The Lighthouse Diary #57: Alumni Talk on the Research Process

Our alumni, Artie Cabezas and Zoe Gagatiga (Praelius, 2020) served as guest speakers during the Core Session with the seniors last September 9, 2024. They shared their experiences on the EE and SP, focusing on the essentials of research, crafting an outline, and the challenges seniors face when writing an academic essay. Artie discussed the importance of a disciplined approach to academic writing, while Zoe highlighted the challenges of completing a 3,000-word senior project. Both emphasized the necessity of trust in the research process.

Recognizing the diversity of our learners, we have provided support materials on outlining and various methods to create one. 

Crafting an Outline

When writing an academic essay, clarity and organization are crucial. While you’ll ultimately present your essay in traditional text format, using certain tools and methods during the planning and drafting stages can greatly enhance the quality of your work. 

Here are some of the best tools and methods for outlining and organizing your academic essay:

1. Outlining Tools

   - Text-Based Outline: Start with a simple text-based outline to organize your thoughts. This can include headings for Introduction, Thesis Statement, Body, and Conclusion.

   - Hierarchical Outline: Use a hierarchical outline to break down main points into subpoints. This helps in detailing the structure of each section and sub-section.

2. Mind Maps and Flowcharts

   - Mind Mapping: Tools like MindMeister can help you visually organize your ideas and see connections between them. This can be particularly useful for brainstorming and organizing complex ideas.

   - Flowcharts: Use flowcharts to map out the logical flow of your arguments and how different points interrelate. This is useful for ensuring that your essay has a logical progression.

4. Templates and Guides:

   - Essay Templates: Academic essay templates can help structure your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion effectively.

   - Writing Guides: Refer to academic writing guides or manuals, like the APA, MLA, or Chicago style guides, depending on your discipline.

5. Checklists:

   - Essay Checklists: Use checklists to ensure that all required elements of an academic essay are included, such as thesis statements, topic sentences, evidence, and analysis.

For the actual writing, a text-based outline is often the most practical and widely used method in academia. It allows you to clearly map out your argument and ensure that each section of your essay is well-organized. However, integrating mind maps or flowcharts during the planning phase can provide a more comprehensive view of your essay’s structure and help you manage complex ideas.

The Lighthouse Diary #46: Mind Maps as Thinking Tools

Today, I had seven research consultations with students. Grade 11s all. It is research season and we are in the initiation and inquiry phase.

There are three tasks that students need to accomplish at this stage: topic selection; craft a research question; define a research method. In between and among the completion of these tasks are sub-tasks that involve the application of skills learned in the lower years. Close reading; writing summaries; annotations; making a reference lists; strategic search skills; evaluation of sources; seeking feedback and organizing one’s work and schedule. On top of this, students need to know and make decisions of the information they initially harvested from their preliminary research which would also entail a recognition of gaps in research and knowledge.

It is tough. It is not easy to teach. It is not for the faint of heart. It is exhausting.

Curriculum and pedagogy matters. And so is collaboration. Empathy too. An understanding that, at the end of the day we all are human. No bot or AI can compare to the dynamic and personal engagement that happen between a listening adult and an eager or confused child explaining his/her current state of mind.

There is no assurance that students won’t turn to a bot or an outside tutor though: But there are moments when student and teacher learn together with the aid of paper, pen or a pencil and the good old mind map.

Thank you very much, Tony Buzan.

All in a day’s work!

Thoughts on Research in the High School Level

How do we define research? Does it need definition since it is, for most part a thinking skill that is made visible through a written output? Or something tangible like a project, a module, an art work... I think what I need is to ground the idea or the concept of research into statements or beliefs.

1. Research is asking questions ans finding answers. 

2. Research is a process that entails collaboration - not just cooperation and coordination.

3. Research is a conversation.

4. Research is an invitation for you to stand on the shoulders of giants. And this is both an honor and a privilege.

I wonder how my colleagues see research and, in the practice of teaching ATLs, how would a belief or thesis statement on research factor in effective pedadgogy.