BONUS STEP: CONDUCTING AND USING RESEARCHFinding good resources is a major stumbling block for students. Even though most of my students are incredibly technologically literate and spend a lot of time online, it is a mistake for teachers (or students) to assume that spending time online is the same thing as conducting research well. This is the final entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link. |
|
STEP 9: REWRITING, REVISING, EDITINGMany students see the process of revision as an unnecessary bother and rarely do more than correct a few spelling errors. I get it. There comes a point where you just want to turn in the paper, but the truth is that every paper can use some serious rewriting. I personally love this process because it allows me to move the paper closer to how I imagined it and communicate more clearly. This is the sixth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link. |
|
STEP 7: BODY PARAGRAPHSEach body paragraph starts with a topic sentence. A topic sentence has the same function for the paragraph that the thesis has for the whole essay: it clearly defines exactly what that paragraph will be about. This helps you identify what information to include in the paragraph and also ensures that the information connects directly to your thesis statement. This is the fifth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link. In order to write a topic sentence, you will need to use your outline. Look at the ideas that will be addressed in each body paragraph and write a sentence that encompasses all of them and supports the thesis statement. In fact, your outline may already include your topic sentences if the formatting requires it. Once you have the topic sentence in place, it is the measure by which you make sure all the information in the paragraph is where it should be. If it doesn’t connect to the topic sentence, you either need to alter the topic sentence, or move the information. |
|
STEP 5: OUTLININGOutlining is the process of taking the information from your brainstorming list and organizing it so you can present it in the most logical and effective way. This is the fourth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the full series here. Start by taking your brainstorming list and identifying ideas that go together. I like to use a numbering system, but you can also use symbols, highlighting in different colors, or whatever works best for you. The important thing to remember is that your essay should be organized based on ideas. |
|
STEP 4: THESIS STATEMENTA clear thesis statement is key to writing a good essay. It’s not easy, but it is necessary. This is the third entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can view the full series here. The point I’m going to make about thesis statements is very similar to the point I made about essay topics, but this time I have some fun illustrations. |
|
STEP 2: CHOOSING YOUR TOPICThe second step in writing a good essay is choosing the right topic. Your topic determines what you will write, so choose wisely. This is the second entry in a series concerning the writing process. Make sure that you read Part 1: Reading the Prompt before reviewing this article. Choosing the right topic for your essay can be tricky. Usually, there is flexibility built into a prompt so that you have a choice of which part of the question to focus on. |
|
|
Writing essays is challenging for many students. This is understandable, especially for students who have never written an essay before. It’s stressful trying to produce a longer piece of writing. I believe that part of the stress comes from uncertainty about how to actually write an essay. Teachers provide written instructions, but sometimes students need more. Of course, there are tutorial videos online, but I want to do something a little bit different. I want to let students watch me write a complete essay. I won’t be pre-writing the essay or outlining it in advance, so students will be able to watch my actual process. The video will be broken into steps and appear with written explanations, but students will also be able to view the video in its entirety in the final article of this series. I’ll be explaining what I’m doing in the video, and I have a few illustrations, but the majority of the videos will be me going through an authentic writing process. |
|
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 12th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 12th grade are expected to understand the reason for carefully storing sensitive data.
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 11th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 11th grade are expected to understand the reason for creating secure passwords.
Passwords can be a beast. Below are some practical (and actually sort of fun) actions for you to take to stay on top of your passwords.
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 10th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 10th grade are expected to understand malware and antivirus.
Keeping your computer free from malware allows you to surf safely. Malware could be planted by hackers, terrorists, or bored individuals.
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 9th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 9th grade are expected to learn how about data organization.
Students should review this article with a parent.
When your computer is having a problem, you've probably heard your student's teacher or tech support member tell you to “turn it off and back on again.” But why does this seemingly simple step often solve so many issues? In this blog post, we'll explore the science behind why restarting your computer can help improve your online student's performance. From frozen screens to sluggish Internet connections, being able to quickly troubleshoot and fix problems with a few clicks of the mouse could be the difference between success and failure for your child's online studies.
Welcome to the world of word processors! A word processor is a computer program that helps you create and edit documents with ease. From class assignments to book reports to creative stories, you can use a word processor to type, save, and print all types of written documents. Whether you use Google Docs or Microsoft Word, this guide will help you unlock the power of writing on your computer!
Summer is a time of rest and relaxation, and for most people this means putting off most, if not all, of their academic endeavors. And while taking a mental break can be a good thing and result in renewed energy for school later, this doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. It’s easy to fall victim to laziness during the summer and cease reading and learning in every capacity.
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 8th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 8th grade are expected to learn how to keep your computer secure.
Students should review this article with a parent.
At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 7th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 7th grade are expected to learn how to use social media wisely.
Students should review this article with a parent.
At EnlightiumAcademy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 6th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but also spiritually and socially.
One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 6th grade are expected to learn how to maintain Christian values while accessing the Internet.
Students should review this article with a parent.
Flashcards are a common studying tool that have been used for decades. The basic components are:
While many cards will show both the term and definition on one side, the most effective cards will have the term on one side and the definition on the other.
One common characteristic plagues students today: apathy. The struggle of the parent, student, and teacher is to overcome apathy and motivate students toward genuine learning. What can you do?
When we speak (be it words of comfort, or advice, or persuasion, etc.), sometimes we appeal to the words of someone whose authority on the subject can be agreed upon by both, the speaker and the listener. We do this knowingly or unknowingly, and examples range from as simple as, “my dad said it’s better if done this way…” to as complex as, “astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the universe is expanding 5 percent to 9 percent faster than expected” (Ashley Morrow, NASA).
