1. The Toulmin Model exercise that our class did at the beginning of the unit, played the biggest part in my understand of argument and writing an argument paper. It was very interesting to learn in such a fun approach. I recall myself and my partners (Stefanie and Alexis), using the toulmin model( warrant, backing, qualifier), to solve a mystery murder case. We also created another argument based on the television show Jersey Shore. After doing this exercise a few times, I grew very confident in my ability in academic writing. I found that the pieces of reading that our class participated in during this unit, played no impact to me whatsoever. This was the first time, I possessed no drive to use the readings in my paper. I will admit that Sara Ahmed’s Recognizing Strangers was fairly interesting, but none of the stories matched correctly with my argument. After completing my mini dialogue project, I realized how much my essay topic sucked. The claim was way too broad, I needed to focus-in on a certain aspect of social media, instead to simply talking about social media as a whole. An online commercial that I had found online, along with advice from my classmates, helped me to change my essay topic to “internet thuggin.”The argument paper checklist was the most helpful for myself because I had changed my essay topic so close to the rough draft deadline.
2. I believe that I have developed a deep understanding for critical thinking, not just from this unit, but from the entire writing semester. Back in October, our class read a section in the Writing Analytically workbook called “ Seems to be about X but is really about Y.” In this section, an important tip that is giving to all critical writers is to “be suspicious of your first ...
... middle of paper ...
...organization in my essay. I am also more willing to ask questions to teachers and my other classmates, if I seem to have difficulties. My peers were able to see problems with my paper that would not have noticed, this helped my confidence in the assignment.
6. During this semester of academic writing, I have learned how to truly be connected to my writing. The class forced us all to constantly analyze and observe our ideas and claims, creating a deeper connect between the student and the paper, an aspect that contributes to a successful paper. All of the student faced the harsh reality of where we stood as far as writing, in our Jumpstart essay. However, due to all of the work that we have done (dialogical journal, graphic organizers, peer review exercises), we have all learned the proper interpretation skills and analytical skills, to become more efficient writers.
As I chose to take this class and better my writing skills at a college level, I knew this class was going to be difficult. With a total of four essays to write I knew I had to be on my game from the beginning. Throughout durations of this class, I have learned how to become more responsible, plan ahead of time, and how to become a better writer. With each mistake made i have been able to learn and improve. An Ad Analysis, Comparative Analysis, Narrative, and an Argumentative Essay are the four papers we had to write for the course.
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.
Do you know how to use the Toulmin model when writing an argumentative paper? After reading this essay you will not only know how to use the Toulmin model, but also how to use it effectively. The model is relatively easy to use and it can help one to organize his or her paper. James Q. Wilson is one of many writers that utilizes the Toulmin model. In Wilson’s piece, “Just Take Away Their Guns,” it is clear that he chose to use the Toulmin model as a guideline for the organization of the work. I will be walking you through the steps of the Toulmin model in the following paragraphs.
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing written by; Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, Eighth Edition, published April, 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin’s, is a textbook about writing and critical thinking. In the first chapter of Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths”, the Authors begin by setting a relatable scene of what it’s like for a college student. How a new found independence can be overwhelming, especially with regards to critical thinking, showing that what we have learned, needs to be re-evaluated and that an open mind in essential. "What Is Critical Thinking" In this section of the chapter the editors explain what it means to be a critical thinker. They explain that critical thinking is not just studying dates and facts, but rather taking those facts and examining them. The editors then proceed by explaining how having an open mind, and taking others' perspectives into account when formulating our own opinions on what the author is trying to say to us is important. A critical thinker takes all aspects into account and reflects on personal experience as well. The editors also point out that different cultural experiences bring different opinions. They suggest that we need to become active learners, continuously questioning the meaning behind everything, testing not only the theories of others but also our own experiences and analyzing the text rather than going for the obvious. They show that thinking outside the box is the epitome of critical thinking. Basically, we need to step outside our comfort zones and what we have always been taught. The editors also suggest that we need to re-evaluate our per...
The following final drafts, drafts, notes, and peer review letters represent my growth as a writer in the span of one semester. I learned quite a bit about myself and the things i can do to improve my writing and the methods of doing proper research in order to write a proper research essay. Though i have seen an improvement within these essays, i feel i still have much to practice upon.
If I had spent several weeks preparing a term paper and received an assessment I did not agree with, LOI could help me see past the emotive and think critically about the feedback. At age fifty-two, I am still just a beginning student of critical thinking. I have used, in layman’s terms some of the principals in my professional and personal life. This week’s reading have helped to formulize some of the processes and attitudes I have practiced for over forty years.
Paul, R. and Elder, L., (2008). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking-Concepts and Tools, 5th. Ed., Foundation for Critical Thinking Press: Dillon Beach, CA
The way an individual speaks or writes determines that person's power and identity, this holds especially true on social networking sites. Social networking sites can be defined as websites created to communicate informally with other users, or to find people with similar interests to oneself. A social networking page is one’s form of identity; outsiders recognize others through their own unique page which includes a picture, name, hometown, occupations, and status updates. The internet allows every person to be themselves and express their opinions, without restrictions. However, does one really act how they truly are online? When you communicate with other users on the internet, most likely there is no prenotion of the type of personality traits that you posses. This would mean language ( in other words, what you say on the internet), determines what your power and your character. If one were to take notice of conversations that take place on the internet, which includes comments found on YouTube or the tweets found on Twitter, the conversations between people seem to be more intense than it would be if you were talking to the person face-to-face. There is a name for this action: “Internet Thuggin”. Being identified as an “internet thug” refers to a person acting out more than he would usually do when he is surfing the internet, with an attempt to gain a new identity and to create a sense of power that could not exist in the real world. Even though changing one’s character in the virtual world comes across as fake, it is a language phenomenon that allows individuals to express their true feelings without facing real-life tensions.
In the past three months I feel like I have accomplished a great deal. As the semester comes to an end I find myself reflecting not only how I have survived the first semester but also what I have learned. The most important thing I have learned so far is how to become a better writer. I did not think it could really happen to me. I did not think I could handle all the work. I did not think I could actually become a better writer. Some how after all the hours of writing, and putting effort into the papers that I wrote this semester, I became a better writer. I did this because I concentrated on two very important areas, with the attitude of, if I could just become better in those then I would become a better writer. With help from an awesome teacher and a reliable tutor I have become a better writer by improving my skills in the areas of procrastination and content.
The first writing project I was assigned in this class was an analysis of the film, Gran Torino. During class, I learned there was so much more to the movie than what we see; there was a meaning behind every little thing from the clothes to the hair to even the cars on the side of the street. It all meant something. The key features of an literary analysis include “an arguable thesis, careful attention to the language, attention to patterns or themes, and a clear interpretation (Norton Field Guide 85-86).” Critical thinking is an important skill, not just behind a desk, but also in the real world. The second writing project was a workplace writi...
Throughout the semester i only learned few new things but i did improve and solidify my skill of writing. Before my first year of college my skills have always undermined by other high school english teachers and with that came disappointing grades. I am writing this paper as a reflection of the semester and the progress i have made as a writer. I now understand many things that my high school teachers have done a poor job demonstrating and i am grateful that i decided to take my own route in my education instead of their syllabus. I entered the semester with anxiety that i would perform as i did before but i clearly outdid my own expectations by receiving top grades on my essays.
Throughout this semester I have learned many ways of writing through two main essays literacy narrative and comparison and contrast. These two essays have taught me how to correctly fix my comma splices, thesis statements, and capitalization. I have engaged in numerous learning material during this summer class. Many times when I thought it would be hard to work on those three developments I never gave up. I gain more positive feedback from my teacher because he pointed out most of my mistakes I made on both literacy narrative and comparison and contrast essays to help me understand what is it that I need to work on. My development as a writer became stronger.
As a second language learner I have never expected myself to be a perfect writer throughout the semester. Even If English was my first language still, I would not be a perfect writer. It is not about first or second language, it is about how well I understand the learning objectives. Then organizing and writing with my own ideas and putting them in my paper. I am going to be honest, I am not good at English subject and English subject is my strongest weakness than the other subjects. In this paper I will discuss and analyze my own writing, reflecting on the ways that my writing has improved throughout the semester.
Over the course of the semester, I feel that I have grown as a writer in many ways. When I came into the class, there were skills I had that I already excelled at. During my time in class, I have come to improve on those skills even more. Before I took this class, I didn’t even realise what I was good at. This is the first class where I felt I received feedback on my writing that helped me to actually review my work to see what areas I lacked in and where I succeeded.
I have learned many things throughout the course of the term, including such things as: how to write an essay and how to improve on essays that I have already written, how to locate and composite better research through the use of numerous resources found at the campus library, the internet, and the “Common Sense” textbook, how to cite research, examples, and quotations properly within the contents of my research paper as well as document it accurately according to MLA standards. Through the exploration of the “Subjects and Strategies” textbook, I have learned nine different methods used when writing an effective essay and how the different writing styles affect the overall theme and tone of the essay when used properly. This past semester, I have encountered many difficulties when trying to write these essays, but through the use of the textbooks, the aide of the instructor, and once I was able to classify the different types of essays and styles, I found them possible to overcome.