The education system in America is extremely flawed. The education system is geared to one type of student and it gets in the way of other types of learners. Standardized testing creates lots of different anxieties for many students and it hinders the success of students who do not test the way America expects you to. There are not many accommodations for learning disabilities. Although it has improved over the years it is still a very difficult environment for many students. If a student does not do well on a standardized test they are seen as less than or aren’t seen as a “good student”, this is something that needs to change. Some students have comprehension issues and cannot understand the text right after reading it, the education system makes it seem as if you failed. I have gone to countless tutoring session just for testing alone and I still struggle with it, the school systems need to create multiple tests for multiple types of people. As I read Linda Flower’s excerpt I realized that it is okay I don’t learn in a traditional way and that every student deserves equal opportunities to succeed.

In ENC 1101 we read an excerpt by Linda Flower called “Negotiating Academic Discourse”. This reading was very helpful and taught many valuable skills. The excerpt is about how each student in an intro class come from different backgrounds and that not every student will have the same learning style. Flower used many rhetorical appeals to get her point accross. Flower’s work was meant for comprhension proffesors but it is important for students to read as well. On page 49 of “Asking First” Flower’s says “These two practices are (1) integrating information from sources with one’s knowledge and (2) interpreting one’s reading/adapting one’s writing for a purpose. From our perspective, these 2 practices stand as critical features of academic discourse that often limit entry and full participation in the academic community.”. Flower said this to help professors understand that each student is different and has different strengths and weasknesses and to not compare them. Each student has a different background so they will have different levels of comprehension and it is very important for professors to understand that. Although this is meant for teachers it helps gives students peace of mind that each person is different and has different academic skills and that it is okay to be different, that doesn’t mean you are more or less capable than someone else. Flower’s text also talks about the importance of engaging readers and how you should be confident in your work. I believe that this is important for everyone to read as it will help you grow in your academic community. 

I am a freshman at the University of North Florida. It is my first semester and I took ENC 1101. This class was very helpful and it taught me the importance of academic discourse. The class has taught me many helpful skills to use in my academic life and my professional life. I learned to take my time when reading academic essays to obtain the most information. I learned as well that I cannot continue to ramble on just to meet a word count, my work has to be clear and concise. I also learned that I need to make a personal connection to what I am writing, when doing this it makes the work more interesting for the reader. This class also taught me the importance of taking notes with pencil and paper. When you type information you aren’t absorbing all you need to know, but when taking notes with pencil and paper it improves your memory and helps you remember the information you need for tests. When typing notes on a laptop students are just typing to get all the material, but when you use a pencil and paper you are writing down what you need to know.

 

I am an early childhood education major and academic discourse can be used in many ways in my field. As an elementary school teacher, I will be a major influence on my student’s academic life. It will be my job to teach them the importance of school and the right and wrong things they will need to know. I plan on teaching them academic honesty, so they do not plagiarize work and teach them the importance of credibility. I plan on having a very organized classroom, making learning materials accessible and easy to find. Being organized will keep the student’s minds clear, along with my own. I will provide different writing stations for the students, teach them early on what citations are, how to effectively read certain texts, and how to stay focused on their work even when they are uninterested.

In high school, I learned many different rules for reading and writing. Something I learned was that I need to take notes while reading. Taking notes helps me obtain more of the information. This was very helpful because when I look back at my notes I see key information I need to know for tests, quizzes, or essays. Another important rule I learned was after reading a paragraph/section of text I need to summarize it in my own words. Summarization is important because it helps to show that you understood the information you were reading. I also highlight/underline key terms so I know what to look back on later while studying. Another effective approach is breaking down the work to find the authors purpose and to find the central theme of the text. Another thing I learned in high school was if I don’t understand the text that I should mark the page and come back to it after. When you skip over something you don’t understand it gives your brain a break and gives you time to process what you read, giving you a better opportunity to understand the text a second time around. If I do not understand a text in its entirety I look up summaries of the text and see if it helps to tie it all together.

Throughout my years of schooling, I have always struggled academically. In first grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder (SID).  I was never able to focus very much and I was always very physically uncomfortable which got in the way of my learning. I was later diagnosed with anxiety and depression, which made my learning situation worse than it already was. My teachers never believed in me and they constantly doubted my abilities. Some teachers told me I was lazy, undetermined, and that I did not care about school. Although this was not true, it got in the way of my confidence. I started doubting myself and I started to believe what my teachers were saying about me. I knew that they were wrong about me but the voice in my head was telling me otherwise. Even though I was insecure about what they were saying about me I didn’t let that stand in my way. I learned in middle school that I had to work 10 times harder than other students. There were many obstacles that stood in my way, but I knew with hard work and dedication I would overcome each obstacle and succeed in my schooling.