Introduction
This is Mark Edmundson’s speech, which advises students to move from passive knowledge gathering to genuinely acting upon new things that they learn so that they become “humbled by the universe.” Moreover, Peter Elbow develops writing techniques for conducive freewriting that can produce such disorder and mess in drafts that spur creativity and adoption of reason when being revised. In pursuit of my academic path in environmental science and advocacy of sustainable living, I have been influenced by Edmundson’s two educational principles and the writing strategies of Elbow (Bosio 17). Their experience had a deep effect on me. It made me realize that education is a way of being able to learn more about myself and the world around me. So, knowing that education demands a critical thinker who, at the same time, digs deep into human evolution concepts is a great lesson for me to learn. This is a significant learning aspect of my environmental quest as I went deeper into the intricate nature of environmental issues, which stimulated my intellectual pursuit as well as my feeling of being part of the solution and advocating environmental conservation.
The Philosophy of Personal Education
Mark Edmundson’s stand on the education process is that the system should take into account more than just the transmission of knowledge; it should also nurture the students’ characters and values. He believes that the main purpose of education should not be to give pupils deep knowledge for exams only but also to bring the aim of self-development and personal growth (Bosio 17). Along with this, education should be beneficial for the society as a whole. This is applicable to the Aristotelian self-reflective theory in education, where students are expected to raise questions, go deep into their minds, and accept themselves in their community beyond. The value that I attach to my education is the effect it has on the environment, which leads to promoting sustainability and social awareness.
As Edmundson quite aptly puts it: “Education not only affects the dissemination of knowledge, but that too is a means of rewriting people’s hearts and characters regardless of gender or socioeconomic status.” This is in line with what I stand for environmental science and sustainable development as my field of expertise. Within these activities, I have been involved in various items related to practical experience and free-hand learning to have a successful long-term goal. Getting involved in classes and initiatives on campus that focus on environmental issues taught me the lesson of applying my theoretical knowledge in real time by offering learning opportunities in the real-life world as well.
The multidisciplinary combination of economics, environmental, and social studies within one course has enabled me to clarify one of the world’s most multifaceted problems. Through evaluating the connections between the ecological side of economic policies and their role in the sustainability of our environment, I had a chance to more thoroughly understand how these disciplines intertwine (Levy et al. 33). This wider view has empowered me to connect with cohorts or professionals who are enthusiasts of related segments, including collective projects for prominent environmental problems. This interaction has definitely been warming up my heart and has also opened my eyes to the power education can possess to bring about positive change.
Also, through my college years outside of the classroom, I have actively taken part in campus activism, which is also a reflection of my academic deals. Through those events, I reaffirmed the remarkable role of cooperation and dialogue, as well as the value of education, that forms a purposeful society. This is based on Edmund’s thought that education is for realizing inner human potential and serving society (Levy et al. 33). These transformations have shown me that education is a tool that can be utilized to shape individuals as well as society by pointing out that learning is not a personal mission. However, it is a collective vessel for progress.
Integrating Elbow’s Writing Strategies
The two fundamental techniques that have changed my academic practice are free-writing and revising, which were introduced by Peter Elbow. Instead of refraining from writing in fear of a draft’s messiness, Elbow ascertains that once it is revised, it can better the imperfection but not eliminate it (Hsiao et al. 69). This idea has completely replaced the way I approach writing now by helping me accept the disorderly start and therefore make it appear respectable in the end.
Freewriting is the spine of my writing process as I inquire into different subjects and topics. By doing this, thoughts flow in my mind unlimitedly in a way that words can only describe my ideas without self-refrain. This strategy, by and large, played a significant role in the creation of these less-known ideas that sometimes look bold and creative. If I had had the chance to use freewriting, I would have understood how to connect at a deeper level with my thoughts and write naturally.
The revising process elaborates on what “clarification and illumination” do to his writing and takes him through multiple versions to polish the text. Through this cyclic process, I accomplish two things: I make the hidden hints and the writing. Every time I revise the paper, I believe those small steps are important to build a better and clearer structure. Additionally, I needed to learn this technique, which made me take intellectual risks, knowing that I have to factor in time for comprehensive revision and overall improvement of my creations.
Elbow’s technique has a wonderful feature that helps to make the writing structure very flexible and natural. Thus, a writer can decide at his convenience when to incorporate changes in the composition of the work. Clearly, writers should realize that the dream lies in their pen so, as a result, they are able to write vivid and thought-provoking passages. Among all the strategies I employed, this one has been the most pivotal since it completely redirected the journey of my learning, making it more productive and gratifying (Hsiao et al. 70). It empowers me to take risks involving the intellect of a quality nature, and also to sharpen my critical thinking skills. This fashion of getting familiar with these skills has ultimately helped me accept and understand them, and this has enriched my knowledge in expressing my ideas and exploring new perspectives, which of these aspires to harness this stimulating process of exploration and repetition in shaping thoughtful and captivating products. As a result, Elbow’s approach has given me a better chance of fully participating in my writing process, and as a consequence, my learning and development benefited directly from it.
Applying Clark’s Rhetorical Techniques
William Strunk’s “Elements of Style” gives very important instructions on using plain and simple language directly. Strunk discussed the use of active voice because it gives writing an authoritative style. I am very grateful for this paradigm as it has allowed me to develop my writing style and the way I communicate fully. Consequently, I can ensure that my language is of solid quality in order to deliver my message in a better and more influential way. By doing so, I have been able to steer clear of the passive forms, which, in the past, have made my approach boring. Thus, the active forms that I now use give more sharpness and spiciness to my thoughts
The active voice, which is used to be particular in reasons, makes the clarity of my past experiences. At the same time, the active voice also adds the element of authority to my narrative. Academic writing holds great promise in strengthening environmental policy. One example of such an expression is, “Unhealthy water conditions ensue as a result of pollution,” which makes the statement direct and avoids using a passive voice that might not clearly point to the one who causes the problem.
A small number of words is one of the main features of Clark’s writing, which helps every reader to be free of any distractions and follow the most substantial matters. This tooling has awakened the writer in me and improved my verbal communication skills, making the impact of my work more influential regardless of the platform I am working on. Instead of relying solely on my creativity and narration skills to make my ideas stand out, I can always count on being logical and logical in a way that my message is clear, making it hard to ignore the audience.
Education as a Transformative Process
In conclusion, after the screening, I stood my ground from passivity to an active engagement thanks to the contribution of Edmundson’s thoughts and also the writing utterances of Elbow. Education is no longer just imparted; information is acquired, thus acting as a participant in world development (Jeong et al. 480). Such evolution has become a growing point for me to experiment in various areas, reconsider myself, and develop both my personality and ego.
Education as well, when treated with all seriousness and an unwavering urge to tackle every unknown fact, is like taking a road to inner self-discovery. Now, after having internalized this idea, as well as admiring and applying Elbow’s writing techniques, I have found the meaning of my academic life (Jeong et al. 486). This point of view gives me the motivation as well as the push to go after my academic goals with a lot of passion and drive, leading me to know that in each step I make, I, in turn, give my contribution to a bigger purpose. Disciplinary integration, as well as the critical thinking paradigm, remains the leading qualities that shaped transformative experience during education.
Conclusion
Through Edmundson’s philosophy encasements and Elbow’s composing schemas, a trip to education reveals the case where one can end up trapped in self-reflective thinking and the self-potential to change society. Education no longer glides from one side to another; it becomes a power releasing the discovering information and personal change dynamo. An outlook like this has further motivated me to exert more effort and energy in my studies so as to deem each step responsible for my bigger role. By applying Edmondson’s theories and strategies of Elbow and Clark, I found my way in the direction that led to my academic achievements as well as to the pursuit of widely accepted social values. The education journey is one that never stops, and I could not be more humbled to be part of this rightful cause by discovering new things and developing the world via writing and education.
Works Cited
Bosio, Emiliano. “Value-Creating Education for Global Citizenship and Critical Consciousness Development: A Five-Dimensional Framework.” Value-Creating Education. Routledge, 2024. 15–30.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003307037-5/value-creating-education-global-citizenship-critical-consciousness-development-emiliano-bosio
Levy, Brett LM, et al. “Social studies education research for sustainable democratic societies: Addressing persistent civic challenges.” Theory & Research in Social Education 51.1 2023: 1–46.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00933104.2022.2158149
Hsiao, Ya Ping, and Kamakshi Rajagopal. “Support student integration of multiple peer feedback on research writing in thesis circles.” The Power of Peer Learning: Fostering Students’ Learning Processes and Outcomes. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023. 47-70.https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-29411-2_3
Jeong, Eun Hwa, et al. “Development of AI-Based Measurement Techniques for Quantitative Behavioral Assessment in Clinical Observation Evaluations Based on Sensory Integration.” Journal of Magnetics 28.4 2023: 477–487.https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-29411-2_3
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