Metacognition: Writing Essays

When I begin to write an essay I usually start the process of by brainstorming a few directions that I would be able to take in order to make sense of the topic. Brainstorming allows me to get all my thoughts ready and it also enables me to be more organized in a sense that I won’t need to remember all my thoughts and feelings, rather than write them down. After the brainstorming "session" I usually tend to think of many ideas for my body paragraphs. When I think, I try to allow myself to be able to go in several directions at the same time. This helps me flow through the essay because I do not get stuck with just one thought; rather I am able to continuously have thoughts running thru my brain just in case there is a dead end in one particular direction. I feel that this method of thinking allows me to maximize my writing ability in that I don’t have a set direction as to where to go, instead I choose the direction when the time comes allowing me to focus more on the sentences that I write in the present state of mind. Aside from this, I also like to take some time to re-read what I wrote down in order to add onto my essay because at times, I feel like I skip some thoughts and by re-reading the essay I am able to add those thoughts into my essay. Although these methods have proven worthy for me, I do feel, however that some of these methods need changing. Well, not so much changing, instead revision. Since I don’t do an outline first, my thoughts take time to establish and put down on paper. I’m not going to lie, this section of the essay takes a GIGANTIC amount of time. Nonetheless, I'm usually able to complete this section fairly easily even though it does take a lot of time to think up of what directions to take in the essay. On the other hand, I really like the idea that I do not have to set my thoughts and directions in stone. I like the fact that my thoughts can be changed and if I do in fact change something it will not cause me to restart the whole paragraph or even worse the whole essay.

Best of Week: Imagination in Writing

"Facts can evoke emotion.... It's a wonderful, sometimes immensely useful tool that helps give me something to write about. But without the transforming force of the imagination, the result is only the information" (Andrea Barrett.) While we only touched upon this topic briefly in class, I think that this statement is very important to me and my writing style. I can remember writing my research paper in junior year after having tons and tons of research and information and when I was re-reading it I realized that something was missing. Here I am stating every fact possible but something did not seem right. After re-reading my paper again I realized that I had not even inserted my thoughts and feelings regarding the topic at hand. Without my opinion, I realized my paper had become dull and boring to read. There was no imagination, no thinking on my part. I realized I had to include my own opinion into the paper to make it interesting and fun to read, otherwise the research paper would just end up being a bunch of facts that by themselves serve no good. This is why the statement above by Andrea Barrett had such a profound effect on me. It made me realize that no matter how good your paper is, if it doesn’t have your own insight and your own imagination then that paper will end up really dull and it will not be a pleasure to read.

It Matters: Iraqi Oil Surplus and U.S. Deficit

At the very last minutes of class, Mr. Allen made a statement which had me startled for the upcoming hours after school. Mr. Allen noted that even though Iraq was in the middle of the war with the U.S. they are still making a lot of money. $79 billion to be exact. I was astonished to hear this because to me, it seemed like Iraq was far worser off than the U.S. When I arrived home, I decided to do a little reasearch on this matter to see if the numbers were correct because it was just to unbelievable to believe. I came upon the site, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578542/ and realized, that to my astonshiment the numbers were absolutely correct. Iraq achieved a mind boggling $79 billion surplus. Most of this surplus came from oil porduction, but I was also angered to see that some of that money was coming from the taxpayers' pockets. I felt betrayed. How could our government give our money to Iraq when we (U.S.) are in a $500 billion deficit? Well, it's not actually my money since I'm not paying taxes but I do feel bad for the people who are having to pay taxes to support this "criminal activity". However all things are not bad and infuriating. I realized that with the money, Iraq is becoming a more stable country. Furthermore, the overall state of the country is improving. Schools are being built, people are building streets, food is prevalent in most cities and the people of Iraq are beginning to live a better lifestyle. I hope for the best for the people in Iraq because they have truly went through a lot of trials and tribulations. All in all, although I feel cheated that the governemnt is taking taxpayers' money I feel good that they are actually using it for a good cause.

The site that I used to research the topic at hand was:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578542/

Change of Mind: Susan Sontag

At first glance the essay by Susan Sontag stood out to me. I only had to read the first few paragraphs to get her feelings across to me. After reading the article I realized that Sontag's writing had a very negative vibe throughout the whole essay. I sensed this negative vibe when she referred to the terrorists who plotted the whole 9/11 attacks as courageous. Sontag also points out that the U.S. was the real coward. Sontag goes on to remark that, "... it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky..." referring to the U.S. as cowards for dropping bombs from planes in the sky. Furthermore, Sontag, acting like a muckraker, goes on to bash the U.S. on how bad our president is and how American politicians are nothing more than hypocritical liars. After reading all this, I found the statements made by Sontag disrespectful and insulting to Americans and I especially felt bad for the people who have been directly affected by the horrific acts on 9/11.

Now after much re-reading and thinking I believe that Sontag is trying to provoke a response from her readers. I think that Susan Sontag wrote his article in a specific manner in order to really irritate and anger people so that her readers actually take a stand and do something about the dilemma. Sontag is trying to appeal to the reader on an emotional level in order to get her readers to change the current situation so that this horrific tragedy never occurs again. Lastly, Sontag uses a variety of events that transpired in the aftermath of 9/11 in order to get her message across emotionally.