Reflections on Process Cyber-Post
A few students in the early class completed their homework, the only problem was that they came in late, so they didn't get a chance to share.
Homework today is to reflect on the paraphrasing exercises. How does paraphrasing help students in their reading, writing and critical thinking skills?
Please complete the exercises on paraphrases (330-347) in Pidd.Tomorrow we will talk about our first essay and begin to paint by numbers (smile). See pages 18-30 (review Sentence Punctuation). Essay 1: 31-51.
Please post your literal paraphrases at the assignment 2/2, along with the free paraphrases. If you have a question regarding the answer to any questions on paraphrasing post those questions there as well. Students you can give each other feedback. In the 9-10 a.m. class several of you had to revise a few words you didn't replace with a synonym.
I am going to see if we can complete an essay every other month, with the Dreams theme essay as the midterm. We can begin the research essay when we get to essay 3-4 in Pidd. There are only five.
Bring Poetry on Tap to class next week. We'll begin reading selections next week.
Study Groups
More students are forming study groups: Mesha, Gerrell, Bridgette, and one other student. They had to move a couple or times before they found a study room where they could talk, but they didn't give up.
Field Trips?
Are students interested in attending plays or poetry readings, concerts, author events and other culturally enriching activities together? Let me know. I attend more than one play a week and concerts frequently for my other job: arts critic.
A few students in the early class completed their homework, the only problem was that they came in late, so they didn't get a chance to share.
Homework today is to reflect on the paraphrasing exercises. How does paraphrasing help students in their reading, writing and critical thinking skills?
Please complete the exercises on paraphrases (330-347) in Pidd.Tomorrow we will talk about our first essay and begin to paint by numbers (smile). See pages 18-30 (review Sentence Punctuation). Essay 1: 31-51.
Please post your literal paraphrases at the assignment 2/2, along with the free paraphrases. If you have a question regarding the answer to any questions on paraphrasing post those questions there as well. Students you can give each other feedback. In the 9-10 a.m. class several of you had to revise a few words you didn't replace with a synonym.
I am going to see if we can complete an essay every other month, with the Dreams theme essay as the midterm. We can begin the research essay when we get to essay 3-4 in Pidd. There are only five.
Bring Poetry on Tap to class next week. We'll begin reading selections next week.
Study Groups
More students are forming study groups: Mesha, Gerrell, Bridgette, and one other student. They had to move a couple or times before they found a study room where they could talk, but they didn't give up.
Field Trips?
Are students interested in attending plays or poetry readings, concerts, author events and other culturally enriching activities together? Let me know. I attend more than one play a week and concerts frequently for my other job: arts critic.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 11:22 AM
18 Comments:
Nely Ruiz
English 1A
9:00 am -10:00 am
2.3.09
Reflection on paraphrasing exercises
There are two different types of paraphrasing; literal and free. In the literal you must change all the words to synonyms, but you must leave the sentence structure the same; in the free paraphrase you must change both the words and the structure of the sentence. The concept is easy, but it is hard to change words; the only ones that come to your mind are the ones that they use, it takes some research to find other words that are comparable. As a writer, paraphrasing is hard, but I would not want someone else using my words and thoughts without giving me credit; I try and make sure that I am not guilty of that myself. As a reader, the paraphraser must capture the meaning and the voice of the original author, or else the meaning is changed too drastically; they must research the words they use.
It is good to teach this before we get into heavy writing; then every student has this tool to rely on while writing essays and other discourses. We now have no excuse to plagiarize.
I would like to attend play, i got to at least 7 a year. It would depend on the cultural event and other activites.
Mesha Shavers
How does paraphrasing help students in reading, writing and critical thinking?
When you paraphrase, depending on what type of paraphrasing your doing, you change the wording and maybe the sentence structure around. Literal paraphrasing you replace the words and phrases, but keep the same exact sentence structure, which gives room to plagiarize. Free paraphrasing you do not have room to plagiarize because you have to replace phrases with synonyms and rearrange the entire sentence structure. Now if I could just get it right. Literal paraphrasing seems to be a little less intricate, compared to changing the entire structure of a sentence and replacing phrases with synonyms. I’m going to try it again now that I think I understand it better. That’s what our study group was about today learning how not to be confused. Paraphrasing helps build vocabulary because you’re replacing entire phrases with like words, which help the foundation of writing. If you write enough critical thinking will only follow.
Rebecca Evans Eng. 1a 9-10 response to paraphrasing exercises 2/3/09
I always thought paraphrasing was the same as summarizing. I recently discovered that paraphrasing was a far greater task.
When constructing a literal paraphrase from, “to recognize the subtle hierarchies and unspoken codes that had policed their lived,” (Obama pg. 13 ch. 1) I understood the passage at a deeper context. By replacing words I went from comprehending the passage to understanding the passage. The real meaning of the paragraph portrayed that throughout difficult hardships, WWII in this case, people typically come together to support one another. However, in this instance the “unspoken codes” debilitated people from uniting due to the invisible racial line laid out by previous ancestors and ideas. I also began to understand African America’s feelings on a deeper level, “it had to do with something called respectability” (Obama pg.13 ch.1). Here Obama nightlights the painful truths of the time; Blacks were not equal, acceptable, respectable, or admirable.
A free paraphrase proved to be easier to write but did not give me as much of an internal understanding of the work at hand. The free paraphrase is aimed for an audience while the literal paraphrase is a deeper personal search for the meanings of the passage.
In both the literal and free paraphrase I was forced to use my thesaurus to find synonyms thus expanding my vocabulary and again understanding the text more clearly.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rebecca Evans Eng. 1a 9-10 response to Nely Ruiz 2/3/09
It is indeed very difficult to change the words when it seems like the original author picked the most appropriate word for the context of the passage. Though easy in theory it is surprisingly difficult! I admit that in my earlier writing days I most likely plagiarized, thinking that by changing either the words or the structure was paraphrasing. I am confident and clear now that both the structure and the words themselves must be altered to refrain from academic theft.
Jose Vasquez
English 1A
9:00-9:50
From the paraphrasing exercise I learned that I had plagiarized in the past. As a reader I was able to identify literal paraphrasing and free paraphrasing. I learned that in a literal paraphrase many people try to make it their own by just simply changing the original words with synonyms. Changing the original words with synonyms is plagiarism because the sentence structure is the same. In order to avoid plagiarism you must reword the original phrase and change the sentence structure. The process is called free paraphrase. It is very difficult to find some synonyms for some of the words that they use, because they put in the most common one. I get confused because I get mixed up with a literal and free. I forget the rules of each one and sometimes forget that I have to change the sentence structure. As a writer I will try to use what I learned to avoid plagiarism because it is illegal to take someone else’s work and making it your own.
Hassan Moore.
English 1A
Paraphrasing is a very useful and challenging tool. I'm enjoying learning about it very much, and I’m sure it will help my composition as a writer. Over the last few days I have been using my thesaurus a lot more, and working with my study group to come up with synonyms. From what I have learned in these exercises I can avoid plagiarism much easier and identify when I need to use either type of paraphrasing.
Hong Tang
English 1A 9-9:50AM
A paraphrase relates in your own words. It is where you borrow the thoughts from another person and changes it into your own words. It can be use to change a difficult passage that may be hard for readers to understand to an easy understanding passage. It also helps to explain unfamiliar terms. Mostly, a paraphrase can avoid plagiarism. Paraphrasing helps me a lot because I can always uses it to express my own interpretation. It makes it easier for me to break down words that I don't understand. I tried putting it into my own words when it comes to reading. In that way, it'll be easier for me to follow up with what is going on in the sotry.
Bridgette Copprue
English1A 9-10
03 February 2009
Reflecting on Paraphrasing
"Literal or Free"
To reflect on anything, I must first understand what it is that I am to reflect about.
In reading my classmates opinions on the subject of plagiarism and the avoidance of it, I learned that "paraphrasing" is not summarizing as I thought it to be. When reading someone else's literary work and needing to literal paraphrase or free paraphrase, you must know the difference between the two writing styles. A literal paraphrase is illegal but allowed to teach me and others how to compose legitimate free paraphrases.
I must confess that I was doing Part2 of Stewart Pidd and forgot to read up on pgs. 330-347. So my answers that I had for some of the sentences on paraphrasing were from our class discussions. I am one that cannot grasp full meanings without actual reading and understanding before I take on a task.
I started out by reading my so called "Literal Paraphrase" and had it all wrong. Why? Because I went off the shoulder as to how I was to write the paragraph, without having the slightest notion of what I was asked to do. I am going to post my freestyle paraphrase and the literal paraphrase with my new and correct understanding of what I am writing about. Excuse the long dialogue, but I feel it necessary to explain.
I also believe, now, that literal and free paraphrasing definitely causes you to "critically think" before you begin to "summarize" a piece of work.
Andre Stephens
English 1A – 9:00 – 9:50
February 3, 2009
Reflections on Paraphrasing Exercise
Paraphrasing will help me in many ways. When it comes to reading, paraphrasing can allow me to understand different versions of the text. Also, it may help me grasp specific points that I may not have caught earlier. An important element of this would have to be writing. There are two types of paraphrases, one is literal and the other is free. In a literal paraphrase, the structure of the sentence has to be changed and synonyms must replace some of the words. In a free paraphrase, the sentence has to be taken from the passive to the active voice.
The most important part of the exercise is developing critical thinking skills. Doing these exercises really forces you to use your brain by thinking outside the box. If this is mastered, problem solving skills will be improved by being able to analyze and really dissect things.
Jennifer Gonzales
Eng 1A 9-950a
Reflection On Paraphrasing Exercise:
Paraphrasing is more difficult than I thought. At first I got confused about the two because they seem very similar. But after the help from my study group I can now differentiate the two (Thanks Hassan, Jeremy and Hong). Starting off, I felt it is very time consuming because I am constantly looking into my dictionary and thesaurus for synonyms and there meanings. But with enough practice I believe I will not need my dictionary/thesaurus as much.
I am learning a lot from the exercise because I now know new words and there meanings. My vocabulary is definitely expanding. I still have much to learn and need more pratice on paraphrasing but I also know with more practice it will become more easy. This will be a helpful technique when writing future essays.
Bridgette Copprue
Eng1A 9-10
03 February 2009
Literal Paraphrase
pg21, par1 of "Dreams...
Barack H. Obama
She's discerning in her way, the matriarch, doubtful of agitating responses or outlandish reasons, satisfied with ordinary intelligence. Which is why I am prone to believe her narrative of incidents; it relates to what I comprehend about the patriarch, he leans toward changing his story to match with the picture he invisions for himself.
Free Paraphrase
In being discerning, the matriarch chooses the story that is ordinarily inteligent. I am prone to believe her narrative of incidents; understanding the fact that the patriarch leans toward more of his own recollections than actual reality.
I misstated earlier when I said that I would post my "new and correct" paragraphs. I hope they are correct. Mr. Pidd's definition of a literal paraphrase is: to replace words and phrases but keep the identical sentence structure, and the definition of a free paraphrase is: rearranging the structure of the sentence(s) and replace the writer's phrases with synonyms.
Jeremy J. Kerby
English 1A, 9-9:50AM
Reflection On Paraphrasing Exercise:
I find paraphrasing very use full. If done properly you can find yourself never being accused of plagiarizing. Also paraphrasing is a good way to summarize a piece of writing. It is a good way to break down what you read for you to better understand it. I look forward o learning more ways in which I can do so.
Regarding Field Trips:
I would love to attend any events you have in mind. I would be more interested in attending plays though. If you need any ideas I have a friend who I see perform regularly in SF.
Eng 1A 8-8:50am
I find the literal paraphrase to be much harder than the free because with the free paraphrase your allowed a little more freedom, almost like a summary. I noticed while doing the literal paraphrase it is hard to find synonyms that bring out the same delivery as the author's words of choice. That's because with the writing process you're supposed to do many rough drafts and go through the process of setting a foundation for your essay like the main things you want to talk about, only in the end are you supposed to play with the word choice and pick words that add a certain tone to your peice. These activites helped me to have a better understanding of this process because I'm still very new to it so I'm definitely interested at getting better and learning more.
Mokhtar Mohamed
English 1A
How does paraphrasing help students in their reading, writing and critical thinking skills?
Paraphrasing is considered one of the best ways to teach student how they could avoid cheating and not to comment plagiarism. By doing this class work and home work that contain exercise about paraphrasing I learned a lot about how to paraphrase and not to copy someone’s ideas and use them in my writing. Therefore I infer that if I want to paraphrase, I have to come up with the synonym of any words that someone said and use it as mine
Munkhjin Munkhbaatar
English 1A
9-9.50
Paraphrasing is hard for me because my vocabulary is not that good and I've been here in the United States two and a half year and my English is not that perfect like everyone else in my class. There are Two types of Paraphrasing one is Literal and the other one Free. Literal Paraphrasing you have to change each words to synonyms but you can't change the structure of the sentence. Free Paraphrasing you can change both words and the sentence structure. Paraphrasing makes sentences more understandable and clear. Free paraphrasing is much easier than Literal because you can change everything. First when I learned about Paraphrasing I thought it is more likely summarizing but then I realized that it is way different than summarizing in every way.
I'm interested in attending field trips but I feel that the location should be decided by the class as a whole and not by the teacher. This creates discourse on where we could go to have a fun and possibly eye-opening experience. The place should be interactive and involve some degree of physical activity (e.g walking through a museum, not sitting still in a chair and watching a man talk).
An essay can be assigned asking the student to relate his/her experiences as to what had been learned and how going on to this location had enriched them as a human being.
A example of this could going to the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park under the pretense that students answer questions about the environment: our effects on it and its effects on us. The essay would ultimately be about this subject. Students can pair off into groups or remain as a whole.
Literal paraphrasing is really hard to do you have to change all the words and put them in your own word, it’s kind of hard to keep the structure and use synonyms. Free paraphrasing I believe is easier to do, read the piece and rewrite in your words.
Paraphrasing helps me when I have to write an essay. I am able to digest what I read and grasp a better understanding for the material. Paraphrasing also helps you become a better writer.
English 1A
Tipton
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