Today was our last session of 2008. It was a drop-in session for those wanting to chat about their essays or presentations (remember that we will be starting the presentations in the week that we come back).
I've been reading and marking essays and reports over the last week. No teacher or tutor enjoys marking (if they say they do they're probably lying). However I have, genuinely, enjoyed reading them.
I gave some feedback to some students on their essays today. As I said to those who came in, we want you to look upon these pieces of writing as a kind of learning resource. Even better look upon them as a work of art like a painting, a sculpture or a musical composition. We want you to take your time in moulding these pieces into examples of writing that you, as much as us, are happy with. Don't focus so much on merely "getting them finished". Remember that this year is all about the development of your writing, research, reading, talking and listening skills - this development is not something that can, nor should, be rushed.
After Christmas I will give feedback to everyone on their writing pieces. However, I may have to stagger this as I don't want to rush these individual chats either. These individual consultations are important.
The aim is that at the end of the academic year is that each student should end up with a portfolio for Communication which, among other things, will include the final, polished and ready-for-exhibition pieces of writing.
Anyway, enough of that for now.
You have all worked hard this term and deserve a break. Have a good one and see you all in the new year.
Nollaig shona daoibh.
And here's a festive greeting to you all from my son ...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thu 11 Dec
Today was deadline day for writing pieces. Thanks to everyone who handed in work.
I asked everyone to get up in front of the class, use the PowerPoint and deliver the introduction to their talk. Everyone talked through their topic, the purpose of their presentation and a preview of the main points. Everyone did very well at this.
Again, I was impressed with clarity and voice projection of the short presentations. I purposely stood at the back and I was able to hear everyone clearly.
Some points that came out of this exercise:
I asked everyone to get up in front of the class, use the PowerPoint and deliver the introduction to their talk. Everyone talked through their topic, the purpose of their presentation and a preview of the main points. Everyone did very well at this.
Again, I was impressed with clarity and voice projection of the short presentations. I purposely stood at the back and I was able to hear everyone clearly.
Some points that came out of this exercise:
- do not get into the details of your presentation in your introduction (save that for later)
- PowerPoint can help guide and structure a talk (but use it wisely)
- it's good to practise (don't do your presentation for the first time in front of the class)
- it's okay to be nervous (you'll have a sympathetic audience)
Next week, I'll be running a drop-in session for people to give feedback on essays. Of course, come and see me then if you'd like to have a chat regarding any aspect of the course.
After Christmas (be warned) we will be doing the presentations. Be prepared to do your presentation on the 8th of January. Remember that I need to see plans for these presentations.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thu 04 Dec
Not a great turnout today, but thanks to those who made it in.
Today we continued to work on essays, reports and presentations in 208 and in 419.
I asked people to hand in presentation plans today - thanks again to those who did.
Remember that next week is the deadline for the two writing pieces. The fact-based piece can be formatted as a report if you like (I was chatting to Pawel about this). If you have any worries or concerns about meeting the deadline, please get in touch by email: jerryoneill@stevenson.ac.uk
Today we continued to work on essays, reports and presentations in 208 and in 419.
I asked people to hand in presentation plans today - thanks again to those who did.
Remember that next week is the deadline for the two writing pieces. The fact-based piece can be formatted as a report if you like (I was chatting to Pawel about this). If you have any worries or concerns about meeting the deadline, please get in touch by email: jerryoneill@stevenson.ac.uk
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thu 27 Nov
Today we spent the first hour in the Learning Resource Centre on the second floor (208). People were working on various pieces of work (essays, reports, presentations and general research).
After the break we went back to 419.
I reminded everyone about the deadline for the written pieces (11 Dec). We will get a chance next week to work on those as I have booked spaced in 208 for the whole class.
I also asked students to spend some time putting together a plan for their presentation. You need to produce a plan as part of your portfolio of work for Communication. I gave out a sheet which gave some guidance on what the plan should cover. As I said, this should not take long, but it is a worthwhile, indeed vital, process. A presentation needs to be planned. Again, purpose and structure are very important when thinking about how a presentation comes together. I've asked people to bring in a plan for their presentation next week.
Just another point on presentations. You may know that you need to do two for Communication. At the moment I'm only interested in you doing one. We'll probably start doing these right after Christmas. I'd like to hold off on the second one for a while to give you a chance to reflect on your first presentations.
We finished off the class today with some corrections on the analysis of presentation assessments (Franco Moretti and Susan Greenfield). Some may question the point of these assessments. But remember the purpose of looking at any presentation (good or bad) critically is to identify, and learn from, the strengths and weaknesses of others.
As Franco Moretti says "that's all folks" ...
After the break we went back to 419.
I reminded everyone about the deadline for the written pieces (11 Dec). We will get a chance next week to work on those as I have booked spaced in 208 for the whole class.
I also asked students to spend some time putting together a plan for their presentation. You need to produce a plan as part of your portfolio of work for Communication. I gave out a sheet which gave some guidance on what the plan should cover. As I said, this should not take long, but it is a worthwhile, indeed vital, process. A presentation needs to be planned. Again, purpose and structure are very important when thinking about how a presentation comes together. I've asked people to bring in a plan for their presentation next week.
Just another point on presentations. You may know that you need to do two for Communication. At the moment I'm only interested in you doing one. We'll probably start doing these right after Christmas. I'd like to hold off on the second one for a while to give you a chance to reflect on your first presentations.
We finished off the class today with some corrections on the analysis of presentation assessments (Franco Moretti and Susan Greenfield). Some may question the point of these assessments. But remember the purpose of looking at any presentation (good or bad) critically is to identify, and learn from, the strengths and weaknesses of others.
As Franco Moretti says "that's all folks" ...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Second assessment for Oral Presentation Skills
Today we had a go at the second assessment for Oral Presentation Skills. Again we were analysing a presentation. This week's presentation by Susan Greenfield on the brain was a bit more engaging than last week's.
I'll give you some feedback on how you got on next week.
Next week we will be in the learning resource centre in Room 208 from 0900 - 1000. This is to give people a chance to work on essays and/or presentations. I'll leave a note on the door to remind people where we are. Just go directly there.
I also asked people to be prepared to tell me the topic and purpose of their essays and presentation.
If you have any queries, get in touch.
I'll give you some feedback on how you got on next week.
Next week we will be in the learning resource centre in Room 208 from 0900 - 1000. This is to give people a chance to work on essays and/or presentations. I'll leave a note on the door to remind people where we are. Just go directly there.
I also asked people to be prepared to tell me the topic and purpose of their essays and presentation.
If you have any queries, get in touch.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
First assessment for Oral Presentation Skills
Today we did the first assessment for the unit Oral Presentation Skills (OPS). We watched and analysed a presentation by a marketing and advertising executive. Everyone appeared to complete the questions. I will give you feedback on these next week.
Next week we will attempt a very similar, assessment for OPS. Using the same questions we will analyse and evaluate another presentation.
As we look at these presentations we should reflect on their strengths and weaknesses - doing so should help us improve our own presentation techniques.
Again, if anyone has any questions or concerns about the essays or presentations, please get in contact with me.
Next week we will attempt a very similar, assessment for OPS. Using the same questions we will analyse and evaluate another presentation.
As we look at these presentations we should reflect on their strengths and weaknesses - doing so should help us improve our own presentation techniques.
Again, if anyone has any questions or concerns about the essays or presentations, please get in contact with me.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday 6th November - Presentations
Today we stopped talking about presentations for a bit and, instead, just had a go at doing one. Everyone had to do a two-minute talk on a topic picked out of a hat (without the hat).
Well done to everyone who took part in this activity. As I said, if people can get up and talk for (at least) a couple of minutes about a topic without any preparation, then the thought of getting up to talk for just a few minutes more with preparation shouldn't be so bad.
Some people commented about being very nervous. Two points on this: First, you will not have come across as nervous as you felt. Honestly, I didn't get that impression with anyone. Secondly, being nervous is natural and, to a certain degree, can even be useful when giving a presentation - think about the opposite: being too relaxed. Of course, we need to find a balance. Anyway, I'd like you to share your thoughts about getting up today and giving a presentation. How did people feel about doing this? Any lessons learned?
We also looked at some examples of presentations from the DVD. Many of the points that we identified previously about producing writing pieces come up with presentations: the importance of a sense of purpose; beginnings and endings; overall structure and flow of ideas/points; linking points; language style; and knowledge of content.
We also considered issues to do with body language and body positioning; visual aids (see previous post) and the use of voice.
As well as these specific issues, the two general points to consider for your own presentations are: planning and practice.
Next week we'll start to analyse the first of two presentations that you are required to look at as part of the Oral Presentation Skills unit.
As I said at the end, if anyone has any questions about essays and/or presentations, please get in touch.
Well done to everyone who took part in this activity. As I said, if people can get up and talk for (at least) a couple of minutes about a topic without any preparation, then the thought of getting up to talk for just a few minutes more with preparation shouldn't be so bad.
Some people commented about being very nervous. Two points on this: First, you will not have come across as nervous as you felt. Honestly, I didn't get that impression with anyone. Secondly, being nervous is natural and, to a certain degree, can even be useful when giving a presentation - think about the opposite: being too relaxed. Of course, we need to find a balance. Anyway, I'd like you to share your thoughts about getting up today and giving a presentation. How did people feel about doing this? Any lessons learned?
We also looked at some examples of presentations from the DVD. Many of the points that we identified previously about producing writing pieces come up with presentations: the importance of a sense of purpose; beginnings and endings; overall structure and flow of ideas/points; linking points; language style; and knowledge of content.
We also considered issues to do with body language and body positioning; visual aids (see previous post) and the use of voice.
As well as these specific issues, the two general points to consider for your own presentations are: planning and practice.
Next week we'll start to analyse the first of two presentations that you are required to look at as part of the Oral Presentation Skills unit.
As I said at the end, if anyone has any questions about essays and/or presentations, please get in touch.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a very useful tool for helping to structure a presentation. However, some people can get a bit carried away with it - the purpose of their talk can become obscured by a badly-designed PowerPoint slide-show. Does anyone have any experience of this? I know Dieca is covering PowerPoint with you. We'll discuss it as well.
In the meantime here's a funny, but instructive link to youtube entitled "How NOT to use PowerPoint" (It's not great quality video and I think that you'll only be able to access it from outside the college):
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cagxPlVqrtM
In the meantime here's a funny, but instructive link to youtube entitled "How NOT to use PowerPoint" (It's not great quality video and I think that you'll only be able to access it from outside the college):
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cagxPlVqrtM
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Initial thoughts on presentations
First and foremost, sorry about not making it in today: my son is ill, so I need to stay home and look after him. As he's tucked up in bed at this very moment, I'll take the time to explain what I intended to cover in class.
My plan today was to first have a chat about how people are getting on with the resources that Alma showed us before the holiday. Some students have commented positively on them already. Nearly all of these resources are only available to students who set up an ATHENS account. If you missed that class, read the blog entry on "Research and sources" (16 October). You'll need to get an application form for an ATHENS account from the library as well. If you have any problems with that let me know. It's important to get your head around ATHENS now as it is an invaluable resource for research in university.
The main focus for today's class was going to be an introduction to presentations. I was going to show you a DVD on presentations and get you to discuss and write about the DVD and your feelings on presentations in general. I think my colleague Madeleine will cover part of the class and she may show the DVD. I'll take it up from there next week.
However, what I would like you to do now, is to share your initial thoughts about presentations. For example, how do you feel about having to give presentations? Have you given presentations before? You may have, but not in English. What concerns (if any) do you have about presentations? Have you learned anything from presentations you have given in the past?
Please post your comments and thoughts on presentations as a response to this blog entry.
I need to go now, I hear a frail voice whimpering "daddy" from the bedroom ...
My plan today was to first have a chat about how people are getting on with the resources that Alma showed us before the holiday. Some students have commented positively on them already. Nearly all of these resources are only available to students who set up an ATHENS account. If you missed that class, read the blog entry on "Research and sources" (16 October). You'll need to get an application form for an ATHENS account from the library as well. If you have any problems with that let me know. It's important to get your head around ATHENS now as it is an invaluable resource for research in university.
The main focus for today's class was going to be an introduction to presentations. I was going to show you a DVD on presentations and get you to discuss and write about the DVD and your feelings on presentations in general. I think my colleague Madeleine will cover part of the class and she may show the DVD. I'll take it up from there next week.
However, what I would like you to do now, is to share your initial thoughts about presentations. For example, how do you feel about having to give presentations? Have you given presentations before? You may have, but not in English. What concerns (if any) do you have about presentations? Have you learned anything from presentations you have given in the past?
Please post your comments and thoughts on presentations as a response to this blog entry.
I need to go now, I hear a frail voice whimpering "daddy" from the bedroom ...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The power of language
I've just listened to a very interesting programme on BBC Radio 4 about the social and political power of language. The programme ("PC RIP?") considered the impact of political correctness (PC) in language and, as suggested by the title, pondered on whether the PC "movement" was over.
This programme could be seen as a kind of radio "essay": it has a strong introduction and conclusion. The central voice of the author (Clive Anderson) uses evidence from experts to develop the "essay". Notice the way this evidence is weaved into his exploration of the issue. How does he set it up and/or reflect on it? Also, the title "PC RIP?" is short and snappy and gives a very clear indication of what the documentary is going to be about. The use of the question mark is very important. Can you see why?
Anyway, if you get a chance, listen to the programme again. You can use the "Listen again" function on the BBC Radio 4 website to find the programme (it's on the left-hand-side menu on the page of the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/pcrip/). I think that they take the programmes down after a while, so listen while you can.
As always, if you do listen to it and have any comments, please post them. I'm always intrigued by the power that lies behind words.
This programme could be seen as a kind of radio "essay": it has a strong introduction and conclusion. The central voice of the author (Clive Anderson) uses evidence from experts to develop the "essay". Notice the way this evidence is weaved into his exploration of the issue. How does he set it up and/or reflect on it? Also, the title "PC RIP?" is short and snappy and gives a very clear indication of what the documentary is going to be about. The use of the question mark is very important. Can you see why?
Anyway, if you get a chance, listen to the programme again. You can use the "Listen again" function on the BBC Radio 4 website to find the programme (it's on the left-hand-side menu on the page of the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/pcrip/). I think that they take the programmes down after a while, so listen while you can.
As always, if you do listen to it and have any comments, please post them. I'm always intrigued by the power that lies behind words.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Research and sources
Today we looked at some of the resources and sources of information that are useful for research purposes.
I started the class by giving some more feedback on how to incorporate evidence and quotes into your writing (this was just a re-stressing of the last comment on the 9th October blog entry "Comments on education essay").
I also made some suggestions for the writing assignments (see previous blog entry).
I then handed out lots of yellow post-its and asked everyone to answer the very broad question (I love broad questions): "What sources do you use to broaden your knowledge of the world?"
We then went to the Student Learning Centre where Alma gave showed us some very interesting online resoources.
Most of these resources require you to sign up to a research gateway called Athens. You won't be able to access most of these resources without first signing up to Athens. Everyone who was in today filled out an application form for that. If you weren't in today, you'll need to sort your application out as quickly as you can.
Here are some of the sites that Alma covered:
Library catalogue http://www.stevenson.ac.uk/heritage
GALE: Journal database http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/stevensc
Gale offers translation tools and can translate the articles into Spanish and a few other languages. Gale covers all subjects, and has world wide coverage. The majority of the articles are in full-text.
Encyclopaedias http://www.credoreference.com/ and
http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/GLOBAL.html
2 online encyclopaedias, Credo and Oxford Reference. Credo has a concept map tool which organises material like mind maps. There is also a translation function on the Credo site.
Statistical sources http://www.carelpress.co.uk/
The college subscribes to Carel Press Fact file.
Yearbooks http://www.independence.co.uk/
We subscribe to the Issues Online series by Independence.
Information gateway http://www.intute.ac.uk/
Alama didn't get to this but the Intute gateway is another good resource. It is free but comes from reliable academic sources.
I started the class by giving some more feedback on how to incorporate evidence and quotes into your writing (this was just a re-stressing of the last comment on the 9th October blog entry "Comments on education essay").
I also made some suggestions for the writing assignments (see previous blog entry).
I then handed out lots of yellow post-its and asked everyone to answer the very broad question (I love broad questions): "What sources do you use to broaden your knowledge of the world?"
This is what we came up with:
As is clear, the internet takes up a significant space on the page. However, as was also noted, there is a merging of media now: newspapers, televison and radio prorammes are available online.
This, I hope, got us all thinking about sources and resources - something to think about for what came next ...
We then went to the Student Learning Centre where Alma gave showed us some very interesting online resoources.
Most of these resources require you to sign up to a research gateway called Athens. You won't be able to access most of these resources without first signing up to Athens. Everyone who was in today filled out an application form for that. If you weren't in today, you'll need to sort your application out as quickly as you can.
Here are some of the sites that Alma covered:
Library catalogue http://www.stevenson.ac.uk/heritage
GALE: Journal database http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/stevensc
Gale offers translation tools and can translate the articles into Spanish and a few other languages. Gale covers all subjects, and has world wide coverage. The majority of the articles are in full-text.
Encyclopaedias http://www.credoreference.com/ and
http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/GLOBAL.html
2 online encyclopaedias, Credo and Oxford Reference. Credo has a concept map tool which organises material like mind maps. There is also a translation function on the Credo site.
Statistical sources http://www.carelpress.co.uk/
The college subscribes to Carel Press Fact file.
Yearbooks http://www.independence.co.uk/
We subscribe to the Issues Online series by Independence.
Information gateway http://www.intute.ac.uk/
Alama didn't get to this but the Intute gateway is another good resource. It is free but comes from reliable academic sources.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Darwin's struggle with academic writing
I just came across this quote from Charles Darwin which I think is pertinent:
"I am just now beginning to discover the difficulty of expressing one's ideas on paper. As long as it consists solely of description it is pretty easy: but where reasoning comes into play, to make proper connections, a clearness and a moderate fluency, is to me a difficulty of which I had no idea."
"I am just now beginning to discover the difficulty of expressing one's ideas on paper. As long as it consists solely of description it is pretty easy: but where reasoning comes into play, to make proper connections, a clearness and a moderate fluency, is to me a difficulty of which I had no idea."
So, if you find academic writing a struggle, remember you are not alone!
(quote from http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-981
(quote from http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-981
image courtesy of Colin Purrington)
Some suggestions for writing assignments
I’d like you to use the writing assessments as an opportunity to push yourselves a bit. You should all have received some feedback from me directly and through the blog. Try to bear this feedback in mind as you work on your next written assignments.
Some students said that they’d like some suggestions of topics. Here are some ideas:
_____________________________
Argument-based essay:
Carol Ann Duffy’s poem "Education for Leisure" was recently removed from the GCSE curriculum over fears that it glamorises knife-crime.
Discuss the point of view that censorship is sometimes a necessary evil.
_____________________________
The film “Die Welle” confronts the notion that we should never become complacent about the mistakes of the past.
Discuss to what extent you believe that modern European society is capable of re-embracing the fascist ideals of the early-part of the twentieth century.
Your essay may look at arguments for and against the notion that European society is capable of a return to fascism. You might want it to be a “balanced” essay: ie. looking at the views of others, while largely keeping your own ideas to the background.
However, you may feel strongly about this and use evidence and other peoples’ views to persuade us that it is (or isn’t) possible.
_____________________________
Fact and analysis: report
Choose a popular tourist destination in Europe. Investigate the effect that tourism has had on this location. Write a short report which examines the impact of tourism (positive and negative) on this location/region.
_____________________________
The beauty and the meanings of a literary work are distorted by translation. Discuss.
_____________________________
Here are some links to sites which may give you some ideas for essays:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/ (look at the issues in the drop-down menu entitled “ethical issues”)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree (this part of The Guardian is a very good site for opinion-based articles. There is an A-Z index based on subjects and issues in the top right)
Some “green” issues: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/green_room/default.stm
http://www.spiked-online.com/ (some demanding but thought-provoking opinion articles on topical issues)
http://www.idebate.org/index.php (a site which promotes debating by considering topical issues)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/ (general learning site of BBC – explore!)
Some students said that they’d like some suggestions of topics. Here are some ideas:
_____________________________
Argument-based essay:
Carol Ann Duffy’s poem "Education for Leisure" was recently removed from the GCSE curriculum over fears that it glamorises knife-crime.
Discuss the point of view that censorship is sometimes a necessary evil.
_____________________________
The film “Die Welle” confronts the notion that we should never become complacent about the mistakes of the past.
Discuss to what extent you believe that modern European society is capable of re-embracing the fascist ideals of the early-part of the twentieth century.
Your essay may look at arguments for and against the notion that European society is capable of a return to fascism. You might want it to be a “balanced” essay: ie. looking at the views of others, while largely keeping your own ideas to the background.
However, you may feel strongly about this and use evidence and other peoples’ views to persuade us that it is (or isn’t) possible.
_____________________________
Fact and analysis: report
Choose a popular tourist destination in Europe. Investigate the effect that tourism has had on this location. Write a short report which examines the impact of tourism (positive and negative) on this location/region.
_____________________________
The beauty and the meanings of a literary work are distorted by translation. Discuss.
_____________________________
Here are some links to sites which may give you some ideas for essays:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/ (look at the issues in the drop-down menu entitled “ethical issues”)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree (this part of The Guardian is a very good site for opinion-based articles. There is an A-Z index based on subjects and issues in the top right)
Some “green” issues: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/green_room/default.stm
http://www.spiked-online.com/ (some demanding but thought-provoking opinion articles on topical issues)
http://www.idebate.org/index.php (a site which promotes debating by considering topical issues)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/ (general learning site of BBC – explore!)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday 09 October
Today I met with everyone individually to give some feedback on the education essays. While I was doing that, everyone else started their research for the writing assessments (which may have just been a case of thinking through various ideas). I also asked students to read my comments on the blog (posted earlier today) on the education essays. In particular, look at the comment on SEC (you'll need to read the post to work out what this is).
Initial ideas for writing assignment
Last week I gave out some details about the writing assignments. Please share your thoughts about possible ideas or queries for the assignments here.
Comments on education essays - 09 Oct
Please read the following comments on your education essays. Each of these comments are in response to the essays written by the class.
Over the next week, everyone should reflect on both the comments below and the individual feedback that I give. I then want everyone to write a comment which reflects on what they did and what they could improve upon.
First and foremost, I honestly enjoyed reading these essays. It was interesting to see everyone’s voice emerging in their interpretation of the purposely broad question: “what is the purpose of education?” One of the hardest things to do is to set your own limits on what you are going to discuss or focus on. I asked students to keep it to 800 – 1000 words to put boundaries on the discussion.
I’d like to make some general points, but will feedback to everyone individually as well.
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Sometimes when we are asked to write essays we react as if we were being dragged along to a wealthy relation’s house for dinner. We dress up and project a more formal style than we are used to. The result is that we feel uncomfortable; we don’t feel like ourselves. Sometimes I get this kind of impression when I read students’ essays: the individuality of the student’s voice gets lost in an overly self-conscious writing style. This often manifests as inappropriate use of complex words (possibly suggested by a thesaurus) or very long sentences (and lots of them). Such forced complexity often spoils some wonderful, insightful thoughts. Sometimes complex sentences and words are needed; but don’t overdo it.
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Purpose, purpose, purpose. Okay, I know I keep going on about purpose, but I do so for a reason. If the reader can’t work out the purpose of the essay quickly, then they will be left in a state of frustrated confusion (and as your readers will often be your markers, you want to avoid leaving them like that). The purpose of an essay is often designed by a set question (eg. "Discuss the value of running educational institutions like businesses"). Alternatively, you may be asked to define your own question or purpose (as I asked you). Two weeks ago I got everyone to write down what they considered to be the purpose of their essay: do you think this statement of purpose that you came up with was relevant to the finished essay? A sense of clear purpose will also be served well by a focussed title. Did you tailor your title to suit the specific subject of your essay?
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Your introduction is crucial in creating a sense of your essay’s purpose as well. Once you get your essay back, re-read your introduction. Is there a clear sense of the essay’s purpose in the introduction? Then read the rest of the essay: does your essay stay focussed on that purpose? The introduction should provide the reader with a comforting sense of the journey ahead: where is this essay taking us?
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I wonder how many people read their essays aloud before they handed them in? Sometimes an essay looks fine. It may even smell, feel and taste fine. However, if you read it aloud it may not sound quite right. Reading your draft aloud is a very good way of catching problems to do with grammar, syntax and general clarity in meaning. Read it slowly, with a pencil to hand to make comments or changes as you go. Only take a breath or pause when the punctuation lets you (this is crucial). As I’ve said before, this is something I always did when I returned to education as a mature student. In fact, if I have an important document to produce, I still do it.
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Try to use gender neutral language. Avoid saying things like: “The life of a student is often difficult. Exams can be a major source of stress. However, he will need to deal with this stress if he wants to progress to a higher academic level.”
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Avoid colloquial language.
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Avoid using the second person “you”. Again, it sounds a bit too informal. “We” is more acceptable.
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Avoid contractions: ie. "don’t" is a contraction of "do not".
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There is a general rule about how to incorporate longer quotations in your writing. If a quotation runs to more than four lines, then indent it from the rest of your writing and do not use quotation marks. These indented, longer quotations are usually introduced by a colon.
For example:
O’Neill concludes that tourist texts reveal as much about their writers as their subjects:
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Don’t forget to reference throughout your text. Furthermore anything that appears as a footnote reference should also appear in your references at the end of your essay.
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Some students have problems with articles (“an”, “a”, “the”). Follow this link to a site which is quite good on articles: http://www.elanguages.ac.uk/activities/2EAP/02/when_do_you_need_to_use_an_article.htm
However, you may want to use the services of the Second Language Support Staff as well. They’re just beside the library.
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How to use evidence or quotes.
If you use a quote or some evidence you need to sandwich this between a statement and a comment of your own. Think SEC (Statement – Evidence – Comment)
Indeed, everything sensible that you will say in an essay (or, come to think of it, life) will, more or less, use the SEC (Statement – Evidence – Comment) method in some form or other.
Make a statement (this will set up the evidence to follow)
Back it up with evidence (sometimes a quote but not always)
Then, and this is the crucial part, link the two by commenting on both.
For example;
Take the quote from Thomas Carruthers: "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." Say we were writing an essay on the purpose of education and we thought that this might fit in nicely with our thoughts on the empowering nature of education. We might sandwich the quote using the SEC method.
1. The statement often makes a general point and sets up the evidence which follows: Thomas Carruthers supports the notion of education as an empowering process
2. Next we have the evidence: “A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary”
3. Now the important part: a comment on the evidence. We need to justify the inclusion of this quote into the general point we are making, by comment on the evidence: how do we interpret this evidence? How does it support the general point we are trying to make? This third and final part is crucial. So in this case we may argue that Carruthers’ idea of education puts the student at the centre of the process. The teacher is, in his view, more a facilitator than the traditional authoritative figure at the front of the class. As he suggests, a teacher should aim to move from an instructive to a supportive role as the student gains confidence though learning. Notice that this comment has, by far, the most words. It should have because this is where you prove that you are capable of independent and insightful thought based on research.
Put the three bits together and you get a nice little paragraph:
Thomas Carruthers supports the notion of education as an empowering process: “"A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary."[1] Carruthers’ idea of education puts the student at the centre of the process. The teacher is, in his view, more a facilitator than the traditional authoritative figure at the front of the class. As he suggests, a teacher should aim to move from an instructive to a supportive role as the student gains confidence though learning.
Over the next week, everyone should reflect on both the comments below and the individual feedback that I give. I then want everyone to write a comment which reflects on what they did and what they could improve upon.
First and foremost, I honestly enjoyed reading these essays. It was interesting to see everyone’s voice emerging in their interpretation of the purposely broad question: “what is the purpose of education?” One of the hardest things to do is to set your own limits on what you are going to discuss or focus on. I asked students to keep it to 800 – 1000 words to put boundaries on the discussion.
I’d like to make some general points, but will feedback to everyone individually as well.
----------
Sometimes when we are asked to write essays we react as if we were being dragged along to a wealthy relation’s house for dinner. We dress up and project a more formal style than we are used to. The result is that we feel uncomfortable; we don’t feel like ourselves. Sometimes I get this kind of impression when I read students’ essays: the individuality of the student’s voice gets lost in an overly self-conscious writing style. This often manifests as inappropriate use of complex words (possibly suggested by a thesaurus) or very long sentences (and lots of them). Such forced complexity often spoils some wonderful, insightful thoughts. Sometimes complex sentences and words are needed; but don’t overdo it.
----------
Purpose, purpose, purpose. Okay, I know I keep going on about purpose, but I do so for a reason. If the reader can’t work out the purpose of the essay quickly, then they will be left in a state of frustrated confusion (and as your readers will often be your markers, you want to avoid leaving them like that). The purpose of an essay is often designed by a set question (eg. "Discuss the value of running educational institutions like businesses"). Alternatively, you may be asked to define your own question or purpose (as I asked you). Two weeks ago I got everyone to write down what they considered to be the purpose of their essay: do you think this statement of purpose that you came up with was relevant to the finished essay? A sense of clear purpose will also be served well by a focussed title. Did you tailor your title to suit the specific subject of your essay?
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Your introduction is crucial in creating a sense of your essay’s purpose as well. Once you get your essay back, re-read your introduction. Is there a clear sense of the essay’s purpose in the introduction? Then read the rest of the essay: does your essay stay focussed on that purpose? The introduction should provide the reader with a comforting sense of the journey ahead: where is this essay taking us?
----------
I wonder how many people read their essays aloud before they handed them in? Sometimes an essay looks fine. It may even smell, feel and taste fine. However, if you read it aloud it may not sound quite right. Reading your draft aloud is a very good way of catching problems to do with grammar, syntax and general clarity in meaning. Read it slowly, with a pencil to hand to make comments or changes as you go. Only take a breath or pause when the punctuation lets you (this is crucial). As I’ve said before, this is something I always did when I returned to education as a mature student. In fact, if I have an important document to produce, I still do it.
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Try to use gender neutral language. Avoid saying things like: “The life of a student is often difficult. Exams can be a major source of stress. However, he will need to deal with this stress if he wants to progress to a higher academic level.”
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Avoid colloquial language.
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Avoid using the second person “you”. Again, it sounds a bit too informal. “We” is more acceptable.
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Avoid contractions: ie. "don’t" is a contraction of "do not".
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There is a general rule about how to incorporate longer quotations in your writing. If a quotation runs to more than four lines, then indent it from the rest of your writing and do not use quotation marks. These indented, longer quotations are usually introduced by a colon.
For example:
O’Neill concludes that tourist texts reveal as much about their writers as their subjects:
A study of tourist texts reveals the fault-lines in the cultural imagination of the imperial and metropolitan subject. In the signification and aestheticization of the west, we can sense the anxieties of the writer, and even detect a certain fragility inherent in a privileged social and cultural origin where the authority to signify resides. [1]
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Don’t forget to reference throughout your text. Furthermore anything that appears as a footnote reference should also appear in your references at the end of your essay.
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Some students have problems with articles (“an”, “a”, “the”). Follow this link to a site which is quite good on articles: http://www.elanguages.ac.uk/activities/2EAP/02/when_do_you_need_to_use_an_article.htm
However, you may want to use the services of the Second Language Support Staff as well. They’re just beside the library.
----------
How to use evidence or quotes.
If you use a quote or some evidence you need to sandwich this between a statement and a comment of your own. Think SEC (Statement – Evidence – Comment)
Indeed, everything sensible that you will say in an essay (or, come to think of it, life) will, more or less, use the SEC (Statement – Evidence – Comment) method in some form or other.
Make a statement (this will set up the evidence to follow)
Back it up with evidence (sometimes a quote but not always)
Then, and this is the crucial part, link the two by commenting on both.
For example;
Take the quote from Thomas Carruthers: "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." Say we were writing an essay on the purpose of education and we thought that this might fit in nicely with our thoughts on the empowering nature of education. We might sandwich the quote using the SEC method.
1. The statement often makes a general point and sets up the evidence which follows: Thomas Carruthers supports the notion of education as an empowering process
2. Next we have the evidence: “A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary”
3. Now the important part: a comment on the evidence. We need to justify the inclusion of this quote into the general point we are making, by comment on the evidence: how do we interpret this evidence? How does it support the general point we are trying to make? This third and final part is crucial. So in this case we may argue that Carruthers’ idea of education puts the student at the centre of the process. The teacher is, in his view, more a facilitator than the traditional authoritative figure at the front of the class. As he suggests, a teacher should aim to move from an instructive to a supportive role as the student gains confidence though learning. Notice that this comment has, by far, the most words. It should have because this is where you prove that you are capable of independent and insightful thought based on research.
Put the three bits together and you get a nice little paragraph:
Thomas Carruthers supports the notion of education as an empowering process: “"A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary."[1] Carruthers’ idea of education puts the student at the centre of the process. The teacher is, in his view, more a facilitator than the traditional authoritative figure at the front of the class. As he suggests, a teacher should aim to move from an instructive to a supportive role as the student gains confidence though learning.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thoughts on "Die Welle"
Thanks to everyone for making it to The Cameo last night for "Die Welle". As it finished quite late we didn't get much of a chance to discuss it.
Please use this post to share your thoughts on the film. It would be very interesting to read your reactions (you don't have to worry about structuring here - just write what pops into your head).
Just to get it started ...
... What engaged me most were the issues about politics, history and education that the film raised. I'm not convinced that it was a great film in terms of the art of film-making, however it's the kind of film that raises issues that your mind keeps wandering back to.
I liked the moment of ethical dilemma faced by the two anti-Wave girls who ran the student newspaper: should they lie about the activities of The Wave because they felt that it was the right thing to do in the context of what was happening?
I had a few brief words with Mend afterwards and he mentioned that it touched on some topical points to do with attitudes to nationalism or, maybe more accurately, national pride in modern Germany. Maybe Mend could expand on that for us.
Also I liked the very last sequence where the once confident and vocal teacher is reduced to a state of wordless shock. The final shot was interesting as well. The shot froze on his face a moment after he seemed to have a profound thought: I wonder what that thought was? Any suggestions?
Please use this post to share your thoughts on the film. It would be very interesting to read your reactions (you don't have to worry about structuring here - just write what pops into your head).
Just to get it started ...
... What engaged me most were the issues about politics, history and education that the film raised. I'm not convinced that it was a great film in terms of the art of film-making, however it's the kind of film that raises issues that your mind keeps wandering back to.
I liked the moment of ethical dilemma faced by the two anti-Wave girls who ran the student newspaper: should they lie about the activities of The Wave because they felt that it was the right thing to do in the context of what was happening?
I had a few brief words with Mend afterwards and he mentioned that it touched on some topical points to do with attitudes to nationalism or, maybe more accurately, national pride in modern Germany. Maybe Mend could expand on that for us.
Also I liked the very last sequence where the once confident and vocal teacher is reduced to a state of wordless shock. The final shot was interesting as well. The shot froze on his face a moment after he seemed to have a profound thought: I wonder what that thought was? Any suggestions?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Wed 02 Oct - Some reflection
Everyone handed in their essays on education - thanks for those.
Today we took a breath and thought about the ground we've covered so far.
I asked everyone to scroll down to the start of this blog and read over the entries so far.
We've been focusing on writing but much of the same principles apply to presentations which we will be looking at soon.
I've also asked people to start thinking about their two pieces of writing for the course. You can post possible suggestions here - it may help other students work out what they can do.
Today we took a breath and thought about the ground we've covered so far.
I asked everyone to scroll down to the start of this blog and read over the entries so far.
We've been focusing on writing but much of the same principles apply to presentations which we will be looking at soon.
I've also asked people to start thinking about their two pieces of writing for the course. You can post possible suggestions here - it may help other students work out what they can do.
I gave out a handout which gave some more detailed guidelines for the writing assessments. If you missed the class today email me at jerryoneill@stevenson.ac.uk and I'll send you the handout as an attachment.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
"Die Welle" (The Wave)
Just to let you know that I've booked tickets for "Die Welle" at The Cameo on Thursday (2nd October) for 9.10. I hope to have the tickets with me on Thursday morning in class. Again, the tickets will cost you £2 - well worth it.
Remember, nobody needs to go to see this film, but it I think it would be interesting (this in itself is an interesting educational issue: the value of the "stuff" that you, as a student, are not required to do).
Link to The Cameo: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema_home_date.aspx?venueId=edbg
More information on "Die Welle": http://www.welle.info/
Remember, nobody needs to go to see this film, but it I think it would be interesting (this in itself is an interesting educational issue: the value of the "stuff" that you, as a student, are not required to do).
Link to The Cameo: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema_home_date.aspx?venueId=edbg
More information on "Die Welle": http://www.welle.info/
Thursday, September 25, 2008
25 Sep 08 - More on writing
We covered quite a lot of ground today.
We looked at plagiarism and referencing and discussed these at some length (see links in the last post entitled "some useful online resources").
I asked everyone to write one sentence that outlined the purpose of their education essay (due in next week). It is crucial to have a sense of purpose in any form of communication that you produce. Without a sound sense of purpose your essay, report or presentation will appear to be confused and poorly prepared. It'll be interesting to compare these "purpose sentences" to the final essays.
I asked students to come up with some useful tips from the essay booklet. Students referred to the importance of planning and the use of cards in planning. David brought up a very good point: it is helpful to devise our own questions that we hope to answer when we start our research. This will help us read and research with a sense of purpose (again note importance of purpose).
We looked in an almost forensic way at the features of essays: topic sentences; transition words and phrases; introductions; and endings. Students were set the task of re-assembling an essay that was cut up into pieces. It helped us focus on structure. The introduction to that essay gave significant clues as to how the essay should be re-assembled.
Finally, I plan to book tickets for the film "Die Welle" (The Wave). I'm hoping to get tickets for next Thursday at 9.10 for the Cameo Cinema (see link: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema_home_date.aspx?venueId=edbg) About 11 students say that they'd be interested. Keep an eye on the Blog for confirmation of that.
Remember essays on education for next week. 800 -1000 words. Preferably typed (Times New Roman/Arial 12 point)
We looked at plagiarism and referencing and discussed these at some length (see links in the last post entitled "some useful online resources").
I asked everyone to write one sentence that outlined the purpose of their education essay (due in next week). It is crucial to have a sense of purpose in any form of communication that you produce. Without a sound sense of purpose your essay, report or presentation will appear to be confused and poorly prepared. It'll be interesting to compare these "purpose sentences" to the final essays.
I asked students to come up with some useful tips from the essay booklet. Students referred to the importance of planning and the use of cards in planning. David brought up a very good point: it is helpful to devise our own questions that we hope to answer when we start our research. This will help us read and research with a sense of purpose (again note importance of purpose).
We looked in an almost forensic way at the features of essays: topic sentences; transition words and phrases; introductions; and endings. Students were set the task of re-assembling an essay that was cut up into pieces. It helped us focus on structure. The introduction to that essay gave significant clues as to how the essay should be re-assembled.
Finally, I plan to book tickets for the film "Die Welle" (The Wave). I'm hoping to get tickets for next Thursday at 9.10 for the Cameo Cinema (see link: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema_home_date.aspx?venueId=edbg) About 11 students say that they'd be interested. Keep an eye on the Blog for confirmation of that.
Remember essays on education for next week. 800 -1000 words. Preferably typed (Times New Roman/Arial 12 point)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Some useful online resources
Here are some links to resources on academic writing and reading:
http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/writing/
http://www.ssdd.bcu.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.20.htm
Useful phrases for academic writing: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-2224
The passive voice in writing: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html
Academic vocabulary: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-1572
http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/reading/
http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm
http://www.gcal.ac.uk/student/coursework/writing/index.html
http://www.uefap.com/reading/
Thinking about what to write: http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/Spider.htm
Here's a useful link about academic language vocabulary (it's aimed at second language speakers, but everyone should have a look): http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/vocabulary/
Here are some links for advice on referencing in essays.
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm (this provides information on the Harvard system of referencing)
http://www.jiscpas.ac.uk/writingreferencelist.php
Edinburgh University notes on plagiarism: http://www.aaps.ed.ac.uk/regulations/Plagiarism/Guidance/StudentGuidance.doc
http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/writing/
http://www.ssdd.bcu.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.20.htm
Useful phrases for academic writing: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-2224
The passive voice in writing: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html
Academic vocabulary: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/page-1572
http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/reading/
http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm
http://www.gcal.ac.uk/student/coursework/writing/index.html
http://www.uefap.com/reading/
Thinking about what to write: http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/Spider.htm
Here's a useful link about academic language vocabulary (it's aimed at second language speakers, but everyone should have a look): http://vsac.cele.nottingham.ac.uk/vocabulary/
Here are some links for advice on referencing in essays.
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm (this provides information on the Harvard system of referencing)
http://www.jiscpas.ac.uk/writingreferencelist.php
Edinburgh University notes on plagiarism: http://www.aaps.ed.ac.uk/regulations/Plagiarism/Guidance/StudentGuidance.doc
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday 18th September - Thinking about essays
We started the class with by reading George Orwell's "Why I write" (see link: http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw).
There were a couple of reasons for this: it is an example of some very good essay writing; it also touches upon education in general and, in particular, the importance of writing.
I asked students to come today with some kind of plan for their education essay. I highlighted the importance of knowing what the purpose or point of your essay is. So, I asked students to explain the purpose of their essays to the person sitting next to them. Then that person told the whole class what their partner's essay is going to try to achieve (ie. the purpose).
The aim of this exercise was to get students really thinking about the overall aim and structure of their essays. Sometimes we feel we have a secure sense of our essays but then seem to struggle when we try to communicate those thoughts to others. Of course, you will have to communicate those thoughts eventually in a piece of writing.
Obviously, you will not go through this activity with every essay you write but you will (or should) discuss assignments with your fellow students: it is one of the best ways to start making sense of your seemingly random thoughts on a subject. You’ll often find that other students have anxieties about their chaotic thoughts on an assignment or topic. This process of dialogue should put some shape and structure to your ideas.
We also looked at a representation of my (seemingly) chaotic thoughts on essay writing on the board. It was a messy diagram of everything that you need to think about when writing an essay. This, if you like, is what a plan for a book on essay writing might look like. The point is that a plan does not have to be a neat list of topics.
I then gave everyone their very own copy of a booklet on essay writing. I asked everyone to read it and think about three useful points that they encountered in their reading of the booklet (we'll take it up there from next week). If you weren't in today, I'll be in on Friday this week and Wednesday next week - you can swing by my office (115) and I'll give you a copy.
I set Thursday 02 October as the deadline for the education essay. My original question was "What is the purpose of education?" However, as I hoped, most people have adopted their own approach to that question. As such every essay will be different. You should re-title your essay to reflect the specific focus of your essay.
Expanding on the subject of education, we talked about a new German film that is being released on Friday ("Die Welle"). I'm hoping to bring some Higher English students to it at some stage. If anyone is interested, let me know by next week or post a comment here. See below for a link to an article in The Guardian about the film:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/16/schoolsworldwide.film
There were a couple of reasons for this: it is an example of some very good essay writing; it also touches upon education in general and, in particular, the importance of writing.
I asked students to come today with some kind of plan for their education essay. I highlighted the importance of knowing what the purpose or point of your essay is. So, I asked students to explain the purpose of their essays to the person sitting next to them. Then that person told the whole class what their partner's essay is going to try to achieve (ie. the purpose).
The aim of this exercise was to get students really thinking about the overall aim and structure of their essays. Sometimes we feel we have a secure sense of our essays but then seem to struggle when we try to communicate those thoughts to others. Of course, you will have to communicate those thoughts eventually in a piece of writing.
Obviously, you will not go through this activity with every essay you write but you will (or should) discuss assignments with your fellow students: it is one of the best ways to start making sense of your seemingly random thoughts on a subject. You’ll often find that other students have anxieties about their chaotic thoughts on an assignment or topic. This process of dialogue should put some shape and structure to your ideas.
We also looked at a representation of my (seemingly) chaotic thoughts on essay writing on the board. It was a messy diagram of everything that you need to think about when writing an essay. This, if you like, is what a plan for a book on essay writing might look like. The point is that a plan does not have to be a neat list of topics.
I then gave everyone their very own copy of a booklet on essay writing. I asked everyone to read it and think about three useful points that they encountered in their reading of the booklet (we'll take it up there from next week). If you weren't in today, I'll be in on Friday this week and Wednesday next week - you can swing by my office (115) and I'll give you a copy.
I set Thursday 02 October as the deadline for the education essay. My original question was "What is the purpose of education?" However, as I hoped, most people have adopted their own approach to that question. As such every essay will be different. You should re-title your essay to reflect the specific focus of your essay.
Expanding on the subject of education, we talked about a new German film that is being released on Friday ("Die Welle"). I'm hoping to bring some Higher English students to it at some stage. If anyone is interested, let me know by next week or post a comment here. See below for a link to an article in The Guardian about the film:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/16/schoolsworldwide.film
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Education for ...
Today we introduced the notion of the essay.
In groups we tried to define the essay. A jumble of words and phrases came back from the groups which all approached as good a definition as you can get:
Original meaning : ‘to try, to attempt’
Focused on a certain subject
Formal/informal. Will conform to a certain length and depth
An exhibition of knowledge
Has a purpose of analysing and describing a certain topic.
Opinion based.
An interpretation of subject. Wide variety of essays.
Written account of ideas and facts. Structured: intro, body, conclusion. Evidence-based.
Will include references. Can be emotional/informative. Investigation.
Written response to chosen subject. Develops ideas points – informs analyses and evaluates.
We’ve been writing essays since secondary school and you will continue to write them in your university careers and beyond.
Some people expressed concern about writing essays. Some people expressed a reluctance to plan and instead jump right in to writing it.
When asked to produce a focused, structured piece of complex writing which naturally flows from one point to the next and eventually leads to a conclusion of some sorts (another way of seeing an essay), it is crucial that we do some planning. This can’t be stressed too much. Without some sort of a plan, the essay-writing process can be tortuous and the final product will almost always be poor.
We started our first attempt at an essay. We took the very general question of “what is the purpose of education?” and discussed it in groups. Discussion (whether in groups or with yourself) is a vital part of the planning process. You need to get the abstract ideas and thoughts down on paper in some format. Then, and only then, can we start putting some shape to these concepts. I don’t care what your plan looks like – but there should be some evidence that you’ve thought through what you’re going to write before you write.
Our first goal is to write an essay in the region of 800 to 1000 words. However, this week I DO NOT WANT anyone to start writing the essay. I am trying to slow right down the process that many students rush: planning the essay. I know a lot of students just like to get started. This works for some students, but for many the resultant essay can be a bit of a mess in terms of coherent thought and argument.
I’ve talked to most people today about the approach they are taking to the essay and there are a range of different interpretations of the original, broad question – just let the overall idea of your essay and in particular your purpose float around your head for a week.
------ On a related point ...
You may know now about the controversy about Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Education for Leisure" being axed from the GCSE English curriculum in England. As an act of solidarity with Duffy, I intend to use the poem with my Higher English class.
Duffy's poem is, amongst other things, about education which fits in neatly with what we've been discussing today.
You can look at some of the links below to broaden your discussion.
Some links to do with the Duffy poem:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7594566.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/04/english.knifecrime
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/06/gcses.poetry.carol.ann.duffy
Some links about education in general ....
What do the main political parties think? (A number of students raised the issue of the government's role in education)
http://consult.libdems.org.uk/post16/index.php/consultation-paper/values-and-purpose-of-education-and-skills/
http://www.labour.org.uk/education
http://www.snp.org/node/9547
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.opportunity.page
In groups we tried to define the essay. A jumble of words and phrases came back from the groups which all approached as good a definition as you can get:
Original meaning : ‘to try, to attempt’
Focused on a certain subject
Formal/informal. Will conform to a certain length and depth
An exhibition of knowledge
Has a purpose of analysing and describing a certain topic.
Opinion based.
An interpretation of subject. Wide variety of essays.
Written account of ideas and facts. Structured: intro, body, conclusion. Evidence-based.
Will include references. Can be emotional/informative. Investigation.
Written response to chosen subject. Develops ideas points – informs analyses and evaluates.
We’ve been writing essays since secondary school and you will continue to write them in your university careers and beyond.
Some people expressed concern about writing essays. Some people expressed a reluctance to plan and instead jump right in to writing it.
When asked to produce a focused, structured piece of complex writing which naturally flows from one point to the next and eventually leads to a conclusion of some sorts (another way of seeing an essay), it is crucial that we do some planning. This can’t be stressed too much. Without some sort of a plan, the essay-writing process can be tortuous and the final product will almost always be poor.
We started our first attempt at an essay. We took the very general question of “what is the purpose of education?” and discussed it in groups. Discussion (whether in groups or with yourself) is a vital part of the planning process. You need to get the abstract ideas and thoughts down on paper in some format. Then, and only then, can we start putting some shape to these concepts. I don’t care what your plan looks like – but there should be some evidence that you’ve thought through what you’re going to write before you write.
Our first goal is to write an essay in the region of 800 to 1000 words. However, this week I DO NOT WANT anyone to start writing the essay. I am trying to slow right down the process that many students rush: planning the essay. I know a lot of students just like to get started. This works for some students, but for many the resultant essay can be a bit of a mess in terms of coherent thought and argument.
I’ve talked to most people today about the approach they are taking to the essay and there are a range of different interpretations of the original, broad question – just let the overall idea of your essay and in particular your purpose float around your head for a week.
------ On a related point ...
You may know now about the controversy about Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Education for Leisure" being axed from the GCSE English curriculum in England. As an act of solidarity with Duffy, I intend to use the poem with my Higher English class.
Duffy's poem is, amongst other things, about education which fits in neatly with what we've been discussing today.
You can look at some of the links below to broaden your discussion.
Some links to do with the Duffy poem:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7594566.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/04/english.knifecrime
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/06/gcses.poetry.carol.ann.duffy
Some links about education in general ....
What do the main political parties think? (A number of students raised the issue of the government's role in education)
http://consult.libdems.org.uk/post16/index.php/consultation-paper/values-and-purpose-of-education-and-skills/
http://www.labour.org.uk/education
http://www.snp.org/node/9547
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.opportunity.page
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday 04 September
We met in class today for the first time.
Everyone did their first oral presentation task by interviewing and introducing another student. We scratched beneath the surface of everyone's lives - interesting stuff!
I asked four small groups to come up with a visual representation of "communication." These were thought-provoking and helped our subsequent attempts to come up with a written definition ....
These general thoughts about communication focused our attention on the communication processes that we will be encountering on the course. I highlighted that at times students will be the producers/senders of information and meaning through writing and presentations. At other times students will be receivers of information and meaning in their encounters as readers and viewers. Of course, generally we will be both producing and receiving information in a single activity (eg. discussions).
The course attempts to develop students communication skills in reading, writing, talking and listening. There are quite a few assessments, but all of them come back to these basic, but important, skills. Furthermore, given the nature of the course, and the high calibre of the student, we like to stretch you a bit!
I also mentioned that students are encouraged to use research and themes from other courses as the basis for the writing and presentation activities. I've talked to Joe McCusker and it seems that there are opportunities for students to use the personal projects from his course as the basis for writing tasks for Communication 4 and Oral Presentation Skills.
Everyone did their first oral presentation task by interviewing and introducing another student. We scratched beneath the surface of everyone's lives - interesting stuff!
I asked four small groups to come up with a visual representation of "communication." These were thought-provoking and helped our subsequent attempts to come up with a written definition ....
These general thoughts about communication focused our attention on the communication processes that we will be encountering on the course. I highlighted that at times students will be the producers/senders of information and meaning through writing and presentations. At other times students will be receivers of information and meaning in their encounters as readers and viewers. Of course, generally we will be both producing and receiving information in a single activity (eg. discussions).
The course attempts to develop students communication skills in reading, writing, talking and listening. There are quite a few assessments, but all of them come back to these basic, but important, skills. Furthermore, given the nature of the course, and the high calibre of the student, we like to stretch you a bit!
I also mentioned that students are encouraged to use research and themes from other courses as the basis for the writing and presentation activities. I've talked to Joe McCusker and it seems that there are opportunities for students to use the personal projects from his course as the basis for writing tasks for Communication 4 and Oral Presentation Skills.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Freshers' Week
I hope to use this Blog as a place to reflect on what we cover in our classes. If you miss a class you can access the Blog to see what we did that week. You can also comment or reply to anything I write on the Blog. Most lecturers and teachers keep some kind of written record of what they cover with each class. I've decided to write my lesson records as a Blog this term.
This is a new thing for me, so let's just see how it goes ...
Anyway, to get things started ... it was great to meet everyone today. We started the day's activities at the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament was a controversial project - it went over budget and not everyone was pleased with the design. However, I must say that I like the space (inside and out). I was talking to some of you about it. The general feeling was that the exterior was ugly but that the interior was better. Any thoughts on that?
If you're interested in finding out more about the Scottish Parliament, here's the link to their website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
Moving on up the Royal Mile, the metaphors intended by the Spanish architect of the parliament provided a nice link to a subsequent conversation that some of us had in the Scottish Poetry Library regarding the endeavours of a translator to re-work Spanish metaphors into English. I think Scott will pick up on this at some stage in his Literature class, but the whole issue of translating literature is certainly a very interesting subject for discussion.
Here's a link to the Scottish Poetry Library: http://www.spl.org.uk/
If you weren't there, you should go down and have a look around. It is a little oasis of serenity in the midst of the city.
I hope everyone enjoyed today and I look forward to meeting the whole class next week at the College.
This is a new thing for me, so let's just see how it goes ...
Anyway, to get things started ... it was great to meet everyone today. We started the day's activities at the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament was a controversial project - it went over budget and not everyone was pleased with the design. However, I must say that I like the space (inside and out). I was talking to some of you about it. The general feeling was that the exterior was ugly but that the interior was better. Any thoughts on that?
If you're interested in finding out more about the Scottish Parliament, here's the link to their website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
Moving on up the Royal Mile, the metaphors intended by the Spanish architect of the parliament provided a nice link to a subsequent conversation that some of us had in the Scottish Poetry Library regarding the endeavours of a translator to re-work Spanish metaphors into English. I think Scott will pick up on this at some stage in his Literature class, but the whole issue of translating literature is certainly a very interesting subject for discussion.
Here's a link to the Scottish Poetry Library: http://www.spl.org.uk/
If you weren't there, you should go down and have a look around. It is a little oasis of serenity in the midst of the city.
I hope everyone enjoyed today and I look forward to meeting the whole class next week at the College.
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