Begin: 12/17/2023
Finish: 12/23/2023
Title: Analysis and Critique: How to engage and write about anything Part 2.
Author: Professor Dorsey Armstrong
Purdue University
Why I choose to take this class:
This class will help me improve my reading, writing, analytical and critical thinking skills. It will help me be a better writer and reader.
What I learned from this class:
What you can learn from Autobiography:
Too much information is one of the most common and devastating mistakes you can make in a situation that calls for written self presentation. Personal anecdotes should be instructive because it show us how to describe our best qualities without coming across as arrogant. Anecdote should have IAA – Interest, abilities and achievements. Try presenting your faults or failures as part of larger process of self development – indications of talents that were not fully realized, make sure your vices appears more like virtues in the making.
Writing and Leadership:
Autobiography is perhaps the richest and most underused source of practical knowledge for anyone seeking to present themselves as qualified to take on a leadership role and make effective use of it. Circumstances of a writing where an express of emotion could work in your favor, remember that less really is more.
The rules of Rhetoric:
Four of the most readily rhetorical concepts that you can use to strengthen your writing are: commonplaces, stasis, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. A commonplace is a piece of truth that’s wrapped up in a easily recognizable language and can give readers a feeling of solidarity. Before you start to present a case that may not be so familiar to them. Stasis refers to the general agreement between opposing parties about what the terms of argument are. The concept of stasis is related to commonplace – both hinge on the need for agreement. Deductive and inductive reasoning can be put to effective use in your writing especially when you have to describe a wide range of evidence and try to make sense for your audience.
Invention and Arrangement:
Invention and arrangement are ancient classical rhetoric. Helps create a stronger argument in business and professional writing. Invention – process by which we generate arguments – “think outside the box”. Arrangement refer to the way arguments are organized. Kairos – is really about saying or writing the right thing in the right wat at the tight time. Your goal should be to use the writing process as a means of discovering what elements of a subject deserves the most attention.
Ethos and Pathos:
These ideas are useful in writing when you are attempting to persuade somebody to give you something – like job application letters or grant proposal. Ethos means the perception that readers have of your reliability or character; Pathos means inspiring emotion in your readers, especially feelings of sympathy. It is usually more effective to have more ethos than pathos to create a really compelling piece of writing.
Finding what you need:
Almost any type of writing can be improved with a little research. Before you begin, you need to identify what your objective is. Your next action will be to find your hook, or the way into your research. How you begin your research? Internet search, it’s the quick and easy. Make sure the facts are rigorously fact checked, entries can be slanted depending on interest of writer for the entry. Academic websites are reliable sources. If a site has “EDU” ending, it is affiliated with a university. Other reliable sources are Encyclopedia Britannica or Oxfords’ English Dictionary. Stay away from sites that sell research papers, these are simply tools for helping people plagiarize. It is important to set a schedule for research and writing and set deadlines too.
Using what you find:
Different ways to take notes: on the computer, hand written notes, note card version.
Getting started writing your first drafts:
Type ideas or points in no particular order, simply to get whatever ideas you have on the screen, could rearrange into something than resemble a coherent argument. Finding a writing partner or writing support group can get you motivated.
Editing what is wrong:
While getting the writing done feels like the biggest part of writing process, editing is just as important. Two basic models for editing: line by line approach an the Holistic approach. Line by line- you read through each successive line as carefully, revising the phrasing, word choice and so forth. The holistic approach, you question about the piece. What is it you are trying to say? How does it say it? You can change and rearrange chunks of the paper and gradually work down to the level of word choice and punctuation. Most use a combination of both for editing.
Rewriting – fixing what’s wrong:
Very often, the problem that occurs in the letter arise from the fact that the writer has not really articulated a clear main position.
Avoiding common errors in grammar and usage:
Reading aloud forces you to slow down, and your eyes are less likely to skip over a typo. The most common errors:
- I and Me.
- Subject pronoun agreement i.e.. he or she use they,
- misuse of apostrophes i.e… it is or it’s.
- Misuse of comma, a comma should be used to separate ideas in a sentence, separate multiple adjectives describing the same thing an to prevent confusion.
- Punctuation.
- Rampant use of “ironically”.
- Misspelled words.
- Misspelling of various forms of “There” and “Your”.
The Power Of words:
One piece of advice for becoming a more engaged reader and a more effective writer , it is simply to read and write as much as you can.
How will this class contribute to my success upon release:
This class helped me improved my reading, writing, analytical and critical thinking skills. I will apply this knowledge to my daily journal. Upon release, I will share this knowledge through my teaching services.
