FORMULA WRITING

A Paradigm for Organizing Your Thinking and MaterialTo Construct A Term Paper

Prepared byThomas J. Buttery

FORMULA WRITING

A Paradigm for Organizing Your Thinking and MaterialTo Construct A Term Paper

Prepared byThomas J. Buttery

• The following slide will present seven points to include in your article.

1. Title2. Introduction

2-3 Paragraphs3. Outline-Advanced Organizer

2-4 Questions to be answered or2-4 Points to be developed

4. Headings2-4 Headings to match outline

5. TransitionsSentences used to blend headings and contribute to

the flow of the writing6. Summary

Pull together what you have reported7. References

Be sure to match the style of the journal to which you submit the article

 

TitleA good descriptive title can help you focus your work

and keep you on task. The title should help to capture and center the reader’s attention. Be careful to avoid titles that are too lengthy or fail to give the reader an idea about the content of the manuscript.

Advanced Organizers

This paper will investigate: (1) the reasons for retaining a kindergarten child, (2) the effects of retention on future achievement, (3) alternative approaches to the child who is “not ready,” and (4) conclusions relative to the retention issue. 

This paper will focus on (1) how children are affected by transiency, (2) what school personnel can do to help ease the stress placed on these children, and (3) how departments of education in other states are trying to prepare school administrators and teachers to serve these children in need. 

This paper will review research findings in which teachers and preschool/kindergarten students interact in an informal teaching and learning processes that are conductive to language acquisition. Viewpoints on (1) Pk-1 curriculum, (2) classroom environment, and (3) teaching techniques and learning outcomes will be examined. 

The purpose of this paper will be to address how we can meet the learning needs of young children by examining the following topics: (1)   preparing a physical environment with the needs of the children in mind,(2)   creating an emotional environment that promotes a positive climate, and (3)   developing a cultural environment that reflects home life.

Introduction and Advanced Organizer

Introduction and Advanced Organizer

Emergent literacy, according to Smith (2000), is a child’s early experiences with reading and writing; experiences that begin to shape children’s view of print in their environment. This environment includes, but is not exclusive to, their home, neighborhood, daycare, and school. 

Teale, Hiebart and Chittenden (2002) indicate literacy learning begins before children come to school. During the school years children develop a varying range of literacy conceptualization and behaviors prior to reading and writing conventionally. Much of this reading and writing development according to Strickland and Morrow (2001) depends upon the home environment and the demonstrated interests in reading in that environment. Within this paper the following topics concerning emergent literacy will be addressed: 1) an emergent literacy perspective, 2) how parents and teachers affect emergent literacy; and 3) the assessment of emergent literacy.

Headings

Headings help the writer know where to place information and help to avoid rambling. The information below a heading should be true to the heading above: crisp, clear and relevant. Your headings should be directly aligned to the points or questions established in your advanced organizer.

Headings can also help to aerate the material letting it breathe with an appropriate amount of white space.Additional graphic displays that help emphasize key points include italics, boldface, 1. numbering, and * bullets.

Transitions

Coax the reader comfortably from one concept to another, from one heading to the next. Inexperienced authors merely abstract information or structure a series of paragraphs in which they summarize or report the work of one researcher in each succeeding paragraph. Good writers blend information from multiple sources.

Transitional sentences can hold readers’ attention by alerting them to what is ahead. Similarly, closing sentences in a paragraph or section proved an opportunity to introduce the main idea of the next section. This flow of ideas increases the overall coherence of the manuscript.

Disclaimer

This is not an actual article it has been prepared

specifically for the purse of demonstration

Disclaimer

This is not an actual article it has been prepared

specifically for the purse of demonstration

Sustaining Teacher-Student Quality Affect

A Demonstration Article

Sustaining Teacher-Student Quality Affect

A Demonstration Article

Motivating Students

Motivating students to learn his long been identified as a critical link in the teaching process. Wood (2007) notes that with motivated students, communication flows, discipline problems are reduced, while anxiety decreases. With unmotivated students, communication is awkward, discipline problems increase, while anxiety is heightened. Student motivation is not a one-way street. Lazer, McLong, and Bailey (2006) believe (that students have to make some commitment to their own learning, it is something they have to choose for themselves. Thus helping students to choose to be appropriately motivated is an essential task of teaching.

Lazer et at. [et al. means and all. The et does not have a period after it but the al. does have a period. For citations of three to five authors use the full citation the first time you cite the source and then et al. afterward. For citations of six or more authors you may use et al. immediately.] (2003) posit that teachers should treat individual students differently. Not in the sense of discriminating against them, rather by responding to and expanding upon their different needs, abilities, and personalities. They stipulate that teaching is more than a mere repertoire of academic skills it is an interactive process.

[This next sentence connects paragraphs and helps to avoid abstracting of information whereby each paragraph reports information from different sources that at times may seen disjointed. This paragraph also connects the work of Laser et al., Mann & Payne, and Rogers. You should be careful when constructing your synthesis of literature that you don’t use too many lead sentences garnered from your different sources.]

The teacher-student relationship that emerges from this interactive process is the cornerstone for students' successful classroom experience. Mann and Payne (2002) conclude that the personality of the teacher facilitates or obstructs the teaching-learning process. This conclusion is supported by Rogers' (cited in Rooks and Reitz 2003) [cited in is secondary citation, only use this form when you cannot get the documentation from a primary source, in this case the Rogers’ work came from a speech and was not available for citation] comment that teachers' interaction with students has more impact on the students' lives than the instruction delivered by the teachers.

Given the importance of the teacher-student relationship for establishing a sense of achievement and commitment, teachers must first believe in themselves; secondly, sustain positive attitudes; and finally help students develop a self-perception that will assist them throughout life. [This is the paper’s advanced organizer.]

Teacher Self-Concept  Just what is self-concept? Myers (2003) views it as those

impressions, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and values that the individual perceives as describing himself. Simply stated, Hoff (2002) explains self-concept as that which an individual believes himself to be. [What is wrong with this paragraph? Lets try a rewrite.]

Just what is self-concept? Myers (2003) views it as those impressions, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and values that individuals perceive as describing themselves. Simply stated, Hoff (2002) explains self-concept as that which individuals believe themselves to be.

 [The use of plural can remove problems with sexist

language.]

The importance of a healthy self-concept cannot be overemphasized. According to Brothers (cited in Ziglar, 2003) self-concept is the core of human personality. It affects the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change, even the choice of friends, mates, and career. It is not an overstatement to say that a positive self-concept is the best possible asset in life.  

[Note something about tense in this next paragraph.] 

McNear and Satter (2003) found that the self-concept of teachers appeared to influence their performance more substantially than many other variables that have been traditionally given more weight. Smith and Jones (2005) agree, and additionally perceive the issue of personal dimension of teachers to be a significantly overlooked variable in the teaching process.

 [Use the past tense when reporting specific research findings. It

is however preferable to stay with one tense whenever possible with the active voice preferred over the passive vice. The experiment was designed by Johnson vs. Johnson designed the experiment. This was a good paragraph for combining two separate sources. But be careful when you combine authors that you use the correct sequence of dating for the sources. For example authors from a 1998 source would not agree with authors from a 2000 source. However, the information might be consistent with …]

Lazer et al. (20003) note that teachers want good relationships with their students and want them to learn. However, most admit to being frustrated in meeting these expectations. Cusick (1999) indicates that,  

Teachers who hold up a strong academic ideal, who demand homework, quiet, writing skills, who do not give good grades without some effort are more likely to antagonize students and their taxpaying parents, have students avoiding theirclasses, and have conflicts which wind up in the office. (p. 94)

 [Direct quotations of 40 words or more are indented, and single-spaced. The page number of the citation goes outside the final period.]

Have you noticed the words in blue? Don’t write “states” after each author - use variety. Keep these terms on a note card and refer to it when you are writing your paper.

believe(s) discuss(es) point(s) outpropose(s) contend(s) reveal(s)explains posit(s) suggest(s)stipulates found state(s)deem(s) view(s) note(s)refer(s) add(s) purport(s)postulates agree(s) observe(s)emphasize(s) find(s) further assert(s)agrees with finds support trace(s)indicate(s) reveal(s) axiomaticdescribe(s) report(s) self-evident     

How do teachers sustain their self-concept at a high and effective level? [Another use of a question to help present information.] The answer to this question is very elusive. Ziglar (2002) observes that you can't continuously make overdrafts on the bank of mental attitude and expect to perform quality work. Motivation is not permanent nor, for that matter, is eating or bathing. The next critical factor becomes generating and retaining a positive attitude. [This paragraph serves as transition to the next section of the paper and contributes to the flow of the paper.]

Positive Attitudes  Peale (1952) contends that a positive attitude depends

upon the type of thoughts that habitually occupy the mind. [This Peale citation comes from his book The Power of Positive Thinking. There have been many printings of this book. Multiple printings are different than editions. A new edition of a text has been changed by at least twenty percent from a previous work. When citing editions use the publication date of the edition that you are citing. However in the case of a printing cite the original publication date of the work.]

Teachers like all people choose to be happy, sad, enthusiastic, or unexcited. How does the teacher sustain positive attitudes? First, teachers need to recognize that the antecedent to all action is thought. Many centuries ago Buddha summarized the phenomenon of “state of mind" when he observed, "All that we are is the result of what we have thought." Biblically the phrase that makes this point is “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The late George Russell captured the essence of' this message when he succinctly stated, "We become what we contemplate." Consequently, if' teachers think defeat, they are bound to feel defeated. However, if they practice thinking confident thoughts, making them a dominating habit, they will have a mental reserve to rise above problems. The secret to a good attitude lies not without but within our own thoughts.

The quotations in the previous slide are considered generic and thus do

not need an explicit citations.

Only when teachers have established these thoughts and attitudes of self-worth can they inject them into their students' lives. Armstrong, Henson, and Savage (2002) add that teachers always need to consider the impact their thoughts and responses have on the students' perceptions of their own value and dignity. Helping students to foster positive attitudes is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can bestow. No matter what the task in life, whether it concerns succeeding in the classroom or succeeding in life, a person's self'-perception will be a decisive factor. [Note the transition to the next section.]

Student Self-Perception  If the goal is to tender confident, secure, and motivated

students, the teacher must begin by providing the role model through which positive feelings and attitudes are communicated to the students. However, many students, instead of being bolstered by positive comments and thoughts, are bombarded by negative thoughts that deteriorate their bodies and souls. What teachers help plant in the minds of their students will grow regardless of whether it is ragweed, or roses. Every action teachers take and each thought they cause children to think will have their effect.

Perhaps Ziglar (2000) best describes such an example with his story of Victor Seribriakoff. At the age of 15, Victor's teacher told him that he would never finish high school so he should dropout and learn a trade. For the next seventeen years, Victor was an itinerant doing an assortment of jobs. He had been "told" he was a dunce and he acted like one. At age 32 an evaluation indicated that Victor had an IQ of 161, clearly he should have been classified as gifted. Supplied with "new facts," he began viewing himself' as someone who was able. Since then he has authored books, secured patents and is a professional businessman. One of the most significant events in the life of this dropout was his election as Chairman of the international Mensa Society whose membership qualification is an IQ of 140. One must wonder just how many bright, intelligent individuals are wandering around not achieving their potential just because someone "told" them they weren't capable.

Certainly, a positive teacher-student interaction is essential for an optimal learning environment to exist. Teachers must be self'-assured individuals, who by seeing the good and potential in their own lives, are equipped to produce self-secure and motivated young people. Leviton (2002) states that when children are accepted, appreciated, and liked for what they are, they will have an opportunity to procure an attitude of self-acceptance and respect for themselves. With such an attitude, they will have the motivation to venture forth into the classroom and into life to use their intellect to its fullest capacity. [While this last paragraph was not labeled a summary it did draw the manuscript together and provide a summary.]

References[Be sure to use APA reference style. If you cited a reference in the body of the paper make sure it is on the reference page. If it is on the reference page make sure you cited it in the body of the paper.