Remember that our 10/6 meeting will be in the little schoolhouse that we met in the first two times (SciTech II 242). Sorry if I announced this wrong today.
Other reminders for next week:
-Read Booth: “Quick Tip” on page 83, and Chapter 6, and pages 271-276. (And Chapter 5 if you missed that last week.)
-Read Heffernan and Lincoln: “Guidelines for Critical Reading” from Writing: A College
Handbook (Course Reader).
-Read Facione: 2006 update preface from Critical Thinking: What It Is & Why it Counts (Course Reader).
-Read Katzer and Cook: “A Step-by-Step Guide for Evaluation” and “Questions to Ask” from Evaluating Information: A Guide for Users of Social Science Research (Course Reader).
-Share (or email) me a draft of your Project Description if you haven't already done so. In a reversal of my previous request, don't send your Project Description to your faculty mentor just yet.
-Post Research Log #4 on course blog by Tuesday at 22:00. This should be a revised list of your 25 research questions.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Reminders for Class #4 (Wednesday 9/29)
Remember that our 9/29 meeting will be in the Johnson Center Library ("library instruction room" #228).
Other reminders:
-Read Booth chapter 5.
-Share (or email) draft of Project Description. There are some guidelines in the handout I gave you a couple of weeks ago with the title "Drafting a Research Proposal." Also get this to your faculty mentor somehow, and then get me the comments when he/she finishes them. Again this would all be easier in Google Docs, but email is fine if necessary.
-Create a concept map of your topic, for use in the library session. So make sure to bring a physical copy of that. As I explained tonight, a concept map could be many different things, so don't take "map" too literally. Just any way you can organize the various concepts or questions of your paper without writing in sequential complete sentences.
-As a separate exercise, or perhaps as sort of the "legend" scribbled in the corner of your concept map, I highly recommend that you try your best to complete the following template: I am investigating ___________ because ___________ , in order to ___________. ___________has/have generally approached the topic by ___________, while ___________ believe/s that ___________; I will be arguing instead that ___________.
-You may also find this helpful in light of our discussion.
Other reminders:
-Read Booth chapter 5.
-Share (or email) draft of Project Description. There are some guidelines in the handout I gave you a couple of weeks ago with the title "Drafting a Research Proposal." Also get this to your faculty mentor somehow, and then get me the comments when he/she finishes them. Again this would all be easier in Google Docs, but email is fine if necessary.
-Create a concept map of your topic, for use in the library session. So make sure to bring a physical copy of that. As I explained tonight, a concept map could be many different things, so don't take "map" too literally. Just any way you can organize the various concepts or questions of your paper without writing in sequential complete sentences.
-As a separate exercise, or perhaps as sort of the "legend" scribbled in the corner of your concept map, I highly recommend that you try your best to complete the following template: I am investigating ___________ because ___________ , in order to ___________. ___________has/have generally approached the topic by ___________, while ___________ believe/s that ___________; I will be arguing instead that ___________.
-You may also find this helpful in light of our discussion.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Reminders for Class #3 (Wednesday 9/22)
I have received most of your "statement of interest" 1st drafts as well as research logs. I'd hoped to be able to comment earlier, but will be doing so Sunday afternoon/evening. (As stated in class, I will duplicate my response to both your email inbox and Google Docs share so you can start testing out Docs.)
The most important reminders are that there will be no class meeting on 9/15 and that the 9/22 meeting will be in the Student Union II building as specified in the schedule on the column on the right side of the blog.
Other reminders:
- Share revised Statement of Interest to me on Google Docs by Wednesday 9/15 at 22:00. Revised in light of my comments in the aforementioned Sunday email, in light of the way your thinking has developed after reading our various course texts and after interbeing so dynamically in class, and in light of any preliminary source research you're able to squeeze in this week. Technically, neither the first draft nor the second draft of the SOI are graded, so just think of it as a way to sketch out some of your ideas and to make sure that I know everything I need to know at this point about them.
-Post Research Log #2 on course blog by Thursday 9/16 at 22:00. (Any topic, but try to differentiate somehow from your statement of interest.)
-Read Leedy & Ormrod: “What is Research?” from Practical Research: Planning & Design (Course Reader)
-Read Booth: Chapters 3, 4.
-Read Graff and Birkenstein: Chapters 5-10.
- Post Research Log #3 on course blog by Tuesday 9/21 at 22:00. This one should be a list of 25 questions relating to your topic. See Chapter 3 of Booth for guidance in framing questions about history and context, structure and composition, categories, speculations, agreement and disagreement, etc. Another way to frame questions is to think about multiple perspectives or contrasting viewpoints. that may not necessarily be well documented or extensively discussed in your sources.
The most important reminders are that there will be no class meeting on 9/15 and that the 9/22 meeting will be in the Student Union II building as specified in the schedule on the column on the right side of the blog.
Other reminders:
- Share revised Statement of Interest to me on Google Docs by Wednesday 9/15 at 22:00. Revised in light of my comments in the aforementioned Sunday email, in light of the way your thinking has developed after reading our various course texts and after interbeing so dynamically in class, and in light of any preliminary source research you're able to squeeze in this week. Technically, neither the first draft nor the second draft of the SOI are graded, so just think of it as a way to sketch out some of your ideas and to make sure that I know everything I need to know at this point about them.
-Post Research Log #2 on course blog by Thursday 9/16 at 22:00. (Any topic, but try to differentiate somehow from your statement of interest.)
-Read Leedy & Ormrod: “What is Research?” from Practical Research: Planning & Design (Course Reader)
-Read Booth: Chapters 3, 4.
-Read Graff and Birkenstein: Chapters 5-10.
- Post Research Log #3 on course blog by Tuesday 9/21 at 22:00. This one should be a list of 25 questions relating to your topic. See Chapter 3 of Booth for guidance in framing questions about history and context, structure and composition, categories, speculations, agreement and disagreement, etc. Another way to frame questions is to think about multiple perspectives or contrasting viewpoints. that may not necessarily be well documented or extensively discussed in your sources.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Reminders for Class #2 (Wednesday 9/8)
-Read Booth: Prologue and Chapters 1-2.
-Read Leedy & Ormrod: “What is Research?” from Practical Research: Planning & Design (Course Reader)
-Read Boix Mansilla: “Assessing Student Work at Disciplinary Crossroads." <---That's a way illegal link with the file in it.
-Read Graff and Birkenstein: Introduction and Chapters 1-4.
-Turn in Background Survey if you didn’t finish it in last week’s class.
-Complete Research Log #1 on course blog by Tuesday at 22:00. Research logs are meant to suit your project’s development, so there are many possibilities: post a comment about a potential idea, a potential source, an assigned text, your feelings about your progress or lack thereof, or post a question, tip, or response to another student. Aim for about 100 words but feel free to post more, or to post additional entries. Cross conversation is encouraged, though please be respectful of other students.
-Complete an initial one page Statement of Interest about a potential research topic and post it here on this blog entry by Wednesday at 18:00. (Or email it to me.) Be as specific as possible. What topic interests you and why? Which disciplines inform this topic? What do you already know about it? What are you curious to learn or analyze about the topic? Why is it something worth thinking about?The “Finding Topics” and “Checklist for Understanding Your Readers” sections of Booth’s Craft of Research will probably be helpful for developing your statement.
In case I forget, here is a little research narrative of my own about the Boix Mansilla essay. I believe the course director intended this to be a scavenger hunt so that you would be forced to find it yourself and thus get exposure to some of the library resources you'll need later in the course. I decided you had enough to do and promised to find it, but then I forgot (many excuses but the main one being that I had already hunted down another Boix Mansilla essay for 490 and got them bollixed up... or I guess boixed up). Putting myself in the lazy student's position, because I am one, I went straight to Google for the article citation. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to get the article itself, which would likely be a paid library resource. So the third hit on the article title appears to be the one, and I get this citation: Change, v37 n1 p14 Jan-Feb 2005 . The first two seem to be earlier versions of the article that might have been given as conference speeches. I'm guessing Change magazine refers to its purpose rather than its cost, but that could work either way, ha ha. OK so now I know which magazine/journal I need, so now I'll go to the main library page (library.gmu.edu). I clicked on e-journals because I'm optimistic and then typed in the journal's title and hit search. It appears to be that first one, published in New York. So then I click on the JSTOR link, which is a database service university libraries pay for, then I get a password prompt (which is way easier than this process used to be at my old university). Then I've apparently been granted access by GMU's electronic library elves. Now I'm stumped, because this access stops at volume 36, or year 2004. But wait, why did I look for it on JSTOR when it was available in several other places? Now I'll go back and try Education Full Text, which sounds like what I'm looking for and purports to cover until "present," which should include 2005 unless there is some kind of hot tub time machine involved. Eureka. Now I'm into Volume 37, Number 1. I click full text PDF for the article I was seeking. I save it under a silly filename to my desktop, and then blah blah blah I put it on the blog. Lather, rinse, repeat that process about 10,000 times with more frustration, dead ends, work, and pressure, and that's your research project.
-Read Boix Mansilla: “Assessing Student Work at Disciplinary Crossroads." <---That's a way illegal link with the file in it.
-Read Graff and Birkenstein: Introduction and Chapters 1-4.
-Turn in Background Survey if you didn’t finish it in last week’s class.
-Complete Research Log #1 on course blog by Tuesday at 22:00. Research logs are meant to suit your project’s development, so there are many possibilities: post a comment about a potential idea, a potential source, an assigned text, your feelings about your progress or lack thereof, or post a question, tip, or response to another student. Aim for about 100 words but feel free to post more, or to post additional entries. Cross conversation is encouraged, though please be respectful of other students.
-Complete an initial one page Statement of Interest about a potential research topic and post it here on this blog entry by Wednesday at 18:00. (Or email it to me.) Be as specific as possible. What topic interests you and why? Which disciplines inform this topic? What do you already know about it? What are you curious to learn or analyze about the topic? Why is it something worth thinking about?The “Finding Topics” and “Checklist for Understanding Your Readers” sections of Booth’s Craft of Research will probably be helpful for developing your statement.
In case I forget, here is a little research narrative of my own about the Boix Mansilla essay. I believe the course director intended this to be a scavenger hunt so that you would be forced to find it yourself and thus get exposure to some of the library resources you'll need later in the course. I decided you had enough to do and promised to find it, but then I forgot (many excuses but the main one being that I had already hunted down another Boix Mansilla essay for 490 and got them bollixed up... or I guess boixed up). Putting myself in the lazy student's position, because I am one, I went straight to Google for the article citation. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to get the article itself, which would likely be a paid library resource. So the third hit on the article title appears to be the one, and I get this citation: Change, v37 n1 p14 Jan-Feb 2005 . The first two seem to be earlier versions of the article that might have been given as conference speeches. I'm guessing Change magazine refers to its purpose rather than its cost, but that could work either way, ha ha. OK so now I know which magazine/journal I need, so now I'll go to the main library page (library.gmu.edu). I clicked on e-journals because I'm optimistic and then typed in the journal's title and hit search. It appears to be that first one, published in New York. So then I click on the JSTOR link, which is a database service university libraries pay for, then I get a password prompt (which is way easier than this process used to be at my old university). Then I've apparently been granted access by GMU's electronic library elves. Now I'm stumped, because this access stops at volume 36, or year 2004. But wait, why did I look for it on JSTOR when it was available in several other places? Now I'll go back and try Education Full Text, which sounds like what I'm looking for and purports to cover until "present," which should include 2005 unless there is some kind of hot tub time machine involved. Eureka. Now I'm into Volume 37, Number 1. I click full text PDF for the article I was seeking. I save it under a silly filename to my desktop, and then blah blah blah I put it on the blog. Lather, rinse, repeat that process about 10,000 times with more frustration, dead ends, work, and pressure, and that's your research project.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Class #1 Post-Game
It was great meeting you all today. I felt that our interbeing had very good dynamics.
I'll expand this post tomorrow, but for now I want to give you some further documents I should have given you today. This is a fuller explanation of the various stages/parts of the 390 proposal you are developing. This is the same document, but written for creative projects (which only applies to one of you I believe). And this is the really important one, which is a grid of all the class assignments. I hope to print all of these for you next week, but in the meantime take a look. Julie has requested samples of completed 390 proposals, but I need to make sure that I have the permission to show them... what I do have for now are samples of completed 490 projects, a very good one and a less good one.
Oh and if you do figure out how to get on Google Docs and you want to share something to me, my Gmail/Docs name is aaron.mclean.winter _at_ gmail.com <--- I can't type the @ there or I'll get spam emails.
I'll expand this post tomorrow, but for now I want to give you some further documents I should have given you today. This is a fuller explanation of the various stages/parts of the 390 proposal you are developing. This is the same document, but written for creative projects (which only applies to one of you I believe). And this is the really important one, which is a grid of all the class assignments. I hope to print all of these for you next week, but in the meantime take a look. Julie has requested samples of completed 390 proposals, but I need to make sure that I have the permission to show them... what I do have for now are samples of completed 490 projects, a very good one and a less good one.
Oh and if you do figure out how to get on Google Docs and you want to share something to me, my Gmail/Docs name is aaron.mclean.winter _at_ gmail.com <--- I can't type the @ there or I'll get spam emails.
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