How to Rite a Research Paper Annotated Notes
How to Rite the Research Paper
Virginia Beach Association of Teachers of English
Fourth Annual Symposium
March 17, 2012
Virginia Beach, VA, Landstown High School
http://demott.weebly.com/how-to-rite-the-research-paper.html
[email protected]
Abstract
“How to Rite the Research Paper” – Research paper writing is a standard form used by English teachers across the world. It should be a defining moment in the education of a young adult. Making the writing of the research paper a Rite of Passage involves examining the multiple layers of experiential learning. This presentation will take you through the steps taught at Tallwood High School’s Global Studies and World Languages Academy, focusing on the practical aspects of original research by looking at the use of cohort groups, a two-tiered rubric, panel assessment, and public showcasing of the work. Students' work will be available for perusal and a small panel will field any questions.
Thank you for coming.
I would like to first apologize for the playful misnomer in my title. The presentation should, of course, be called “How to Ritualize the Research Paper”, rather than how to rite the research paper. In this vein, I wanted to pay respect to all the teachers who teach writing and put the significance on the paper that it deserves, despite an ever increasing amount of curriculum to handle. I wanted to pay my respects to all the teachers who made education an experience that we still talk about well into our adult years, those teachers, who in essence, made the research paper a rite of passage.
I think all of us can remember, like I can, a certain teacher who had significantly changed us, demanded that we go through what seemed a ridiculous set of criteria, so that we might survive the next stage of academia. My transformative experience came from Mrs. Welty’s English 12 class, where, I worked very hard by submitting and resubmitting my work on the poetry of Jonathan Swift to receive a B- and a particularly coveted “Well Done Snoopy Sticker”. Though I’ve been fortunate to have good grades throughout my career, I’ve never been so proud of a grade than that B-.
How do we, as professional educators create that experience for students without enabling, and without simply leaving it all to them? How do we, ultimately, do this in light of the fact that everything is now at their fingertips guide them through the realities of 2012 and beyond?
Concepts
No Escape Process: Non-negotiable situations which are locked into place
-Research Question / gone over before starting research…cannot be changed
• Questions offering analysis
• Questions that ask for judgment
• Questions that produce answers that can be disagreed upon
• Age old questions
- Use of databases, ban on certain sources, regulating number of pages / sources, currency window (10 years), required interview
- Scaffolding, pre-writing papers (icebergs, critical reviews, lit reviews), submission deadlines for rough drafts (3,6,9,12,15 pages for 5 weeks)
- Formatting as set on the two tiered rubric (Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, 15 pages/15 sources, interview required)
- Academic Honesty
Iceberg Model
-3 paragraphs (basics, examples, big picture); multiple use…great for article reading, end of week assignments, could be thematically, unit based, semester based, or year based.
Critical Review
-2 sections (summary, analysis); welcomes criticism of expert writing; welcomes analysis of bias, validity, motivation, missing or marginalized information, can be thought of as a written discussion with the expert.
Lit Review
-1 section (summary only, no commentary); welcomes grouping and categorization; delays judgment; encourages finding comparisons and contrast in the discourse on a particular topic.
Abstract
-limits number of words (numbers differ, but acceptable number equals a maximum of 250 words); could be used before or after writing of the paper. Before as a tool to organize thoughts and encourage concise writing; after as a comprehensive exercise to pack writing. Encourages showcasing and professionalism.
Research
-assumption: teachers required research papers before; students had research papers before
-what can go beyond their last research project
-teaching the discipline of research where the content does not matter
-teaching the love and respect for good research
-teaching the process that reflects the reality of the 21st century
-what’s does this mean regarding the following:
-Plagiarism (cut and paste temptation)
-Use of notecards
-Teaching of MLA, APA, or Turabian styles (Chicago)
-Use of Wikipedia
-teaching the skill of analyzing sources through:
-Website Analysis (RESOURCE: Prezi)
- Databases (RESOURCE: weblist)
- Interviewing (RESOURCE: Prezi) including where to go to sources (RESOURCE: University Expert Guides)
Writing:
Paraphrasing
-Avoids cut and paste
-Avoid block quotes / clumping of information
-summarizing skill
-discerning important portions of the resources
Grammar
-teach in the context of the writing
-get it and go concept. Once you receive 100% on certain activities, you can move on
-everyone is expected to get 100%
Noodletools
-Source List, Notes, Parenthetical citations
-Great Teacher Resource Center
-Less teaching how to do resources, more knowing where to go
Editing:
Six Traits
-Breaks writing down into six plus one trait
-Ideas
-Organization
-Voice
- Word Choice
- Sentence Fluency
- Conventions
- (Plus One) Presentation
-Gives students and teachers a common language
- Clumps students together based on strength / weaknesses
- Rubrics for each of the traits
-Avoids Overteaching writing / avoids Underteaching writing
-Encourages peer assessments
Cohorts
-Like “picking a major”
-Like-minded people working together.
-Makes interest / content the center rather than student or teacher
-Allows for focused assignments relevant to subject
-Avoids the irrelevant sampling in class
-Can be cross class grouping
-Can be hybrid of teacher led assignments / student created assignments
-Creates synergy amongst members
- if used with right tool (for example www.weebly.com) can be checked on by teacher in a non-obtrusive way
Evaluation:
Two Tiered Rubric
-allows for a non-negotiable AND qualitative aspect of teaching
-gives the student a feel that there is areas of absolute requirement and areas of creativity
-gives overall feel of the expert, as opposed to “I have to do this because the teacher said I do”
Panel Assessment
-Takes teacher out of the evaluation process (kind of)
-Creates pride in work as there is a different audience of experts
-Gives feel of if topic is fully covered by experts
-Allows for showcasing the school and student
-Great resume builder, great way to get into college
Public Showcasing
-Can take various forms
-Good for student and good for school
Authenticity as an expert
-All of the above
-increasing confidence and pride
-makes student more the expert than you on the topic
-makes student understand the overall process of research
Virginia Beach Association of Teachers of English
Fourth Annual Symposium
March 17, 2012
Virginia Beach, VA, Landstown High School
http://demott.weebly.com/how-to-rite-the-research-paper.html
[email protected]
Abstract
“How to Rite the Research Paper” – Research paper writing is a standard form used by English teachers across the world. It should be a defining moment in the education of a young adult. Making the writing of the research paper a Rite of Passage involves examining the multiple layers of experiential learning. This presentation will take you through the steps taught at Tallwood High School’s Global Studies and World Languages Academy, focusing on the practical aspects of original research by looking at the use of cohort groups, a two-tiered rubric, panel assessment, and public showcasing of the work. Students' work will be available for perusal and a small panel will field any questions.
Thank you for coming.
I would like to first apologize for the playful misnomer in my title. The presentation should, of course, be called “How to Ritualize the Research Paper”, rather than how to rite the research paper. In this vein, I wanted to pay respect to all the teachers who teach writing and put the significance on the paper that it deserves, despite an ever increasing amount of curriculum to handle. I wanted to pay my respects to all the teachers who made education an experience that we still talk about well into our adult years, those teachers, who in essence, made the research paper a rite of passage.
I think all of us can remember, like I can, a certain teacher who had significantly changed us, demanded that we go through what seemed a ridiculous set of criteria, so that we might survive the next stage of academia. My transformative experience came from Mrs. Welty’s English 12 class, where, I worked very hard by submitting and resubmitting my work on the poetry of Jonathan Swift to receive a B- and a particularly coveted “Well Done Snoopy Sticker”. Though I’ve been fortunate to have good grades throughout my career, I’ve never been so proud of a grade than that B-.
How do we, as professional educators create that experience for students without enabling, and without simply leaving it all to them? How do we, ultimately, do this in light of the fact that everything is now at their fingertips guide them through the realities of 2012 and beyond?
Concepts
No Escape Process: Non-negotiable situations which are locked into place
-Research Question / gone over before starting research…cannot be changed
• Questions offering analysis
• Questions that ask for judgment
• Questions that produce answers that can be disagreed upon
• Age old questions
- Use of databases, ban on certain sources, regulating number of pages / sources, currency window (10 years), required interview
- Scaffolding, pre-writing papers (icebergs, critical reviews, lit reviews), submission deadlines for rough drafts (3,6,9,12,15 pages for 5 weeks)
- Formatting as set on the two tiered rubric (Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, 15 pages/15 sources, interview required)
- Academic Honesty
Iceberg Model
-3 paragraphs (basics, examples, big picture); multiple use…great for article reading, end of week assignments, could be thematically, unit based, semester based, or year based.
Critical Review
-2 sections (summary, analysis); welcomes criticism of expert writing; welcomes analysis of bias, validity, motivation, missing or marginalized information, can be thought of as a written discussion with the expert.
Lit Review
-1 section (summary only, no commentary); welcomes grouping and categorization; delays judgment; encourages finding comparisons and contrast in the discourse on a particular topic.
Abstract
-limits number of words (numbers differ, but acceptable number equals a maximum of 250 words); could be used before or after writing of the paper. Before as a tool to organize thoughts and encourage concise writing; after as a comprehensive exercise to pack writing. Encourages showcasing and professionalism.
Research
-assumption: teachers required research papers before; students had research papers before
-what can go beyond their last research project
-teaching the discipline of research where the content does not matter
-teaching the love and respect for good research
-teaching the process that reflects the reality of the 21st century
-what’s does this mean regarding the following:
-Plagiarism (cut and paste temptation)
-Use of notecards
-Teaching of MLA, APA, or Turabian styles (Chicago)
-Use of Wikipedia
-teaching the skill of analyzing sources through:
-Website Analysis (RESOURCE: Prezi)
- Databases (RESOURCE: weblist)
- Interviewing (RESOURCE: Prezi) including where to go to sources (RESOURCE: University Expert Guides)
Writing:
Paraphrasing
-Avoids cut and paste
-Avoid block quotes / clumping of information
-summarizing skill
-discerning important portions of the resources
Grammar
-teach in the context of the writing
-get it and go concept. Once you receive 100% on certain activities, you can move on
-everyone is expected to get 100%
Noodletools
-Source List, Notes, Parenthetical citations
-Great Teacher Resource Center
-Less teaching how to do resources, more knowing where to go
Editing:
Six Traits
-Breaks writing down into six plus one trait
-Ideas
-Organization
-Voice
- Word Choice
- Sentence Fluency
- Conventions
- (Plus One) Presentation
-Gives students and teachers a common language
- Clumps students together based on strength / weaknesses
- Rubrics for each of the traits
-Avoids Overteaching writing / avoids Underteaching writing
-Encourages peer assessments
Cohorts
-Like “picking a major”
-Like-minded people working together.
-Makes interest / content the center rather than student or teacher
-Allows for focused assignments relevant to subject
-Avoids the irrelevant sampling in class
-Can be cross class grouping
-Can be hybrid of teacher led assignments / student created assignments
-Creates synergy amongst members
- if used with right tool (for example www.weebly.com) can be checked on by teacher in a non-obtrusive way
Evaluation:
Two Tiered Rubric
-allows for a non-negotiable AND qualitative aspect of teaching
-gives the student a feel that there is areas of absolute requirement and areas of creativity
-gives overall feel of the expert, as opposed to “I have to do this because the teacher said I do”
Panel Assessment
-Takes teacher out of the evaluation process (kind of)
-Creates pride in work as there is a different audience of experts
-Gives feel of if topic is fully covered by experts
-Allows for showcasing the school and student
-Great resume builder, great way to get into college
Public Showcasing
-Can take various forms
-Good for student and good for school
Authenticity as an expert
-All of the above
-increasing confidence and pride
-makes student more the expert than you on the topic
-makes student understand the overall process of research