Learning Outcome #3
From the very first day in our course, we began reading analytically and with a purpose. Our first journal assignment was to analyze an essay about our humanity towards lobsters by David Foster Wallace. We annotated the essay, and our journal assignment was to present thought-provoking questions about Wallace’s essay. Being required to critically read and analyze text early in this course gave me many opportunities to improve on these skills. After reading Wallace’s essay, I asked questions about why humans felt it was okay to treat animals inhumanely, and when we came up with the thought that our lives are more valuable than theirs. As the semester went on, I had many more chances to annotate and analyze text that I would eventually use in my essays.
When annotating separate essays written by Michael Mann and Michael Pollan that both had connections to food crises we are facing today, I actively read, summarized, and analyzed the text. While annotating and truly reading the texts I was presented with in class, I began to understand the importance of critical thinking when writing my own essay. In my annotation process, I began by highlighting the important parts of the text. Then, I summarized small sections of each essay, so I could better understand the main point the author was conveying. The other important part of my annotation was asking questions. If I had a question about something the author had written I would write it down. I also wrote down questions and/or statements of my own analysis of what I was reading. Annotating in this way allowed me to go back into the essays at a later date, and not have to dig as hard for the information I was looking for. Analyzing the essays of these authors the first time I read them also helped me understand them even more when I went back to reread certain sections a second time.
While actively reading this semester, I realized that if I cannot analyze the writing of others and understand what it means, then I won’t be able to write essays that require critical thinking either. To write critically you have to be able to think critically, and it is this deeper thinking that has allowed me to improve upon ‘unpacking” my thoughts onto the paper. Improving this skill allowed me to place more challenging ideas into my paper, which makes for a more interesting and complex read. Practicing active reading outside of class improved my skillset in other areas of class, such as inserting quotations into my writing, incorporating the “They Say” into text, and deeply considering the “I Say” that was important to include in my own text.
