Week One: Tell Us About Yourself On The Introductions Page

Week One 1 Tell Us About Yourself Onthe Introductions G Page Beyon

Describe yourself in the Introductions G+ page, including what makes you unique. Respond to at least three peers. Consider how you use research skills daily and academically, their similarities and differences, and how research influences your reading and writing. Post an initial response (audio or written), then respond to two classmates.

Expand an annotation from this week’s reading into a 300-word micro-essay, focusing on your strongest response. Summarize an essay from the week in at least 300 words, accurately capturing main points and supporting details. Share these in G+ and comment on at least two peers’ essays.

Post your thesis statement for your Argumentative Essay on the Thesis Building G+ page and comment on three others, offering feedback. Write a 300-word rebuttal (“Yes, but...”) to a claim from the reading and a 300-word extension (“Yes, and...”) adding support to a claim. Share these micro-essays in the Week Two Micro-essays G+ page and comment on two peers' essays. Submit your Argumentative Paper Proposal via Google Doc link on the Proposal G+ Page. Complete the Week 2 Reflection.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment involves engaging students in multiple interconnected tasks aimed at developing essential research and writing skills through reflective, critical, and interactive activities. The initial activity requires students to introduce themselves on the Google+ platform, emphasizing personal uniqueness beyond basic background information. This fosters a sense of community and personal engagement within the course.

Following the introduction, students are prompted to reflect on their everyday research practices and compare them with academic research skills. This exercise encourages metacognition about research processes, emphasizing their relevance to critical reading and writing. The activity promotes understanding that research is not solely an academic task but a vital skill applicable in daily life, fostering lifelong learning and curiosity.

The coursework then transitions into micro-essays, beginning with expanding a personal annotation into a 300-word micro-essay. This task enhances analytical thinking, encouraging students to articulate their insights and reactions in a focused, expanded format. By reviewing their annotations, students identify their most compelling thoughts, practicing reflection and synthesis skills essential for academic writing.

The second micro-essay involves summarizing an entire essay, a fundamental skill requiring comprehension, synthesis, and paraphrasing. This task aims to bolster students' ability to distill complex arguments into clear, concise summaries, serving as a foundation for critical reading. Sharing these summaries in Google+ promotes peer learning through feedback and discussion, fostering a collaborative academic environment.

The activity sequence continues with thesis development, where students draft their thesis statements for their upcoming argumentative essays. Peer review of theses fosters constructive feedback, sharpening students’ ability to craft clear, assertive claims—an essential element of persuasive writing.

Subsequently, students engage in micro-essays that challenge or expand existing claims (“Yes, but...” and “Yes, and...”), promoting critical thinking, rhetorical skills, and dialogue. These tasks push students to evaluate arguments critically, support or counter claims with evidence, and engage in scholarly debate, which cultivates depth and nuance in their writing.

Finally, students are required to prepare an argumentative paper proposal and submit it via Google Docs, integrating research and planning into their writing process. The completion of the Week 2 Reflection consolidates their learning, encouraging self-assessment and goal setting, essential for continuous improvement in academic writing and critical thinking.

References

• Baer, J. (2015). The Research Skills Handbook. Academic Press.
• Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Kuhn, T. S. (2012). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press.
• Lune, H., & Berg, B. L. (2017). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences (9th ed.). Pearson.
• Norris, S. P. (2011). Asking Questions: The Definitive Guide to Questionnaire Design. SAGE Publications.
• Rossiter, D. (2017). Critical Thinking and Writing for Nursing Students. Open University Press.
• Silverman, D. (2016). Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications.
• Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students (3rd ed.). University of Michigan Press.
• Van Gundy, A. (2014). Techniques of Structured Social Research. Sage Publications.
• Wallace, M. L., & Wray, A. (2016). Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. Sage.