LRC SPRING 2010 WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS
Register for a Session Now!
Purpose
The Language Resource Centre will be offering 1-2 hour workshops to get students thinking about writing in a college/university setting. These presentations are intended to inform thought, provoke discussion, and ultimately impart knowledge of and experience with writing that will serve students throughout their time at college. The Spring series of workshops is intended to help students avoid the pitfalls of college writing and develop effective writing techniques in all phases of the writing process.
Design
Each workshop will focus on some of the most significant writing concerns of students (and instructional faculty). The workshops are designed to facilitate the writing of 15 students per session on a first come, first served basis in a small group setting in Room F-7 on the main COB campus. Presenters will guide discussions using Power Point presentations, handouts, worksheets and a dry erase board. Participants are encouraged to think about the topics prior to each session and come with any questions they have.
LocationALL WORKSHOPS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN ROOM F7, on the main COB campus. Space is available only on a first-come, first-served basis, 15 students per session.
Presenters
Monique McFarlane-Bain, Coordinator, LRC
Monique McFarlane-Bain (MMB) is an Assistant Professor in the School of English Studies and the full time Coordinator of the Language Resource Centre. She has degrees in English and Adult Education and many years experience teaching English composition at the high school and tertiary levels. Helping students improve their writing skills and confidence in their writing is her passion.
Michelle V. Bain (MVB) is an Associate Professor in the School of English Studies. She has degrees in Linguistics & English Education as well as several years experience in teaching college English composition and grammar skills/concepts. Indeed, she enjoys working one-on-one with college students to facilitate their development of academic & creative writing skills.
To register online to attend a workshop students should go to http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html or click onto the Register for a Session Now link. Scroll down the list of Spring 2010 workshop topics and click onto your desired workshop link, bearing in mind its time, date and topic. Kindly fill in the details requested: your full name, valid e-mail, student identification number, COB major and telephone contact. Only the first 15 students will be registered for each session.
Signing-up in advance will allow the presenters to have sufficient copies of handouts and worksheets. Students should e-mail the LRC if they wish to cancel a sign-up at language.resource.centre@gmail.com. The LRC will notify participants of any schedule changes.
| Time and Location | Session Topics |
|---|---|
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Feb. 19 10:00 - 11:50 a.m. Room F7 |
Reading Down the Lines I: Building Critical Skills MMB Do you think critically about what your read? Do you make worthwhile judgments? Can you distinguish fact from opinion? In this workshop you will obtain guidance in building critical-thinking skills to comprehend college texts on several levels. You will also obtain some practice in analysing tone, making inferences and judging implications. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
Feb. 19 12:00 - 1:50 p.m. Room F7 |
Making Sense of English Sentences I: Grammatical Choices MVB What are the essential components of a complete grammatical sentence? How is sentence structure related to good college writing? This workshop will provide an overview of the grammaticality of English sentences. Understanding English grammatical sentences can help you not simply write but write skillfully and successfully. In addition, because language is so closely related to thought, studying our English sentence patterns, our underlying grammar, can give you insight into your own ways of thinking and composing. You will also obtain some practice to help you make correct grammatical choices in your writing. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
|
Mar. 5 10:00 - 11:50 a.m. Room F7 |
Reading Down the Lines II: Falling out with Fallacies MMB Why must you eliminate fallacious reasoning from your writing? In this workshop you will obtain guidance in building critical-thinking skills through recognising and avoiding fallacies. You will explore the value of logic & reasoning in critical thought. You will also obtain some practice in thinking critically about your argument and writing assignments. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
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Mar. 5 12:00 - 1:50 p.m. Room F7 |
Harmony Rules: Subjects & Verbs Must Agree!!! Why must English verbs agree with their subjects? Do you really understand the underlying grammatical rules of such constructions? Why does it matter for college writing? Agreement denotes some kind of concord, harmony. Friends agree to have a party; family members agree to share household chores. In a similar way, in academic varieties of English, verbs must agree with their subjects in number and person. This workshop will explore these constructions in some detail. You will also obtain some practice with the English agreement rules. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
|
Mar. 12 12:00 - 1:50 p.m. Room F7 |
Research-based Reinforcements I:Getting Acquainted with
Basic APA Style MMB Do you know how to document using the APA format? Do you really understand how to avoid plagiarism? The American Psychological Association's style is required in many majors, not just the social sciences. This workshop provides basic information and easy tips on APA in-text citation formats and reference lists to ensure that your paper will be in compliance with the latest guidelines. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
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Mar. 19 10:00 - 11:50 p.m. Room F7 | Research-based Reinforcements II:Mastering
Basic MLA Style MVB Haven't you heard a dozen warnings about avoiding plagiarism? Do you have a research paper due that requires MLA style? If you've forgotten the details of citing your sources -- or you never had a systematic lesson -- this workshop is for you. It will sharpen your basic research-based writing skills using the Modern Language Association's format. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
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Mar. 26 10:00 - 11:50 a.m. Room F7 |
Popular Mechanics: Mastering Basic Punctuation
(Comma, Semicolon, Apostrophe) MMB Do you need a guide to help you navigate the rules of proper punctuation? Punctuate your college papers for success! This workshop explicates the major mechanical rules governing the use of the comma, semicolon and the apostrophe in academic writing. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
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Apr. 9 12:00 - 1:50 p.m. Room F7 | Discourse Matters: Distinguishing Bahamian Dialect and Standard Bahamian English MVB Can you convert Bahamian Dialect utterances into academic varieties of Standard Bahamian English? Do you recognise the distinct linguistic features of these two language systems? This workshop will explore the differences in grammatical rules between Bahamian Dialect and Standard Bahamian English. It will detail why appropriate discourse matters in college writing. You will also obtain some practice in translating Bahamian Dialect discourse into academic varieties of Standard Bahamian English. (Registration is open at http://www.cobses.info/lrcworkshopregister.html) |
- Composing Substance: Body Paragraphs
- Avoiding Plagiarism
- Organising Your College Research/Term Paper
- Revising & Editing Your College Paper
- Navigating the Tides of Writing: Imagination, Process,Ins & Outs
- Secrets Behind English Verbs & Tenses
- Producing Pronouns & Antecedents on Harmony Island
- Apex Points: Themes, Thesis Statements, Topic Sentences
- APA Citation Style
- MLA Citation Style
- Making Sense of English Sentences II: Conventional Choices
- Making Sense of English Sentences III: Stylistic Choices
- Considering the Rhetorical Situation
- Expectations of College Writing
- Troubleshooting Grammar Top 20 (Lunsford and Connors 2001)
- College Writing & the Research Process
- Conquering the Comma
- Popular Mechanics: Mastering Basic Punctuation (Comma, Semicolon, Apostrophe)
The LRC welcomes faculty and student input and feedback as workshops are developed. Please send your questions or comments to our e-mail at language.resource.centre@gmail.com or call us at 302-4497.
*This workshop series is subject to change as warranted. Participants will be notified of any schedule changes.