Writing to Read
Today, as the deadline for ten page paper proposal is approaching, I will focus on tone and structure in my writing, in order to, as my instructor says, write for a ‘nameless reader’ who knows nothing about your topic. I’ll try to put into this paper, what a colleague mentioned to me, with a format that is explicit and continues to make statements throughout the paper to
- a) tell me what you’re going to tell me;
- b) tell me;
- c) then tell me what you told me.
It may feel repetitive but I’ve been looking for this in the papers that I’ve read. Those that use this specific format are easier to track through and help keep my attention as I’m reading. It’s similar to explicitly including wayfinding strategies in course design. These signs and signifiers, put out along the way, will ensure an easily navigated trip through the paper. Worth remembering as I write.
As I write, I struggle with words and phrases that make sense, have a flow, and connect together to bring understanding. I begin in one place, bounce to another, and come back where I started. I reread and rewrite, crafting the sentences to run smoothly and placing the paragraphs together to build on each other. Each section stands on it’s own but is also intricately connected to what came before. Even though I move whole paragraphs around, sometimes it comes out better in the original location so I move it back. There are times when I need to stop and step back from the text and revisit the overall framework I have for the paper, just to make sure I know where I’m going and what I’ve already written. I frequently feel like I’ve lost complete control and meander through the words, paragraphs and text I’ve crafted without a sense of where I am going. In the end, it was a twelve hour writing marathon with a ten page, semi structured, semi complete framework of a paper, complete with headings, citations and accurate reference listing.
The importance of keeping an accurate reference and citation listing became very evident in this process. I could have saved myself time by using the power and potential of tech-enabled citation software, such as End Note, to keep track of this for me. I know I’d still need to check and double check, but the continual distraction would be mitigated. Time taken to ensure what was cited was also included in the references, and what wasn’t cited was excluded from the references did impact the flow of writing, but is a critical consideration as I write. As I was writing, I also filled in references in my four BIN collections:
- OER, OEM and OEP – this is my biggest collection with all open related readings & research
- Digital and Media – a collection including all things digital and media in education related
- Who and How – a collection of theories, theorists, research about research
- Teaching and Teacher Education – not just about teacher educators and preservice teachers, but also theories into teaching and efficacy in teaching
With these reference BINS, I will continue to build and record the ‘four sentence summaries’ for articles and papers I read. I’ll include quotes or ideas from these papers with a focus to be able to search and find information within these bins quickly and easily. Here are some of the ‘categories’ or ‘key terms’ I’m using in these BINS:
| ANALYTIC PURPOSE | EXAMPLE | QUAL BELIEF |
| ADVICE | EXPLANATION | QUANT BELIEF |
| CHALLENGES | INTERPRETATION | RECOMMEND |
| COMMON GROUND | GOOD QUESTION | RULE |
| COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING | MYTH | STUDY DESCRIPTION |
| CRITICAL POINT | METHODS/WAYS TO DO | SUMMARY |
| DIFFERENCES | NOTES NOT QUOTES | SURVEY ADVICE |
| DEFINITION | OVERVIEW | WHAT? |
| DO | PROCESS | WHY THIS? |
| DON’T DO | QUOTES | WHERE? |
These bins will mirror articles I have in Zotero so I’ll be able to cross reference when I need to find or re-find material for a paper, article or assignment. I’m more aware of key words and need to include those in these BIN collections since this is how I’m finding and referring to articles that connect to my writing. The search feature in PDF readers is very helpful in finding/refinding quotable sections of text written by an author.
As I continue to write, I know that I’ll need to take a closer look at End Note as a possible option for citations and bibliography creation. Here’s a video I’ve viewed and will need to come back to for further learning. I’ll also ask others what they are using to help with their writing, so I can explore further.
