Chapter 8 Lindemann

What I liked the most is that it discusses the limitations placed on students and how it causes them to be much less expressive than they otherwise would be. For example, the five paragraph essay: because it essentially stops being assigned or is used in real life, it makes sense for students to be flexible with their writings, etc. It allows for organization that can be modified. They are stuck in their understanding of what an essay SHOULD be, and "must be made to fit the mold they have learned" (133), when realistically, stylistically they should have more freedom and this might open them up to a way of organizing their thoughts and ideas that they had not tried because of said limitations.

I personally hate five paragraph essays even though I understand why they are used and how they essentially teach organization, or attempt to anyway. I think I prefer people to use as many or as little paragraphs as it takes so prove/analyze/describe/etc/., whatever it is they are attempting to do.

I also liked the section titled "Strategies for Teaching Form" where it discusses where students should be looking to analyze work for argument placement, etc. It gives them an opportunity to see where writers of all genres and styles "construct their claims and define their assumptions" (138), etc.