Course Goals

I want to:

1. Expand my vocabulary.
2. Learn how to read with an open mind.
3. Write better transitions/conclusions.

ePortfolio link

Not quite finished yet but here's the link for when it is :)

5/2 presentations

Here

4/30 presentations

HERE

4/28 Presentations

As far as I'm concerned, these presentations were quite good :)

Group Research Project

The link is here

Response Paper #3

Here is where it is

Selection, Slanting and Charged Language

The principle of selection is what most defines our knowledge. What we know depends on what we notice most, for instance, you might remember a lesson more if the instructor did something unexpected or fun. The knowledge we pass on is always selected and shaped. Next is the principle of slanting which focuses on the way the knowledge s presented to others. It can be favorable or less favorable depending on the wording. All of the information we receive, comes to us selected and slanted, so we can never really know all the facts correctly. Charged words have all to do with our impressions on a subject. Based on the story of Corlyn, choice words do matter. In one story, she was seen in a positive light because of the simple, attractive words used whereas in the second example, she is seen as a harsh woman. However twisted the facts may be due to charged language, it's always going to be around.

Everyday Writer pp 175-210

Research and Evaluating Sources

Response Paper #2

The response paper should be found here

Visual Rhetorical Analysis

FINAL DRAFT HERE

Pre Visual Rhetoric Peer Review

The link should be found here

The Everyday Writer pp 48-58, 123-151

On the first set of pages that we were to read, the author explains that in order to write efficiently, one must make good rhetorical choices. We also need to plan or choose a topic that interests us greatly. We must look to the topics that compel us, or puzzle us. We must also keep the audience in mind as we write. We can't use inappropriate language in front of a specific audience.
The next section was on critical reading. Before we start to analyze or read critically its important to find out as much as we can about the text and the author. If we understand the context, then we will soon understand the text. Then, when reading for the first time, we must annotate or mark up the medium, if it allows. Next we must summarize and analyze. When analyzing we must be conscious of the stance the author takes and what the cultural contexts are. We must think critically and make notes about the assumptions, claims and evidence involved.

Kittypalooza

Genre Analysis THIRD AND FINAL DRAFT

Genre Analysis Draft 3

Draft 2

Genre Analysis Draft 2

SWA Movie Analysis 3/7

“Nosferatu”, made in 1922, was a film about a vampire, an early depiction of Dracula, and it was silent except for some musical scores. “The Shining”, which was made in 1980, was a film about a family with a psychic son and a father who soon develops cabin fever due to a snow storm. “The Conjuring”, made in 2013, is another film about a sort of ghostly, demonic presence. These movies differ in creating a sense of terror because of their time. If we were to watch these now, I doubt that “Nosferatu” would be a cause of nightmares. All three movies were set in a bedroom scene, attacking the safety that the audience feels when they’re in their room. They also all used high pitched screaming violins during the intense, scary parts of the movie.

As of which movie is most effective considering the time they were made, I would say “The Shining”. They made use of all the cheesy 80s technology. In one scene, Jack Nicholson, the main male character, gets his hand sliced by a knife. There is a bloody line, but it doesn’t seem to be bleeding. The fear comes from the fact that this could happen to anybody. Cabin fever is a very common psychological disease. People, nowadays, still talk about hoe “The Shining” was a pivotal movie in the horror industry. They are still scared of it, so I think that proves that it was a very effective/creepy movie.

Our championship performance. A lot had changed from the beginning :)

First show of my junior season. The show changed so much and we ended up winning championships that year!

(3/5 SWA) Peer Review Follow-Up Script

From reading my peer's paper, I have seen that I need to make my paper flow instead of sticking random paragraphs of different subjects.
What my classmate suggested was that I need is fluid transitioning. He stated that I need to relate the texts all back to the big picture and write more about the texts I had analyzed.
I totally agree with what my classmate suggested. He opened my eyes to what I was missing. I noticed that as I was reading his paper, that mine was more staccato and less interesting. The comments were quite clear and I think I WILL be using them in my next revision.

Response Paper #1

The most recent book I've read was called The Fault in Our Stars written by a famous YouTuber-turned-author by the name of John Green. I chose this book because it was a bestseller and I've heard nothing but great things about it from everyone who has read it. The general topic of the book is a story of teens that fall in love but they also happen to have incurable cancer. One of the major things that happen in the book is that the main female character, the narrator, has a problem with her Stage 4 Thyroid cancer in her lungs. A major opinion in the book is that not all kids with cancer become their disease. They are still kids who can fall in love and get their heart broken just like everyone else. This can relate to current events because kids with cancer get all sorts of special treatment just because they’re dying of disease. The main character, Hazel Grace Lancaster, doesn't want the world to treat her special just because she has cancer. She still does everyday things and no one bothers her. This is reminiscent of BatKid and how he “saved” Gotham City (AKA San Francisco). This just so happened to be his Make-A-Wish wish and I think that it was utterly ridiculous. A lot of streets were closed and some people might have been late to work that day or maybe something else happened to other people during that commotion. Bringing it back to the book, I don’t normally read fictional books that have made me think of how society functions, like this one did. This book is written so beautifully that, in the end, I cried a little. I became so attached to these characters and their seemingly true story of life, love and disease. If anyone has the chance, I would completely recommend this book to read.

Shitty First Drafts SWA

In "Shitty First Drafts", Ann Lamont writes about the struggle of being a writer and getting your words down on paper for the first time. She states that we all have the inner turmoil of getting the words down and fixing them up all at the same time, but we have to do it. All successful writers suffer from this turmoil. We just have to calm ourselves down enough to get over he first speed bump and the rest will go along smoothly. Once, the first draft is written, we should wait a day or two and then glance over it to fix the errors we couldn't see before.

Genre Analysis Sources Evaluation

For my academic article, I chose an excerpt from an encyclopedia. It basically states that since Portugal decriminalized all illicit drugs, the use of them has not risen. I have chosen it because it looks quite informative and professional.

For my second, my visual, I have chosen the common meme on the internet called “Philosoraptor”. It says that we shouldn't keep marijuana away from people if it makes them happy because laughter is the “best medicine”. It doesn't have a lot of words on it and it makes one question what the answer should be in this debate.

For my third, random text, I have chosen a newspaper article from the Washington Post. It begs the question: why are some of the most deadly substances legal in the United States? This piece is very conversational as it is a basic news article. It was quite easy to read and very informative.

Genre Analysis Picture

For my genre analysis

What I Do

Every time I watch this, I almost cry

FINAL DRAFT

Final Draft Personal Lit Narrative

Draft 2

                Personal Lit Narrative Draft 2

Straub's Responding Article

One tip in the article that I found particularly important was the very first one. It states that we shouldn’t go too easy on the paper we’re grading; that we, as readers and graders, are merely doing so to help the writer improve. This is not an elementary school grading assignment where we pick out all the spelling errors. We, as graders, need to suggest better word choices, better structure and/or better transitions in the paper. The grader needs to keep in mind that it might not be the final draft, so they shouldn’t be too harsh. I like the fact that Straub addresses the fact that we should write as many praise statements as criticisms because I, like most other students I know, tend to focus too much on the bad parts of the paper. The writer needs to feel like they sort of did a good job on the paper. One tip that I did not find useful was the “Where to put the comments” section. To me, that tip is self-explanatory. A grader doesn’t want to write in the writer’s territory, the grader must write around it. 

Multimodality SWA

My definition of multimodality is when a person uses multiple means of communication to tell a story. Usually when someone speaks to their friends about something interesting that happened, they don’t just use their voice, they also use their hands for motions or their bodies to act out the scenario. Its importance in our society is to keep us interested; to make us want to read the story or learn about other things. In my life, it serves as a means of activity. When I take notes, I don’t just write what the teacher says, I draw pictures or diagrams to help myself understand it later.

Tongue Readings SWA

“Mother Tongue” was a short writing on how the author spoke different types of English depending on who her audience was. When she talks about her writing, she speaks professional, college level English as opposed to when she speaks to her mother; she speaks in “broken” English. The writer also explains that since her mother doesn’t speak English that well, it’s very hard for her to get what she needs/wants. She decided to go against the status quo of Asians being good at math or science and be challenged at being an English major. Amy Tan uses her skill at writing to appeal to her audience. She tries to write what she thinks her audience will understand. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” is very much similar to that of “Mother Tongue” in which that they are both quite ashamed of what they are: Chinese and Chicana. In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Gloria also speaks of the many languages she adapts when certain audiences are present. She speaks “Tex-Mex” with her brother and sister while she speaks English with Chicanas from San Francisco.

These two writings are different in the reason why they don’t speak the same with everyone they know. Amy Tan in “Mother Tongue” doesn’t because she’s ashamed while Gloria in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” doesn’t because she’s afraid. Being ashamed and being afraid aren’t exactly the same feeling. I can relate to these articles in the fact that I act different depending on what friends I hang around. With my guy friends I’m more laid back, while with my gal friends I’m more bubbly and talkative. I can see where these women are coming from in the way that context means everything.