Collaborative Writing 3

An APA style analysis of the in-text citations and reference page on Artiles, Hoffman-Kipp, and Lopez-Torres’ article (2003)

            APA style provides a specific format for scholar writers in order to enhance the comprehension of academic writing practices.  Particularly, the set of conventions and guidelines of the APA style offer specific guidelines to follow regarding the use of in-text citations and the writing of reference lists. For instance, every citation which has been incorporated in the paper must be mentioned in the reference list and every single source that has been incorporated in the reference list must figure in the paper too (APA, 2002). On this regard, the present paper attempts to analyze the article Beyond reflection: Teacher learning as Praxis (Artiles, Hoffman-Kipp, Lopez-Torres, 2003) regarding in-text citations and reference page on the basis APA style conventions.

            The article contains a variety of in-text citations along the text including parenthetical and paraphrased citations as well as direct quotations meeting the requirements of APA guidelines. Some examples of parenthetical citations are as follows: “Second, there is evidence that teachers are not always receptive to a critical perspective on reflection (Johnson, 2001; Zeichner, 1990)…” (Artilles, Hoffman-Kip, Lopez-Torres, 2003, p. 2). As regards paraphrased citation, a clear example is “As Freire (1972) has argued, problem posing and learner-generated avenues of reflection require teachers to be learners who become enlisted in self-emancipation rather than mere implementation” (Artilles, Hoffman-Kip, Lopez-Torres, 2003, p.1). There are also various instances of direct quotations such as the following: “Tertiary artifacts can come to constitute a relative autonomous world (Cole, 1996, p. 121)” (Artilles, Hoffman-Kip, Lopez-Torres, 2003, p.5).

                The reference list of the article meets the majority of the requirements of APA format. The reference page is at the end of the article and the bibliographical entries are ordered alphabetically. Yet, the reference list does not take its own page as APA style required. The authors also use a variety of sources including mainly journals and books. Considering punctuation and format, the bibliographical entries contemplate the conventions of APA appropriately. The general structure for reference list entries follows this order: Author, A. A. (Date of publication). Title of the article. Title of the journal, volume number (issue number if available). Retrieved from Web page/doi: xxxx. One example of a journal entry is as follows “Blanton, W.E., Simmons, E., & Warner, M. (2001). The fifth dimension: Application of cultural-historical activity theory, inquiry-based learning, computers, and telecommunications to change prospective teachers’ preconceptions. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 24(4), 435-463”( Artilles, Hoffman-Kip, Lopez-Torres, 2003, p.7).

                In conclusion, the article uses a variety of in-text citations correctly presented on APA style and in correspondence with the reference list. The variety represents a deep knowledge of APA conventions and a rich source for the study of academic writing format on APA style.

References

 - American Psychological Association. (2002). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

- Artiles, A. J., Hoffman-Kipp, P. and Lopez-Torres, L. (2003). Beyond reflection: Teacher learning as praxis. Theory into practice. 42 (3), 248-254. 

Collaborative writing 2

An outline of the book My Sweet Orange Tree (1968)

- Outline of the book: De Vasconcelos, J. M. (1968). Mi planta de naranja lima (3rd edition). Córdoba, Argentina. El Ateneo. 

- Purpose: To make the audience reflect upon the poverty in Brazil. 

- Thesis statement:  Children who live in poverty grow up faster than other children.  

- Audience: General public. People who want to learn about the life in Brazil in the sixties. 

1. First Part. 

         1.1. Chapter 1:  The discoverer of things. 
                1.1.1. A new house.
                1.1.2. Learning to read.
                1.1.3. Uncle's present.

         1.2. Chapter 2:  A particular sweet orange tree.
                1.2.1. A special friend to speak.

         1.3. Chapter 3: The skinny fingers of poverty.
                1.3.1. No toys for Christmas.
                1.3.2. Zezé's generosity.  

         1.4. Chapter 4: The little bird, the school and the flower. 
                1.4.1. Naughtiness and punishment. 
                1.4.2. Starting school.

         1.5. Chapter 5: A cell, I must see you to die. 
                1.5.1. Working for Ariovald.                

2. Second Part.

         2.1. Chapter 1: The bat.
                 2.1.1. The Portuguese's car.
                 2.1.2. Another punishment.
                 2.1.3. Fights among friends.

         2.2. Chapter 2: The conquest.
                 2.2.1. Neighbour's garden.
                 2.2.2. Another Zezé's mischief.
                 2.2.3. A new friend.             

         2.3. Chapter 3: Conversations.
                 2.3.1. Zezé's best friend: The Portuguese.            

         2.4. Chapter 4: Two memorable beatings.
                 2.4.1. Learning to make a balloon.
                 2.4.2. Receiving beatings from Zezé 's sister and father.         

         2.5. Chapter 5: Zezé's strange request.
                 2.5.1. Longing for a new family.

         2.6. Chapter 6: Tenderness is formed by pieces.
                 2.6.1. Zezé's best friends: The Portuguese and the orange sweet tree.

         2.7. Chapter 7: The Mangarativa train.
                 2.7.1.  The Portuguese's train accident.
                 2.7.2. The death of the Portuguese.
                 2.7.3. Zezé's depression.

         2.8. Chapter 8: So many old trees.
                 2.8.1. A new job for Zezé's father.
                 2.8.2. Promises for better living conditions.
                 2.8.3. The cut of the orange sweet tree.

         2.9. Chapter 9: The final confession.

                 2.9.1. A letter for the Portuguese from an adult Zezé.       

                               An annotated bibliography of  My Sweet Orange tree (1968)                   

De Vasconcelos, J. M. (1968). Mi planta de naranja lima (3rd edition). Córdoba, Argentina. El Ateneo. 

In this book, Vasconcelos shows the face of Brazil’s poverty in the sixties through the eyes of a child called Zezé. The five-year-old boy grows up in a poor family, receiving regular beatings. Zezé finds consolation in a sweet little orange tree in his backyard and in the friendship of a Portuguese man, Manuel Valadares. The child’s imagination, cunning, and tenderness dealing with his hopeless social background makes the story heart-rending and truly memorable.

Collaborative Writing 1.

      A short vignette on the use of ICT in the English class

             This is a seventh-grade class at the primary level in the city of Salta. In the classroom, there are 20 students who are sitting in traditional rows.  Each student has a netbook on their desks. The English lesson is about personal information and daily routines. The teacher explains to the learners that they are going to make PowerPoint presentations about their routines. She asks them to start their netbooks and go to the PowerPoint software. She writes some writing tips on the board and provides assistance to some students who look lost. Some students who are agile with technology also help their partners. Then, the teacher writes some guidelines on the board about how to write the texts and gives some explanations about the use of the software. The students who end earlier than the rest of their partners have to save the PowerPoint in a pendrive and practice the oral presentation in pairs. The students look quiet and involved in the task during most of the lesson. At the end of the class, the teacher stays in the classroom saving some student's files.