Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and the Writing General Topic Selected:

 The tingi-tingi system (the practice of buying and selling by piece

Process:
or small amounts, e.g. one stick of cigarette versus a pack, a
Working on Critical Thinking
sachet of shampoo versus a bottle.
Specific Topic:
What is criticism?
 The cultural significance of the tingi-tingi system in the twenty-
 Criticism is not about attacking, disagreeing or criticizing the text.
first century
 Criticism is to respond to and evaluate a text'S:
 Ideas
 Argument
 Style 2. Asking research questions and establishing the
 And it is to say how and why you value these items. significance of one's research
 The next helpful step is to barrage the specific topic with
Collaboration questions to come up with the essay's main Research Question.
 From the word collaboration means working with each other to Although it is helpful to begin with questions that ask who, what,
do the task. when, or where, these should be used as background research
questions. For example, the answers to the questions listed here
The Writing Process can be readily looked up:
 This next lesson complements the first by zooming in on the skills
required for the research.  What does the "tingi-tingi system" mean? What is the nature
 reading and collaboration involved in the entire process of writing of tingi?
a documented. Writing consists of more than just drafting a paper  Who exactly practice this? When did this practice begin?
but rather as three stages that Murray calls pre-writing, writing, Where is this practiced? In what context/s?
and rewriting.
 This conception of writing as a process has very important Questions that ask how and why are more likely to invite a deeper research
implications: "that writing if first and foremost a social activity; and lead to more interesting answers.
that the act of writing can be a means of learning and discovery"
(Olson,1999). Why is tingi-tingi system a prevalent practice in the Philippines?
 What this means is that when students learn writing as a process, How did it develop? How was it practiced in the past?
they are more involved in the process of learning about the How is it practiced today?
subject, other people's ideas, and their own writing. While Finally, the student should pose a tougher question, the "so what?" question:
working on the latter, they become aware that they are actually Now that I know all of these, so what? What makes my research socially or
collaborating on the construction of new ideas and knowledge culturally significant?
that is part of an ongoing scholarly conversation.
Brainstorming Research Questions:
What cultural and social values as well as realities, led to the practice of
The Three Stages of the Writing Process
buying and selling by tingi?
a. pre-writing Stage of the writing process What impact does it have on buyers and sellers? What larger implications
1. Choosing a topic and limiting it does this have about life in the Philippines and its socio-economic system,
 The pre-writing stage is defined as "everything that takes place especially today?
before the first draft". It begins with brainstorming exercises and
preliminary research to select a topic. Once a topic has been Main Research Question:
chosen, this should be narrowed down on the type of written Why is the continued use of the tingi-tingi system in the twenty-first century
output required. A quick survey of related sources on the general Philippines significant?
topic is helpful in limiting the topic to a more specific area of The "so what" question is the main research question. Another way to arrive
study. Student writers should ask the following practical at this question is to begin by naming the topic, adding a reason for studying
questions: the topic, and adding significance to the reason for studying the topic, as in
the examples here.
 What are the objectives (of the course or the professor) that
need to be met by this paper? State your topic:
 What are my objectives in writing this paper? I am studying tingi culture in the Philippines.
 What are the length requirements of this paper (minimum Add a reason for studying it: I am studying tingi culture in the Philippines
and maximum number of words or pages)? because I want to find out what it reflects about the values of Filipinos.
 How much time do I need to write it? Add significance to this study:
 What are the other restrictions or limits imposed by the I am studying tingi culture in the Philippines because I want to find out what
professor of the course? it reflects about the values of Filipinos in order to help my readers understand
 What has already been written about the topic, and what why there are larger implications of the practice in the twenty-first century.
new ideas can I add to the
 conversation about it? RESEARCH QUESTION: Why is the continued use of the tingi-tingi system
in the twenty-first century Philippines significant?
Here is an example of notes leading up to the selection of a narrow and
focused topic for a documented essay on the topic of plagiarism in the
3. Composing a Thesis Statement
Philippines: Observe how the topic has been narrowed down.
 Coming up with a research question is vital for the next step,
composing a thesis statement.This is the explicit statement of
Brainstorming:
what will be the paper's central idea, point, or argument, that is-
 Philippine culture expressions, terms, behavior, and practices
the main assertion that will be supported by the entire essay. It is
unique to the Philippines expressions like" Ano bayan!" "ukay-
also, essentially, the tentative answer to the research question.
ukay", "Philippine hospitality" bringing home pasalubong, the so
called tingi-tingi system.
Resarch Question: Why is the continued use of the tingi-tingi system in the
twenty-first century Philippines significant?
Thesis Statement: The continued use of tingi-tingi system in the twenty- Students who finds articles and pages on the Web must make the extra effort
first-centuryPhilippines reflects a lack of change in the economic situation of of verifying that the sources are valid, credible, and reliable. There are several
the Philippines, as those from the poorer sectors of society are forced due to ways to do this:
lack of available funds, to both buy small and think in the short term  Check the universal resource locator or URL - sometimes
referred to as the IP address or link- on the browser's address bar.
Kim and and Michael Flachman (2011), authors of the Prose Reader, say that  Read the "About Us" section of the website. As with print
the thesis is "acontract between (the writer) and (his/her) readers." This sources, look for information about the author or organization,
means that a writer must deliver on the"promise" made by the thesis the site publisher, and other relevant information about the
statement: that the essay will assert one central point and that will be focused site.This will help one to verify whether or not the information is
on and supported by every paragraph in the essay. Moreover, the contract that being provided by an expert or authority on the subject.
is the thesis statement should be provided early in the essay, in the
introductory paragraphs, so that the reader will know at the outset what to 3. Review the content for relevance, depth and breath, accuracy, and
expect. currency. Some sources on the internet may be outdated or inaccurate, so it
is important to look at the date when the information was published.
4. Preparing the Writing Outline
4. Look at sources cited. If the website is credible and reliable, the
Here is an example of a writing outline for a documented essay based on the information will include ideas cited from other sources.
thesis statement given previously.
Activity: Doing Research on the topic of Tingi Cultue
Title: Do research and find two online sources that give information about tingi
Tingi Culture in the Twenty-First Century: Still Thinking Small in the culture. List down the titles, authors, and publication dates of these sources.
PhilippinesThesis Statement: The continued use of the tingi-tingi system in
twenty-first century Philippines reflects a lack of change in the economic DOCUMENTED ESSAY
situation of the Philppines, as those from the many poorer sectors of society
are forced, due to lack of available funds, to both buy small and think in the
DOCUMENTED ESSAY
short-term.
 The term academic suggest more than just the style and tone of
writing. An essential aspect of an academic paper is its credibility
I. Introduction:
and its contribution to scholarly studies.
The tingi-tingi system
 Interesting examples of buying by piece
Term documented
 Definition and origin of tingi and the tingi tingi system
 emphasizes that any kind of scholarly or academic writing
 Main idea: continued practice of tingi culture as a reflection of
requires the writter to;
prevailing poverty and thinking in the short-term
1. Read and gather information from a variety of relevant
sources on a chosen topic.
II. Development: The social and cultural implications of the tingi tingi
2. Clearly acknowledge these supporting sources.
system
3. Add to scholarship by selecting, arranging, commenting on,
 Why it was practiced in the past or even debunking the information from the sources.
 Why it continues to be practiced today
 Buying small as equivalent to thinking small Standard Essay versus Documented Essay
 both a standard essay and documented essay consist of an
III. Conclusion: Looking back and looking ahead
introductions with an explicity stated central arguments or thesis
A. Recap of why the system has significant cultural implications.
three or more supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.
B. Final insight about the need to think in larger and longer terms

What is Plagiarism?
5. Doing the Research and Finding Credible Sources
 Plagiarism is using another person’s ideas, words, research or
 Writing is not only a social activity but a collaborate one. Writing
other intellectual property without properly attributing the source.
an academic essay means adding one's voice to the conversation
of other writers and scholars. To do this, a writer needs to
3 specific example of Plagiarism
familiarize himself or herself with the conversation; in other
 Copying
words, a writer must first do research and gather information from
 Improper Paraphrasing
a wide variety of sources available.
 No Attribution

 Before and while selecting a topic, a student may wish to survey

4 Ways to Avoid Plagiarism
the literature or other studies on topics she/he is interested in.
Paraphrase
Reading such related literature will help a student know which
 So you have found information that is perfect for your research
topics are worth pursuing and which may be more challenging-
paper. Read it and put it into your own words.
because there is a dearth of material on them-and which topics
Cite
should be abandoned. It sometimes helpful to spend an amount of
time focused on evaluating sources, gathering useful information  is one of the effective ways to avoid plagiarism.
from these credible sources, and taking notes on what can be used Quoting
for and cited in a planned essay.  When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it appears.
No one wants to be misquoted.
Referencing
 one of the most important ways to avoid Sample Documented
Essay
Sample Documented Essay Writing collaboratively
Hashtag awareness: The #Bracket kana Trend and its implication on  Collaborative writing involves two or more persons working
the socialized Tuition System together to produce a written document. Also called group
(1) writing, it is a significant component of work in the business
Following the release of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) Socialized world, and many forms of business writing and technical writing
Tuition System (STS) results last June 30, 2014, social media platforms – depend on the efforts of collaborative writing teams
Twitter, in particular – were bombarded with complaints and objections from
frustrated students who believed that they were not granted the tuition Guidelines for Successful Collaborative Writing
brackets befitting a worldwide twitter trend under the tag #BracketAKaNa  Know the individuals in your group. Establish rapport with your
(translated, this means “You are now in Bracket A”). Bracket A – sometimes team. . . .
referred to as the “millionaire’s bracket”  Do not regard one person on the team as more important than
another. . . .
 is the highest-paying tuition bracket under the STS; the  Set up a preliminary meeting to establish guidelines. . . .
households of the students under this classification are supposed  Agree on the group's organization. . . .
to have annual net incomes above 1.3 million pesos.  Identify each member's responsibilities, but allow for individual
talents and skills.
 Establish the time, places, and length of group meetings. . . .
 Follow an agreed-on timetable, but leave room for flexibility. .
The Writing Process- Drafting and Editing  Provide clear and precise feedback to members. . . .
 Writing is a process that involves several distinct steps:  Be an active listener. . . .
prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. It is  Use a standard reference guide for matters of style,
important for a writer to work through each of the steps in order documentation, and forma
to ensure that he has produced a polished, complete piece. The
writing process is not always linear.

Prewriting
 Prewriting is anything you do before you write a draft of your
document. It includes thinking, taking notes, talking to others,
brainstorming, outlining, and gathering information. Although
prewriting is the first activity you engage in, generating ideas is
an activity that occurs throughout the writing process. During

Drafting
 The second step of the writing process involves drafting. During
drafting, the writer puts his ideas into complete thoughts, such as
sentences and paragraphs. The writer organizes his ideas in a way
that allows the reader to understand his message. He does this by
focusing on which ideas or
 topics to include in the piece of writing. During drafting, the
writer will compose an

Drafting—The Process
 The process of drafting a piece of writing begins with an analysis
of the prewriting. The author must use his prewriting notes to
determine a focus for the piece. This may involve narrowing the
focus of the topic and perhaps identifying a purpose for the piece.

Editing
 Upon completion of a rough draft, the writer should take on the
first edit of his work. Editing is an on-going process, not a one
time event. When an author edits his work, he is checking the
piece for errors.
 These are typically errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization,
and formatting (indenting of paragraphs, etc.).
 A writer should be encouraged to edit as much of his own paper
as possible. Early writers should, with some prompting, be able
to check a paper for correct capitalization and punctuation. As a
child ages, he will be able to correct other errors on his own. Some
students find it beneficial to read their work out loud while
editing. This makes it easier to find mistakes.
 Editing should not be a negative process. This is a time to work
on creating a polished piece of writing that will make the author
proud. The author should be reminded that he will need to edit his
work at least two more times. He will edit before composing a
final copy and then use the same process to check over his final
product.