Because the technology has been improved a lot, it took an important part in people’s lives. Compare to materials like books, newspaper, and journals, the Internet is faster and more convenient source that everyone can reach to. Therefore, in school, students also tend to search on the Internet. However, when there is a tremendous number of sources online, it is important for students to learn how to find good sources, that is, be out of being guilty of fallacious reasoning. In this article, websites that might be used by students to learn the information about writing process will be assessed.
When we enter keyword in the search engines, the search results that grab our eyes usually are the first ones because they are on the first page. The search engines might show the most relevant results, or it might show the website that pay for them. It does not mean that the websites that pay are not good sources, but students should keep in mind that even though the top results might be the most relevant resource, they could be useless or untrustworthy. Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) can be a reliable website which provides good advice on writing.
It is an online writing lab at Purdue University which means that it is run by the education organization. In the OWL, it gives instruction on writing in different categories such as general writing, research and citation, subject-specific writing, and job search writing. Therefore, students can find various sources that fit their needs. Take, the general writing, for instance, the OWL gives information about pre-writing, outline development, thesis statement composition, and proofreading. It teaches students how to begin writing. Tips and steps are provided in details.
The nstructions are written in a clear language with simple sentences and vocabularies. One of the reasons that students sometimes might not know how to write is because they are not provided by clear instruction and explanation. In the outline development section, for example, it simply gives several words such as parallelism, coordination, subordination, and division, to show the keys when making an outline. The website indeed gives examples to explain different idea, however, it does not provide non-examples to show students what should be avoided.
Therefore, teachers can try to create or find non- xamples to supplement. For ninth to twelfth grades, schools would probably require them to write essays in the correct format, either in MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association). The rules of the formats can be one of the problem during students’ writing since they require many details. The OWL website offers guides for both of the formats. Basically, it can solve most of the questions writers might have when doing citations. It also provides sample essays for students to look at.
The sample is a good idea since students sometimes can be onfused by the explanation, therefore, the best way is to see how people do in their writing. The OWL also updates new information when the new edition of the handbooks are published. Keeping reassessing the reliability of information is crucial to make sure the accuracy, sufficiency, and truthfulness (Cavender & Kahane, 2012). Things change day by day. If we do not keep updating or reassessing the credentials of information, the wrong argument might lead to a series of errors.
When it comes to citation, students might use a website called Citation Machine. The view of the website is simple, where tudents can easily click few buttons and enter the information, and get the citation in a right form. First, they have to choose the style they prefer to use, which is APA, MLA, or Chicago. Then, click on the type of the material such as book, magazine, or website. Enter the title of the material and select the one they are looking for (if there is one! ), enter the information that is needed, and then, the website will produce the citation automatically.
It seems quite easy and convenient that students do not need to worry about the place of the comma or period, apitalization, and italics anymore, nevertheless, it has to be noted that teachers have to make sure that students understand that they should not completely trust this kind of website. Human beings make mistakes, and so do the machine. Teachers can accept students’ using of this kind of website, but students need to double-check with the rules after the machine create the citation. While there is a tool website for produce citation, there are also tool websites that can help students check the grammar of the papers.
Take, the website Paper Rater, it helps to check grammar, spelling, and proofreading. Also, the service is free. Students need someone to help them improve their essays, and they do not have budget to pay for that, therefore, it seems a good deal. After pasting or uploading the article, the system will analyze the article and give data and suggestion. Not only can students check their spelling and grammar, the website also gives scores on word choice, writing style with scales and diagrams and a grade that the teacher might give. It can be fun and also engaging for students to see how they can improve their writing.
In addition, it helps to save teachers’ time since it llows students to send the reports to their teachers. Although it can only provide a general view, it indeed points out some significant errors that can be fixed by students themselves. For areas like word choices or uses of transitional phrases, it wil| need teachers help. Teachers can give students practice sheets or examples to think about vocabulary that can be used. Also, if students have problems using transitions, providing a list of different categories of transitions can be helpful.
When students are doing research on their essays, Wikipedia might be one of their top choices to look at. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that provides a large number of information. Students only need to enter the key word in the search bar, and then, they can usually find information they need. However, since Wikipedia allows users to edit the content, it is controversial if the information on it is credential. Although there is system to supervise the editing, we are unable to promise that there is no hole that people might write something wrong.
Since we cannot make sure the reliability of the content, even though it is indeed a nice tool to search for information, we hould not rely on it. The credential is the problem, and it is also the reason why many teachers or professors do not allow their students to use Wikipedia as a reference. However, there is some modification we can do to use the information wisely. Although students need to keep doubts in mind when reading the information on Wikipedia, they can still find credential sources based on it. For example, if they want to use a certain material they read in Wikipedia, they can look for the reference and refer to it.
If there is no reference, then they have to be areful about using it. When the Internet provides such convenience to people that plenty of source can be found in just few seconds, we need to pay more attention on the reliability of the source. Some websites can be served as good teaching tools to teach students writing, while others we have to tell students to be aware of. If you are not sure about the source of the information, try to find a trustworthy one. Also be careful of using official websites because they might be guilty of the fallacy of appeal to authority, although they are usually reliable.
