Often enough, when we get a new device, such as a phone, a game, a computer, or even a car, most of us skip the directions for use. Are we overconfident in our abilities? Do we make assumptions about how much we know?
Sometimes everything goes as planned. The phone works. We win at the game. The computer processes. The car runs smoothly. However, it can and does happen that some vital piece of information in the directions for use might have saved us time and energy if we had stopped to read it, especially when everything fails to go exactly as planned. The phone won’t store numbers. The game keeps stopping in midplay. The computer greets us with the blue screen of death. The car flashes a mysterious light on the dashboard. When a problem arises, most of us hurry to find the directions for use and start frantically turning pages.
When students are given an assignment, complete directions usually come with the assignment. It pays in the long run to double check by reading the directions more than once to determine precisely what the assignment requires. Key words can be of great help. If the instructor assigns a narrative, an analysis, or a comparison/contrast essay, it is clear that a defined type of essay is required.
If you are uncertain about what the different kinds of essays involve, do some research or ask for clarification from your instructor or a classmate. The Stone Writing Center also provides on-line handouts that are helpful (Composition).
Even when we think we know something, like whether or not a day at the beach will be sunny, it is never a bad idea to double check. Confirmation before prevents a mad dash for cover later if unanticipated rainstorms come our way.
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Attention!
Looming suddenly above the tranquil waves of the bay, an awesomely long, silvery serpentine neck; a head as big as a Volkswagen bug; jaws gaping open to reveal row upon row of sharp and jagged teeth; and five, wheel-size eyes glaring green with golden sparks shooting toward her – that certainly got her attention!
The unexpected, the strange, the novel or new, the odd: all of these rivet the mind and make us want to know what comes next. Our minds focus because we have become interested.
Often an instructor will require that you begin your essay with an attention getter, something to draw the reader into your essay. It is not the easiest task of a writer, either. One way to go about finding a way to gain the reader’s whole attention is to consider what part of your research or subject matter interested you more than the rest. I will make the assumption that there was something of interest in the subject matter; otherwise, you’d have fallen asleep before even thinking of writing an introduction to your essay.
Even if there is no way a mythical sea monster can figure into your opening lines, consider other methods for finding an attention getter: a comedic observation, a startling fact, a strong image, a decisive quote, a philosophical statement, or anything out of the ordinary to make the reader sit up straighter and become involved in what you have to say.
It is a somewhat questionable practice to begin an essay with a rhetorical question as an attention getter since an answer to the question will probably have to be included eventually. Save the device of rhetorical questions for body paragraphs in order to give the reader more reason to contemplate what you are saying. The rhetorical question, requiring no answer, is then asked within the context of your essay.
Now I am going to be totally, completely, entirely bogus (not to mention redundant) and tell you that it was just a dream, the looming sea creature above the tranquil waves of the bay. You might decide to make sure your own attention getter has a more valid connection to your essay than mine does.
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Adding Quotes
It’s midnight. Your paper is due at eight tomorrow, and your instructions say to use three outside sources. You haven’t incorporated a quote yet, having put off the final draft for the last moment when inspiration was sure to appear. What are you going to do? (Inspiration appears to have called it a day hours ago.)
One idea is to read your paper again and determine where additional support from the sources you’ve found would enhance the points you make, adding insight and proving what you say. Another idea is to pick at random, any bit of writing from any source, copy and paste, and drop it into the paper without using reason or logic at all. Which way is guaranteed to impress your professor?
I know that you are saying that no one would choose the second way because it doesn’t make sense. You are exactly correct; if you do not weave information smoothly into your writing, quotes or paraphrases might seem like afterthoughts, plugged-in, nonsensical verbiage.
Before midnight of the day before your paper is due arrives, your best bet is to read sources of information with a highlighter in hand, marking sections that might prove to be useful to support your ideas and add to the overall impact of what you plan to say. As you write your paper, note where the words or information from a source will best serve the purpose of your paper. Typing “Insert quote (or paraphrase) from X” is a good way to remind yourself of where the source can be used effectively.
"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." (Unknown) Tomorrow at eight in the morning will come, but the midnight before can find you smoothly integrating the right quotes in the right places for a great paper.
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
One idea is to read your paper again and determine where additional support from the sources you’ve found would enhance the points you make, adding insight and proving what you say. Another idea is to pick at random, any bit of writing from any source, copy and paste, and drop it into the paper without using reason or logic at all. Which way is guaranteed to impress your professor?
I know that you are saying that no one would choose the second way because it doesn’t make sense. You are exactly correct; if you do not weave information smoothly into your writing, quotes or paraphrases might seem like afterthoughts, plugged-in, nonsensical verbiage.
Before midnight of the day before your paper is due arrives, your best bet is to read sources of information with a highlighter in hand, marking sections that might prove to be useful to support your ideas and add to the overall impact of what you plan to say. As you write your paper, note where the words or information from a source will best serve the purpose of your paper. Typing “Insert quote (or paraphrase) from X” is a good way to remind yourself of where the source can be used effectively.
"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." (Unknown) Tomorrow at eight in the morning will come, but the midnight before can find you smoothly integrating the right quotes in the right places for a great paper.
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Research Rules
Rules - whether we love them or not, they are in place so that systems can function smoothly. In research projects, students are required to cite sources that they’ve found to prove or back up their assertions or information. Giving credit to those sources involves some very definite and highly structured rules.
Instructors generally ask students to use APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) formats for their papers and for bibliographical information. The two styles are similar and serve the same purpose, but there are differences. APA, for instance, puts greater emphasis on the timeliness of material used than does MLA, which regards literature as timeless. The best plan for a student to put into place is to find and use a book or website that spells out exactly how to punctuate each entry and what information has to be included (author, title, etc.) and in what exact order the information has to be written. Developing a References page (APA) or Works Cited page (MLA) involves finding the right models or guidelines for entries.
One difficulty students encounter is precise classification of sources. Is the source an on-line journal or an institute’s web page? If the student has an up-to-date manual or web site that provides the right models to follow, the problem is often solved by finding the best fit. At times, the search for a model that is correct takes some digging, but it can be done.
A wise move when conducting research is to keep a hardcopy of all passages found, any that might be used later as quotes or paraphrased material. Note cards, although somewhat old fashioned, are a handy way to write down the information needed to cite sources as they are located.
Both APA and MLA require having in-text (APA) or parenthetical (MLA) citations as well as the list of sources compiled in a References or Works Cited or page. After a passage has been quoted or paraphrased, a parenthesis is added at the end of the text to tell the reader that it comes from another writer. The main idea to keep in mind is that a reader can go from the identification of the source, usually brief, in the student’s in-text or parenthetical citation to find the full information of where the source can be found in the References or Works Cited page. If I see the name Adams in parenthesis after a quote or paraphrase in the research paper, I should be able to go to the References or Works Cited page and find an entry that also has Adams as the first word of the entry and by that means be able to locate the book, web page, or magazine for myself if I decide to read further and find out everything Adams says in the original document.
References and Works Cited page entries have to be in alphabetical order, in accordance with the starting letters of each entry. There are also certain rules for indenting any lines after the first for each entry. Accurate models for types of entries are necessary because it is almost impossible for a human being to remember exactly how to punctuate all the different kinds of entries. Most instructors provide guidelines, and tutors at the Stone Writing Center are prepared to help students who have questions. The SWC website also provides information on both APA and MLA formats and citations (Research).
Although following all the rules for giving credit to other writers may seem as hard as finding the absolutely perfect shell along a two-mile stretch of beach, with practice - gaining actual experience by compiling bibliographical information - the mind and eye soon know where to look and how to see exactly what is just so, completely and perfectly right (like the shell I found with a tiny hole at the top, the best place and size for a necklace chain).
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Instructors generally ask students to use APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) formats for their papers and for bibliographical information. The two styles are similar and serve the same purpose, but there are differences. APA, for instance, puts greater emphasis on the timeliness of material used than does MLA, which regards literature as timeless. The best plan for a student to put into place is to find and use a book or website that spells out exactly how to punctuate each entry and what information has to be included (author, title, etc.) and in what exact order the information has to be written. Developing a References page (APA) or Works Cited page (MLA) involves finding the right models or guidelines for entries.
One difficulty students encounter is precise classification of sources. Is the source an on-line journal or an institute’s web page? If the student has an up-to-date manual or web site that provides the right models to follow, the problem is often solved by finding the best fit. At times, the search for a model that is correct takes some digging, but it can be done.
A wise move when conducting research is to keep a hardcopy of all passages found, any that might be used later as quotes or paraphrased material. Note cards, although somewhat old fashioned, are a handy way to write down the information needed to cite sources as they are located.
Both APA and MLA require having in-text (APA) or parenthetical (MLA) citations as well as the list of sources compiled in a References or Works Cited or page. After a passage has been quoted or paraphrased, a parenthesis is added at the end of the text to tell the reader that it comes from another writer. The main idea to keep in mind is that a reader can go from the identification of the source, usually brief, in the student’s in-text or parenthetical citation to find the full information of where the source can be found in the References or Works Cited page. If I see the name Adams in parenthesis after a quote or paraphrase in the research paper, I should be able to go to the References or Works Cited page and find an entry that also has Adams as the first word of the entry and by that means be able to locate the book, web page, or magazine for myself if I decide to read further and find out everything Adams says in the original document.
References and Works Cited page entries have to be in alphabetical order, in accordance with the starting letters of each entry. There are also certain rules for indenting any lines after the first for each entry. Accurate models for types of entries are necessary because it is almost impossible for a human being to remember exactly how to punctuate all the different kinds of entries. Most instructors provide guidelines, and tutors at the Stone Writing Center are prepared to help students who have questions. The SWC website also provides information on both APA and MLA formats and citations (Research).
Although following all the rules for giving credit to other writers may seem as hard as finding the absolutely perfect shell along a two-mile stretch of beach, with practice - gaining actual experience by compiling bibliographical information - the mind and eye soon know where to look and how to see exactly what is just so, completely and perfectly right (like the shell I found with a tiny hole at the top, the best place and size for a necklace chain).
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
What It's Like
At times, especially at the beach, I hear someone say, “Yeah, it’s like, you know…,” and guess that the art of analogy has totally failed the speaker. Drawing effective comparisons involves at least two important elements: a striking image and a likeness that makes the analogy fairly rational.
Writing analogies is not as easy as falling off a log, not like taking candy from a baby. Having just used two old standby phrases, worn out and made trite through overuse, it is probably a good time to mention that a lack of originality can cause your analogy to fall as flat as a pancake. It is not a good idea to rely on others for analogies. Your comparisons should be fresh and new.
The words “like” and “as” generally lead into analogies. For instance, if I say, “Watching big waves roll in is like seeing carnival rides I want to try,” I have made a comparison of two different ideas with a similarity, which is anticipation of exciting rides.
A good analogy brightens a piece of writing, much like the glint of sunlight or moonlight on the tips of waves in the bay brightens their beauty, adding sparkle and light.
Finding a comparison between disparate ideas, making a connection between them, can be difficult but is worthwhile when your readers pay attention, their interest in what you have to say caught like a golden fish in the net of your essay’s flowing reason and wit.
Don’t overdo it, though. Too many analogies can turn a good bit of writing into a ridiculous test of the reader’s ability to follow what you are saying. It’s like, you know….
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
Writing analogies is not as easy as falling off a log, not like taking candy from a baby. Having just used two old standby phrases, worn out and made trite through overuse, it is probably a good time to mention that a lack of originality can cause your analogy to fall as flat as a pancake. It is not a good idea to rely on others for analogies. Your comparisons should be fresh and new.
The words “like” and “as” generally lead into analogies. For instance, if I say, “Watching big waves roll in is like seeing carnival rides I want to try,” I have made a comparison of two different ideas with a similarity, which is anticipation of exciting rides.
A good analogy brightens a piece of writing, much like the glint of sunlight or moonlight on the tips of waves in the bay brightens their beauty, adding sparkle and light.
Finding a comparison between disparate ideas, making a connection between them, can be difficult but is worthwhile when your readers pay attention, their interest in what you have to say caught like a golden fish in the net of your essay’s flowing reason and wit.
Don’t overdo it, though. Too many analogies can turn a good bit of writing into a ridiculous test of the reader’s ability to follow what you are saying. It’s like, you know….
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!
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