reading

Don Cunningham (cunningh who-is-at copper.ucs.indiana.edu)
Wed, 13 Dec 1995 13:00:15 -0600

The recent thread on reading and several off hand comments
(e.g., Jay not having time to write because of being busy
reading, Angel's article summary based on key words, etc.)
leads me to ask how the members of this list read.

For my professional reading, it almost never happens unless I
have a good reason - writing a paper, preparing for a class,
trying to solve a problem, etc. I blush to admit how many books
I've read and promptly forgot because they had no real impact
on what I was doing at the time. And I groan to think how
many books I have bought and never opened! Yet time and
again when I am exercised about some theoretical issue or
problem, an unsystematic search through my books yields
insights beyond my anticipation. Some books I've struggled
through with barely a clue as to the point they were trying
to make. Yet some years later, reading for another purpose, the
book seems like a message from the gods, the solution to a real
conundrum. I almost never take notes as I read, but frequently will
embed my current reading into whatever I'm writing. I don't
use keywords as Angel seemed to but I certainly seem to approach
the task with some key purposes in mind. Some folks I know keep
a jopurnal of their reading and their responses. Can anyone
report their experience with this sort of strategy?

djc

__________________
Don Cunningham
School of Education
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405

PH: 812-856-8316
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Email: cunningh who-is-at ucs.indiana.edu