1. The model “entering the conversation” provides many advantages when it comes to writing. One great advantage is that you can be referring to the counterclaim but one can also still make an argument. In writing it’s good that one adds a counterclaim, because then it gives the audience a neutral reading and shows them the points from both sides fo the argument. Another advantage is that it can pull the attention of the readers since the claim is more unique than others. When using phrases such as, “they say/I say” show the audience that the writing is quite different from others that they may have seen since it gives them the sense that they don’t have to believe what “they” say
2. I agree that we can improve our analyzing skills by learning to look at artwork. Looking at artwork can help us look at the bigger picture of things and makes us more opened mined since we have to almost imagine ourselves in the artworks that we look at and create scenarios of what is actually happening. Another example can be political cartoons. These require us to think more critically since not only are we imagining what is going on, one has to take in consideration what the cartoon say and what year, day, or era it was taken place

1. According to Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, writers should use the model of “entering the conversation” in their writing. One of the advantages of using this model is giving you an “immediate sense of how to engage in the kinds of critical thinking you are required to do at the college level” (Page 2).  Critical thinking allows us to understand others and most importantly – ourselves. By doing so, we can develop a better ability to make strong and reasonable arguments as well as finding gaps in them.

2. Based on smarthistory’s video, learning to look at artwork can help us analyze other situations – Such as saving lives. For example, the study of art can “enhance our perception and ability to translate to what others can see” (0:13-30). They use this technique in order to improve on their communication skills.

In the article They Say, I Say, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, they mention that ‘entering the conversation’ is an important model of writing and has lots of advantages. One advantage is that ‘entering the conversation’ can write the voices of others into your text, and makes your words more convincing. Moreover, the writer may take and incorporate other people’s ideas by this model. Arguments are common in conversation because everything has two sides. People who are arguing, try to prove their views so that you can get different sides of opinions on this matter.

I agree with that. Art analysis is very complicated. Artists use a variety of methods to create their works so when we look at the artwork, we don’t understand the meaning of the artwork. Through learning to look at the artwork, our insights get better and learn to capture some small details. For that I think looking at artwork can help us analyze other situations.

1. According to Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, writers should use the model of “entering the conversation” in their writing because you would strive to become a better writer and also hear others perspectives. Using “they say/ I say”  helps writers generate their ideas. When responding to a text, you need to place it in context and engage with it while making your argument.
2. I agree that learning to look at artwork helps us analyze other situations because It teaches us to infer and seek answers to extract our point of view. It can also educate you to be more careful when forming assumptions because what you see on the surface isn’t necessarily the best indicator of what’s going on within. This, in my view, is a brilliant method to excite your mind and make you a more creative thinker.

The advantages of the model “entering the conversation” can be seen as the increment of critical thinking and development of equipped claims or ideas to contribute to other’s people’s opinions through an open conversation, and based on that, we can improve our analytic and communication skills. The templates from Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein introduce a more structured way of writing that will increase our knowledge, creativity, and ways of thinking throughout the writing by observing and analyzing different claims.

Learning to look at artwork helps us analyze other situations because visuals can improve visual acuity and communication skills. These skills are necessary for real-world situations, and they will make us develop different perspectives, especially when it comes to difficult problems that require intense attention and analysis.

Entering The Conversation 

The templates given by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein in the book “They Say I Say” for entering the conversation reminds you that when writing a piece or even explaining a topic that you must keep in mind that this would not be the first discussion so when providing your perspective do not keep the conversation one sided. To best prove your point of opinion you must provide the opposite side, so that the audience can know the back story to the topic and properly understand the stands that you are taking. You want to keep the topic a discussion and not just a list of statements. The yes and no templates show you not to just shoot down the opposing viewpoints but to appropriately explain the disagreement. 

How Art Can Help You Analyze

Many of us have heard the saying that “art is subjective” and I believe it is. One piece of art can be looked at by many different people and the same piece can be interpreted differently. Learning how to look art helps you be able to see a bigger picture. You can ask more questions about a situation; you are able to describe how you feel and what you see which allows others to give you are their observations from another perspective. It also helps you properly explain to someone what they may have missed. So, I believe that learning how to look at art will help analyze many situations. 

According to Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, writers should use entering the conversation in their writing. One of the advantages of doing this is that you are forced to listen to what others are saying if you want to enter a conversation. Hearing other peoples point of view is one of the most crucial things in becoming a successful writer. Hearing other peoples point of views makes you analyze their words and everything that’s coming out of their mouth. Another advantage that entering the conversation as a writer offers is that you are respectfully agreeing and disagreeing with the people around you which can lead to very interesting and intriguing discussions. This also makes the writer have his written piece more organized.

I feel like learning to look at artwork does help you analyze other situations, as i feel as looking at artwork makes you analyze what is in front of you. An important factor of analyzing different situations is analyzing the situation piece by piece. Looking at artwork forces you to look at it from different angles and different perspectives so you can truly see the message that is behind the art work.

1. The advantages of using the “entering a conversation” model in writing is that the writer’s message will have meaning, a point, and a “why?” Contrast this with conventional writing which is stating cold-hard facts with no sides, layers or forks to the thesis. Although some forms of writing consists of a counter-claim, this model states the counterclaim before the writer’s claim giving immeditate purpose to the argument.
2. I agree that learning to look at art can help with analytical skills because they exercise our abilities to give attention to detail, detail that can be overlooked unless given intense curiousity. Finding whats present, and whats not present/unusually can tremendously help during complex situations life bestows upon us. Questioning inconsistencies can achieve an array of inferences which can further advance a case or a lead, or draw near a conclusion.

1- According to Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, all writers should use the “entering the conversation” method. We must know the importance of this writing model. This writing model allows us to get new and better ideas. It also enables us to have a better formality in a conversation. However, this writing model empowers a writer to be more organized when analyzing an idea. Therefore, you can offer better opinions and, above all, be more objective. The best thing about this method is that you can analyze the ideas of others, thus obtaining better results. Each person has a different way of interpreting, allowing us to see things from another point of view.

2- Although I don’t understand some people’s art, I agree with the Smarthistory video. Art is something exhilarating. I can spend hours finding the logic of a work of art, which keeps me energized. I began to ask myself questions about why his art is like this. What the artist could interpret in one way, perhaps for me, is interpreted in another way.