Key Verbal Examples- Organized Better

Topics Covered
Drawbacks to English class
Questions noone can answer
Questions- different levels, types and difficulties
SQRRR
Writing Process




Stuff to Add
Paraphrasing
Highlighting
Outlining
Summarizing
Context Clues- Vocab
Context clues- Test Taking




 Drawbacks to English Class
          We have a class full of students with different life experiences, different reading experiences, and different writing experiences.   To make matters worse, we have students who write, read, type, and talk at different speeds.
          We want students to try new habits when reading and writing.   We suggest this because these new habits work.   However, we have to structure assignments in a way that makes students document the writing process and the SQ3R process.   This means that tasks (like making questions) that can be done purely in the mind must be written down on paper.   This also means that sometimes full sentences are required, even though notes taken in shorthand can be equally effective.

Questions noone can answer
How can I set the clock on my car?  No.  Which car?
Can you tell me how to play a song?  No.  Which song?  Which instruments?  How much have you practiced?
Is blah blah blah a good movie?   No.  What kinds of movies do you like?
What was it you were saying yesterday?  No.  I talk a lot.   It was a long day.



My goal as an instructor is to be an expert wilderness guide helping others through unfamiliar ground.   My goal is not to be a homeowner leading tours on his or her own backyard for forty years in a row.



SQRRR

       Is this a system to use when reading the sports page?
       Is this s system to use when reading Harry Potter?
       Is this a system to use when reading a cookbook?

       This is a system for learning from textbooks.   This is a new habit.

       How often do you read something carefully in your daily life?  (Not often)
       How often do textbooks come up in your daily lives?  (Not often)
       How often did our ancient ancestors need to study textbooks on the plains of Africa?  (never)
       How often did you and your friends get together to study textbooks for fun?  (never)
       So what does it feel like to build a new habit from scratch?   (hard)
       Is it ever easy?   (only when it is something you love)
       Are you going to make mistakes?  
       Will it come naturally to you?
       Will it be confusing?



      Survey
               Make a map- Write the headings, survey the terrain
               Consider the course context, the types of assessments, the teacher's persona
               Activate Prior Knowledge
   
     Question
              If you have prior knowledge, use it to make a question.
              If not, use the heading to create a question.
              Open ended vs Closed Ended questions.   This is somewhat like fact vs opinion questions.
              Bloom's Taxonomy

     Read 
              Read the section-  How fast?  Depends on the subject, the difficulty, the test.
              Mark the section-   Not too much, not too little.   Personal marking systems.
              Make notes about the section-   This is for people who don't use multiple colors, multiple pens mostly.   This is also very valuable as a reviewing strategy when rereading.

     Recite
             Here is where you explain the main point of each section in your own words.  Whether this section gets written down is the major difference between different SQ3R sheets.

     Review
             Intelligent review is personalized and active!   Separate the concepts into those you know, those you don't, and those you sort of know.   Review one set frequently, one set occasionally, and one set rarely.  
   

Writing Process
       Discovery
             Find a topic (of the appropriate size)
             Create a thesis (which is clear, specific, and debatable)
             Gather specific details and examples

             If there is a long time before the due date, "first thought, worst thought."
             If the timespan is short, make sure to have a backup thesis.

       Organizing
           Make a plan before you go on a trip.   If you want to change the plan mid-trip, revise the plan.
           Writing down the major details helps make sure that there is enough to fill each paragraph.
           Writing down the minor details helps make sure the reader is clear, convinced, and                                entertained.

Audience
      I've got a proposition for you.   I'll give you a thousand dollars if you can make a person laugh.   Here's the hitch.   I won't tell you who it is.
      What is a good meal?  "One that pleases the people who eat it."   If you sit a vegan down at my dinner table, he or she will not find it good.   If you sit my mother down at my house, the spices in the food will set her mouth on fire.
    

Purpose
     "If I know your purpose, I can help you achieve it.   If you are trying to get somewhere, I won't give you directions unless you know where you want to go."   

     "If I ask you for a hamburger, I won't be pleased if you bring me a pepperoni pizza."

Thesis statements
      (Take a clear stand.)
      Which is more interesting?   "Vanilla ice cream is good and chocolate is good too"  or   "chocolate ice cream is destroying America."
       (placement)
       The most common place to put a thesis is toward the end of the first paragraph.   Since a thesis is debatable, the writer needs to get the reader's attention before stating the main idea.   The only requirement for my class is that it must come after the hook/attention getter.

Examples for problematic thesis statements  (this are written in a casual/ humorous tone on purpose)
       I am going to talk about Jeff Cook
       Jeff Cook is a white guy from the suburbs
       Jeff Cook has gone through many life changes.
       Jeff Cook roots for the Cincinnati Bengals, and Obama faces a difficult second term as President.

Other types of problems:
Questions as a thesis
Unsupportable opinions
Tone problems- exaggerations, insults, sarcasm, or loaded language
Long-   Unless the paper is full of complicated language, the thesis should be short and to the point.   For some science and mathematics papers, long sentences will be crucial.  Remember: the thesis should be as short as possible, but not shorter.    

Tone
       Who would you listen to,  an angry person or a calm person?   Would you listen to a sarcastic person?  Would you listen to a person who was heartbroken?  Would you listen to a person who was madly in love?    Strong emotions make it hard for people to think clearly.   Writing with very strong tone makes it hard for the audience to hear clearly.    Strong tone excites those who already agree with the writer, but it strongly limits an audience.
       An apology- I often use excited tones and exaggerated statements during lectures and class examples.   This is because I have a captive audience, and part of my job is to keep the audience's attention.   I also think that bold statements might be easier examples to remember.


Introductions
       When you meet a stranger and you wish to talk, you must 1. get their attention  2. communicate a few facts  (depending on the audience) 3. make your purpose clear.
       Imagine seeking a bathroom in an international airport.
       Imagine seeking help from an advisor.
       Imagine asking someone for a phone number, for a dollar, for a jump start.
       (about the facts)
       give information about the topic in the introduction, but don't give evidence to support the thesis until the body of the paper.

Conclusion
      People pay strong attention to endings.   Many studies of movies show that the quality of a film's end strongly effects the audience evaluation of the film.   We remember endings more than beginnings because our minds are not occupied by reading more words.   Our minds can concentrate on the final section for as long as we'd like.
  

My teaching style
      I attempt to break class up into 15-20 minute sections where we address different parts of the current reading selections and writing assignments.   In the beginning of the course, the writing process and sq3r are practiced in class.  Later the focus shifts to chapters in the textbook and papers based around the topics in the chapters.   The time in class is focused on learning new information or receiving feedback on work (from classmates and/or instructor).



Papers, like cuts of meat or financial instruments, often get grades they do not deserve.   Sometimes grades are an evaluation technique, sometimes a reinforcement technique.

To understand is easy.   To explain is a challenge.   To convince is an achievement.   To prove is a miracle.


One example of word magic-   AUCTION KINGS   (Why is storage wars a bad example?)
Consider auctions and auctioneers
The auctioneer never stops speaking...
The brain processes the words, "Going once... going twice... increases the scarcity pressure"

Consider the speed that Derren Brown talks at.   Consider the speed of the Modern Con Man talking.

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The Sales Pitch-   Does your friend do this?

How many of you have a friend who talks far too long when telling a story?   (A thirty minute story that should have been a ten minute story tops) 
How many of you have a friend who talks about subjects that you have absolutely no interest in?   (I really mean "on a regular basis" here.   We all do that from time to time.)
How many of you have gone out with



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Audience Awareness Can Make Your Pets Love You
The gerbil story
The cat story
The "learning from my mistakes story"-   My dog
When I wanted to get on his good side....
When I decided that he should just "deal with it".

I've exaggerating.   Thinking about audience will make pets hate you less.

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