Academic Literacies Book Notes Set

Reading Rhetorically

when reading or writing academically you should consider who the writer is trying to address and the context of the writing considering the rhetorical situation- you need to consider who the writer is trying to address and the context of the writing analyzing the argument when reading you should know the authors claim, reason, appeals, counter-arguments, sources, and the credibility of the writing and sources

Evidence you've considered the subject

you need to show you have interest and have thought about the topic well.

Developing Academic Habits of Mind

Academic habits of mind are important to be aware of so that one can succeed in a composition course. These habits are basic ideas for being in an academic setting such as being engaged, asking questions, and listening. While these few things are basic, respectful skills, a student must be able to recognize other's ideas and be open-minded along with being able to recognize their own mistakes and take responsibility for them. A professor is more likely to appreciate an honest and curious student over one who keeps to themselves when they are confused. These habits are important when it comes to taking a composition class because they are essential for one to have if they want to be able to communicate well among their professor and peers when it comes to the difficulty they may still be having. It is also important because these skills will not only lead to better class communication but better writing and understanding as well.

Summarizing and Responding

When it comes to summarizing and responding, the important thing to remember is to be logical. When summarizing the writer should be sure, be honest, clear, and refrain from quoting as much as possible as to not give away the text. When responding, it is important to remember the writer's message while at the same time not refraining from giving an honest opinion having already seen multiple perspectives. Lastly, to navigate summarizing and responding, one must be able to identify key features in the text such as the author, title, and summary. It is important to be able to properly summarize and respond while enrolled in a composition course because students are expected to share and compare ideas and responses with peers to better their writing. A student's ability to properly summarize and respond to a text will also show their professor that they are prepared to contribute to grouped lessons or assignments.

Reading in Academic Contexts

When reading academic contexts the most crucial things to know are how to read strategically, and how to read critically. A reader should know how to process the information they are taking in so that they can effectively conclude what they have learned. Reading strategically is best accomplished by taking notes and making notes of when something is not easily understood so that one can recognize their weak points in their reading, and work to resolve them. Reading critically is recognized by a reader's ability to recognize what the writer is trying to say through their emotion, rhetoric, and accompanying visuals that must also be understood. Being able to master reading in an academic context is important in a composition class because when a student is assigned a text, they should be able to know how to analyze it, to therefore complete the task or tasks they are given.

Writing in Academic Contexts

When writing in academic contexts, there are many things to note about what is expected from college writers. A writer is expected to first consider the subject carefully, and then to indicate why their topic matters and support the topic they choose with a strong thesis and evidence such as documented sources. This is important because it conveys to the reader that what is being said has been thought out. As a writer, it is beneficial to hear the opinions of others because hearing multiple opinions helps to give a better understanding of not only the topic but a possible reaction from readers. Finally, it is important to have a confident authoritative stance. The goal is to have the writer's voice heard and make a point, which is not possible without an obvious stance. College writers must also learn to meet expectations to be successful. College writers are expected to have critical thinking skills in all areas of writing as well as a good writing process. These skills will help a writer to be confident and have a good structure in their writing. The expectations of writers are important to recognize when taking a composition course because knowing these expectations will prepare the writer to have a process that works for them so that they can complete what is expected of them in a timely manner.

Considering Larger Texts

all writing is part of a larger conversation or argument who else cares?- when writing consider who would take interest in your writing and the target audience visuals- take visuals presented in the text as part of the analysis. images inserted into the text can be extremely helpful in the understanding of the writing

What's Expected?

evidence you've considered the subject- you need to show you have interest and have thought about it well. indication of why your topic matters- give the readers a good reason to read your writing response to what other have said- be prepared to be added to a larger conversation. analysis of others writing on your topic a clear thesis- a good statement to introduce the topic and keep readers engaged good reasons supported by evidence- refrain from emotional response and base writing on facts acknowledge multiple perspectives- debate or analyze writing with opposing views a confident and authoritative stance- have a clear tone and opinion in your writing carefully documented sources- cite sources and be sure to use correct information attention to correctness- write in complete sentences, use proper grammar, and use good information

Indication of why your topic matters

give the readers a reason to read your writing

Patterns

identifying the authors writing patterns and uses of writing tools can help you better understand the text

What's Expected of College Writers?

knowledge of rhetoric- understand the text and analyze details critical thinking, reading, and composing- inquire information and process data while expressing the topics idea processes- use different methods and tools to conduct a good paper knowledge of conventions- using correct grammar, punctuation, and words. understand genre and format of your writing

Reading in Academic Contexts

one way to understand yourself as a reader is to know what you read academically, for work, and for pleasure. understand what you read and how you process the reading reading strategically- academic reading requires specific things, you have to understand and process information correctly think about what you need to learn- while reading, know what information you need or want from the text preview- quickly skim over the text to determine its worth for your topic reading speed- adjust how quickly you intake information based on the length and level of text

Summarizing

read the text carefully- skim over for main ideas and re-read. annotate and write down important information state the main points concisely- keep summaries short and only focus on main points describe text accurately- be sure to keep the original authors ideas, don't change others writing to fit yours use quotes sparingly- overusing quotes can take away from your writing, only quote things you need to directly take from the text

Responding

responding to a text will help you understand the ideas in the text. having your own response can help you for your opinion and give a clear addition to the discussion

Summarizing and Responding

summaries can help you focus down to the main points and ideas. responding to text prompts can help you understand your opinion and kick start your writing

Your Initial Response

taking notes or documenting opinion while reading can give you a clearer idea of your own opinion what are initial reactions?- any kind of physical or mental notation you make while reading a text

Annotating

taking notes, highlighting, and marking up the text is annotation. this can be used to come back to specific ideas in the text

Organizational Tools

understanding how what you read is setup, acknowledge the information patterns introduction and thesis- offers a preview of the writing and topics to be discussed transitions- can signal a change in opinion and guides ideas headings- identify major and minor sections

Dealing with Difficult Texts

use the following methods when dealing with larger text or topics you do not find very interesting look for something familiar- try to find things that relate to topics you are familiar with or enjoy look for "landmarks"- pick out larger piece and details that you can expand on when re-reading monitor your understanding- try to acknowledge when you have drifted off or when you are reading without taking in information persistence- do not skip a text just because it is difficult

Coding

using a coding system allows you to have visual indicators in the text