Unblock the Writing Experience Do you have a hard time deciding what to write about? Do you have trouble developing a thesis? Have you gotten feedback on your papers asking you to more clearly develop your ideas? This workshop will introduce you to the principles of effective writing. You will also learn some strategies for how to critically analyze information in order to more effectively write your essays and get through writer’s block

1. Resources to help develop your writing skills and
style
Unblock the WritingUnblock the Writing
ExperienceExperience
Presented by
Kate Stockton, Learning Coach at NEC

2. The Pieces of AcademicThe Pieces of Academic
Rationale
Essay
Academic
Research

3. Learning Coaches & Content Tutors
• One-to-one appointments in person or via phone, e-mail, Internet, etc.
• Workshops (online & onsite)
• Small group assistance (online & onsite)
• Online Content Area Tutoring – Smarthinking (www.esc.edu/smarthinking)
Online Support
•For Academic Support Information & Materials Available 24/7 Online go to
http://NECacademicsupport.pbwork.com
•A self-paced or credit-bearing study & resources -
http://AcademicEye.pbworks.com
• On Facebook - NEC Academic Support & Student Services
Academic SupportAcademic Support
@ NEC@ NEC
Services & Resources
Helping You Connect the Pieces for Academic Success

4. What is a learning coach?
A learning coach is someone who provides academic support to students in one-on-one or small group settings in all areas of the writing process
and related study skills strategies including time management, organization, reading efficiency, developing a study plan, goal setting, critical
thinking, library research skills, note-taking, and learning styles.
Sarah Spence-Staulters is located in Latham working with Schenectady & Latham/Albany students
Her hours are: Mondays – 3pm- 7:30pm
Wednesdays – 3:00pm-7:30pm
Fridays - 9am- 4pm
Contact Sarah to make an appointment :
(518) 783-6203 ext 5992 or Sarah.Spence-Staulters@esc.edu
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kate Stockton is located in Latham working with Johnstown & Latham/Albany students
Her hours are: Mondays - 4:00pm-7:30pm
Wednesday - 4:00pm-7:30pm
Thursdays - 4:00pm-8:00pm
Contact Kate to make an appointment :
(518) 783-6203 ext 5992 or Kate.Stockton@esc.edu
Mary Sanders-Shartle is located in Saratoga working with Saratoga &
Queensbury students
Her hours are: Mondays – 12pm-2pm
Wednesdays – 3pm-6pm
Thursdays 4pm-6pm
Contact Mary to make an appointment :
(518) 587-2100 ext 2827 or Mary.Sanders-Shartle@esc.edu
____________________________________________________________________
Meet the LearningMeet the Learning
CoachesCoaches

5. Helping You Connect the Pieces for Academic Success
A peer coachpeer coach is a current undergraduate or
graduate student trained to guide and encourage
other students in improving their academic
performance and development as a life-long
learner, focusing on general study skills, specific
content-areas, navigating college resources, and
developing within their Areas of Study.
They work in both face-to-face and virtual
environments.
Peer coaches are trained under College Reading
& Learning Association (CRLA) international
standards for peer tutors and are either
volunteers, work-study, or practicum students.
PPeers
EEngaging
as
EEnergizing
RResources
CC
enter-based
&
00nline
AAcademic
CC
ollaborative
HH
elpers
EEnhancing
SSuccess
Academic Support @ NECAcademic Support @ NEC

6. AGENDAAGENDA
•Academic Support - Services & ResourcesAcademic Support - Services & Resources
•Learn the best way to get started with your writing
assignments
•Build confidence in ability to write
•Become aware of writing resources
•Questions?Questions? (Stop me and ask throughout)
•Upcoming Workshops

7. Writers need to know…
• How to get inspired & motivated
• How to get started
• The mechanics of writing
• How to get resources

8. Get Inspired!
• Talk to your instructor and classmates about your topic
(start brainstorming if/when instructor discusses the
assignment during class)
• Visit a local library or bookstore and skim through relevant
books/magazines
• Search for ideas and inspiration on general search engines
(google, bing, blogs, etc.)
• Talk to others about your assignment and ask for their
ideas and feedback
• Read! But when you read ANYTHING pay attention to the
writing style not just the content
• Create a writing ritual in a comfortable, quiet place at a
productive time

9. Why is it so hard to get started?
• Pre-existing condition: writing anxiety?
• The “eternal perfectionist” syndrome
• Lack of experience, or lack of confidence
• Not familiar with pre-writing exercises or
writing resources
• Procrastination – under too much time
pressure and/or stress to do a good job

10. Inventor, Reader, Editor
• Writer’s block is usually because the writer is
engaging in more than one entity at a time
• A rough draft is a writer’s best friend
• You need to read your rough draft with a critical eye,
compare to the expectations of the assignment
• You don’t have to be the only editor! Use your
resources (smarthining.com, learning coaches, peer
coaches)
Adapted from Elaine Handley’s “Writer’s Block” at
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/3cc42a422514347a852567
1d0049f395/e3e4e891568bf8b185256a010073d22d?OpenDocument

11. Responding to the Assignment
• Reaction Paper
• Journal
• Book Review
• Synthesis
• Literature Review
• Argument or Persuasive
• Research Paper
Know what kind of assignment it is…

12. Responding to the Assignment
– Analyze
– Apply
– Argue
– Compare/Contrast
– Define
– Describe
– Discuss
– Evaluate/Critique
– Interpret
– React
– Summarize
– Synthesize
What is the goal of the assignment?

13. Check out the Writer’s
Complex for more help with
responding to assignments
The Writer’s
Complex can be
accessed via the
Learning Support
Tab

14. Knowing the Purpose & Audience
• Always treat your readers with respect
• For some assignments you will have to take a
stand and convince your audience to agree
with your point of view
• Don’t make assumptions about your audience
(what they already know/don’t know, what is
right vs. wrong, etc.)

15. Gathering Information
• Research based?
– Become familiar with online library and how to ask
questions
• Your knowledge, insight or opinion
• Understanding the text, article, topic
• Will you need to interview or observe others?
• Laboratory study, experiments
• Keep track by using a consistent system

16. Pre-Writing Exercises
• Brainstorming
• Making lists
• Asking questions
• Re-reading the assignment expectations
• Mindmapping, clustering
• Creating an organized outline

17. How to Mind Map
• Start by writing the topic of your assignment
in the center of the page
• Write subtopics around the topic and draw
lines to connect
• Narrow the topic down even further
• Include any other pieces of information and
make lines to show patterns, relationships and
other connections.

18. WHATTO
G.O?
PARAGRAPHS
LESSON
OBJECTIVES
LECTURE
NOTES
CHAPTER
TEST
REVIEW
ROUGH
DRAFTS
BRAINSTORMING
What Can I
Graphically Organize
STUDY GROUP
NOTES
TEXTBOOK
CHAPTER

19. Differences Differences
Similarities
Object,Event
orPerson
Object,Event
orPerson
Differences Differences
Similarities
Object,Event
orPerson
Object,Event
orPerson

20. Organizing the Information
• See if you can use your brainstorm or mindmap to get started
• Decide how you want to organize the information
• Consider the “flow”
– Comparing and contrasting information
– Chronologically
• What stays vs. what needs to go
• Complete your outline

21. Writing
Keep in mind that the hard part is done!
Write body first, then worry about intro &
conclusion at the end
Just write! Don’t worry about using fancy words
or sentence structure, proper grammar YET…
Keep your outline, brainstorm, mindmap nearby
to consult when necessary
If you get stuck, skip and move on!
Read out loud as you go

22. Examples on how to create “flow”
• State that you have 3 points to make, then
begin paragraph with “My first point…”, etc.
• Start the second paragraph by
comparing/constrasting with information you
discussed in the previous paragraph
• Break up your essay into sections and give
each section a catch phrase (think of the book
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert)

23. Proofreading & Editing
• Read the entire paper first, make only obvious corrections
• Know your own weaknesses (sentence structure, run-ons,
tense problems, etc.) – use feedback from your previous
papers!
• Read out loud to help with flow and sentence structure
• Ask others to read and ask for their ideas and input
• Submit paper to www.esc.edu/smartthinking
• Take a break before you read it the last time before you
hand it in

24. For your next writing assignment:
1. What kind of assignment is it?
2. What is the goal of the assignment?
3. What is the topic/thesis statement?
4. Start brainstorming ideas
5. Draw a mindmap
6. Create an outline
7. Write your rough draft
8. Review and Edit

25. How to Find More Help

26. How to Find More Help

27. More Writing Resources
• ESC Writing Center
http://www.esc.edu/ESConline/Across_ESC/WritingResourceCenter.nsf/ho
• ESC Library Online Workshops - dates and registration info on
www.esc.edu/library
• Research Tutorials: http://subjectguides.esc.edu/tutorials
• Free online writing help - www.esc.edu/smartthinking
• Writers Digest - http:// www.writersdigest.com
• VisuWords - http:// www.visuwords.com
• Fuel Your Writing - http://www.fuelyourwriting.com/
• Diana Hacker’s Writing Reference http://dianahacker.com/writersref
• Mind Mapping Resources: http://www.buzanworld.com

28. Work Consulted:
• Dobie, A. et. al. "Who, What, When, and Where of Writing Rituals." The
Quarterly of The National Writing Project 24.4 (Fall 2002). 18 March 2004.
<http://www.writingproject.org/pub/nwpr/quarterly/2002no4/dobie.htm
l>.
• Hacker, D. “A Writer’s Reference” Fifth Edition. 2003.
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/writersref6e/Player/Pages/Main.aspx

29. Please give us your feedback at:
http://unblockwritingexperenceworkshop
Thank you for attending tonight's workshop If
you would like to view this worship again to
refresh your memory or just for fun please
visit:
www.necacademicsupport.pbworks.com

30. Fall 2010 Workshop Schedule
Sept.
20 Start the Term Right
27 Time Management
29 Start the Term Right
Oct.
4 Navigating the ESC Websites
6 Critical Thinking
8 Introduction Library Skills ( 10am-11am )
13 Navigating the ESC Websites
14 Time Management
18 Critical Thinking
20 Reading More Efficiently
25 Leveraging Your learning Style
28 Unblock the Writing Experience
Nov.
1Reading more Efficiently 3
3 Introduction to Library Skills
8 Unblocking the Writing Experience
17 Stress Management
19 Time Management (10am-11am)
22 Resume and Cover Letter Writing
Dec.
1Stress Management
6Ending the Term Right
8Ending the Term Right
9 Writing a Rational Essay
13Stress Management
20Resume and Cover Letter Writing