FIRST-YEAR COMPOSITION SHOULD BE SKIPPED Paul G. Cook

The article that captured my attention was First-Year Composition should be skipped because I strongly believe that this should be a prerequisite before taking any intensive writing course. To read that this is even a thought is crazy, because people need a writing composition class to prepare and enhance your writing. I was fortunate to have an extensive writing class and a teacher who was also an English professor. She always made it her point that a writing course was essential before we began and course that required extensive research. Which to me makes no sense for state legislatures to try an advance a college education. As stated in the text “State legislatures and policy makers, in their efforts to make higher education faster and more flexible, are busy touting MOOCs (massive open online courses) and dual-enrollment programs that allow students to take FYC in high school as an alternative to the traditional two-semester, two-course sequence.” An exam can not determine or develops writing skills necessary for college success. I agree with author when she states that this idea must go away. I mean it makes no sense to try to do away with a major preparation for college readiness. It is crazy because High Schools blame Middle Schools for not preparing their students with the writing skills and Universities blame High Schools for student not being college ready. Everyone plays the blaming games instead of understanding that a Writing Composition class is an essential need and one must take it to measure student writing skills. I for one do understand how important it is  to take these courses because they prepare and give you the writing mechanics one needs for college success. Doing away with this class or teaching an online class is definitely  a bad idea because you need to take your time developing your writing skills. I do not agree with this because we need people graduating with writing abilities.

Writing a first draft can be mind wrecking and time consuming especially when you are trying to please your intended audience. When writing our metacognitive process we want to be able to control our capabilities with the learning process and that the time spent and the writing process is effective. Metacognitive writing is making sure you are achieving your goals especially when writing your first draft and being aware of the topic and your thought process. My experience with reflective writing is to be able to go back and reflect on my thought process and how equipped I am when writing my thought on paper and then going back to reflect on my writing was nerve wrecking. I want my paper to be perfect for the audience and my experience when writing my first draft is bad for me. After reading “My Shitty First Draft,” I learned that my paper does not have to be perfect at the first attempt and that I am not alone when when reflecting on my writing. According to Anne Lamott in “Shitty First Draft” the first draft is more about the process then the writing piece. I like that she states “The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going see it and you can shape it later”.  That to me was so powerful because I learned to free write, write what I want and then reflect on what I wrote.  She also stated to use the world around you and “Write what you want to read” as I experience this all the time I felt as if Anne Lamott was speaking to me directly.  My writing process was to write and reflect on a metacognitive way, and my thoughts about satisfying the intended audience.  I focused mostly on satisfying the reader without going back and reflecting exactly what I wanted the audience to learn about my discourse community and phrase and focused on how I would introduce it to them. Also my experience in revising and targeting my first draft is flowing a lot better than my first draft.

The phrase I will be using  ‘slow and steady wins the race.’  and the discourse community that I will target id the Latinix Community. Whenever I notice how common words, phrases and meaning come across differently for members of the Latinix Community I realize that I need a community that shares the same common interest and goals. Dan Melzer explains it best “you can write alone in your room, just like you can play guitar just for yourself alone in your room. But most writers, like most musicians, learn their craft from studying experts and becoming part of a community.” For example,  members of the Latinix community want to communicate with others who share their goals and interest and worries on language comprehension.

Throughout the years growing up in a Puerto Rican household with parents who were raised by  my proud grandparents who were natives of an island that was conquered, colonialized and striped from their culture was so confusing. First,  I was taught at home that my roots and rich culture was from a small little Island in the lesser Antilles with rich food, music and history yet, at school I was constantly taught that Puerto Rico was a colony with no culture or flag. while many confused individuals did not know that Puerto Ricans were American Citizens. I was so confused and always wanted to read books that I can relate to on so many levels. What upset me most throughout my youth is that my family from Puerto Rico constantly called me “Gringo” similar to Mohamed I constantly needed to culturally define my identity and remind my family in the Island that I was not a Gringo and I always found it strange that they would pronounce my name differently.

In the presentation by Chimananda Nazi Adichie where she spoke about Single Story and how damaging that can be for young people educationally, culturally, and for survival. It is a metaphor for bias and one-sided where you only vision that in America all people are white. Well throughout history that is the way Americans, historians and writers have portrayed characters in educationally driven books. Learning at school I grew to dislike the stories in  McGraw Hill. Most of the stories I read like Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, Maniac Magee had characters that I could not or most likely would never be able to relate to.  I even took advantage of the point question the reasoning behind having to  read Romeo and Juliet, or Sophocles when in reality I wanted to read stories like 145th Street, or Monster. Why did I have to read stories that I couldn’t relate to instead of reading books that I can relate to.  Especially learning about Christopher Columbus and the fact that he was portrayed as a hero when in reality he was a  villain. The speaker shouts out in volume how important it is for people throughout the world to learn both sides and see that there is beauty in all cultures and that we had more in common culturally than differences.

“Single Story” are dangerous stereotypes which can lead to ignorance and poor judgements of character. Like in Mohamed Learning my name, the fact that people are so feeble minded and culturally misinformed on what a middle eastern person should look like is the reason why we need to be exposed to different literature and cultures throughout the world. It is imperative that we read stories of the great things that occur in other cultures;  instead young minds are being taught to feel sorry for other people, and view them differently. The speaker goes on to explain how on many occasions she has been guilty of Single Story. She goes on to explain how she viewed the people of Mexico so differently and the young boy who helped with chores at her house without out knowing both sides. My mom always explained to me that one must always see things from both perspectives and then pass judgement and as readers we are vulnerable to the writers when characterizing people from different cultures and countries.

It is evident that both stories are overlapping issues on cultural and racial inequalities throughout the world.  All of the issues discussed in both videos are serious and dangerous and puts us in a vulnerable state.  The underlying issue is that people tend to quickly stereotype, or judge people based on what they have learned or the perception of them.  For example; What should a Latino to look like?, What should a Middle Easterner look like? The issue is that many have this Single Story which makes Whites in particular,  draw assumptions without realizing that they are being culturally offensive.

To conclude,  I want to say that reading When I was Puerto Rican, In the Castle of My Skin, Monster, and 145th Street I learned to relate and learn life lessons without being vulnerable.  I’m glad for those teachers who chose books that we can relate to and learn valuable lessons from.