After you read each selection for this class,think of this as exploratory writing, a chance to record your initial reactions. This should, however, be connected prose. I think you’ll find that the very act of putting your ideas into full sentences will make you see more connections and possibilities in the text you’ve just read than merely jotting down scattered notes does.
If the reading has been very complicated, you may want to begin by summarizing it, in order to sort out the information covered. But you should not stop there. Go on to tell me what you think of what you’ve read. Try to make sense of it in light of what you’ve previously known about the subject and what you know about the text in general. Some specific questions you might answer are:
• What did you not understand? Were there any unfamiliar words or references? What things do you hope will be explained further as you read more or hear more in class? Are you wondering what reactions your classmates have to anything in the reading?
• What connections to previous reading or information do you see in this material? Does it alter earlier opinions you may have formed? Does it deepen your understanding of the subject? • Would you argue with the author on any points? Can you imagine others who would? Do you think the author is ignoring anything vital or misrepresenting reality in any way? Does this seem to be a conscious or unconscious choice?
• Have you had any personal experience with the subject that makes you see it in a different light? Have you talked with anyone else who has?
• What seem to be the major concepts key terms in this piece of reading? How important are they likely to be in the course in the long run? How important are they likely to be to people outside of this course or this discipline or this college? These are just a few of the hundreds of questions you can ask of your reading. The main point of this kind of writing is to use it to examine reading in a more thorough way than most people do when they simply close the covers of a book and go about their business But also at the same time this should be freer, more creative than the focused, structured essays teachers may usually ask you to write. In this writing it may help sometimes to think of yourself as talking back to the author you’ve just read.
Watch the video below instead of a reading this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jTUebm73IY&feature=youtu.be
Sample Solution
