tech
My Students Write Their Papers Backwards
My job is to help them move beyond their assumptions, in literature and everything else.
TL;DR
- Students often write papers by finding evidence to support a predetermined thesis, rather than discovering unexpected insights by surveying the text as it is.
- The "whole language" reading method, which encouraged guessing words from context, has fallen out of fashion due to its ineffectiveness.
- Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT operate on probabilistic guessing, predicting the next word based on patterns rather than true understanding.
- Both whole language and LLMs share a flawed approach of discerning meaning from external clues rather than direct facts.
- Relying on guesses can lead to wrong conclusions and reduces the world to predictable sequences, ignoring its capacity for surprise.
- Stereotypes are a harmful example of reductive guessing, simplifying complex individuals into predictable categories.
- Approaching texts and the world without expectations allows for unexpected discoveries and a more accurate appreciation of reality.
- The author encourages students to approach texts and the world with an open mind to foster better understanding and citizenship.