LTEC 6010: Week 13
Critique at least three of your arguments towards a goal of understanding:
a. How you have grown in your understanding and writing ability;
b. How much further you still have to go. What do you still need to learn? How can you improve? What will be difficult for you as you work on research studies?
What I thought was a writing strength is really a weakness. I unconsciously develop overwrought, complex arguments to obscure the fact that I haven’t argued for or against one thing but instead stayed on the fence about an issue. My syntax, traditions, and grammar are very good which is supposed to compensate for my lack of logic and clear stand on an issue. My writing introduces many good ideas and creates relationships among them but does not make claims you can point to and say that’s what the author is saying. And as importantly, the arguments I do make can not be simplified which is a signal that the argument is unclear.
I realize the early writing attempts in this class were to sift out a few claims that I might use in my dissertation. The first writing was the hardest because I was holding so much in my head about the facets of my topic and unwilling to set any of them down to sort through and prioritize them. And Dr. Spector had my number when he said “While this is generally well written, it does not seem to persuade a reader of anything”. This is invaluable feedback and what I so needed to hear.
The second writing felt lighter and more focused because it helped me formalize an activity I’ve taught for years and needed to build-out the theoretical approach and outcomes for. The practice of both translated into the final major argument: my labor of love.
I used the energy and time of the second major argument to reframe three claims I have been circling for my dissertation. I worked harder to set aside information I thought sounded good but didn’t fit my argument. I attempted to close-the-loop on claims I stated and supported where before I would leave the reader to make the conclusion.
The struggle this class and practice has shown me is to hold both the big picture/global impact in your mind and writing language while being very specific and operational in the claims and arguments I make. I need to draw the conclusion for the reader so they don’t misinterpret any information.
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