GROUP PRESENTATION
AND WRITE-UP
EACH STUDENT WILL SIGN UP TO PRESENT A READING TO THE
CLASS AND LEAD THE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION. EACH PERSON WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF
PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL EMAILED WRITTEN SYNOPSIS FOR A POTENTIAL END OF THE
YEAR BONUS. THE WRITE-UP IS TO BE NO LONGER THAN 2 PAGES TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED,
WITH FONT SIZE 14. YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR WRITE-UP SHOULD INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:
1. THE PRESENTATION SHOULD INCLUDE TWO
WELL THOUGHT OUT QUESTIONS, BASED ON THE READING, FOR THE GROUP TO DISCUSS AND
YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS BACKED UP BY REASONED ARGUMENT (SEE TIP FOR
READING).
2. THE OPTIONAL WRITE-UP/SYNOPSIS
SHOULD INCLUDE A BRIEF AND CLEAR
FORMULATION/ CRYSTALIZATION/ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN POINT OR ARGUMENT IN YOUR OWN
WORDS. IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MAIN POINT, PICK WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE 2
OR 3 MOST IMPORTANT POINTS AND SUMMARIZE THOSE.
3. THE PRESENTATION WILL BE ASSESSSED ON
THE BASIS OF THREE CRITERIA: INNOVATION, INTERACTIVENESS, AND COMPREHENSION
OF MATERIALS.
4. THE SYNOPSIS IS TO BE E-MAILED IN
A “WORD” FILE {LABELED BY – FULL NAME, CHAPTER, COURSE, SECTION}
BY EACH STUDENT INDIVIDUALLY TO THE PROFESSOR POST-PRESENTATION THE FOLLOWING
WEEK{S}.
JUST A FINAL ASSIGNMENT NOTE:
THE WRITE-UP/SYNOPSIS {SEE # 2 & 4} IS ONLY REVIEWED IF AT THE END OF THE
YEAR YOU GET A BORDERLINE GRADE (SAY 74 - B). I CHECK THE WRITE-UP FOR
SOPHISTICATION AND TO JOG MY MEMORY. AND USE IT TO JUSTIFY THE FLEXIBLITY OF
MOVING THE GRADE TO (75 - B+). IF YOU ARE NOT BORDERLINE, I DO NOT LOOK AT THE
FILE. IF YOU DON'T THINK IT IS APPLICABLE TO YOU, YOU MAY FORGO THIS
REQUIREMENT.
JUST A FINAL PERSONAL NOTE: I
HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST PRESENTATIONS EMPLOY MIXED-MEDIA METHODS. MIXED-MEDIA
PRESENTATIONS TEND TO BE CONDUCIVE TO A MORE TESTURED, DENSE, STIMULATING,
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, AND MULTI-DIRECTIONAL DECONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER.
SOME
TIPS ON READING
Here are a few questions to
ask as you read an assignment or various articles.
1.
What are the main points?
2.
Why are these important?
3.
Is there evidence and supporting
detail
4.
Answer the 5 W’s - What, Why When
Who and Where, if possible, and then look at the implications.
After you have read the
text, formulate more specific questions, based on the material, then try to
make some assessments.
5.
Have you understood the material?
Are there words, examples, theories that you don’t understand? If so, what
specific questions do you need to ask? Others can help you, if the questions
are specific.
6.
Do you agree/ disagree with the
point of view, the argument, the conclusions.
7.
Can you identify any weaknesses in
the argument? Is enough evidence presented to support the author, or have areas
been ne4glected or left out?
8.
How does this material compare with
other items you have read on the same topic?
9.
What have you learned that is new?
Have you opinions changed based on what you are learning and reading?
10.
Can you prepare study questions for
yourself and your seminar group? Here are some points to help you.
QUESTIONS
CAN BE POSED ON SEVERAL LEVELS
A.
Level one questions involve
recognition and recall - giving back the information. Usually, there is a “right”
answer for this kind of question.
B.
Level two questions involve the
learner to a greater degree. In this kind of question one can ask “what did the
author mean?” Now you, the reader, must be able to understand and interpret the
material, not just recall it. You can ask about concepts and the logic of an
argument.
C.
Now you can move to the third level,
where you critically analyze facts and inferences. You can apply, analyze,
synthesize and evaluate material.
D.
By level four, you are able to utilize
new information in original ways. You may be creative, and approach the
information in new ways, and use it to carry out research in a new direction.
NOTES
FOR LEADING A SEMINAR
The following components
should be included in the presentation:
I Introduction
A)
Initiating activity
II Strategies
for stimulating participation and discussion
III
Wrap-up
A)
Time for processing and synthesizing
IV Question
and answer period
Consider the following in
planning your presentation
I
- GOAL
Once you have identified the
key issues or key concepts, it should be easy to develop a broad goal that will
reflect the purpose and direction of your presentation.
II
- INITIATING ACTIVITY
You want to capture the
participants attention in a creative way. The following are but a few
suggestions for stimulating initiating activities: role-playing, panel
discussion, debate, brief audio/visual presentation, pictures, taped
conversation from a classroom, simulation of a classroom situation, brief arts
and crafts activity.
III - STRATEGIES FOR
STIMULATION DISCUSSION
Questioning skills are very
important. You will want to use questions that tap higher level cognitive
processes. The handouts on questioning skills may be helpful to you as you plan
the kinds of questions you will ask.
Listening is also very
important. Listen to what the participants are saying and build their reactions
into your seminar.
IV - WRAP-UP
Summarize the major points
of both your presentation and the discussion.
The following questions reflect
some of the issues that should be addressed after your presentation.
1.
Was your presentation successful in your view? Why or why not?
2.
Did you respond to the needs of the group?
3.
Did your plans change? If so, did the changes strengthen or weaken your
presentation?
4.
If you were able to give your presentation again, what aspects would you
change?
5. If you where marking
yourself, what grade would you give? Why?
ACADEMIC
PAPERS
1) THESIS == ACADEMIC == BEGINS
PAPER
A) ISSUE
B) RESEARCH CONTEXT
C) THESIS
D) BLUEPRINT
2) OTHER WRITING
A) NEWS PAPER WRITING OFTEN HAS A HOOK
== JONATHAN SWIFT, FROM HIS --- THOUGHTS ON
VARIOUS SUBJECTS, MORAL AND DIVERTING --- “A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES” {MULTICULTUALISM ANALOGY} “WHEN A TRUE GENIUS
APPEARS IN THE WORLD, YOU MAY KNOW HIM BY THIS SIGN, THAT THE DUNCES ARE ALL IN
CONFEDERACY AGAINST HIM”
B) DISCUSSION PAPERS DISSEMINATE
RESEARCH QUICKLY IN ORDER TO GENERATE COMMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR REVISION OR
IMPROVEMENT. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES ORWORKSHOPS ALREADY,
BUT WILL NOT YET HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN JOURNALS.
C) BACKGROUND PAPERS OUTLINE CURRENT
POLICIES AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO A PARTICULAR SOCIAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.
D) ***POLICY PAPERS ARE CRITICAL ANALYSES
OF AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM THAT INVOLVES THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOP
OF A DEFENSIBLE PLAN (POLICY PROPOSAL) FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND FORMULATE
WORKABLE STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. {***A FORM OF ACADEMIC —
SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS AIMED AT INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY}.
3) FOCUS
=è ACADEMIC PAPERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE TRIANGULATE AROUND
[I] {SOCIETAL FORCES} CULTURE, IDEOLOGY, AND POWER. {HOW
DOES SOCIETY WORK? IT IS CREATED BY ETHNIC AND RACIAL CULTURES, MAINTAINED AND
ENFORCED BY POWER AND JUSTIFIED BY IDEOLOGY =è [II]{SOCIETAL
CONTEXTS} PAPERS
SHOULD ALWAYS BE TARGETED AT AND/OR FRAMED BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE “ANALYTIC
CONTEXT” OF AND FOR A TOPIC. THIS MEANS AT THE SOCIAL STRUCTURAL LEVEL, YOUR
TOPIC {E.G., WHATEVER IT IS – IMMIGRATION POINT SYSTEM, RACIAL PROFILING,
ETC.,} IS INVARIABLE CONTAINED/FRAMED BY ONE OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
1.
GLOBAL CAPITALISM (AND ATTENDANT POLITICS OF NEOLIBERALISM)
2.
PATRIARCHY (WHITE MALESTREAM REALITY)
3.
WHITE SUPREMACY (ASIDE: IN OUR CLASS WE PREFERRED THE TERM “CULTURAL HEGEMONY”)
4) GOOD THESIS
A) SUBSTANTIVE, CONTESTABLE, EXPLICIT
B) QUESTION: WHAT DO I NEED TO COVER TO DEMONSTRATE MY THESIS.