Synthesis Round IIMarch 22, 2013

For Today:•Continuing with synthesis

▫Building a synthesis matrix•Closing Reflection•Homework, Reminders & Portfolio

Overview

Review of Synthesis• Synthesis: combining or joining together ideas

and/or materials.• On Wednesday we practiced an activity that

simulated a conversation occurring around one primary idea.

• Hopefully, you all saw that sources will provide different perspectives of an issue and won’t all agree or provide the same solution.

• Lastly, you probably found that you had a response or something to add to the “conversation”.▫You will find as you write your research papers that

this too occurs and that’s great!

“Joining the Conversation”•Synthesis is, in effect, joining a

conversation.Imagine that you’re late to a meeting with friends for coffee. As you approach you see that everyone, (except you, because you’re

late), is already comfortably seated and engaged in what appears to be a pretty

serious conversation. When you sit down with your friends, however, it isn’t likely

that you’ll just plop down and sit unengaged; nor is it likely that you’ll just

talk to one (or none) of the people present.

“Joining the Conversation” cont.

More than likely, the process of joining the conversation you are about to engage in follows a similar line as writing a paper:

Greeting Introduction“What’s going on?” Research Inquiries

Getting “caught up” Conducting ResearchJoining the conversation Contributing

Once you’ve settled in and caught up to what your friends are already discussing, you probably find very quickly that you have something to add.

Long story short, you already do this naturally. Now, you’re incorporating this into your writing and joining the “scholarly” conversations already in progress.

In your writing, much like in the conversations you have, “you will allow the reader to view a conversation between your sources in which your sources

speak for themselves to each other” (Ti Macklin). Rather than provide a report of what that guy said in this text and that other dude in another text, “you will organize your paper around the topic of discussion and integrate the sources

in a back-and-forth, give-and-take exchange” (Ti Macklin). Again, much in the same a way a face-to-face conversation takes place.

Building a Matrix (sadly, it’s not nearly as intense as the movie)

•A synthesis matrix can help you see the conversations taking place around a topic.

The matrix includes: •The main ideas

•The sources•And how the sources respond to the topic

(if they do)

It Looks Like This:

Your Task:Similar to Wednesday, we will be looking at current debates. Today, however, we will be

taking a much more visual approach.Today’s topic: Facebook & Love

You can work individually or in groups, but you will be responsible for filling in your own matrix.

• Read through the four articles.• Provide the applicable responses of the sources

▫ Hint: Like Wednesday’s activity, you will probably find that not all of your sources respond to all of

the main ideas.

Closing Reflection•What can synthesis do for your writing (as

opposed to reporting what sources say)?

Portfolio Guidelines & Overview

The Rest of the SemesterAlso Available on Course Website

• M: March 25: Annotated Bib.• W: March 27: Writing Effective Conclusions• F: March 29: Assignment 3 Peer-Review• M: April 1: Remediation & Multi-Modality (AML 103)• W: April 3: Remediation Cont. • F: April 5-W: April 10: Peer Review

▫ Assignment 3 Draft 2 Due by 10p Friday April 5• F: April 12: Winding Down: Portfolio Prep• M: April 15-F: April 19: Presentations

▫ Assignment 4 Due by 10p Friday April 19• M: April 22: Final Peer Review/Q & A/Portfolio Prep.• W: April 24: Open• F: April 26: No class

▫ Portfolios Due by 11:59p

Homework & Reminders•For Monday: The Annotated Bibliography.

You will need to bring two sources that you are working with.

Have a Great Weekend!