Assignment to bring to library, Thursday, 11/19

Class,

Having gotten your first taste of research in the databases, I want you to continue refining your research question. As Theresa the librarian pointed out, your first search results can help you to narrow down your topic. In abstracts and categories, you can find related terms. You can also find out what people are talking about and what type of research has been done. You can use these terms and topics to narrow down your own.

Remember, you are going to write a five-seven page essay that will go into depth on your topic. Therefore, you want to make your research question as specific as possible. Also, you want your question to invite debate / seek out opposing view points / foster a conversation that does not have a single, simple answer.

We've spent two class periods going over how to develop a specific research question, and we don't have more time to spend on this topic. It is, however, crucial to a successful essay. So, if you have questions about what makes for a good research question, please check out this site: http://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=323167&p=2173967 . If you want to run your research question by me, just send an email.

So, what to bring to post to the blog.

1. Write down your initial area of interest
2. Your initial research question
3. Your revised research question that is focused and that invites debate / multiple perspectives.
4. What you have been able to discover so far in your research in the databases. Are there more relevant articles than you expected? Fewer? Have you found articles in the database that suggest any new directions for your research? From your searches, offer one example of an article you think may help you. You don't have to provide an in-depth summary, just a general idea.

Stay focused these last few weeks of class. Use this time to stay true to your goals and build up some confidence heading into winter. You got this...

Assignment to bring to Library on Tuesday, 11/17

Class,

Here is the assignment. Please bring print and bring to the library on Tuesday. As always, email with any questions.

The goal: have two specific research questions to start your initial searches through the library database. We're spending a fair amount of time on these questions because they will help you research efficiently. Keep in mind that your questions will evolve as you get deeper into research. At the end of the research process, you will have gathered research that will put you in a position to answer your own question with some authority. If you keep up with these individual steps along the way, you will be very prepared to write your essay when the time comes.

So, here's the assignment:
1. Write down your research question as it stands right now, at this very moment.
2. Conduct some light research. "Light" research includes googling your topic to find out who are the important people involved in your topic, what are the ongoing controversies and debates, key dates, etc. Searching Wikipedia may help, too. I recommend searches like "video games violence NPR" or "NYTimes banana farming" to help you get an idea of what's going on with your topic.
3. Write down terms, people, dates, etc. that seem like they may be relevant to your research. It's a good idea to keep all this stuff in one place in your notebook to make it easy to find when you start writing your essay.
4. After conducing this "light research," go back to your initial research question. Now that you know a little bit more about your topic, how can you make your question more specific? Has your initial research shifted your focus? What new information do you want to find out about? Write your responses to these questions in 1-2 paragraphs.
5. Write two research questions to get started with your research on Tuesday. (The goal here is to come up with two different approaches to your topic; this step will help you generate ideas and have a backup in case you get stuck)

Remember, we'll meet on the second floor of the library. It is in the Donahue building just inside the main entrance. Ask a librarian if you have any trouble finding the teaching lab.

Have a great weekend

Professor Rattner

Your initial research topic

Class,

Using your notes and questions from today as a foundation, answer and elaborate on the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentence, using one-two paragraphs. Be thorough and detailed.

Even if you think you may wind up switching topics, complete these steps. You can use the methods we will practice (starting today) to come up with a research topic in any class for the rest of your college days.

This first step is an exciting place to be because it will lead you into the unknown. Stick with it, and, ideally, you'll come out on the other side of these next several weeks with deep knowledge on something you care about.


Questions and responses:

What two topics did you circle in your list?
For which of those two topics did you come up with questions?
What drew you to the topic? How did you first hear about it? Do you have a personal connection to it?  Describe in detail.
What about it makes you want to know more?
How much do you know about the topic?
Of the questions you wrote down in class, which one or two seem the most promising?
What potential obstacles do you foresee in researching and writing about this topic?

Quick response to question: Slater or Ryan?

Class,

Please post a one-two-sentence response to the following question: Which text will you respond to in the next essay, Ryan's Ted Talk or Slater's article? In your response, provide an explanation for your choice. What specifically interests you? What makes it easier or more interesting for you to respond to your chosen text?

I look forward to reading your responses

Professor Rattner

A Million First Dates

To get some practice with quotations and to increase your knowledge of the dating scene, you'll read one chapter from They Say, I Say and an article from the excellent magazine The Atlantic.

From They Say, read "Chapter Three: As He Himself Puts It: The Art of Quoting" (42-50). You'll be using two templates from this chapter, the one for introducing a quotation (46) and the one for explaining a quotation (47). Also, pay particular attention to the section on how not to quote.

With Dan Slater's article "A Million First Dates," find a quotation that stands out to you as, well, quotable. Remember, you want a quote to be interesting and to provoke thought/argument. You want it to be a sentence or two that captures a point so well that is worth repeating word-for-word.

After you introduce and explain the quotation, write a few sentences in which you say whether or not Slater does a good job supporting his claim. How (Ethos, Logos, Pathos) does he try to convince you the reader? Are you convinced? Why or why not?

I look forward to reading your responses and to our class discussion Thursday. As always, let me know if you have any questions

Shitty First Drafts

You just wrote your first draft of the first essay you will write for this course. Going off your personal reactions to the writing process, respond to Lamott's essay. Use your initial reactions to respond to the following questions. Remember to provide examples and quotations to support your points and to respond to what previous posters have said.

Lamott says that perceptions most people have of how writers work is different than the reality of the work itself. She refers to this as the "fantasy of the uninitiated." What does she mean by that?

Later in the essay, Lamott refers to going through many experiences as a writer and coming to a place where she "eventually let myself trust the process - sort of, more or less." She is referring to the writing process, but why does she write "more or less?"

Is Lamott's essay useful? Or not? Explain. Share some of your writing experiences. Do you feel any closer to "trusting the process?"

Lastly, did your impressions of your essay match up your reviewer's feedback? What would you guess might Lamott have to say about that?

I look forward to reading your responses

Zadie Smith's "Joy"

Read "Chapter One: Starting with What Others Are Saying" in They Say, I Say (19-29)

Read Zadie Smith's essay "Joy" in Best American Essays (145-151)

Pay attention to Smith's excellent use of detail and example.

Think about the three questions I posed in class:

- What do I notice? (Patterns, details)

- What is this telling me? (Intended audience, what is the heart / central idea of this essay)

- What is this teaching me? (How might I use the techniques and ideas for my own writing and thinking; how does this expand my range of what is possible in writing and thinking; how does this compare with previously held ideas and knowledge)

In your blog response, answer the following question: how do Smith's definition of joy differ from our commonplace definition of that term? In what ways are her ideas different from your own? 

As part of your answer, I'd like you to do two things:

 - Describe something that gives you joy

 - Use the templates from They Say on page 24. The section of the chapter is titled "Templates for Introducing 'Standard Views.'" For example: Conventional wisdom has it that joy __________; however, Zadie Smith suggests ___________.

As always, email me with any questions. I look forward to reading your responses. See you Thursday!