This course was comprised of material to enhance our education regarding blogging and working with a service learning agency; however, these were not the topics I learned or grew the most from. My overall knowledge of conducting research and adding my own voice in the community of discussion is where I expanded my understanding the most.
At the beginning of this semester my methods for conducting research and transforming that into a paper was completely different. Research was not a concept that really applied to my writing. I would look up the information I needed in order to have a basic idea of the subject matter, and then I would rephrase the same ideas the authors presented in their paper for my own paper. I would obtain the number of sources required for an assignment, and that was it. Research to me was pretty much finding sources to cite in my paper. Looking back at my previous outlook on researching for a paper, I cannot believe how uninformed and lack-luster my papers really must have been. I expected this class to contain another set of assigned papers I had to “get done,” however, I ended up learning a great deal on how to really develop a well formed paper that speaks back to my topic of discussion.
There are a few key pieces of content presented in this course that have guided me to transforming my thinking and research methods. The E-textbook modules “Lateral Research” and “Keywords” really helped me by teaching me how to find other applicable sources for my research. Instead of googling or doing mass searches, narrowing the keywords used can really help you find the information and support you are looking for. I had never thought to look at the sources at the end of a paper to expand upon my own research, so “Lateral Research” really opened my eyes to the possibilities out there for me to utilize for my own personal assistance. Rewriting “Forwarding and Countering” was one of the best articles to really help me understand what it meant to add a new thought to the conversation. This is because it talked about how you need to learn about what is already being said about a topic in order to develop your own stand point. In this way you are not just restating what other sources have already said, but can now use the knowledge you have gained to address the topic in a new light, or address a topic by highlighting a different area grazed over by others. This was so important to the development of my writing because I had never realized the importance of developing your own point of view on a topic- as insensible as that sounds. I felt that the sources I had read must be more knowledgeable than I was, so whatever they were saying must be the truth and the way to view certain topics.
Writing analytically chapter 8 specifically addressed this issue with the first section titled “developing a thesis is more than repeating an idea.” The ideas of “1 on 10” and “10 on 1” really helped expand my realization of how sources really speak to each other to develop their main ideas. One main point can be supported by ten sources, and ten sources can come together to formulate one main idea. In this way sources form a complicated web of communication. A particular source and be used to support one idea and refute another. This all depends on the way you interpret and integrate that source into your research. This is what helped to develop my understanding of reading with and against the grain. The information in a source can be helpful or a hindrance according to how you, the reader, decipher it. Overall the way the assignments were organized throughout the semester really allowed me to integrate what I was learning. The stages in the syllabus provided “baby steps” in which we could slowly progress and really focus and apply ourselves to each step. Because we actually had to perform each segment I feel everyone in the class developed a better appreciation for taking the time to perform the preliminary step to writing a paper.
This has impacted my writing because I really became informed about the topics I was addressing in my research. In this way I was able to perform exactly what our previous class work prepared us for: I was able to address my area of concern specifically with a new voice in the process. Due to the fact I had a large foundation of knowledge to fuel my writing, I was able to forward on the basic elements from my research in my own writing with my own insight applied. I feel that this has greatly impacted my current writing because I feel like I am an active part in communicating the thoughts on child education. This is truly an expression of the knowledge I have gained from my sources, but I am still using these sources to support my new outlook- just as the “1 on 10” explains. I feel very successful and satisfied with the final product I produced with my website. I discovered what research really is. I found out that I can contribute to the community of thought, and it feels really good because it is my own opinion, but it is still valid because I have support of other valid sources behind me. I feel I can identify areas that are weak because of a lack of discussion on them, and use what I have learned to address these areas. I will be able to apply the entire transformation of thinking and research to other classes by doing what I have just been describing. I now understand what research truly means and the process in which to conduct this research. I feel I will be able to develop papers in the future that really give back to the conversation and spread a new light on the topics I am discussing. This class has helped me to develop my methods of argumentation through writing, which provides a universal applicable in which to persuade and inform others. An example of this can be seen in my website: engece.weebly.com
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