Sunday, March 30, 2014

Memo #3: Planning to use Primary and Secondary Sources


This week I plan to meet with a professor at CCRI who works at the writing center. In landing this interview, I learned that through the course of his working day he helps English Language Learning students at CCRI with their academic papers. While he guides them through the corrections of each and every paper, he stays in communication with each student via email so that he may answer any questions while attaching helpful documents that pertain to grammar use and helpful tips on writing academic papers. Not only that, but he is also a talented writer and for the student’s that go to him, he sends them his own creative writing so that they may find some inspiration and practice with writing in English.  He has given me the hours he is available to talk and I plan on asking him his experience with ELL students and what he has learned from helping to guide so many. Also, he has been very helpful in landing me an interview via phone with one of his English Language Learning students. She has been in America for ten years now and plans on explaining to me her journey as a CCRI student and her journey with learning to write in English. I look forward to my first two interviews because I feel as if they will answer many of the questions my search is dedicated too, and it’s not even about finding a certain right answer but more so learning about the English Language Learner’s experience and I feel strongly that these two interviews will give me great insight.
            Also, many secondary sources I have found shopping online for textbooks through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I have purchased about three texts that are dedicated to learning about the ELL student, and many give strategies in helping these students while dedicating the time to explaining what goes through the ELL’s mind when faced with a prompt.            
            I feel confident so far with my primary and secondary sources. Yes, they all differ in perspectives and their aims all range with their approach towards the English Language Learner but I feel as if that is the whole point towards my journey anyways, I’m not fixed on finding an answer but simply learning and understanding the English Language Learning student! 

4 comments:

  1. Caroline, how awesome your sources are! I think you're going to gain a great understand of the experience of both ELL students and those of us who are going to need to help them succeed. Not just knowing the struggles but how to help ease them is going to be a benefit to all of us. Best of luck with your interviews!

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  2. Caroline-Your primary sources are so interesting! I feel like you will have a lot of luck with the CCRI professor and student. I particularly like the the professor has focused so much on Creative Writing and ELL's. Good Luck!

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  3. Caroline, not to sound so repetitive but it sounds like you really did find some great sources! I think the text books you purchased will be a huge help when you interview the professor and the ELL student. You can compare what's in the book to a real ELL student. Good luck with the interviews!

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  4. Thank you professor! I appreciate your words, As Tech "unsavvy" I can be, I now feel good and inspired :)

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