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English 1010
26 June 2013
Response to “Reading and Writing without Authority”
Students are constantly faced with writing assignments in their classes that they feel are
impossible to complete because they are not allowed to express their own opinion. This is a
common feeling regardless if you are in middle school, high school, or college. As students, we
are required to write, some students find it easy and excel while others do not. Writing is not
like any other subject; that is, writing is not based on one specific format, unlike what we are
taught in high school. The process that students have to go through to progress from writing high
school papers to writing college papers is challenging, but not impossible. There are many
hurdles and obstacles to overcome when writing, some are personal, mental, time related or
even grammatical. However, one of the hardest processes we as students have to go through is
“finding our voice” and writing with “authority.” Fortunately, college English courses are
designed to teach students how to write with confidence. Professors have devised methods and
activities that are intended to encourage students to become better and more interactive writers.
Similar methods and activities should be applied to different disciplines to teach students how to
write authoritatively.
“Reading and Writing without Authority” is an article written by two authors, Ann
Penrose and Cheryl Geisler. The article is a study directed by Penrose and Geisler about the
difference in writing with and without authority. From their research, the authors determined that
writing with authority is important and can be taught to students. I agree with the authors that
writing with authority is not solely based on the knowledge of a writer, and that it can be taught
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by applying different methods of teaching that allow students to be more active in the classroom.
Interactive activities and teaching methods are based on a more hands on approach that
encourages the students to be active, so it improves the learning experience. Most students learn
better by practicing and interacting with their peers and professor rather than simply observing
their professor give a lecture. In the article, the authors mentioned, “It is generally acknowledged
that students enter college classrooms with extensive experience in, and often a strong
commitment to, an information-transfer model of education, which clearly clashes with current
constructivist views of knowledge” (Bizzell, Penrose, Geisler 515). That is, students graduate
from high school practicing the method of conveying what they learned to others because
students are restricted and do not interact with what they are learning. Applying interactive
methods in most disciplines will enable students to comprehend and practice what they learn and
be more active students.
One example of applying an interactive activity in a different discipline is to assign
articles related to the task at hand. Providing a background on the subject both increases the
student’s knowledge of the subject and enables the student to have confidence in their writing on
the subject and this is what Penrose and Geisler suggest helps students to write with authority. I
am currently pursuing a Graphic Design major, and in my second semester at college, I took a
prerequisite Design course. My Design professor prepared us prior to starting an assignment by
assigning an interactive activity. She assigned articles every week to read in preparation for the
project we were about to start. After reading the article we were required to submit a written
response on the class blog. This activity required reading, understanding the concept of the
reading and replying to the author’s viewpoint. I learned how to write with “authority" because I
was encouraged to write my thoughts about what I read. Moreover, this increased my confidence
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when writing because I had knowledge about the topic. I was fully prepared to pursue the
assigned project and had the confidence to make the decisions for the successful completion of
each project. Although this method of teaching is not practiced in most Art classes, I believe it
should be as practicing this activity provides the students the knowledge they require to complete
projects and increases their confidence in making the necessary decisions for completing
assignments. Most importantly, it directly improves a student’s writing capabilities.
Another example of using an interactive activity in a different discipline would be
involving students in the selection of their own topics for class presentations. This would help
increase the student’s ability to interact with the topic and present with “authority” and
confidence. From my personal experience, giving presentations is uncomfortable. Presenting is a
task that I dread and it is worse when I am not allowed to choose my subject matter, as I would
lack the confidence I would have gained if I were allowed to choose. I once had to give a
presentation about a topic that I had no interest in and as a result I found it difficult to relate to
the topic and I delayed the preparation of the presentation. When I gave the presentation, I felt
like I was just conveying information to my peers. Fortunately, in another class I took last
semester, the professor allowed me to select a topic of my choice to present , so I selected a topic
that I was interested in. I felt comfortable writing and presenting the topic and I thoroughly
enjoyed the experience. I found it easier to present the information in my own words because I
could relate to the topic that I was presenting. Although presentations are usually assigned to
students in most classes, I feel that by allowing the students to choose their own suitable topic,
the professors make the activity enjoyable, which enables the students to present with confidence
and “authority” by interacting with their topic rather than just conveying it to others.
Professors can use group discussions in any discipline to enable students to think
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critically. Ann Penrose and Cheryl Geisler claim, “Students can also come to recognize that
knowledge develops through conversations and debate by actively analyzing authors’
assumptions and motivations and the situation in which they work ”(Penrose, Geisler 517). That
is, students can increase their confidence by interacting with others; as a result, they can write
more authoritatively because they can converse with the authors and interact with the reading.
Furthermore, allowing students to discuss with others gives the students the confidence to speak
and write authoritatively. For example, in my previous painting class we had a group critique
after each project. The critique sessions were not very beneficial because we would only look at
the painting and tell the professor what we liked or did not like about it. We were not learning
about painting using this method of simply conveying information to the professor. This activity
could have been more useful if the whole class would have sat together and discussed the
painting in a more interactive way by asking questions and giving feedback about the work
rather than transferring information to the professor. Using this method of interacting by
critiquing and having a constructive discussion is beneficial because it allows students to talk
openly about their thoughts. Students would learn more about what they are meant to achieve in
the course as well as develop a voice. This method could also be applied in Business classes such
as Critical Thinking. For instance, the professor could divide the class into groups of three
students and provide each group with a question to discuss about what they are learning. The
students would have the opportunity to interact with their group members and discuss their
assigned question. Practicing this method improves the students’ writing skills as it teaches
students how to think critically.
If more professors applied these simple activities in their discipline, students would be
capable of thinking, reading and writing as individuals with a voice. According to Ann Penrose
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and Cheryl Geisler, “Helping students identify themselves as insiders enables them to engage in
the types of thinking that are denied them under the information-transfer model” (Penrose,
Geisler 518). Particular teaching methods and activities can make a huge difference to students’
attitudes towards learning, reading, writing and thinking. It is beneficial to help students be more
active in their work by practicing these methods. I am one of the students that are still struggling
to find my writing voice; however, I am closer to finding it because of my participation in classes
that apply these methods.