Reading and Studying: What's the Diff? Literature and Gaming: What's the Same?
You know that tip for writing a Literature essay in the last posting? It applies to writing a General Paper or Philosophy essay as well. Same game: don't conclude in your introduction and treat the intent of the question with utmost respect. So if you master your Literature essay, you are set for essay-writing in different Humanities subjects. It is no surprise that an A1 in English "O" Levels is not going to get you anywhere with General Paper at "AO" levels if you have basically honed your writing skills on a diet of story writing practice. You could have been told that your chances of getting an A were highest if you attempted to write the stories instead of the essays. I wonder why there are so many pupils out there still crying out for help in the General Paper Essay after securing places in the Junior Colleges. "From Hero to Zero", a phrase I used to bore my ex-pupils with. Most of them are permanently damaged by this very view of mine. I always say, "look behind the A to see if it is going to last".
Tip of the day:
With Literature as a subject introduced only in Secondary School, most pupils don't know what the subject is about when they are given a text to read. They mistake READING for STUDYING. Reading Harry Potter, as millions of children will testify, is a real ride. Studying it may be quite a different thing.
DIFFERENCES then -
Reading is leisurely, you don't have to complete it in one sitting.
Studying is goal-oriented, you should complete it in one sitting.
Reading goals: entertainment, knowledge, enlightenment.
Studying goals: exploration, analysis and critique or
examining how the reader was entertained (style),
what the themes and meanings were (knowledge), and
comparing the author's contribution to human thought and society.
So if you find that the way you go about STUDYING for your Literature test looks suspiciously like your regular READING experience, you are headed for frustration when your test marks come back.
So how do you study for this strange subject, Literature?
It is the weekend - I am taking a break so next posting then. Review my earlier postings especially the one on Elliott Yamin. i figure if I type in his name here, maybe, Google will throw up a link to his fansite. The other day a Kellie Pickler link came up here! I would have settled for calamari (AI joke) Ugh!
Now for my proposition that Literature and Gaming are the same:
Those of you boys out there who see yourselves as more inclined to Maths and Science, the only thing keeping you from nailing Literature is simply this, respond to it with your right brain, very much like a video game, the whole sensory experience. Then examine it like you would an algorithm. It does not take superior Feelings to do well in Literature. You need superior, quick, surefooted analysis and deep strategising when you craft your essay. Not so different from Gaming, eh?
Tip of the day:
With Literature as a subject introduced only in Secondary School, most pupils don't know what the subject is about when they are given a text to read. They mistake READING for STUDYING. Reading Harry Potter, as millions of children will testify, is a real ride. Studying it may be quite a different thing.
DIFFERENCES then -
Reading is leisurely, you don't have to complete it in one sitting.
Studying is goal-oriented, you should complete it in one sitting.
Reading goals: entertainment, knowledge, enlightenment.
Studying goals: exploration, analysis and critique or
examining how the reader was entertained (style),
what the themes and meanings were (knowledge), and
comparing the author's contribution to human thought and society.
So if you find that the way you go about STUDYING for your Literature test looks suspiciously like your regular READING experience, you are headed for frustration when your test marks come back.
So how do you study for this strange subject, Literature?
It is the weekend - I am taking a break so next posting then. Review my earlier postings especially the one on Elliott Yamin. i figure if I type in his name here, maybe, Google will throw up a link to his fansite. The other day a Kellie Pickler link came up here! I would have settled for calamari (AI joke) Ugh!
Now for my proposition that Literature and Gaming are the same:
Those of you boys out there who see yourselves as more inclined to Maths and Science, the only thing keeping you from nailing Literature is simply this, respond to it with your right brain, very much like a video game, the whole sensory experience. Then examine it like you would an algorithm. It does not take superior Feelings to do well in Literature. You need superior, quick, surefooted analysis and deep strategising when you craft your essay. Not so different from Gaming, eh?
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