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The importance of reflection on teaching and learning
The role of reflection in teaching
Reflection for personal development and/or academic learning
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A Critical Review of "Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Writing", by Fernsten, Linda A.; Reda, Mary
The authors make a plausible attempt to propose a psychological strategy that education professionals can use to encourage students, and overcome the challenges of academic writing. This paper will be focused on summarizing, critiquing, and interpreting the proposed concepts in my personal perspectives. This should allow the reader to evaluate the article’s credibility and reliability.
The article seems to be intended for an audience that involves higher-level educators, teacher candidates, and graduate students from varied disciplines. The article represents both the facts and the opinions. The content of the article
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The authors’ claim that use of reflective activities encourages students to “challenge negative identity construction” (173). In the first part, the authors claim that reflective practices will introduce writing as a way of thinking to students (175). Furthermore, the exercises will encourage students to write across disciplines, motivating them to adapt to various terminologies. The authors use this to defend the issue raised earlier about students’ struggle with discipline-specific genres and academic writing. Secondly, writers claim that by working in groups, students will be encouraged to develop analytic skills to analyze their own material and information. “…identify the similarities and differences in their accounts and theorize about why these exist” (175). Another benefit to theses exercises, as per the authors, was the feeling of not being “the only one” as students would be asked to create a group profile and given a chance not to be alone and be in a …show more content…
Further research is required extend the argument of effectiveness to multi-disciplines, before implementing these exercises into standardized curriculum. This concept can also be applied through various disciplines. Every discipline requires a positive feedback system to enforce the backbone or structure. The “can’t write/can’t do” mentality can also be found in workplaces among workers. This negativity within a workplace can very well jeopardize the health and safety, and the productivity. This can cause the deterioration of the employer-employee trust. Here, the psychological approach of reflective exercise can be applied, as every worker should be encouraged to have a reflective feedback/opinion on the industrial hygiene of a workplace. Thus, allowing the internal and external auditors to improve the health and safety system as a
According to Runciman, there are many plausible reasons that students and other people don’t enjoy writing. Evidence, assumptions, and language and tone are the basis for which Runciman makes his argument. Overall, this argument is effective because reliable and well known sources are used in a logical fashion. Also, the assumptions made about the audience are accurate and believable. Runciman used his assumptions wisely when writing his claim and in turn created a compelling, attention capturing argument. The article was written so that students and teachers at any level could understand and easily read it. This argument is interesting, captivating, relevant through its age, and can relate to students and teachers at almost every academic level.
In Downs and Wardle’s article, they argue and identify the flaws in teaching writing in college. Demonstrating the misconceptions that academic writing is universal, but rather specialized in each case. Citing studies and opinions from esteemed professionals, Downs & Wardle state their points and illuminate the problem in today’s many colleges.
In Patricia Limerick’s article “Dancing with Professors”, she argues the problems that college students must face in the present regarding writing. Essays are daunting to most college students, and given the typical lengths of college papers, students are not motivated to write the assigned essays. One of the major arguments in Limerick’s article is how “It is, in truth, difficult to persuade students to write well when they find so few good examples in their assigned reading.” To college students, this argument is true with most of their ...
The focal point of Chapter 4 of Successful College Writing is on how to critically read and decipher text and visuals. It highlights the importance of not just looking at the surface of the words, but diving into their true meaning. Authors put every word and picture into their work for a reason, and it is your job to ensure that you do not fall victim to biases and false information. It is crucial to learn how to identify author's tones, opinions, and overall purpose in their writings. Learning how to analyze these patterns will better equip you in acquiring accurate information and also not adopting these deceptive techniques yourself.
Evidence given in Fernsten & Reda’s article, lists the numerous barriers students endure academically due to their socio/economic background. Factors include “negative self-identity of believing they are ineffectual and inept writers and internalize aspects of negative instructor discourses”. (Fernsten & Reda). Additional confirmation under the ...
Academic writing is a very discouraging topic that most young writers do not even want to begin to think about or imagine doing. Throughout college everyone will be asked to write multiple academic essays regardless of their major. We have read two sources in class that have helped clear up some common myths and also helped make academic writing not seem so foreign. The two sources we read were “What is Academic Writing?” and the first chapter of the book “From Inquiry to Academic Writing”. Many young students seeking a college degree are fearful about the amount of work needed to be done in order to survive their college courses. Academic writing is a challenging topic that many young people struggle to get a grasp on. Once the skill of
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
Drown, E., & Sole, K. (2013). Writing college research papers (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Being a new teacher of English, I find the assessment of compositions to be a concept I question and struggle with on a regular basis. Having consulted several colleagues, mentors, administrators, and fellow graduate students, I have come to the conclusion that there is no easy answer to this tedious yet ever important question. While there are many inlets and outlets to this dilemma, for the sake of time I will touch on only three. While all three are very different in terms of concepts, rituals, and conducts, they all come together to one common goal - helping students express themselves in terms of writing.
In Donald M. Murrays’s essay “What is Practical Education” he explains his reasoning behind why he allowed his students to write badly. He shares his own experience with police-like teachers who drove him to hate writing. In hopes of helping his students find their voice he allows his students to write the words down as they come, no matter how awkward they sound. Often times they find out that they have more to say then they thought. Rhetorical devices are used to help the readers relate to his point of view on writing.
My English 1310 course was taught by Professor Daniel Stuart. He taught us the concept of academic writing and why it is important. Academic writing is the process of down ideas, using a formal tone, deductive reasoning and third person. Writing done to carry out the requirements of a college or university on a research based level. It requires a starting point or introduction, followed by a thesis on the preferred topic, then comes proving and disproving of the evidence based arguments. Learning academic writing is important because it is a way to communicate our thoughts clearly and originality. It helps us think and see what evidence we can come up to contribute to that thinking. This course approached this idea of academic writing by
Thinking about a topic to write about is not always easy, and sometimes the process of writing can end up being difficult. Jennifer Jacobson discusses strategies to overcome the struggles that young writers can encounter while writing. I was interested in her book No More “I’m Done!” Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades because I feel like as a future teacher this could be a frequent problem among students. From reading this book, I hoped that I would learn useful strategies that I could use to help students overcome their problems with writing. After reading this book, I do believe that Jacobson has provided me with plenty of methods to use. I was surprised at the depth that she goes into in her text. There is a vast amount
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Crème, P., & Lea, M. R. (2008). Writing at university: A guide for students. Buckingham, GBR:
are in danger of being exposed to vagueness of approach such as unnecessary repetition aimless and pointless writing. It is not always possible to fulfill all the conditions below, nut the more they are fulfilled, the better the students write successfully (Bright. 1970. P. 141-144)