MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Coffee cups turned in at 37%. Looks like I will have a big weekend upcoming of reading, thinking, reflecting, grading, commenting, etc. (Little craft lesson on parallel structure in sentence).

I do see that people are using well chosen referral links for readers and for the writer's need to punt or bunt and not have to explain everything.  The books designed in a choose-your-own-adventure make me think of this useful technique.  Look at how audience-friendly hypertext is for you to refer readers!  However, many of you could improve the curation for the ethos angle (why this link?), platform alert (do not send to huge PDF; reader might be on device), and also a sense of datedness. Ethical duty here of supporting the reader.

New critical analysis skill (lemons and pears) grafted upon the cognitive wedge critical analysis idea. The beginning of the lemon and pear, reading from left to right, is like the point of the wedge.  Help the reader enter into your document by

• hooking with a good beginning, 
• establishing of research-article author ethos, and 
• providing definitions/context to help reader see the fat portion of the document -- your three or four elaborated take-aways or points. 

These three bullet points map to the job of the first three paragraphs of your one-article review (aka assignment 3).  The ABT statement is the first paragraph for most writers of this document but can also be in the two other paragraphs.  So, know that the ABT statement you are writing for Friday's ER Writing Task, can live in either of these three paragraphs. Also? ABT statements can be an effective way to wrap up your review and be part of the last paragraph.  You are familiar with this technique from the five-paragraph essay also known as the extended constructed response (ECR).  Here are ABT statements from previous classes that might help you (Google doc linked in earlier material but re-linked for your convenience.)

 Let's look at the overall pattern for your one-article review in a celery-colored flow chart-->

Most people write a lemon-shaped review of their research article.  You might find that your review is more pear-shaped.... (look at image in separate tab to see full image; copy image to a google doc for additional ease-of-reference).

Sources (Open Source Clip Art):

• Lemon
• Pear

Morning, there, science writers. 

via GIPHY

Am available between 9-9:50 and 11-11:50.  I have three short items of writing craft for you:

• words have more than one meaning (drafting in writing compared to drafting in cycling), 
• the block quote is a design technique to showcase ethos of another's writing, and 
• the formal punctuation with ABT statements that use fewer sentences.

For ABT statements, you have this pattern and variations -->

information piece 1 AND information piece 2 BUT information/inquiry/condition that creates cognitive tension; THEREFORE, the consequence of the situation you describe. one sentence with formal punctuation at the therefore

information piece 1. [AND] information piece 2. [BUT] information/inquiry/condition that creates cognitive tension. THEREFORE, the consequence of the situation you describe. Separate sentences with formal punctuation, where the connectors are understood, signified by brackets.

information piece 1 AND information piece 2 BUT information/inquiry/condition that creates cognitive tension THEREFORE the consequence of the situation you describe.

information piece 1 AND information piece 2 (can be one sentence or two, using period(s) as you wish). HOWEVER,  information/inquiry/condition that creates cognitive tension;(substitute for HOWEVER). SO, the consequence of the situation you describe. one sentence with formal punctuation at the SO. (substitute for therefore).

But and so are less formal words.  You may have been warned to never start a sentence with "but"; you can use 'however' if that feels better.  This style rule is not an absolute. 

However and therefore are more formal words.   The more formal punctuation style on these two words look like-->

 ...when native bees seek pollen; HOWEVER, not all garden plants bloom early enough for these insects coming out of winter hibernation; THEREFORE, this study looks at ten typical garden plants to document average bloom times in spring.

This punctuation convention developed to handle complex information in long, complex sentences. Hence the semicolon to assist readers pause and consider the importance of the connector (however and therefore), followed by a comma to also pause for the reader to then consider the content in the complex sentence.

Over time, we become less formal with language and punctuation, even in formal science/technical writing.  In the US, we might want to writer three sentences this way:

 ...when native bees seek pollen. HOWEVER, not all garden plants bloom early enough for these insects coming out of winter hibernation. THEREFORE, this study looks at ten typical garden plants to document average bloom times in spring. 

We keep the commas after however and therefore as this is the convention.  You may find, however, that many writers just leave them off.  I recommend keeping the commas here. Why?  Punctuation can slow a reader down to contemplate meaning.  Essentially, you the writer signal this pause to emphasize importance. What does this look like without caps on however and therefore?-->

 ...when native bees seek pollen. However, not all garden plants bloom early enough for these insects coming out of winter hibernation. Therefore, this study looks at ten typical garden plants to document average bloom times in spring.

----

Let's close with a block quote that will also define what drafting is for people on bikes. Yet, this is also a metaphor for your peer work in Eli Review. You can draft off each other in a cycling or aerodynamic way. In this short 2017 web article from Cycling Tips is this quote:

So how much energy can you save from drafting? Interestingly, there seems to be little consensus among researchers that have investigated this topic. Studies have shown drag reductions of between 27% and 50% for riders that are drafting, with the exact reduction depending on a number of variables — the size and on-the-bike position of the rider in front, likewise with the rider drafting, the distance from the wheel in front, the direction and strength of the wind, and more.

de Vroet, Matthew

----- Mb here: in ER we work our drafts (documents in process; which is a noun) and we also draft (assist each other in the exertion, which is a verb) in our writing community. Better together!

Happy Wednesday.

Today, will look again at the slide set linked above. We will also look at the reading grid posted there. This reading grid is your companion for assignment 3, the one-article review.  You do have your article selected, right?  Friday night's ER WRITING TASK about that article requires that you have one.

Note: the parking lot is now open for assignment 2, the coffee cup memo.

Sure is raining today. We are so glad that Cofman and Davis refined rain gardens as a bioretention tool. You know who else (likely) loves rain gardens?  Why, Kermit the Terp.

Avaialble to you for 50 minutes at 9 and 11 AM.  

For this week: Wrap up of ideas, primarily critical thinking frames to support you read the science research article you choose.

IMRAD is an arrangement for sharing complex knowledge.

• IMRAD structure is expected by most readers of technical literature; offers familiarity and efficiency.
• IMRAD structure supports writers, too.  Most experiences researchers write the Results section first.

Think of the Introduction portion as a cognitive wedge approach. The information allows the reader to enter the complexity in stages.  Note: typically, expert technical readers in the field sometimes skip this section, going right to the results section.  Experienced readers do this for several reasons, with reduction of bias the primary one.  You can also think that expert readers do not need the cognitive wedge to ramp up.  Metaphor incoming: they simple leap and climb the high wall of complex knowledge.  They are fit and prepared. Compare-->

via GIPHY

You can also see that the IM portions of the document is rich description, summarizing background and sharing details about methods.

In the Results section, the authors pivot to analysis, with that work continuing in the Analysis commentary. Hints of meaning-making also occur in the RA sections. However, the Discussion section is where arguments are made about what the findings mean at at least three levels:

1. comments on the research question, working hypothesis (sometimes more than one), as well as the study hypothesis, which is typically the null hypothesis;
2. defends these findings, often with statistical thresholds as well a knowledge established in the field;
3. comments on what can happen next
   1. for similarly-focused researchers
   2. those who will apply the knowledge in a field, especially for social benefit.

Do not forget your two ER Tasks open now.  Prioritize this one, concerning your selected article. Consider also that the parking lot is open for the coffee cup memo. You have a week. Email me when you post. 

Hello and happy (but chilly) Friday.  Am available digitally between

9 and 9:50

11 and 11:50

Let's (contraction of let us, which is audience-invitation metadiscourse) have some visual lessons on commas.

Happy Friday, 

See you in digital sessions at 9 and 11, for the 50-minute hour. Notice how I hypenated 50+minute to make that one adjective modifying "hour." Mini punctuation lesson, right there.

Let's have a visual round-up of comma lessons-->

Remember the food list part of my Oxford comma lesson earlier (rant, perhaps)?  Enjoy this (article linked under image) -->

Do you enjoy XKCD? Here is his take on parentheses (bracket entry) from Wikipedia.  I chose to "cite" him here, as is more accessible and funny.  Hope you agree.

Clip from XKCD (link underneath)

Ok, now how about a panda-inspired comma clarity lesson? Here we go-->

via GIPHY

Eats shoots leaves (hmm, are all these words verbs? "Shoots" can be verb and can be a noun).

Eats Shoots Leaves (can capitalization help us?  More verb-like)

Eats. Shoots. Leaves. (three sentences, with the subject of Panda understood)

Eats, shoots and leaves.

Eats, shoots, and leaves.

“There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don’t,” writes British author Lynne Truss in her humorous punctuation book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves; then, she opines, “and I’ll just say this: never get between these people when drink has been taken.”

More on Monday, re the panda problem.  Including several US writers ranting on this book.

See this web exhibit of ten funny black-ant-white (hyphens, again) illustrations of punctuation saves.

Toward spring break--> this is time for your ideas to percolate, ripen, distill, ferment, etc.

Please post to the Eli Review (ER) Writing Task I emailed/calendared to you in ELMS BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR SPRING BREAK.  I will post a related ER Reviewing Task on that weekend.  Here, the pattern diverges.  The Review Task will be open during the week for those who wish to complete during the break.  On the Monday we return, that Task will be DUE, though.  And, then we plow through more content and craft strategies toward completing assisgnment 2 aka the coffee cup memo.

Today, I will talk more about why the Oxford comma is your friend and some of the limits of punctuation to be ultra clear.  The general strategy here is to combine word patterns/choices with punctuation to keep people clear.  

Then, we scroll back to remind you of guides and resources that will help you.  Hint:  I also placed two new resources within the ER Writing  Task for this Friday.  Go see them and see if they help you gain even more clarity on this memo's content and current drafting status.

Metaphor for this work--> vintage video game where Commander Keen moves horizontally (from left to right) to complete the game (like a reader) BUT faces pitfalls/gaps (cognitive challenges).  You?  The game designer who makes the gaps "leapable."

Hello.  Am here via link at 9-9:50 and at 11-11:50. We can chat if you need to.

 We are at 13% completion of the most recent ER Writing Task.  Looking forward to the majority posted by Friday late evening.  As you know, you can slip in before noon-ish on Saturday as I read them, reflect, and then write a class-centered post in an ER Reviewing Task.  That ER RT will be due on the MONDAY WE RETURN.  However, some of you may wish to work over the break.  What I am doing here is called differentiated instruction, which is a way to customize the learning process for the needs and commitments of different students.

I wish for you a relaxing spring break, as well as a festive but very safe celebration of St. P's Day.  To many of you, I wish for you a blessed Ramadan.

Might you wish to be inspired about thinking and performing?  You could listen to two engaging podcasts that look at Carol Dwek's "growth mindset" and her colleague Mary Murphy's refinement of that concept: culture of growth (vs culture of (unconsidered) genius.

The host is Guy Kawasaki and hid podcast is Remarkable People.

Carol Dweck's episode

Mary Murphy's episdode

Note from Mb:  I use Dweck and Murphy as thinkers who shape my design of our class. We can all be better writers, especially if we share the journey and work together. 

Hello.  Lots going on in the coffee cup memo.  I want to present a writing craft choice -- meta discourse -- paired with first person/send person voice that can help you move and pivot through the complex information you need in the first part of the recommendation report to the analysis in the last portion of this report.  

Here are examples of meta discourse* phrases you can use in your writing-->

I use the frame of [climate change and energy efficiently or fate of aquatic plastic and microplastic concerns]... 

Let's turn now to life cycle analysis...

I use life cycle analysis in my summary of [Hocking's work on the energy embodied in coffee cups... or Moore's foundational work documenting ocean plastic "patches"...]

We can divide the disposal coffee cup problem into to primary materials types: styrofoam and paper.  

Even though I know that you are aware of the environmental preference for reusable cups....We simply must acknowledge that people select convenience, sometimes without thinking of environmental impacts.

We can use first person and second person voice strategically places within the memo.  However, most of the memo is in third person because we are "letting the experts speak."

 Now, here is a central critical thinking skill: information is often divided or arranged into three types:

1. describing (includes defining, meaning that we are in the second stasis)
2. summarizing (we are pivoting toward analysis)
3. analyzing.

Here is a short Google doc on the differences between describing, summarizing, analyzing that uses the rain garden memo knowledge as an example.

Back to the coffee cup memo.  All of the paragraphs BEFORE the life cycle paragraph are primarily description and summary.  The life cycle paragraph helps you pivot toward the analysis part where you present either Hocking's work using summary of peer-reviewed work OR Moore's work using his peer-reviewed work.

You will have an ER Writing Task posted today, due on Friday per usual.  I ask you to write some paragraphs out (select from the ones suggested on Monday; I will ask you to use some bullet points in the other paragraphs regarding their content.  Pre writing is important for thinking about this complex task.

 If you have not made two documents to attack this project, please do so!  I suggest one for research where you can copy/paste links (later can become referral links) and the other for the memo.  Go back and gather my free phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. Grab the meta discourse sentence starters in this post, too.

*writing that hovers above the content, writing that tells the reader something about the writers goals, writing that address the reader for clarity and emphasis.

Another meta discourse example would be direct address in theater. Here, the actor pauses in the play and turns to speak to the audience.  Hovering above the action of the play, which is in the text.  1995 Ken Branaugh in clip of Iago, (Othello) telling audience his plans.

Knitting up from Monday and Wednesday concerning first, empty subjects and second direct address, which is a kind of meta discourse.

Then, we will look at the Oxford comma. 

Remember empty subjects? Linked here is a two-page Google doc with my take on these "placeholder" constructions that, while technically correct, do not support the reader with immediate specific detail. See the table of substitutions that you may want to copy.

Ok, then; next up? direct address.  In drama, direct address causes what I call a jump-what. The reader is surprised (not frightened as in the classic jump-scare technique from horror and suspense films).  When the reader is a bit surprised, their cognition wakes up, so to speak.  The increase in reader alertness helps them focus on the content you write. 

Lastly in our three-part writing/craft review concerns commas in sci-tech-prof writing: ta dah!, the Oxford comma. We will start with examples, including this instance of twitter  persona, The Oxford comma! 

TLDR: Use the Oxford comma in your professional writing pretty much always. We will discuss theory about this punctuation convention on Monday.  Let's keep learning with some examples.

In science, ambiguity that can be helped with by Oxford comma use or rearrangement. First, from Scitechedit,

Read more here:

The effects of NMDA antagonists, MK-801 and DxM were evaluated in a model of chronic pain.

Here, both MK-801 and DxM are NMDA antagonists. Inserting an Oxford comma would mistakenly imply the evaluation of three distinct entities. The Oxford comma’s omission clarifies that only two NMDA antagonists are under scrutiny.

Here is one from my writing practice recently:

Conservation biologists look at two approaches to biodiversity losses, species counts in the tropics and changing distribution maps.

And, a third example (remember the power of three examples?). What about this one that the proto-doctors among us might say to a patient?:

Your cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, surgery or immunotherapy.

TBD. 

ASSIGNMENTS: Turn in your rain garden memo to night.  TURN IN YOUR ER PREWRITING TASK TONIGHT.  If you have to choose, do the prewriting task so that you get into the quittich (rhymes with Squidich) game of ER per review.  Please, says the coach.