Feb 27 - Certification Test

Today we will...

Have the Plagiarism Prevention Certification Test today! Feeling excited, right?

So you will have 50 minutes to finish the test. Please take your time and go through all the questions really carefully. Trust me, you don't want to fail this one and take the Remedial Test. There are 20 multiple-choice questions, and each question is worth 10 points. The full grade is 200 points, but you have to score at least 150 to pass the test, which means you have to get at least 15 right.

Any questions before we start?

Ready? Let's go to Compass 2g now!

Feb 25 - Overview of Research Paper

Today we will...

1. describe the general processes of writing a research paper
2. explain the characteristics of two common types of research paper (argumentative & analytical) and how they differ.

What is a Research Paper?

What is a research paper? How is it different from the diagnostic essay you wrote?
Let's take a brief look at a teacher's lecture and get some ideas.

Do you think this is the right way to write a research paper? Why or why not?

Ordering Activity

Now, let's do a little ordering activity. Open this document up in googledrive and work with a person next to you to order these steps in the right sequence.

Here is an overview of a research paper.

Research Paper PPT

Now let's take a look at the two major types of research paper.

Prompt Analysis Practice

Here is a prompt analysis. Please work in groups and write different argumentative and analytical prompts for the topic "College Tuition".

Homework

Please go back home and start thinking about what topic you want to write for your research paper.

Reminder

Keep working on the Plagiarism Prevention Tutorial on Compass 2g. We are having the in-class certification test on Friday.

Feb 23 - Paraphrasing

Today we will...

1. understand and apply the basic rules of paraphrasing in order to avoid plagiarism
2. apply specific strategies to create successful paraphrase

Paraphrase

What is paraphrase? Why do we paraphrase?
What are the effective ways to paraphrase?
Let's take a look at how to paraphrase.

Get Your Hands on It

Please open this practice in your googledrive. Read the highlighted paragraph and paraphrase it in your own words. Remember to follow the steps. When you are done with all the different steps and paraphrase, take a look at the answer key.

Reminder

Please remember to submit your Diagnostic Paper tonight before 11:59 on Compass 2g!
Rubric here.

Feb 20 - Peer Perception & Avoiding Plagiarism

Today we will...

1. do peer perception and give feedback to each other's paper.
2. make a brief introduction to the plagiarism prevention tutorial on Compass 2g

Plagiarism Prevention Tutorial

Please go to Compass 2g and see if you have access to the tutorial.
Remember, you need to study by yourself and do all the exercises on the tutorial.
We are going to have a Avoiding Plagiarism Certification Test next Friday, Feb 27. It is better for your pass it one time; otherwise, you will need to take a remedial test. If you fail both the certification test and the remedial test, you will automatically fail the course.

Peer Perception

Please use the Peer Perception Handout as a guidance when you read and give feedback to others' papers.
You can also refer to the Grading Rubric.

Remember

Don't forget the deadline for final draft of Diagnostic Paper and the Analysis paper. Have a great weekend.

Feb 18 - Peer Perception Training

Today we will...

1. explain the differences between peer editing and peer perception
2. learn to use the appropriate language to conduct peer perception
3. learn how to give effective feedback to other people's writings

Difference

1. What are the differences between peer editing and peer perception?
2. How do we do peer perception?

Peer Perception

Let's take a look at how to do peer perception for our peers.

Giving Effective Feedback

How do we give effective feedback? How should we talk to our peers when we give feedback?

Strategies

Here are some strategies for effective feedback.

Samples

I am giving you a student sample. Please follow this and my comments to revise your diagnostic paper.
1. Student Writing Sample
2. Writing Analysis

ATTENTION

Please go to Compass 2g and check the assignment submission section. Follow the instructions and submit your final draft and the analysis by the due date (Feb 23rd 11:59pm).

Feb 16 - Comma & Advanced Punctuations

Today we will...

1. demonstrate the most common use of the advanced punctuation (comma, dash, colon, semicolon)
2. understand the differences between these punctuation marks
3. apply these punctuation marks to make your writing more effective

Comma Jokes

First, let's take a look at some comma jokes.

 

 

Well, here is a scary one: Let's eat, Granddad

Comma Quiz

Now let's take a comma quiz and see if you guys will mess things up. Here is the answer key.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Here is a practice on the coordinating conjunctions.

Other Punctuation Marks

We are now familiar with the use of comma. What about other punctuation marks?

Homework

1. Please do the assigned Writer's Help exercises
2. Reflective Essay
3. Revise your Diagnostic Essay. The final draft for grade is due by 11:59 pm this Sunday (Feb 22) on Compass 2g.

Feb 13 - Academic Style

Today we will...

1. explain the critical differences in tone between informal English and English for academic purposes

2. learn how to increase our level of writing formality

Consent Form

Sorry to have you all do this again. The form you signed last time was for Fall Semester 2014, and THIS is the correct one. Please take about 2 minutes to fill out the form. Thanks!

Academic Tone

Think about these questions:

1. What do you think are the differences between the language we use in conversation and the language we use in academic writing?

2. How will your paper look if you use daily conversational language when you write it?

How can we avoid informal English in our writing? Here are some points we should bear in mind all the time when we write our papers.

Here is a summary of the basic rules that you need to know. You can always come back to use it as a reference.

Let's Practice

With all the rules that we have seen, now let's play a Jeopardy Game to practice these rules.

Homework

1. Please finish all the assigned exercises on Writer's Help by next Monday before class, or I will deduct points for any incomplete exercise.

2. You should now be able to revise your whole paper. Please do so by next Monday before class and wait for my comments. Remember to employ everything you have learned so far.

Feb 11 - Introduction & Conclusion

Today we will...

1. describe and identify the basic components of an introduction and a conclusion
2. create a logic flow of information from broad to specific in an introduction and from specific to broad in a conclusion

Introduction

What should we include in the introduction?
What should an introduction look like?

Let's explore what a real introduction looks like in an argumentative paper.

Let's do a little analysis exercise now. Open these 2 sample introduction paragraphs and work with your partner. Decide the function of each numbered sentence.

When you are done, you can access the answer keys here.

Conclusion

What should we include in the conclusion?
Do you think the conclusion has the same structure as the introduction?

So, let see what a conclusion should really be like.

Homework

1. Continue working on and revising your paper.
2. Do the assigned exercises on Writer's Help

Feb 9 - PIE

Today we will...

1. get to know the great PIE structure
2. identify the different components of the PIE structure
3. learn how to use PIE structure in our writing

Before Class, I need you to sign a consent form.

So what is PIE that we are talking about?

This PIE? 

Or this one?

Or neither one of them?

The PIE that we are talking about here actually stands for Point (P) + Illustration (I) + Explanation (E). We use PIE to write all the time, because it makes our writing easy and clear to understand,

Now, let's take a close look at what PIE is like.

Identifying PIE Components

Now, let take a look at this paragraph. Work with your partner and try to identify all the different components of PIE.

When you are done, take a look at this sample research paper written by me. See if you can find the PIE structure in the body paragraphs.

Try PIE on your paper

Now open googledrive and pull out your diagnostic paper. Try to revise your body paragraphs using the PIE structure.

Homework

1. Do the assigned exercises on Writer's Help (5 sections)

2. Continue revising your body paragraphs (pay attention to coherence and PIE structure)

Feb 6 - Coherence 2

Today we will...

1. continue to access more cohesive devices that we can use in our writing
2. practice writing a cohesive paragraph

Warm-up: Hospital Task

Now let's play a little game. Remember to incorporate the cohesive devices (transitional words and phrases) that we learned last time.

You can have access to the game from here.

More Cohesive Devices

In addition to the transitional words and phrases that we have learned last time, we have some more cohesive devices we can use in writing. Here they are.

Practice

Now let's practice writing some coherent sentences.
Please get into groups of 3, and compose 2 short paragraphs based on the information here.

Homework

1. Do the Transition exercises in Writer's Help
2. Please continue working on your Diagnostic Paper. Try to revise everything that I have pointed out for you.

Grading Rubric

The grading rubric for the Diagnostic Paper Revision can be found here.

Feb 4 - Coherence 1

Today we will...

1. learn the importance of keeping coherence in our writing
2. leanr how to be coherent in composing an essay

Warm-up 1: Story Rounds

Let's make up two groups. One with 8 people and one with 7 people. Each group will receive a handout. The first person should read the starter (the original sentence of the story) and write something to make the story continue. Then the first person needs to fold the starter and only show the sentence he/she writes to the next person. The second person will do the same thing, writing and passing the story to the next person, until all the people write down their own sentences.

Warm-up 2: Coherence

1. What do you think is the reason that the story became so different in the end?
2. Take a look at these paragraphs and discuss in groups of 3: what is wrong with those paragraphs?

Introduction to Coherence

Now let's see what coherence is and how it works.

Transitions and Function

Since we need coherence in our writing, we need some transitional words or phrases to help us achieve that goal. Here is a list of transitional words and phrases. Please sort them into the right category.

Answer Keys

1. Warm-up Coherence
2. Transition & Function

Feb 2 - Strengthening Arguments

Today we will...

1. look at different strategies that we can use in our papers to strengthen our arguments
2. use these strategies in your diagnostic papers to make more effective arguments

Warm-up Questions

1. Think about your experiences when you tried to convince someone (your parents, your friends, etc.) to do something.
2. What strategies did you use to try to persuade the other person(s)?
2. Did your strategies work or not? Why or why not?

Strengthening Arguments in Writing

How can we strengthen arguments in our writings? What kinds of strategies can we use?
There are usually 5 strategies that we can use in academic writing to make our arguments stronger.

Practice

Work in groups of 3. Write a paragraph using one of the strategies.

Homework

1. You still have one more chance to do the exercises on Writer's Help. If you haven't done so, please do the exercises on Thesis 1 & Thesis 2
2. Now you have the original article and the essay prompt in your shared Googledrive folder. Please revise your thesis statement in red, and correct any grammatical errors that you can identify.