When writers gather information from outside sources, it is important to give credit where credit is due and to cite the sources. Although this is important, learning to cite sources in various formats can be overwhelming, especially for younger students. This week, Andrew and Julie welcome IEW's Senior Product Manager, Denise Kelley, to speak about documentation. In this episode Denise shares how IEW's products utilize the EZ+1 method to teach documentation by gradually teaching students how to cite sources in a step-by-step process.
Calling it a “documentation pathway,” Andrew and Denise discuss how this EZ+1 approach to documentation gently and incrementally guides students through the process of documenting their research. Presenting it gradually and beginning when students are younger, teachers help their students to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed by encountering documentation for the first time in the high school years.
While there are several styles of documentation out there, IEW focuses on one approach: MLA, which is currently in its ninth edition. Presenting just one method allows students to gain a stronger understanding of the process of documentation. When students eventually encounter other documentation styles in college–for example, APA, Chicago, or Turabian–they will be better able to make the appropriate adjustments because they have already laid a solid foundation with MLA.
If you have wondered or worried about how to teach the intricacies of documentation, you will find this podcast will soothe your anxieties. Documentation need not be daunting. This episode will explain how.
