Metacognitive Reflection: Eng 132. The Argument Essay.

I reached the fourteenth single typed page of my essay a day after it was due and it was then that I realized I needed to par down my essay to a simpler argument rather than going on to propose a long grand solution.  

In the past I might have decided not to turn a paper in, completely sinking my grade and blowing off the class.  The fact that I finally recognized what needed to be done in order to complete the project is, to me, a skill that I am coming closer to reluctantly mastering. 

The process of writing this essay began in our previous unit when I researched narrowing curriculum in the US.  Having recently read Freakonomics, I was very surprised to find out that systemic cheating had occurred during high-stakes testing prior to No Child Left Behind while our current Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, was managing those cheating schools. Yet, despite Duncan's previous experience, high-stakes testing is still a part of every public school in America post-NCLB.  It made me wonder if such major advocates of high-stakes testing legitimately believe it can measure and improve schools or if it's a political war on unions and the public school system.  

Despite my suspicions, I didn't want to be so pointed about my theories on the agenda of some advocates of high-stakes testing.  The reason being is that I wanted to write an article that would have a broader appeal than the article that I offered a rhetorical analysis on in our previous unit.  

Trying to discuss unions, public schooling, and teachers in our current political climate seems impossible to do rationally.  Many voters are desperate for jobs and are uneasy about the future of our economy.  Plus, I've seen concepts of social justice in education routinely criticized by educators and civilians alike.  Even the mention of "social justice" is a good way to be labeled a liberal and thus conservatives close their minds and tune out.  That is why I decided to appeal to our economic concerns when addressing the need for cultural education and a diverse curriculum.

The debate over education seems to be everywhere but I tried not to assume too much about my audience.  I wanted to explain concepts in a way that almost any adult could comprehend.  I included statistics for the purpose of ethos, my own analysis for logos, and discussed hungry children for the purpose of pathos.  

My use of pathos was influenced by a report on children living in poverty that aired on 60 minutes.    

I considered using more pathos but I decided to use restraint as a result of our reading discussions.  When I read an essay that relied too heavily on pathos I was turned off and felt like I might as well have been reading a greeting card, so I tried to minimize the pathos and use it primarily in my conclusion. 

One thing that helped me understand audience and argument was our assignment of reading three sample essays and discussing them in our group.  I really liked that because I was able to read different styles and see how each author transitioned from each supporting paragraph. Our classes overwhelming rejection of the pathos saturated anti-gay marriage article helped me understand that without ethos and logos even readers who share a similar point of view my be turned off by such empty and manipulative arguments.

While I didn't introduce research that contradicted my argument, I felt that I acknowledged the voices of others when I discussed the noble intentions of high-stakes testing advocates.  I felt like I was using peer review response guidelines I used in class where I can alternate between offering a compliment and then criticism.  Although I sometimes find that difficult to do, it is a practice that I will use in future courses and essays when I want to reach a broad audience.