So, a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current.
This allows the researcher to advance their understanding by focusing on the specific, well-defined thesis to ensure their work addresses all questions and is valuable.
At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to see what has been done in the literature and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help you formulate a thesis:
This helps position your point of view and reflect on a powerful thesis that will support a researcher's argument, making it more focused and relevant.
Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project.
I agree with this statement because an annotated bibliography will ensure that the researcher completely understands the topic and builds an argument and counterarguments with reliable sources.
an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources.
An annotated bibliography organizes and evaluates sources' quality, credibility, and relevance, making it easier to define if a source is relevant to a topic.
Teachers also need curriculum focused on developing students’ civic online reasoning.
This statement highlights teachers' measures to improve students' critical thinking to identify credible sources, recognize misinformation, and contextualize arguments.
Summaries of each of our exercises are below. The exercises in bold appear in the following pages
I really like this summary and list of exercises because it helps tailor skills and measures to make sure students are using basic skills correctly to identify sources.
Our “digital natives” may be able to flit between Facebook and Twitter while simultaneously uploading a selfie to Instagram and texting a friend. But when it comes to evaluating information that flows through social media channels, they are easily duped
This quote highlights that although students are familiar with digital spaces such as Facebook and Twitter, many still lack critical analysis to access information quality and credibility.
And, in 2016, we would hope college students, who spend hours each day online, would look beyond a .org URL and ask who’s behind a site that presents only one side of a contentious issue. But in every case and at every level, we were taken aback by students’ lack of preparation.
This series of comments highlights the amateurism of this generation's literacy evaluation skills. With the massive amount of screen time, students should have stronger skills and be able to recognize credible sources.
You may not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as aresearcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic
Publishing is a very tailored process with several requirements; it may take years to put something out as a researcher. Exploring similar annotated bibliographies is essential to help target your focus, compare and relate to what's been published, and ensure high-quality sources.
Writing anannotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view
This process can help shape a good argument and counterarguments for a text. This allows you to sharpen critical thinking and analysis, creating a more balanced point of view.
Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully.
The process of annotation stimulates critical thinking because we need to access all aspects of a source, such as its reliability, relevance, etc. This makes the process more complex and time-consuming but results in strong references.
The length of annotations can vary according to the type of project and the requirements of the teacher.
The purpose of annotation will influence its length. For example, summaries can be shorter, but when evaluating a source, they often require more detail.
ou can use the writing process itself to help you discover where you stand instead of having to commit to a position before you are ready to do so
Engaging in a debate can help strengthen your own position by analyzing others and does not give you pressure prematurely.
you could start with an illustrative quotation, a revealing fact or statistic, or—as we do in this chapter—a relevant anecdote.
I like this idea, especially the statistic because it's a good way to capture the reader's attention at the beginning of your text. It creates a powerful lead.
One added benefit of summarizing others’ views as soon as you can: you let those others do some of the work of framing and clarifying the issue you’re writing about
This lets other people's perspectives help shape the issue/idea you're addressing, which strengthens the writing.
to keep an audience engaged, a writer needs to explain what he or she is responding to—either before offering that response or, at least, very early in the discussion
It's crucial to clarify the concept and ideas to maintain an audience's interest early to make sure they are following the writer's reasoning.
expressing your ideas (“I say”) but of presenting those ideas as a response to some other person or group (“they say”)
I like how this concept emphasizes the importance of engaging with others opinions to create a richer narrative.
The issue of relevance is a complex one. While you will find some sources that are definitely not relevant and others that definitely are, it’s not always that simple. There are many ways in which a source's content can be relevant. A source may provide « background information - key definitions * support for your idea, through examples, opinions, data, and so on * an opposing viewpoint that you want to address
It's a complex concept because many sources may fall into a grey area. I like how the list is provided to make sure we understand the relevance and what it can provide.
Narrowing your search is a crucial part of the research process.
I agree with this because it allows you to focus on the most relevant information, refining the results. This saves time and ensures accuracy.
Google is certainly useful, but granting it too much power can cause problems, particularly when it comes to finding information relevant to your research topic. This chapter gives you the tools to use Google and other search engines so that you can decide which results are most relevant to your project.
I like that this chapter can help with this! I often find that Google can be hard to find relevant and credible information due to popular/sponsored content.
Finding information on the Web—let alone determining its reliabil- ity—can be overwhelming given the sheer range of material available.
Most of the information available online is overwhelming, especially when trying to determine accuracy and reliability. It's essential to evaluate credibility of the website.
Much of the pleasure of the writing has derived from the chance to ex-perience narrative as a product of impetus and accident.
Often, the excitement of writing comes from the feeling of storytelling — choosing what's going to happen but also experiencing the element of surprise.
In times of frustration or anxiety, I’ve always tended toward compulsive motion
I like how the author focused on compulsive motion as a consequence of anxiety because a lot of people experience this at different levels because the stress coupled can trigger unintended movements or vocalization.
That thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you is usually what you need to find, and finding it is a matter of getting lost.
Again, I found it interesting how she focuses on "the matter of getting lost." For a lot of artists, this is where they can find comfort by engaging in the discomfort of discovering and creating something of the unknown.
Certainly for artists of all stripes, the unknown, the idea or the form or the tale that has not yet arrived, is what must be found. {t is rhe job of artists to open doors and invite in prophesies, the unknown, the unfamiliar; its where their work comes from, although its arrival signals the beginning of the long disciplined process of making it their own.
It's interesting how the author portrays the journey of artists looking for the unknown because it's what inspires them to create something to be known, like science, as she mentions later.
I hid these writings undermy bed, in pillow stuffings, among faded underwear. When my sistersfound and read them, they ridiculed and mocked me—poking fun. I feltviolated, ashamed, as if the secret parts of my self had been exposed,
This section explains how ashamed the author felt when people read her written thoughts because it was not common or intended for women to think at that time when they only needed someone to support them. Individuals like her were mocked by both men and women, leaving her alone in a group of people.
Our speech, “the right speech of womanhood,” was often the soliloquy, the talking into thin air, the talking to ears that do not hear you— thetalk that is simply not listened to
This quote exemplifies what was taught and men expected women to "develop" regarding their voices. A world of silence, suppression, and loneliness.
Had I been a boy, they might have encouraged me to speakbelieving that I might someday be called to preach. There was no “calling”for talking girls, no legitimized rewarded speech. The punishments Ireceived for “talking back” were intended to suppress all possibility that Iwould create my own speech.
Often, when people suppress children from having something, even a voice, it causes them to want that more than they would naturally. But this case is more serious because they were also discriminating against gender, forcing silence upon a girl child.
To make yourself heard if you were a child was to invite punishment
I would say this is an ongoing issue. Many times, adults don't take children's opinions seriously. Sometimes, this will even end in verbal or physical punishment for interrupting something they're not "old enough" to participate in.
Well, you were born; here you came, something like fifteen years ago, and though your father and mother and grandmother, looking about the streets through which they were carrying you, staring at the walls into which they brought you, had every reason to be heavy-hearted, yet they were not, for here you were, big James, named for me. You were a big baby. I was not. Here you were to be loved. To be loved, baby, hard at once and forever to strengthen you against the loveless world. Remember that. I know how black it looks today for you. It looked black that day too. Yes, we were trembling. We have not stopped trembling yet, but if we had not loved each other, none of us would have survived, and now you must survive because we love you and for the sake of your children and your children's children.
This is such a sad paragraph because it demonstrates that the pain and the fear of your family (baby) being in danger was so deep that it kept them from being "heavy-hearted" and demonstrate love as they should've.
I know the conditions under which you were born for I was there. Your countrymen were not there and haven't made it yet.
This quote demonstrates that the author knows about the challenge he fought and that it's an ongoing issue yet to be finished.
but no one's hand can wipe away those tears he sheds invisibly today which one hears in his laughter and in his speech and in his songs.
He talks with so much pain underlying the memory of his brother as if he has suffered pain beyond the physical, deepening the soul.
Other people cannot see what I see whenever I look into your father's face, for behind your father's face as it is today are all those other faces which were his
This quote reveals that the author knows his brother better than other people. He demonstrates that he knows the secrets and experiences that shaped who his brother is. e
It is bad enough that people are suffering so terribly. But to be the topic of seemingly the biggest joke in the world is way too much for sick people to bear. It is amazing to me that more people with this dreadful illness do not commit suicide . . .
This is a lot of times how someone with psychological illness can feel disbelieved by society, which can be incredibly isolating. This usually compounds with the pain from the disease and the feeling of being mocked, making some commit irreversible actions.
Leitao came up with her own diagnosis, and Morgellons was born.
It's interesting because this again highlights how patients can feel some sense of invalidation and disconnections when a doctor cannot see the reality of a patient's illness—sometimes forcing one to "diagnose" its own.
They didn’t know what this stuff was, or where it came from, or why it was there, but they knew — and this was what mattered, the important word — that it was real.
The author seems to be in conflict because although medicine did not recognize his illness, he knew it was real. This emphasized the importance of validating patients' symptoms and being medically sensitive.
Sometimes the sickness starts as blisters, or lesions, or itching, or simply a terrible fog settling over the mind, over the world.
I believe the author meant by this quote that an illness can start from both physical symptoms and psychological/mental experiences. Hence, causing one's to lose the ability to think clearly.
You can’t mix no dialects at work; how wouldpeeps who ain’t from yo hood understand you?” They say, “You just gottause standard English.” Yet, even folks with good jobs in the corporateworld don’t follow no standard English
This is a very interesting analysis by the author because it critiques the argument that people need to use "standard English" in professional settings where many people (Americans) do not even speak "perfect" standard English themselves.
the one when he say teachers of writin courses need to spenda lot of time dealin straight with writin, not only with topics of war, gen-der, race, and peace.
I will have to agree with this (somewhat). I do believe writing is something that should be more explored and given attention because it's an ability to express yourself in written form.
But don’t nobody’s language, dialect, or style make them “vulner-able to prejudice.”
The quote implies that prejudice is a societal construct that doesn't necessarily depend on someone's way of speaking and language.
Where do I begin, cuz this man sho tryin to take thenation back to a time when we were less tolerant of linguistic and racialdifferences
The author seems to be critiquing and uncomfortable about someone trying to return to a society more intolerant, which he disapproves of. We should not reverse the progress toward inclusivity.
he professor told me that my characters were too much like him, an educated and middle-class man. My characters drove cars. They were not starving. Therefore they were not authentically African.
It's unbelievable to see how stereotypes disregard personal experiences and African identities. Thinking that Africans are too educated only reinforces the horrible narrative that fails to represent a large and diverse community.
She asked if she could listen to what she called my "tribal music," and was consequently very disappointed when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey.
Her roommate had a very stereotypical view of how Africans should behave and perceive the world, sometimes even erasing one's roots due to stereotypes. People often forget how globalization intertwined our lives; we're more alike than we might assume.
Their poverty was my single story of them.
It's interesting to see how bias and assumptions impact our lives and what we think about others. This wrongly reduces a person or a group to be defined by their socioeconomic status, a bad but common "habit."
What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children.
I agree with this comment. People sometimes forget the responsibility that comes with storytelling, and children are the most vulnerable. The stories we hear as children can stay with us for the rest of our lives.
In whatever form creativity takes, whether it bemusic, art, or science, it is an important aspect of our livesbecause it enables us to be individuals.
Again, this is a segment about creativity that I love! I agree; creativity permeates all aspects of human experiences and expression. It's a vital force of self-expression and self-discovery, shaping our unique identities.
When students are writing for a teacher, writing becomes moreproblematic than it is for the students who are describing baseballto a Martian
I agree that the impact of the audience, in this case, the teacher, can affect the text's authenticity and become problematic. Often, students focus on meeting specific expectations and criteria instead of expressing their ideas on a text.
Creativity is the venture of the mind at work with themechanics relay to the limbs from the cranium, which storesand triggers this action.
I love this quote! Creativity is such a powerful segment as it encapsulates the relationship between the mind and the body within the creative process, resonation with how one interprets life and how ideas form.
Every time a student sits down to write for us, he has to inventthe university for the occasion-invent the university, that is, ora branch of it, like History or Anthropology or Economics orEnglish.
What a fun and interesting way to start a paper! The hook was great to catch the reader's attention and set the mood of the article.
For mefood and certain smells are tied to my identity, to my homeland.
I can deeply relate to this because when I'm missing my country or family, I often find myself cooking foods that remind me of home and that will reinforce my identity.
Tex-Mex argot, created by adding asound at the beginning or end of an English word suchcookiar for cook, watchar for watch, parkiar for park, andfor rape, is the result of the pressures on Spanish speak-adapt to English.
It's interesting how other languages are picking up words from English to incorporate into their dialect due to globalization. I can already see/hear some of it when I go back to Brazil. Actually, in the south of the country they have a distinct accent due to the proximity to Uruguay, which mixes Portuguese and Spanish.
My "home" tongues are the languages I speak with my sisterd b thers with my friends.
It's interesting to see the definition of the different languages the author speaks and what situations she'll use them. I can relate to this because I also have a different "language," more like a manner, to speak with people from different social cycles. Like my friends from Brazil, my family, and my American friends/ coworkers.
Their purpose: to get rid of our accents
This part really stuck with me because the text represents the larger societal pressures to abandon one's native language and anything that reminds them of it. This is an example of how these acts try to erase our cultural and self identity.
hat was the language that helped shape the way I saw things,expressed things, made sense of the world.
This is beautiful and made me emotional. It expresses how language can help shape the way we see the world and influence how we experience it.
You should know that my mother's expressive command of English belies how much she actuallyunderstands
I can relate to this quote because, as an English non-native speaker, I often respond based on my understanding — which isn't always the intended message. Although this doesn't happen often, it can still occur.
thas become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language Igrew up with.
This is an interesting analysis because it makes me reflect on how the language we speak with family/friends is more intimate compared to speaking in a work setting, for example. The personal aspect of the English spoken with her husband is a symbol of their relationship dynamics.
I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language -- the way itcan evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth
I love this statement because it highlights how language can be versatile and a powerful tool. Words have the power to enlighten and destroy, even by communicating a "simple truth."
For those ofus who write, it is necessary to scrutinize not only the truth of what we speak, but the truth of that language by which we speak it
I like this sentence because it demonstrates that as a writer, you are responsible for conveying the truth accurately and as you experience, but without compromising bias. That's because language can influence the reception of a message.
hat we were never meant to survive. Not as human beings. And neither were most of you here today, Blac~ or not. And that visibility which makes us most vulnerable 1s that which also is the source of our greatest strength. Because the machine will try to grind you into dust anyway
I really like this portion of the text because it creates a paradox of the current reality of living in the USA, which is not easy for a black woman or any human being. And, although being visible makes you vulnerable to attacks and critiques, it also gives you voice and strength.
we fear the visibility without which we cannot truly hv~
I believe this part of the text refers to the anxiety people may have when exposing who they are to others. That happens because we, as humans, care about what others think of us and tend to fear rejection. However, if we're not being visible, we're not achieving any personal fulfillment.
Tell th~m ~bout how you're never really a whole person if you rematn stle,!tt, because there's always that one little piece inside you that wants to be spoken out, and ifyou keep ignoring it, i; gets m~dder and madder and hotter and hotter, and if you don t speak 1t out one day it will just up and punch you in the mouth from the inside
I really like this part of the text because of the reflection on the importance of self-expression. The text tells that expressing your one true self, despite the fear it may cause, is essential for someone's mental health. It suggests that being honest is crucial to "becoming whole as a person."
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Read1. What does the writer want to say? What is the writer’s main point or thesis?2. Why does the writer want to make this point? What is the writer’s purpose?3. What pattern or patterns of development does the writer use?4. How does the writer’s pattern of development suit his or her sub-ject and purpose?5. What, if anything, is noteworthy about the writer’s use of this pattern?6. How effective is the essay? Does the writer make his or her points clearly?Asks ques-tion central to the essay and relates army expe-rienceRosa_52017_03_Ch02_043-078.indd 49Rosa_52017_03_Ch02_043-078.indd 4911/18/11 12:11 PM11/18/11 12:11 PM
Asking ourselves these questions will help us analyze and absorb the text much better than we usually would. It might take more time, but it will definitely help the information stick better in our brains. I really like question 2 because it’s sometimes hard to understand the writer's purpose, but if we pause and ask ourselves, we’re more likely to figure it out.
Each selection begins with a title, a headnote, and a writing prompt.
It's nice to finally understand the purpose of each section of a text. People often skip them without realizing their importance and meaning. I'm just discovering this now, and I believe it will be beneficial for both my reading and writing.
To g e t t h e m o s t o u t o f y o u r reading, follow the five steps of the reading process. 1. Prepare yourself to read the selection. 2. Read the selection. 3. Reread the selection. 4. Annotate the text with marginal notes. 5. Analyze the text with questions
I love how this article presents five steps to get the most out of the reading process. Sometimes, it's really hard to focus, and I find myself rereading the same text without absorbing any of it. I appreciate how these steps create an organized way to facilitate better reading and understanding.
Active reading is a skill that takes time to acquire.
In my opinion, active reading is one of the hardest skills to develop. It requires practice and focus, which can be challenging to maintain with so many external distractions/stimuli nowadays. I believe any form of reading is beneficial and can help practice active reading, ultimately also making us better writers.
Every student in this classroom, regardless of personal history or identity categories, is a valued member of this group.
I really appreciate this statement because it makes us feel seen by the professor. In large classes with over 100 students is often hard to feel valued as part of the group rather than just an observer. I'm happy to see this included in the syllabus.
Include EXTENSION REQUEST in your subject. If you ask before the due date I will almost certainly say yes, so just ask! If the due date has passed, the answer will be no.
The extension policy is fair and reasonable. I agree that it's important for both the student and the professor to be organized and informed in advance. This also allows both to benefit and maintain a good relationship. Particularly, I wanted to thank the extension granted due to my flight cancellation!
In this course I need you to be brave. You will read things that may make you uncomfortable. You will discuss difficult topics. This will stretch the boundaries of what you may think you are capable of to new levels.
I believe it's important to confront uncomfortable and taboo topics because most classes and life situations tend to shelter us from harsh realities. It's interesting to hear that this class will stretch these boundaries; I'm looking forward to it.
The goal is to give you tools to create your own path towards a unique relationship with writing.
I like this statement because most writing classes are formulaic and somewhat exhausting, which makes the class not enjoyable. I love to write, and knowing that this class will help me with the necessary tools to achieve the level of writing I want to have and have fun with it is fantastic.