Week 8 Discussion

Scoring Full Points on Discussion Questions

1. Use headings to separate the different parts of your discussion. This helps to make sure you address everything you are asked to address in the discussion.

2. Use at least one outside professional resource published in the last 5 years in your initial post. I’ve already read your textbooks, so I want to see you applying material beyond what we are discussing in the course. Professional resources refer to books or journal articles, not Wikipedia or other non-professional sources.

3. Give a substantial response to more peers than is required for the minimum. For instance, if you are required to respond to one peer and you respond to one peer – you have met the standard. If you want to go above and beyond, respond to at least two peers in an effort to keep the conversation going. Responding to me does not count as a peer response.

4. Use at least one professional outside resource in your peer responses. This means using a book or journal article, not Wikipedia or other non-professional sources. This should not be the same resource as the one used in your initial post.

5. Proof read all work before posting! The best way to do this is to type a response in word, use spell check; proof read your work and then copy and paste into the discussion area. If you consistently turn in work that is full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, you will receive lower scores for your writing.

6. Be on time with all posts.

Scoring Full Points on Application Papers and Final Projects

1. Review the Quick Reference List for APA Formatting to make sure you are not making any of the mistakes outlined there.

2. Be sure to know the difference between quotation marks (“”), which are used around direct quotes, and apostrophes (‘) which are used to make words plural such as client’s or clients’.

3. Make sure to always include a cover page with page numbers. Refer to your APA manual as a guide.

4. Start each paper with an introduction that outlines what your paper will be talking about.

5. Use headings to separate the different areas of your paper. This will also help you make sure you are addressing everything you are being asked to address in your paper.

6. Include a conclusion that summarizes everything you have discussed in your paper.

7. Use at least two outside professional resources in your application papers that have been published within the last 5 years.

8. Put your references on a separate page and make sure all references are listed in alphabetical order and are double spaced.

9. Be sure to have accurate APA references and in text citations. Be sure to follow the APA 6th edition for how to do your citations and references.

10. Be on time with your applications.

11. Please note that Wikipedia and other online sites of that caliber are NOT scholarly resources. Your resources should be limited to academic books and journal articles only that are no more than 5 years old. The only exception for older works is if you are citing a seminal work.

12. Be sure to compare your application to the grading rubric to ensure you are meeting all of the requirements.

13. Make sure to use spell check and proof read your papers before submitting them. I also suggest you use “Grammarly” (available through the writing center) to catch grammatical mistakes.

14. Pay attention to the feedback I give you on your papers and make the necessary changes. If you continue to make the same mistakes, you will continue to be given a deduction in points.