Praxis Assignment 1

Daniel (Linpu Gao)

For such a long time, academic writing has continued to lack disciplinary status despite the presence of significant contributions from reputable writers throughout the world. As an artist who is interested in making lively illustrations into a comic presentation, I find the article by Adler-Kassner and Wardle in 2015 on (Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of writing studies.) to be relevant to what I do. The editors of this enthralling volume have discussed some of the threshold concepts that they feel should be the real meaning of scholarly writing. To both writers, threshold concepts entail the elements that are critical for the continued learning and participation within a specific area in community practice. With this description, there is no doubt that my writing experiences in Hawaii are in line with the principles of academic writing.

Threshold Concepts

In the article “Naming what we know”, Adler-Kassner & Wardle (2015) identified 37 foundational concepts, that would warrant excellent academic writing when they are taken into consideration. These foundational or threshold concepts have been clustered around one meta-concept which shall be discussed towards the end of this paper. The metaconcept is described on page 15 of the article and states, “writing is an activity and a subject of study.” An extensive analysis of the 37 foundational concepts identifies threshold concepts that have enabled me to establish what it entails to produce an academic write-up.

Writing is both a social and rhetoric activity

Through writing, situations are spoken to in recognizable forms

Writing not only enacts but also creates both identities and ideologies

All writers have more that they can learn

Writing is always a cognitive activity

Each of the above core threshold concepts of academic writing provides a summary of my snorkeling activities in Hawaii and all the countries that I visit every year.  Using markers and pens, for instance, I made consistently simple drawings as a way of recording all the experiences that I had so that the person reading would get a clear picture of my feeling. I have learned to use my comic to share with others the experiences that I have everywhere I go. In doing this, I am in a position to share my story to all types of readers: those that have had similar experiences as myself as well as those that have not had the feelings.

To most people, my trip to Hawaii can be considered both a social and rhetoric activity. It can only be imagined that a person can swim among the fish alone and not be bothered by their safety. This is an academic piece since it encourages others to think throughout my experiences. Furthermore, my experiences, events, ideas, and feelings in Hawaii have been presented in forms that are recognizable. Some of the descriptions sound unreal, but one finds them attractive to read the whole story. From my writing experience, it is evident that individuals will find different interpretations of the narration of my experiences.

Based on the third concept, those reading my narration will not pay attention to the set of skills utilized in the article but to the type of person that I am. They will read my experiences and try to figure out the kind of person that I am. Besides, my writing has taken note of both the fourth and fifth threshold concepts. For instance, it is clear that I am always learning from all the visits that I make every year. In the end, I produce an academic piece that is easy to comprehend by people of all occupations.

My way of passing academic content to others can be seen to be consistent with Beard’s (2010) article on “The Case for a Major in Writing Studies.” The researcher reiterates the need for individuals to combine experience with other disciplines such as liberal arts and new media to produce excellent writing studies. Students need to apply the principles of creative thinking, cultural theory rhetoric and design while writing their projects (Beard, 2010). My comic book on the recent trip to Hawaii entails all these elements- floating on water, being surrounded by fish, struggling to find balance and being smashed by the waves.

Meta-Concept

A meta-concept refers to a presumptive concept that requires detailed and rational deductions and conceptualization. Adler-Kassner and Wardle (2015) refute the fact that “Writing is an activity and a subject of study” since it goes against the underlying ideology of free skill.

Writing is an activity and a subject of study

The authors identify writing as a purposeful activity that individuals and groups engage in for reasons best known to them. They, however, add an aspect of inquiry to writing since the writers always have a set of questions that they plan to investigate. Any writing activity that does not have an element of the investigation will not be adhering to the rules of academic writing. The authors have identified six questions that must be answered to satisfy the research inquiry component. To most people, writing is a fundamental skill where a person presents their ideas in seemingly rigid forms. Unfortunately, Adler-Kassner and Wardle (2015), this way of thinking does not match the way that writing works in the field of academia.

The authors of this article do not believe in the threshold concept that writing is a subject of study as well as an activity. Those who hold onto this belief contravenes the ideology of free-skill- one of the most popular conceptions of writing. Both learners and teachers must purpose to change their conceptions of what writing entails and undertake in extensive studies that will benefit the entire discipline.  

Conclusion

The five threshold concepts by Adler-Kassner and Wardle (2015) have significantly shaped my writing skills from all my experiences. I write in a comic manner while demonstrating the different aspects of academic writing to pass a message. In this paper, I have addressed all the five critical concepts that are described in the article by Adler-Kassner and Wardle, while at the same time reflecting on my personal experiences.  I am confident that my writing is making a significant contribution to the field of academia in a uniquely different manner.

References

Adler-Kassner, L., & Wardle, E. (2015). Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of writing studies. University Press of Colorado.

Beard, D. (2010). The Case for a Major in Writing Studies: The University of Minnesota Duluth.