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Oops, science is POWERFUL!
ENGL 390, 390H, and (sometimes) 398V Class Journal
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Entries by Marybeth Shea (1075)
Week 10 (not 9, spring break): wrapping up rain garden memo (due Feb. 27 for a grade)
Good morning at a nearly balmy 35o
Two craft lessons to present. First up? Signal phrase details that alert the reader to the ethos of sources. You can use signal phrases with both formation citation and information citaiton llike the curated referral links we practice in this memo. We also consider location within sentences and paragraphs; in other words, where do we place signal phrases in sentences and paragraphs.
Bookending with signal phrases at the location of the referral link information.
Aliquam scelerisque eget felis sit amet tincidunt. The Low Impact Development Center, founded by rain garden inventor Larry Coffman, roin laoreet tempus sem nec placerat. Duis ut feugiat dolor. Quisque nec pharetra tellus. Phasellus vitae nulla eu ante consequat iaculis. Nullam quis imperdiet tellus, nec bibendum magna. Access these helpful LID exhibits here on the technical specifications page. Aenean iaculis suscipit elit, vel volutpat augue pharetra sed. Ut justo ipsum, accumsan sed massa et, viverra aliquam velit. Curabitur mauris elit, consequat quis pretium at, viverra porta nunc. Donec tristique, leo facilisis pharetra ultrices, according to the PG County Bioretention Manuel, felis ex blandit lectus, tempus molestie lectus nulla eget velit. Quisque ut sem ex. Cras quis accumsan metus, in gravida leo. Maecenas quis efficitur felis, sed maximus elit. The Bioretention Manual, 2007 version, is available for download as a PDF here. Caution: 267+ pages.
Both the "bioretention" and "rain garden" Wikipedia entries provide excellent overview of rain gardens and the storm water problem. Sed gravida ullamcorper urna eu feugiat. Vestibulum non eros maximus, consequat odio non, rhoncus est. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed sit amet condimentum quam. Duis vitae libero ullamcorper erat lacinia mollis eget ac massa. In addition, Chesapeake Bay Program pages at the U.S EPA site provide numbers on pollutants remitted: Mauris iaculis mollis leo et varius. Morbi gravida, ex vel ornare dapibus, elit sem interdum elit, vel egestas elit purus eget purus. Duis orci ante, placerat a urna efficitur, placerat feugiat turpis. Find the EPA CBP article; cost saving summary linked here. Ut auctor mauris vel erat facilisis accumsan. Morbi posuere turpis a quam congue elementum. Quisque aliquam scelerisque eros quis eleifend.
Recall that I expect one curated link in both the classfying and illustrating paragraphs. You also need at least one formal curated citation for Davis and the evaluation paragraph.
Link to AI assisted writing: signal phrases, sources, with links as optimal all help you take the generic AI writing/responses into a professional level. Your judgement matters. You also are less like to be accused of plagiarism and/or intellectual property theft.
Second writing craft idea: Oxford comma is the preferred punctuation convention in both formal scientifc writing/technical writing and is highly advised in less formal science/technical contexts. We will look at Friday's long post for a few highlights on using this formal comma convention. Here is a short Googld dco on science-focused examples of Oxford commas.
Joke to remember Oxford comma (widespread but popularized by Lynn Truss of the (iinfamouse) grammar guide Eats, Shoots and Leaves The linked Wikipedia page explains.
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.
'Why?' asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
'Well, I'm a panda', he says, at the door. 'Look it up.'
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
Important take away from the stasis theory posted above (large format; you can copy/paste to a document for you to retain. As well for examination, you can look at this jpg in another browser.
Marybeth Shea
Wednesday and again with the balmy 38o. !
(Look at the superscript exclamation point hanging up there. Technology is great 'cept when not.)
What are we doing, anyway? This clip helps. Also, here is a checklist for you, in Google Sheet format.
Ok, the stasis theory document is worth looking at again. If this feels overwhelming because is relatively new to you, just skim and remember that you already know a version of stasis theory: the scientific method.
- Conjecture maps to inquiry questions, which are often broad buy lead to hypothesis generation with the goal to develop a study design.
- Definitions (stable science knowledge that informs how you place the question into a
- specific study design (many types in science, by discipline)
- methods and technology (seven treatments with PCR analysis at end of experiment with data/tissue/fluid gathering.
- Causal analysis (even if we tend to say correlation) Some causal analysis is definitional within the field but science is looking always for new ways to understand causality, including for the predictive work of modeling.
- Value is related to evaluation: is this work worthy? Do the stats test support our inferences? Is the knowledge gained publishable? With this work withstand peer scrutiny within the disciplines.
- Is the knowledge actionable in terms of diagnosis, biomarker, monitoring variable, and other ways we use knowledge? Think tecne, techne from Greek, to me for use. To apply. Technology!
- Is the knowledge more knowledge-for-knowledge-sake focused? Math, physics, etc.
- Policy knits forth from value work. Examples help:
- PSA biomarkers are now standard protocol (policy) for prostate cancer monitoring.
- Annual mammogram.
- Vaccine and booster schedules
- New knowledge about lipid status in blood for cardiovascular risk; i.e. CRP and the even newer Lp(a measures.
BLUF = bottom line up front (cousin to TLDR): Your rain garden memo is primarily a definition memo. You do not need to go full bore into Causal Analysis stasis (TBD in class) but do a brief eValu-ation para with Davis. We also note here than rain gardens are good. About Policy, resist the temptation to recommend rain gardens to Jane, for the state, and for the world.
I am reviewing all the ER Review Tasks. Well done! I want to remind people about rethinking their sentences a bit, with focus on subject-verb location. Let's review these writing craft skills concerning sentences given to you earlier for self study. Hint: method of my "madness" is looping and gradual release of knowledge. What I hope is that this process happens: I present, you read/skim, we loop back, which is a kind of strategic repetition, we look again, with emphasis of application. In other words, now we use the sentence strategy to revise our rain garden memos, just before we turn in for a grade.
Reviewing, today in class with you -- these three one-page handouts.
And, we have a song for this assignment. Kermit knows all about rain gardens, basically a Terp tech.
Marybeth Shea
Happy Friday.
You have a new type of ER Writing Task open now. "Parking lot" means you have a week to do this work. Generally for me, I wan you to be:
- ON TIME for each other in ER Tasks, where I set up the Friday Writing Task to Monday Reviewing Task pattern to support students as busy writers. This set of strict deadlines CONTRASTS with
- PARKING LOT ER Writing Tasks where you post to ER for me to comment/grade. You have a week. Note, we do NOT have a Monday ER Reviewing Task when we turn in for a grade to a Parking lot Writing Task.
Am available 9-9:50 and 11-11:50 via Google Meet link.
OPTIONAL for this weekend. Here is the conjecture + audience/context/purpose (question from Stasis step 1) to guide your preliminary research. Our boss reports that the rain garden memo helped her with her meeting. We are in discussions now to propose a comprehensive rain garden plan for all state owned properties in Maryland. Huzzah. Now, what is the rework for good work? MORE WORK. Governor Moore asks, "According to science, what IS the better disposable hot beverage cup? Styrofoam is cheaper, so we inherited that choice from the last (Republican) state administration. I do believe in saving money for all Marylanders; however, I think I want to use paper cups. What do your researchers say, Jane?"
Jane wants two problems to be address in a short but sourced problem-solution memo. First, we need to answer Governor Moore. Next, Jane also wants a coffee cup policy for the office that is "green." OK, that is the content for your invention. Here is rough working arrangement (paragraphs) from stasis theory and other frames, including context (classifying, typically) :
POLITE OPENING -- in first person -- with your recommendation that previews your final policy paragraph
STASIS 1, CONJECTURE PARAGRAPH Problem description of 1) the carbon foot print of both cups (paper and Styrofoam); 2) water quality problem associated with both cups. Hint: we do not recycle plastic and paper in ways that address this material waste problem for both cups.
Try to get a size of the scale of this waste (energy and materials stuff to be tossed) at national and international levels.
STASIS 2, DEFINITION--> What are the cup choices? Reusables (glass, metal, ceramic) and two disposables (Styrofoam and paper). Climate change is the problem associated most with energy efficiency goals. Fate of aquatic plastic is most associated with plastic into waterways (newer problem with emerging implications for ocean health, oxygen balances with photo synthesizing micro organisms, food chain disruption for fish, and now? Human health effects.
STASIS 3, CAUSE/EFFECT See how the systemic problem in STASIS 2 look at causal chains of depletion (energy use) and pollution (tossing stuff).
If you want, you can begin researching this question (using concepts from this outline above to develop your prompts) . I expect you will use AI in some way, to jump start your thinking. Keep notes. We will share in ER as we did for assignment 1. Your time is valuable and I would say spend 20 minutes or so. You can also wait until next week for class discussion to inform your work. You choose, based on your busy schedules. I also say, get some rest and enjoyment this weekend to.
Now, to another optional weekend option. You can look at what I did with Google's Notebook AI resource here at this link. Basically, you can see my work (the sources I chose) and the ways Notebook summarized stasis theory for me. Look at the FAQ summary for one. See other summary notes that this AI did for me. Finally, listen to the fake -- I am stunned -- podcast that will teach you about stasis theory while you walk or go to the gym. Access this way, in the "Studio" portion.
Week 4: Rain garden draft 2: shape of definition memo + sentence craft
Morning on this blustery day!
Do not forget your ER Reviewing Task due tonight (sent by ELMS mail/linked on ELMS calendar). Great work in these posts now. Your job is learn about AI generated knowledge, prompting strategies, and checking AI by consulting authorative sources (not necessarily peer reviewed). More on that in class.
We are working throught the cognitive task of DEFINITION. Here are some patterns outlined in a short Google doc. Aristotle wrote about definitions as an act of categorization. We will focus on this move today AND arrange a set of paragraphs:
- short working definition (para 1)
- classification and context para (para 2 or 3)
- detailed CAUSAL definition (para 2 or 3)
- evaluation paragraph (para 4, will require formal citation, TBD this week)
See how we can start to "sort" details from our invention into meaningful paragraphs?. Incidentally, this approach of short detail toward expanded detail is called the cognitive wedge. The cognitive wedge (my coinage in short illustrated Google doc one-pager0) relies on the Given-New concept (short article) from Halliday (wikipedia bio of distinguished British cognitive linguist) and others. What I want you to note from the article is that:
- Given-New patterns reflect an awareness of human cognition
- Good writers think carefully on what the audience knows and needs to know (MEMORY)
- Given-new is one of many choices that writers make, with our judgement a key to making choices.
- Hint: location in a document, paragraph, or sentence is strategic for writers and readers.
The first part of this post concerns cognitive or critical thinking strategies about writing. Let's look again at the Padlet I share on Writing Process Models (you do not need to do the exercises; you could, though, think!) -->
Slides (Google, 10)) to guide how we revise our writing generally are here. You can preview this presentation if you like but we will look at them all week in class. Recall that Friday is another ER Writing Task of your "pretty good" rain garden memo for peer revision in a Monday ER Reviewing Task. Then, for Friday 28th, you tun in for a grade. You will revise solo based on the ER platform work of this Friday (21st) and next Monday (24).
Let's focus on sentence strategies, a powerful writing craft tool. Also, revising sentences from AI and other common knowledge sources gives you opportunity to add value to a search. You can also avoid plagiarism charges by re-tooling sentences and arranging them in tight, focused paragraphs. Here are some for the week, in these short Google doc handouts (new to you):
And, on to paragraphs (short MS Word handouts) that we will take up starting Wednesday.
Paragraph Types/Definitions: think Architectures
Paragraph Types by purpose, from the field as in real paragraph (longer doc)
Marybeth Shea
Happy very chilly Wednesday!
New idea for writing a concise memo in addition to sentence stuff and paragraph stuff. I want you to see the counting out technique at the paragraph level and the document level. The magic number for the rain garden memo is two:
- Two related environmental problems: storm water events and pollution carried in that water.
- Rain gardens have form and function that address these two problems (form and function -- two!)
- Rain garden (RG) form 1 = above ground biotic plant material. RG form 2=below ground = layers of soil and media, in a depression.
- Two bits of evidence that reflect this pattern of two is that we can use the logos of numbers from Alan Davis/Low Impact Development Center about
- volume of water remediated?
- percentage/quantifier of sample pollution type remediated.
And, on Wednesday, we will talk about the classifying paragraph, which can be a "kitchen sink" paragraph abou some of the history+Maryland specific detail you want to include for the ACP.
Image by Felix Hu from PixabayRemember the triagle of Audience, Context, Purpose. First among equals (vertices) is A for Audience!
NEW critical thinking item that documents have shapes, based primarily on paragraph sizes arrange strategically. We looked at the cognitive wedge on Monday, which is a shape-way of thinking about introducing your writing.
See this Google doc of dummy text using lorum ipsum (fake Latin to manage document before formatting/printing/publishing) to show you relative size of paragraphs PLUS cognitive wedge shape
To connect with paragraph type, see how these sample sentence starters (similar to the ones you have been working with fit in?)
Check your pathos feelings about how to select details/place details in paragraphs.
Are you overwhelmed by details?
In class we will talk about the over all categories of the job of rain gardens (hinted at in the opening paragraph. Two problems (storm water and pollution). Water flow is easier to understand (erosion/loss of valuable soil; sediments into waterways, where they lower water quality. Pollution in more complex, as some of you have asked me about. Let's count again by the categories (a type of classification). These are the thee pollutant classes -->
- hydrocarbons (oil, gasoline, and other carbon-based pollutants)
- heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium)
- nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
Quick fix re plants: Do you have to list a dozen or so of plant types? Not for this context. You can use categories/classifying. This means you can describe the plants by function or attribute. Bottom line up front (BLUF). Describe plants in terms of categories, like native, drought/inundation adapted, etc.
Marybeth Shea
Happy Friday. Got wool? Good day to use this.
Fridays optional: Drop in at 9-9:50 or 11-11:50.
Some are nervous about this task. Just get in there! You are anonymous, so no one knows if you are not perfect yet. Besides, perfection is overrated.
As I have said, we do not know what our questions are until we dabble in the content, select content, place content into an arrangement, then see what others are doing.
Other questions center on the function of the cognitive wedge. Please review the link about to my one pager with visuals. However, here is a text summary of those ideas-->
What is the Cognitive Wedge? Consider a triangle, but now the triangle is a right triangle like an incline plane or a wooden doorstop. Readers conquer documents, especially the content. Encountering staged information by first simplicity in small sentences/short paragraphs is an ethical duty by the writer. Gradually, the complexity and volume of text is increased.
Some wrtie to me with concern about the fourth paragraph, aka the EVALUATION PARAGRAPH; here, we use evidence from Davis' peer reviewed findings about the quantified (logos of numbers) benefits of rain gardens. You can either punk this paragraph to next week (in baseball, we are punt) OR you can use these sentence starters/phrases to prep for this work next week. We are thinking about sources but not sending Jane, our boss, to paywalls. Irritation at paywalls is a pathos you completely understand.
Phrases you can use with the Davis work (dealing with paywalls/triangulating in on web-base expertise):
Most of Davis' peer reviewed articles (2017, 2012) are behind paywalls. The 2017 and 2012 articles are reviews of the literature and very helpful. See my bibliography. However, useful, open-access information is available in two slide sets:
(curate the link)
(curate the link)
An open access summary of Davis' work is available at the Zanadu Rain Garden project (NOT REAL). See this short PDF, which includes three cross sectional diagrams that emphasis the form and function approach of this low impact development technology. A longer and highly authoritative PDF is the Rain Garden, available at the Prince George's County Department of the Environment. (REAL SOURCE you could LINK in this sentence. You have some choices here)
OPTIONAL AL stuff medically-focused students:
- Cardologist and research physician (Scripts) Eric Topel at 9/24 NIH grand rounds presentation: Summary here; link to entire presentation at the end of the short article.
- 7/24 NIH news overview of mixed bag of AI for medicine. Link to full analysis here-->
- Qiao Jin, et al. Hidden Flaws Behind Expert-Level Accuracy of Multimodal GPT-4 Vision in Medicine. npj Digital Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01185-7(link is external) (2024). Mb here: abstract is helpful.
Now: long read on Oxford commas. TLDR?: USE THEM. Skim. Laugh. We can chat on Monday. Also, editing/proofreading for this penultimate comma is a last step just before releasing your document to audience in the wild (aka, publishing). BTW, comma conventions are a writing craft element within the larger category of punctuation (See my Aristotelian category work here on defining comma use.?)
To my parents, Ayn Rand and God.
To my parents, J.K. Rowling and God.
To my parents, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.
OR
In a newspaper account of a documentary about Merle Haggard:
Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.
These two preceding examples are from Theresa Hayden. Here is another doosie that cries out for a serial or Oxford comma.
Here is another doosie that cries out for a serial or Oxford comma.
The Times once published an unintentionally humorous description of a Peter Ustinov documentary, noting that
"highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector."
Now, to be clear, the serial comma does not always solve ambiguity problems:
They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and a cook –
They went to Oregon with Betty, both a maid and a cook. (One person)
They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and cook. (One person)
They went to Oregon with Betty (a maid) and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid, and with a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty – a maid – and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with the maid Betty and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with a cook and Betty, a maid. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty as well as a maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with Betty and a maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with Betty, one maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with a maid, a cook, and Betty. (Three people)
buying bread, jam, coffee, cream, juice, eggs, and bacon.
VS
eating toast and jam, coffee and cream, juice, and bacon and eggs
Finally, we have a theme song to remember this punctuation convention. Start your weekend with a catchy tune. Alert: liberal use of the F-bomb, especially in the chorus.
Week 3: Canons->Invention about rain garden memo; Eli RevewI
Here we go toward Assignment 1: what is a rain garden aka the brief definition memo
- Read/review my short Google lide set on Aristotle's canons; we we focus on invention aka deliberate research toward making a document.
- Register/pay for Eli Review (about 22 clams).
- Friday night-through Monday night is our first iteration of
- you write (post to the WRITING TASK in Eli Review by Friday 11:45);
- Mb reads./crafts an Eli Review REVIEWING TASK midday Saturday; and
- you respond by Monday evening, to the writing of others.
Note: You MUST do these tasks on time. Imagine being at work and meeting the internal deadlines of colleagues to propel mutual work forward. I am flexible re your turning in work for a grade (the polished draft). You will have a week.
In this first Eli Review (ER), we focus on invention. And, we will reveal our path to ourselves and to others. Why? The new Writing Programs (English Department) guidelines call for me to have an AI policy and to teach/model professional practices in using AI to generate ideas and (gulp) text passages. More on that in class.
Here is our scenario for writing (look for audience, context, purpose elements)-->
Transform the class into a small technical communication/science research group. You work here, with colleagues (our class). I am the research director. Here is Jane, our boss. She asked for a rain garden overview memo at the end of our last staff meeting. First, what is a memo?
irst up! What is a memo?
By the way, the OWL website at Purdue is a fabulous resource for writing. Memos also have a standard format: See the image to the left. Also, look at the email heading in your software. This electronic message is based on the memo format.
Bonus question: what is the difference, traditionally, between a memo and a letter?
Now, to content. What is rain garden? Hint: Search on google (keep track of what search tems you use, what questions you type). Spend 15 minutes tops. We will discuss on Wednesday.
Some of you may want to go right to Wikipedia (try "rain garden" "low impact development" "bioremediation" as entry terms.
What do rain gardens look like "in the wild"? Search on "rain gardens" on campus to see a cornucopia of such installations.
Curious about the syllabus and AI policy? Here are my working ideas (you will help me this semester refine this concept and what this looks like applied at school and work.
I understand and expect that students use AI, especially in the prewriting and invention phases of document generation. Some class activities will require AI exploration. Learning to use AI is an emerging skill for students, teachers, and professionals. We will discuss AI options, in a “pearls and perils” approach about how to leverage AI for our work. We will also try to anticipate how AI works in collaborative writing, copyright contexts, and professional ethics. We will also discuss the limits, cautions -- even dangers (perils) of these software systems.
Professionalism requires that users of AI reflect closely as they generate knowledge and craft texts with AI assistants. At a minimum, students are encouraged to pay close attention to information they use in their own work that is produced from AI, and explain how/what they use at the beginning of assignments.
Emerging best practices include citation of AI. Science and technical context now use AI to point toward credible sources. I expect that you use AI as a consultative resource to deal with complexity of technical knowledge. However, you should be aware for many workplace documents, we will need to cite/source/credit AI knowledge and even particular ways of writing (sentences and paragraphs, for example) The use of AI should be properly documented and credited. For example, the material generated using ChatGPT-4 should include a citation such as: “Chat-GPT-4. (YYYY,Month DD of query). “Text of your query.” Generated using OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/”
To promote transparency, every assignment that uses AI must include an "AI Acknowledgement" section. This section -- typically in a note heading the document -- should clearly explain how AI was employed in critical analysis work (prewriting, inventing ala Aristotle’s first canon) and in writing/using text, prose, etc. Hint: we will work to make the writing “yours” by adding evidence to claims via formation citation and by powerful information citation using cited referral links.
Marybeth Shea
Happy hoarfrost morning. I am available 9 and 11 BUT this is optional. Campus is closed.
You have your Eli Review (ER) WRITING TASK prompt now live (send by ELMS mail and via a Group Me message by your kind colleague A.A.) Element 1 reflects what I asked you to do on Monday. Element 2 includes follow up information. Recall that I asked you to spend about 15 minutes on the first task; this is a good time to alot to the task in Element 2. Recall, we are working out together how to use AI and AI assist searches to serve ourselves and our audiences.
From the ER prompt-->
ELEMENT 1 of this WRITING TASK: Briefly describe how you searched and what resources you used. Bullets work, like:
- I read the "rain garden" Wikipedia entry.
- I used ChatGPT with these two prompts: Question 1.....and Q 2......
- I can generally tell what a rain garden is, what they do, and that they are a useful way to control flooding and absorb pollution
- I feel a sense of trust/ in this initial work because (what details or approaches make you trust/distrust the offered knowledge). Examples:
- The Wikipedia entry is helpful because sources/citation are included.
- The Claude description seems fine BUT lacking details. I assume Mb wants details to increase trust. Heck, I want details beyond what Claude gives. So, I went to the UMD website and searched on images. Know I have a feel for what rain gardens look like and how they are located.
NEW: I give you sentences to EVENTUALLY start your paragraphs, aka topic sentences. This sentences hint a an arrangement or ordering of knowledge.
ELEMENT 2 of the WRITING TASK (about fifteen minutes): Look at these sentence starters. Pick two and then use AI or Google search with prompts that help you find details. Place them as bulleted items underneath the sentence starter, noting how you got the details.
Here are the sentence starters you can use in your prewriting work:
- A rain garden is an environmental technique that...
- Rain gardens, or bioretention ponds, are a kind of low impact development. Low impact development....
- Rain gardens have two components: layers of percolation material and carefully chosen plants.
- Rain gardens protect the local environment by absorbing water run-off from impervious surfaces and by sequestering pollutants.
- Dr. Allen Davis studies rain garden effectiveness. Davis, a civil engineering professor, has been studying bioretention for more than twenty years.
Later, these topic sentence set you up for a five short-paragraph definition memo. You can use bullet items under each of the paragraphs above, to show what details you found about rain gardens fit each topic sentence. The order of the three middles topic sentences can be re-organized but save that for later.
Most people will prefer to save the Allen Davis/evaluation paragraph to next week.
---
See you Friday. Enjoy this lovely day.
Marybeth Shea
Happy (chilly) Friday to all. 
PSA, wake up early Saturday to buy 75% off of most Valentine's candy.
Please return to Monday's post and review the slide set on Aristotle's canons. We are thick in invention, which is a powerful tool to think clearly through how to
- use AI wisely,
- see AI when is subtle (searches in Google, for example,
- recall that search terms -- i.e. key words -- are still important in AI use as well as searches in Google, library data bases, and important federal public biomedical knowledge platforms like PubMed.1
Go to the "Padlet" link on the last slide of that set. I am also placing the link here. We use writing process models to think through complex questions as we shift from research to writing. We also loop back -- fancy word is recursivity -- because as we write, we know we need additional information, sources, authoritative links, to include as we revise our writing.
(now, for some document design for emphasis, below)
YOU MUST COMPLETE TONIGHT'S ASSIGNMENT -- Eli Review (ER) WRITING TASK BY 11:45PM? Why? This is how you enter the next phase, which I will open up midday Saturday. That ER REVIEW TASK is due Monday evening, 11:45.
By the way, what students are posting is excellent. We are learning and will continue to learn with each other.
Now, for fun, enjoy this short slide set about engineers who figured out how to boil a perfect egg, with illustrations.
I will be available 9 and 11 to chat via our course link, if you have questions.
--
1 Highly recommend you read this 2022 open access (Journal of the American Medical Library) article on how AI undergirds the search functions of PubMed. Here is the abstract, to tempt you.
This article focuses on PubMed's Best Match sorting algorithm, presenting a simplified explanation of how it operates and highlighting how artificial intelligence affects search results in ways that are not seen by users. We further discuss user search behaviors and the ethical implications of algorithms, specifically for health care practitioners. PubMed recently began using artificial intelligence to improve the sorting of search results using a Best Match option. In 2020, PubMed deployed this algorithm as the default search method, necessitating serious discussion around the ethics of this and similar algorithms, as users do not always know when an algorithm uses artificial intelligence, what artificial intelligence is, and how it may impact their everyday tasks. These implications resonate strongly in health care, in which the speed and relevancy of search results is crucial but does not negate the importance of a lack of bias in how those search results are selected or presented to the user. As a health care provider will not often venture past the first few results in search of a clinical decision, will Best Match help them find the answers they need more quickly? Or will the algorithm bias their results, leading to the potential suppression of more recent or relevant results?
Week 2: Classical rhetoric frames to think about writing
Happy Monday!
We will go here, a link on this Squarespace site (Slides, under Visuals) to review ways to think about writing. We will work through most of this this week. Hint: some of this material is familiar -- logos, pathos, ethos -- for example. Other items will make sense because Aristotle's approach (mostly him but other Greeks like Plato, Socrates, and even Hermanagoras) reflect the way the human mind approaches complexity.
Placing here the ones we start with-->
Aristotle's proofs or appeals: Logos, pathos, ethos
Three ways of thinking about audience (Aristotle-based, with modern gloss)
Set 1: Rhetorical Traingle of Audience, Context, Purpose
Set 2: Audience Analysis by Relationships (commentary on Set 1 frame; FIXED!)
Deepening audience analysis theory
Burke's Pentad (Dramatism Approach)
Triangles to Information Theory (Shannon/early comp sci)
We will talk about the level of reading (Google Doc) required here, which is an important skill.
We need to note -- however briefly -- how the code of science is under attack as is the US Constitution and our very government, from within (and without).
Did you complete the slide set (re-linking here)? Related: brief nod to how document design can help you read well, including here!
AI graphic case (via ChatGPT and Patron the explosives dog on Twitter). Here is his November '24 Twitter post re his request to the AI-->
Quick and ominous (pathos within analysis, which is logos) visual from studying how the Smoot-Hawley Act triggered the 1929/30 crash and depression. This image, widely reproduced is from the political economist Kindleberger (Wikipedia entry is good overview)-->
PREVIEW of Wed concerns Eli Review-->
Students
Tasks – the assignments
Marybeth Shea
Happy Wednesday. Looks to be icy tomorrow, so keep a weather-eye out!
Today, we go back to Monday and pick up the slides re classical/modern rhetoric. We need critical THINKING tools for writing, as well as writing CRAFT lessons.
Meanwhile, my goodness. I tried Claude at Anthropic--> Here is what Claude did for me based on my prompt:
I want drawings for "Hello Kitty" style PLUS "Year of the Snake" lunar new year paper lanterns. Thank you.
I'll create an SVG design combining Hello Kitty's cute aesthetic with traditional Chinese paper lantern elements for the Year of the Snake.
I'll create an SVG design combining Hello Kitty's cute aesthetic with traditional Chinese paper lantern elements for the Year of the Snake.
```svg<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 400 500"> <!-- Base Lantern --> <path d="M100 80 L300 80 L320 420 L80 420 Z" fill="#ff6b6b"/> <path d="M80 420 L320 420 L300 460 L100 460 Z" fill="#ff5252"/> <!-- Top decorative element --> <path d="M140 40 L260 40 L300 80 L100 80 Z" fill="#ff5252"/> <rect x="190" y="10" width="20" height="30" fill="#4a4a4a"/> <!-- Hello Kitty Face --> <circle cx="200" cy="200" r="70" fill="white"/> <circle cx="175" cy="190" r="8" fill="black"/> <circle cx="225" cy="190" r="8" fill="black"/> <!-- Nose --> <circle cx="200" cy="210" r="5" fill="#ffb6c1"/> <!-- Whiskers --> <line x1="160" y1="210" x2="130" y2="200" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="160" y1="210" x2="130" y2="210" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="160" y1="210" x2="130" y2="220" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="240" y1="210" x2="270" y2="200" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="240" y1="210" x2="270" y2="210" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="240" y1="210" x2="270" y2="220" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <!-- Bow --> <path d="M180 140 L220 140 L200 160 Z" fill="#ff69b4"/> <circle cx="200" cy="140" r="10" fill="#ff69b4"/> <!-- Snake Design --> <path d="M120 280 Q200 250 280 280 Q200 310 120 280" fill="#8bc34a"/> <path d="M130 275 Q200 250 270 275 Q200 300 130 275" fill="#4caf50"/> <circle cx="270" cy="275" r="5" fill="black"/> <!-- Snake eye --> <path d="M275 275 L285 270 L285 280 Z" fill="red"/> <!-- Snake tongue --> <!-- Chinese Character for Snake --> <path d="M180 340 L220 340 M200 320 L200 360 M190 350 Q200 330 210 350" stroke="gold" stroke-width="3" fill="none"/> <!-- Decorative Patterns --> <circle cx="150" cy="380" r="15" fill="none" stroke="gold" stroke-width="2"/> <circle cx="250" cy="380" r="15" fill="none" stroke="gold" stroke-width="2"/> <!-- Tassels --> <path d="M100 460 L90 500 M120 460 L110 500 M280 460 L290 500 M300 460 L310 500" stroke="#ffd700" stroke-width="2"/></svg>
```
I've created a design that combines Hello Kitty's signature cute style with Year of the Snake elements in a traditional paper lantern format. The design includes:
1. A red lantern base with classic tapered shape2. Hello Kitty's iconic face with whiskers and pink bow3. A cute stylized snake in green with simple, friendly features4. The Chinese character for "snake" in gold5. Traditional lantern elements like: - Gold decorative patterns - Tassels at the bottom - A hanging element at the top
Would you like me to modify any part of the design? I could:- Adjust the colors- Add more traditional patterns- Modify the snake design- Change the size or positioning of elements
Marybeth Shea
Happy Friday. Today, we loop back to Monday/Wednesday and grab a few ideas in the links.
Have you been skim reading?
Did you do the self-assessment of AI with your two questions?
Here is one extended use case for generative AI in a Google Doc for us to consider (did this with a group of grad students).
And, we are in Lunar New Year days. To all who celebrate, enjoy the food and festivities, with hopes for a gorgeously interesting year. One of Claude's intermediate versions of what we looked at Wednesday. Bottom line: Users need good prompts and patience to work with AI.
Hello to ENGL390, science writing, for SPRING 2025
Hello,
This class journal is our primary lecture/notes/slides aka a text for our class. I will post on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays throughout the semester. We work off the posted material during our online sessions.
We wiill try this for Friday in a fuller way. As you experienced on Monday, we worked off the ELMS class announcement.
I am looking forward to this class (teaching Terps since 1987). Let's go.
Marybeth Shea
Happy Friday to all.
We will chat about how to read/use this website as our primary class text and "notes" about what is important.
For Monday, please complete an introductory slide in this Google Presentation set. You have editor permissions. You also should continue your self exploration of AI and how you -- a college student in upper division courses -- will use this resource ethically. Over the weekend, please think about you can prompt an AI -- including Google search -- to gather reliable information to serve your learning needs.
For example, I searched this morning on "Ailanthus trees"; then, I revised my noun-subject prompt to this: "responsible arboriculture in removing Ailanthus in a mid Atlantic state winter."; here is this search.
Two suggestions for you-->
- Pick a subject you know and enjoy (knitting with wool, playing chromatic scales, training for 1/2 marathon, which mid price jazz-ready bass is good for intermediate player, teaching a cat to use a toilet, what dinosaur fossils are on the fall line in PG and Montgomery counties...)
- Pick a subject that you need to learning in this semester (ways to solve fluid mechanics problems correctly, determining types of microbes in soils by electron potential ladders, applying to osteopathic medical schools compared to regular medical schools, etc.)
Use Google search and pay attention to the questions portion that is returned. That is a visible part of newer AI examples in this search algorithm.
Then use the arena of Wednesday to ask your questions. No busy work here. I trust you to do this and learn on your own. We will chat on Monday about this experience, though. If you are adept at AI work and care to do more, you could try to develop a visual for yourself. I cannot always find the free, open access image generators and experiment on this AI assist these days. Why? I work in science visualization.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2001037020305304
Preview of next week: slides sets about Aristotle/classical rhetoric frames on thinking and writing. Also, you could visit Eli Review and view the several student-centered videos. More on this platform next week. We do not subscribe until AFTER add/drop.
Enjoy your weekend. Perhaps ask the TerpAi, what is happening on campus you may like to attend.
