Videos for Formatting in MLA, Part 2

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 24

Greetings!

We had a good and productive class this week.  This is a hard-working group of students!

We've been working hard on ACT/SAT writing test questions, so we took a break for something more light-hearted.  For our Quick Write this week, we used cards from a game entitled "Man Bites Dog."  Each student got 6 cards; a noun, adjective, adverb, or verb was on each card.  They object of the game is to develop a headline using those words.  For our writing exercise, they not only created headlines, but wrote a news story to go with it. Once again, we had some creative endeavors.  I love those first minutes of class when their heads are bent down towards their papers, and their pens or pencils are working quickly.

We discussed how the students are progressing on their research papers.  I think it's helpful to do this as a group.  Many times one student asks a question that others are wondering about, too.  Most of them are needing to do more research and increase the quantity of material which they are presenting in their papers.  As I read through the rough drafts last week, I gave some ideas for expansion of their topic.

Re-organizing is also a common task at this point.  Thanks to computers and word processing software, editing and reformatting does not mean having to re-type the entire paper.  Many parents remember the days of typewriters, carbon paper, and "white out."  Do you think we can convince our children that they have it so much easier?

As a class we brainstormed a bit about what the presentation portion of their work could look like.  Some topics may lend themselves more easily to this than others.  Their presentation needs to have two components:  an oral presentation and a visual aspect.  For the oral presentation, we discussed that they can either give the primary points of their paper or choose one section that is representative of the whole.  For the visual part, they can bring in charts, maps, poster, pictures, etc.  They can also put together a PowerPoint presentation.

We also looked at some examples of MLA formating.  On the newest version of Microsoft Word, the reference dropdown menu gives you boxes to fill in and then formats it according to the MLA styling for you. (Again, kids these days have it so much easier than we had it.)  If you're working with another word processing software, a handbook will give the exact formatting.  Another help is the Son of Citation website.  Web pages can be confusing to cite; this site is especially helpful for that.  Some college professors like this website and encourage their students to use it.  Others consider it "cheating."  Since my goal is to have students learn this format, they can use it .... but there may be a test to see if they really know it!

Next week we'll discuss some specifics regarding writing styles and editing paragraphs and sentences.

Assignments for next week:

-- Presentation plan --- something to hand in!

-- Continue working on the rough draft

Keep up the good work!

Mrs. Prichard

Helpful Blog Entries:

This week's blog

Citing Sources

Plagiarism 

Helpful MLA Websites

Helpful MLA Citation Sites

Research papers are challenging.  Not only are you required to come up with an original, thought-provoking thesis, but you have to research primary and secondary sources for enough information to back up your position.  And on top of that, you need to use your sources with integrity and give credit to those who are experts on your topic.  And if that's not enough, you need to follow specific guidelines for letting your reader know where you found this information.  Whew!!

Below is a list of helpful websites that will help with the MLA format.

Son of Citation Machine:  This website does the formating for you.  Type in the essential information, click on "Make Citation" and it gives you the entry that you can copy and paste into your paper.  Some college professors encourage their students to use this so that they have the correct format.  Others consider it cheating and the lazy student's way out.  I don't mind if students use it because I feel it's part of the learning process.

Easy Bib:  This site is similar to Son of Citation.  Like the above site, I think these are especially helpful with non-traditional sources.  Citing books with one author is not difficult.  Other print and non-print forms are challenging.

Purdue OWL:  One of my favorite writing resources is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  If you go to the homepage, you will find just about any topic related to writing essays.

MLA formating videocast:  This Youtube video helps students format their papers.  It refers to Microsoft Word 2007. Some students already know a lot about using Word; others have parents who can help.  This is a helpful video if this information is needed.

MLA Works Cited videocast:  Another Purdue OWL video specific to the Works Cited page.

Durham College MLA style:  This is a longer video, but it's very complete!  In fact, I'd really like everyone to take the 30 minutes and give this video a careful "listen."

These are only a few websites.  If you need more help, google "MLA citation," and you will find a plethora of options.

Plagiarism

PLAGIARISM

            “Plagiarism” comes from the Latin, plagiarus, which means kidnapper.  In antiquity, plagiarii were pirates who sometimes stole children.  Plagiarism offers the words or ideas of another person as your own.  Plagiarism happens intentionally and accidentally.  Occasionally, a student will take large portions or whole papers and present them as their own.  Most often, however, the student knows the rules and is careless, or he is uninformed regarding proper citing of sources.

            To avoid plagiarism, develop personal notes with your won ideas on a topic.  Discover how you feel about the stand you’ve taken with your subject.  Then, rather than copying sources directly into the content of your research, synthesize the ideas of the authorities with your own thoughts by using the précis and paraphrase.  Rethink and consider ideas gathered by your reading, make meaningful connections, and when you refer to a specific source, give it credit.

Checklist for documenting your sources

·        Let a reader know when you begin borrowing from a source by introducing a quotation or paraphrase with the name of the authority.

·        Enclose within quotation marks all quoted materials – a key word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph

·        Make certain that paraphrased material has been rewritten into your own style and language.  The simple rearrangement of sentence patterns is unacceptable.

·        Provide specific in-text documentation for each borrowed item.

·        Provide a bibliography entry in the “Works Cited” section.

Forms of plagiarism:  (WWS, p. 29+)

·        Uncited data or information;

·        an uncited idea, whether a specific claim or general concept;

·        an unquoted but verbatim phrase or passage;

·        an uncited structure or organizing strategy;

·        misrepresenting evidence;

·        improper collaboration;

·        dual or overlapping assignments.

Bad ideas and attitudes that promote plagiarism:

·        Start late; adrenalin will get you through.

·        Don’t waste time writing until you know what you want to say.

·        Just skim the assignment prompt; don’t get bogged down in details.

·        Part of the assignment is guessing what our instructor expects.

·        Follow your interest above all.

·        To get the lay of the land, start every paper by doing an internet search of key terms and skimming sources that turn up.

·        Do all your work on-screen, where the action is.

·        When taking notes on sources, just summarize; come up with your own ideas when you’re done.

·        Your paper is your responsibility; hole up and write it.

·        During your initial reading of sources, keeping track of publications information will only slow you down, and you may not even use some of the sources.

·        Compose your paper in the file where you collect your sources and notes, so these can be readily drawn in.

·        Try to sound impressive and sophisticated, like a real scholar.

·        Don’t seek help if you find yourself in a jam; it’s humiliating and will single you out to your instructor as a screw-up.

·        In a pinch, borrow a friend’s paper to inspire you, or borrow some notes to work with.

Citing Sources

When should you cite and why?

1)  Whenever you use factual material – e.g. data, information, testimony, or a report that you found in a source.  You need to make clear to your readers who gathered the information and where to find its original form.

2)  Whenever you use ideas – e.g. claims, interpretations, conclusions, or lines of reasoning arrived at by another person.  Let your readers know that you are summarizing or paraphrasing thoughts formulated by someone else.

3)  Whenever you use a special concept, term, or theory that you found in a source.

4)  Whenever you make use of a source passage’s distinctive structure, organizing strategy or method.  Citing tells your readers that the strategy or method is not yours and allows them to consult its original context.

5)  Whenever you quote verbatim.

Over-citing:

·        frequent citation can weaken a paper by making you seem less thoughtful and too dependent on others

·        citing “common knowledge” or citing inefficiently

·        giving too much rehash of other people’s ideas and need to generate more original ideas of your own

Citing well

·        credits the work of others;

·        respects the scholarship of your readers;

·        shows your respect for your topic;

·        strengthens your paper by displaying intellectual character;

·        establishes you also helpful, honest, open, serious, and careful

·        Intermittent, casual, sloppy, or vague citing raises suspicion and makes your readers skeptical.

Three Basic Principles (for how to use sources)

First Principle:  Use sources as concisely as possible, so your own thinking isn’t crowded out by your presentation of other people’s thinking and your own vice lost in your quoting of other voices.

Second Principle:  Never leave your reader in doubt as to when you are speaking and when you are relying on material from a source.

Third Principle:  Always make clear how each source you introduce into your paper relates to your argument.

Rules for Quoting

·        Quote only what you need or is really striking.

·        Quote verbatim.

·        Construct your own sentence so the quotation fits smoothly into it.

·        Usually announce a quotation in the words preceding it.

·        Choose your announcing verb carefully.

·        Don’t automatically put a comma before a quotation.

·        Put the period or comma ending a sentence or clause after the parenthetical citation.

·        Indicate clearly when you are quoting a passage as you found it quoted in another source.