One of the many reading practices I typically institute when heavily analyzing articles is re-reading the same sentence until I feel I have grasped a complete understanding of what the author is attempting to say. If I have trouble with analyzing a specific claim, or if I find a piece of the article particularly interesting, my method is to annotate these sections with a star. This way, I can keep track of what information to reflect upon when I am utilizing the source at hand or to look further into it later. I also really like to highlight specific sections that jump out at me or go along with the central theme of the article— the key ideas of the article. These sections, more likely than not, are justified by a subset of information of which I can use to compare or contrast with my ideas if the opportunity arises.

To further elaborate on my annotations, I have provided examples below this learning outcome explanation. When we refer to the specific examples from Anderson’s text “In Defense of Distraction,” I have highlighted references to distraction, which lead to a justification of that specific point at hand. Along with this, I highlight important people, scientific findings, or numerical figures which give supporting evidence to the author’s point. For my own understanding, I also enjoy writing marginal thoughts about a particular subject or phrase. If it is beneficial for me to use later, I come back and write a star, and then write how that specific section of the article is important. This is so that I can attempt to make a relationship, for example, between Anderson and another author if I choose.

Furthermore, I felt that analyzing the specific articles in class after reading them independently was especially beneficial. We were able to fully analyze and understand the information given in the article—and were given a clear insight on how the “they say,” or justification present from active research helps in justifying the author’s insight, or the “I say.” I also feel that the learning outcomes from following this sort or organized method were very strong and provided a deep analysis and appreciation for the author’s work. Even if we didn’t agree with these points ourselves, we were able to analyze and conjure where the author is coming from. This is also a very important aspect of understanding how to utilize rebuttal work in writing. This is also a section we touched up on in the “They say, I say” textbook.