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From: Patti Hobbs <>
Subject: Re: [TGF] Where, today, do we learn to write research papers?
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2011 14:28:22 -0600
References: <20110109085734.6be8dfbc20d2e7d5fe2bfc59d59114c3.a17471fe39.wbe@email02.secureserver.net><AANLkTinBfuFWgKCq+Vd1qiEcEuk0LgFUBgHn349_y2bw@mail.gmail.com><03be01cbb038$407de240$c179a6c0$@net>
In-Reply-To: <03be01cbb038$407de240$c179a6c0$@net>


I agree. And actually I think that genealogical projects can make good
research projects because it is so easy for us to get those original
sources. The research can be scaled down to something smaller, too, where
the breadth of knowledge required is not as great.

I was one of those students who just tried to avoid classes requiring
writing. However, in a couple of classes in college, I had no choice and
ended up taking people who were considered very hard because of the writing
requirements. I actually did better than I ever expected.:-) Sometimes it's
hard to make those choices that require more work.

Patti

On Sun, Jan 9, 2011 at 2:03 PM, <> wrote:

> >Even though I'm all for improving writing skills in high schoolers, I
> believe that one problem in some typical research problem for high schooler
> is that they (myself included as a high schooler) do not have the breadth
> of
> knowledge necessary to do a good job at this. Sure they can write about
> one
> segment of some event or time or person. But to be able to put together a
> lot of information from a variety of sources and analyze and synthesize
> them
> takes time and background knowledge. From what I've seen when high
> schoolers
> do write something that is a research paper (usually on some topic), they
> really only end up semi-parroting certain sources or certain individuals
> more expert than they. There's value in that, too, but I'm not sure that
> it's the same thing as someone who comes in truly looking at the original
> sources and analyzing them and then synthesizing his own conclusions.
>
> But, Patti, no one starts out with "a breadth of knowledge," it's a rare
> person of any age whose initial efforts are likely to be a "good job," and
> everyone has to start somewhere, right? If students in middle-and
> high-school learn nothing more than the fundamentals of
> research---principles, terminology, respect for copyright, and abhorrence
> of
> plagiarism---then they are far more prepared for more-advanced work at the
> college or university level. If the educational system delays teaching
> those
> basics until a student enters college then, at best, the student's
> intellectual growth is delayed. At worst (and more-typically the case, IMO)
> the student who dreads or fears having to write papers, or sees no point in
> doing so, simply avoids taking classes that require research papers. The
> result then is vast numbers of new college graduates going unprepared into
> many fields that do need skills at written communication.
>
> Now, I'll get off my soapbox. But it's been great to see the ideas that
> have been generated. :)
>
> Elizabeth
>
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