Showing posts with label Learning Styles. Show all posts
Thursday Thoughts: We Have a Source for You!
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At the Writing Center, we know that Walden University attracts
students from all over the globe, which means that we want to provide students
with sources they can access 24/7, regardless of what time zone they live in. We
also know that students have their own unique learning style preferences, so we developed our different types of sources and services with student’s time zones and learning preferences in mind. For
instance, those who are auditory learners might enjoy our live or archived webinars, whereas those who are visual and or kinesthetic learners might
enjoy our interactive modules. Of
course, at the Writing Center, we believe all students benefit from our tier
one service—paper reviews!
Our sources are meant to be used on their own or to compliment feedback and revising from paper reviews. And, if students have questions about their paper review feedback, or want to ask a quick writing question, they can contact us through our writingsupport@waldenu email or our chat service.
Not sure what source is right for you? Check out our Writing Center Getting Started page for an overview of our sources and services!
The Walden Writing Center provides
information and assistance to students with services like live chat,
webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the
writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students
assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills
and confidence to enhance their scholarly work.
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Our sources are meant to be used on their own or to compliment feedback and revising from paper reviews. And, if students have questions about their paper review feedback, or want to ask a quick writing question, they can contact us through our writingsupport@waldenu email or our chat service.
Not sure what source is right for you? Check out our Writing Center Getting Started page for an overview of our sources and services!
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Paraphrasing Enhances Learning
Each Monday my second-grade teacher wrote five words on the
board. These words stayed on the board all week until Friday when we each had
to turn in five index cards—one card with our own dictionary style definition
for each assigned word.
Initially this project was really fun. I loved alphabetizing
the cards as my collection grew (I think I was destined to work in academia…or
at least an office with file folders). But as the year progressed, the novelty
of the project wore off. And in order to finish my homework as quickly as
possible, I started simply copying the definition directly from my Webster’s
student dictionary. I never got in trouble. With 20 seven year-olds turning in
five index cards a week, I strongly suspect my teacher was more interested in
completion than quality, but now I’m pretty mad at myself about this.
My parents still have my index card dictionary. They also
have the index card dictionary my younger brother made two years later with the
same teacher. These two boxes serve to prove one basic claim we in the Writing
Center often make to students: paraphrasing is better than direct quotation.
My brother’s definitions are funny (in a way that only a
second-grader’s concept of words like “enormous” and “mundane” can be). They
are creative and thoughtful and really enjoyable to read several decades after
their creation. About half of mine are similarly entertaining, but it’s quite
easy to determine which definitions are mine and which are plagiarized.
I realize that an academic paper is a different assignment
than one assigned to second graders. But the basic arguments for why your own
words will serve you better than another writer’s words are the same. Let’s
break them down:
Engagement:
Just as a seven year-old’s unique definition of
words tend to be more entertaining than those found in published dictionaries,
you are able to bring a unique perspective to the information you share with
your reader when you formulate it yourself.
Retention:
I assume most of my elementary classmates do not
still have their index-card dictionaries, but the point of the assignment
wasn’t actually to create some kind of family heirloom; the point was to teach
us words. The definitions I crafted myself were much easier to remember than
those I simply copied out on the index cards. The same is true with information
you paraphrase: it becomes better absorbed into your own mind.
Usage:
The retention part feeds into the usage. If I could
remember what a word meant and how to use it, I was much more likely to use it
and add it to my vocabulary. Similarly, when you paraphrase information in
your writing, you more accurately and specifically employ it to meet your own
needs. Of course I’m not talking about taking something out of context or
misrepresenting information, but paraphrasing allows you to shape the delivery
of information in a way that is impossible with direct quotations.
Kacy Walz is a Minnesota native currently living in St. Louis, MO. She has been a Writing Instructor at Walden since 2016 and spends most of her free time trying to complete her PhD, seeking out adventure, and playing with her puppy dog.
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Prompted to Write: A Guide for Using Walden Assignment Prompts to Your Advantage
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Writing Process
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As a student at Walden, you’re often likely provided with
lengthy and descriptive prompts for your discussion board, application, and
capstone assignments. These prompts are there to guide you to think and write
about specific and complex topics. However, since the prompts are complex, it’s
not uncommon for students to write papers that don’t fully adhere to the
prompt. So, in this blog post, I’m going to offer some tips for how to ensure
that your assignments adhere to the prompt as you prewrite and also as you
revise.
Adhering to the Prompt as you Prewrite
The best way to ensure that your paper adheres to the prompt
is to start off strong with prewriting.
Prewriting includes brainstorming, taking notes, and outlining to prepare as
you write your paper. Here are some strategies you can use as you prewrite to prepare
yourself to write a paper that adheres to the prompt:
1. Identify the main questions or topics that the prompt is
asking you to address. Many Walden assignment prompts come in 3 parts: (1)
Introductory information, (2) Steps to accomplish as you prepare to write, and
(3) Directives for the paper. The first two parts are helpful and let you know
what to do to prepare, but it’s this third part that tells you what to do in
your paper. The questions or requests posed there are the directives of the
prompt that tell you what to do in your paper.
2. Read through the prompt closely and highlight important
information. This likely means that you’ll read the prompt a few times and take
notes. Highlight important information such as page length requirements,
sources you need to use, directives (like analyze, explore, argue, describe,
summarize), and the questions you should address. You can make a checklist for
yourself with this important information.
3. Reframe the directives in the prompt as topic sentences for paragraphs. For example, if the prompt states the following,
“Explain which Writing Center resources you used,” you could reframe this
directive as a topic sentence in this way: “In the pursuit of improving my
writing skills, I used Writing Center resources including webinars, paper
reviews, and website content.”
4. Outline
your paper using language from the writing prompt. Once you have identified all
of the directives in the assignment prompt and composed topic sentences for
paragraphs, you can craft an outline. Organize these topics in a way that makes
sense to you, and then plan for an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement, a conclusion paragraph, and any section headings that might be relevant. From there, start writing the essay. Using
the outline which was crafted from the prompt will help keep you in line with
the prompt.
Adhering to the Prompt as you Revise
Another way to ensure that your paper adheres to the prompt
is through revision.
Revision means re-seeing the paper and it requires looking back at ideas to
make sure that everything fits the purpose of the paper. Here are some revision
strategies which you can employ to ensure your paper adheres to the assignment
prompt.
5. Create a reverse outline of your paper and compare the outline to the prompt. Take notes and
ask yourself with each paragraph: What is this paragraph doing, and how does it
relate to the prompt and advance my ideas? If you see discrepancy between your
reverse outline and the prompt, then revise your content to more clearly
address the prompt. This might include creating a new outline, revising a topic
sentence, cutting length, or adding content.
6. Use the prompt as a checklist and compare highlighted
important information in the prompt with the content of your draft. If you see
a discrepancy between the important information in the prompt and your content,
revise to adhere to that important information. This might include expanding a
whole section of your paper, cutting content or adding content to meet length
requirements, integrating more sources, or developing some ideas.
7. Re-read the prompt and remind yourself of the audience and
purpose for the assignment. Then, re-read your paper draft and ask yourself:
Does this meet the needs of the audience and adhere to the purpose for the
assignment? If you find places where your content does not meet the needs of
the assignment and adhere to the purpose, then go back to pre-writing and do
some outlining and planning to revise your content to meet the needs of the
audience and purpose.
8. Talk to your faculty. If you’ve gone through these steps and
still aren’t sure if your paper addresses the prompt, ask your faculty!
One thing you’ll notice in all of these tips is that the
prompt is part of every step. It’s easiest to write a paper that adheres to the
prompt if referring to the prompt is an integral part of your writing process.
I hope that these tips provide you with some strategies to approach your next
assignment.
If you’d like to learn more strategies for interpreting and
addressing Walden assignment prompts, you can watch our Strategies for Demystifying Walden Assignment Prompts webinar recording or listen to
our WriteCast Episode 11: "Doesn’t Meet Requirements"—Strategies for Following Your Assignment Instructions podcast.
Jes Philbrook is a Writing Instructor and the Coordinator of Doctoral Writing Assessment in the Walden University Writing Center. Jes has been a writing tutor for over a decade, and in all those years of tutoring, one of her favorite things to do with students is to help them decipher their writing assignments and then plan or revise their paper to address the prompt. This post has been percolating in her brain all those years. In her free time, you can find Jes walking her neighbor’s dogs, tending to her basil garden, or playing games with her family and friends.
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WriteCast Episode 37: Transitioning to Master's-Level Writing
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If you're starting or in the early stages of a master's degree program, then this is the episode for you! Join us for today's WriteCast podcast episode as Beth and Brittany break down differences between undergraduate-level and master's-level writing and share tips on how to transition between them in "Transitioning to Master's-Level Writing". Beth and Brittany discuss their own transitions between undergraduate and master's level coursework as well as ideas to assist Walden students with their transition.
Click the play button above to stream the episode. To download the episode to your computer, click the share button on the audio player, then click the download button.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
To access the full episode archive and transcripts, visit our WriteCast: A Casual Conversation for Serious Writers homepage. Happy Listening!
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The WriteCast podcast is produced by Anne Shiell and the staff of the Walden University Writing Center and delves into a different writing issue in each episode. In line with the mission of the Writing Center, WriteCast provides multi-modal, on demand writing instruction that enhances students' writing skill and ease. We hope you enjoy this episode and comment in the box below.
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Click the play button above to stream the episode. To download the episode to your computer, click the share button on the audio player, then click the download button.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
To access the full episode archive and transcripts, visit our WriteCast: A Casual Conversation for Serious Writers homepage. Happy Listening!
The WriteCast podcast is produced by Anne Shiell and the staff of the Walden University Writing Center and delves into a different writing issue in each episode. In line with the mission of the Writing Center, WriteCast provides multi-modal, on demand writing instruction that enhances students' writing skill and ease. We hope you enjoy this episode and comment in the box below.
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Break the Block: A Three-Strategy Series on Writer's Block
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Even if you do your best to set aside time to write, do all your reading, take notes, and work on outlining, you might still find yourself staring at a blank screen when it comes time to write. Break The Block is a three-part series that will help you break free of writer’s block and achieve your writing goals!
In this series we discuss how to find a good space to write, turn off your inner critic, and set aside productive time. Our staff members provide some context, strategies, and personal anecdotes to help you break free from writer’s block and be your most productive writing self.
The
Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students
with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews,
podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these
services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing,
and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly
work.
Never miss a new post; Opt-out at any time
In this series we discuss how to find a good space to write, turn off your inner critic, and set aside productive time. Our staff members provide some context, strategies, and personal anecdotes to help you break free from writer’s block and be your most productive writing self.
Sound interesting? Check out each of our posts below!
Find a Suitable Environment—Instructor Veronica discusses the importance of finding your writing space and strategies for figuring out what works best for you in spaces you can control as well as spaces you can’t.Turn Off Your Internal Editor—Instructor Michael discusses the importance of writing without critiquing yourself too harshly to get your flow going and know that you’ll be able to refine later in the process.The Ticking Clock—Instructor Matt discusses ways to carve out that time to write, even with a busy schedule as well as fighting the anxiety that can come from experiencing writer’s block during that time.
With some help from these three posts, you can conquer
writer’s block and complete your work on time and effectively. Have some writer’s
block breaking tips you’d like to share or comments on which of these posts
worked best for you? Share below!
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Thursday Thoughts: Your Cat Can Inspire Great Writing
This week, in deliberation about the Thursday Thoughts post, I was trying to think of a catchy acronym that would allow me to share with the world a picture of my beautiful cat, Lucy, and I realized: Writing well requires care, attention, time, and space... or: Writing well requires C (care) A (attention) T (time) S (space). That's right, writing well requires cats.
Having a pet cat requires your care, attention, time, and space. Likewise, writing well requires care, attention, time, and space. If you have questions about what I mean, like I hope you do, read more below!
The Walden Writing Center offers to Walden students 1:1 writing support and offers to students and non-students alike all the writing expertise, tips, and information a writer could want.
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Having a pet cat requires your care, attention, time, and space. Likewise, writing well requires care, attention, time, and space. If you have questions about what I mean, like I hope you do, read more below!
C
Writing requires care, in
that - when given the opportunity - you should always choose to write about
something you care about. Chances are, if you're seeking a degree at Walden,
you are enrolled in a program because you care about it, so this should be
easy. Audiences of your writing will be able to tell whether you care about
your topic. Your audience includes your professors, your partner, your
classmates, and your friends. Your audience is bigger than you might think, and
trust me, they will be more likely to care about your topic if it shows that you care about
it, too. To read more about how to demonstrate care in your writing and let
your audience know you care, checkout this blog post titled, "Reading the Room: Adjusting Your Writing to Engage Your Audience."
A
Writing well requires attention to detail. I've been the student who writes a 10-page
paper the day before the paper is due... don't get me wrong. However, that
writing process made me feel really scattered and disorganized. I couldn't pay proper attention to all the moving pieces of my paper, and I lost track of important details that would have otherwise strengthened my text. So, my argument
is that any attention given to your paper should be focused attention, and this begins first with organizing
your galaxy of articles and quotes and ideas into clear, easy-to-navigate
notes. Lucky for you, we have some great resources on how you can organize your ideas so that you can begin writing with a good foundation. Beginning from a foundation of organized details
is likely to result in a piece of writing that feels stronger overall.
T
As I've written long
and longer pieces of writing, I've learned that writing well requires a
timeline and clear goals. My cat, for instance, loves snuggling with me when
she wakes up in the morning and, later in the afternoon, she loves to charge around the house from bedroom to bedroom. She has a timeline for each and every day, one that is unique to her and her preferences, and I think that a piece of writing, too, should be approached with the same ideas in mind. Writing, in and of itself, takes time... choosing a topic
you care to write about, organizing your ideas about that topic, and sitting
down at the computer to begin your introduction are all part of the writing timeline. The step in this timeline where you actually begin writing your paper is discussed here, in our blog post titled, "Don't Just Write a Paper: Take a Trip." This blog post can help you to set up your writing timeline.
S
Taking space away from your writing can be a means of self-care. As a writer, you are used to looking at the same words on a screen for hours at a time, and sometimes, after so many hours, those words can begin to feel jumbled. To negate this feeling, my suggestion is to take a break. Grant yourself the ability to create some space between yourself and your writing. Do something you love. Pick up a sweet treat from your local cafe; go for a run; watch an episode of your favorite guilty pleasure TV show. Whatever you do, let go of paper pressure during that time. Creating this space to practice self-care should calm you and allow you to return to your paper feeling refreshed. More ideas to create space and practice self-care can be found here, with tips and tricks from fellow Walden students. As a writer, who will likely be writing for years to come, this practice will benefit you long-term.
Now, I hope it's clear: You do need CATS to write well. Maybe you don't need a cuddly kitten charging around your house to write well, but it will benefit you as a writer to care for your writing by paying attention, making time, and taking space. If you have any questions about these tips or the resources provided within this blog post, feel free to send us an email at writingsupport@waldenu.edu. Until next Thursday, happy writing!
The Walden Writing Center offers to Walden students 1:1 writing support and offers to students and non-students alike all the writing expertise, tips, and information a writer could want.
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Can You Doodle Your Way to Better Writing?
Can you really doodle your way to better writing?
Perhaps, if you’re a kinesthetic or visual learner. Students are familiar with
their academic interests but often not their learning style strengths and
preferences. Learning style refers to how a student might approach an
assignment to help them focus on and develop the skills necessary for it. Understanding
your learning style preferences can mean the difference between staring at a
blank computer screen for hours and actively engaging in the process of
writing.
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