We said in class that the key to effective annotation is to think of it like conversing with the author. Hence, you are responding to the text the way you would in a face-to-face discussion. This is especially helpful in research situations, as the author's ideas can help you answer your research question.
A way to visualize this is to think of your sources as people discussing your topic over dinner. You ask each the same question (your research question), and they then respond with answers (the sources). Not all of the answers will be the same. Often, you will have to decide which answers make sense to you and which you find problematic. In doing so, you should be able to develop what you see as YOUR answer. Your paper then becomes your response to these people. Annotation is the first step; it allows you to start forming your response to each source and, hence, how each source can be used in your paper.
With this in mind, please answer the following in your comment:
- What reading method(s) have you used to comprehend and use complex texts (books, articles, essays, websites, etc.) in the past? Have they been effective? Why or why not?
- In your past experiences, what have you found challenging about incorporating research into your writing?
- How did using annotation in class make reading complex material easier for you? What did you difficult about using this method?
1. the reading methods i've used to comprehend and complex is highlighting parts of the store that would be good in the essay and making small notes next to it or on a piece of paper, it helps a lot because it saves me time to go back and reread everything.
ReplyDelete2. the thing i find challenging is trying not to playgerise their work.
3. to me having a group of people coming up with ideas made it easier because when your sitting and trying to figure things your thinking to hard and not thinking about the obvious.
The reading methods I've used in the past to grasp a better idea of what I'm reading is to read it through once to get a basic knowledge. Then I'll go back through and highlight or underline the parts I think I'll be able to use. It help's because reading it once for a grip, then reading again for a more thorough understanding often let's me put thing's in my own words better.
ReplyDeleteOnce challenge I have had though, is putting the authors ideas into my own words. Mostly because when I read something, I'm almost always going to like the way the put it better than whatever I can come up with.
Annotation in class helps because it's almost like you have specific questions to answer as opposed to just spitting things off the top of your head onto the paper. It acts as a sort of guideline. The only difficult aspect is finding the sources you think suit your paper best and not just finding sources just to have them.
The reading methods that I have used to comprehend and use complex text in the past were reading the story more than once and highlighting parts that I thought were important in the reading.
ReplyDeleteIn the past I found it challenging to reword other authors writing into my own words, and give the same meaning to the point I was trying to get acrossed.
Annotation made it easier because having more than one person thinking about the same topic you are able to hear everyone elses thoughts and ideas, which will help you with finding more ideas.
1. Some reading techniques I use are highlighting, making notes in the margin, and lot of re-reading.
ReplyDelete2. Some things I've found challenging about incorporating research into my writing are how to cite sources, and where to cite sources within my paper. It seems like this changes from class to class often times.
3. I felt like the annotations helped break down the readings and made them more understandable. A difficult part of annotating is finding something accurate to my paper.
1. Honestly I have never used any methods while reading. Unless a teacher has made us highlight or write little notes in the margin. I have always just tried to remember where a great quote was in the reading.
ReplyDelete2. I can not, for the life of me, add in cite sources. In middle school we went over it a million and two times and i still don't understand what I need to be doing. Where do I put it in my paper? How do I put it in my paper? What do I say?
3. This is bad but I'm not sure that I understand any better...
For research in the past I have used methods such as copying down parts that I felt would be helpful or by highlighting the information that I think would be helpful to my research question. I feel that for the most part they have been helpful. This would be because I have the information that I need right there and it is just matter of making sure that I understand what I copied down and to make sure that if I do need to put any of it in my paper that it supports what I am trying to say instead of the opposite. For past challenges I have had issues with working things in my paper that help to answer my question. The reason I have had this issue is because I try and work them in my paper and trying to make them as examples for what I am trying to say but contradicting them in my papers yet I usually just end up getting myself confused after trying to do that too many times in my paper. The in class annotation helped me because it showed me a new way to go through complex readings. It helped show me an order to go through them. I don’t really think that there is anything to difficult about this strategy it is rather straight forward.
ReplyDeleteBy Steven Foulkrod
1.)In the past i have used a couple methods to understand textbooks, articles, etc. I often rewrite material and that helps me remember things. I also like to highlight. I highlight the most crucial parts of books and such. I'll also highlight it if i want to make a note to the side if i don't understand or have a comment about the reading. Highlighting can be useful however sometimes, i can get sidetracked and i'll forget to highlight something important.
ReplyDelete2.) In the past i have had trouble finding enough examples to prove my point in a paragraph. Sometimes they are there in my sources but i can't find them or i just don't think they are good enough.
3.) As bad as it may sound, i thought the annotations were slightly confusing. I'm sure once i take the time to really understand it, it will help make complex reading material much easier for me though.
Kristen Cartner
ReplyDelete1.)I have used reading methods like highlighting and rereading to help comprehend, i have used books and articles to relate back to a topic in the past to learn more about it to back up my paper. They have been effective because when you learn more about something you will be able to talk about it more openly and make your opinions
2.)In my past experiences I have found it challenging to incorporate my research into my writing because I always feel like i'm taking too much from others because I like the way they word it, Obviously that's why they are someone worth looking at in the field, but then I like how they say it that I can't think of how as well to put it in my own words or use it to make my point better.
3.)Annotation made reading complex material easier for me because I can break it down and take it a little at a time and make sense of what I'm reading. It didn't really hurt at all, if anything just help.