Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Show Me Good Land Book Signing on April 13th @ 7 pm
Please join us in the E. Perrin Edmunds Library at Northern Maine Community College for a book signing by author Shonna Milliken Humphrey.
Wednesday, April 13th at 7 pm.
Shonna will be signing copies of her new book, Show Me Good Land.
Music by Travis Humphrey.
Contact Jan Grieco at 768-2765 or Gail Roy at 768-2734 for additional information.
Wednesday, April 13th at 7 pm.
Shonna will be signing copies of her new book, Show Me Good Land.
Music by Travis Humphrey.
Contact Jan Grieco at 768-2765 or Gail Roy at 768-2734 for additional information.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Creative Writers Reading Series in April
The Creative Writers Reading Series will be held at noon on the following dates in the NMCC library:
April 13th Shonna Milliken Humphrey
April 20th Michael Macklin
April 27th (to be announced)
NMCC students and featured guests will read from their work. Both campus and community members are invited to attend.
April 13th Shonna Milliken Humphrey
April 20th Michael Macklin
April 27th (to be announced)
NMCC students and featured guests will read from their work. Both campus and community members are invited to attend.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Information Technology Maintenance Today April 8, 2011
All NMCC information technology related resources will be down for system maintenance from 2 pm - 4 pm on Friday, April 8th.
The following areas will be affected: college website, portal, internet access, email, network storage, database servers, wireless, and printers.
The following areas will be affected: college website, portal, internet access, email, network storage, database servers, wireless, and printers.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Best topic ever for a research paper
Additional responses:
The best topic was music therapy. It was a fascinating topic and had tons of available information.
The paper I most enjoyed writing was about science fiction and its value to American culture. I have always been a huge science fiction fan, and I learned so many new things while I was writing that paper. Most of it didn’t even make it into the paper in the end but it was exciting to learn about something that I enjoy so much.
Sign language for hearing children.
The best topic was music therapy. It was a fascinating topic and had tons of available information.
The paper I most enjoyed writing was about science fiction and its value to American culture. I have always been a huge science fiction fan, and I learned so many new things while I was writing that paper. Most of it didn’t even make it into the paper in the end but it was exciting to learn about something that I enjoy so much.
Sign language for hearing children.
What is the best topic you have ever written a research paper about?
What is the best topic you have ever written a research paper about?
The best topic I’ve ever written about was the annual migration of the short-nosed sturgeon.
The best topic I’ve ever written about was the annual migration of the short-nosed sturgeon.
Share your research paper nightmare story
Please share your research paper nightmare story for other NMCC students.
The NMCC students in English 227 did just that. Read their comments below:
I have not really had any researching nightmares as of yet, but I fully expect to by the end of the semester.
The worst time I can remember having with a research paper was when I had to write about a cultural issue. It wasn’t finding the information that was difficult, but simply the paper itself. In some cases, a personal connection with a topic may either hinder or help your ability to write about it. I came into it thinking, “This was my lifestyle. I can write about that.” However, I found it was harder to find the right words—especially when time is against you.
I have had many nightmare stories, even to the point of having nightmares while sleeping. The most common nightmare is the time it takes me to type a paper and not being able to collect what I would like to write about off of websites. I feel that more needs to be taught to students concerning the methods to collect materials off the Internet.
My idea of a research paper nightmare is not being able to pick a thesis. I started out writing about the Grimm Brothers and how their work related to their personal lives. I could not think of a thesis that really stood out to me. I thought about it for a couple days. I decided to do some research on Paul Bunyan instead and was able to plan out my whole paper in less than 5 minutes. When you have reached this point you know you have a good thing going.
Doing a research paper on Japan’s side of World War II.
The worst paper I had ever written was a topic that was hard to find proof. Just trying to find sources that backed up my point of view was a nightmare. Try to pick topics that are proven and have accessible sources to support your thesis. This will only make your life easier.
The biggest nightmare for me when writing a paper is realizing that I had left out some vital information that would tie the entire paper together and it’s the day that the paper is due so I am quickly going back into the computer having to find that area that I needed to add the information only to realize that the paper wasn’t fully saved so I had to retype the entire paper with only an hour before class starts.
Using “I” is my nightmare story. I continue to put “I” just out of habit.
Losing a paper the day before it was due and not having a draft printed or saved. I had to redo it from scratch. Nightmare!
My nightmare research paper would have to be freshman year high school, a whole 5 page paper on the simple machine A Screw. This paper took lots of information to find uses and history on such a simple device.
Be extra careful when saving your work. Save often and make sure you save it to a USB thumb drive or to the L drive. I’ve lost over half a paper because I didn’t save often or saved to the wrong place.
My nightmare story was not giving myself enough time to finish my papers and logically think about them. Also not having enough research has made my papers sound flaky and unsure of me and I did not get the point across in my paper that I was trying so hard to say.
The NMCC students in English 227 did just that. Read their comments below:
I have not really had any researching nightmares as of yet, but I fully expect to by the end of the semester.
The worst time I can remember having with a research paper was when I had to write about a cultural issue. It wasn’t finding the information that was difficult, but simply the paper itself. In some cases, a personal connection with a topic may either hinder or help your ability to write about it. I came into it thinking, “This was my lifestyle. I can write about that.” However, I found it was harder to find the right words—especially when time is against you.
I have had many nightmare stories, even to the point of having nightmares while sleeping. The most common nightmare is the time it takes me to type a paper and not being able to collect what I would like to write about off of websites. I feel that more needs to be taught to students concerning the methods to collect materials off the Internet.
My idea of a research paper nightmare is not being able to pick a thesis. I started out writing about the Grimm Brothers and how their work related to their personal lives. I could not think of a thesis that really stood out to me. I thought about it for a couple days. I decided to do some research on Paul Bunyan instead and was able to plan out my whole paper in less than 5 minutes. When you have reached this point you know you have a good thing going.
Doing a research paper on Japan’s side of World War II.
The worst paper I had ever written was a topic that was hard to find proof. Just trying to find sources that backed up my point of view was a nightmare. Try to pick topics that are proven and have accessible sources to support your thesis. This will only make your life easier.
The biggest nightmare for me when writing a paper is realizing that I had left out some vital information that would tie the entire paper together and it’s the day that the paper is due so I am quickly going back into the computer having to find that area that I needed to add the information only to realize that the paper wasn’t fully saved so I had to retype the entire paper with only an hour before class starts.
Using “I” is my nightmare story. I continue to put “I” just out of habit.
Losing a paper the day before it was due and not having a draft printed or saved. I had to redo it from scratch. Nightmare!
My nightmare research paper would have to be freshman year high school, a whole 5 page paper on the simple machine A Screw. This paper took lots of information to find uses and history on such a simple device.
Be extra careful when saving your work. Save often and make sure you save it to a USB thumb drive or to the L drive. I’ve lost over half a paper because I didn’t save often or saved to the wrong place.
My nightmare story was not giving myself enough time to finish my papers and logically think about them. Also not having enough research has made my papers sound flaky and unsure of me and I did not get the point across in my paper that I was trying so hard to say.
Research, research, research..............
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
~Albert Einstein
Do you think it is important to learn how to conduct research from various sources (online, print, e-resources, interviews, media, etc.) Does it matter? Why or why not? Do you learn new skills when doing this? Is it important to learn how to select a topic, refine your topic, locate and evaluate information on that topic, and convey your research to others? Is it useful to be able to sift through information and create a well reasoned presentation of data that forms a logical conclusion. What about citing sources and giving credit to others? Will these skills be useful in other areas of your life? Can you see yourself writing business reports or giving presentations where the information you share and the way you present it will be extremely important in your professional life? Can you imagine searching for financial or health information and having the ability to successfully navigate the barrage of information available and select only the most reliable, up-to-date, and relevant information for your needs and purposes?
Share your thoughts. Additional comments from NMCC students will be posted soon.
~Albert Einstein
Do you think it is important to learn how to conduct research from various sources (online, print, e-resources, interviews, media, etc.) Does it matter? Why or why not? Do you learn new skills when doing this? Is it important to learn how to select a topic, refine your topic, locate and evaluate information on that topic, and convey your research to others? Is it useful to be able to sift through information and create a well reasoned presentation of data that forms a logical conclusion. What about citing sources and giving credit to others? Will these skills be useful in other areas of your life? Can you see yourself writing business reports or giving presentations where the information you share and the way you present it will be extremely important in your professional life? Can you imagine searching for financial or health information and having the ability to successfully navigate the barrage of information available and select only the most reliable, up-to-date, and relevant information for your needs and purposes?
Share your thoughts. Additional comments from NMCC students will be posted soon.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Advice on Research Papers
The students in English 227 responded to the following question and are the guest bloggers for the library blog this week.
Thanks for the great ideas and advice for other students. Special thanks for the shout out to the library and academic success center!
Thanks for the great ideas and advice for other students. Special thanks for the shout out to the library and academic success center!
What have you learned/what advice would you give to students writing research papers at NMCC?
I have learned to punctuate sentences and write in a form that is better for the reader to understand.
My only advice to a person writing a research paper is to make sure you pick a thesis that you believe in.
USE THE LIBRARY! Our librarians can help with all your research needs. Inter-library loans can provide information that you would not necessarily have right at your school.
Get out of habits like writing in the first person and use the research tools that the library provides. The library is where you will find the best research. Stay off Google and Wikipedia.
Save more than one copy of your drafts. Print them out each time you make some changes. Losing a research paper is one of the most stressful things that can happen and has happened to me. Do more research than you think you need. It may work its way into your paper. Always, when possible, go to the ACS [Academic Success Center] so someone can look over your paper.
Advice I would give students would be to use many sources of information. The library is a great resource and having someone in the academic success center proofread the paper can help to make the paper better.
Some advice that I can offer to other students who are writing research papers here at NMCC would be to make sure that you keep all of your research material organized and to make sure that if you have an outline follow it closely and continue to make changes to it as you go along with the paper so that they match up.
I have learned to use different resource materials, such as, databases and periodicals. I have also learned how to expand my searches by changing the way I word my search and terms. If there was any advice I would give to another student it would be to not be afraid of the research process and don’t feel stupid about asking questions. Our library is a great source of information and it is there to help you.
Don’t wait until the last minute! Get a head start on the research at the earliest opportunity, and always choose a topic that interests you.
Take advantage of all your resources. Use Noodlebib for your works cited page, use the library’s databases, and ask librarians for help. If you’re doing a report that touches on a subject that you learned in class once, ask the instructors for help.
I would give advice to clearly think your papers through and make them flow together. Having a paper that is unorganized and messy with no logic is not going to help anybody learn anything, let alone confuse them. Also, research as much as you can without using websites such as Wikipedia because it is unreliable and you will find you have different answers and research about a certain topic. The more research you do the better! Also give yourself enough time to have many drafts of your paper and to write it over a period of time rather than rushing through it.
Do not get overwhelmed. Writing a research paper can be a massive project and it can be overwhelming. Research can be difficult when you become overloaded with information. Take your time and pick only the articles that relate the most to your paper. You do not have to use every article you find. Back up your rough drafts on a flash drive and save them on your computer as well. That way you do not have to worry if you lose your flash drive or your computer crashes because you already have another copy. This means no starting over for you and at the end of the semester this could save your life.
Keep your goal in mind. What is it you’re looking for? What questions are you answering? What is it you want readers to remember or take away from your paper?
Make an outline! Research papers can get pretty lengthy, and you could be faced with more information than you know what to do with. An outline helps to keep you organized and on track.
Use www.noodletools.com for citing! It makes citing your research so much faster and easier. It even helps you with parenthetical references.
If given the option to choose a topic, be sure it’s something you care about. If you don’t care, then why should anyone else?
Remember to have order to your thoughts (paragraphs) and use transitions. You don’t want to jump from one area of interest to the next, because this will only leave them confused. Keep in mind you have had more time to learn about your topic and they are relying on you for the information.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
English Advanced Comp ENG227
Thoughts on the value of writing a research paper from Jennifer Graham's comp class. Students were asked to reply to the following question:
The research paper is the "exit assignment" for ENG 111 students at NMCC. What do you think about writing research papers--is it a valuable experience? Why or why not?
Here are some student comments:
Writing a paper, let alone a research paper, is extremely valuable for anyone trying to broaden their education. It teaches students how to formalize their ideas and how to communicate them on paper. The ability to be able to write efficiently is crucial in participating in life. If no one understands what you're trying to get across; then no one is going to listen. I often find that how we write and talk reflects our education level. We subconsciously make judgments on others intellect based on how they represent themselves through actions or words (be it oral or written).
The research aspect of the project is equally important. Information is leaking from more sources than ever--just waiting for someone to make use of it. Humans by nature are curious; all a research paper does is feed the craving. Not only that, but when you have an idea about something, or you're passionate about something; you have to have facts to back it up. Not only does it prove you know what you're talking about, but it makes you look more credible and believable to others.
It's an essential tool to learn critical thinking. It can be a pain, simply because it is time consuming, but it truly is a valuable tool.
Writing research papers is valuable. Not only do you get to learn about a new topic, but also read other people's work, interpret it, re-write the information in a different format.
Writing research papers is valuable because you learn a lot about particular subjects through research. It broadens your knowledge widely and knowing how to write a well organized paper is important in school, work, and everyday life. If I had never written a research paper, I wouldn't have the knowledge I do today.
I don't always like writing research papers but it is a valuable experience. If one intends on going on in their education they really need it. It is important to be able to communicate on paper and provide evidence to back it up.
I think that writing research papers is a great experience. Writing research papers requires a lot of thought, asking questions, and growing as a writer. It allows the writer to receive feedback, improve as a writer, and learn a great deal about the subject of the paper at the same time.
When students write research papers they learn valuable lessons that they will need throughout their college experience. Such as MLA or APA format, doing research, sorting through research, putting it all together, and doing peer reviews. Students will continue to use these new skills in the following years of college and if they have mastered them it will be very helpful. Research papers also can introduce students to the resources available in the library which is an important asset as well.
Initially, I was afraid to write research papers. But over time I have grown to enjoy the challenge of learning new material, analyzing it and writing papers on a topic. It is a great way to educate both myself and those who may read my paper. I feel that writing research papers is a valuable experience that I will take with me when I move on to a 4-year college.
The research paper is the "exit assignment" for ENG 111 students at NMCC. What do you think about writing research papers--is it a valuable experience? Why or why not?
Here are some student comments:
Writing a paper, let alone a research paper, is extremely valuable for anyone trying to broaden their education. It teaches students how to formalize their ideas and how to communicate them on paper. The ability to be able to write efficiently is crucial in participating in life. If no one understands what you're trying to get across; then no one is going to listen. I often find that how we write and talk reflects our education level. We subconsciously make judgments on others intellect based on how they represent themselves through actions or words (be it oral or written).
The research aspect of the project is equally important. Information is leaking from more sources than ever--just waiting for someone to make use of it. Humans by nature are curious; all a research paper does is feed the craving. Not only that, but when you have an idea about something, or you're passionate about something; you have to have facts to back it up. Not only does it prove you know what you're talking about, but it makes you look more credible and believable to others.
It's an essential tool to learn critical thinking. It can be a pain, simply because it is time consuming, but it truly is a valuable tool.
Writing research papers is valuable. Not only do you get to learn about a new topic, but also read other people's work, interpret it, re-write the information in a different format.
Writing research papers is valuable because you learn a lot about particular subjects through research. It broadens your knowledge widely and knowing how to write a well organized paper is important in school, work, and everyday life. If I had never written a research paper, I wouldn't have the knowledge I do today.
I don't always like writing research papers but it is a valuable experience. If one intends on going on in their education they really need it. It is important to be able to communicate on paper and provide evidence to back it up.
I think that writing research papers is a great experience. Writing research papers requires a lot of thought, asking questions, and growing as a writer. It allows the writer to receive feedback, improve as a writer, and learn a great deal about the subject of the paper at the same time.
When students write research papers they learn valuable lessons that they will need throughout their college experience. Such as MLA or APA format, doing research, sorting through research, putting it all together, and doing peer reviews. Students will continue to use these new skills in the following years of college and if they have mastered them it will be very helpful. Research papers also can introduce students to the resources available in the library which is an important asset as well.
Initially, I was afraid to write research papers. But over time I have grown to enjoy the challenge of learning new material, analyzing it and writing papers on a topic. It is a great way to educate both myself and those who may read my paper. I feel that writing research papers is a valuable experience that I will take with me when I move on to a 4-year college.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Student Thoughts on Research Papers
The students in NMCC instructor Jen Graham's English 227 Advanced Comp class were asked to be guest bloggers for the library blog.
They were given the following questions on the topic of research papers and everyone shared their thoughts.
Their responses will be posted over the next week.
1) The research paper is the "exit assignment" for English 111 students at NMCC. What do you think about writing research papers--is it a valuable experience? Why or why not?
2) What have you learned/what advice would you give to students writing research papers at NMCC?
3) Share your research paper nightmare story.
4) What is the best topic you've ever written about?
They were given the following questions on the topic of research papers and everyone shared their thoughts.
Their responses will be posted over the next week.
1) The research paper is the "exit assignment" for English 111 students at NMCC. What do you think about writing research papers--is it a valuable experience? Why or why not?
2) What have you learned/what advice would you give to students writing research papers at NMCC?
3) Share your research paper nightmare story.
4) What is the best topic you've ever written about?
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