Writing and presentation

Today Skype sessions with a Module One focus were useful for everyone. We talked about academic writing presentation of your work.

Quotes – don’t use them to speak for you. Explain an idea or point in your own words making sure you are referencing the people and things that have helped you for that idea. Then use a quote to illustrate how someone else put it too.

References and citations – a bibliography lists the books and web-sites and things you looked at to come to the writing you are doing. In some ways, a bibliography can survive on its own as a list of books around a topic BUT an essay cannot live without a bibliography. The references in the essay are just ways to sign post us to where all the information is in the bibliography. Just the essay without the bibliography means the references are sign posting us off into nothingness!!

An Appendix is a not a tricky way to have more words than the essay word count!! You should be able to read the whole essay and for it to make sense without reading the appendix. Like the appendix in your body – you should be able to cut it out and everything still works and makes sense. An appendix is just for things we might want to read if we want to hear more about something that takes us off on a bit of a tangent from the flow of the essay.

Sub-headings help organise information. I read through my essay and see where I am shifting or making a new point then ask myself if it would help the reader to indicate where I am going with the topic by having a sub-heading. I would recommend the sub-headings coming from what you are trying to say like this rather than having fixed subheadings that follow the areas of the Module One handbook. You are meant to be synthesising across the whole module in order to discuss your practice. Having subheadings like ‘Web 2.0’ draws you away from your practice and into the structure of the handbooks. Rather use subheadings that sum-up some of the themes that have emerged about your practice from within/across all the sections of the Module.

Editing your work for word count. Sometimes it can be that you are sort of writing in an overly apologetic sort of way. This can add more words to your writing than if you write in a more direct manor, with confidence. (36 words)

Writing in a confident, direct way rather than in an apologetic manor leads to less words used. (17 words)

People in the conversation are putting links to their posts on the skype in the comments below. Please also comment: what do you feel?
Also have a look at this...
Why we cite video

What you say and what other people say….

Hi

Christmas is coming!!! First, I wanted to put in a word for citations and using them!!! This is about linking your ideas to things beyond yourself. In Module One we talk about communication, reflection and networks.  These are foundational ideas that we return to each module. Think of citations in terms of them. Citing (talking about) other peoples’ work and ideas is how you show how your ideas link to the ‘network’ of ideas about a subject. This also shows how what you think links to the ‘reflections’ of others. As you do this you communicate your ideas in your own way and then share how other people have ‘communicated’ similar ideas.

Now don’t be afraid of citations just because they have a particular format. The formality of citations is just so there is a standard way of doing things; so we can all find the work you are talking about. I have talked about this in a couple of past blog posts have a look.

Starting up

What Sam and Billy say

Citations

Rubric

 

Now for word counts and editing – again don’t be afraid of these. Word counts and starting to edit your work is part of sharpening your skills in writing and being clear in your own head what you want to say.

Here are some ‘tips’ on self-editing

• Don’t get too attached to everything in the essay; nothing is ever lost; it can be used elsewhere. 
• Whatever you write, write about what is necessary to the points you are making.
• Be sure that everything in the essay contributes to what you want the Reader to experience or learn from your writing.
• Don’t read to edit immediately after you have written something. Take a break and come back to it.
• Write what you mean and stop when you’ve said it!!
• Put your ideas in order.
• Think of the essay as a whole: have only one beginning (introduction), middle (the points you want to make) and end (a conclusion drawing it all together). Don’t write a beginning middle and end for every thought you want to talk about.

Looking forward to reading your comments

Adesola