Tentative Unit 1 ScheduleWeek 2

1/20-Using library databases (bring computer to class)

1/22- Intro to Exploratory Narrative & Source evaluations

Week 31/27-Research questions

and resultsMinor Essay 1 Due1/29-Strategies for

introductions

Week 42/3-Reflective writing and

body paragraphs2/5- Synthesizing sources

&First Draft peer reviewWeek 5

2/10- Strategies for conclusions & grammar

2/12-Editing, peer review, & unit 1 wrap up

2/15-Exploratory Narrative Due

Today’s GoalsLearn about the importance of and strategies for

reflective writing

Understand the place of reflective writing in an exploratory narrative

Practice reflecting on your research experiences thus far

Understand the theories behind synthesis writing

Reflective Writing as Experiential Learning

Adapted from Using English for Academic Purposes http://www.uefap.com/writing/genre/reflect.htm

Experiential Learning CycleConcrete Experience- what you did or what happened

Reflective Observation- think back on what happened in the concrete experience, how it happened, how that made you feel, and how you might do things differently next time

Abstract Conceptualization- apply theories and concepts (or ideas you learn in class) to your experience

Active Experimentation- thinking about and planning how you can take this knowledge to shape your future experiences

Reflective Writing Stages-Exploratory Narrative

Concrete ExperiencePerforming your secondary research: finding sources, reading

and analyzing themReflective Observation

Thinking back on your research experiences. Writing about and reflecting on your research findings.

Abstract ConceptualizationApply theories we have learned in class. Consider how the

authors you read use rhetorical appeals and how you can use such appeals in your own writing

Active Experimentation-Take what you have learned and what questions you still have

unanswered and use them to shape your subsequent research on the topic

Reflective Writing TipsUse dialectic thinking: try to see and evaluate the issue

from both sides. Try to empathize with viewpoints that would normally be opposed to your own

Be honest: it’s ok to admit your mistakes or ignorance about something or when something surprises you. This can actually lead to better revelations or deeper understanding

Use first person voice: for reflective writing you need to write about your own opinions, beliefs, proclivities, and prejudices. This is a necessary part of reflective writing although many students feel uncomfortable doing so at first.

Select the most important information; you do not need to include every tiny piece of information you learned. Focus on the most important points

Ask questions!

Journal Entry 7 Focus: Reflect on research experiences At this point in the development of your exploratory narrative, you should

have selected a topic, formulated a research question, and evaluated at least two sources on this topic.

Take a few minutes to think about what this research experiences has been like thus far. You may wish to consider: What did you know about your topic before conducting any research? Has this

knowledge changed at all? What was the experience of finding sources with the library databases like?

What about analyzing these texts? Was there any part of the experience you have found surprising or difficult?

Why? If you could start this research over from the beginning, what would you do

differently this time? What is your current viewpoint/stance on the issue? How have your past

experiences shaped this? DO you think further research will change it? Note: this entry is not asking you to focus on synthesizing your research

results. We will work on that next class.

Exploratory Narrative Body Paragraphs1. Each source should have one or more body paragraphs

devoted to it Do not feel limited to one paragraph per source. Most

sources will take 2-3 paragraphs

2. You should explicitly name the article (and its author) that will be evaluated

This will be important for the structure and flow of the essay

3. Identify the thesis or main idea of each source Quote this if possible

4. Sum up the most convincing, important, or rhetorically significant point(s) of the source

5. Reflect on how that source has affected your own viewpoint or understanding of the issue

Body ParagraphsClosed Form Prose Exploratory NarrativeClear topic sentences

located near the beginning of each paragraph that summarize what is to come

Usually written in 3rd personUse sources in a rhetorically

effective manner to support the topic sentences or thesis

Transitions between ideas from paragraph to paragraph i.e. “the second reason . . .”

Clear topics sentences near the beginning of each paragraph that identify the source (and its author) that will be evaluated

Predominantly written in 1st person (although some 3rd person is acceptable)

Summarizes the main ideas of each source and how it has affected your view

Transitions follow and narrate the research process i.e. “the next source I found in

my research . . . “

Group Activity- Reflective Writing AnalysisIn your unit 1 groupsRead through Accounts 1-4 of “The Park” and

answer the questions below: 1. Which of these accounts is a better example of

reflective writing? Why? 2. What questions does the writer ask herself in each

account? 3. How are the writer’s previous experiences (before

the event at the park) considered in each account? 4. How is the writer critical of her own actions and

thoughts in each account?

Source“The Park” passage adopted from

https://www.aub.edu.lb/ctl/activities/seminars/Documents/2012-13/Reflearning.pdf

SynthesisWhat does this word mean?

What experiences have you had with synthesis writing in the past? In ENC1101?

Synthesisthe combining of the constituent elements of

separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity (opposed to analysis, ) the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements.

the third stage of argument in Hegelian dialectic, which reconciles the mutually contradictory first two propositions, thesis and antithesis.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/synthesis

Hegelian DialecticGeorg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was an 18th-

19th century German philosopher.He believed that the pinnacle of human

existence can only be achieved through constant ideological conflict and resolution.

To him, this meant the struggle between opposing ideals and the eventual synthesizing of those opposites.

Hegelian Dialectic3 stages:

Thesis: an idea or propositionAntithesis: the negation or opposite of the

thesisSynthesis: the reconciliation of the thesis

and antithesis with a new idea that utilizes and considers the truths of both. This will generate a new thesis and start the dialectic over.

Synthesis in WritingWill usually have to work with more than two

or three ideas or texts at a time

You do not have to change your stance to support an opposing view. You should, however, look for common ground or ideas that

Group Activity: Synthesizing SourcesIn your unit 1 groups, answer the following

question: 1. What is your view on the government’s

ability to track people using their cell phones? When and why should the government be able (or not) to do this?

2. If you consider your answer to question 1 to be your ‘thesis,’ what would the antithesis to this statement be?

Group Activity: Synthesizing SourcesRead through the articles “Mobile Phone Tracking

Scrutinized” and “Reach Out and Track Someone” on A&B p. 219. Then answer the questions below.

3. What is the thesis or main idea of each article? Try to take this directly from the text if possible.

4. What ideas do these texts have in common? 5. What ideas in these texts contradict or oppose

one another? 6. Generate a synthesis statement that takes in

takes in elements from your original idea and reconciles (opposing) ideas from the two texts.

HomeworkJournal Entry 8: Source Evaluation 3

Find the third source you will use for your exploratory narrative

Read and analyze your third source; Sum up the argument it makes in the journal entry as well as your reaction to reading the source. Then play the Believing and Doubting Game to find the strongest and weakest elements of the source. Finally, reflect on how the source has changed your understanding of the research topic.

Exploratory Narrative First Draft: (Due Thursday 2/5)The first draft of your Exploratory Narrative should include

your introduction as well as the body paragraphs for the first three sources of your writing. It is strongly recommended that you rely on your journal entries to aid you in writing these paragraphs.