Post 13

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Final Edition

I. Opening Comments
By the time you get to this lesson you have already completed your presentation. It is my hope that it went well and that the learners as well as the speaker were well satisfied. I'm sure you had a great time.

II. Assignment
Send in the tape of your presentation, along with your hand outs. The more the material you can provide the better I can evaluate your work. Also, make sure it is nicely packaged. A dime store cover communicates lack of interest on the student's part. To be sure it doesn't have to be bound in leather, but make it nice.

III. Final Comments
I would like for you to post comments about the class as a whole, with particualar attention paid to the online experience. These comments will help American Baptist College evaluate this venue for futher educational endeavors.

Thank you.

Post 11

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Outline Final Draft

I. Opening Comments
The countdown has started and you are cleared for takeoff. All that is left is for you to file your flight plan with the air traffic controllers. Make sure that you know exactly where you intend to fly and that those who are going to handle your logistics have a clear understanding of your route.

II. Information Review
By this time the student has created an outline and has edited it formally. Before stepping to the lecture, one needs to polish the work at least one more time. Of course even the best speakers improvise during the course of lesson or sermon, but one has to have a good plan with which to start!

III. Assignment
Submit the polished outline to the instructor via e-mail. Also, comment on this posting on the website.

Post 10

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Making Final Preparations

I. Opening Comments
This is the final week of the class. By now a place and time should be set for the persentation. It is important to make sure that every "i" is dotted and every "t" crossed.

II. Information Review
Three lessons have been devoted to making sure this last week won't be a panic rush. Take time and review the information covered in those lessons so that nothing will catch the student by surprise.

III. Assignment
Post the information about the presentation. Make sure and include A) date, B) time, C) place, D) publicity method used, E) number of attendees expected, F) name of videographer, G) list of any equipment that will be used, H) whether or not refreshments will be served and if so who is responsible for that, I) method of registering participants, and J) method of feedback from those in attendance. Note: It will be fine to copy and paste the list given into a document. Make sure to follow good rules of grammer with responses, however. Attention to detail is important!

Post 9

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
PowerPoint Engaged



I. Opening Comments
The lesson on PowerPoint seems to have been received as either the devil or passe, depending on the students background and experience. Either way, it is an objective of the course to show mastery of the PowerPoint program so students must press on.

II. Information Review
Last week, students were exposed to the MicroSoft program, PowerPoint. This powerful tool can be a great aid to teaching, but skills must be gained and some electronic equipment must be utilized, beginning with a computer.

III. Assignment
View the following websites to learn how to bring the outline you have created in MicroSoft Word directly into Powerpoint.
A. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901741033.aspx It makes more sense if the student clicks on the "Show All" link to get more information.
B. This is about as brief, but there are no fancy links to click: http://skp.mvps.org/ppt00009.htm
C. This one is from the University of SouthernCalifornia and has lots of extra information. http://www.usc.edu/its/doc/productivity/powerpoint/pwrpnt_importing.html Just look for the secion entitled, "Importing Word Outline as Slides"
D. With the outline file closed, launch PowerPoint and engage the process.
E. Write a good paragraph about the experience.

Post 12

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
PowerPoint Final Draft

I. Opening Comments
In my own educational training experience, one professor remarked that the great downfall of all great communicators was audiovisuals. A long time has passed since my days at the University. Even with technological advancements from film-strips and flip-charts, technology is still fallable. To that end, one should never stop preparing and reviewing.

II. Informational Review
Powerpoint is the fantastic software program produced by MicroSoft Corporation. It has enhanced speakers and learners for decade. It has also developed to a point of being both easy to use and as complex as DNA! It would be a great idea to take a look at one more online help regarding Powerpoint before the big presentation.



III. Assignments
A. Visit this site and work through the PowerPoint presentation. http://www.hamptonu.edu/academics/schools/libarts/WTL/docs/Twelve%20Steps.ppt#1 It is very detailed and yet easy to follow.
B. Once you have worked through that, submit your final PowerPoint as an attachment to an e-mail to your instructor.
C. Comment on this lesson on the class site.

Post 8

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Outline Revised

I. Opening Comments
All who have taught school, or all who have attended, have said or heard the following in regard to writing assignments: "First Draft" does not equal final copy! Needless to say, bleary eyed educators have poured over countless "first drafts" turned in by similarly bleary eyed students who waited to the last minute to flesh out an assignement. These blood-shot brainiacs could have saved themselves so much grief, and received so much higher a grade had they taken but just a little more time to iron out their writing kinks.

II. Instructions
At this point in the class, students have a keen idea of what they are going to present (topic) and a basic framework of the presentation (rough draft of their outline). Still, striving for excellence demands a futher look at the outline pieced together in earlier sessions, not accepting what could be a good inner construction, but rather demand of themselves the highest quality.

III. Assignment
A. Some poeple write outlines using complete sentences, rather than phrases or single words. This website: http://www.assumption.edu/users/lang/Eng375Sent.html is an excellent, but short, look at how to employ this style to help move writing out of a rut!
B. Some find the revision process daunting--even painful. The follwing webiste seeeks to take away the boogie men from revising. http://www.beyondutopia.net/writing-survival-guide/revision/
C. Look here: http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/00f2b8c21a4c762e852569c3006a3fe9?OpenDocument This site will give some clarity to the meaning of revision.
D. Read through these three sites and apply what is taught to the process of revising the student's outline.
E. Write one paragraph each on the three sites in the comments section of this post.

Post 7

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Logistics Considered

I. Opening Comments
By now students are to have secured a date, time, and place for their presentation. While it would be best for the presentation to happen within the time frame of the class, it is understood that it is possible that schedules might require otherwise. It is imperative for each student to arrange with the instructor if the event has to be done after the scheduled end for the class. This is so that arrangements can be made with the Registrar's office for an extension on due dates for grades.

II. Event Planning: It's more than just "Showing Up"
Each event has different requirements. Many presenters assume that everything will go well just because of their special gifts or talents. While this might work for Peter Pan in Neverland, the average human must cross "t's" and dot "i's.

III. Assigments
A. With this in mind view the following website to gain understanding in the mental preperation for good event planning. http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/eventips.html While this site is focused on libraries, the concepts presented are transferable.
B. This next site is an excellent detailed background for students needing to plan an event. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9385/events.html This site is based on young women in the Scouting movement. Though the student is most probably going to be presenting in a church setting, do not allow that to stand in the way of learning. Please note, there are two links on the page which sound like they might be helpful, but don't waste your time. One of them is dead and the other is more detailed planning tips for Scouting events.
C. The University of Kentucky has an very professional site, formated in pdf, that gives a multifaceted approach to event planning. http://www.uky.edu/StudentActivities/Leadership/pdf/Event%20Planning.pdf One of the best features of this site is the discussion on "backward planning." Check it out!
D. Read through all sites and then post a three paragraph assessment on the class website.

Post 6

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Introduction to PowerPoint

I. Opening Comments
For centuries, educators have recognized that there are many types of learners in the classroom. Some learners get information just fine by hearing it. Other learners have to take the information into their hands and manipulate it, like an art object, and experience it that way. One Harvard professor identified at least 7 styles of learning, but everyone acknowledges that visual is one of the most easily accepted ways to take in information.

In recent years that knowledge has spilled over into the public domain, and even preachers are adding additional portals to their insights using visual aids. For this class, students who are going to be presenting the fruits of their research will be required to use a visual aid that has become a standard in the field. It is called PowerPoint. If students do not have access to PowerPoint on their home computer, all computers in the computer lab of the Library of American Baptist College have PowerPoint loaded on them. In addition, most public libraries and most workplace computers have the program. Finally, it can be purchased in stores and online for a nominal fee.

II. Instruction
A. Visit the website: http://members.tripod.com/MR_LEGO_JOE/powerpoint_97_tutorial.htm
and walk through the 20 steps to create a simple powerpoint presentation. The instructor found it hard to see the screens in the side-by-side configuration recommended on the page. Students may, therefore, find it easier to launch both the tutorial and then PowerPoint and just click back and forth on the buttons that are created on the bottom of the screen to switch between applications. Send the presentation you create as an attachment to an e-mail to the instructor at wmartin@abcnash.edu REMEMBER: This is just an introduction to the program, PowerPoint. DO NOT try to create the final product for your presentation on this step of the assignment.
B. Visit the website:
http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/edit202/tutorial/PowerPoint/pptBasics/pptBasics.htm
This site will contain a much more comprehensive tutorial. Students are to work through what they can, noting if they don't have certain features which are called for (for example sound or video files.) They won't necessarily end up with a finished product, but they will learn a lot.
C. Comment on the class site. Remember to add the student's name and the post number each time you post!

Post 5

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Outline Creation

I. Opening Comments
In reviewing the experience of PHTH 501, one of the glaring errors was the inclusion of the information about outlining. The students all seemed to be confused and the instructor didn't do a good job of communicating that simply completing the individual assignments would provide the bulk of the information for the final product.

With that in mind, the time has come for the students to revisit the concept of outlining. To that end, the instructor provides the following information. Though it may seem redundant, students should go on and work through the steps and come out with a tentative outline which will be revisited and polished as the course progresses.

II. Outline Instruction
i. Though students won't be forced to submit a completely typed and bound thesis, the ideas involved in constructing a thesis outline can be helpful.
ii. Always remember that a thesis is a formal document: every item must be in the appropriate place, and repetition of material in different places should be eliminated.
iii. Don’t get frozen in by the concept of an outline. Even a house under construction can be altered.
a) Think of it as a tool, not a trap.
b) An important early step is to develop a tentative outline. The outline will probably change several times, but it is important always to have a current one foremost in your mind so that you can make the pieces fit together smoothly.

III. Assignments:
i. Begin by consulting the now-familiar Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). It has an excellent explantion of outlines: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_outlin.html
ii. Follow the next link to a website that will give you a short exercise in writing an outline for your paper/presentation: http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html
NOTE: Once you have generated the trial outline, use your mouse to highlight the entire outline, from title to finish and then copy it to your word processing program (such as MicroSoft Word). Paste it there and save it for the next step.
iii. Send the results to the instructor attached (as a Word document) to an e-mail to wmartin@abcnash.edu
iv. Make sure to comment on the class website. Remember each post should start with your name, Post number, and be composed of at least one complete paragraph.

Post 4

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing II
Schedule Confirmed

I. Opening Comments
It is great to see the discussion happening in the comments boxes on the class website for the last two classes. It seems that everyone is very engaged in what is going on and doing their best to keep up.

II. Assignment
In Post 2, the instructor wrote, "it is imperative that the student get the presentation on the schedule at their church or not-for-profit." The assignement for today is to report to the class the date, time, and address of their presentation. All other details will be covered in the class for next week, "Logistics Considered." NOTE: Make sure to include your name and the post number at the beginning of each post.

Post 3

AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Thesis Research and Writing
Course Syllabus

Course Number and Title: Thesis Research and Writing PHTH 502

Term, Level, and Credit: Summer 2006, 1 semester credit hour

Course Description: The students are expected to learn to do three things: demonstrate knowledge of their research; utilize a visual aid in that demonstration; and provide evidence through the submission of a digital video tape.

Course Prerequisites: PHTH 501

Course Text: A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students, Baker and Huling

Course Objectives:
Show mastery of the topic of outlining by creating an outline for the presentation.
Demonstrate mastery of the software PowerPoint to create an audio/visual aid for the presentation.
Prove mastery of the subject by presenting the information gleaned through research.
Provide a permanent record of the presentation through the submission of a digital video for the library.

Contact Information:
Instructor: William C. Martin, D.Min.
E-mail: wmartin@abcnash.edu
Phone: 615.687.6904
Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00

Course Policies:
Class starts July 11th and runs until August 3rd.
All assignments are due at the time assigned.
Student collaboration is encouraged, but all work submitted is to be done by the student, ALONE!
Attendance policy as stated in the College Catalogue It is imperative that the student log into the class website each week so as not to get behind in the assignments.
American Baptist College fully implements the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation, please see the Dean of Student affairs and bring the requisite paperwork to the instructor before the next class.

Course Evaluation:

Homework: 30%
Participation: 30%
Presentation: 40%

The grading scale is as per the College Catalogue: A 100-95
B 94-85
C 84-70
D 69-60
F 59-0

Course Outline: 4 weeks, including 3 visits to the web classroom a week.

Session Topic Resource/Event/Notes
I. Introduction to class
II. Schedule Planning
III. Syllabus
IV.Schedule Confirmed
V. Outline Creation
VI. Introduction to PowerPoint
VII.Logistics Considered
VIII.Outline Revised
IX. PowerPoint Engaged
X. Making Final Preparations
XI. Outline Final Draft
XII. PowerPoint Finalized

Course Construction:
This is our second experience with electronic delivery of course content at American Baptist College. Using a public blog site, this course seeks to enable one to explore the methods of presentation necessary for the production of excellent oral communication in public setttings. Much of what will be accomplished during the course of the class will be done outside of class. That having been said, participation and timeliness will be mandatory for maximum benefit.
To meet the requirements of this course, you are to
1: visit the class site http://www.phth502.blogspot.com each day
2: read what is posted by the instructor there each day.
3: write a paragraph each day in regard to the information posted for the day. (Note: for the purposes of this course, a paragraph is 3 to 5 sentences organized around a central theme) Make sure to begin each post with the Post number and the student’s name.
4: engage in the concept of online discussion by logging back in and posting a comment on someone else’s comment. (Thus, two paragraphs should be posted each day to earn the participation grade.)
5: Complete whatever assignments are listed on each post and submit them via e-mail to the instructor. Make sure to follow MLA format on anything submitted.

“Piete piatatem et amicitium”

Post 2

Introduction:

Today is the second day of the PHTH 502 class. At this point we are hoping to get the other members to join the blog.

Instruction:

For today, it is important to start thinking about objective number three: presenting the information.

While it may seem out of sequence to begin with thinking about the third objective, the truth is that everything for this class hinges on the student being able to present the lecture or sermon on the information of their topic. So, it is imperative that the student get the presentation on the schedule at their church or not-for-profit.

Also, the instructor wants to prevent students becoming sidetracked during this course. Planning now will help.

Assignments:

I. Brainstorming-
A. Think through the steps necessary to get from the beginning of the class to the end. What will it take for the student to complete the four objectives of the course? (Refer to Post 1 for the class objectives)
B. Take time to break down the steps necessary for the completion of each objective.
C. Write down the steps necessary for the objectives to be completed.
D. Type a schedule of when each step must be completed in order to finish the class by August 3rd. Attach to an email and send it to your instructor wmartin@abcnash.edu

II. Look Online for Scheduling Helps
A. Visit the following website and experiment with their schedule generator: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/week_teach/ Print out what you create.
B. Use a search engine and see what other tools might be out there, free and otherwise.
C. If you have any software or tools you already use to organize projects, share thoughts about them with the class.
D. Then return to the blog and write a one paragraph description of your experience. Don't forget to begin each "comment" with the number of the post and your name.