Annotating a Scholarly Journal Second Draft

Cobb, Aries. “To differentiate or not to differentiate? Using internet-based technology in the classroom.” Quarterly Review of Distance Education 11.1 (2010): 37+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.


In the report Cobb looks at whether educators should differentiate instruction, or should use direct instruction when using Internet-based software in the K-12 classroom. According to Cobb direct instruction and differentiated instruction are two different teaching strategies. In direct instruction students work in whole group. The teacher explains the task to the students based on targeted learning outcomes. Students work in a large group on the required task in a timely manner. On the other hand, students who work in a flexible and/or cooperative group are guided with the strategy of differentiated instruction. The students in the group work together to master a set of skills depicted and explained in detail by the teacher. The teacher provides instruction based on the uniqueness of each student and his or her specific learning style. In differentiated instruction, students and teachers collaborate with one another to meet the targeted goals (Tomlinson, 2001). The Cleveland Metropolitan School District was targeted school for a study. They used a program called Compass Learning which “is an Internet-based software program that differentiates instruction, prescribes learning paths, allows students to work cooperatively, and increases overall student achievement in reading skills for the targeted students.” (1) Cobb says differentiated instruction is the chosen teaching strategy over direct instruction because students and teachers alike prefer to work in cooperative groups while using technology in the classroom.

In my review of the article, this is recent. It was published in the Quarterly Review of Distance Learning in the Spring of 2010. The article seems to be from a credible source. I found the article using the Academic OneFile database. The article is also from a credible author. She is the director of Edu-Tech Consulting Firm and an assistant professor of Educational Technology at Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland/Akron, Ohio area. According to the Association for Educational Communicationsn and Technology “The Quarterly Review of Distance Education is a rigorously refereed journal publishing articles, research briefs, reviews, and editorials dealing with the theories, research, and practices of distance education. The Quarterly Review publishes articles that utilize various methodologies that permit generalizable results which help guide the practice of the field of distance education in the public and private sectors. The Quarterly Review publishes full-length manuscripts as well as research briefs, editorials, reviews of programs and scholarly works, and columns. The Quarterly Review defines distance education as institutionally based, formal education, where the learning group is separated and where interactive technologies are used to unite the learning group.” The targeted audience is for educators, and I think the article does a good job at appealing to that audience.

Reflective Cover Letter First Draft

For my portfolio I have chosen three pieces of writing along with my “Trend Analysis.” The three pieces I chose are: the “Diagnostic Essay” assignment, the “This I Believe” assignment, and the “Annotating a Scholarly Article” assignment.

            The “Diagnostic Essay” assignment was to write an essay reflecting on how or indeed whether schools and colleges should adapt technology. I had three sources to use for this. I had to synthesize them into the paper and cite and document them properly. I included this piece in my portfolio because it was the first assignment of the semester and I want to show where my writing started. In my first draft I used two of the three sources and I synthesized them well. But, I put a lot of information in my first paragraph, and I need reorganize some of the information to make the essay flow better and make it easier to follow for readers. I also should incorporate the third source into the paper.

            The second piece I have chosen to include is the “This I Believe” essay. This assignment is asking me to write an essay on one of my core beliefs. It should tell a story on how this belief was formed, tested, or changed. It should be something personal that only I know. It should be written in a way that is comfortable to read out loud, and it should be between 350 and 500 words. I chose this piece because I wrote about someone that is very important to me, my grandmother.

            The Third piece I chose is the “Annotating a Scholarly Article” assignment. This assignment asks to write an annotation of a scholarly article that is at least two paragraphs long and contains both a summary and evaluation of that article. The first line or two should have the full bibliographical information in the correct MLA format. The first paragraph should contain a summary of the article highlighting the main points. The second paragraph should evaluate the credibility, timeliness, and usefulness of the article. I chose to include this piece because it was preparing us for the “Trend Analysis” paper. It showed us to really do research, to be able to determine if a piece of research will be able to help us. It shows us how to also properly cite an article, and how to use databases for information.

            The fourth piece included in my portfolio is the “Trend Analysis” paper. This assignment asks to clearly state a thesis that identifies a trend. The causes and effects of this trend must be clearly defined through the use of sources. These sources must be documented and cited properly throughout the paper. There has to be at least two scholarly sources used, and there needs to be a works cited page.

            As a writer I feel that my work has changed over the course of the semester. Starting with the “Diagnostic Essay” I was not exactly sure of what was expected of me as a writer, but as the semester went on I learned what was expected. Ending with the “Trend Analysis” as a compilation of everything I have learned throughout the semester is a good way to end.  Input from you and from my partner has helped me figure out what my strengths are and what needs work. Everything has been a work in progress and I hope to take with me everything that I learned this semester and apply it to all of my other writing in college.

Post Write Analyzing a Trend Second Draft

1. How do you feel about the paper so far? Please explain and offer evidence from the work.

So far I feel the paper is ok. I know it can definitely use more work. He sources need to be used better. I need to put more of myself in it. I need to use more examples and explain myself more.

2. What remains to be done? Please be precise.

I need to organize things better and explain the causes and effects more. I need to put myself in the paper, and make my voice heard.

3. What questions do you have for readers about the piece?

How do I make this easier for the reader to understand without losing what I am trying to say?

Analyzing a Trend Second Draft

Teen’s use of alcohol has a lot of different effects on them, mostly negative. Cristol says the proportion of American children who start drinking alcohol in or before eighth grade has increased by nearly one-third since 1975, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York. Also, that girl’s are now just as likely to drink as boys.

Adolescents with alcohol use disorders reported symptoms of health problems in many areas, including sleep difficulties, chest discomfort, breathing symptoms, abdominal complaints, muscle and joint pain, and headaches. The study, however, also found some negative health signs in teens with alcohol use disorders. Blood samples showed that young people with alcohol use disorders had elevated liver enzyme levels and had more abnormalities uncovered in physical exams. Physical exam abnormalities showed up mainly in oral exams. Clark said that adolescents with alcohol problems have inadequate health maintenance behaviors, including less-than-regular tooth brushing, which causes dental cavities and gingivitis. (Cristol)

Alcohol is linked to the top three causes of teen deaths: suicide, homicide, and accidents, including traffic fatalities and drowning. Alcohol can also play a role in irresponsible and potentially dangerous sexual behavior. Compared with teens who don't drink, teenage drinkers are seven times likelier to have sex and twice as likely to have sex with four or more partners. Alcohol-influenced sexual behavior can result in unprotected sex, increasing the risk of AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy, Califano says. n part, the alcohol and entertainment industries are to blame, the report finds. Children and teens are bombarded with TV ads glorifying beer during sports programs, and images like Budweiser's talking lizards have tremendous youth appeal. The alcohol industry also lures minors with sweet-tasting, colorfully packaged drinks. More than 40% of teens have tried beverages like Tequiza and Smirnoff Ice. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has glamorized and sexualized alcohol in many children's movies. An analysis of 81 G-rated animated films revealed that nearly 50% showed characters using alcohol, often without consequence. In addition, 34% of the movies equated alcohol with wealth, 19% with sexual activity. While the alcohol and entertainment industries may be influencing minors to drink, "we have to point the finger at ourselves," Califano says. Children cite other people's houses as the most common setting for drinking. And one-third of sixth- and ninth-graders get alcohol from their own homes. "Parents tend to see drinking and occasional bingeing as a rite of passage, rather than a deadly round of Russian roulette." (“Researchers…”)

Teenagers who use alcohol are more likely to cause harm to themselves than those that do not drink. They are more likely to have sex, get an STD, and it is one of the top causes for deaths among teens.

Works Cited

Cristol, Hope. "Teen Drinking Is on the Rise." Futurist 36.4 (2002): 14. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

"Researchers find health problems among teen drinkers." DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application 20.10 (2001): 7. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Analyzing a Trend First Draft Post Write

1. How do you feel about the paper so far? Please explain and offer evidence from the work.

So far I feel the paper is ok. I know it can definitely use more work. I need to use more examples and explain myself more.

2. What remains to be done? Please be precise.

I need to organize things better and explain the causes and effects more.

3. What questions do you have for readers about the piece?

How do I make this easier for the reader to understand without losing what I am trying to say?

Analyzing a Trend First Draft

Teen’s use of alcohol has a lot of different effects on them, mostly negative. Cristol says the proportion of American children who start drinking alcohol in or before eighth grade has increased by nearly one-third since 1975, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York. Also, that girl’s are now just as likely to drink as boys.

Adolescents with alcohol use disorders reported symptoms of health problems in many areas, including sleep difficulties, chest discomfort, breathing symptoms, abdominal complaints, muscle and joint pain, and headaches. The study, however, also found some negative health signs in teens with alcohol use disorders. Blood samples showed that young people with alcohol use disorders had elevated liver enzyme levels and had more abnormalities uncovered in physical exams. Physical exam abnormalities showed up mainly in oral exams. Clark said that adolescents with alcohol problems have inadequate health maintenance behaviors, including less-than-regular tooth brushing, which causes dental cavities and gingivitis. (Cristol)

Alcohol is linked to the top three causes of teen deaths: suicide, homicide, and accidents, including traffic fatalities and drowning. Alcohol can also play a role in irresponsible and potentially dangerous sexual behavior. Compared with teens who don't drink, teenage drinkers are seven times likelier to have sex and twice as likely to have sex with four or more partners. Alcohol-influenced sexual behavior can result in unprotected sex, increasing the risk of AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy, Califano says. n part, the alcohol and entertainment industries are to blame, the report finds. Children and teens are bombarded with TV ads glorifying beer during sports programs, and images like Budweiser's talking lizards have tremendous youth appeal. The alcohol industry also lures minors with sweet-tasting, colorfully packaged drinks. More than 40% of teens have tried beverages like Tequiza and Smirnoff Ice. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has glamorized and sexualized alcohol in many children's movies. An analysis of 81 G-rated animated films revealed that nearly 50% showed characters using alcohol, often without consequence. In addition, 34% of the movies equated alcohol with wealth, 19% with sexual activity. While the alcohol and entertainment industries may be influencing minors to drink, "we have to point the finger at ourselves," Califano says. Children cite other people's houses as the most common setting for drinking. And one-third of sixth- and ninth-graders get alcohol from their own homes. "Parents tend to see drinking and occasional bingeing as a rite of passage, rather than a deadly round of Russian roulette." (“Researchers…”)

Works Cited

Cristol, Hope. "Teen Drinking Is on the Rise." Futurist 36.4 (2002): 14. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

"Researchers find health problems among teen drinkers." DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application 20.10 (2001): 7. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Annotating a Scholarly Article First Draft Post Write

1. How do you feel about the paper so far? Please explain and offer evidence from the work.

So far I have my full citation at the top. I have started my first paragraph, but it still needs to be completed. I have used parenthesis when I have used something from the article. I have stated who wrote this, and I am trying to summarize what the author has said.

2. What remains to be done? Please be precise.

I need to finish my first paragraph and I need to do my second paragraph. In the first paragraph I need to explain more about what each kind of approach is and why teachers prefer direct instruction.

3. What questions do you have for readers about the piece?

Does it make sense so far? I know it isn’t much but is what I have there understandable?