Planning for this week

I hope you're all having a good weekend.  I've been in touch with a number of you, and feel good about the work you're doing...I look forward to this last week, and seeing your papers!

To remind everyone, here's the schedule/agenda for this week:

1.  For Tuesday, bring one complete draft of your paper.  In class, we will complete an in-depth workshop (please be sure to bring your course reader, too).  Class will end with a pocket of time for you to begin revising based on the comments you receive in the workshop.

2.  For Thursday, the final draft of the paper is due at the beginning of class.  In class, we will do some wrap-up activities.  This will not be a full session, but what we do will be important, so please plan on attending.

As you know, I am happy to look over rough drafts during the week this week, with Wednesday at noon being the "cut off" (so I have time to get back to you).  When reading rough drafts, I won't be line-editing them, but I will offer general comments and areas for potential improvement.

As always, please feel free to drop me a note with any questions at any time!

Thursday In-Class Writing Exercise

As you know, tonight's class is almost entirely independent work.  With that in mind, I would like to use the blog to touch base with everyone before the weekend starts.

By 9 am tomorrow (Friday) morning, please post the following in the comments section here:

1.  On a scale of 1-10, how far along are you on your rough draft?  What do you have left to do?

2.  Write a rough draft of your first paragraph (!) for the paper.

What to have for Tuesday, and what to expect

I hope you're all having a nice weekend.  As discussed in class, Tuesday will be a slightly unusual--but productive--class session.  Here's the deal:

Class will start with me offering some "last minute" suggestions for research and collecting sources.  Then, I will meet with each of you, one by one, to hear your working thesis and answer any questions.  This sort of individual response in class will set you on track for having all of your research materials for Thursday's class.  I will assign people random numbers for meeting with me--if you wind up with a low number, you will be done very early.  If you get a high number, you will wind up being in class a while longer.

Then, for Thursday, you will need to have all of your materials (whether in print or on your laptop, etc.) for in-class building block work.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Sample AB Format

Here's a good website with a document embedded that shows an appropriate format for an AB: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/7477/MLA-Format-for-Annotated-Bibliographies

Please note that this is being used for formatting issues only--often ABs have different needs in terms of the annotations themselves...

Tuesday In Class Research Exercise

Tonight in class, we shared our research for the AB.  At this point, you will have at least five sources left to complete the project.

With your independent research time this evening, please locate two new sources, and post them here in the comments.  For each, please include a rough draft of an annotation.

This should be posted by 11:59 pm this evening!

For Tuesday's Class

Just a quick reminder about what to bring to class on Tuesday...

Please bring 10 sources that you plan to/might use for your Annotated Bibliography.  Bring them however suits you (notes, copies, laptop, etc.), so that you can write about them.

In class, we will complete a writing exercise, and then share our sources to be sure we have the strongest ones...and make a plan for completion of the AB.

As usual, the final 1/3 of class will be devoted to research.

Thursday In-Class Research Assignment

In class tonight, we discussed the upcoming annotated bibliography and related topics.  Tonight, I would like you to use the designated in-class research time to begin that work.  In the comments section, please respond to the following:

1.  What is your proposed topic for the AB?
2.  List at least four credible sources (scholarly journal or otherwise credible) about the topic.
3.  For each, write a few sentences summarizing the source.
4.  Do you see yourself using this topic for the entire AB, or will you change to something else?  Why?

This is due by 11:59 pm tonight (Thursday).  Thanks!

What to do this week...

I hope you're all doing well...here's a quick reminder about what is due when this week...

Tuesday: Please remember that class does not meet this Tuesday.  For those of you who received group assignments (in our last class), please remember to complete that exercise.  If you were not in class last Thursday, you did not receive a group assignment.  If that is the case, please contact me directly for a make-up assignment. 

Thursday:  Your CD Paper is due.  Please bring a typed, stapled copy that follows the guidelines discussed in class.  During class, we will introduce the annotated bibliography project, and look ahead at narrowing our research down further.

Thanks!

Thursday In-Class Writing Exercise

I know that grammar exercises in class can be just about the most boring activity of all time, so instead I thought we'd try them online, where you can complete them from home on your own.

Please read each of these pages, and complete the exercises on them.  Then, by midnight tonight, post a comment here with a brief description of how you did, and what you learned (if anything).  This sort of writing work will help ensure that your paper is polished on the surface and solid in its content. Thanks!

Conciseness (complete all three exercises at the bottom): http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/concise.htm

and/or

Conciseness (complete all three): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/6/9

and

Paraphrasing: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/28/12/33

Just a reminder about class...

Please remember that...

1.  For tomorrow (Thursday), you should come to class knowing your three GBs for the CD Paper, and having all of your reseach.

2.  There is no class on Tuesday, 8/16.  However, there will be an exercise that night...details to be announced soon.

3.  You can email me at any point with any questions.

Thanks!

Tuesday In Class Research Exercise

Tonight, we discussed your first paper--the Cross Disciplinary Paper.  For that project, you will explore three of the GBs.  For each, you will tell us who they are, and then explain an academic discipline they connect to (outside of their own), using examples.

In class, we went over samples for this sort of work, so I hope it is clear--please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.  For tonight, I would like you to start your research.  Pick three GBs (these can be the people you use for the CD paper...or it may change later), and locate a credible source per GB.

In the comments below, please list the following information by midnight tonight:

1.  Your name
2.  Name of first groundbreaker, the name of the source you found, and a brief summary of that source.
3.  Repeat #2 for the second GB.
4.  Repeat #2 for the third GB.

If you need to leave more than one comment due to space constraints, that's fine.  Take your time--this exercise is designed to help lead you to your paper!

Then, for Thursday, please come to class knowing (positively) the three GBs you will use.  Also, please bring all of your research with you (six sources).  Thanks!

Using MLA Citation Format

MLA citations


As mentioned in class, we will be using MLA citation format for your paper. With MLA format, you will be citing sources in text using parenthetical citations. The best way to become familiar with this approach is to simply read about it, take it in, try it out, and refer back to the guide for assistance. (Of course, I am happy to help, as well--I have simply found that people who actively seek out the format learn it more quickly and hold onto that knowledge even more).

Please check out this wonderful site for information on MLA format in all its glory: in text citations, works cited . . . even paper lay out. There are a number of links and sections from this main page--please check it all out!


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

What's coming up tomorrow (Tuesday)

Hi Everyone--

I hope you had a nice weekend...I just wanted to take a moment here to give you a heads up about tomorrow night's session.  Here's the plan:

*  I will discuss some suggestions for what to do once you find good research.

*  We will share your "Four Groundbreakers" exercise, which is due in class.

*  I will introduce the "Cross Disciplinary" paper.

*  I will discuss the most common mistakes writers make in academic essays.

*  You will begin research for your "CD Paper."

Be sure to bring your assignment, and the Reader...see you tomorrow at six!

Thursday Night In-Class Library Exercise

As discussed in class, half of Thursday's class will be our library "orientation"--an online training experience designed to get you familiar with how to use the library.  Even if you have used the library before, please complete this exercise.  Often, people don't realize every possible way to utilize library resources and conduct research effectively.

Please go to the tutorial found here: http://www.lib.uci.edu/uc-research-tutorial/begin.html .  Please note that this is a different one than listed in the course reader assignment sheet, as it was literally just posted online.  The previous one is good (Searchpath), but in evaluating them both, I think this new one is even more user-friendly.

Once you go to that site, please complete all aspects of the tutorial.  There are a handful of overall "chapters" (as indicated by the multi-color bars near the top of the page), and within them, a number of "slides."  Each "chapter" culminates in a "quiz"--be sure to take this to test out what you've learned and know.

By 10 pm Thursday, please post a comment to this post below, including your name, and at least two things you learned through the tutorial.  Hopefully, you will gather numerous helpful tools for research through the exercise, but for the purposes here, just listing two is fine.

Knowing how to use the library effectively will make a huge impact on your ability to find sources.  Take your time with the tutorial...

Thanks!

Welcome to the Blog!

As discussed in class, this blog will be a place for general announcements and for posting research.  Please bookmark it for easy reference.  We will use it frequently...

Thanks!