Learning with Class

In school, subjects such as history, science, or math can become self-absorbing and can easily intensify when a student is asked to put those concepts into writing for an assignment or a test. In that situation, writing can seem more of an assiduous undertaking than just another whip of the pen or tug of the keyboard. At times, the overbearing dilemma is that once you have determined a proper starting point, of where to go from there and how to verify that you are on the right track or even knowing whether the finished product actually meets the expectation of the assignment or the instructor.

The better portion of writing effort begins with usage of punctuation. An essay can start with a quote from a famous person that illustrates the sentences to follow. That first sentence will start and end with quotation marks and a period to signal the end of the quote and the beginning of the next sentence. The remainder of the essay can make discretionary use of exclamation points and moderate placement of question marks. Any grouping of facts can be managed with commas, colons, and semicolons. The sentences, at the very least, will include a noun and verb preceded by an article such as A or An or The, followed by phrases considered relevant to the immediate subject matter.

The phrasing of a sentence usually depends on its position within the paragraph. A sentence located at the beginning of a paragraph conveys the perspective of that paragraph. The sentence that follows the topic statement clarifies points under consideration by way of examples or details or, as previously mentioned, quotation that support the topic. The last sentence in the paragraph summarizes the points made in the paragraph, reveals how a different perspective appearing in the next paragraph relates, or reiterates the connection to the main idea of the essay. The flow of expression among and within paragraphs is maintained by means of transitional phrases that function as sign posts or bridges, by using terminology as follows: initially, consequently, furthermore, or altogether.

The main idea of the essay initially appears in the introduction paragraph. In writing about an idea with many aspects, each one is assigned to separate body paragraphs that handle each point independently in order to maintain clarity of expression through a gradual presentation of themes. The first body paragraph sets the pace into motion by defining the topic. The second body paragraph provides examples of the definition not to repeat but rather to further inform the reader relative to the main point being made through the essay. The third, and subsequent, body paragraphs take the reader to the crux of the matter by incorporating wider issues that affect the point under consideration. This is where the writer draws in the audience through theory and controversy or any substantial level of ruminating.

The conclusion paragraph is the last opportunity for the writer to convince the audience that the point of view presented is justifiably sound. In order to accomplish this, the conclusion will reiterate the main idea posed at the start of the essay by using different words for lasting effect. A conclusion that takes into account a counterargument is more likely to capture a greater level of interest than one that avoids it; else, outright give the impression of a balanced and thorough examination of the central theme and any periphery implications or outright complications.

The sample essay below applies practical writing guidelines found in most textbooks or courses.

Eureka!

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” This is a saying by American inventor Thomas Edison. It means that great accomplishments depend not so much on ingenuity as on hard work. Another significant inventor is Albert Einstein. His theories form the basis for many of the conveniences people take for granted in the modern world. In that regard, there are many recent inventors that can be explored that are equally as prolific as Edison and Einstein.

The first modern inventor is Bill Gates. His entry into software technology has transformed the way people work and play. Before Gates, people used a telephone to socialize and a typewriter to prepare business documents. Not only has Gates combined those tasks into one device, he has reshaped the way people perform leisurely and professional tasks.

Another entrepreneur is Mark Zuckerberg who single-handedly redefined the way people communicate locally or abroad. Apart from the common way people meet and interact, Zuckerberg has formulated a platform for exchanging ideas through text, graphics, audio, and video in order to enhance intellectual and cultural curiosity. Before Zuckerberg, people used newspaper, television, and letters to correspond. Now, people can more intuitively and ingenuously cultivate their social and business circles.

Above all, a person’s creativity and the product that emerges is sufficient to enhance lives. Some inventors envision a solution that becomes a reality which often forms the basis for long term prosperity. One example is the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. Bell was born in Scotland and relocated to Ontario and Massachusetts before eventually settling in Nova Scotia. He entered high school and enrolled in college but left before setting his sights on a method to transmit telegraph signals as electrical impulses in what would become an early version of the telephone. In modern times, it is difficult to image a home or a business without a telephone. What is equally outstanding is the indispensable usage of the cell phone by adults and children for work and play without being attached to a wall by a wire. Elsewhere, the collection and relay of information from a remote location to a laboratory is another way that technological innovation is improving life. For instance, telemetry is the automatic measurement and wireless transmission of data from remote sources to a central location or focal site. The use of telemetry systems include measuring and transmitting data from sensors located in automobiles, smart meters, power utilities, robots and even wildlife, into the confines of an office for analysis. What is equally as important as the invention itself is the assortment of products that spring forth from one person’s motivation to make life more interesting and manageable.

In hindsight, people have been finding innovative ways to make life full of modern conveniences. That has taken the form of electricity, medicine, and airplanes, to name a few indispensable items. With each new generation comes greater challenges. Yet, we can rest assured that there will always be that one person that has a vision to make the world better and more exciting through remarkable breakthroughs. One such benefit is air travel through the accomplishments in aeronautics and aerodynamics by Orville and Wilbur Wright. Their insight into flying aircraft has expanded the horizon of many people in leisure or business. Alexander Bell’s insight, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success” is a worthwhile motto to follow en route to success. The question stands: will you be the next Leonardo Da Vinci and, if so, what is your unique brand of ingenuity?

Once the writing is committed to paper, the continual refinement of an essay involves: drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. As noted previously, the first draft incorporates the main argument, the supporting themes, along with the beginning, middle, and end of the essay. An argument that is not clear or substantial in subsequent drafts may need to be reintroduced or rephrased. A major revamping of a problematic essay keeps the creativity flowing while controlling any lingering doubt from peers. Likewise, the sequence of body paragraphs may need reordering or there may be insufficient or extraneous paragraphs that have to be amended or removed. Any changes to the preceding paragraphs will ultimately affect the conclusion paragraph in terms of proper closure and consistency to the main topic.

"All the revision in the world will not save a bad first draft: for the architecture of the thing comes, or fails to come, in the first conception, and revision only affects the detail and ornament, alas!" (T. E. Lawrence)

Unlike the revision portion where essay sections are moved or eliminated, the editing portion serves to verify language cohesion at the sentence and paragraph level once the writing has stabilized. It ensures that the first word in the introduction paragraph moves imperceptibly and cogently into the very last word of the conclusion paragraph using clear communication to convey reasoning and analysis. The editing of content is mandatory after an essay has been revised in order to reach the final draft. As a finishing touch, proofreading occurs when you identify and eliminate errors in sentence and paragraph structure such as grammar, verb tense, spelling, punctuation, and transition. It is the last phase of the writing process before formal presentation to the intended recipient such as an audience. More importantly, a well-conceived essay will embody an authorial voice that ebbs and flows between the words which then drifts effortlessly along the mind of the reader. When that happens, the essay can stand on its own and will often circumvent the need for further scrutiny by one and all.

This is one approach for compiling a standard essay. As such, it constitutes the basic elements of poetry, composition or research and, for the steadfast–publishing. Once a student understands this writing process, they can begin to explore the actual note-taking procedure that is required to gather the information that will be written about. That information forms the basis of the essay that is presented in this article.

A student that is presented with an assignment often takes the less complicated path to completion. This is not unusual when the overwhelming requirement is to memorize a set of literary vocabulary, a series of critical events, or the significance of a historical figure at a given point in time. This is primarily accomplished through study groups, scribbling on paper, or some form of visual or auditory recall of class or book related information. At a minimum, a student who takes this measure will pass the course and eventually graduate. But, what have we really learned? This portion emphasizes the strategy of note-taking in an academic setting. This is how a student begins to exhibit proficiency in written form.

“I write down everything and never assume that I will remember something because it seemed vivid at the time.” (Paul Theroux, The Wall Street Journal)

The first place to start when acquiring knowledge for a given course is by writing the information in sentence form. At the end of class and hopefully by the completion of a course, a student’s notebook will be filled with sentences, phrases, or words that retrace the lesson through its entirely. These sentences hold the essence of a much greater concept that is being relayed by the teacher, one that can be captured within an outline. Granted, most elements of an outline will not be found in the lesson. But, it is a practical place to begin sorting the information in a manner that complements the student’s learning pace or level of interest. Most of the sentences gathered from the classroom can be readily transferred to a corresponding location on the outline. Any part of the outline that is lacking in substance can be researched further by checking an encyclopedia, a dictionary or any other resources befitting the course theme.

For an advanced curriculum, the outline may need to be supplemented with another method of study known as charting. This method can begin with paper but has the potential to expand into poster size dimensions. For instance, a course assignment that requires a cross section of historical inventors can start with a blank paper that is folded into three columns. One column contains young inventors such as Louis Braille, another column that contains inventors that remain unrivaled by the number of inventions they embarked upon, and finally a third column that highlights the unique achievements of female inventors. For a simple report, a chart of such inventors committed to paper will suffice. However, for a more rigorous goal of—retrace the timeline for a major inventor including the pivotal moments leading to the invention and the many ways in which that invention has impacted people and places over a period of time along with any controversial aspects—the poster approach will determine who earns a better grade than one who chooses the quicker route. The benefit of charting in the note-taking process cannot be overemphasized in any field where a student is contemplating mastery.

Another way to manage the influx of knowledge related to a topic is by mind mapping. Through mind mapping of the critical process of an event, the student can follow the path of any significant correlation. When a concept is viewed as geometrical objects such as a circle or a rectangle, the mapping can be regarded as the angles and the line between those angles. A vital point of information is represented by a corner in the rectangle, while the flow of that information is represented by a line connecting one angle to another angle that is located diagonally to the first. This shape can be simplified into a triangle or extended into an octagon based on the needs of the task. In the case of the circle, the circumference would represent an alignment of magnitude while the endpoints of the diameter signify one of many possible paths from one point of the circle to another. In this way, the circle serves to organize interrelated groups of information, i.e. longitude and latitudes, northern or southern hemispheres, or polar caps such as those found on a globe. The best example of mind mapping is national or international airline routes. The destinations are connected by intermediate stops that are not always on a straight line and can be scattered due to terrain or atmosphere. In other fields such as astrology, a stellar constellation is often approximated through an arrangement of geometric shapes so that it stands out from the surrounding cluster of stars.

Most students enter their school years with a mission to become as proficient as possible through the classes they choose or that are mandatory. The note-taking techniques suggested thus far are the more flexible of the options explored. A truly committed student will undergo a deeper level of learning with the Cornell method of note-taking. This particular variety of knowledge retention is a combination of the earlier skills. That is: it collects vital content, from course or textbook, through sentences that are placed on the right side of the paper. The left side of the paper is devoted to extraction of key points culled from the right side. Then, the bottom of the paper is reserved for a summary of the upper halves of the paper; namely, full ideas and succinct themes. The bottom section of the Cornell system provides reinforcement of the lesson based on several resources open and available to the student.

For all pupils, there are less obtrusive and more traditional approaches. A book that absolutely needs to be internalized can be better absorbed by inserting Post-It notes, where and when necessary. An oral examination that hinges on flawless execution of speech can be navigated through simple shuffling of index cards to remind the speaker of matters as they unfold. In general, the studying completed in course or at a library is the most important requirement for becoming knowledgeable in a given field. When implemented thoroughly and properly, note-taking leads to the best level of writing at any point in the curriculum. Whatever the level of urgency or the lesson complexity, the planning effort invested is proportional to the grade or score achieved.