Writing Portfolio
Critical Reading
Critical reading isn't simply reading something and comprehending it. Critical reading is looking deeper into texts and having the ability to ask questions regarding the texts that drive inquiry. Making connections to other texts is an important part of critical reading. Simply reading something without actually thinking about what you read essentially dumbs down the reading experience, especially when researching. Look for credibility of authors, tone, bias, appeals, fallacies, etc. These are all things that, when aware of them, you can evaluate and determine whether or not what you are reading is trustworthy or useful. Critical reading is an essential part of research and I certainly learned a lot abouut critical reading throughout this course and the research process for this portfolio!
Logical Fallacies: Jaguar Ad
Looking at the Jaguar advertisement was interesting because texts, as in words alone, aren't the only things that can be read critically. Videos can too, which I never thought much about until I did this activity. By looking at the video and analyzing it, I was able to determine the target audience, argument, and appeals. By listening to the language and paying attention to visual aspects, you can determine quite a lot about an ad. The "argument by emotive language" is used in many ads. People use emotional language to try and engage the audience by making them feel bad or unhappy with something. Think about the several ads you see on a daily basis; they almost always play on something we would like to change or fix in our lives, and ad makers feed off of human insecurity basically. Kind of a harsh way to put it, but it's pretty spot on I believe. Since I watched the ad, I sometimes look at a commercial and evaluate it just to see how much I can get out of it. The idea of being able to "read" things other than print is pretty neat and can make you much more aware of things. And less gullible for the sake of the ads! The Jaguar ad is linked above so see what you can make of it!
RWL I
My first RWL (Read Watch Listen) went okay, but I could have definitely done better with my evaluation of the article. I determined the writing situation and answered several questions regarding the article, but I didn't really look deeper into the text. I mostly stated my own opinions and gave vague responses to questioons. For number two I stated that I found the article interesting and the author interesting and the idea interesting, blah blah blah. I didn't state anything about the credibility of the author or the implications themselves. I left out a good bit of evaluative information that if I were to go back and look at the article again, I would certainly include. I read the article on a surface level rather than a core level. The difference between my two RWL activities is pretty clear. The second one is next on this page, and you can see the difference, which I will discuss.
RWL II
This second RWL is much better than the first, as I said before. My writing situation was described much more in detail and I discussed things such as audience and tone. In numbers two and three, I discussed further investigation, author tone, and credibility. All of which I left out in my first RWL. I definitely looked at this article on more of a core level, leaving out the general surface level evaluations. I made connections to other texts much more easily and was able to evaluate the author. I left out more personal opinions and focused on the important things. The first RWL was basically the opposite. These RWL activities prepared me for the sources we had to research later on that we woul dhave to incorporate throughout this portfolio. After the second RWL, I had a much better understanding of how to look deeper into texts and this was very helpful for note taking later on. I improved on my ability to evaluate sources effectively which is good because it is something I will have to do a lot throughout my college career!
Source #1 Notes
I evaluated 8 different sources using all the critical reading knowledge I gained throughout the course and the RWL activities. These sources are all utilized throughout this portfolio. This source was the first one I researched and took notes on. I discussed genre, author credibility, purpose, audience, and connected it to other things. These are all things that are very important when researching. I noted my personal opinions too, but related them back to the text. I also noted any questions I had regarding the study. Asking yourself questions while or after reading a text is an essential part of critical reading and looking deeper into texts. Also, in my following sources, I would write down quotes that were intriguing or that I thought would better my discussion of my topic. A lot of note taking on sources occurred during this class, and I certainly learned a lot about it and bettered myself in the subject of critical reading throughout the course!
