For future reference, when the next freshmen seminar class reads these articles,
only one should be assigned. This is because they are the exact same article;
however, one is longer than the other. I think it would be best to assign the
larger one for future discussions.
These articles gave me valuable insight into the best way to analyze a
book without actually reading it. However, while this is a good idea in theory,
I don’t think I could actually pull it off. This is because the book requires
the student to skim most of the book which I am not very good at executing. I
feel that many people could use this technique based on their strengths and
weaknesses.
Furthermore, it is mentioned in the article that this is mostly used in
doctorate program. At the moment, I do not plan on receiving a doctorate. I may
think about working for one in the future, but because I do not plan on it
right now, I feel that this article is at little to no use for me.
Because this style of analyzing material is known for use in doctorate
degrees, it will only work on certain books. Most of the books I read are not in
the correct category for this style of analyzing. I also feel that throughout my
years in education, I was always taught to read from start to finish. It is
hard to go back on this philosophy when it has been drilled into my head for
twelve years. If needed, I will definitely try to use this method because it seems
to be an interesting and efficient process.
I enjoyed reading about this different style of reading because it shows
that students don’t have to read the full book in order to understand it.
However, it emphasizes that the novels assigned in one’s classes need to be
analyzed. If I got anything out of these articles, I would say it shows that just
because a book is read, doesn’t mean it is understood and vice versa.