From the Classroom to the Writing
On Learning and Writing; or suggestions on using your class time to prepare for graded assignments by Paul J. Croce
Reading, especially non-fiction:
(in a way that will help you cope with the information glut)
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get an overview of the reading by carefully examining the introduction and layout; this can give you a good sense of the overall purpose of the writing
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once you have an overview, read in degrees: read some parts more carefully, some less
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look for examples to illustrate the overall theme
Making the best use of class time:
the three-legged stool; to stand up well, it needs all three legs
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Read assigned reading: if it is difficult to understand, at least read for familiarity.
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Listen in class for guides to understanding the reading: background information; key points in the reading; exchange of ideas (asking questions, discussing with teacher and students)
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review material: bring together what you had read before class and what you learned in class (often brief, but usually with a big payoff)
Things to learn from class:
(much like steps in writing, and a good way to get ready for it)
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subject matter: what is being talked about?
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meanings: how, why, what are the implications?
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themes: what are the points of view and how are they built up?
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vocabulary: along the way, what are some special terms?
Journal entries:
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On a regular basis, write a paragraph about the reading or about some project or event related to class.
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In class, usually at the end of the week, we will take class time to hear about your thinking on paper; often this will involve having each student pair up with another to talk about what they have written: read each other's work; ask questions about what you find
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Report to the group about a few key points
Stages of writing:
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reporting on a topic: this is in answer to basic "what" questions: what did you read; what happened in the reading; what did you learn? This has to do with observing.
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identifying the point: this is in answer to questions about the argument being presented: how did the author or the presentation arrange the facts to support a point of view? How or why did these facts happen? This has to do with interpreting what you have been observing.
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organizing your points: this is a matter of fleshing out what you have identified about the argument at hand: what are the pieces of the argument; how are those selected facts arranged to guide the reader to a particular point of view? This has to do with understanding what you have been interpreting.
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formulating your argument: this is a matter of assembling facts and arguments on a topic and presenting your own perspective on them: after weighing different factors, what do you think of this material; what is your judgment? This has to do with responding to what you have understood.
Stages of assignments: (and class time can help at each stage)
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non-graded journal entries: exchanges in class and with fellow students
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short papers, graded during the semester
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longer writing, graded, due later in the semester
Do you want my opinion?
Yes, if you can back it up. How? By creating evaluations based on a blending of your opinion with the facts and reasons that can support the opinion, you have of the subject at hand.
Your evaluation: at its best, it should combine
facts and reasons |
opinion writing based on this alone would be slanted |