{"id":20004,"date":"2014-09-17t07:00:12","date_gmt":"2014-09-17t12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/?p=20004"},"modified":"2014-09-16t22:59:29","modified_gmt":"2014-09-17t03:59:29","slug":"first-person-singular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/2014\/09\/first-person-singular\/","title":{"rendered":"first person singular"},"content":{"rendered":"
by derek bruff, cft director, cross-posted from derek’s blog, agile learning<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n your first paper assignment asks you to make an argument drawing largely on your personal experiences and perspectives. did you have writing assignments in high school that asked you to do this?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/a>i asked this question of the students in my first-year writing seminar earlier this month. i drafted this question after listening to a compelling new radio documentary from american radioworks, “greater expectations<\/a>.” the documentary explores the common core, a set of standards (learning objectives) for grades k through 12 that have been adopted by most states and are now being rolled out in schools.<\/p>\n i learned from the documentary that the common core literacy standards emphasize textual analysis — skills like close reading that my colleagues in the english department value. this is, in part, a reaction to the kind of assignments described in the question above. apparently, prior to the common core, some teachers would give students a text to read, then, in an effort to level the playing field for students who struggled with reading, give students a writing assignment that didn’t actually require them to read the text. instead, students would be asked to write about their personal opinions and experiences. naturally, this resulted in students who weren’t very good at making arguments about and with texts.<\/p>\n with that in mind, i reread the first paper assignment i had given the students in my writing seminar just days before (emphasis added):<\/p>\n for this paper assignment, i\u2019m asking you to read and respond to one of the articles listed below, each dealing with cryptography and its role in society. you\u2019ll need to summarize the thesis and argument of the article you select, then respond by agreeing or disagreeing with the article\u2019s thesis and defending your position with your own argument. your paper should draw primarily on your personal experiences and perspectives.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n oops.<\/p>\n i wondered what kind of writing assignments my students, all first-year undergraduates, had been given in high school. so, i asked them.<\/p>\n