Metacognition, Writing and Reading Knowing what you do and why

Metacognition Metacognition: reflecting on what you do and how you do it; understanding your processes Why metacognition matters: Improvement comes when you know what you do If you have a distorted image of your process, you might place emphasis in the wrong areas

Writing Processes The writing process is recursive (loops back and forth, not necessarily linear). We may all approach the process of writing differently, but successful writers pay attention to all of the levels: invention (pre-writing), drafting, revising, proofreading, and publishing. What is your writing process? (take a few minutes to write it down as best you can)

Writing and Recursivity

What did you do as you wrote? How much time did you give yourself to plan (more time after of class or were you set when you left on Wednesday)? How much time to write? (more time after class or were you done when you left ) Did you make an outline to consider which point should go first? Often times, certain ideas are foundational and need to go before other ideas Did you have a clear thesis in mind? Specific supporting points (reasons) that are related to the thesis? Did you consider an audience and think about how much information you needed to give your readers? (If you used terms like “fun” or “fresh start” what do you mean? When you use vague terms, you are opening the door for people to misinterpret your point) Did you consider possible objections and write in responses to them? People are bound to disagree with you, so you should always think about counter points and write responses into your paper Did you consider a purpose (how best to persuade readers that your chosen holiday is the best)? All writing is purpose driven. Did you write a second draft after you finished the first one? Did you go back and proofread to check for small errors?

Critical Reading In college, your job isn’t just to read to complete the task. Your job is to read to understand the author’s unique perspective. Each article offers a perspective on the topic, not the definitive answer. Question everything that you read. There are a number of variables that skilled critical readers consider as they read. What is your reading process? What do you do to help you understand? (write down the strategies)

Considerations While Reading

What did you do as you read? Did you re-read the article? Often times, you’ll need to re-read an article to really begin to understand what’s going on. Professional writers spend a lot of time thinking about all of the variables listed above. When done well, you won’t see the structure that holds the writing together, but it is there. Did you give the author a fair reading or did you spend the whole time thinking about whether you agreed or disagreed? It’s ok to have an opinion, but you need to put that aside as you read. Did you look for the author’s unique perspective on the issue (main point, controlling idea, thesis,…..)? Did you pay attention to the main ideas of individual paragraphs and/or sections? Did you write on the article (take notes). Often time, it is easier to keep track of the important details if you engage with the text as you read. Underline important info, ask questions, define unknown terms,….. Did you question the relevance and/or appropriateness of the evidence that the author uses to support point? Did you think about the implications (what happens or doesn’t happen if we go along with this person’s ideas)? People write to accomplish tasks.

“Don’t Relinquish All Space Exploration to Private Firms” What is the author’s position? (be specific) Use the text to support your reading What context is the author responding to? (be specific) Who is the audience? What does the author expect the audience to think or believe? Look at the areas where the author justifies positions Anything else??????????