Perspectives Relating to Educational Practices

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE EDUCATED, AND WHO DECIDES? ENTERING A CONVERSATION ABOUT EDUCATION

In essay #2, you will consider Freire’s ideas alongside those of Mark Edmundson, both of whom write about educational best practices from different perspectives. You will synthesize their ideas, teaching your readers what you find most significant. This may require you to consider how each writer would analyze the other’s argument. You might try to identify common ground as well as at what places the writers diverge. You might also attempt to explain what elements of the issue neither have considered. Remember that a synthesis requires more than summarizing other scholars’ work; instead, you will use their work as a basis for your own argumentative thesis. To extend our metaphor from the first two units, think of your essay as a new statement in the conversation that Freire and Edmundson have begun.

One way to begin composing this essay is to consider Freire and Edmundson’s arguments as they apply to collegiate education. Construct an argument based on how college students (or professors) can apply Freire’s and Edmundson’s ideas to their studies. If you like, you may draw from your own experiences, but keep in mind that both Freire and Edmundson should be directly quoted or paraphrased in your paper.

Your audience is educated peers who have read Freire and Edmundson closely. This means that you will not need to summarize the content of each essay; rather, draw from the texts to support your own assertions. You’ll want to consider at all points how to persuade your readers.

Guidelines for Essay #2

Length/Due Date: approximately 800-1,000 words, due Sunday midnight Central Standard Time (CST).

Style/Format: This, as all essays in EN106, should be formatted in a standard scholarly format. (Most students follow MLA or APA guidelines, which are outlined in Easy Writer.) No matter what format you follow, be sure to do the following:

• Use 12 point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
• Use 1-inch margins top, bottom, and sides.
• Although no cover page is needed, you should include your name, my name, the course number/title, and date at the upper left-hand corner of the manuscript.

References: Essay #2 will include formal references to the assigned readings, enough references to support your thesis. Such references will use quotation or paraphrasing, and must include in-text citations.

File format: Please submit your essay as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. These formats are available in most word processors, including Google Docs and Open Office, and will ensure that your instructor is able to comment on your work.

Works Cited/References: Because you will be referring to Freire’s and Edmundson’s essays, please create an appropriate bibliography. See the appropriate chapters of Easy Writer for directions on how to create an entry for a work in an anthology. (Hint: Look at p. 219 for MLA and p. 259 for APA.) You may also draw upon history textbook(s) or other sources, which will also need to be cited according to the guidelines presented in Easy Writer.

Titles: Include a descriptive title at the beginning of your essay that tips your readers off to your thesis. Do not format your title with quotation marks, boldface, underlining or italics. Quotation marks or underlining are only appropriate if the title borrows words from another source.

Deadline: Submit your final draft essay no later than Midnight CST on Sunday at the end of this unit.

Use of essays for future courses: Please understand that your essay may be used— anonymously—as a sample for future EN106 students and instructors unless you expressly request that it not be used. Your work, of course, will only be used for educational purposes.

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