Entry #10 If You Haven't Already... Go Check Out an EXTRAORDINARY Blog Entry by Sam S.!!

After reviewing each of my colleagues' blogs, Sam's week 9 entry on Persuasive Writing was the one piece that left me in 'ah' because of her ability to inform her readers. During week 10 of our course, Makayla, Sam, and Taylor immersed us into the genre of persuasive writing by emphasizing that "Persuasion is part of everyday life" (Tompkins, 2012, p. 252). This opened my mind and perspective to the importance of defining the purpose and audience when using this genre of writing. Tompkins (2012) states that a "Writers' ability to tailor writing to fit their audience is arguably more important in persuasive writing than in other genres because writers can judge how effective their writing is by readers' reactions" (p. 252). A writer who is able to effectively persuade their reader uses various techniques to support their purpose for writing.  

Sam effectively informs us on the ways in which a writer can persuade their reader through three elements (e.g., ethos, pathos, and logos) and different types of writing experiences (e.g., posters, letters, and essays). The chart provided in her blog guided my own understanding of each of the appeals and how they work together to enhance a writer's piece. When persuading a reader, it is important to consider the reason, character, and the emotions to which you are trying to convince. 

One activity from my colleagues' presentation that was beneficial to my learning was the ability to look closely at advertisements. This activity guided me through the process of not only identifying the appeals but exploring the meaning behind each element found in the ad. I brought in an ad by Old Navy because of the appealing elements that stood out to me when I received it in my inbox. I remember reading the 'subject' of the email and the curiosity that began to flow through my brain. 

Subject Heading:

I believe I was instantly intrigued to view the ad because of the appeals, logos and ethos. Tompkins (2012) states that logic is all based on reason. I was so intrigued to view this ad because of the reasonable discount they were offering on online orders and the decently priced jean jackets for sale. My emotions were also drawn to this ad as I began looking further because of the inclusiveness. As you will see from the image to the right, Old Navy is a company that thrives off of inclusiveness to different ages and body shapes. Each of these appeals effectively persuaded my own curiosity to further explore the ad and potentially purchase one or more of their products. 

I also want to give kiddos to Sam for allowing me to dive deeper into the 'true' purpose of this course. Through this course my goal has been to actively take the knowledge gained through the readers and presentations and effectively implement it into my own classroom in the future. Although I do not have a classroom of my own, yet, I do believe I have found a tool that could support my students in successfully engaging with the genre of persuasive writing. Persuasive writing is truly about defining the purpose and supporting it with reason, character, and emotions therefore, I believe a hamburger model can be used to guide students' writing experiences. When I use this tool in my future classroom, I imagine myself developing a gradual release of responsibility writing unit. This unit would incorporate anchor charts, mentor texts, and worksheets that immerse my students into the genre of persuasive writing. The hamburger persuasive writing tool allows students to look at the individual pieces to the larger picture. Students direct their attention into small chunks of writing opportunities in order to effectively create a piece that persuades their readers. 

I now truly recognize that the words we use can have the power to persuade others when we effectively provide reason, character, and emotion to support our writing. To my readers, if you have not done so already, please go check out Sam's compelling blog for an informative entry on the genre of persuasive writing!! Thank you, Sam, for captivating my attention and amplifying my understanding.