Prof. vK | ENG1101-D149 | Fall 2024

Agenda: Week 4

WRITE: (250 Words) Ā So far in this unit, we have read (and heard) examples from the genre of the ā€œeducation narrative.ā€Ā  Your first essay assignment in this class will be to write in this genre yourself.Ā  So in this discussion forum, Iā€™d like us to have a conversation about what the features of this genre are. Please discuss some of the following:

  • What, from what youā€™ve seen so far, are the ā€œingredientsā€ (also known as ā€œconventionsā€) of the education narrative genre?
  • What do you think might be a place to get started with your own education narrative?
  • What are your questions or concerns about writing an education narrative of your own?
  • If you like, you can also feel free to share an educational experience you had and ask for feedback from your colleagues (and me) to see if we think that might be a solid place to begin writing.

21 Comments

  1. Liz

    Hello this is Liz

  2. adrianf

    a. I feel like lots of imagery and an understanding of the thesis is important for an education narrative.

    b. My own experiences from high school or when I was younger.

    c. Iā€™m concerned about it I have enough material to write about it and how I write my essay. Iā€™m not good with being detailed.

  3. Nathan

    From my past assignments and lectures, Iā€™ve learned that a good education narrative has several important elements. It should be written from a clear first-person perspective, follow a chronological order, and include sensory details that make the story come alive. The narrative should have a central theme or lesson that ties everything together. Itā€™s also important to have a clear conflict or turning point that makes the story interesting, and it should end with a reflection on what was learned.

    For my essay, Iā€™m planning to look at how high schools in New York City donā€™t always encourage students to explore their interests or chase their dreams. I want to highlight how the system sometimes limits studentsā€™ opportunities to find what theyā€™re passionate about. Iā€™m also thinking about discussing the process of applying to high schools while still in middle school, which I think is a problematic idea. This system can put a lot of pressure on students to make big decisions too early, which might hurt their chances of exploring different interests.

    One of my main worries about writing this essay is how to put all my ideas together in a clear, chronological order. I also want to avoid going into too much detail, which has been a struggle for me in the past. Finding the right balance between being detailed and staying on point will be my key to writing a strong narrative.

  4. Dominick

    Where do i go to upload the assignment or do i upload it like this

    • Liz vK

      Hi Dominick – yes, you upload your assignment here!

  5. jessica

    From what I have seen so far some of the ingredients for the genre, education narrative, would be imagery so it can allow for readers to have a sensory experience and get some type of connection with the reading. Another would be repetition so readers are aware that they should focus/think of what is being repeated. I have also seen within the readings tone is a major convention since it allows for the readers to understand how the author feels about the situation, in this case education specifically. Other ā€œingredientsā€ would be figurative language like simile and metaphors to get the reader critically thinking. 

    A place I think I should start for my own education narrative would be the experience I had throughout my four years in a small high school. Explaining how smaller high schools don’t get as much help in aspects of having extracurricular activities and not focusing on classes to prepare us for real life experiences.  A concern I have with this writing would be how to start off this genre, when it would be appropriate to end it off. Another concern would be not getting into too much detail with an experience and not being too general either.  

  6. Yoselin

    Some key ingredients of the education narrative genre would be implementing topic sentences and questions, to grasp the readers attention and make the reader question themselves about the questions being asked in the narrative, and possibly create a connection to the experiences being told. Another key ingredient I would say is posing imagery because it will help the reader create an image to help visualize the story being told and possibly create a link as well. Adding figurative language would be a key ingredient to a education narrative as well, because it can help build deeper insights and understanding and help the reader getting the meaning of the point getting drawn in a different perspective. One last ingredient I would say is developing a tone because it will help the reader understand your emotions and attitude in the narrative.

    My high school experience would be a great start for my own education narrative, because I would say I felt out of place transitioning from middle school learning a current way to high school learning another way. It took a toll on my education, so I would say this a great start to my narrative talking about my experiences and upbringings.

    Some concerns I would say I have into writing this narrative is being too vague talking about my experiences and not getting my point across or showing enough emotion. Also, how to start the narrative is a big concern of mine as well.

  7. Yoselin

    Correction : *help the reader get the meaning of the point being drawn*

  8. ostap tymchenko

    In my experience, the most common ā€œingredientsā€/ā€conventionsā€ that have been in ā€œeducation narrativeā€ have been the topic of not fitting in, rebelion, and of ways that people were different in school. Both in ā€œThe Fourth of Julyā€ and ā€œMaybe I Could Save Myself by Writingā€ we have two main protagonists who refuse to conform with the things that are standard, both in school and outside. Them not feeling like they have a place later on helped both of them find themselves in resistance within their new society as adults. 

    With my own education narrative I might talk about how the modern capitalistic society has been a large driving force for me personally over time to change things, and in my own way I have come to an understanding that the capitalism and its consequences are what have radicalized me over time twords action, that at least by the same standards as the other authors is seen as rebellious and counter-cultural (at least to capital interest).

  9. joey

    From what I’ve seen so far, I think the ingredients are a sense of “unknowing” before an awakening and then a feeling of rebellion. Both Audre Lord and Jose Olivarez didn’t know something– Jose didn’t know where he belonged, and Audre was blind to how racism affected her family. But soon, Audre was outraged when it became clear to her, and Jose was so deeply touched by slam poetry that he decided that he’d create a safe place, a place where he and others like him would belong. They both rebel, Jose beginning to speak out, question power, and get in minor school trouble more, while Audre became a political activist, fighting injustice all over the world.

    I think a good place for me to get started with my own education narrative is the conflicting feelings I felt about speaking and being myself from 10th (9th was online) to 12th grade. I don’t have any questions about writing an education narrative of my own, but I AM concerned about the language I can use.

  10. Al

    So far, weā€™ve seen a handful of ingredients/conventions. The first being figurative language, which includes metaphors, similes, repetition, questions, and a few more I canā€™t quite remember, all of which are used to emphasize details, drive home certain points, and make the reader think. The second being personal anecdotes, which have been used both as a springboard for ideas in ā€œMaybe I Could Save Myself By Writingā€ and as the meat of the poem in ā€œthe Fourt of July.ā€ And finally, from what I can remember at least, a core theme of not fitting in, which is present in both pieces of literature. There might be more, I donā€™t know.

    I think a good place to get started with my own education narrative would be on how my perspective on education has changed over the years and where it is now. Iā€™m a little concerned about this because I have no idea what I think about education. Iā€™ve never really thought it through and, honestly, I donā€™t want to since it might make things more difficult. Although Iā€™ll probably have to, regardless of whether I want to or not. Another concern I have is trying to figure out where to start, where to end, what to include, and what to omit. The biggest question I have is: How do I start? The three pieces weā€™ve read are each very different from each other, meaning that there are tons of ways to do begin, but that makes the act of starting even more daunting.

    Thank you.

  11. Jesenia Pineda

    In the education narrative genre, some common ingredients or conventions are a focus on personal experiences related to learning, growth, and the impact of education on someone. These stories talk about a moment of realization, an issue they dealt with or a change in point of view. The narrative usually talks about on how education has shaped the writer’s identity, values, or future. The tone is reflective and personal, with details that help readers connect emotionally like imagery.

    To start my own education narrative, I might focus on my experience moving from Texas to New York and seeing the change in education systems. In Texas, the educational environment was much stricter and more challenging. The expectations were higher, and there was a pressure to perform academically. However, when I moved to New York, it was more laid-back approach, even though both areas were considered poor and challenged. This contrast showed me how location and local culture influence education, and how this change effected my personal growth.

    Some concerns I have are that Iā€™m not the best at writing essays. I struggle with brainstorming and getting my ideas to flow smoothly from one point to the next. I am often never fully satisfied with anything I write, and I want to work on improving my writing confidence and structure. I hope that with more practice, I can become more comfortable with expressing my thoughts clearly.

  12. Tyler V

    From what I’ve learned and seen so far the features of this genre ā€œEducation narrativeā€ include features/ingredients such as imagery, similes, and repetition. Repetition in education narrative gives the reader a better understanding and makes the reader think critically about certain points and situations the author is repeating and the importance of what the author is discussing. Imagery and similes help provide the reader with a better picture and examples of what the author is talking about or trying to describe. 

    A place I would get started with my education narrative is when I was in high school when I would think back to all the different experiences I had and how they affected me and my education. For example, I would talk about how my teachers treated me and how they helped me grow in my education to be a better person. My teachers helped me learn the new differences between high school and how different it was to middle school. I would also give in-depth explanations and examples using some of the features/ingredients on this genre that we talked about in class as I explained above. The questions or concerns I would have about writing my Education narrative would be how in-depth I should describe certain things and experiences and if they would understand what I’m trying to say or if they would understand the tone I’m using when writing certain points. Another thing I worry about is not using the education narrative features/ingredients correctly in my essay. 

  13. Joseph Puriisc

    From what I have obtained through this reading, an education narrative composes a few key elements, one of them being the Unknown. A person might not be informed very well about something and might wish to know more about it. Another key element of the education narrative is the concept of realization, when the perspective a person might have on something or someone can change. For example, in the Fourth of July text, the Author had thought of her vacation to Washington D.C as a very happy, fun, and relaxing time. And in the end, they had suffered through the most severe forms of racial discrimination. My switch from the high school system, to the college system will be a good start on my education narrative. The contrasts between college and high school have such a unique aspect. High School I feel is more relaxed and not as strict in college, as college you will need to rely on yourself majority of the time to be able to pass and graduate, you can’t depend on anybody to push you into paying attention to class, get your homework in on time, etc. Some concerns I do have on writing my education narrative, is how to really finish it. I strive to make my informative essays as entertaining and creative as possible, and concluding an essay is where I struggle with this creativity.

  14. Alison

    Some of the tools that are used during a genre of an educational narrative are repetition, tone, questions and imagery. For example, repetition is used as a key ingredient to reinforce important topics, ideas and lessons. The tone helps us understand and emphasize with the author how he feels. The questions I have realized help show that while we are reading we have a more critical reading thinking, this is a very important conversion that the authors make when writing a genre of educational narrative. Finally, imagery plays a significant role in the education narrative genre, enhancing the emotional depth and thematic resonance of stories centered around learning and transformations.

    I think a place to start my educational narrative should be about the school experience I had when I just came to the United States and I didn’t speak or understand the language. Explaining how difficult it is not to understand a language and feel out of place all the time, missing my country and feeling that I do not belong to my new reality. A concern about this writing would be how to start my narrative using this genre and also how to properly implement conventions to my educational narrative.

  15. Dominick Anane

    After reading and hearing a few examples from the genre of the educative narrative, some of the education narrative ingredients are for one to ask questions. In most of the texts that I’ve read, I’ve noticed that all the authors use a lot of questions throughout their stories. They are also mainly about personal experiences that they’ve been through which I feel is important to help the reader get the feel of everything that’s going on. They are also very descriptive and never leave out any information about the topic that they are discussing. I’ve noticed that when the author is more descriptive you understand the passage more and it’s easier to relate to. I think a place to get started with my education narrative would be speaking about a personal experience that I’ve been through that someone can relate to. For example, if I discussed a time when I was sick because everyone has been sick before most people will be able to relate whether they had the same experience or something similar. I also think I should be very descriptive and informative so the reader has a better understanding of what I’m saying. My questions and concerns about writing an education narrative are what is one topic that readers like to read about the most? What is the key to grabbing a reader’s attention? I would also be interested in finding out whether or not it matters how long your education narrative is. One concern I have is if the person who is reading my education narrative would find it entertaining and relatable rather than boring and unrelatable.

  16. Malik

    From what I have seen so far, education narrative is a piece of writing that shows a series of events which led to the point of realization and change in perception, it is a narrative that is always personal and reflective. Education narrative conventions are used in English literature to provide a contextual flow to the series of events being narrated. The tone used in an education narrative can be casual and can impose a point of view from the author to the reader.

    A good way I will start my education narrative is with a stage of my life where a big part of my life started, including the series of events that led to the moment, lessons and things I learned along the way or at the end. I can write my education narrative about why I chose to follow the ‘major’ I take right now or when I learnt I am not a child or when I realized I am becoming an adult. An example of that is the text “Maybe I can save myself by writing” by Jose Olivarez, which in highlights was about the author not fitting in The American and Mexican Society and felt like an outcast, which lead him to develop interest in poem and writing eventually leading to being an author.

    A question I have concerning writing an education narrative on my own is if education narratives can be written in a formal way too and what the components(parts) of an education narrative would be concerning the introduction, body and conclusion.

  17. Renee a

    Over time, I’ve learned that most essays in the education narrative genre include the same conventions. One of the most important conventions is a personal experience from the narrator for the reader to follow. This is a story for the reader to relate to. Another common convention is figurative writing and many questions. The writer wants to get the reader to actively think about their own experiences and thoughts so the lesson to be learned can be conveyed. The last convention essential is a theme, message, or idea behind the entire story. With these ingredients, the author’s perspective will be thought about, and their ideas will be easily understood.

    If I were writing my educational narrative, I would write about my learning experiences in school over time. When I first entered school, I didn’t know how I learned. Learning is different for everyone, and everyone learns differently. When I first got into high school, I didn’t remember, and I just memorized what I could. This affected my grade because I didn’t know how to take in the information given to me. Eventually, my grades plummeted, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted so many videos on TikTok and YouTube and eventually became a better student.

    One of my biggest worries is that Iā€™ll run out of words, and my story will be pieced together correctly. I want to have a natural flow, and I want my story to be told through events rather than me explaining them to the reader.

  18. Ernesto

    Based off what i’ve read so far, the conventions of a an education genre is writing strategies, bulidup and tone. Writings stratgies like sensory imagery and repetition are strong methods that authors use to deepen the understanding of a reader. When writing stratigies are used like imagery it helps a reader develop a image in their head so they could understand the perspective of the author. As for repetition it helps constantly reinforce the authors main idea or point that they’re trying to get across possibly leaving a lingering effect on the reader. Bulidup is also a very important in the education genre so that the reader can understand the pre-context, doing such makes it easier for the author to get his point across. Tone also bulids on writing stratiges and bulidup because you get to understand how the author feels on the certain topic, making it eaiser to understand the main idea.

    A place I could start my own education narrative was the transition from in person class to online class in 2020. This experience changed my perspective on in-person class as I loathed them at the time. But as I started to take my online classes I started to realise that it was very easy to get distracted while in the classes. (I was on my gaming pc so I would get distracted easily) and this was very toxic for my learning because instead of absorbing what was getting taught to me, I would either use online resources to finish my work or just not do it all. This is when I realised that in person classes would be preferable to me.

    When it come to wirting a education genre I have no concerns.

  19. Nigel

    I’ve seen a handful of ingredients/conventions. The first being: Figurative Language which includes metaphors, similes, tone, and a few more I canā€™t quite remember, all of which are used to emphasize details & make the reader think. I agree with Joey because what he said about how Jose & Audre didn’t realize something before they traveled to their destination.

    there is something that bothers me when Audre & her family went to D.C. to celebrate her sister’s graduation, She realizes that Everything in D.C. is white, I feel frustrated because the way white people treated Audre & her family & how racism affects her & her family. Also, Jose was so impressed by poetry that he decided that heā€™d create a safe place, for me, I felt nervous when I travel to a different state to learn new things, Learning new things is fun once you feel comfortable with it.

    “Maybe I Could Save Myself By Writing” & “The Fourth Of July” both explores the themes of identify & belonging and the power of the personal narrative.

  20. Ernesto

    Based off what iā€™ve read so far, the conventions of an education genre is writing strategies, buildup and tone. Writings strategies like sensory imagery and repetition are strong methods that authors use to deepen the understanding of a reader. When writing strategies are used like imagery it helps a reader develop a image in their head so they could understand the perspective of the author. As for repetition it helps constantly reinforce the authors main idea or point that theyā€™re trying to get across possibly leaving a lingering effect on the reader. Bulidup is also a very important in the education genre so that the reader can understand the pre-context, doing such makes it easier for the author to get his point across. Tone also bulids on writing stratiges and bulidup because you get to understand how the author feels on the certain topic, making it eaiser to understand the main idea.

    A place I could start my own education narrative was the transition from in person class to online class in 2020. This experience changed my perspective on in-person class as I loathed them at the time. But as I started to take my online classes I started to realise that it was very easy to get distracted while in the classes. (I was on my gaming pc so I would get distracted easily) and this was very toxic for my learning because instead of absorbing what was getting taught to me, I would either use online resources to finish my work or just not do it all. This is when I realized that in person classes would be preferable to me.

    When it come to writing a education genre I have no concerns.

    (i had to reupload this because i forgot to join the class)

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