Fluent Essays

George Brown College COMM 1007 College English Week 2 Critical Thinking; Active Reading; Descriptive Essay [email protected] This Week’s Aims 1. Critical Thinking 2. Active Reading Techniques ● Skimming ● Scanning ● Annotating the Text ● Context ● Purpose ● Audience 3. Active Reading Exercise 4. Descriptive Essay: 10% 1. Critical Thinking Critical Thinking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dItUGF8GdTw Setting the tone for COMM 1007: let’s be critical thinkers! We will interrogate the ideas of others; we will query the credibility of authors; we will not take arguments at face value. Watch the video for additional tips & tricks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dItUGF8GdTw 2. Active Reading Techniques Relaxed Reading vs Active Reading With relaxed reading, we’re not concerned with content or direction. We’re not actively seeking information. We’re not querying “where is this story going?” This is low stakes reading. Active reading, on the other hand, is reading with intention, & there are 6 important techniques to follow: Technique 1: SKIMMING Skimming is a reading skill that allows you to read quickly for a general sense of what an article is about. It helps you read efficiently, and it can help you to decide if you should read the text again or not. When you skim, your eyes move fast, skipping over words and allowing you to take in just enough information to figure out topics and main ideas. The goal of skimming is to make contact with the text before you start to read it more deeply. Technique 1: Skimming Technique 1: Skimming When skimming, aim to focus on the title, on any subtitles, on the introductory paragraph, and on the concluding paragraph to try to get a sense of what the article is about. Consider: ● What topics or key words did you become aware of? ● Did you notice any topics or key words that were repeated in the sections you skimmed? ● What does the article seem to be about? Technique 2: Scanning Technique 2: SCANNING Scanning is reading for specific details. When you scan, you are looking for something that will answer a question that you have in mind. Scanning is about concentration and accuracy. The big difference between skimming and scanning is how engaged your mind needs to be. When you are skimming, you are looking at the text. When you are scanning, you are thinking about it-- you are analyzing it: you are thinking about the parts of the text, how they begin to function as a whole, and about the significance of the content of the text. Technique 2: Scanning Begin by focusing on the publishing details of the article. These details can be scanned and noted before reading the article in its entirety. Consider: ● Title: The title of an article will often offer clues about the author’s opinion or approach to an issue. ● Author: Who wrote it? Is this author well known? Does the author write for a blog, newspaper, or a magazine? Does the article provide a bio, or a link to other publications? Is there a suggestion that she or he is known as an expert on certain topics? Technique 2: Scanning ● Source: Where was the text published? Was it on a website? In a journal? In a newspaper? Does the source have a reputation– a bias or area of expertise - that you are aware of? What differences are there between an article in The Globe & Mail vs The Sun vs The New Yorker? ● Date: When was the text published? Will the examples in the text be current or outdated? Is this date relevant to any particular events that you noticed when skimming the article? Technique 2: Scanning ● Discovering that you need more information: Scanning a text is also an important way to discover gaps in your own knowledge. The article itself might not tell you everything that you might like to know about an issue, or help you address some of the questions above. Scanning can help you identify where it would be good to do some internet research in order to learn more about the topic, the author, the publication, or even the time/context of publication. Technique 3: Annotate the Text Technique 3: Annotate the Text Because you will likely be using the text you are reading again, annotating as you read is incredibly important. Annotating a piece of writing gives you a record of your reactions to a piece of writing which can be very useful in the future. Annotation is a form of note taking, and it specifically refers to taking notes directly on a text. You can make your annotations in the margins, between the lines, or anywhere else where blank space is available on the page. There are no rules for annotating texts, and it is important to remember that annotations are primarily for you, the reader. One way to think of your annotations is to see them as notes to your future self. You are making them so that your future self can understand your reaction to and understanding of the text. Some suggestions: ● Highlight or underline key words and phrases. ● Highlight or underline unfamiliar words and concepts so that you can check them later and write the definitions in the margin. ● Write down questions that come to your mind as you read. ● Make marginal notes that make connections between your background knowledge and concepts in a text. ● Identify the thesis, claims, and support in the article. ● Use different colours of pens or pencils for each technique. Technique 3: Annotate the Text Everyone will annotate a bit differently, but making detailed annotations will ensure that your brain stays active during the reading process, and that you have a record of what you thought was noteworthy the last time your read the text. Technique 3: Annotate the Text Technique 4: Identify the Context Every text has a context. In other words, every piece of writing is produced within a larger situation or setting that exists beyond it. It is valuable to think about these external factors and how they inform the text you are reading. In many ways, the context serves as a frame for the text. For example, an article about the legalization of marijuana in Canada that was written in 2017 would have a very different context than an article about the legalization of marijuana in the United States that was written in 1985. How to think about the role of context: Once you have read through the text, here are some questions to help you think about the context: ● Does the text make reference to a recent historical event? ● Is there a topic that is under debate? If so, are there others who are mentioned as key figures in that debate? ● Is the text speaking about an issue within the cultural setting of a particular nation, city, or ethnic community? When and where the article was published may give you some important clues about its context. You may need to do some brief research to find out more about the context for the article. Technique 4: Identify the Context Technique 5: Identify the Purpose of the TextThe purpose of a text is really a reflection of the author’s intentions. Why did she, he, or they write this? What is the author hoping to achieve? Being able to come to some conclusions about the author’s purpose in writing a particular text will help you to engage in analysis and evaluation of that text. To keep things simple, let’s look at three types of purpose: … to persuade. … to inform. … to entertain. NOT E: th e aut hor m y be doin g mo re th an o ne at once ! Technique 5: Identify the Purpose of the Text To remember this, think of the acronym PIE: PIE = Persuade + Inform + Entertain. Keep this acronym in mind when you are reading a text, and use the following questions to determine an author’s purpose: Is the author trying to persuade me? If so, then the author’s purpose is argumentative/persuasive. Is the author trying to provide information objectively? If so, then the author’s purpose is expository/informative. Is the author trying to tell a story? If so, then the author’s purpose is to provide a narrative/entertain. Technique 5: Identify the Purpose of the Text Technique 6: Identify the Audience Who is the author’s intended audience? Who are they speaking to? Anyone can be a member of the audience for a text. The author really cannot know for sure who is going to read the text. However, if something is being written for a purpose, the author will have some sense of the kind of reader that the work is intended for. We sometimes call that imagined reader the target audience. Having a sense of who is going to read your writing will inform the choices that you make in writing it. For example, how does your language change when messaging with your Mum, vs your friend, vs your significant other, vs your professor? “OMG, Miss, Sorry! Imma be sooooo late for class.” To gain a sense of the target audience for a piece of writing, think about the following relationships: ● the relationship of the reader to the general topic ● the relationship of the reader and the author ● the relationship of the reader to the author’s general purpose ● the relationship of the reader and the context For example, by analyzing the topic of the article, the purpose of the article, and the context of the article, it may be possible to determine the intended audience: Technique 6: Identify the Audience Topic of an article: recent proposed changes to the Ontario Sex Education syllabus by the Conservative Government. Purpose of an article: to persuade the reader that the proposed changes (set backs) to the Ontario Sex Education syllabus will negatively impact students and their development. Context of an article: written in the Toronto Star in early 2019, at the time and in the place where the changes are occuring. Intended audience? a typically left-leaning (think source!), Ontario-based adult concerned about children and their experience with sexual education and perhaps public education in general. Technique 6: Identify the Audience 3. Active Reading Exercise: see Blackboard! “Embraced by the Needle” Gabor Maté This article discusses some sensitive topics, including: ★ Mental health issues, self-harm, substance abuse, & addiction. ★ Childhood trauma. Trigger Warnings Active Reading: Exercise Step 1: Read the title, the first paragraph, and the final paragraph. Can you predict the content of the article? Title is an oxymoron: 2 contradictory concepts conjoined. “Needle” suggests drug use/abuse, or hospitalization: neither carrying warm, fuzzy feelings, while “embraced” suggests comfort, or adoration. This title, confirmed by the content of the intro & conclusion, establishes the complicated connections the article will unpack about addiction and emotional health. Step 2: Now read the article and annotate the text. What in particular stood out for you? What did you illuminate? What seemed to be the most, or the least, important? Active Reading Exercise Answers Question 1: Can you identify the context of the article? ● Written in April 2018: reasonably recent. Still relevant? ● The location is established immediately: “Vancouver's Downtown Eastside… Canada’s drug capital.” The Globe & Mail is a Canadian publication, addressing Canadian issues, and clearly, as the statistics (logos-based) arguments suggest, this is a time and space rife with an addiction crisis. ● What is up for debate? The reasons for why addiction takes hold, and the placement of blame or responsibility. ● The crisis effects a particular community: the urban, working-poor population of inner city Vancouver. Active Reading Exercise Answers Question 2: Can you identify the purpose of the text? TO INFORM: ● to demystify tropes and misconceptions about those suffering with mental health issues, and the addiction and substance abuse that develop as coping strategies. ● to educate about the dangers of how a childhood lacking in love, or filled with stress and anxiety, may result in adulthood addiction. TO PERSUADE: ● To persuade readers that addicts are just normal people too; that addicts are just like you and I; that childhood trauma provokes drug usage as a coping strategy. ● He asks his readers to probe their presumptions about addict communities; to put themselves in their shoes. Active Reading Exercise Answers How does he do this? What persuasive (rhetorical) strategies does he use? ETHOS // CREDIBILITY: ● He is an experienced physician, and he establishes his status to uphold his opinions; he asserts himself as an expert. ● He uses an authoritative tone, exercising his credibility based on his positionality as an experienced physician familiar with the community, but the generalizations make me hesitant... ● Consider occupancy of space: he is speaking of the addict community as a witness. Consider "the gaze:" he is viewing and observing and documenting. Are his assumptions fair? Has he received permission to tell these stories? PATHOS // EMOTION: ● The narrative interjections encourage us to feel deeply for the characters involved. Is he successful? Does he convert them, for you, from stereotypical "junkies" to humans like you and me experiencing hardships and pain? LOGOS // LOGIC: ● The text is also data-heavy. Stats bolster the authenticity of his claims. Active Reading Exercise Answers Question 3: Can you identify the audience? What do we know about The Globe and Mail? ● For a predominantly left-leaning, open-minded, well-educated readership. ● Consider the language: high-order, complex vocabulary and syntax, directed towards an educated audience. Advanced language choices: “draconian.” ● Subject specific content, but is it intended for experts? I’m not a neuroscientist, & I can follow along. ● The complex linguistic choices reinforce the anticipated educational level of his readers. It is robustly technical; however, accessible, because of the narrative quality. He provides layperson elaborations when the language becomes too dense. ● NOTE: this is not the language of a Buzzfeed article. Active Reading Exercise Answers 4. Descriptive Essay: 10% Descriptive Essay: 10% See Blackboard … next week... … see Blackboard... You have 3 jobs this week: 1. Review our PowerPoint slides; perhaps use the Virtual Tours to help you! 2. Complete the Active Reading Exercise, paste your answers to the Week 2: Discussion Board, and remember to comment on one of your friend's posts 3. Submit your Descriptive Essay (10%) to Blackboard by the Sunday of Week 2 at 11:59pm … see Blackboard... Summary Assignment: 5% Due the Sunday of Week 3 at 11:59pm via Blackboard Instructions: · Read “People who whined about the Amber Alert are horrible people” by Scott Gilmore; the link is in Blackboard under “Course Readings” and “Week 3.” · Prepare a written summary of the most important points of this article in one paragraph of 5-10 sentences (250 – 300 words) · You may find it helpful to follow the steps discussed in class, and listed below. · NOTE: while the steps below are there to help you write your summary, it is the summary itself, not the answers to the questions, which will be graded. · Your summary must follow in-text APA formatting standards; please include an APA formatted cover page and reference list. Step-wise Process: 1. Remember that the topic sentence of a quality summary includes the author, date of publication, title of publication, a reporting verb, and the author’s thesis. List these below: Author: Title: Date: Thesis: 2. What is the author’s main purpose in the article? 3. Identify the main ideas of the article, and any (necessary) supporting details; list them. Note: remember to: · Paraphrase (no quotations, or copying of original language; must be in your own words). · Exclude your own opinions/evaluations/critique/bias regarding the article. 4. Draw these listed ideas into a paragraph of 5-8 sentences. Note: remember to: · Include the main ideas and (necessary) supporting details only. · Consider transitional words to make your paragraph flow (e.g. next, however, furthermore, therefore, on the other hand). · Consistently use the author’s last name and the publications date throughout to clearly give credit to the author’s ideas, and show your audience whose ideas you are paraphrasing and summarizing. 5. Format using APA style: Note: remember to: · Include a reference list. · Include a cover page. · Use appropriate font style/size, and indentations. · Use formal language only; no slang or colloquialisms. · Use in-text citations where necessary. Summary Assignment: 5% Grading Rubric Criteria Insufficient/ Incomplete In Development Great Work! Content Range 0 – 1 Content incomplete, or requires significant development to summarize effectively Range 1 – 1.5 Almost there! Needs work to summarize effectively Range 1.5 – 2 · Effectively summarizes main ideas; no unnecessary details · Written in own words (paraphrased) · No opinion, bias, or evaluation Organization Range 0 - 0.5 Organization requires significant development to summarize effectively Range 0.5 - 0.75 Almost there! Needs work to organize points effectively Range 0.75 - 1 · Firstly, thesis statement contains author, title, date, reporting verb, & thesis · Supporting sentences follow (main ideas) · Finally, a concluding sentence · Consistently refers to the author by last name, and includes the publication date, throughout Writing Mechanics Range 0 - 0.5 Too many mechanical errors; detracts from summary Range 0.5 - 0.75 Almost there! Writing mechanics need development for professional appearance Range 0.75 - 1 · Good variety of sentence structures; academic tonality · Transitional word/phrases to move smoothly between ideas · Thoughtful editing demonstrates good writing mechanics (e.g., spelling & grammar) APA Range 0 - 0.5 Reference list has significant errors; in-text APA formatting has significant errors, or reference list and in-text APA formatting missing Range 0.5 - 0.75 Almost there! Reference list present, but significant errors, and in-text APA citation errors Range 0.75 - 1 · Accurate reference list · Accurate cover page · Font, indentation, in-text citation, etc., in APA formatting with only minor errors TOTAL 5