You Gotta’ Agree with Me

This past week’s workshop was also very enlightening! A big thanks goes out to Dr. Kitty Burroughs for leading our discussion about argumentation. At first, she discussed a handout that she provided: Strategies_for_Argumentation. She explained that in an argument, identifying the audience becomes important (a skill we learned in the workshop on September 17th!) In small groups, we discussed the claim, and learned how to develop arguments and reasons according to the audience. After we learned how to develop these arguments and focus them to the right audience, Dr. Burroughs helped us understand concession and refuting. This is where the idea of a counter argument comes in. What would your opposition say? Would you concede and explain that their argument holds some merit? Or would you just refute and argue back? These are  important elements to consider when drafting your counter argument. Overall, Dr. Burroughs argued that ALL writing is argumentative, no matter the context. In all cases, the writer is still try to make a point and argue it, whether it is a position paper, a research paper, a MSE or even a dissertation. At this point in the workshop, we took some time to really analyze what kinds of pieces are argumentative, and what makes them so effective. Once again, we really want to thank Dr. Burroughs for helping us understand arguments and how to build them effectively!

Don’t forget about our workshop this week: “Revising: The Most Important Part of the Writing Process.” At this workshop, we will help you improve your revising skills by offering practical strategies to revise your work. This is a great opportunity to learn the basics of revising and break down the complicated process into some helpful tips. So check it out on Thursday, October 1st, from 2:30 to 3:30 in Moseley Hall Room 400. 

Remember to stay tuned for other October workshops- updates will be posted shortly!