- Introduce your chosen topic with a grabber (what issue/problem/cause are you researching?)
- Your interest in the topic (why is this topic interesting/important to you?)
- Summarize your initial research (what have you found to help your reader better understand?)
Your writing will be 1-2 paragraphs in length. They should be written in a formal style (minimizing the use of first-person and second-person pronouns).
Example:
The glowing red light on your clock says 10:45 pm; you've been writing your essay for over three hours. Your eyes are heavy, your brain hurts, and you just can't think of a better way to end your conclusion. It was time for bed long ago, but you still have science to do! Do you give up and go to bed, or stay up a bit longer to get everything accomplished? Students, every night, suffer many similar feelings of anxiousness, exhaustion, and frustration at the thought of homework.
Homework, a long-time element of most schooling, is recently under much scrutiny from parents, students, teachers, and school boards around the country. I will be researching the use of homework in middle schools, specifically Charles F. Patton Middle School, its effect on grades and student learning. Being a teacher at the school, this is important for my career but also for the benefit of my students' educations and success in middle school.
In preliminary research has showed that there are positive effects of homework as well as negative effects. At this point, I have not researched thoroughly positive or negative effects to see which is more prevalent or important for student success. Some positive effects are enhancing classroom material, practicing needed academic skills, and multitasking. Some negative effects are exhaustion, time management, and anxiousness.
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Here is a reminder about Blog Posting Requirements:
Research blogs are due every Wednesday by 7:00 AM.
Research blogs that earn an A will do the following:
- Content: provide insight, understanding, and reflective thought about your selected topic by: building a focused argument around a specific issue, or asking a new related question, or making an oppositional statement supported by related research;
- Organization: present a focused and coherent viewpoint that is supported by effective supporting examples and links/citations to sources that enhance the information presented;
- Style: be creatively and fluently written to stimulate debate/conversation;
- Conventions: be proofread!
How to Post Blog Entries:
I strongly suggest that you compose your blog posts offline (in a Word document) in order to minimize the risk of accidental deletion due to internet connectivity and/or browser issues.
- Click on the current week's blog.
- Below the body of the directions, click the "Comments" text area. You will be able to type your response.
- Paste your text into the Body.
- Click "Post Response".
Replying to Classmates' Posts:
Your blog posts will appear in the thread of the Blog discussion. You should also write comments on 1-2 of your classmates' blogs every week -- to ask questions, provide additional information, argue an opposing point of view, and give support. You have until the following Monday at 7:00 AM to provide these comments.
