Entry #2

This week we focused on the use of SQ4R, a reading strategy which allows an individual to break down an article or piece of writing in multiple ways in order to achieve a greater understanding of what we are reading. During the process of using SQ4R I found myself constantly finding more information and things that I missed after every time I read. It was as though my first time reading was just the surface and after every time I read it again and took more notes I kept deepening my understanding of what I originally thought that I read and understood. I not only became aware of the content of the article but I also began to understand how I read. When I read pieces for the first time I tend to miss key details or misinterpret what the article might be trying to say. When I keep going back through I begin to be a little bit more thorough each time and I put more of the pieces together and understand the article a little bit more. I begin by seeing the information as pieces and by the end of it I see the message in it's entirety. 

Using the SQ4R method helped me understand the articles in more depth allowing for a richer conversation with my peers. The idea is that if we deepen our understanding of what we are reading then we can develop our ideas and connections further allowing us to enrich our classmates in a flowing conversation of questions, responses, ideas, and perspectives. Knowledge is power and using this power to generate good conversation is strength. I think it is important to first note though that each of us individually have things to learn from each other. 

Moving forward, I think that having habits of asking even more questions or even reading the article in a group for the last read would be a good idea to get a variety of perspectives when reading. I think having that variety of people reading something also opens up more questions and ideas because everyone has their own background like Kucer said and it's important to note the importance of including and welcoming those different perspectives. I think that having more ownership would consist of me being harder on myself when asking questions, for me to really think deeply about it. To be a creative reader I think it is important to take a break and look at things from different points of views before I continue to judge a piece. I think that I could make the habit of having specific questions and points that I could bring up to my peers in conversation. Making note of perspectives I would like to hear from others. This in turn will spark creativity in all of us, new ideas, perspectives, and likely a newfound appreciation for each other. Sharing these inner thoughts is very valuable and can make us vulnerable at times. Sharing that vulnerability with others can actually bring people together and create something beautiful. This will be a good foundation and opening to conversation.