How to Work to Use

Reliable Source ONLY and How to Work

Think of this as coaching on how to meet this requirement. If you need for me to talk with you about this, just ask.

For your source of facts, use only sources your boss (or professor) accepts as reliable. — For example, unless your boss tells you “Google this for me and copy anything you like from the Internet,” don’t.

Read the right stuff—the right time and the right place and the right person or type of persons--for the question:

Turn to the pages that I identified for you to read.

· If I did not specify pages to read with the quiz question or with an essay question, use your index at the back of the book to locate the content.

· If you still cannot find the pages, ask for help. (Distance learning classes also have ways to ask questions in the Discussion tool.)

FYI: If you ask for help, I will help you. If you ask and the issue is not covered in my online resources, I will add it so your question helps others as well.

Do not let yourself open other sources.

· Do not tell yourself the fib that you are just checking the Internet to make something clearer to yourself.

· Do not let bad data in a good mind—that is what you are doing to yourself.

Read to understand (to figure out, not just repeat mindlessly) the evidence that the author is providing you:

If you have no method that works for you, try the method for preparing to write a practical essay to read, analyze, and create a short list of possible things you will cover.

It you also need an example on a brain trick for reading, you will find one in that link.
Always double check to be sure your brain is not assuming. Use only the facts you found in the source.

· If you remember something being true, do not use it until you carefully verify it in the required source.

· If you cannot find it to verify it, ask me for help in finding it or do not say it.
For some people, touching the fact in the source and in your list of what you plan to cover helps them. This visual might help.

FYI: I work to bring in multiple senses into this process. For me, that helps. If it does not help you, then do not do it.

Always double check to be sure your brain is not being passive.

· You are not summarizing or paraphrasing a section of words.

· Instead, you are figuring things out so you can briefly answer a question in a common sense way.

Caution: Just because some fact is in that section of words does not mean it belongs in your answer.
If the fact does not apply to the question, do not bring it up or you will look like you misread or miswrote (wrote without thinking).

WCJC Department:	History – Dr. Bibus
Contact Information:	281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu
Last Updated:	2014
WCJC Home:	http://www.wcjc.edu/