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Randi Randall
Stefen Britt
Eng.111.P06
02 May 2014
Reflecting Upon My Writing Choices
There is always at least one assignment that really challenges you as a student. The
academic multi-source essay was that assignment for me. This project was difficult because I had
never written a synthesis paper before. I had also never had instructor before that allowed me to
pick my own sources and topic. I have almost always been told what to write. Although this
paper gave me concern I overcame that and created (in my opinion) a decent paper.
Before I started my academic multi source paper I knew right from the start that I wanted
to use Sir Ken Robinsons presentation, Changing the Paradigms of Education. I had
encountered his presentation last year in my first writing course. At the time when my English
class was discussing Robinsons presentation I had also been reading Veronica Roths novel
Divergent. In Robinsons discussion he touches on divergent thinking. My obsession with Roths
novel is what led me to turn my essay into one that discussed divergent thinking in education.
After I had known what I wanted to tackle in my essay I had to gather more sources. The
next source that I had chosen to use was The Banking Concept of Education by Paulo Freire. My
reasoning for choosing this as a source is because it shows in depth thought of education. It also
talks about students need to be autonomous thinkers in the classroom. In my opinion this is
something that students need to be if they are going to be divergent thinking. It was a no brainer
for me that Freires article would significantly strengthen my paper.
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To strengthen my paper even further I decided to use Barry Alfords article Freirean
Voices, Student Choices. This helped my paper because he talks about how students need to take
control of their education and be encouraged to think. Divergent thinking isnt something that
can be taught, it can only be encouraged by encouraging students to think in more than just one
way. Alford articulates how he teaches students and how they go about the messy business of
writing. He encourages them to think and work out problems with one another. Problem solving
in education encourages students to think divergently.
When I had selected all of my sources and began writing I knew that my paper had to be
unique and complex. I was writing about divergent thinking so my paper had to be divergent
after all. I needed to captivate my audience. That was when I decided to use the stagnant water
analogy because it made perfect sense, and it was creative and that is what divergent thinking is.
I think that making these comparisons with the river it helped make my paper powerful, and that
is what it needed.
I had also tried my best not to sound like I was accusing all instructors of destroying
divergent thinking. After all there are wonderful instructors that encourage divergent thinking. I
also tried to stay off of the path of sounding malicious. Instructors and students are my targeted
audience. If I want instructors to see the benefits within divergent thinking my paper couldnt be
a blame game. That would only anger them and create animosity towards me and my paper. I
had to play with my wording in my paper a lot in order to make it not sound hostile.
Upon completing my paper I started thinking about a new source that I could bring into
my ams 1 one paper to turn it into my ams 2 essay. The first source that I thought I should use
was Bell Hooks Engaged Pedagogy. My professor had discussed me using this source because
well it had a natural fit with the theme of my paper. After I had read Hooks essay about three
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times over I had decided that it sounded too much like my other sources. I need something
different and off the path. I needed to show complexity within my paper. Then I remembered
reading Between the Drafts by Nancy Sommers. I remembered how she drew me in with her
stories of life and painted a canvas of possibilities for education. That was when I started
brainstorming to see where and how I could fit her into my paper. This was challenging for me
because her paper was slightly different than my other sources. But I managed. I think that if it
would been easy to mold a new source into my paper than it wouldnt have been the right one.
This whole project was challenging for me as a writer and as a student. I had to become
the autonomous thinker that Freire discussed in his essay. I had to open my eyes to fact that I am
not an empty vessel waiting to be filled. I am already full of thoughts, ideas and my own
experiences. Yes, I do need the guidance of a professor but I cannot lose my own voice in the
process. This is what my paper was about. This is why it became so important to me. I was the
empty vessel last year. But now because of this project I know that I am an independent thinker.