Final Reflection
Throughout my critical reading class, I have encumbered a lot of knowledge. To start, by reading the chapters within “Developing Critical Reading Skills” by Deanne Spears have taught me different techniques to be a better reader and how to really dig into what the author’s trying to state. The best knowledge I obtained from this course was: When I do not understand something to just break it down into smaller pieces and dissect it up to get a better grasp of what I just read. Furthermore, the discussions were a great help as well to see what other students were saying and how they would answer the same question in a different manor. With the ability to follow directions and complete assignments relayed me to a better understanding of critical reading. The chapters that gave me the most education were one, two and three.
Chapter one discussed great topics to help understand the process of critical reading. With the context of vocabulary, annotating, paraphrasing, and summarizing comes the better understanding of comprehension. For readers, like me, that their minds wonder it is imperative that you write down notes and questions to dig into and find the true meaning. Paraphrasing really helped me by restating what I had just read into my own words. Then, summarizing what I had just read and reducing it to just the bare essentials detoured me from that misleading information that gets you nowhere.
Chapter two contained some great points including main ideas in paragraphs, major and minor supporting detail and the author’s purpose with modes of discourse. The main idea is not to be confused with the main point usually introduced with the topic sentence. If a main-idea sentence is present, it consists of two parts: the topic and the controlling idea. (Page 45) The main idea is combined using the topic and controlling idea. (Page 45) Placement of the main idea can usually be a given, however sometimes it is implied. When the main idea is implied you must derive it from various details the writer puts in there work. Next, there were the major and minor supporting details. Major details directly relate to and develop the main idea, whereas minor ones further explain, illustrate, or otherwise develop the major ones. (Page 54) Then, there was the author’s purpose and modes of discourse. This is the kind of writing the writer is writing and what they want to accomplish. (Page 56-57) There are four modes of disclosure: narration, description, exposition, and persuasion. Narration is to tell a story. Description is to show what something looks like or feels like. Exposition is to inform, to set forth, to explain, and or to discuss. Persuasion is to convince the reader to adopt the writer’s point of view. (Page 57)
Chapter 3 taught me about inferences and how to read in between the lines to identify accurate ones opposed to inaccurate ones (you need evidence to back it up). This chapter showed me how they are a major part of critical reading and how important it is to understand what is present and not present to answer questions about what I just read. I learned that an inference was only derived from a fact and how not to make a wrong inference. The part that was really helpful was the three ways to identify inferences: probably accurate, probably inaccurate, and not in the passage. Learning how to go through the text and sort out accurate information and inaccurate information; pieces together the information and connects it to fully understand the artist’s point. When making an inference, one should not base the inference on personal experience or readings outside the text.
Overlooking some of this course; the group work was the best distinguishing factor by helping me understand some various points of interest. With the ability to communicate with some of my peers on a daily basis helped derive some points of confusion for me. They helped me learn cons and pros with a different insight then what I had in mind from previous instructors. Also, leaving critical reading for a moment, my group helped me understand different tools and just an overall better way to use power point.
The last important area of interest to me from this class was the Spears website. For extra credit, our instructor would allow us to test our knowledge at a different website that would go through a vast arrangement of questions to help me better understand what some of the knowledge was all about. This was my favorite section of the class and really showed me some of the tools I learned in the textbook at work.
At the end of the semester this class meant a lot to me and my new found reading skills. However, some of this class was review and really just brushed up on some knowledge that was already there like chapter four and five. In the end, this critical reading class will help myself throughout the rest of my life have a better understating of how to read with better habits in mind.
Chapter one discussed great topics to help understand the process of critical reading. With the context of vocabulary, annotating, paraphrasing, and summarizing comes the better understanding of comprehension. For readers, like me, that their minds wonder it is imperative that you write down notes and questions to dig into and find the true meaning. Paraphrasing really helped me by restating what I had just read into my own words. Then, summarizing what I had just read and reducing it to just the bare essentials detoured me from that misleading information that gets you nowhere.
Chapter two contained some great points including main ideas in paragraphs, major and minor supporting detail and the author’s purpose with modes of discourse. The main idea is not to be confused with the main point usually introduced with the topic sentence. If a main-idea sentence is present, it consists of two parts: the topic and the controlling idea. (Page 45) The main idea is combined using the topic and controlling idea. (Page 45) Placement of the main idea can usually be a given, however sometimes it is implied. When the main idea is implied you must derive it from various details the writer puts in there work. Next, there were the major and minor supporting details. Major details directly relate to and develop the main idea, whereas minor ones further explain, illustrate, or otherwise develop the major ones. (Page 54) Then, there was the author’s purpose and modes of discourse. This is the kind of writing the writer is writing and what they want to accomplish. (Page 56-57) There are four modes of disclosure: narration, description, exposition, and persuasion. Narration is to tell a story. Description is to show what something looks like or feels like. Exposition is to inform, to set forth, to explain, and or to discuss. Persuasion is to convince the reader to adopt the writer’s point of view. (Page 57)
Chapter 3 taught me about inferences and how to read in between the lines to identify accurate ones opposed to inaccurate ones (you need evidence to back it up). This chapter showed me how they are a major part of critical reading and how important it is to understand what is present and not present to answer questions about what I just read. I learned that an inference was only derived from a fact and how not to make a wrong inference. The part that was really helpful was the three ways to identify inferences: probably accurate, probably inaccurate, and not in the passage. Learning how to go through the text and sort out accurate information and inaccurate information; pieces together the information and connects it to fully understand the artist’s point. When making an inference, one should not base the inference on personal experience or readings outside the text.
Overlooking some of this course; the group work was the best distinguishing factor by helping me understand some various points of interest. With the ability to communicate with some of my peers on a daily basis helped derive some points of confusion for me. They helped me learn cons and pros with a different insight then what I had in mind from previous instructors. Also, leaving critical reading for a moment, my group helped me understand different tools and just an overall better way to use power point.
The last important area of interest to me from this class was the Spears website. For extra credit, our instructor would allow us to test our knowledge at a different website that would go through a vast arrangement of questions to help me better understand what some of the knowledge was all about. This was my favorite section of the class and really showed me some of the tools I learned in the textbook at work.
At the end of the semester this class meant a lot to me and my new found reading skills. However, some of this class was review and really just brushed up on some knowledge that was already there like chapter four and five. In the end, this critical reading class will help myself throughout the rest of my life have a better understating of how to read with better habits in mind.
