A recent article in the Chicago Tribune brought to light a growing American problem and put it’s finger on the cause – Many adults can’t research and write and overcrowded high-schools are to blame. According to the Tribune,

“Several Chicago-area high schools have dialed back the paper’s length requirements and instead emphasize the research process and weighing of sources, a critical skill in the digital era, teachers say. Others skip the extended assignment entirely in favor of shorter, intermittent papers, while some allow students to showcase their research with PowerPoint presentations and Web pages.”

The root of the problem rests in time and resources, not in relevancy. Teachers, particularly at the high school level, are overworked and have class sizes that are far to overwhelming to adequately grade and examine in-depth research papers. The Tribune article pointed out that while the 15 to 20 page senior high school research project use to be the norm, it is no longer bothered with in light of easier, less time-intense projects. The tragic result of this…

…students entering college without the skills or know-how to write a solid research paper. Furthermore, students are graduating without the writing skills, organizational aptitude or critical thinking tools to put together a cohesive report on a topic. The adult version of a research paper – the corporate newsletter or the company profile or the product investigation – is going to suffer and hence, so will the individual. Even before adult problems set in, college presents hardships students who did not receive proper instruction on research writing. According to Timothy Gilfoyle, chair of the history department at Loyola University, students enter college without the ability to write a paper over a few pages. Gilfoyle states points out that this taxes the college instructors too, as his history department professors have to spend their time and resources teaching students how to write and then they can write his required 15 page research paper to pass the class.

Results of 400 High School History Teachers Surveyed on the Importance of Research Papers

The argument has been made that the internet and interactive media may be making the traditional research paper antiquated. It is true that society is largely interactive and, especially for people under the age of 30, engagement in media and interactive reference material seems more relevant to them, according the Tribune article. Colleges and Universities are fighting a battle to hold the attention of students that are use to being entertained by interaction, even in the classroom setting. However, in a survey of 400 history professors by the Albert Shanker Institute regarding the relevancy of the research paper, 90% of them stated that they believe research papers to be a very important part of the educational experience in history classes. How many of those 400 actually assigned a paper over 12 pages? 6 out of 10 of them never assigned a research paper over 12 pages.

So is the research paper dead? Hardly. The future for the research paper is to combine interactive media and the traditional elements of research. Explicating will always be an important part of the learning process. What the study by the Skanker Institute illustrates, and the Chicago Tribune article backs up, is that high school teachers are over worked and do not have the time to engage students in the intricacies of research paper writing. Again, at the heart of the issue is funding for schools so that resources are not stretched and students are not the ones to suffer. The research paper is not dead; the educational system is sick and needing revival so that no one is left without the tools needed to advance in education or in their career.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

Related posts:

1. Cute Kittens or Dead Puppies? Grabbing attention in your research paper With a few simple tricks of rhetoric, you to can...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Paterno with Sandusky

Joe Paterno is more revered in Pennsylvania than William Penn himself. Paper Masters is a Pennsylvania company and we work closely with many universities across the state and trust me, the reverberation from the recent Penn State sex scandal runs deep in the academic community. Shame is the first and foremost feeling by many. And rightly so. What a horrific occurrence. Someone needs to pay, and I imagine Penn State will be forking it over in large sums very shortly, but Joe? Should Joe Paterno pay with a marred reputation? Is this the way Joe Paterno should exit?
Absolutely! We all love Joe but…bad call Joe. And what is worse, Paterno’s comment to the media upon deciding to retire…”With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.” Really Joe? You need hindsight to know that turning your back on molestation is wrong and you should do more? Taking responsibility when there is a crime, a heinous crime, that is not being properly addressed or prosecuted is the responsibility of every citizen. It seems clear that Penn State made every effort to keep their campus free of Sandusky but that is not enough. One must think of the community he is being released into. Predators do not stop when easy access is taken away, they usually become more creative. Yes, Joe needs to pay; everyone involved needs to recognize that the victims deserve a voice that is listened to and given proper retribution. Men like Paterno, men that have achieved great heights in their career and have influence in their community, need to be examples, especially when children are involved.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Jamey Rodemeyer and his “It Gets Better” Video

Lady Gaga, as the top grossing woman in the entertainment industry, is using her influence to drive the campaign for making bullying in schools illegal. An idea that is long overdue, Gaga’s efforts were amped up by the recent suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, a young gay boy involved in the “It Gets Better” movement aimed at making the plight of bullied youth known. Lady Gaga has the attention of President Obama and now it rests on his lap to take her pleas and the concerns of Little Monster’s throughout the nation to capital hill.

The matter of bullying in schools is close and personal to Lady Gaga, a victim herself of torment in high school that she states “still hurts today”. When bullying occurs, students live in a climate of fear, intimidation, self-loathing and anger. Jamey Rodemeyer had told his parents and peers that the bullying did not affect him like it used to and that the “it gets better” campaign had helped him. However, the deep seeded depression that resulted of the taunting and abuse he received because of his homosexuality did not leave him. While he left no note, all that knew him were certain his death can be directly attributed to the bullying at school.

Serious, violent crime is reported to take place in 17% of all urban schools, 8% of rural schools and 5% of town schools, according to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics. Making bullying a hate crime is the goal of Lady Gaga and many others that feel the violent crime statistics would sky-rocket in schools if bullying were added to the list. Because children have the shelter of an inattentive school administration and the support of peer groups is no reason to allow a hate crime to take place. Criminalizing bullying would power to the schools and to the parents who feel just as helpless as their children sent into the gladiator pit every day they enter their school.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Troy Davis Silenced Forever

The execution of Troy Davis certainly has college campuses and classes buzzing with discussion. Certainly it will be the subject of many research and term papers. Troy Davis’ execution represents just what is wrong with the death penalty. The world is outraged at the United States for continuing the antiquated and ineffective use of a barbaric punishment, especially in the case of Troy Davis, due to the fact that there are still questions as to whether he was guilty or not. Doubt, when introduced to the irreversible decision of the death penalty makes the justice of the punishment highly questionable.

While the death penalty is not a new research paper topic, the case of Troy Davis brings new controversy. Paper Masters recommends that students write criminal justice papers and political science research on the case of Troy Davis in order to open up a dialogue on the topic. Topics to be address include the facts that the accused was executed in spite of the doubt surrounding the case. Doubt introduced by the fact that key witnesses even changed their story during Davis’ trial. He was also charged without forensic or DNA evidence.

Much protest has surrounded the case, even as Davis was being lead to his execution. Large masses of people protested in Georgia, in the Capitol, and students in cities around the world.

Capital punishment will most like continue to fill the American court system and remain a topic of college and university classes. As the Troy Davis case continues to make history, his execution will be debated in classes and research papers for years to come.

Joshman

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tim Wakefields Knuckle-ball

On September 13th 2011, Tim Wakefield pitched his 200th win. And at the age of 45 he is the oldest active professional baseball player. In spite of these accomplishments, success has not come easy to Wakefield. And that is the inspiration for  this post’s lesson for students.

As a typical student at Florida Tech, Tim Wakefield not only completed his studies but he started on the school’s ball team. He wrote term papers, studied, and took tests as he trained and competed on the ball field.  Tim set records and won awards as a college ball player.

Just as Wakefield was drafted into the Pittsburgh Pirates, a scout told him that he didn’t have the skills to make in in professional baseball.  But he didn’t let that stop him. Tim worked hard on his knuckle-ball and that is what made him the star he is today.

Tim Wakefield’s diligence and determination is a lesson for all students. Many of us have disabilities and lack the advantages or skills of other students. But with the fortitude of Tim Wakefield academic success can be achieved.

Successful students schedule daily study sessions. They attend their classes and work diligently on their research and term papers. Like Wakefield, when a good student stumbles, he tries harder!

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ok, Ok, Ok…so guilt got the best of me and I’m addressing “the cloud” once again. Just in case your head is in the sand and you don’t understand the problems of cloud computing, I feel compelled to follow up to the blog a few days ago in which I raved on about music storage and cloud computing. Many college students can relate to the problems of cloud computing directly, as their Playstation network crashed and burned several weeks ago. And personal data on Sony’s network? Kiss that good-bye! 100 million accounts compromised, exposed and let loose to hackers. And last month, Amazon’s cloud services had a breach in security and put down many big name sites and scared the pants off of thousands of smaller sites that use Amazon to cheaply store their data. Incredibly scary and a warning to all about jumping on the cloud bandwagon.

Cloud computing, in and of itself is definitely the future of computing. The amounts of data amassed as the years pass is simply phenomenal, even just for the average person, not to mention corporations. Educational information repositories have begun to feel the affects of data storage problems also. A solution is needed and the cloud is the answer. The fears associated with cloud computing were the same fears that people experienced at the advent of the internet and when e-commerce began. Is it safe? How much access do we give to commerce sites, the government, etc..? All the same questions as the cloud invites.

The answer to questions on cloud computing does not rest in the technology itself but rather on heads of the individual user. Each company or entity must weigh the risk of data storage in the hands of company’s that have no direct investment in the personal information of their clients. On an individual level, even the student that submits his/her music collection to the cloud must be aware that doing this is surrendering their information to the possibility of misuse or loss. Be aware of the risk and be responsible.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

Related posts:

1. College Students, the Cloud and Music? The emergence of the "cloud" battle has brought about great...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Cloud is perfect for a college student's music.

College students have a particularly difficult time with keeping music organized, synced and accessible on all devices due to the large amount of music the typical college student has, the wide variety of devices to play music he or she owns and the transient nature of being a college student. I myself have an iPad, iPhone, MacBook and an old iPod (Sick, I know, but not uncommon at all) and I use them all depending upon where I am or where I’m going or what I want access to. To have all my music synced over all 4 devices is a fantasy I cannot get my head around. However, it looks as if it’s going to be a reality, thanks to cloud computing. Cloud music services are perfect for college students in many ways.

It’s an exciting time if you’re a geek and love music. Even if you just love music and want access to your 100 GB’s of carefully crafted playlists and recordings, it’s great to witness the new alternatives that are showing up on the internet. Amazon has stepped out and released the Amazon Cloud Player, a music player that stores your music on their servers and leaves them accessible through the internet, for virtually any internet enabled device to play. (iPad, iPod, iPhone owners must put up with streaming through safari until Amazon releases an apple friendly app.) Even better yet, the competition is heating up as Google has released a “music beta” version of a cloud player and Apple has iTunes cloud integration on the horizon. The emergence of the “cloud” battle has brought about great cheap ways to store and access music online.

Right now, the only real choice for college students is the Amazon Cloud Player. With 5 GB free and a fairly cheap monthly fee rate based on storage needs, the Amazon Cloud player has quite a bit to offer. Amazon offers music storage and playback, document storage, playlists, and nearly all of the features found in iTunes or a Windows music player. In the next year competition is going to bring some great new ways to access music, and quite cheaply too. For college students on a budget, with a wide variety of devices having music, this is great news!

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Facebook and Google Face-off in Privacy War

Students beware! Google and Facebook are at each other’s throat with a war on privacy issues that is so ugly it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them accused the other of harboring weapons of mass destruction. Facebook was caught this week “leaking” e-mail correspondence critical of Google’s privacy practices. What Facebook did was hire a public relations firm to target Google’s privacy practices to amp up public perception and speculation on their privacy practices. Not a new tactic but, according to the Wall Street Journal, a highly unethical and sophomoric attempt at mudslinging.

The privacy war is very transparent for those that understand both companies are greedy for the public’s private information to enhance their advertising leverage and domination of search. Facebook as a search engine? Facebook is the 2nd most searched entity on the Internet. There are billions of dollars to be had and the stakes are high to make the public believe their information is safe. So who do you believe and what does this mean for college students?

In essence, no one. Privacy on the internet is as ludicrous as a war without victims. Both company’s possess the best and the brightest in technology today and how to use it for their benefit. Their resources are unlimited and they certainly understand and know the possibilities for data mining of our private information.

So why the warning? No government legislation or privacy policy is going to save your personal information on the internet. Every individual must be responsible for what he or she puts on the internet. College students need to be particularly wise to the trappings of companies like Google and Facebook. A harmless quiz, a cool app or a free offer needs to be looked at with caution. Free is no longer a word associated with monetary value; nothing is without a purpose in the land of Google and Facebook and “free” is just one more way to get valuable information from the victim.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

There is a temptation to look at the news and be angry at what is happening in Japan with the nuclear reactors. I’m located on the coast of California and the gentle pacific breeze blows smog and factory filth from Japan every day. And now it looks like we will be adding a bit of radiation to the mix. How dare you Japan! But alas…in the future, when radiation level postings become part of the weather.com informational postings, just beside the smog alert and allergy levels, I’ll be slapping myself for my apathy. Nuclear energy is a glorious, short-sighted energy alternative, much like oil. Humans are parasitic, apathetic, instant gratification orientated and worst of all, capitalistic driven monsters. But we’re cute, sexy, smart and very persuasive. We can convince an entire globe that a nuclear reactor on an island, under a huge fault line is a good idea. How brilliant was that Oppenheimer!

Whether you’re a college student, home-maker or blithering idiot, rethink your own values and priorities. Get active and if it sounds like a bad idea, tell someone. Show some concern for the earth, for your health, for humankind and come out from under the shell of “what can little ‘ol me do” and get active. Particularly if you’re a college student. College students have a powerful network and voice in the world because they are the future businessmen and thinkers of tomorrow. And remember, if it sounds like a bad idea – Hey, don’t do it.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

TurnItIn.com begins Admissions Plagiarism Check

TurnItIn.com has been huge in preventing plagiarism at colleges and universities across the country. With a database of millions of research papers and access to all internet based sources, their ability to find plagiarism is virtually flawless. In an effort to expand their services, TurnItIn.com has begun collecting admissions essays. This database will be for college admissions departments to submit a perspective student’s admissions essay and check it for plagiarism. However, there are a few problems with this type of service…

The problems with detecting plagiarism in a student’s admissions essay are many. TurnItIn.com’s  plagiarism detection services are not flawless and it takes time to disseminate plagiarism from excessive quoting or common phraseology. Overworked admissions departments do not have the time to weed through the results, double-check the percentages and review the essay while comparing it to the feedback of the turnitin report. I’m afraid simply stamping “Denied” on the application would be much easier for them.

I would be surprised if TurnItIn.com’s new was implemented by many admissions department just because of the inherent difficulty of weeding through the results. The difference between it’s research paper services and this new admissions service is that professors, when a plagiarism report comes back positive, can use their knowledge of the student to decide on investigating the claim further. Little Billy may not be as skilled a writer as Suzy, so when little Billy produces a masterpiece but it fails TurnItIn.com, flags go up and not much further needs to be investigated. However, if Suzy fails TurnItIn.com, time may need to be taken to investigate the results because Suzy has proved herself in the past. Admissions departments don’t have that luxury of prior student knowledge. Each claim would need to be thoroughly investigated to be fair to all.

It remains to be seen whether universities will use the new plagiarism detection service for admissions essays. In order to avoid plagiarism in your admissions essay, order a custom admissions essay. The essay is then guaranteed to pass TurnItIn.com’s new service and be a quality, well written example of exactly what colleges and universities look for in an admissions essay.

Karen Sonnenberg

Writer, editor and term paper guru. Also a really wonderful person that is available at any time to assist with research paper questions. Connect with me on Google+

Website - More Posts

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.