Week 13: post TG week-fest and on to wrapping up semester
Damp and chilly. Have a warming beverage today in a glass, ceramic, pottery, double-wall metal thermos, or in a hard stable plastic cup. Rain coat day, says Trixie. 
Pulling up from last week, let's look at a craft lesson and a critical thinking method-->
- Colon v semi colon (sample-rich html piece) and even the power of the period to close a thought (terminal punctuation)
- Fun way to think on the counting out power of three, four, and perhaps even seven. Why did I spell those one-decimal place numbers out as prose?
- From your grid
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Visual reminders about colon and semi-colon: In class, I will use two stacked, closed fists for the colon and two stacked fists, one open and one closed to help you remember. Here is one image to work with, clipped and linked from this teaching exhibit.
Side note: Requesting help from two or more students to make these images for us. Details in class. Sure wish we had an animator, too, to capture the power of the punch that the colon embodies. You have seen an aspect of the semi colon hand symbol I will show that this is the bunny paws memonic about punctuation to set off apositives. Remember that? Here is a visual reminders-->
Synthesis of the bunny paws, signal phrases/citation alerts, and a handout you have seen embellisment (where you add information in front of the subject-verb pair, at the end of the subject verb pair OR you break the subject-verb pair).
According to Rachel Ray..... (sentence beginning/according to is a powerful phrase to set up ethos or trustworthiness.
Back to assignment 3: You will use according to and other signal phrases to make clear the work of your authors.
Pigeon and colleagues found that...
According to other neuralgia specialists, Pain's findings in this study offer...
One application of Perez's method is...
Clinicians can apply these bio-social aspects of pain management immediately, according to the authors in their discussion section.
Combining signal phrases with YOUR VOICE to show YOUR THOUGHTS/CRITIQUE/ANALYSIS-->
I remain confused by Pigeon's insistence on using Cochrane review techniques only.
In addition to admiring Pain's study design, I appreciate her clear discussion for patients so they can understand how physicians approach pain scales.
We can learn a great deal about study design by focusing on the methods section in our reading; Perez and colleagues designed an elegant soil profile sampling apparatus. Further, they give detailed instructions for how to build this device from PVC pipe, available at hardware stores.
Preview of Wednesday: The Manchester University Academic Phrasebank.
Connecting conclusions at Man U with our work --->
Walk out music to help us remember (sound plus video) about COUNTING OUT. |
Marybeth Shea
Why did I loop back to pick up the apositive or short phrase punction craft skill? Simply, I want to give you an opportunit to increase your skills with definition work. Recall that in your first part of the analysis, you will define terms in a paragraph. These are the foundational ideas that you share so that your motivated but inexpert reader can follow your analysis. Reminder of these beginning definitions-->
BEGINNING with definitions. You can consider bullets. These work well when the concepts are closely related. For example,
ONE) Let's review PCR types before we look at Guerro's modifications in her study:
- Polymer chain reaction (PCR) tests for....
- Quantitative PCR (qPRC)...
- Pyro sequencing ....
TWO) The treatment studies for Patel's rice productivity work examine subtle soil pH variability in spring crops typical of terraced fields in SE Asia. The soil categories, based on surveys of Thailand posted at the UN FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) data base:
podulized categories 3-8
spodosoil category 6
hydropodosoils (two) designed for this experience but based on FAO emerging research linked here.
More complex definitions might need their own paragraphs. Consider defining what a highly conserved gene is and how that work helps scientists use animals for human disease. In my work with farmers and nitrogen scientists, i need to define Q method, which tests subjectivity rather than objectively. Farmers get this but scientists tend not to.
We have a second definition craft move (think helpful chess moves shared with the reader) called nested definitions. Here you place a phase near the discussion set off by
- commas (bunny paws). -- MOST COMMON
- parentheses (bunny ears) -- for SMALL references, often with discinplinary patterns like genus species or conversion of units between metric and English
- dashes (bunny back feet) -- LEAST COMMON but exciting and can signal surprise, novelty, or importance.
These nested definitions can appear within your point paragraphs.
Revisiting the colon-semi-colon craft lesson of Monday--> Punctuation marks help readers by
Segmenting text into digestible units.
Controlling the reader’s processing rate.
Providing inflections that help define the meaning of words.
Colon principles
For clearly defined lists at the end of a sentence.
To connect two short sentences, that are related.
To connect one sentence to a key or essential clause (Mb says, a "ta dah!"0
Never use a colon to divide a verb from its complement.
Never use a colon to divide a subject from the rest of the sentence.
Never use a colon after including, for example, etc.
Colon examples (Incorrect examples are preceded by X)
We conducted three tests: hemoglobin, hematocrit, and white blood cell count.
The results are clear: The drug is safe and effective.
X The most frequently reported adverse events were: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
X This facility: screens, sorts, and quarantines mail.
X We conducted a number of tests, including: hemoglobin, hematocrit, and white blood cell count.
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Semicolon principles
To replace coordinating conjunctions (and, but, nor, or, so, yet) connecting independent clauses.
To punctuate a series whose elements are already punctuated.
Before conjunctive adverbs connecting independent clauses.
Semi-colon examples (Incorrect examples are preceded by X)
One adverse event was reported; its cause was unknown.
Larval feeding habits of flies include the following activities: parasitizing beetles, moths, and other insects; mining in fern leaves, stems, and other plant tissue; burrowing in carrion, offal, and dung; and scavenging decaying vegetation.
Phenytoin is effective in the treatment of status epilepticus; however, large doses may compromise cardiac function.
X We conducted a number of tests, including; hemoglobin; hematocrit; and white blood cell count.
Punctuation can matter in astonishingly exacting ways, especially in legal contexts!
- Case 1: Omitting the penultimate (second to last) comma cost a Maine dairy company nearly $5 million. Said dairy company settled a 2017 lawsuit over an overtime dispute with milk delivery drivers. Documentation from the company to drivers was the subject of that ruling and hinged on the use of the Oxford comma. In short, An absent this "Oxford comma" will cost that dairy company $5 million, to be awared to drivers in this labor dispute.
- Case 2 :Reported yesterday, widely in many print and broadcast news sources. My summary) Former Vice President Mike Pence wrote a book, In this book, he wrote that he said this statement to former President Donald Trump:
“You know, I don’t think I have the authority to change the outcome.”
Reportedly, Special Counsel Jack Smith (in the Mara Lago security documents case) asked Pence in grand jruy testimony if that comma was supposed to be in there; Pence, under oath, said that the comma was not.
In other words, sans comma, what Pence actually said to Trump was this:
“You know I don’t think I have the authority to change the outcome.”
Comma placements and writer's intent matter. Pence's reflection on his meaning appears to be an acknowledgment that Trump knew that Pence didn’t have the authority to change the election results. In legal terms, what Smith is exploring is mens reas -- from Latin, "guilty mind" -- essential in estabilishing defendant intentions for a crime.
BONUS: see the nested definitions
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Marybeth Shea
TGIF, right? Please post to the Eli Review WRITING TASK linked in both your ELMS mail and calendar.
Will be here to chat with you, as needed. Check in later with your ELMS Calendar today because I will post the SCHEDULES FOR Atlanta Train v. Boulder Train. Let's consider the A Train first with this song by Billy Strayhorn and made famous by the Duke!
Why do we have a train metaphor for the end of the semester? Why NOT? Simply put, I want you to commit -- aka buy a ticket for the early train of Atlanta or the next train of Boulder.
From Monday Dec 4 on out, we will have separate TRAINS to wrap up the semester, with modified prompts to reflect the different needs/schedules of students. Look at your finals schedule and decide which train to board.
TRAIN ATLANTA
Friday, Dec. 8, ER WRITING task of your current draft (will be your last interaction on drafts)
Monday, Dec. 11, ER REVIEW task to your peer group on the ATLANTA TRAIN
Friday, Dec. 15, PARKING LOT FOR FINAL SUBMISSION OPENS FRIDAY; try to submit by Monday, Dec 18.
TRAIN BOULDER
Friday, Dec, 8, ER WRITING task of current draft
Monday, Dec 11, ER REVIEW Task to your peer group
Friday, Dec. 15, ER WRITING Task of current draft (last peer interaction)
Monday, Dec., 18, ER REVIEW Task to your peer group
WEDNESDAY, Dec 20 PARKING LOT FOR FINAL SUBMISSION OPENS submit by Friday, Dec. 2
Train to Boulder? You have a song, too.
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