For this semester, I have learned a lot of great tips for writing essays in different purposes during the intensive writing class with Dr. Kim. Everything I learned from the class was very practical and valuable. I could apply those tips right into the regular classe projects in my program which require lots of papers.
There were lots of things going on in the class along with writing exercise such as a group project that we have to complete through on-line chatting only with my team members, and presentations that we have to produce as movies for the final. All of the activities were challengeable in the way that I need different techniques and ways of thinking from other English courses. Sometimes, I have to figure out more effective communication tools with others through technologically advanced ways such as making my own blog, uploading presentation files on that site with all of my writing practices in the class, and visiting other student’s blog to leave comments for them. Sometimes teacher conducted on-line classes and everybody could participated the class at home in pajamas.
It was a busy, different, and interesting learning experience using the benefit of today’s advanced technology. I definitely credit all the works we have done so far to Dr. Kim’s hard work and Mr. Healy’s positive attitudes to encourage us to finish the thesis.
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Thesis
Through all of the experiences in writing thesis, I realized thesis needs little different process from the research paper. Since it is based on the personal opinions, data and facts should be coherent with the main subject and also relevant enough to support the main ideas.
From the learning materials provided from the instructor, I have learned how to write mini thesis and structure the form of academic paper. I was struggling finishing my mini thesis completely with not only my language barriers but also the short research period. I think that I definitely need more time to research and develop my ideas before I started my thesis. It is also important to get advised from others in the same professions with mine to verify if my topic is interesting enough and valuable to write in thesis. Otherwise, it will get a totally different outcome from what I intended at the beginning stage of thesis and even main subject or should be changed with unexpected results while researching. I have always had a problem with narrowing down ideas and made my opinion clear and succinct. Supportive materials are often redundant and carry too much information. Sometimes it is hard to translate all of the information into my own words and fit them into the subject matters. In general, it is not an easy process.
I’m sure that the process I‘ve got through here will help me a lot in writing a real thesis in future. I’m thankful for the great help and advise from Mrs. Kim and Mr. Healy for me to fix my writing in the class for the semester.
From the learning materials provided from the instructor, I have learned how to write mini thesis and structure the form of academic paper. I was struggling finishing my mini thesis completely with not only my language barriers but also the short research period. I think that I definitely need more time to research and develop my ideas before I started my thesis. It is also important to get advised from others in the same professions with mine to verify if my topic is interesting enough and valuable to write in thesis. Otherwise, it will get a totally different outcome from what I intended at the beginning stage of thesis and even main subject or should be changed with unexpected results while researching. I have always had a problem with narrowing down ideas and made my opinion clear and succinct. Supportive materials are often redundant and carry too much information. Sometimes it is hard to translate all of the information into my own words and fit them into the subject matters. In general, it is not an easy process.
I’m sure that the process I‘ve got through here will help me a lot in writing a real thesis in future. I’m thankful for the great help and advise from Mrs. Kim and Mr. Healy for me to fix my writing in the class for the semester.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Collaboration_Manhattan Tour
1. How do you evaluate your group project? Do you believe it successful? or Do you think it incomplete? Provide a short explanation.
I think it is successful in a way that we could finish our project in time. We were lucky because we have many creative people and also they are reliable too. Still we have a communication problem to contact each other promptly and we were idle in that way.
2. Briefly describe the process in the collaboration. Did you have any difficulties working in this group? What were they? Did you learn anything from the whole process of working in this group? What were they?
First, we submitted individual proposals and chose one outstanding proposal among them as our guide line. We added our collaborated work and continued our theme on the paper. The procedure was really easy and smooth because we don’t have any member who has strong personality or wants to control us. I’ve learn that in this case, we were lucky to have very nice people in our group and it was key successful factor to work without any trouble even though we didn’t chat much or communicate each other.
3. You used e-mails, online forum, and chat to complete this project. Describe your experiences comparing them with face-to-face communication in regular classrooms.
Face to Face meeting is the easiest way to avoid miscommunication among group members. But if it is not available, alternative ways of on-line communication can also work fine if we use them efficiently. We can save time and energy and also we can follow the project easily with written confirmation whenever we want.
This project is relevant case to apply group efforts and well structured to each member’s contribution too. I realized it after we finished the project.
4. Compare your first collaboration project regarding "plagiarism" with this project. What would you say about the different approaches, learning outcomes, and learning processes? Which one is better? Why do you think so?
The first collaboration project of plagiarism was conducted in the classroom and we had time to discuss in person to person. (I only assume that it was face to face meeting, because I wasn’t in class at that time.) For the Manhattan tour project, we haven’t had time to meet each other but we set a time schedule in detail to show our efforts in group and also individually. We can solve the problem through reading each other’s paper and find the problems and moved toward one direction without any hesitation. The process was slow but it is just like finishing puzzles. Everybody worked hard to fill the missing contents or part and try not to overlap or focus too much on spot.
It was easy to see the big picture of the project because we had to digest the paper as a whole and kept following the process all together. I like the second project better in that way that we became more absorb what we are doing to be in same page.
5. If you were given a similar online collaboration project, what would you do differently? Why?
If we have one more chance to work in a team, I will make a worksheet of time frame in detail and assign every person in a charge to confirm each process. In that way, we can divide the work load evenly and deliver everybody’s idea equally. We also should have more to chat and set the agenda for the chat before we meet in on-line chatting room to save our time.
I think it is successful in a way that we could finish our project in time. We were lucky because we have many creative people and also they are reliable too. Still we have a communication problem to contact each other promptly and we were idle in that way.
2. Briefly describe the process in the collaboration. Did you have any difficulties working in this group? What were they? Did you learn anything from the whole process of working in this group? What were they?
First, we submitted individual proposals and chose one outstanding proposal among them as our guide line. We added our collaborated work and continued our theme on the paper. The procedure was really easy and smooth because we don’t have any member who has strong personality or wants to control us. I’ve learn that in this case, we were lucky to have very nice people in our group and it was key successful factor to work without any trouble even though we didn’t chat much or communicate each other.
3. You used e-mails, online forum, and chat to complete this project. Describe your experiences comparing them with face-to-face communication in regular classrooms.
Face to Face meeting is the easiest way to avoid miscommunication among group members. But if it is not available, alternative ways of on-line communication can also work fine if we use them efficiently. We can save time and energy and also we can follow the project easily with written confirmation whenever we want.
This project is relevant case to apply group efforts and well structured to each member’s contribution too. I realized it after we finished the project.
4. Compare your first collaboration project regarding "plagiarism" with this project. What would you say about the different approaches, learning outcomes, and learning processes? Which one is better? Why do you think so?
The first collaboration project of plagiarism was conducted in the classroom and we had time to discuss in person to person. (I only assume that it was face to face meeting, because I wasn’t in class at that time.) For the Manhattan tour project, we haven’t had time to meet each other but we set a time schedule in detail to show our efforts in group and also individually. We can solve the problem through reading each other’s paper and find the problems and moved toward one direction without any hesitation. The process was slow but it is just like finishing puzzles. Everybody worked hard to fill the missing contents or part and try not to overlap or focus too much on spot.
It was easy to see the big picture of the project because we had to digest the paper as a whole and kept following the process all together. I like the second project better in that way that we became more absorb what we are doing to be in same page.
5. If you were given a similar online collaboration project, what would you do differently? Why?
If we have one more chance to work in a team, I will make a worksheet of time frame in detail and assign every person in a charge to confirm each process. In that way, we can divide the work load evenly and deliver everybody’s idea equally. We also should have more to chat and set the agenda for the chat before we meet in on-line chatting room to save our time.
Plagiorism Work Sheet
Plagiarism is borrowing someone else’s idea, theory, fact, pictures etc., without giving credit to author or resources. Even quoted and paraphrased facts or ideas from others should be followed by the description of specific sources in a proper format or style in paper. Without listing appropriate sources of ideas or facts which the writer borrowed in the body followed by footnotes or references, the paper will be violate the law of copyright and can be seriously punished by the law.
I have never learned that the plagiarism critically in my country, even though we use textbooks written in English and submit papers based on the idea from the books. Nobody argues about the plagiarism because of the reason that English is not only a mother language, but also the lack of knowledge in English writing.
In my country, there are no clear restrictions of plagiarism in writing paper, especially if it is not a direct copy of words or idea, which still should credit to the authors. Furthermore, I’m not sure whether it is protected under the intellectual property law or not.
The first time I heard about the plagiarism was when I came to the States to learn English about 10 years ago, and even at that time I remember, in ESL program, they didn’t deal the plagiarism strictly. I think the plagiarism become more and more issues in college in the States in these days to develop the learning skills of students and protect intellectual properties strongly by the law.
It is not easy to get comfortable with a writing style of perfect citation for the students who are not exposed in American school system, especially foreigners, and it is also easily ignored if the teachers who doesn’t care that much on the plagiarism. In that case, student who researches a lot has more possibility to commit violation of plagiarism without awareness.
I hope that for student from abroad should get informed about the plagiarism before they come to the State, and even early education system in public school, we need regular workshops to tell the plagiarism and practice students how to avoid it. After I practiced the rule of plagiarism, especially through the writing class, I feel that I could approach all of my paper within the appropriate frameworks to prevent plagiarism in future.
I have never learned that the plagiarism critically in my country, even though we use textbooks written in English and submit papers based on the idea from the books. Nobody argues about the plagiarism because of the reason that English is not only a mother language, but also the lack of knowledge in English writing.
In my country, there are no clear restrictions of plagiarism in writing paper, especially if it is not a direct copy of words or idea, which still should credit to the authors. Furthermore, I’m not sure whether it is protected under the intellectual property law or not.
The first time I heard about the plagiarism was when I came to the States to learn English about 10 years ago, and even at that time I remember, in ESL program, they didn’t deal the plagiarism strictly. I think the plagiarism become more and more issues in college in the States in these days to develop the learning skills of students and protect intellectual properties strongly by the law.
It is not easy to get comfortable with a writing style of perfect citation for the students who are not exposed in American school system, especially foreigners, and it is also easily ignored if the teachers who doesn’t care that much on the plagiarism. In that case, student who researches a lot has more possibility to commit violation of plagiarism without awareness.
I hope that for student from abroad should get informed about the plagiarism before they come to the State, and even early education system in public school, we need regular workshops to tell the plagiarism and practice students how to avoid it. After I practiced the rule of plagiarism, especially through the writing class, I feel that I could approach all of my paper within the appropriate frameworks to prevent plagiarism in future.
Chat / Online Forum
Reflection of Chatting
At this time, I was experienced a virtual chatting with 6 classmates at the same time in on-line chatting room. We were discussing about the plagiarism in the writing process. Everybody had agreed that it was not easy to follow whole rules and frames up in detail in APA style. Also as a foreigner and our mother of tongues are not English, it is hard to paraphrase and summarize the ideas or facts borrowed from original papers. It is also difficult to transform someone else’s thought into my own words. However, I felt much better when I discussed with my classmates, and realized that everybody feels the same way and it is hard for them too.
Even though I couldn’t get answered all of my questions about what is right way of citation in case by case, it helped to see myself more objectively and recognize the common mistakes which people, especially foreigners, usually make without notice, and I could be more prepared in future.
1. Finally, let's evaluate your learning processes in chatting. Were there any new ideas or approaches to plagiarism that you didn't know before this chatting? What were they?
Chatting on-line to discuss about plagiarism was little too short for everybody. We were kind of mentioning each other’s problems and didn’t reach the solution yet. We shared the problems in everybody’s cases and agreed the pitfalls in English writing.
2. What did you do well in this chatting session?
Like every other group, we need a leader or facilitator to lead the discussion into one direction. I kind of try to grasp what is the main topic, even though it is keep changing, and bring more issues around it.
3. What do you think you needed to improve this kind of communication skill, which consists of partially verbal and partially written language?
For on-line chatting, we need both skills, verbal and written language, harmonized well at the same time. Since informal dialogues are using a lot in the on-line chatting room along with good typing skill, we need to get exposed ourselves to lots of chatting experiences in English.
On-line chatting is different communication tool in different culture and people uses lots of abbreviations and slang. Even on-line chatting in my country is taking time for myself to get used to.
4. In your opinion, do ESL students need to practice chatting in English? Why? Or why not?
On-line chatting is even harder than verbal discussion in person-to-person or conference call. As I mention above, it is the one of ways to learn the informal English and slang. As an ESL student, I think I need more practice to talk in on-line chatting to feel more comfortable to get used to in this on-line culture and learn English without worry about my pronunciation.
At this time, I was experienced a virtual chatting with 6 classmates at the same time in on-line chatting room. We were discussing about the plagiarism in the writing process. Everybody had agreed that it was not easy to follow whole rules and frames up in detail in APA style. Also as a foreigner and our mother of tongues are not English, it is hard to paraphrase and summarize the ideas or facts borrowed from original papers. It is also difficult to transform someone else’s thought into my own words. However, I felt much better when I discussed with my classmates, and realized that everybody feels the same way and it is hard for them too.
Even though I couldn’t get answered all of my questions about what is right way of citation in case by case, it helped to see myself more objectively and recognize the common mistakes which people, especially foreigners, usually make without notice, and I could be more prepared in future.
1. Finally, let's evaluate your learning processes in chatting. Were there any new ideas or approaches to plagiarism that you didn't know before this chatting? What were they?
Chatting on-line to discuss about plagiarism was little too short for everybody. We were kind of mentioning each other’s problems and didn’t reach the solution yet. We shared the problems in everybody’s cases and agreed the pitfalls in English writing.
2. What did you do well in this chatting session?
Like every other group, we need a leader or facilitator to lead the discussion into one direction. I kind of try to grasp what is the main topic, even though it is keep changing, and bring more issues around it.
3. What do you think you needed to improve this kind of communication skill, which consists of partially verbal and partially written language?
For on-line chatting, we need both skills, verbal and written language, harmonized well at the same time. Since informal dialogues are using a lot in the on-line chatting room along with good typing skill, we need to get exposed ourselves to lots of chatting experiences in English.
On-line chatting is different communication tool in different culture and people uses lots of abbreviations and slang. Even on-line chatting in my country is taking time for myself to get used to.
4. In your opinion, do ESL students need to practice chatting in English? Why? Or why not?
On-line chatting is even harder than verbal discussion in person-to-person or conference call. As I mention above, it is the one of ways to learn the informal English and slang. As an ESL student, I think I need more practice to talk in on-line chatting to feel more comfortable to get used to in this on-line culture and learn English without worry about my pronunciation.
Artistic Statement
Reflection of the artistic statement
Artistic statement is one of the obligatory tasks for all artists, and it should be prepared sooner or later to be sent anywhere when it is needed. Especially, when I apply group exhibitions or send my work for a publication, it is requisite and I should write one in a hurry. I usually sent one in shorten version and it has been kept changing for the reason that I haven’t thought about it seriously, and I suppose that it would not affect my works at all.
My assumptions were totally wrong. While I was learning how to write artistic statement, I have realized so many important components I neglected so far. Through the entire writing processes, I have had a chance to look back my artwork and also my life. Furthermore, I could relocate myself how much I achieved toward my personal goal as an artist. When I wrote the shorten version of art statements right after I graduated art school, there was no audience for my works and no specific upcoming plans at all. I am so glad that I could have a chance to even foresee my future through this practice.
In addition, I had an opportunity to compare my statement with other famous artists’ and gained knowledge of the proper way of writing artistic statement and how to reflect their ideas of art works into condense words. I still feel like my artistic statement is not enough to represent all of my art and myself, but I strongly believe that it is a good starting and I hope that I could develop it further more through my life.
Artistic statement is one of the obligatory tasks for all artists, and it should be prepared sooner or later to be sent anywhere when it is needed. Especially, when I apply group exhibitions or send my work for a publication, it is requisite and I should write one in a hurry. I usually sent one in shorten version and it has been kept changing for the reason that I haven’t thought about it seriously, and I suppose that it would not affect my works at all.
My assumptions were totally wrong. While I was learning how to write artistic statement, I have realized so many important components I neglected so far. Through the entire writing processes, I have had a chance to look back my artwork and also my life. Furthermore, I could relocate myself how much I achieved toward my personal goal as an artist. When I wrote the shorten version of art statements right after I graduated art school, there was no audience for my works and no specific upcoming plans at all. I am so glad that I could have a chance to even foresee my future through this practice.
In addition, I had an opportunity to compare my statement with other famous artists’ and gained knowledge of the proper way of writing artistic statement and how to reflect their ideas of art works into condense words. I still feel like my artistic statement is not enough to represent all of my art and myself, but I strongly believe that it is a good starting and I hope that I could develop it further more through my life.
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