Each Friday begins with a question: what have I learned this week? And, it turns out, I have learned quite a bit. We learned about moves writers make to support an argument. They illustrate, authorize, and extend their ideas. Sounds pretty simple, really, but complexity - what professors look for - comes through these subtle moves. On Monday we took time to look at a piece of timed writing and highlighted those moves. I have to say, I never realized how much extending took place during the process of writing an argumentative piece - nearly 80% of the document was extending. The visual information tells me that readers really do care about what I have to say when it comes to an argument. Illustrating ideas are important only inasmuch as they guide the reader to the topic at hand. Authorizing (quoting other expert sources) is important too, but only to support my ideas. I used to use quotes as a way to say, "see, if you don't believe me, you surely cannot disagree with [insert expert here]." My approach was nothing more than surface level understanding and a mechanical structure doomed to bore my reader to death. In the end, I learned that everything in a piece of argumentative writing is really just a way to support my ideas and help my audience to fully see my perspective. If I do not really understand my perspective, then I cannot articulate it effectively. I will rely on illustrating and authorizing too much which will not result in my best work. Of course, this is easier said than done.
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January 2017
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