Day 22 (Oct 15) - In-Depth Pre-research: Critical Thinking

Today we will...

1. Explain different aspects of critical thinking: summarizing, analyzing, critiquing and synthesizing
2. Do some analysis of the points of an organization's solutions on your topic from different perspectives: logic, insight, evidence and critique
3. Add the results of your analysis into your pre-research portfolio

Sample Pre-research Portfolio

Here is a sample pre-research portfolio. You all have to document all your research results in a portfolio like this. Remember, this is 15% of your final grade for this course!

Critical Thinking

What is Critical Thinking? Is it the same as criticizing?

When we do analysis, what do we need to focus on? Let's look at these different LENSES.

Okay, now let's take a look at a sample analysis. Don't be scared...

Hands-on

Now, it's your turn to practice. Please open this excel file and add things into different columns based on your own topics.

Homework

Please send me your gmail accounts so that I can create a folder for each one of you. I will put a pre-research worksheet in it, and you will be editing it toward your final submission of the portfolio.

Day 20 (Oct 10) - Pre-research

Today we will...

1. Talk about what we need to do before we actually start writing our research papers
2. See what we need to include in a pre-research portfolio

Pre-writing Preparations

Think about the following questions and discuss them with someone next to you:
1. Do we go directly into the writing procedure when we have a topic?
2. If not, what are we supposed to do before writing the paper?

Take a look at this powerpoint, and see what we have to do for now.

Pre-research

Let us watch a video on how to find relative information on the topic that you want to write on.

Now get into your topic group, and use the CQ Researcher to search for some information on the best topic that you have voted for. You need to find the information and put them in the right categories in this document.

Homework

1. Do the assigned exercises on Writer's Help.
2. Gather the necessary background information and complete the Pre-research Organizer.

Remember!!!

We do not have class next Monday...in this classroom. It will be in Room 291 at the Undergraduate Library

Day 18 & Day 19 (Oct 6 & Oct 8) Choosing a Topic & Choosing an Organization

In these 2 days we will...

1. Learn how to choose an effective topic that will work for your research paper
2. Learn how to narrow your topic down to make sure it is discussable & interesting to the audience
3. Learn how to choose an organization to help you build your paper

How to Choose an Effective Topic?

Before choosing a topic, we need to know what makes a good topic. Let us again take a look at the perfect research paper written by Eric and see what the topic is like.

Now let's see what a good topic should be like.

In addition, the characteristics of a good topic.

Now Your Turn

Open this document, and try to write down 2 topics that you think are good. You will also need to write 4 to 6 sentences to explain why this is a good topic.

When you are finished, get into groups of 3 or 4 people. Share with others the 2 topics you have chosen and discuss about it. Please follow these steps.

Concept Map

What is a Concept Map? Let's also watch a video on it.

Now it's your turn to develop a concept map on your chosen topic.

Choosing an Organization

Now you are all masters of choosing a good topic, let's move on to choosing an organization.

However, where should we go to find all these organizations? Let's see what the school has for us.

Never lose this URL!!! It's called "ESL Undergraduate Student Guide" http://uiuc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=606090&sid=5002456
It is very very very useful when you need to find an organization.

Get Your Hands On It!

Now get into groups of 3 or 4, and each group needs to work on one of the organizations and find the information to fill in the form.

With the topic that you have already selected for your research paper, now use this worksheet to find the possible organizations that may work for your paper and then choose the best one.

Day 17 (Oct 3) - Plagiarism Prevention Certification Test

Today, we will...
Take the Plagiarism Prevention Certification Test

Yeah! You guys all feel excited? We are taking the Certification Test today!

You will be given 50 minutes to complete the test. The test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions, and you will have to get at least 15 right to pass the test in order to remain your seat in this class.

To take the test, you will need to go to Compass 2g. Then you click on "TRAINING - ESL Plagiarism Prevention Training Fall 2014", and you enter the 3rd item, which is the "Certification Test" to begin your test.

Your performance will be automatically calculated by the software, and I will be able to see your grade right after your submission. Work carefully on each question because some of them can be really tricky.

Again, if you pass, go home and enjoy a wonderful weekend and think about your research paper topic; if you fail, go home and cry and get ready for the remedial test, and you still need to think about the research topic.

Finally, good luck to all of you!

Day 16 (Oct 1) - Overview of Research Paper

Today we will...

Enter a new historical era, which is the core of this course: RESEARCH PAPER!

Heads-up Warning

Before we talk about and start the process of writing research paper, there is a short video to watch.
So what is this video trying to tell us about paper writing?

General Overview of Research Paper

Let us take a look at what a research paper is really about.

Procedures in Research Paper Writing
Here are some general procedures in writing a research paper, please sequence them in the right order.
Now let's check the answer.

Let's learn the Research Paper Writing!

Let's do a hands-on activity on Prompt Analysis.

Here are some features of academic writing.

Day 15 (Sep 29) - Plagiarism & Paraphrasing

Today we will...

1. get to know what plagiarism is and its negative effects
2. see different ways to avoid plagiarism
3. concentrate on how to paraphrase

What is Plagiarism? How bad can it be?

Take a look at the following Naughty Boys, and share your ideas with the person next to you. You can google these people if you have no idea who they are and what they have done.

Let us now watch a video and see what can happen when you commit plagiarism.

How can we avoid plagiarism then?

There are 3 major ways in which we can avoid plagiarism, and they are paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting. Today we will focus on paraphrasing.

Get your hands on it

Read the Ikenberry Dining Hall article, and focus on the highlighted part. Work with your partner and answer all the questions. Then paraphrase the highlighted part in your own words.

Summary

Always bear in mind the 8 steps you need in paraphrasing
1. Read the original to make sure you understand
2. Read it again to identify the key words and phrases
3. Stop looking and try to write it in your own words
4. Check your accuracy to make sure your words carry the same meaning as the original
5. Change the words
6. Change the structure
7. Check your accuracy again
8. Cite your source

Homework

Do the Avoiding Plagiarism exercises assigned on Writer's Help ebook. There are 4 exercises you need to complete before class on Wednesday. Please use those exercises as review for the Certification Test on Friday.

Day 13 (Sep 24) - Peer Perception Training

Today we will...

1. Go over the exercise on advanced punctuation.
2. Do the peer perception training.
3. See how to revise your paper, which is due next Monday.

Peer Perception

So what is Peer Perception? How does it differ from Peer Review or Peer Editing?
Let's take a look here.

Here are some strategies and expressions to use in peer perception.

Here is the Peer Perception Handout you have to print out before you come to class on Friday.

Example for Peer Review & Editing

Now I will show you what a peer review & editing looks like.

Now Get Ready

Now you have understood what peer perception is. Go home and scan over the handout and make sure you know what to look for in other people's paper. When you come to class on Friday, make sure you bring the handouts for peer perception.