The Journey, In Retrospect
The whole semester of English 5A was like playing with Legos, but with literature. I would use the things I learned previously in high school and build them up with the new things I learned from 5A. It was very difficult to find the right parts and piece them together to create the “perfect” essay. On the other hand, I was able to learn the necessary skills to converse with the authors in the text, From Inquiry to an Academic Writing, by Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. It was an essential skill to be able to properly identify the different arguments in their conversation, which I thereafter, explained using the They Say, I Say techniques and templates. Furthermore, my instructor’s and peer reviews have helped me understand things I did not realize and things I could improve on. Henceforth, I learned how to take part in their conversations and respond to it whether I would agree or disagree. It was a pleasant learning experience to write with the audience in mind and finding different methods to compose essays. In retrospect, I have learned to “enter the conversation,” take on an argument, and use sources to support my standpoint. From the start, I was not fluent in “entering the conversation,” and would often branch off toward my own path. …show more content…
However, after the lectures, I got better at understanding the authors’ concepts, and I was able to gradually progress in “conversation” with them. For example, the essay Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen, a sociology professor, from the text, From Inquiry to an Academic Writing, I have found that Loewen’s main idea was that many American history books were censored. Many of the controversial issues were omitted from the text books, which, in many ways, make learning about the redundant materials dull and boring. More importantly, I was able to build on that information for my essay, The Problems Surrounding Education, to “enter the conversation” and develop an argument to support my thesis. Then, I was able to develop my argument with the support of Loewen’s ideas. Here, I found that it is important in order to show the audience my position. On the other hand, They Say, I Say, written by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkstein, who are both professional writers, has helped me through the development of thinking about the readers and deciding whether to inform or to persuade them. For instance, I considered, in my essays, the unstated assumptions of the readers in my writing. Therefore, I learned that, when I begin with what others are saying, it makes my claims much stronger and valid. Speaking of informing and persuading, once I “enter the conversation,” I needed to take a side or a stance. They Say, I Say 's “starting with what others are saying,” has helped me improve my writing strategies. It presents the idea of common techniques for presenting what others are saying and building up an argument based on them. It showed me, for instance, that I could agree with the person’s evidence, but in fact, I am actually disagreeing with him or her using their evidence. This way, I learned that I could agree or disagree with what an author is saying, but with a valid reason to support it. In addition, it gives the readers a reason to care for my argument. For example, in my essay, Globalization and Cosmopolitanism, I wrote, “He has a valid point,
The whole semester of English 5A was like playing with Legos, but with literature. I would use the things I learned previously in high school and build them up with the new things I learned from 5A. It was very difficult to find the right parts and piece them together to create the “perfect” essay. On the other hand, I was able to learn the necessary skills to converse with the authors in the text, From Inquiry to an Academic Writing, by Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. It was an essential skill to be able to properly identify the different arguments in their conversation, which I thereafter, explained using the They Say, I Say techniques and templates. Furthermore, my instructor’s and peer reviews have helped me understand things I did not realize and things I could improve on. Henceforth, I learned how to take part in their conversations and respond to it whether I would agree or disagree. It was a pleasant learning experience to write with the audience in mind and finding different methods to compose essays. In retrospect, I have learned to “enter the conversation,” take on an argument, and use sources to support my standpoint. From the start, I was not fluent in “entering the conversation,” and would often branch off toward my own path. …show more content…
However, after the lectures, I got better at understanding the authors’ concepts, and I was able to gradually progress in “conversation” with them. For example, the essay Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen, a sociology professor, from the text, From Inquiry to an Academic Writing, I have found that Loewen’s main idea was that many American history books were censored. Many of the controversial issues were omitted from the text books, which, in many ways, make learning about the redundant materials dull and boring. More importantly, I was able to build on that information for my essay, The Problems Surrounding Education, to “enter the conversation” and develop an argument to support my thesis. Then, I was able to develop my argument with the support of Loewen’s ideas. Here, I found that it is important in order to show the audience my position. On the other hand, They Say, I Say, written by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkstein, who are both professional writers, has helped me through the development of thinking about the readers and deciding whether to inform or to persuade them. For instance, I considered, in my essays, the unstated assumptions of the readers in my writing. Therefore, I learned that, when I begin with what others are saying, it makes my claims much stronger and valid. Speaking of informing and persuading, once I “enter the conversation,” I needed to take a side or a stance. They Say, I Say 's “starting with what others are saying,” has helped me improve my writing strategies. It presents the idea of common techniques for presenting what others are saying and building up an argument based on them. It showed me, for instance, that I could agree with the person’s evidence, but in fact, I am actually disagreeing with him or her using their evidence. This way, I learned that I could agree or disagree with what an author is saying, but with a valid reason to support it. In addition, it gives the readers a reason to care for my argument. For example, in my essay, Globalization and Cosmopolitanism, I wrote, “He has a valid point,