John Bean

John Bean has a few good points throughout the parts of his article we received in class. However, I disagree with him on a couple of occasions.

I mostly agree that "when experts read difficult texts, they read slowly and reread often." Because I took AP classes in high school, particularly history, I read a ton of readings that were primary sources and scholarly articles dealing with different subjects throughout history. I had to be prepared to debate and sometimes even write about the meanings and subjects of each item I read. I had no choice but to learn how to break down difficult texts. Language can be very difficult. Words, when put together in a sentence, can mean very different things to each person. Rereading the whole thing, I never did. But, I did reread certain parts that were difficult for me to understand so I could attempt to get the true meaning of the reading. I don't feel that a person is an inexperienced reader because they don't write in the margins or reread the article numerous times. For some people, it's easier to highlight passages that may be difficult and go back to them later. Reading through the entire article, for me, seems to bring the passage together. I don't focus on one part for too long because I may erase my confusion later on with another passage.

I do disagree with Bean when he says, "Unlike experts, inexperienced readers are less apt to chunk complex material into discrete parts with describable functions." Sometimes, readers need to enjoy the text before they dissect it. Looking too much into everything may ruin the text altogether. I don't read through a book or an article saying "This sentence does this. This sentence implies that." It's nearly impossible to know the meaning of another person's thoughts or words unless they are directly written out.

Also, I do agree that many people do highlight randomly. Sometimes, it's very hard to determine which parts are important and which parts aren't. Even after saying that, I'm almost going to contradict myself, because it's almost unfair to say people highlight too much as they read. No one knows what it is important to another person and what's not.

I strongly disagree Bean's perspective of students knowing the perspective of a reading. Many people now think that students don't really care about what's going on in the world or recognizing influences in the media. While this may be partly true, a lot of students do care about what's happening. Sometimes, people just haven't been taught to distinguish perspectives and biases. Being ignorant may not be their fault. Bean acts like an expert is supposed to know every author and know his or her perspective, background, and bias. People create new writings every single day. It's impossible to know every author's style. Bean frustrates me because he's almost degrading students. We're called students because we need to learn. I do think that students need to accept responsibility for improving their own skills, but while paying money to go to school or university, I also believe that teachers, professors, or instructors are responsible for helping those students along and allowing them to grow. Most students are willing to progress.

Playing devil's advocate is strongly recommended.  It not only prepares you for debate, but also helps you discover your own view of the issue. Being two people while reading a text may allow situations and questions rise that never would have if reading as one person.

The only part of Bean's article I completely agree with is "translate difficult passages into your own words." Students encounter different styles, words, and perspectives in every reading. The only way to truly understand what's going on, is to try to put it into your own words. See how it applies to today's world. Compare and contrast.

A person is not inexperienced because he or she has difficulty reading certain types of texts. I read many books each year on different things, but I still have trouble understanding what people are trying to say. I've read a ton ever since I was able to, but I am not an expert. I know that even reading simple writings have helped me understand more complex texts. I think it's easier to start small and acquire a foundation to build from.