07.750 Graduate Summative Seminar
Brandon University
June 2018
GRADUATE SCHOLARLY WRITING
07.780
SUMMARY
The purpose of this course was to have students analyze and practice a variety of forms of written communication, including recovery of meaning (through analysis, synthesis and evaluation), conceptualization, categorical frameworks, exposition, autobiography, editing, and biographic notation, modeled on current practices in research and scholarly publications in education.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This is one of the most valuable courses to take early in one’s university career. It will push you to take note of the most minute of details, and prepare you for any style of writing that may come your way. Prepare to get to know how to use a database and expand your thoughts about writing. Though only three assignments are required for the completing of this course, they are important. This is where you learn the minute details of APA, bibliographies, annotated bibliographies, proper referencing, and how to write an academic paper.
REFLECTION
Scholarly Writing was one of the most agonizing (in a good way), detail oriented classes I’ve ever taken, but also one of the most important. I learned about APA, which is far more crucial to university students now than when I completed my undergraduate degree. This is when I learned about my ability as a writer. I gained confidence in myself and in my ability as a student.
SIGNIFICANT READINGS
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author
Duff, F. J., Mengoni, S. E., Bailey, A. M., & Snowling, M. J. (2014). Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: Implications for practice. Journal of Research in Reading, 38(2), 109-123. doi:10.1111/1467-9817.12029
Kruk, R. S., Mayer, J., & Funk, L. (2014). The predictive relations between non-alphanumeric rapid naming and growth in regular and irregular word decoding in at-risk readers. Journal of Research in Reading, 37(1), 17-35. doi:10.1111/jrir.12005
McLeod, S. (2013). Kolb-Learning styles. Simply psychology. Retrieved May 5, 2015, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html
Terry, M. (2014). Teaching grammar and punctuation in the twenty-first century. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Terry, M. (2015, Spring). Kolb’s experiential learning model. Graduate Scholarly Writing lesson materials. Brandon University, Brandon, MB.
ARTIFACTS
There were three main assignments for this course; two papers and an annotated bibliography. Given the limited number of items from which to choose, I selected the two most interesting.
As in the previous course, my professor bestowed the honor of selecting my paper to be published in the Brandon University Journal of Graduate Studies. I was once again surprised and thrilled to be included in the publication. I felt as though I worked really hard to create a decent article, and was pleased, and a bit embarrassed to have my words presented to a wider audience.
I found the case self-study assignment of determining our learning style very interesting. According to the details provided in an article based on Kolb’s learning styles, I am an assimilator/diverger. I prefer logical, predictable organization but I am also sensitive to others’ perspectives. Looking back at the assignment, my learning style hasn’t changed much, but I do value the social interaction aspect of learning more now than in previous years.
