Wardle’s analysis of teaching writing
After reading “ YOU CAN’T TEACH “WRITING IN GENERAL,” I familiarize my writing experience with what the article states because you can’t teach writing to an individual, the person must find context and background to begin writing. People must learn how to write according to the situation that they are in at that particular moment. The article states the idea of learning to “write in general” is dangerous because it frustrates students, teachers, and employers( Wardle.) Individuals become worried if they don’t reach the writing expectations for a certain case scenario, which is a common mistake because students, employees, and individuals that are in a new case scenario, must learn the conditions of the circumstances to apply this knowledge to writing. I connected with the example Wardle describes, such as the transition from high school to college because I would earn only As in English in high school. As a college student, I started to realize all the mistakes I needed and still need to amend in writing. The art of writing is that you never stop learning about all the different styles of writing. The article is very clear and states, “everything a writer does is impacted by the situation in which she is writing,” a writer must learn to write what the circumstances demand. The following quote also connected with me, “writers always have more to learn, that failing or struggling is a normal part of writing–are some of the many threshold concepts of the discipline of writing studies.” I connected with this quote because I have failed many times in writing assignments where I firmly believed I would earn a good grade because I had done all the necessary researching and studying. In other case scenarios, I submitted writing assignments with an expectation of a B or less, and somehow I received an A plus. Through this article, I was encouraged to worry less if I received a grade I didn’t expect because there is always room to improve my writing. There is no limit to learning about the art of writing.
Savini’s analysis of writing problems
The article “Looking for Trouble: Finding Your Way into a Writing Assignment” was an eye-opener because it dissects the process of approaching problems in writing assignments. Through this article, I was able to comprehend that to move forward with a writing assignment, students must identify the problem first to have a solid argument for an essay, research paper, or whatever the task might be. The section “Looking for Trouble in Four steps” is very clear on how to identify a complex argument. The example of the photograph of a Nicaraguan woman showed the process of noticing, articulating, coming up with fruitful questions, and knowing what is at stake. The quote that spoke to me was, “the ability to wrestle with problems is what makes a successful leader,” because it refers to academic struggles, but I believe it also applies to our everyday conflicts. Problems provoke a necessity to seek solutions, just like writing. There has to be something in a writing prompt that drives students to find evidence, solutions, and an argument. Another helpful section is the integrative thinking study by Martin and Fitzgerald because the tension between opposing ideas produces a third idea, benefitting the thinker to find more solutions to problems. Both articles have plenty of information that motivates students to keep learning and improving their writing.
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