Free Write 3/29/12

Thesis -
Today, modern abolitionists are using tactics from centuries ago into modern society

Outline- modern day support for abolitionists has exploded

• Modern abolitionists 
• use technology such as social media sites
•  hollywood stars

• abolition of the 19th century

• William Loy Garrison

Free Write 3/22/12

Arriving at my three questions from my readings was not a very difficult process, because the questions are based around aspects of technology that we do not yet know.  These questions do not have solid answers because they depend on the future of technology and where it takes us.  Also, these questions were incorporated within my project 2 paper. 

1.  How will digital dossiers affect a person throughout their entire life span?
2.  Which ways are the most affective to incorporate technology within the classroom?
3.  Which forms of multitasking help people to become more productive?

are there different categories of multitasking
are there differences in the kinds of multitasking? (video, work, ect)
to what extent is that part of the human condition?
how does technology change our forms of multitasking
texting and driving - which states have laws

Notes 3/20/12 : From Topics to Questions

• Your research paper is an ongoing conversation btw writers and readers that creates a community
• Begin with your passion!
• Look for a heading that might interest you, print journals in library, ect
•  a braod topic
• The stuff of textbooks and encylopedias
• good number of thumb--if you can state it in 5 words it is too broad
• this is a Topis Area

• It is important to narrow the  topics because it helps you see gaps, puzzles, and inconsistences
• Moving to a narrow topic
• use descriptive words (conflict, description, contribuation, development)
• these indicate a relationship

• step 1: name your topic:  I am trying to learn about_____.
• step 2: now add a question: I am studying ____ because I want to find out ____.  (This indicates why this topic area is of interest to you)
• step 3:  Why is your topic area or question important to anyone but you? What are the ramifications of your question?  Who will they effect?
•  
• high School Vs. College Reports
• High school-
• addressed a topic
• endless facts
• accumulation of notes, summaries and descriptions
• conclude something like... thus we may see many differences and similaries between...
• good news--find topic, find data and assemble the data

• College-
• college report falls short if a researcher asks no specific question worth asking
• if there is no question, then he can offer no specific answer worth supporting
• Without an answer to support she cannot select from the data that is relevant

• Best Way Forward:  formulate a question or questions that points you to specific data to answer your questions!
• Getting to the questions
• if you do not ask a focused question then you cannot be focused
• start with the bascis
• write down the questions that you find in your research (dont stop to answer them)
• how does it fit into a larger deveopmental context?  Why did your topic come into being?
• What is its own internal history? How and why has the topic itself changed through time?

• Breaking your questions down
• thin about the impact of academic disiplines?
• What other areas does this affect?---problems rarely just affect one discipline
• what is the historical basis?---How did we get to here (the problem)?
• What is the scope of the problem?

• How does your topic fit into the context of a larger structure? ---systems diagram
• How do its parts fit together as a system?
• How can your topic be grouped into kinds?
• Ask what if?  and other speculative questions
• Ask questions that are built on agreement and disagreement
•  
• Evaluate your questions!
• Avoid the following questions:
• their answers are settled
• their answers would be merely speculative
• the answers are dead ends or irrelevant

•  Stop and think time!
• Time to re-examine step 3---time to reconsider what your research will help your reader understand better

• Significance of questions:
• you need to ask yourself, so what?
• beyond your own interest in its answer, why would others think it a question worth asking?
• think about it like this...
• what would be lost if you dont answer the question?
• how will not answering it keep us from understanding something else better than we do now?

Free Write 3/8/12

The past week I have been working steadily.  I haven't had a lot of imediate work and tests, however, I have been working to get ahead on things due after break.  I have been working on paper, readings, and projects due the week we come back.  Although I havent had a lot of stress to get this work done, I have been feeling the need to get it done because I know that i will not have a lot of time over break.

Realistically, I know that I am not going to get a lot of work done over spring break.  The golf team will be down in Florida for the duration of break, and we have a paked schedule while we are down there.  Rather than bringing a lot of work with me that I know I will not have time for, my goal is to set realistic to-do lists.  I will bring maybe one or two assignments that I have due after break, and my goal is to work on the dilagently during the two plane rides.

After break, I will prepare myself for the amount of work that I have coming by trying hard not to stress, and working to get ahead on my projects.  When I stress, my mind tends to shut down, and I get even less work accomplished.  If I can stay relaxed, keep to-do lists, and work to stay ahead of schedule, my stress level should stay down and I will be on top of my work. 

Research Notes 2/28/12

• Research is the world's biggest industry
• Research reported in writing is the source of what we most believe
• research is different than an opinion
• it is okay to be skeptical of the research you read
• What then is it? --- in broad terms, we "do" research whenever we gather information to answer a question that solves a problem
• writing up research: 
• remember
• understand
• to test your thinking

•  Why a formal report?
• satisfy demands imposed by a community of people competent in a given field
• you demand more from yourself when it is to be distributed to others
• embody the shared values of a learning community

• Connecting With you Reader
• research is a conversation
• research can be like a bad classroom experience
• you must think of your reader as someone who doesnt know it but needs to and yourself as someone who will give her reason to want to know it
• "ive found something new and its interesting"
• "The things ive found are going to help you to solve a problem"
• even if you dont have an audience right now, you must write as if you do.  You must present yourself as interested in, even ethusiastic
• always write with an audience in mind
• tehir more common role is that they help to understand something better

Three Role of a Researcher:

• I have information for you
• I can help you fix a problem
• I can help you understand something better 

• Undersanding the audience
• you must understand what they want
• you meet your end of the bargain when you share whatever would interest them
• you are concerened with a particular community of readers, with their interests and 
•  expectations, with improving their understanding, based on the best evidence you can find

• Checklist:
• Who will read my report?
• What do they expect me to do?
• How much can I expect them to know?
• How will my readers respond to the solution in my main chain?

Free Write 1/28/12

The best piece of research I have ever written was a research paper.  This paper was for my biblical studies class last semester and was on the 10 Commandments.  The paper consisted of an analysis of three different biblical passages that each stated the 10 Commandments in different form.  In my paper, I told the context and history of each passage, and I described their relationships with one another.  Also, based on the time period of the passages, I identified metaphorical 10 commandments within one of the passages.  From this paper, I learned a lot about the Ten Commandments and the history of the Bible. 

free Write 2/23/12

In this audio clip, the information is highly dependent on both research and analysis.  In this clip, they discussed the two main views on violent video games.  Do violent video games have a negative effect on children?  The research was from scientific studies.  These studies were from real practices and from real people, both adults and children.  Also, this research was thorough, and covered both perspectives of the argument.