse
/points to prove/discuss/explain/argue)? (How does it affect something in real life/another relevant idea? Why does it involve the world-at-large and how does it have an impact?)
(5) Topic sentences which open each paragraph that offer a GENERAL idea that will be explained later by...(6).
(6) Examples. Details. Quotes. Facts: they reinforce the thesis and are summarized in each topic sentence.
(7) Conclusion that restates thesis/shows results.

Monday, April 10, 2017

A word puzzle to reinforce critical thinking and writing skills

In teaching in a foreign country where pedagogy and instructional methods are quite different than Western methods, I have found ways to bring creative thinking and reasoning together: what I call “fluid learning”. To me, this brings both left-and-right brain styles of thinking together in one complete package. As an example, I used a simple word puzzle this week in my writing class. 

My reasons were more than playing a game: it was serious from the start, because my Chinese students DON’T like to brainstorm or word-web out ideas. They just try to write in English, and in doing so, get bogged down and discouraged. But this lesson showed them a lot more than they expected.

First, I made up a word puzzle with business English vocabulary that they will likely encounter in their sophomore classes. Because I’ve taught this course as well, I know what words are commonly used on exams. In Asian countries, especially China, the emphasis is SO strong on “study-memorize-test”. There is no amount of critical thinking taught to the students. And I insist that they need this, especially as international graduate-degree-seeking young men and women.

Then I started the class. I knew they were apprehensive: their mid-term papers were due. And I wrote the word “test” on the board. It raised some of the tension, but then I wrote “con” in front of it: “contest”. It brought laughs and smiles. Yes, I said, this will be a fun exercise for you all, and you will learn to think and write in this lesson.

I gave out the word puzzle papers, FACE DOWN. That’s important: “DON’T turn them over!” I wanted them to learn to LISTEN to me first. Of course, within two minutes, several students had ignored me and begun to scan the paper. I stopped each time and mildly reprimanded them that “you need to LISTEN to me. If this was a job interview process and you read it and saw on the bottom that ‘Failure to listen means you are not qualified for the position,’ you’d be crushed with disappointment.” I reminded them that I wanted everyone to have a fair chance to be the winner of the contest. It doesn’t matter who has the highest grades, I said. This is different.

So then I signaled them to begin. And I could listen (even though I don’t speak Chinese) to their exclamations of surprise and delight when they found words in the puzzle. I watched their earnestness and determination as they pored over the combinations and searched for patterns. I observed them interacting with each other in pairs and groups as they shared results. 

When the first person sounded out that he had completed all the words, the others kept going. I let them continue: their progress was part of my goal. I wanted them to complete the process on their own initiative. We took a short break, and I still saw some of them trying to solve the missing words. What I noticed was that some of them instantly could figure it, while others tried different ways of seeing patterns in the letters. And everyone had his or her own way of doing it.

As a follow-up, I wrote out the list of results and methods that I wanted them to think about for writing a paper about this experience. Again, as noted, my students are NOT the kind who do brainstorming. They are much more inclined to try and memorize something, or to use their cell phones to surf for an answer. And I gleefully told them at the start that they were welcome to use their phones—but that the device would offer no help. They had to learn to THINK first.

I put a title on the board: Solving the Word Puzzle. My students need to learn how and why a title should be on a paper. My reasoning is “What is the idea to be explained in the content? That’s the title.” Then I wrote out a numbered list of items that they had experienced in the process as a way of showing them how to WRITE DOWN ideas and use it as a focal point to bring up more examples of thoughts for the paper:

1. Think independently. 
2. Work in teams; help others
3. Solve problems without directions
4. No phones needed—do this with your own brain power
5. Have fun—get excited!
6. Stay with an idea! Keep pushing for results and answers!
7. Listen first to directions!
8. Learn new vocabulary words
9. Learn word recognition
10. Not use “study-memorize” for results. Use creative-critical thinking.
11. Brainstorming ideas by writing them and seeing where they lead in other results.

My students thanked me and said it was really interesting. They enjoyed the class, and I reminded them that it’s just as important to THINK about writing and then to plan it out first—just like I had done for them with the examples that I listed. 

I said that we will write about this experience and that this list will serve as reminders of how and what and why they learned something, and how to remember it. And then I thanked them for helping me learn to be a better instructor.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

How to write an outline

Oh, no, it's "the dreaded 'Outline' assignment time"!  


Okay, just because this idea gets a lot of grief (and hits) on this site by desperate students (I was once a D.S.), here's a sample.  I ALSO recommend you look at my post on thesis statements and also topic sentences.

That's all an outline REALLY is: a thesis statement plus the breakdown of each paragraph's topic sentence background.
Oh. Why didn't they tell us (me) that when I was younger?
(It was too easy to explain it that way, I think.)


Note:  for a GOOD outline to work, THINK (and write down) WHY/WHAT makes the idea important--why the idea of the thesis is unique; why it matters; how it has value, importance, or SOME other special quality--then GENERALIZE those ideas as the thesis. DON'T use them in the thesis--SAVE them to chop apart in each topic sentence! THAT alone will help you broaden out the sub-paragraphing needed to create the rest of the outline format.  (That means "You use the topic sentences to expand the paragraph...."). "Gee, Mr. Lopate...this works."  (Yep.)

HOW TO WRITE AN OUTLINE

An outline breaks down the parts of your thesis in a clear, hierarchical manner. Most students find that writing an outline before beginning the paper is most helpful in organizing one's thoughts. If your outline is good, your paper should be easy to write.

The basic format for an outline uses an alternating series of numbers and letters, indented accordingly, to indicate levels of importance. Here is an example of an outline on a paper about the development of Japanese theater.  (Yes, I modified this from the original; the thesis was too bland. I underlined my inclusion of three unique concepts to add some more "power" to the outline itself.) 

OUTLINE
NOTES
I. Thesis: Japanese theater rose from a popular to elite form based on social and cultural, historical, and religious influences (some unique to Japan) and then returned to a popular art form.

The thesis is stated in the first section, which is the introduction.

II. Early theatrical forms
A. Bugaku
B. Sarugaku
C. Primitive Noh
D. Authors and Audience
III. Noh theater
A. Authors
B. Props
1. Masks
a. women
b. demons
c. old men
2. Structure of Stage
C. Themes
1. Buddhist influence
2. The supernatural
D. Kyogen interludes
E. Audience
IV. Kabuki
A. Authors
B. Props
1. make-up
2. special effects
C. Themes
1. Love stories
2. Revenge
D. Audience
V. Bunraku (puppet) theater
A. Authors
B. Props
C. Themes
1. Love stories
2. Historical romances
D. Audience

The body follows the introduction, and breaks down the points the author wishes to make.
Note that some section have subdivisions, others do not, depending on the demands of the paper.
In this outline, II, III, & IV all have similar structure, but this will not necessarily be true for all papers. Some may only have three major sections, others more than the five given here.

VI. Conclusion
Your conclusion should restate your thesis, and never introduce new material.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

A thesis is a powerful thing, I said



And just what is a thesis--and why does it matter that I have to do one for my assignment anyway?!

Glad you asked that question.  It's simple:  it's the reason, idea, point of explanation, or just "this is something that matters and I need to challenge and prove it" perspective of your assignment.  It's a fact--not an opinion.  (That matters a whole lot.  You need to establish a thesis as a condition of credibility.  Your opinion may count a whole bunch to you, but unless you are an expert in your field of study, don't bother trying to use your opinion to show your thesis has merit.)

I looked at the reason for my assignments in college through the view of my thesis: it was always based on "Why My Idea is Valid."  That's the thesis itself:  what is it that you want to teach to the person reading your assignment.  It's the heart-and-soul of your paper or presentation.  It's the idea or concept that gets right into your core because you KNOW this idea has a purpose or significance--and you want to show how important it is not only to you, but to the world.  Here's a view of a thesis:
Human sacrifice sounds like a cruel and barbaric way of behavior.  Children as well as adults of both genders have been victims.  However, the act itself has been practiced throughout cultures on every continent for thousands of years--and it has been glorified in the process.
It's not an opinion; it's one that I've taught with literature, so there are stories as well as documented history samples that I use.  What I do when I teach it is to use examples from various cultures (including the Bible!) to show that human sacrifice is not only accepted, but it is honored and revered.  

A thesis works well especially if it has some sort of "shock value" to it: the reader is awakened to a thought that he or she might not have considered.  (That, by the way, is what a Ph.D. degree involves: some larger-than-life idea that the candidate has proven by writing and researching; something that no one else has done or established.  The coursework involved frames out and supports the reasons for the thesis that comprises the heart of the candidate's doctoral plan.)

Here's another, based on the view that author Jonathan Swift was critical of the nature of Mankind:
Jonathan Swift, in creating the character of Lemuel Gulliver and his fantastic voyages, used satire to chastise the human race's views of superiority. Swift used direct social encounters with beings who were either tiny in size or as large as trees, the absent-mindedness and illusions of scientific experimentation, and finally, a reversal of intelligence within the family of higher mammals. In this way, Swift lets readers see the barbaric and grotesque qualities of Mankind. The voyages of Gulliver are a testimony in the ridicule of social roles to demonstrate the heights and depths of the potential of our species.
What students would do next (I wrote that thesis for them and encouraged them to use it) was to use examples from the book Gulliver's Travels and show in detail how and where Swift pointed out the flaws of humanity: our weaknesses, our failures as social creatures, and our downfall by our behavior. They would reference and give specific quotes as well as generalizations from the book, backing up the view that Swift indeed felt like humans were really a sub-standard species of animal.  

One last thing I learned about a thesis:  it makes for a great title of an assignment, and all assignments should have a title to them.  What I did was to take the thesis and then twist it into a question--and use THAT as the title.  For example, "Is Human Sacrifice a Barbaric Ritual or Sacred Gesture?"  Or, "Jonathan Swift's 'The Human Race': Noble Beings or Lowly Animal?" With either sample, I turned the thesis into my title by stating the main idea and challenging it.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Who-What-When-Where-How for Brainstorming a topic or thesis



I'm talking about the 4 W's-and-H.  These are the basics for writing school-based assignments--and they work very easily in planning a thesis too.  They are the backbone of good journalism too.  They help students prepare notes for public speaking, they are useful for research, and they keep you focused.

"Who" is anyone relevant to your subject or idea.  The better individuals in a paper or assignment are ones who are experts or noted in the field that you're discussing.  Credentials count here, both in a job title as well as academic pedigree (Ph.D. or M.A. as possible.)  The "Who" of your assignment or paper shows the significance of someone who comments or validates ideas that are connected with your thesis. (See Link).

"What" is part of the thesis:  it tells the basic material and structure of the idea itself that you are presenting.  The "What" of a paper or assignment shows the reader or audience the background information and properties.

"When" has a lot of flexibility, but be assured, human nature being what it is, the topic you're writing or addressing will have a repeated pattern of occurrence over a sequence of time.  People tend to do the same thing(s) again and again, and that's what makes literature a snapshot of historical perspectives.  Whatever your topic or subject, it's probably come to the attention of someone over a period of decades or centuries.

One of the ideas I used as an example here was/are the problems with food safety and preparation for the general public.  I went back to the early 1900s and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, about the meat-packing industry in Chicago....then connected that to the changes in policies that allowed food additives and preservatives in the 1930s...to the outbreaks of food poisoning throughout the '80s-'90s...and then on to the recalls of millions of pounds of meats and Mad Cow disease, right up through today's issues of food contamination and fatalities.  It all keeps on going over time: that's "When" it matters. (See more at link).

"Where" is just as easy, especially because we have become a global marketplace.  Whatever your topic, it just doesn't happen here in your local environment:  it's likely to have manifested in other countries on other continents.  Look at the upgrades and changes to technology, and you can see more easily how this happens.  The food industry is still a great example:  we're not the only nation experiencing obesity and the problems that come from fast-food chains.  Just ask the other countries who are finding that their peoples are showing a tremendous rise in size as well as heart disease.

"How" is part of your thesis as well:  it's showing the details; the facts, the small key components of information that validate and confirm the idea that you're presenting.  This is where the experience and importance of "Who" comes in:  a person who is a credible source has more "impact" on the subject because they are an authority, or at least, someone of quality.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Cutting the Gordian Knot for academic success in college (or high school)

Ever hear of the Gordian Knot?  Try this:

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Gordian knot was an extremely complicated knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. Located in the city of Gordium, the knot came to symbolize an impossibly difficult problem that could not be solved.  

According to legend, Gordius was a peasant who married the fertility goddess Cybele. When Gordius became king of Phrygia, he dedicated his chariot to Zeus and fastened it to a pole with the Gordian knot. Although the knot was supposedly impossible to unravel, an oracle predicted that it would be undone by the future king of Asia.

Many individuals came to Gordium to try to undo the knot, but they all failed. Then, according to tradition, the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great visited the city in 333 B.C. After searching unsuccessfully for a while for the hidden ends of the Gordian knot, Alexander became impatient.  Then, in a sudden unexpected move gleaned from a flash of brilliance, he took out his sword and cut through the knot in a single bold stroke. Of course, Alexander then went on to conquer most of the known world, including Asia, thus fulfilling the oracle's prophecy.  

Alexander's solution to the problem led to the saying, "cutting the Gordian knot," which means solving a complicated problem through bold action or extraordinary insight.