However, I would submit that asking interrogative questions or, in other words, inquiring about what lies beneath the surface is something that each of us does--to some degree--on a regular basis.
My expectation is that each student learns quite a bit during the discovery essay process. So I want each student to respond to the following prompt: what have you learned during your discovery essay process (e.g., something about yourself, something new from a source, something about the writing process, etc.)? What obstacles were present as you went about researching and writing? Is inquiry-based writing important, irrelevant, or just plain weird (please explain)?
Your individual responses are due by Monday, March 8th. Please sign your blog response at the end (if your user profile does not already include your name), and if anyone has a problem posting her/his response, email it to me before Monday, and I will cut and paste it for you.
Before this assignment, I had never really been introduced to the exploratory/discovery essay. Being given this paper I was able to learn a lot about Chuck Norris, but also about other things I didn't think I would get into with the essay. Although it was an way of writing,I guess I'm still used to writing in a certain format.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing about this paper, though, was that I had the freedom to start off with one topic and end the paper with a completely different idea. What I liked that because when I write I, for some reason, can't seem to stay on the same subject for too long. I'll stray away with something irrelevant and then get lost within my paper. Kinda like I'm doing now. I forget where I was going with it..
Anyway, obstacles: forming the new questions and trying to find research on them. A lot of my questions weren't strong enough to really do research on. And if they were, I didn't do too well explaining them. But that's about it. The assignment was pretty cool.
During my discovery essay process I have learned a great deal of information that I was unaware of before. Throughout my research of breast cancer and delving into a pool of tons of information and sources on this subject have opened my eyes to really how large this issue is today. After reading and taking in how severe this disease is, taught me about myself that I want to be apart of this awareness community and support all those women out there suffering with breast cancer. I learned that there are so many treatments and several stages of breast cancer, which I was also unaware of before researching. Some obstacles I ran into throughout the research process was actually finding useful information on the FIU library site. I used the search engines: OmniFIle, ProQuest, and LexisNexis although it was difficult to find what I was looking for. When using the simple engines like google scholar, google, and ask jeeves, I found a lot more valuable sources on breast cancer there. The inquiry based writing was a bit confusing at first, but I ended up enjoying this writing process. Asking a question first, researching then responding to the question with all that you learned was a fun way of learning and writing. In the beginning I didn’t feel I had the hang of it, but now I feel as If I got a good grip on it, and understand it well. Overall, I thought the prompt and essay was fun and enjoyable.
ReplyDelete-Brooke Englert
The main thing that I enjoyed about the Discovery Essay was the freedom to explore any questions related to my topic and not just those that would support an argument, as it would have normally been in a college paper.
ReplyDeleteAt first I did not like this fact at all and I couldn't seem to get the right tone or format going. Over time and through more research I figured out what to do. Not think so much about it and just let it flow.
I find now that inquiry based writing is very important because without it you cannot get a full grasp of your topic. I think I will be utilizing this form of writing as rough drafts for other research papers I may get in the future.
At first, the discovery essay was something that I thought was going to be rocket science to develop. This was because of the extensive research it required and showing that you learned something. However, after finding my first research article, it was smooth sailing. Everything just came together on its own and I felt like I was actually learning, rather than doing a research project. Although my topic, tuition costs, was not an issue that is very difficult, I learned quite a few things about it. For example, I learned that tuition costs were rising higher than inflation and for the past two years, it has been increasing in double digit percentages. The students that are being affected the most are those which come from middle class families because a majority of them do not meet the minimum for financial aid. The poor are the ones who receive the most financial aid, and the rich, well they don’t have a problem with money. Some obstacles that I faced were researching, not because it was difficult, just because it took time to read through the entire article and determine if it was relevant. Another obstacle was accepting the fact that this research paper was not an argumentative paper, but more of a narrative in which you chronologically explain your research experience. I think inquiry based writing is important because it is something done on a regular base, that is, ask questions, and should therefore be considered a normal process.
ReplyDeletedoing this paper i learned 4 things.
ReplyDeletenumber one how to enjoy doing an essay by choosing an interested topic. this being a discovery essay, i wanted t get a topic that i did not know much about. so my topic was the moon.
number two, i learned how to use the Fiu library and its databases. the databases were extremely helpful and made my reseach easier.
number three, i learned to do the MLA citation the right way. very helpful because i am going to use this for years to come.
finally, i feel i acquire basic knowledge about the moon, and would be comfortable talking to someone about it. i have reached my own conclusions and made my own theories. it has triggered in me,the passion to find out more about this topic that is so fascinating and mysterious.
Ana Torres Hernandez
throughout this entire essay i have learned a lot of new information that i did not know before and its information i know will be useful in the future, because everything you learn in life is useful nothing is useless. learning more and more abour th free trade of americas and how important it is to so many countries and how it affects countries in so many ways is interesting and now i know a lot more about it. countries economies are based on this one agreement that in many cases affects in a negative way because oter countries restrict it or it is of great help to a country because other countries allow the trading and therefore benefit countries
ReplyDeleteKevin Franco
I did not learn to write as much as I learned about my topic. Yes, it was confusing and yes, I had trouble with it, but that made me research more and look up more on my topic. It was a common topic that many people already knew much about but in reality, that knowledge was only the base of it. When exploring deeper into it, I found myself gaining new knowledge not only on that topic, but on other related topics. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had acquired an immense amount of knowledge. I was so interested that I even watch films and documentaries on the subject on my spare time. It was definitely an enriching experience and even now, I always wonder what if? How come? Why? It’s so broad that questions are inevitable, helping me keep my interest. I am even considering reading a book on the subject which is definetley a first for me.
ReplyDeleteMy discovery process was an intresting one for me. For one, this was a way of writing that I was not used to so it did feel akward to write in such a way but I did feel as if I could write my thoughts out more clearly in a way. There was no definite answer so I did not know where to stop but instead just kept getting lost into questions as if there was going to be no end to the process. In a sense, it seemed that I was researching for no reason. However, I was exposed to more types of opinions and ideas from others in ways that I would have ever thought before. Overall it was a hard but managable experience. I learned that the definition of intelligence or common sense cannot really be defined but it can be influenced by external factors. However, there are so many ways you can interpert it is that you dont know where to begin.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery essay was fairly difficult for two reasons. One would be that i picked a topic that i was really interested in, so i had already read up on a few things. By the time i had to start writing, it was very hard for me to wallow in complexity because I had already formed an opinion. The second reason why it was hard for me, was the fact that i am use to writing arguments or closed form essays. It didn't flow like i wanted it to. The assigment taught me alot about my own topic and even about myself. I discovered that i base my views on the patterns i have seen in life. In this case, i learned that i had extreme egalitarian views because of what i have experienced in the past. But by the time i was done with research i found myself on the other side of the fence. Complementarian views are not as bad as i thought them to be. Understanding why Eve took that bite from the fruit helped me to understand my rebellious nature. It also made it clear to me that just because a woman has to submit to her husband it does not mean she has to be like a robot that makes sandwiches while he sits on the couch. I always saw submissive wives to be weak and pea-brained. They are actually alot more happier than wives who wear the pants in the marriage.I also learned that the women who are pastors are compassionate for their God but they may be missing the point for what God really wants them to do. Women can teach and be leaders,after all we all have some sort of spiritual gift, but being a pastor is just a title and we were meant to help in different ways. All in all, i enjoyed this assignment because it answered alot of questions and it opened my eyes to alot of things.
ReplyDeleteI based my discovery essay on a topic that has affected and will affect me for years to come. My question was based on love and whether or not a person could be incapable of loving someone on a romantic level. As I researched different topics that correlated with love, I began to realize that there are different aspects to take into account before labeling someone “unlovable”. Some of the sources I found revolved around emotions like: jealousy and selfishness and how those two could easily make or break a relationship, but they are most definitely needed within a partnership. One of the sources I found was based on a personal experiment conducted by a psychologist, which made it clear that without putting yourself out there, whether it brings you success or failure is highly needed in order to create a bound with another person. He also stressed that the feeling of love is produced more than just appearing out of nowhere-you have to work for it with little things like, staring into their eyes or even breathing at the same time. Small things like what was mentioned by the psychologist gave me a sense of hope because maybe it’s time to show a different side of me when in the process of forming a potential relationship with someone else without worrying about failure.
ReplyDeleteThe writing process is one that we all do without realizing it, even when we write closed form essays. I like inquiry based writing because it allows room for expansion in the sense that once you start to summarize a source and ask questions, it starts a chain reaction and allows your mind to think outside of the box. Kind of like what free writing aims to do.
-Kristen Moller
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor the discovery essay, I definitely did explore and learn more about my topic, but it was a bit of a challenge for me to get my questions together with a relevant source. At first, I found myself writing a research paper until my peer reviewer advised me to write in the narrative form and this advice helped me a lot. I also learned that asking too many questions for this assignment is a good thing, but dialectic thinking was my problem. I found myself coming up with questions, getting the sources, summarizing the sources but not exactly having them agree or disagree with my point of view. After the peer review, I realized what the dialectic part of this assignment was; getting my source to back up my question. I still don't fully grasp the concept of dialectic thinking, as far as relating it my sources to the agree and disagreements of my exploratory topic. I found myself changing my question several times before I came to one main question in my introductory paragraph. This also allowed me to answer and put these questions throughout my essay. I think inquiry-based writing is important because we all have questions we want answered or explore more about, but I think when we have actually write it out on paper, it brings a challenge because I did found myself having trouble with this type of open form, dialectic writing style.
ReplyDeleteI have learned many new skills while writing my
ReplyDeletediscovery essay. It was time consuming at first, but I got the hang of it as I went on writing. I think the most challenging part of the essay was researching and figuring out what sources were best for my topic. Citing the source and summarizing it was a little difficult at first. However, with each one, it became a habit. Some of the new skills that I have learned was using my own input and opinion in response to some of the sources. Also, coming up with new questions and answering them from time to time helped me expand what I wanted to talk about. I hink inquiry-based writing is important because we all want to come up with new questions and have our own opinion on certain things. This discovery essay was beneficial because it opened my mind more.
I have learned many new skills while writing my
ReplyDeletediscovery essay. It was time consuming at first, but I got the hang of it as I went on writing. I think the most challenging part of the essay was researching and figuring out what sources were best for my topic. Citing the source and summarizing it was a little difficult at first. However, with each one, it became a habit. Some of the new skills that I have learned was using my own input and opinion in response to some of the sources. Also, coming up with new questions and answering them from time to time helped me expand what I wanted to talk about. I hink inquiry-based writing is important because we all want to come up with new questions and have our own opinion on certain things. This discovery essay was beneficial because it opened my mind more. --Frank Nunez
During my discovery essay process I learned a lot and I had difficulty putting in every detail that I learned. Instead I tried to put the conclusions I had drawn from all that information into a summarized form. I tried to incorporate the ask a question and then use that question to drive a new question format without it being obvious. Instead of saying what each question was I just talked about what I learned. Whenever I go into a new topic it's because that's where my discovery led me. I'm glad I picked a topic that is really interesting and relevant to me, otherwise I don't think I would have put as much effort forth.
ReplyDeleteAnne Benolkin
This essay helped me realize that I don't question things so as soon as I started this essay I was having problems. When I got the hang of questioning things I realized that questioning things gave me more to research or at least more specific things to research helping me on its own in the essay and possibly helping me later on. Something interesting that I felt while writing in this style is that when I was writing to the audience I felt that I was learning at the same time as they were. The only problem I had with writing in this style is that it felt like it was too easy for me to just trail off into something off topic or branching out into some random direction. Other than that this essay was pretty enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Donado
I learned that food distribution is very longitudinal, as in our food travels from the farm across the street to the other side of the country and back again. The discovery essay process was much more difficult than expected. Finding relevant sources to answer my questions were a challenge, so I had to change from finding sources which answered my question to creating questions from the sources I found. Inquiry-based writing is relevant because it makes the writer really dive into the topic and allow for dialectic thinking to occur.
ReplyDelete- Betty Hernandez
While writing my discovery essay I found a lot of interesting information about the differences between religions and the ways they interact. At first it was quite difficult to get a grasp of the process and to think up a definite structure, since I never had done something like this before. But as it went on it became gradually easier, by the end i regretted that I could not find anything else. I would say that the biggest obstacle for me was the fact that after finding two articles relevant to my inquiry it was just impossible to find more. No matter how much I varied my keywords I hit a dead end and I regret that.
ReplyDeleteabove comment by Julio C. Saiz
ReplyDeleteIn the discovery essay I learned how to summarize my sources so I could thoroughly understand what I’m reading about and also to let my reader know exactly how I feel about what I myself am discovering about my topic. I learned about events in history. I learned about scandals and controversies that happened in United States’ history like the Watergate Scandal, Kennedy’s assassination, and Operation Mongoose. I found out some theories as to how they really happened, not just theories that were released to the public. The book that I found that How Did It Really Happen? gave me the ideas on what to write. I searched on the online FIU library and took out some books. My other information came from online sources including articles, blogs and journals. I had some trouble finding reliable sources but then I did decide to try a blog. Inquiry-based writing is important because it allows you to write about what you exactly want to find out. You are not tied to one subject or are given strict guidelines about your subject. It was interesting to learn about history in a writing class.
ReplyDelete--Gabriela Guardiola
I think the discovery essay allowed for me to research a topic in which I have had questions about for a long time, which was GM foods. Now that I have learned this new information I can talk about this new topic with others with confidence because I have done more than enough research. The only obstacles that I came across were just grasping in what format to write this essay because I was so used to writing a closed-form essay. So at the beginning of this paper it felt awkward to be writing in this way. Another obstacle I came across was not finding sufficient information for some of the questions I asked. Inquiry-based writing overall just helped get a better idea of how and what I was going to write on my paper.
ReplyDelete-Karla Olivas
Before this assignment I had never written a first person discovery essay before. It was an interesting experience. The only thing I could equate it to was a research paper. However, every research paper I had written before has been information gathered about a prompt. There was no explanation of my discovery process. The reader is just given information. The method of this assignment creates a more personal product for the reader. They are able to follow the step by step process the writer took to explore an idea.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about utilizing animals in the therapy process. Different sources, mostly from the FIU library databases, sent me in various directions stemming from the same topic. I learn about the benefits of using animals and also the risks. From there I learn how relevant these risks were and if they could be easily prevented. Stemming from animals in hospitals I also learned that animals, usually dogs, are used in rehabilitation programs in prisons. Small animals such as hamsters or guinea pigs are used in classrooms. Horses are used to connect to children with autism. There are so many practical uses for animals outside the role of household pet.
Other than information on my topic I discovered that it is quite difficult for me to include a first person account of my thinking processes. It seems odd and unfamiliar to me. However, this does not mean it is bad. I think it is important to experiment with all types of writing. Expanding into unfamiliar territory will allow me to grow as a writer.
Jessica Ward
I have to admit, coming into this assignment I didn't expect to learn much. However, I ended up learning a lot more about my chosen subject than I thought I would. Also, because the topic of my paper required some personal exploration, in a way I learned a lot about myself. Some challenges I faced were times when my sequence of inquiries seemed to reach a dead end, so that I had no more questions to ask on that particular line of thought. Overall though, this writing style came very natural to me, as I'm sure was the case with many of classmates. I enjoyed being able to write in a way that almost feels like I'm thinking out loud.
ReplyDeleteAs for the final question of the writing prompt, I think that every college-level paper should involve inquiry-based writing to some degree because it requires the sort of "higher-level thinking" that is encouraged in college.
Dominique Benjamin
This essay was by far the most interesting one I've done in a while. I was a bit hesitant about it at first, but once I understood the formula it felt natural from there on out. Unlike some subjects I found a definite answer in the end of my essay, although I became interested and had more questions than I thought I could come up with. I hope I will get to do this type of essay again it was very interesting. If I do get to write another one I'm curious as to what I want to discover next...
ReplyDeleteThe process of the discovery essay was definitely different. I enjoyed doing research, and found it easier to rely on books then on articles in the research search engines. My first question was "why do women mistreat each other?" Through the research I discovered alot of insightful theories. I feel that I acquired knowledge that cleared up my confusion towards this subject. I was really pleased with actually having answers available to me. It made me curious to look into other similar subjects.
ReplyDeleteInquiry based writing is important because it allows you to discover more about the world. Arriving at answers through your own research is much more enriching then being given answers. Research makes you see the complexity of every issue .
Rocio Reyes
This essay was a bit more challenging than other essays we have done in the past. Like most, I found the biggest challenge was to keep this essay a discovery essay more than an arguementative. I found some interesting facts about gaming, and its effects of helping the human body in the long run. Over all I liked this essay because it allowed a person to view both sides of an argument through discovery, and allowed a person to see why is it that a person may take a stand on a topic of either side.
ReplyDeleteAdam.
This essay was in a way an awkward assignment for me. I have never been asked to write an essay where I have to accept both points of view while not emphasizing on what I believe. I mean in the end I did have to choose which sources did answer my questions but it was hard to not see this essay as an argument essay. It may be that my topic didn’t really help the cause since it really is a yes or no issue depending on your moral and political standing. I decided to investigate how valid are the FARC’s ( a Colombian guerilla) efforts in acquiring what they claim to be a political goal. In the end, I actually did learn a great deal about FARC and what they believe in and I guess that expanded my knowledge on the matter. Yet, I failed to find sources or arguments that would really make me understand how their actions are justifiable. Apart from this the information available was fairly repetitive on all available databases and didn’t really change from one source to another. All in all, I think that this essay writing style is very interesting, it takes a lot longer to do, but it really helps you make a more interesting essay. This style should be used with greater frequency but with a topic that allows for this writing to take place.
ReplyDelete- John Mejia
The discovery essay was a fun way to go about our second writing assignment. I had never written a paper this way. I thought it sounded a little odd when starting out, but after getting into the paper I found that it was pretty straight forward. Starting with a question, then researching and analyzing, my essay practically wrote itself. It gave the essay substance and the writing process became easier than usual. It also helped that the essay topic was up to the students. The essay was pretty enjoyable to write. I also had a better understanding of how to properly site and write in MLA format. This I felt was what I benefited from the most.
ReplyDeleteDuring my discovery essay process I have learned that there are many diffrent factors that lead to people not wanting to find their adoptive parents. While I was looking for one main cause, I could only point out several main themes that lead to a whole new array of reasons. I also learned about how the discovery paper is written sort of in steps and how it's not just written in one sitting due to going back to research a new topic. The obstacle present when researching was that I couldnt find the answer to my question and this led me to write a lot of "maybe" statements in my paper but this is because there is no definate answer to my question.I think that inquiry-based writing is importnant because it can lead to great discoveries but to me it is just wierd because I am so used to writing formal essays that it was hard for me to write this paper.
ReplyDelete-Eneida Pinon
During the discovery essay process I learned more about my topic than anything else. It was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about it and searching for more and more information about it. I had written essays which required me to do research a few times before so that aspect was nothing new to me but the new information I actually found was really beneficial and interesting to me. However, one of the most important things I learned and newest things I learned was that its ok to write in first person. I learned that not only is this is ok but that it can be a very effective way of writing even though I have always been told otherwise. It was definitely a breath of fresh air to get away from the boring style of writing I usually had been told to use in high school. I've learned it's alright to clearly state my opinion in an essay like the discovery essay.
ReplyDelete-Noemi Guerra
Throughout the process of writing my discovery essay, I learned a great deal about music piracy and the issues that musicians are going through because of it. I had always been interested and had researched the topic of music piracy, therefore I had a bit of prior knowledge, but I definitely did not know the things that I discovered in my essay. Things such as just how little musicians make from album sales, and that they earn most of their income through live performances. As well as that music downloading affects music labels more than the artists directly.
ReplyDeleteIt was a new experience for me as it was my first time writing a discovery essay. I feel that it went pretty well, and it might be tough for some people because they just don't really know what to put in their essay. And the only problem I had with this essay was just what exactly to include in my essay. But as I progressed it got easier because I'm just writing the things I am discovering about my topic. Inquiry writing is definitely not weird, it's just something one has to get used to.
-Alexander Dominguez
The discovery essay was something very different to what I was used to. I liked the idea that I was able to research any topic of my choice. However, it took some getting use to when it came to explaining every step of my research. I had to get into a habit to not just summarize what I found, but how I found it. As I was doing my research, I learned many things. My initial topic was the cruelty on animals in slaughterhouses. I discovered much more such as the different hormones that are given to livestock, how hormones function, different organizations that support animal rights, and laws that protect animals. The discovery essay allowed me to discover answers to questions I would not have come up with on my own. The essay gave me insight on a topic I would not have addressed on my own personal time. The essay was a fun learning experience that has taught me to ask more specific questions and not to be afraid to research.
ReplyDeleteThe assignment was not one that I had to do in the past so I found it slightly challenging in the beginning. I was not sure how to phrase the question in the paper and then answer it. I even tried to do an outline but that did not work because my questions changed as I did more research.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most difficult things was starting the research because I had a topic in mind but did not know what i wanted to write about. So I thought about what I knew about my topic then decided to write about what I did not know.
This type of writing is important because it can set you in a direction if you are unsure of what you wan to write about. It also helps you in discovering new points for a thesis guided paper as well.
-Andres Villazon
During this discovery process, I learned many new things about my topic. My essay was about our dependence on medication. I found this topic enjoyable to write about and learn about because it is relevant to my major. I also learned that it was hard to adjust to this new type of writing style seeing as though I was so used to other forms of writing.
ReplyDeleteOne of my biggest obstacles was beginning the research. Researching seems like something that could easily be done. However, I found it very difficult because my topic was so grandiose and vague. I also found it difficult to cohesively flow from one question to another.
In this writing assignment, I found it mostly difficult to write in first-person while developing resources to respond to a question. I was always taught to write in a thesis-driven fashion. I think this writing process is important because it sheds light on another method of writing other than closed-form prose.
-Melissa Montero
Well when I started this assignment I was thinking that it was going to be a really boring assignment. at first my biggest challenge was what to write the paper on. After much debate I decided I wanted to learn more about the origins of science fiction.My first question was simple " where did sci-fi come from?" but after I was completely lost, I couldn't think of another question. It took me days to come up with questions and discover something new about sci-fi. A little too late I realized that I know a lot about sci-fi and am not really discovering anything, but then I found a very interesting article, the influence of religion in science fiction.
ReplyDeleteReading the article totally changed my perception of science fiction. I started noticing that many sci fi novels, games, and moves contain the very core of Christianity and other religions. So what started off as a boring assignment turned into a very learning experience. In the end I liked this type of writing. Asking questions about a certain topic and getting more in depth on the topic as you go along makes writing much more interesting then the regular thesis based papers.I wouldn't mind writing more discovery papers in the future, I might write some for the heck of it.
- Giovanny Ahmad
Throughout my discovery essay, I learned that I like to conduct research. I also stopped my bad habit of not using the word I. This essay was difficult for me because I was used to writing closed form essays. More importantly though, I learned how essential time management is. And regarding my topic, I learned that medicine is so interesting. Stem cells are essential to the possible positive advancements in medicine. If bad cells that cause disease or injury can be replaced by healthy specialized cells.
ReplyDelete--Stephanie Padron
When I was told that we could choose our own topic to research, I was seriously surprised. Never had I been allowed to decide what I write about. Throughout middle school and high school, essay prompts were always provided for us. We did not get to pick our own. So from the beginning, I was motivated to write. I enjoyed being able to write about something that was affecting my life.
ReplyDeleteMy topic was a very interesting and controversial issue. I found a lot of information, but most was based on opinion. It wasn’t difficult to distinguish between fact and opinion. I did have some trouble trying to create more questions. I felt like my questions sometimes didn’t flow throughout my essay.
Megan Hill
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ReplyDeleteDuring my discovery essay I was able to learn about football and gambling issues. I began writing this essay with no clue about football. I didn't know the rules, how the game was scored, I didn't even know the full object of the game. I just knew that the game was nearly four hours long and that you would get points for throwing the ball through a giant T-looking thing. Now I know much more, such as that a game is only supposed to be an hour long but that, due to long breaks and pauses, it can last up to over three hours. I also learned about gambling. I never really saw it as such a big issue. I just knew that people would play little slot machines in casinos and in cruises all the time. It turns out it's a big issue and that there are even help hotlines out there for compulsive gamblers. I didn't really understand the appeal until I read an article that described a man's vacation to Las Vegas. He thoroughly described how nice they made the casinos look. He said that with their shiny and bright colors they gave a shot of hope to anyone that would pass by. Thanks to many hours of research, I also learned how to find what I'm looking for. I learned that the most important part of research is knowing what keywords to put into the search bar. This essay has taught me many things.
ReplyDeleteAna Gonzalez
Before this discovery essay assignment I never had the opportunity to write so freely. With this essay I was able to write in first person, pick my topic, ask my questions, and organize my information in whatever order I wanted. I enjoyed writing this essay but sometimes the freedom that came with it was frustrating because we had no guidelines, instead we had to allow our minds to wonder and think about the many aspects of our topic. Later on in writing the paper I realized letting our mind explore and learning how to ask questions and find answers was a main objective of this paper. Once I got the hang of it I found countless sources and thought of strong questions easily. With this essay I learned more strategies for researching and I learned my way around the online library and databases.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery essay was different from a typical research paper. I found the discovery essay to be more personal then a research paper. With this assignment we also explained our research process instead of just including the information from the research. Since we explained the process, gave opinions, and included interesting information this paper was way more interesting then a typical research paper.
Besides getting more familiar with the research process I learned a great amount about psychedelic therapy. Every question that would pop up in my mind I would write down so I could later research and then at the end of all my research I would write a part of my essay. As I continued to ask questions I would find more sources and learn about peoples opinions and experiences with psychedelic therapy from all over the world. I have gained my own opinion on the topic of psychedelic therapy and feel well educated on it. I am glad I chose psychedelic therapy as my topic because while writing the essay I was never bored, I learned about disorders, and drugs, and therapy processes, the dangers, and the benefits; I found it all fascinating.
I do believe this assignment made me a stronger writer because now I am better at researching, which is half the battle. Now with the proposal essay I can incorporate all the information I found to find a problem in my topic and address an audience about it. These two assignments require a more complex way of thinking. As we progress as college students that complex way of thinking, exploring, and analyzing is crucial.
--Michelle Hernandez
While composing my discovery essay, I found myself even more assured in my Zionist feelings. While conducting research, I came across much evidence supporting the claim of Jews as heirs of Israelite land. Though I intended to be as neutral as possible while writing in order that I may present the views of anti-Zionists fairly, I found the research I had done overwhelmingly in favor of Zionism. At the very least, the information I found proved that modern Jews are indeed the descendants of the ancient Hebrew Israelites that inhabited Canaan. Though I was sure of this prior to any research solely based on my biblical beliefs, the information I found from genetic testing done by scientist gave secular reasoning to Zionism.
ReplyDelete-Giancarlo Guerrero
By Jose Garcia
ReplyDeletewhile writting this assignemnt i never really saw being overweight as a big deal. i always thought it was someones choice to be overweight, and i always thought that children should be a little pudgy when their smaller. after researching though i realized that children shouldnt be allowed to be chunky, it only harms them in later years. i didnt know that by shaping childrens diets in elementry school we can help fight obesity in adults. there werent any obstacles in my research. if anything the on obstacle i found was that there was to much information about my topic. i thought the assignement was fun, atleast better then the last one. i didnt have to worry about all the rules other papers have, even though i started writting my paper wrong. i realized that the assignemnt was simple and should be used. this is going to help me out in other papers, and it showed me how to find informatoin and questions about other subjects
Jose Garcia
When composing my discovery essay, it wasn't too difficult to find sources for my topic, which was music therapy. I chose this topic because as a former music student, it intrigued me to know how I could further utilize my skills as a musician to help others physically, mentally and socially. I did not realize how much music therapy could help an individual until I investigated this topic. In doing this assignment, I came to the conclusion that inquiry-based writing is indeed important, because it encourages you to go out and learn about something completely different and new that may change your perspective on something in your life.
ReplyDelete-Samera Nath
Considering that I had never been required to write an 'exploratory' essay, I was quite unsure as to how to go about answering the inquiries without doing so in a way that reflected the run-of-the-mill "research paper". It was a challenging process, but completing this assignment allowed me to become competent with thinking outside of the box.
ReplyDeleteBefore I began this essay I was unaware of the truth about marijuana, and as I progressed through the research process I learned of the racism involved during the prohibition process, and I learned of the true nature of pot. Most of my friends are potheads, and I assumed that the information they gave me was biased because of their dispositions, but in fact they had done research of their own and made an informed decision about their lifestyles. Now, after doing my own research, I know the truth behind reefer madness and the misinformation that the news and legislature has made the majority of Americans blindly believe.
Robert Connell
During the process of writing my discovery essay, I learned a great deal of information about the subjects that I was writing about and of the writing process towards making the essay. I have become more knowledgeable on the history of special effects in movies, milestones in the movie industry, and the process of making certain special effects. It was enjoyable to write with a sense of freedom and being able to move from one topic to a different one while writing the essay. I will admit though that having this sense of freedom was a bit awkward for me since I never wrote a paper like this. I realized also that inquiry-based writing is important because questions in your piece of writing occur and answers result from those questions. This helps the writer and reader learn more information than they originally thought they were going to learn.
ReplyDelete- Daniel Montenegro
This is my favorite essay I have written. I had the ability to explore and learn something new about a topic I am actually interested in. My essay began by simply researching different sites online and news articles about how bluefin tuna are being overfished to the point of extinction. I first heard about this in marlin magazine. There was an article that I read about the problem and I became interested with it. I wondered why and how this was allowed to happen and so I searched and wrote this essay.
ReplyDeletewhat i learned from this project is that many of the younger generation here in south florida don't pay enough attention to detail and the things that impact their life, whether they be apparent or not. I also learned that doing research on a subject and finding out what you thought all along, doesnt give you any more insight into the problem.
ReplyDeleteThis discovery essay was very hard for me cause, while i did so much research on my topic, I found no answers and it made me realize that sometimes that's ok. Some questions can't be answered and you just need to worry about what YOU can do and not worry about how other people dont care/ or do care.
Last semester I took Enc 1101, a previous english writing and our instructor designated us a similar assignment as this one but it was more a research paper than a disscovery essay .
ReplyDeleteWell The main difference I experienced between this paper and last years assignment is basically that in this disscovey essay you have the liberty to seek for information that interests you and really dont have to worry about an audience although you do have to quote and site your sources like a research paper and use the indicated format.
It was a very entertaining essay because, I was not worried about parameters or per say the lenght of paper. My main worries motivated me to keep on writing and going deeper instead of pulling me back . Finding answers to a subject you are interested in discovering facilitates the task of writing.
The main difference between the "discovery" essay and other research papers is that you have the liberty to digress and look up other information that doesn't necessarily have to do with the original subject. this was also the biggest challenge in writing the essay because I'm so used to being told that talking about irrelevant information is NOT GOOD. After getting through that initial prsonal barrier I found that I could write with more ease and less worrying about irrelevancy.
ReplyDeleteBeatriz Carricaburu