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 * Thesis Support Team brainstorm ideas Description: a student posts a thesis that is "in progress" - a team member works with the student, using linked resources, to guide the students to writing a more refined thesis.**=====


 * Pilot next year with one class at each of our buildings

Questions related to the pilot:** Who could use it? Everybody in the class or only students identified by teacher as "thesis needy"?

With all students having the same assignment due date, it might be rain or shine with the activity - what will help to manage the fact that it may be overwhelming on certain days and then underwhelming on other days?

Will it maybe be best to have one person assigned to Monday, another assigned to Tuesday and share the communication with students or should we each have Monday - Friday and if student A submits and then I am handling that student through the entire process, then on the same day student B submits Bekci takes that student and it rotates that way?

I don't know if we need to worry about underwhelming but if you look at my fantasized interaction between the team member and the student - it is really long, but the good news is that on our side we will most likely have more or less canned responses. For example maybe fixing up word choice, maybe rearranging the order of the statement, etc. and I think as we move on we will naturally know how to respond and it should be relatively easy to direct a student to where they need to go. I think the problem I anticipate is with a student who may get frustrated with a long thread who bails out early - what would we do about them?

What will we do about learning support students who may just have difficulty understanding the process and we might be tempted to do the work for them or because we don't do the work for them they might get frustrated and upset with the service?

Do we want to stick with one grade level (only 9th) or do we want to try 2-3 different grade levels?

Do we want to ask English teachers if they would like to help pilot it or should we try to stick to the three of us for the pilot?

What may be the best host? We would need a site that allows links to be posted as points of reference (dictionary, thesaurus, databases, encyclopedia, etc.) We also need a site that offers threaded discussion that is easily managed and tracked - threads for one student are grouped together versus only organized by time entered.

Joe Smith posts: I need help with my thesis – here it is: Animal abuse is really unethical and should be stopped.
 * Example interaction:**

Thesis Support Team staff responds: Hi Joe, I like the word “unethical” but you need a little more to support your thought – link into Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (located on the left navigation bar) to learn more about animal abuse. Can you be more specific as to what type of abuse you will be focusing on in this paper? Submit it back to me in thesis form.

Joe Smith posts: How about this: Animals are sometimes treated violently or ignored which is unethical and should be stopped.

Thesis Support Team staff responds: Great! When I look at the word ignored – I know there is a more formal word for that – can you link into the thesaurus or the dictionary on the left navigation to maybe find a different word? Submit it back to me in thesis form.

Joe Smith posts: Animals are sometimes treated violently or neglected which is unethical and should be stopped.

Thesis support team responds: Good now let’s have you switch around the word order of this sentence two different ways and we can see which is the strongest. Submit two theses back to me and mark which one you think is strongest.

Joe Smith posts: It is unethical to treat animals violently or to neglect them, it should be stopped. Violence and neglect of animals is unethical and must be stopped. (I like this one the best)

Thesis support team responds: I agree - I like that one best, too! Now link into the thesis generator on the left navigation bar, it asks for you to state how you are going argue it – we already know what you plan to argue - so now we need to know how. See the thesis generator for additional help and submit your revised thesis back.

Joe Smith responds: The government must stop the unethical violence and neglect of animals

Thesis support team responds: Great - who specifically in the government would be able to do this? Link into the encyclopedia to learn who is involved and name them instead of using government.

Joe Smith responds: Legislators must stop the unethical violence and neglect of animals.

Thesis support team responds: Who elso must stop it? Who influences legislators?

Joe Smith responds: The public must encourage legislators to stop the violence and neglect of animals.

Thesis support team responds: I think the only thing we are missing now is the "Who Cares?" test - how can you make people care more? You might use stronger/more persuasive language or you might inform them of why they should care. Submit it back in thesis form.

Joe Smith responds: The public must speak out and encourage legislators to stop violence and neglect of animals.

Thesis support team responds: Great!!!! What do you think: Original thesis: Animal abuse is really unethical and should be stopped New thesis: The public must speak out and encourage legislators to stop violence and neglect of animals