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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

FUNCTION INFORMATION STRUCTURES
TO DO                                  Steps or Space
TO INFORM                        Space, Time, Hierarchy, Topics
TO TEACH/LEARN             Steps, Hierarchy, Matrix, Decisions
TO CHOOSE/JUDGE          Hierarchy, Matrix, Decisions
TO ARCHIVE                      Time, Topics, Hierarchy
TO SELL                              Time, Topics, Decisions

Steps -
Organize information according to what should be done first, second, and so on.
Example: Giving instruction or describing experiments

Space -
Ordering principle for tours and other orderly descriptions
The spatially organized version provides economy of expression and helps listeners or readers picture the things clearly.
Example:  Layout of an appartment or house

Time - 
Basic organizer of narrative discourse.
The basic pattern in temporal discourse is:
T(1)—- T(2)—- T(3)—- T(4) —- T(n).
Example: Dates in History

Hierarchy -
referred to as a tree because it organizes information from the top (most general and/or most central) to the bottom (most specific and/or most easily deleted).
Example : Newspaper or outline

Topics -
Group like information together but do not give guidelines for a sequence to use in presenting the grouped information.
Example: Interview

Matrix -
Helps us use complex relationships among the facts we must manage.
Example: The lawyers matrix

Alternative/Decisions -
Divide the information according to the answers to logical decisions about it.
Guides a person to one set of activities or another.
Example: Tax form

5/5 worthiness: things to work on

Writing prompt #3 was a succesful 5 out of 5
Positives:
My paragraph on Lower Income obesity trends started very strong

Negatives: 
Needed more detail on what an environmental cause was. 
I was a little melodramatic at the end.
Memos dont necesarily need an intro or closing paragraph

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Engl 420 Email Etiquette

Email etiquette


  • Use proper grammar
  • Address formally
  • Sign ur name
  • Keep it short and to the point
  • Greeting
  • Keep it organized
  • Punctuation
  • Consider level of formality
  • Punctuation

Engl 420 Library notes

Engl 420 library notes

Reading notes

Research basics
Readers and purposes affect information needs
       research relevant info
       find info and apply to project
so much info is available
       available in both libraries and web
       finding truly pertinent info
not everything is online
       some info is still available in libraries
       be able to interview, survey, and observe others
       talk with experts
YOu need to be an information assessor
       how to locate, generate, assess, prepare, and use information

Library materials

       Search tools in the library
               constructing digital libraries available online
               online card catalogs, then e journals, soon digitize books

               online card catlogs
                       locate materials, index library holdings, locate the books before you go to the library, make sure you have info to track down book and info to site it.
                       weakness - do not include whole text
               Online Databases
                       published articles
                       charge a fee sometimes
                       may have to go to library still
                               weakness - do not include whole texts

               Reference Texts
                       frequently asked questions being answered
                       encyclopedias, almanacs, yearbooks

                               weakness - outdated

Searching for printed materials
       depend on
               info you need
               how new info is
               how much i know about subject
               budget time for research
       keep track of info you are finding
       Mapping info needs, questionare
               new popular chunks of info are web
               established info, academic and learning are library'
       Reference sections for specific facts


Print source a good source
       Credibility
               reviews on books
               footnotes
               publisher
               sited by researchers
       Usability
               found in a reasonable amount of time
               info delivered in the way you need and understand
               good return for investment of time
       Library strength
               old info, authoritative sources,uniform system, personal help

       Library weakness
               outdated, travel time, old books smell, hours of operation

Engl 420 web notes

ENG 420 web notes

search engines
       general, directory organized, meta-search - seraches all engines for results, blended - google and yahoo have a directory

       keyword searches
       ref desk.com

improving your web search
       map info needs for your research
       the right questions
       for factual info, background check
       google scholar and books
       cite web sources
       last name of aruthor, then initial. (date). Title of article.  Title of web site(italicize). retrieved month, day, year, from URL

       PLAN AND CHECK

credible
       official organization site
       domain name is edu gov or org
       other pages point to this
       favorable site
               author of the site has good credentials
       updated regularly

common sense check, any errors?

strengths
       quick, always on, diversity, printouts at desire, new and up to date, all over the world, pic and graph explain topics better

weaknesses
       resources may disappear, sites com and go, valid info?, time wasting, easy to get lost.

Vocab




Vocabulary
Required:
  • Obesity
    • My definition – The state of being overweight to the point that it effects you physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
    • Words that come to mind:  Overweight, fast food, Lazy, FMNV.
    • Room mates Definition - Fat people
  • Health
    • My definition – a state of well being that your body is experiencing
    • Words that come to mind:  Working out, Boxing, Apples, Oranges, Overweight people
    • Room mates definition - The overall focus of eating right, getting exercise for the body and the mind, and allowing your body to rest.
  • Rhetoric
    • My definition – study of language
    • Actual definition – art of persuasion, study of misunderstanding
  • Professional Writing
    • Definition – combines a professional approach and rhetorical studies to writing
  • Critical Thinking
    • My definition – reflective thinking while trying to examine the bigger picture
    • Actual definition - Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action
  • Meta cognition –
    • Definition - to think about how you think
  • Rational vs. Reasoning
    • Reasoning - is the cognitive process of looking for reasons, beliefs, conclusions, actions or feelings.
      • It answers the question ...  Why i workout 6 days a week?
    • Rational - having or exercising reason, sound judgment, or good sense
      • Ex: the rationale for shutting the window is to not let the rain in.  
  • Pathos
    • Values or emotions
    • Fundamental character or spirit of a culture
    • Underlying sentiment that informs
      • Beliefs
      • Customs
      • Practices
  • Logos
    • Facts
    • The rational principle that governs and develops the universe
  • Ethos
    • Credibility
    • Moral character
  • Opened ended Question - A question that asks for a broad answer
    • Ex:  What is your daily workout routine?
  • Closed ended Question - A question that asks for a specific detail or a list
    • Ex:  When you lift legs during your workout, what exercise do you start with?