Academic Literacy

Reading:
1. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
    Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
    Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
    1984 by George Orwell
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
    How to Read Lit. like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
2. none
3. none
4. Before reading a book, it is a habit for me to read the back of it to get a sense of what it's about. While reading a book, it is normal for me to take several breaks, but that all depends on how good the book is. If I am enjoying a book I may not put it down until I finish it. Once I have finished a book, and liked it, I usually look for other books by the same author in the hopes that it would interest me just as much as the one I read had.

Writing:
  Overall, I think I am a fairly decent writer. I feel my ability to describe my views, in a way so that the reader fully understands my thoughts, is what makes me a good writer. However, I tend to ramble and/or repeat my self in my writing and must improve on that aspect.

Thinking:
  One of my strengths is the ability to "see other points of view." I think being capable of understanding points of views or ideas that differ from your own is a strong quality to have. It allows you to see all aspects of a discussion or story. However, one of my weaknesses is asking "provacative questions." It is not that I have trouble coming up with these questions, but sometimes it is my lack of confidence in asking them which makes this my weakness.

Academic Literacy:

Main Ideas

• Students are less curious, and they are unwilling to engage in critical thinking.
• Critical thinking is crucial to a student's success.
• Students must be encouraged to apply analytical thinking to their own life.

Response

   I agree completely with the ideas in this excerpt. Student's really have lost their focus when it comes to academics. They do things to get them done rather than doing them with the intention of learning. Students are not applying critical or analytical thinking to their work anymore. But, with the right motivation I feel that students will be able to get back on track.