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Academic Strategies Unit 5 Seminar

Writing Effectively

General Questions & Weekly News

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General questions?

Weekly Reminders & Announcements

Gradebook Weekly Grading Schedule Late Assignments Ongoing Communication

Unit 5 Assignments Complete the Unit 5 Readings Academic Writing Anti-Plagiarism

Complete the Anti-Plagiarism quizzes Self-quiz Graded 20-point quiz

Attend the Unit 5 Discussion

Complete the Unit 5 Paragraph Assignment

Unit 5 Paragraph AssignmentFor this activity you will write two separate paragraphs.

Select Unit 5 on your Course Menu and then select the Assignment tab.

Carefully follow all guidelines listed on the template as you compose your paragraphs.

Use the paragraph structure chart as a guide for your paragraphs (located at the end of the Unit 5 reading).

Carefully proofread your paragraphs and make revisions!

Submit your paragraphs to the Dropbox area of the course.

Paragraph Structure Chart

Paragraph #1: Purpose:

Describe: Write a complete paragraph about a person who has influenced you in positive ways. Focus on at least one way in which this person has made an important impact upon you.

Use specific ideas and examples to illustrate your points.

Make sure to refer to the Paragraph Structure chart located at the end of the Unit 5 Reading. Include a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion

(minimum 5 complete sentences).

Paragraph #2: Purpose:

Share an Opinion

Write a complete paragraph about the advantages and disadvantages of taking online classes.

Use specific ideas and examples to illustrate your points.

Make sure to refer to the Paragraph Structure chart located at the end of the Unit 5 Reading. Include a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion

(minimum 5 complete sentences).

Questions?

Effective writing leads to…

Strong communication skills Increased confidence in your ability to

communicate in the online classroom Real-world skills that are in high-demand

in most career areas

Five Steps You Can Take to IMPROVE Your Writing Skills this Term

Practice Use the KU Writing Center Make use of other writing resources Use constructive criticism (comments) as

a guide for ongoing improvement Understand the 5 Elements of Writing

Step #1: Practice

Writing is much like any other skill. In order to make improvements with your writing skills, you must PRACTICE as much as possible…

Step #2: Use the KU Writing Center

The Writing Center is located on your main Kaplan page directly under the “My Studies” tab.

The following services are offered:

Live Tutoring Q & A Center: Submit a Question for a Tutor Writing Reference Library Paper Review Service

Take time to EXPLORE the Writing Center this term—see what it has to offer YOU!!

Step #3: Make Use of Other Writing Resources

The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing: http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/structure.html

This site contains excellent information on mechanics and style. Nuts & Bolts TOP 10 LIST: http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/topten.html

The OWL at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu A great site to use for grammar and basic writing concerns! This site

provides handouts, PowerPoint presentations and hypertext workshops. CHECK IT OUT!

A Guide to Grammar: http://cctc.commnet.edu/grammar/ This site is excellent! You’ll find information regarding grammar, punctuation

and essay development. EXPLORE!

NOTE: I will share these online resources with you in the Unit 4 Discussion area as well.

Step #4: Use Constructive Criticism as a Guide

To "construct" something means to BUILD it!! Keep this in mind!! Constructive criticism can help you to "BUILD" a better product.

You must take time to look closely and listen carefully! Review comments with an open mind. Try to see your own strengths and weaknesses. Be honest with yourself. Try to have a strong sense of what you do well as a writer and where you need to keep working.

Try to use feedback constructively (to build stronger skills); it should be your guide to IMPROVEMENT! Ask questions if you need points clarified! Ongoing improvement should be something you focus on in all of your courses here at Kaplan!

Step #5: Be Aware of the 5 Elements of Writing

Purpose Audience Form Writing Process Elements of a Paragraph

Purpose When you write, you should always have a clear

idea of your purpose. In order to establish a clear purpose, begin each writing assignment by asking yourself the following questions:

What is my purpose? Do I have more than one purpose? Am I trying to inform, explore, explain, entertain, describe a process, argue, persuade, evaluate, analyze, compare, solve a problem, express feelings or share an opinion?

Audience

You should also have a clear understanding of who your audience is as you write. In Unit 4, you will read about three major categories of professional audiences: the Lay Audience, the Managerial Audience and the Expert Audience.

The Lay Audience has no prior knowledge or experience with your topic. They tend to understand the "human aspect" more than technical details.

The Managerial Audience tends to have some knowledge about your topic but may not understand or care about too many details.  

The Expert Audience already supposedly knows the basics, so you can use more specific terminology in your explanations.

Form

You also need to know which form is appropriate or required for your writing. Forms you might consider include the following: lists, paragraphs, essays, reports, presentations, emails, memos, etc. If a paragraph is required, for instance, you would not want to simply present your ideas in a list format or as an essay. Have a clear idea of the appropriate form!

Writing Process

It is extremely important that you approach writing as a PROCESS and not as a “one stop shop,” so to speak. Keep in mind that there are four basic steps you should go through as you approach writing assignments: Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing.

Four Elements of the Writing Process

Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing

Elements of a Paragraph

Every paragraph should contain the following elements:

(1) Topic Sentence

(2) Supporting Sentences & Details

(3) Concluding Sentence

The Topic Sentence

Known as the main idea of the paragraph This is what you will be discussing in the

paragraph—the target point of your discussion

Supporting Sentences

These sentences give more information about the topic sentence

Details…details…details!

Facts Statistics Examples Definitions Descriptions Additional Points

Concluding Statement

Summarizes the information presented

The Case of Carmen Six years ago, Carmen graduated from high school and

found a job as a receptionist at an accounting office. She has become a valuable asset to the small company, helping with accounting issues in addition to greeting customers, but her salary has remained too low to meet today's living costs.

Most of her coworkers either have a college degree or are working on one, so she has decided that in order to advance, she should also go back to school. But Carmen is concerned about her writing abilities for college work. In high school she did most of her writing last minute, and since then has only written short memos and sent e-mail. She knows there will be writing in her classes and is concerned.

Since we know that in the past Carmen has completed most of her writing at the last minute, how might Carmen make use of some specific time management strategies as she strives to become a better writer?

How might making use of the FOUR steps of the Writing Process help Carmen?

Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing

What would you tell Carmen if she asked you the following question:

“Why is it so important to write clearly and communicate effectively?”

Final Thoughts

The ability to write well will help you to succeed in many areas of your life; however, writing is a skill that you must constantly use in order to make improvements. The more you write, the stronger your writing skills will become.

DID YOU KNOW???

One of the #1 qualities employers look for in potential employees is the ability to write effectively and communicate clearly! Working on these skills NOW, will definitely pay off well for all of you in the long run!

Think about it: I'll use the Olympic athletes as examples here. If an athlete wants to become a stronger skater or skier, he/she keeps working on his/her skills, day after day! In fact, he/she looks for constructive criticism from coaches and teammates and constantly asks questions such as “Where can I improve?” “What are my strengths?” “What are my weaknesses?”

Go for the GOLD!

Thanks For Attending!

Final Questions?