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A Good Hypothesis
- Essay writing is like the scientific process, designed to test hypotheses with experiments, not prove preconceptions.
- Research is the targeted search for evidence to test a hypothesis.
- “Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions” (not “Prove Hypothesis”) is the last step.
Hypothesis Illustrated
- USAID tested the theory that direct aid to the poor would improve childhood nutrition more than trying to engineer nutrition programs for them, on the theory that the poor know what to do; they simply lack the resources.
Writing Workshop
- Cows and Chips
- This post contains lecture material, demonstrations of the “Cows and Chips” technique in action, examples of advice I have given other student authors for enlivening their posts with livestock, and the details of a simple exercise.
Counterintuitive 
– Hypothesis: cannot be too broad, 3000 words, constant editing, cannot be similar to a survey.
– The essay has to have a narrowed focus. When you are trying to write about your topic, gravitate towards sources that agree with your point of view.
– This essay is asking a question and find out what is true. That is considered a win. Essay writing is like a scientific process. Research is a targeted search for evidence to test the hypothesis.
– Different ideas are not opposites??
– The hypothesis we start with might not be what we ended with. It can be abandoned at anytime.
– By discovering or proving something within an experiment, you’ve succeeded. Only not proving any anything, that is failing.
– When you are too invented, you are biased and skeptical of evidence that is contrary to your belief. Conformation biased going in causes resistance to the truth.
– Animated language improves essay writing.
– Giving the poor money directly is more useful them teaching them about eating healthy and giving work skills. They know how to use their money wisely, they just do not have the money.
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An essay is where you test your hypothesis, not to prove preconceptions. Suppose to analyze data and draw conclusions, not just to “prove” your hypothesis. A Hypothesis construction starts with asking a question then doing some research on that question you have. If your research or your conclusion doesn’t match completely with your hypothesis then you have to find different research.
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– when needing feedback on an old post place it in category need revision
– do not wait till the end of semester to make revision. do it as class goes along
– hypothesis is like a scientific process
– remember research to test hypothesis not prove preconceived argument
– hypothesis may be true or may not be true
– job of research is to find out if it true or not
– follow flow chart of scientific method
– having an emotional connection on what you want to prove will hinder your research.
-use “cows and chips” to help hold readers attemtion, like in stone money the cow and chips would be the stones, or the ship that lost the chip
– using physical examples that stand out help hold readers attention
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always be narrowing when deciding what to include in an essay for this class.
find the truth and win!
prove something- this is the goal of any research assignment, or any research period. This is also the goal of the research paper that will be assigned in this class. My original hypothesis is just that, an hypothesis, my goal is to be as objective and unbiased as possible in preparing the research to prove something, not prove my hypothesis, unless it just happened to be truth.
back to the stone money-use concrete examples:
from Prof Hodges:If I wanted to build a house on the island of Yap, I hired some islanders to roll a huge limestone rock, almost the weight of the house I wanted to build, to the contractor’s hut and leave it there. And the islanders I hired? They got paid in limestone rocks too, or maybe one that they’ll share until they figure out how to divide what it can buy.
My reaction- It is just so relative to today, for example, the business owner who owns a roofing company and has a crew of 6 guys, hopefully receives payment at the end of a job. It may be in the form of a check or maybe paid via EFT but is now either a piece of paper or a number on a computer, and will remain there until the owner decides how to split that piece of paper or number among his crew of 6.
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Talked about ways to better navigate wordpress, including how to get the attention of the professor when an edit to a post has been made by using “feedback please”. Used the visual aid of hypothesis creation to portray an effective way to make sure ones hypothesis is accurately portrayed, backed up by research, as well as other ways to make it the best it can be. Talked about with hypothesis, that if you proved something, that is a success. If you prove nothing, that is a failure. If you proved something that you originally didn’t have intentions to prove, it still is a success. Talked about the example “Cows and Chips” which was about how money is an object that people work so hard for when there are other things that have more “value”, such as things that can be eaten. The only reason people work so hard for money was the reason of faith, as we have faith that the seller of a good people want will accept it in the hopes that the banks will then provide them with the money that no one seen in the first place. Money is the essence of faith in the structure of society, as it represents the way of which people buy and sell goods and services. A good way this is translated is in example 8 in the article, where Egyptian cab drivers are happy to accept American currency. Not only is the USD worth more in Egypt, it is also accepted there, compared to US coins, as no one accepts them thus making them worthless; proving how the idea of faith in terms of who accepts what is so important. In number 10, it shows that although money is a thing people hold a definite value to, bartering is not dead as it still can be used to trade goods and services that are not always at a set price, as the value of currency changes, so do the cost of said goods.
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-Argue one point that can be explained in 3000 words, not several.
-Narrow focus.
-Don’t seek sources that just support your view, find all sources and mold hypothesis to the truth.
-Not proving anything is not a success, but proving anything is a success.
-Use concrete examples to explain and demonstrate concepts.
-The example that I like the most is number 9. It is a clear example that applies to everyone’s everyday life.
-The advice that I like the best is number 2 because it makes a great point of showing that value is nothing but what we decide it is and provides a new way of thinking about things.
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-Be mindful of how you categorized, could possibly look like the post is not there when it actually is.
-“Feedback please” category is to call attention to your post if you made substantial editing to the assignment and would like commenting on.
-Click “Feedback Please” on the WordPress sidebar of categories on the assignment you would like feedback on. After checking off the correct button, click the update button on the top right of the page.
-The point of the essay is to seek the truth around the hypothesis and not prove a hair brain theory by seeking out people who agree with you.
-Find a phrase you like in your essay and google it and if it unique enough, you will show up.
-Failing to prove is not a success but proving something is a success. Prove something.
-Having a deep connection with your hypothesis makes you resistant to new ideas and does not allow the ease of truth to flow to your assignment.
-Worth could be defined as supply and demand, such as diamonds as mentioned in the notes, are not plentiful and found in common places. People will pay the high price for the “fake flashy items” if they have the extra income and because they are rare.
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Cows and Chips:
-I liked the 2nd example because it explained why things that could be eaten had a value. It gave a good example.
– The 3rd example for advice because it was realistic and true to what currency really is. We use real money, not cows.
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Notes:
Steps 3-5 must show progress in your hypothesis. Take a broad topic and narrow it down. Step 6 should be very bold. Listing reasons is not considered a research essay. Essay writing is not like it was for us in the past. Looking up a bunch of resources to fill the word count is not a good idea. A hypothesis may or may not be true. It’s your job to figure out whether it is or not with your support. The job of this research is to ask a question and reconstruct a hypothesis and then find out if its true. Thesis statements don’t have an opposite (most don’t). “Car seats are safe. Car seats are dangerous” Not opposites. You shouldn’t care whether your hypothesis is true or not. Don’t feel like a failure if you can’t prove your hypothesis, we will find something to prove.
USAID tested the theory that direct aid to the poor would improve childhood nutrition more than trying to engineer nutrition programs for them, on the theory that the poor know what to do they just lack the resources which is the hypothesis here. The proposal is to give them money and see how they handle it. “Give Directly” was already doing that. 250 villages were selected based on typical criteria and randomly assigned to one of four groups. The first group was the “control”. The second was visited by the teams from the nutrition program. The third was given small grants by “Give Directly”, $114 per person. The final group got a larger grant of $500 per person. The experiment found that the program met none of its main objectives. People used much of the money to pay down their debts. Authors didn’t fail. They found truth. Anything you prove is success. They proved that giving money would achieve a particular goal. The authors can’t conclude that poor people don’t know what to do with the money.
We start to lose readers when we don’t make “concrete” examples. Stone money was a huge limestone disc. Even if it’s across the island it is still “yours”. My possessions can be taken from me if someone comes and make their mark on it. The French tried to replace the nametags on gold. Fill your examples with “cows” and “stone tablets”. Bartering occurred using items that would be eaten. Our dollars today are pure instruments or faith.
1. Ever since reading about The Invention of Money, I can’t look at a dollar the same way. These flimsy slips of linen covered with silly green symbols seem so worthless; do I really work hard at my job to earn a handful of these?
It blows my mind that some of us really are working hard for these flimsy slips of linen covered with silly green symbols and like Professor Hodges said we take it to a place afterwards in exchange for a small little slip with a different number on it. I feel like that defeats the purpose but it does help manage those little green linens with symbols. Money rules the world.
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Sep. 20 Notes
Good Hypothesis- Essay writing is like the scientific process, designed to test hypothesis with experiments, not to prove preconceptions. Research essays asks a particular question and answers that one question. Keep the hypothesis narrow. A hypothesis can be true or false; our job is to research to find out. We win by finding out the truth, even if it is contrary to our pre-beliefs. After weeks of research we then we find out the truth for our thesis.
-After you read many sources and can’t find anything to support your thesis, you still learned something. Now revise your hypothesis.
-If you prove anything, equals success.
-There is bias while looking for research when you go into an experiment wanting a certain answer.
Cows and chips- Enliven your essays with cows and chips. Most common advise, don’t be to broad talking about money.
Reaction to example 12 – Whenever I hear stories of people paying lots of money for things like baseball cards, I think to myself how just adding an image, or having an autograph can add so much value to such a worthless item. Yet, people still pay more and more for those items, just to hold possession of them, or to resell for even more. The crazy thing is, you could go up to someone who loves sports and will see value in the card, but you could go up to someone who never paid attention to sports in their life and they would see the baseball card as worthless.
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cows and chips reaction
the usage of calling money flimsy linen and silly green symbols really allows the reader to visualized what our dollar actually is and how real it isn’t.
I’ve never really thought about the usage of symbols and abstract language that will help illustrate my point.
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-If you want your changes to be noticed, I should place my work in the feedback please box along with your name and a task box
-When writing the 3000 word essay, make sure to keep on track with your topic and have a solid hypothesis, it should not be too broad
-A hypothesis is just a target for research, in return will help you prove or disprove your claim
-When you prove something you are successful, proving nothing is failure
-An example that stuck with me is the fact that I should visualize the linen and crazy symbols of money when writing out the essay
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– To receive feedback, post on the feedback please page
– Research essay has a specific question and has one answer
– Narrow focus at all times
– Hypothesis may be true or not
– The world is your confirmation when trying to prove your hypothesis
– Most thesis statements don’t have opposites
– Truth is like a circle
– Good researcher will find something to prove
– No matter what you prove, you still succeed
– Important to fill up examples with cows
– Example 3 really makes you think when’s the last time you actually saw and touched your money. A slip of paper from the ATM is definitely not the same.
– Advice I liked was number one. I agree that readers are more likely to engage when you put something tangible in their hands. Makes them think more about what you’re saying and being able to see it from your perspective.
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• If a student needs a feedback on their work, check “feedback please ” box off.
• The portfolio is the most important thing in this class.
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A hypothesis is something not made to prove, it is something made to be tested. A simple question starts the process. Proving “something” is the goal of a hypothesis. It narrows the focus of research. The process is not about success.
A research paper analyzes ideas, draws conclusions, and communicates the results. Even if it disproves the thesis, the results are a success if they eliminate other options. Whatever is proven is a success.
A cow is a concrete example that helps ground an abstract idea. Don’t use abstract language to convey an abstract idea.
The diamond example was interesting. The value of a diamond is something that society gives to it. It’s a sparkling rock, and there are other rocks that sparkle more, so why aren’t those rocks valued more? Is it the effort that goes into creating one? The thousands of year that it takes coal to turn into a shiny rock? Just thought that was an interesting concept.
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Use the “feedback please” category to receive feedback. You have to try hard to fail. A hypothesis is not something you set out to prove, it is something you test. My little pony leads to teenage pregnancy. You have to prove something whether it is for or against the hypothesis. Communicating the results is a success. Whatever is proved is a success. Cows and Chips. You have to be specific when discussing an abstract idea. You need concrete examples. Keep things as concrete as possible. I agree with the different examples provided that something is only worth what people are paying for it.
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Mr. Hodges doesn’t care about our grades, as long as we are the greatest writers we can be he is happy. Most students are surprised by their grades at the end of the semester (happy).” If your going to die young why save for retirement?” If a student wants feedback check off the “feedback please” box. Cash and cows concept is basically keeping everything on track and trying to not lose your reader. Reaction to baseball cards: in the statement it says they are worthless pieces of paper, until a person is willing to pay a lot of money for them. this statement is true to an extent. most things prices go up based on the rarity of the item. If no one else in the world had a stainless steel spoon, buy you had one. the price would be absolutely ridiculous. the spoon would be worth millions, but since everyone has one its worth a dollar and a quarter.
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Hypothesis is not something to prove but to be tested. A hypothesis may be true or false. Research is used to find evidence to test a hypothesis. By discovering new or old experiments it’s a success. When you are invented, you are biased and skeptical of evidence that is contrary to your belief. Confirmation biased going in caused resistance to the truth. Animated language improves essay writing.
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Watch out, dirtyjerz. I read this in the comments ahead of yours and the two typos convinced me I wasn’t imagining the influence an earlier comment had on yours.
You mean “too invested,” and you also mean “confirmation bias.”
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Keep the scope of essays small. I love to go on tangents. Readers don’t love that I love to go on tangents.
Feedback will be given throughout the process(as requested anyway), but a hard and fast assessment will only be provided at the end. That’s for the best, I think.
TEST the hypothesis, don’t seek to prove it. The difference being that disproving the hypothesis is a success, arguably bigger than proving it.
Concerning the value of money in Cows and Chips: MacDonalds has these cards that they give to customers that can be traded in at any time for one free Big Mac. The USD has not been backed by gold since January 30th, 1934. This implies that MacDonalds BurgerBucks(or whatever they’re called) are a more stable and inherently more valuable currency than the US Dollar.
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You can still buy a dollar’s worth of gold for your dollar, but you’ll get a lot less gold today than you would have in 1934. Presumably, in 2102, your BurgerBuck will still buy a Big Mac, but there’s no telling what it’ll be made of.
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-To ask for attention on any assignment “Feedback please” on the word press side bar in categories. If we want special feedback leave a comment on the bottom of it so Professor Hodges knows what type of feedback you are looking for.
-There will be no grading at all unless students demand it. Majority of students end up more than satisfied with grade at end of semester, we do not need to worry as long as we stay engaged.
-Hypothesis is not something to set out to prove it is something we set out to test. It does not matter at all if we prove our hypothesis. Follow the flow chart of scientific method to help when formulating a hypothesis. It will be easier to have some type of connection on what you are trying to prove in your essay.
-Cows and Chips: If you have an abstract idea throw in a cow, don’t be too broad in essays.
-Examples of animated language that can improve our essays about Stone Money located on the blog, multiple different ideas. I like the example #9 about Wawa deciding that a dollar bill is worth a pack of chips but it is only sometimes worth a bag of chips because the currency changes. I feel that this example relates to everyday life because of how many people go to Wawa to get food. I also liked the diamond example because the value of a diamond is what society gives to that specific diamond. There are rocks that sparkle more than some diamonds, but the diamond is more expensive. How does that work and why? This was an interesting concept.
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A hypothesis isn’t something we set out to prove, rather it’s something we set out to test. Success doesn’t have to be when your findings support your hypothesis, but it’s finding the truth and sharing it. A research paper basically communicates the truth to people through a well-composed investigation supported by evidence and provided by a writer.
Most of our first drafts are almost abstract because they lack enough concrete examples.
“The little slip of paper from the ATM that tells us our current balance is as close as most of us get to holding our wealth in our hand.” I find this example to be slightly far-fetched because you can cash out the current balance that is displayed on that little slip of paper. Unless you have an outstanding transaction that isn’t reflected in your balance.
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Thank you for questioning the example.
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-in order to write a post, you must be logged in with your icon in the corner
-the recent comments and posts will be refreshed as new comments and posts are posted
-after making an edit that you would like the professor to view, check the “feedback please” box to be sure that the professor can view it
-posting a comment as well as being specific about what you would like the professor to view would also get his attention
-I wonder if the person whose post the professor commented on is in our class. It’d be funny if he wasn’t, as he’d probably check his comments and wonder what that even means. Likely the professor chose someone in our class, however, as silly as that circumstance would be.
-although I’d like to see how I’m doing grade wise, I think I get a general idea based upon the feedback I receive. The professor likely won’t post grades on blackboard until the end of the semester.
-This class, genuinely, has awoken my love for writing of all kinds, and it’s just the beginning. I’d rather focus on feedback instead of whether or not I’m passing.
-a good first draft unedited is not a good final draft. First drafts must be edited and cut apart to hell and back in order to improve beyond the first.
-grading papers constantly is exhausting and frankly, not worth it
-I’m getting the impulse to put everything that has yet to be commented in the “feedback please” zone, but I know that our professor requires time. I’m just the kind of person to always ask “What am I doing wrong?”
-focus on creating and editing the papers for our portfolio. Although the other assignments are important and do require attention, the portfolio papers are the most important.
-I checked the professor conference chart from the syllabus out of curiosity and it looks like the fall 2014 chart is linked instead of current day. The chart in the “Mandatory Conferences” tab is the spring 2018 one. Professor, if you have time to reply, how early can we schedule these and how many are you okay with having?
-trying to “prove” in an essay something that most people believe is pointless, as it’s just going back and forth about something that a lot of people will agree with
-hypotheses are meant to be TESTED, not PROVED.
-trying to prove something you’ve found as “wrong” is a fruitless endeavor. If your hypothesis is wrong, then reconstruct it to match the truth.
-failures are a success; they prove what’s not right and what to avoid for next time.
-whichever result is proved is a success. The only failure is when absolutely nothing is proved.
-guard against feeling upset that your hypothesis was proved wrong. Letting your heart sink over that you were wrong does neither you nor anyone else any favors.
-if the topic is abstract and confusing, throw in examples, aka “cows”, so that people can understand what is going on
-keep things as concrete as you possibly can
-what’s the difference in value between a diamond and an extremely good fake?
-incorporate a concrete example into the Stone Money assignment
-the fact that stealing is meaningless on Yap is a difficult concept to imagine, but knowing that all the rocks are different might add to the notion that so long as everyone knows who it belongs to, possessions cannot be stolen. This does not exist in our world, as not everyone knows every possession of everybody else.
-baseball cards, as used for money, are only useful if the person willing to sell for money wanted those baseball cards. Otherwise, they’re useless. Selling baseball cards to the grocer is a pointless endeavor unless the grocer saw value within those cards. Otherwise, you might as well be using monopoly money.
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Your notes are spectacular, thokeca. They do a fine job of summarizing important material, and that’s certainly important, but they’re also fascinating, thoughtful, and entertaining.
I have no idea whether the student who will see that note I wrote in class today was in your section or not. 🙂
Hearing a student say, “This class has wakened my love of writing” is like a magical incantation to your professor.
As for this:
Don’t sweat it. Worry when you’re not wondering “What am I doing wrong?”
Bonus for originality and entertainment.
4/3
(I updated the Professor Conference Chart this morning. Now I have to fix the links to guide you to the right edition. You can start immediately to make appointments without limit.)
Click on Professor Conference Chart above. It’s linked for you.
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September 20th
FEEDBACK FROM HODGE
*When wanting feedback from Professor Hodge, check off “feedback please” in the categories section before updating or posting your work.* 😉
-Pay attention to your feed back! Take the compliments when given, but always aim to improve. First drafts are graded much differently than what goes in your portfolio.
A+ on first draft = C+ on final draft
*Your portfolio is a polished peice of work, your very best*
HYPOTHESIS-
-Don’t make a hypothesis that has already been done many times. Have a counteruintive train of thought. Prove something new.
-A good hypothesis is not necessarily meant to be proven correct, but instead is something that should be tested to draw new conclusions by analyzing new data through research and experiments.
-Setting out to find if something is true, but then finding out it is false, is actually a huge success.
-*By failing, you are succeeding, because you have eliminated what does not work.* ..Thomas Edison was a failure, and that makes me feel great! 🙂
-Side note: One of my favorite quotes is “A winner is just a loser who tried one more time.” …George M. Moore Jr.
-*WHATEVER YOU PROVE IS SUCCESS!*
Cows and Chips
“The little slip of paper from the ATM that tells us our current balance is as close as most of us get to holding our wealth in our hand.”
I agree with this. The whole idea of money not being real until you spend it is so true. When you see your balance on that sheet of paper, it is the only “evidence” that you have any type of wealth. Once your crumple it up, that balance disappears.
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Terrific Notes, NamasteBean. I like the personal touch and your favorite quote. You captured the essential today and also made a call-back to an earlier lesson: money isn’t real until you spend it.
Bonus for rounding the bases AND adding some lightness to my day.
4/3
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Thank you much! 🙂
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09/20/18
If you want feedback on your post
-Check Feedback Please box
-Reply on your own post.
School work won’t be graded until end of semester unless asked
Hypothesis
-Disproving your own hypothesis isn’t a failure, it is a success
-Remake your thesis or hypothesis
-Communicate Results
-Looking at a hypothesis one way isn’t good if you fail, improve next time around
-A good researcher will always find something to prove
-When you fail to prove anything thats who you are a failure
USID
-Gave $114 or education to people to see if it would improve their children’s nutrition
-$114 did not show results
-Education did not show results
-$500 did show results
Cows and Chips
-throw in a cow when you do not have concrete stuff
-throwing cows and chips is the best way not to get lost
After reading about the Invention of Money, I disagree that money is useless. I know that they explain that the value of a dollar changes everyday depending on what you are purchasing but money still is probably the most valuable material on this earth. Without it we would have no economy, nothing to work for and nothing to strive for. Everyone works hard just so they can get money and buy things because lets face it everyone wants to be rich, it is a common goal that every person on this earth has. Just because the value of money can change everyday doesn’t mean that it is a useless item.
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Nobody in the source materials says money is useless.
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-We will not be graded unless we ask to be graded. Instead, we will have an idea of how we are doing based on the feedback provided to us on the blog. Basically, we should trust the writing process and just do our best and our grade should reflect our performance.
-We have to work really hard to fail.
-A good hypothesis is written scientifically, following the scientific process. Through diligent research, we set out to see whether the hypothesis is true or not, instead of trying to prove we were right.
-Disproving hypotheses is not a bad thing, so we should not be discouraged. Take these as successes, such as Ben Franklin did, because we have eliminated something that was not the answer.
-When you prove something, regardless of your previous stance or what it is you are proving, it is a success. When you don’t prove anything, that is when you fail.
-The 12th example stuck out to me, simply because I have so many baseball cards back home that I don’t even know what to do with them. I spent so much money on them and, really, I have no idea what they’re worth, nor do I feel like finding out. To me, when I see them I don’t really feel like throwing them out either. They remind me of my childhood, and when I played baseball with my friends. These are relics left over from a whole chapter of my life. To me, the value is high enough to not get rid of.
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That’s real value.
A friend of mine watches a TV12 show that invites people to bring their family heirlooms to an auctioneer for appraisal. The big reveal in every segment is “what the item is worth” in dollars, which, for every item I’ve ever seen on the show is the least interesting thing about it.
Strong work throughout.
3/3
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-do not wait to make revision or changes till the end of the semester. do it that in the class itself.
– while writing the 3000 word essay, we have to make sure to keep the track with our topic
and have a solid hypothesis, it should not be too broad.
-Not proving anything is not a success, but proving anything is a success.
-The essay has to have a narrowed focus. When we are trying to write about our topic, we should navigate towards sources that agree with our point of view.
-the top most bar is not present if you are not logged into the blog.
-the types of post, its just alphabetized not categorized.
-hypothesis may be true or may not be true.
-we spend too much time after hypothesis, so that we craft a great research paper in the end.
-if you want feedback on your work, then draw the professors attention to it by clicking in the categories on “feedback required.”
-the most common mistakes about the topic were listing 3-4 interesting observations about the very topic.
-most of the work start with vague idea, but ends with and testable and worth conclusion.
-a hypothesis is something which you don’t tend to prove, but it is something which we test.
-the essay writing is like a scientific method, as it is to test the hypothesis but not prove something true.
– research paper analyse data and draws conclusions on your topic.
-I will try this and if it doesn’t work then i will eliminate the waste out of my mind and will be closer to success.
-when you find something different from your research and prove something else other than the main hypothesis, then that is your research paper or topic and hence by that you succeeded.
-by seeing the example 2, i agree that, earlier the value of things were based on their usefulness or deliciousness for example: grains, cattle’s or any other thing that can be eaten or exchanged. and by these there was no value for the hard work by the people to grow the things like cows and grains.
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Strong and thorough work throughout.
3/3
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9-20-18
If you want quicker feedback from a post, select the “Feedback please” category when posting or editing an assignment.
First draft grades do not indicate final draft grade. An A- first draft with no improvements made could be a C+ for a final draft. You can revise as much as you please.
Hypothesis should be focused on one subject, transitioning from a vague idea to a clear claim
-“A hypothesis is not something you set out to prove it, is something you set out to test.”
-Disproving your hypothesis adds to your paper, if you find evidence that goes against your hypothesis it can be very valuable
GiveDirectly Example
-Instead of putting money towards programs to help poor people’s standard of living, give them money directly.
-Conducted four varied experiments, and found that neither giving them a certain amount of money or education really improved their nutrition/health
-Program saw it as a loss, but the experiment made progress in which ways did not improve the people’s health, and these hypotheses can be modified and tested again.
If you are discussing abstract ideas, keep the examples concrete.
Example: The diamond example was one that I agree with and really sticks in my mind. As it states, a diamond really serves no purpose besides looking attractive. So why not purchase a fake that looks identical? Why waste money on a product whose purpose can
be delivered in nearly the exact way for a significantly cheaper price?
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We went over grading (or lack of) for the semester. We were updated on posting guidelines for the blog. There was a discussion on whether or not we wanted consistent grading or a more long drawn out grading process.
We discussed the scientific method of forming a hypothesis and how to work it out so it forms the best hypothesis possible. Crafting a hypothesis can create some experiment that leads to a new hypothesis and some questions being answered. USAID’s hypothesis proved that direct aid works better than nutrition programs. Another experiment was whether setting up a program would be better for Rwandans would be better or would giving them cash be better. Teaching them about nutrition didn’t do much for them and the cash equivalent of the teaching didn’t work but $500 saw some improvement in their overall nutrition.
The people who set up this experiment were disappointed that teaching them wasn’t as effective as just handing them the money straight up. As we know now it could lead to more experiments like how the experiment could change if they were given money and an education.
Nothing enlivens a dry conceptual essay like a cow. To keep readers interested throw cows, bags of chips, etc. you can keep you readers awake long enough to follow your detailed abstract argument.
12. Something similar to the baseball cards are weapon skins for the computer game, Counter Strike: Global Offensive. In the game there is an option to buy crates that contain a skin that is purely cosmetic in the game. Most of the time you’ll get some common skin but there is a small chance you can get a really rare weapon skin or the rarest of them all, a skin for your combat knife. Steam, the service that the game is hosted on allows people to trade and purchase these rare skins with actual money which caused a market to form around these virtual items. Entire websites are set up to value your skin inventory almost like a market portfolio.
2.Questioning the value of money can be discussed through our value we hold on diamonds. In reality the main reason diamonds are so expensive is because of market manipulation. One company or so has held 90% of the worlds production of rough diamonds, driving the prices up and causing scarcity.
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The observations you add from your own knowledge and experience are the surest sign that you’re synthesizing classroom lessons with your own background to create new insights and awareness, EaglesSB. Wonderful to see.
4/3
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-make sure to put work in correct categories
-to get feedback, click edit, categories, and feedback please, update
-leave comment if you want certain kind of feedback
-first draft grades vs final draft grades
-no point in seeing grades for first draft
-It is best to want and incorporate feedback in the first draft because if you see the grade for the first draft and it is an A, you might not revise your work to make it better
-always know your work can get better
-If you don’t see any grades and think the criticism you get means you’re a bad writer, you could end up surprised at final grade conferences
-make final portfolio the best it can be, but practice writing whenever you can to make your writing better
-the hypothesis is not something you set out to prove, it is something you set out to test
-proving the hypothesis as incorrect is a success
-name a hypothesis to focus your attention
-whatever you discover becomes your thesis. Doesn’t matter if you prove your hypothesis to be true
-when you prove one to be not be true, it’s good so you can research something else
-prove opposite is true becomes thesis
-make sure essay has concrete examples
-if you remember the image it brings back the abstract concept in mind
-Cows and Chips
12. money is only valuable when someone is willing to spend it. The baseball cards have a value when someone offers to pay an extreme amount of money for it. If someone doesn’t like baseball, however, they will see the card as just a card that has no value to it
6. You can help the reader understand an abstract idea by giving them an example they can visualize that they are familiar with
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– Clicking on the title of the blog takes you back to the homepage.
– If you want feedback on your work, select the “feedback please” category.
– Everything will not be graded unless you ask for your work to be graded.
– Writing essays is like the scientific process.
– A hypothesis is something that you set out to test, not prove.
– “Analyze data and draw conclusions” is the last step.
– By discovering or proving something within an experiment, you have succeeded.
– Narrow your focus
– Make sure that your examples for your paper are concrete
– This is the best way to not get lost in the terminology.
– Add a reaction to one or two examples for the cows and chips lecture and exercise.
– Choose one example from the set of 13 and one from the set of 6.
– I liked example 3 because I could relate to it. Besides me having an app to see what my balances are, having the paper slip is the next best thing. Going to the ATM and actually getting the slip of paper with your balances can show you how much you’ve been spending, or not spending. I would also say that having a debit card is another way of having our wealth in our hands.
– The advice that I liked was the first one. I agree with it because not even just with readers, but anyone who you are trying to get to engage with you, it would be better if you could put something tangible in their hands. It does make them question the topic at hand and to get a different perspective that they didn’t have before. Like it is mentioned in the first piece of advice, is your money worth anything when you get to visualize and feel the slip of paper. Does it make you look at your money different versus if you had a card.
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9/20
There is a feedback option on the blog posts: Feedback Please
Hypothesis:
A good hypothesis is not something one sets out to prove. It is something to be tested. Start with a broad topic and conduct research that will lead to a new experiment/idea. Report what was discovered to be true at the end.
The last step is analyzing data and drawing conclusions. Results will be communicated at the end as well.
Experiments might turn out to be failures but for an essay it would be a success. The failure teaches us something and produces a new hypothesis. A different outcome but still is something new and previously undiscovered.
Failure is success. Thomas Edison failed 500 times and this helped him succeed the 501st time. Process of elimination.
Instead of giving people training on nutrition in 3rd world countries, just give them the money that would be spent on these programs directly. This is an abstract concept.
The value of the commodities being in the commodities themselves.
“Nobody thinks about the cow as work” (Another abstract idea)
Important to find a way to prove something from your research even if it wasn’t what was originally intended.
Abstract Claims:
The fourth example stood out to me. It really seems abstract when the island currency (big stone) sinks to the bottom of the ocean, but the islanders still believe in the wealth that the stone encompasses. This is true even though there is no physical stone. This relates to our money in the bank because we just see it as numbers. There is no physical wealth involved, no tangible substance, just a number. It truly does make one question what wealth actually is.
The diamond example also caught my attention because fake diamonds appear so similar to normal diamonds. There are barely any differences to an untrained human eye, when comparing the diamonds. This goes hand in hand with the concept of wealth because you could ask yourself, is the real diamond actually worth more, even though it looks identical to the fake one? They both serve the same purpose to look good and be visually appealing. So does it matter which one is real and which is not?
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Feedback Please
-put changes done to your work into this category
-allows professor to see what alterations you have made to work
Research Essay
-research essay investigates a question
-gravitate towards the sources that prove your point
-ask a question and do research
-make a hypothesis and find out if it’s true or false
-analyze your work and conclude
-if results align with hypothesis it becomes your thesis
-if results don’t completely align go back and make a new question and hypothesis based on the information that contradicted your first hypothesis
Cows and Chips
-use details to create an illustration for the reader
The example that caught my attention the most was number 3. Number three states: The little slip of paper from the ATM that tells us our current balance is as close as most of us get to holding our wealth in our hand. It made me realize that we do in fact never get to physically hold all of our money. We only know the amount because a little slip tells us.
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• A good hypothesis is clear and can be proved using research.
• A research essay investigates a particular question and answer to that question concisely.
• Use research as a vehicle to seek the truth, not to support what you believe to be true.
• A hypothesis is a way to target a thesis. They help us find out whether if we have an assertive sense of notion or not.
• A hypothesis that turns out to be wrong indicates a win, not a failure. We don’t have to be right all the time. This class has helped me realize that I am not as open-minded as I thought. I’m usually stuck to my perspective, which is not good after all. Success is about learning and accepting the truth, even if it is “contrary” to our points of view.
• Being able to prove the truth, indicates success.
1. Example of animated language:
The example number 4 presents a completely different approach to money. Being honest, I never thought about how abstract money is until now. Money is valuable because society has adopted those dollar bills as a mechanism of payment. The value of money is totally symbolic, and we trade it for items we need or want. The value of the things traded for money is subjective. The first gold medal I received in an international competition has an incomparable emotional value for me, while others might consider that it is simply a piece of metal.
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Boy, me too, Chemia, as hard as I try to avoid or deny it, I’m just as likely as anyone else to read for confirmation, not information. Change is hard and unsettling. I’m glad that lesson is sinking in for you.
3/3
What would it cost to get that medal away from you? 🙂
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Make hypothesis to find out what is true. Examine what research is found to craft a thesis which the research can support. Proving anything is success but if nothing is achieved then it’s failure. Research will guide you to draw conclusions from and help form an argument that may not have been in the original hypothesis. The sole purpose of research is to prove what is true not what is already been preconceived. Topic must be narrowed down in order to fulfill requirement.
reaction to example 12 and 1 : It’s crazy how baseball cards or anything signed by someone famous can add monetary value to something worthless. So in some way I think money as well would have no value, every transactions is just trading things in some sort of way. Leading to example 1, money is worthless yet worth a lot. People work to earn a dollar in order to pay for needs and wants. Their are different kinds of market taking place in the overall economy that makes money worth what it’s supposed to be worth. It’s paper after all!
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-Click “Feedback please” to get the professor’s attention. If you are looking for a specific kind of feedback, leave a comment so the professor see it.
– You don’t really have to worry about grades as long as you stay engaged or you request it.
– Make a hypothesis to find out what’s true. Do not use something too broad.
-Cows and Chips: If you have an abstract idea throw in a cow, don’t be too broad in essays.
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– Make sure you write your hypotheses in the right category.
– The hypothesis is what starts your research.
– If the results align with your hypothesis, then it becomes your thesis.
– Read “Give Directly” article later.
– The authors did not fail the study because they still proved something.
– “We lose readers when the topic becomes more abstract.” Write about things in the physical world, things that are tangible, so readers can visualize what it is you’re talking about.
– Referred back to the currency of Yap.
– We value things for their inherent qualities. “The linen in dollars and the black strip on the back of our cards don’t have much value to us.”
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Nice work, Aloof. You’re a skilled observer who writes good sentences. Now, if you would please post your Purposeful Summaries and your My Hypothesis, we can get down to the business of the coursework. 🙂
3/3
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