WCA Reading & Responding

Pursuing an Educated Mind

3) There are several types of evidence used throughout the essay. Personal experience/ observations, reliable print sources a news program "Double Talk", websites and interviews were all used to create a backbone for the essay. In my opinion the personal interview with Nancy Kole is the most persuasive because first hand information proves a point to me in the best, most direct way. Although the "History of Bilingual Education is definitely an important aspect of the essay, it doesn't serve to persuade me to either side of the issue.

4) The bold faced sections heading serve several purposes. It seems to me that the titles draw the reader's attention into the main points. They also help to see the ideas being discussed in the essay, at a glimpse. I also feel as though it adds to the argument, almost like having a table of contents right at your finger tips throughout the essay. Perhaps someone reading the essay disagreed with only one aspect of the argument, that reader could quickly locate the area of interest. It seems the headings are multipurpose.

Who Deserves a Head Start?

1) In comparing the two essays, "Who Deserves a Head Start" and "Pursuing an Educated Mind", I felt as though both did a good job in getting the point across. One specific area where I felt as though the text was rather ineffective in getting the point across was in the "Head Start" essay pg. 325- 3rd paragraph. The author goes into great detail about the hypothetical situation of- "If the government was now to spend an additional 7.37 billion a year....". I felt as though the information was only very slightly important. It didn't seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. In the other essay "Educated Mind", there were many effective points but one that stood out to me was on pg. 283- 3rd & 4th paragraph. The author is focusing on the types of programs that have been implemented, "If students can first understand a concept-- such as the idea of writing....". I felt this was a great way to really break down what the actual program was aiming to do. The way the author described each point, made for a better, well rounded essay with a personal touch added.