Summary
What seems to be the longest reading every assigned, I have broken up to summarize into mini-summaries by author:
-Lamott: This article is about not only the existance of shitty first drafts, but the importance of them. Bad first drafts allow you to get out all of your crazy, off-beat, silly ideas and onto paper, thus allowing you to put together a sensible second and third draft after you select the ideas and main points from the first draft that actually make sense and are relevant.
-King: Not quite sure if this is Steven King, as in the psycho who wrote Carrie, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and consider that to be a "common name". I have absolutely no clue how to summarize this article. I really want to say that it is a man rambling about his writing habits and where he likes to write, mixed in with a letter to himself regarding the book that he is writing that is going to be published soon. Quite confusing, if you ask me.
-Goodman: This article starts out by talking about how "lonely" writing is thought to be, however it is actually a process that requires a lot of company. The article then goes on to discuss how writers can very easily psych themselves out by pondering whether or not their topic has been written about before, and if their efforts to write are even valid.
-Haruf: This article is about the weird situations that successful writers prefer in order to produce quality writing. The article then goes on to explain how writers should have their comfort zone, and their own area and circumstances to call their own, and their designated writing space. Interestingly enough, he then talks about how writing should be spontaneous, and that it doesn't matter where you're standing or who is watching, if there is a good idea in your head- there should be nothing stopping you from getting it onto paper.
Meta Moments
1. I learned that 1) no two writers have the same writing processes 2) it is not important to always have a game plan, and to stick to that game plan when it comes to writing, and 3) I have learned that no matter what writing process you call your own, as long as it produces your best writing- there is no right or wrong answer.
2. After reading this chaper, I have learned that there is no formula to good writing. It just simply does not exist. I have also learned that, in the same regard, what is considered good writing to some people, may not be acceptable to others (discourse community) and it is important to understand your audience when writing, so you can adjust to them accordingly.I have also learned that no two writers are the same. Also, that there are a lot of things about your personal writing habits that you may not even notice that you do- but they exist. A lot of writing processes and habits go unnoticed unintentionally because we do them without even noticing it, while someone who would be observing me would pick up on this habit right away.
My Own Thoughts
While this reading seemed to be pretty long and boring in the beginning, it ended up not being too bad. It helped to have a new article every 2-3 pages. Also the formatting of the authors/articles/pages definitely helped to separate the thoughts and the different authors. It was nice to see what writing meant to different writers, becuase they literally all had different meanings of writing and also different interpretations of the question "what does writing mean to you'' I thought it was interesting how one question could spark so many different and unique responses in so many different authors.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Ransom Reading
Summary
Ransom did an experiment/observation on her self in this article where she observed her writing habits in a natural environment, doing a timed writing exercise. As she did the writing assignment, she kept on a separate piece of paper, a record of her thoughts about the assignment, and her mood. She observed that timed writing exercises caused her to write faster and more of a need to "get to the point", although it hindered her writng performance and process. Many simple mistakes were made in the time restraint writing assignment. She even noticed that pausing to write down her thoughts caused her to defer her concentration from the prompt/assignment at hand.
Questions to Consider
things I found interesting:
-the time constraint caused her to have 5-minute interval "writing bursts"
-misspelling/word choice/omitting information was a problem w/ time constraint
-15% of her writing time was spent editing
-9% of time spent formatting to a comfortable place
-despite being alone/in a quiet place, time was her biggest distraction
-she checked the time 8 times
Yes, for my communications final last quarter we had to make a concept chart. I found this to be really beneficial in the writing process. You started off with a word (given to you) in the center of a diagram, and then from there you had to write 5 other words that you thought related to that term (no matter how random/off-beat) and then from those words, use 5 more words to make a connection & explain why your brain wanted to link the original two words together. It helped me to really reach out to the farthest corners of the prompt in order to insure that I was exploring all possible connections and arguments. It kind of forced my mind to wander, and ponder the extent inwhich I could have taken the extended writng response on my final.
My Own Thoughts
I really liked this article. Mainly, I think, because it was a lot different than any of the other reading that we have been given. The information was presented in a new and different format, which made it a lot easier to not only read, but absorb and reflect upon. I liked the way the author organized her findings, and explained her experiment. It led me to think about my own writing habits. For example these responses (because in the reading, technically, she was doing the exact same thing I am now- typing out a response to a reading that she was assigned) I did notice a comparison to her findings and my writing habits. For example, if I wait until right before english class to do my blogposts then I notice that my answers are a lot more directly quoted from the readings, and a lot shorter. While, if I do them the day (or 2) before, like I am now.. I am able to reflect upon the reading more and thus write more indepth and reflective responses to the reading on my blog.....funny how that works out.
Ransom did an experiment/observation on her self in this article where she observed her writing habits in a natural environment, doing a timed writing exercise. As she did the writing assignment, she kept on a separate piece of paper, a record of her thoughts about the assignment, and her mood. She observed that timed writing exercises caused her to write faster and more of a need to "get to the point", although it hindered her writng performance and process. Many simple mistakes were made in the time restraint writing assignment. She even noticed that pausing to write down her thoughts caused her to defer her concentration from the prompt/assignment at hand.
Questions to Consider
things I found interesting:
-the time constraint caused her to have 5-minute interval "writing bursts"
-misspelling/word choice/omitting information was a problem w/ time constraint
-15% of her writing time was spent editing
-9% of time spent formatting to a comfortable place
-despite being alone/in a quiet place, time was her biggest distraction
-she checked the time 8 times
Yes, for my communications final last quarter we had to make a concept chart. I found this to be really beneficial in the writing process. You started off with a word (given to you) in the center of a diagram, and then from there you had to write 5 other words that you thought related to that term (no matter how random/off-beat) and then from those words, use 5 more words to make a connection & explain why your brain wanted to link the original two words together. It helped me to really reach out to the farthest corners of the prompt in order to insure that I was exploring all possible connections and arguments. It kind of forced my mind to wander, and ponder the extent inwhich I could have taken the extended writng response on my final.
My Own Thoughts
I really liked this article. Mainly, I think, because it was a lot different than any of the other reading that we have been given. The information was presented in a new and different format, which made it a lot easier to not only read, but absorb and reflect upon. I liked the way the author organized her findings, and explained her experiment. It led me to think about my own writing habits. For example these responses (because in the reading, technically, she was doing the exact same thing I am now- typing out a response to a reading that she was assigned) I did notice a comparison to her findings and my writing habits. For example, if I wait until right before english class to do my blogposts then I notice that my answers are a lot more directly quoted from the readings, and a lot shorter. While, if I do them the day (or 2) before, like I am now.. I am able to reflect upon the reading more and thus write more indepth and reflective responses to the reading on my blog.....funny how that works out.
Harris Reading
Summary
In Harris' article, "Composing Behaviors of One- and Multidraft-Writers" she explains the effects of pre-text, and the difference between revision and multi-drafting. She also covers an experiment done to observe the writing habits of people who have different drafting styles to see if there is a correlation between drafting styles and the overall quality of their writing.
Questions
I consider myself to be more of a one-draft writer. However, that one draft will change and evolve a lot from it's original state to the finished product. But never do I write multiple versions of one paper before constructing my final edition. According to Harris, I may not be able to fully expand my paper in all of the directions possible because I am writing to finish the paper. Unlike multi-drafters who could reread through the paper and decide that they want to take a new stance, or make a new point in the other direction. This would not be possible for one-drafters.
Reaction
This article was pretty long/at times hard to keep up with. I really liked how the author talked about the advantages/disadvantages to each kind of writing style in this article. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on my writing choices and see where I need to spend more time to ensure better quality papers. For example, fully thinking out all of my points and the directions in which I would like to take my points before starting the paper in order to ensure that I won't regret not putting a point into the paper after finishing it/turning it in.
In Harris' article, "Composing Behaviors of One- and Multidraft-Writers" she explains the effects of pre-text, and the difference between revision and multi-drafting. She also covers an experiment done to observe the writing habits of people who have different drafting styles to see if there is a correlation between drafting styles and the overall quality of their writing.
Questions
I consider myself to be more of a one-draft writer. However, that one draft will change and evolve a lot from it's original state to the finished product. But never do I write multiple versions of one paper before constructing my final edition. According to Harris, I may not be able to fully expand my paper in all of the directions possible because I am writing to finish the paper. Unlike multi-drafters who could reread through the paper and decide that they want to take a new stance, or make a new point in the other direction. This would not be possible for one-drafters.
Reaction
This article was pretty long/at times hard to keep up with. I really liked how the author talked about the advantages/disadvantages to each kind of writing style in this article. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on my writing choices and see where I need to spend more time to ensure better quality papers. For example, fully thinking out all of my points and the directions in which I would like to take my points before starting the paper in order to ensure that I won't regret not putting a point into the paper after finishing it/turning it in.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tomlinson Reading
Summary
This article is all about the art of revision- the many ways inwhich writers do it, and the concept that perhaps there is not a "right or wrong" way of going about it.
Questions For Discussion #1-5
1. Because just like the Murray/Berkenkotter article stated: sometimes asking people to explain their actions and the process inwhich they do something is very different from actually watching them go about the task because you'll probably pick up on actions of theirs that they might not realize they do.
2. Focusing on metaphors may cause the mind to diverge. If the reader interprets the metaphor just like the writer intended-- all is well. But is that ever guarenteed? It is a risk writers take because there is no guarentee that the reader is going to understand and benefit from the metaphor. It may even distract them to the point where they struggle to comprehend the paper because they are still trying to piece together the metaphor. We can get around this problem by writing what we mean and meaning what we write.
3. I could relate to the "sculpting" metaphor because I often put analogies into papers to help the reader to relate to my topic and understand my points in a new light. I would be somewhat skeptical to use the "sewing/tailoring" stratagy because of the large insert of text. I would be afraid that it would diverge from my topic, or not be relatable.
4. I had a hard time understanding the diffferenences between all of the different kinds of metaphors she gave. But I understood them a little better because of the examples she listed for each of the different kinds of metaphors.
5. I think the metaphors have very little effect on the way I revise. I think everyone does it differently, and there's no exact way to put a label on what you are doing per sae when you are editing/revising. To me, it isn't a process I can explain because I can't exactly narrate my actions while I am fixing up a paper. It's almost subconscious.
My Own Thoughts
This was a pretty hard reading to get through...I had a hard time connecting the metaphors to the revision process. Maybe my brain isn't creative enough to pair a metaphor with revising...but I tried. I think it is a relevant article for us because we are in the final revision process for our 1st papers. (fixing the mistakes/suggestions that our peer edit partner suggested.)
This article is all about the art of revision- the many ways inwhich writers do it, and the concept that perhaps there is not a "right or wrong" way of going about it.
Questions For Discussion #1-5
1. Because just like the Murray/Berkenkotter article stated: sometimes asking people to explain their actions and the process inwhich they do something is very different from actually watching them go about the task because you'll probably pick up on actions of theirs that they might not realize they do.
2. Focusing on metaphors may cause the mind to diverge. If the reader interprets the metaphor just like the writer intended-- all is well. But is that ever guarenteed? It is a risk writers take because there is no guarentee that the reader is going to understand and benefit from the metaphor. It may even distract them to the point where they struggle to comprehend the paper because they are still trying to piece together the metaphor. We can get around this problem by writing what we mean and meaning what we write.
3. I could relate to the "sculpting" metaphor because I often put analogies into papers to help the reader to relate to my topic and understand my points in a new light. I would be somewhat skeptical to use the "sewing/tailoring" stratagy because of the large insert of text. I would be afraid that it would diverge from my topic, or not be relatable.
4. I had a hard time understanding the diffferenences between all of the different kinds of metaphors she gave. But I understood them a little better because of the examples she listed for each of the different kinds of metaphors.
5. I think the metaphors have very little effect on the way I revise. I think everyone does it differently, and there's no exact way to put a label on what you are doing per sae when you are editing/revising. To me, it isn't a process I can explain because I can't exactly narrate my actions while I am fixing up a paper. It's almost subconscious.
My Own Thoughts
This was a pretty hard reading to get through...I had a hard time connecting the metaphors to the revision process. Maybe my brain isn't creative enough to pair a metaphor with revising...but I tried. I think it is a relevant article for us because we are in the final revision process for our 1st papers. (fixing the mistakes/suggestions that our peer edit partner suggested.)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Berkenkotter/Murray Reading
Summary: This article discussed the revising habits of writers, varying in ages and abilities. The observers of this experiment not only looked at their subjective testimonies about their revising habits, but monitored them with video cameras for a period of two years. The article describes their findings and attempts to explain their actions. Questions For Discussion 1. Murray described his writing environment as being in his study, with a long white wooden table, which looks out on the New Hampshire woods. There is also a poster of a littleboy and a dragon that reads "Donald imagined things." This compares somewhat to my writing environment. I like to surround myself with things that will engage my mind and my thoughts, however I do require somewhat quiet/peaceful/nondistracting surroundings so I can actually get things done.. 2. I try as best as I can to be conversational with my audience. I believe papers are easiest to write and read when they have a personality. It is sometimes a fine line that I have trouble with when I am trying to put a personality to my paper, but not go into innappropriate/unnecessary territory. 3. Berkenkotter realized how much of the writing process is subconscious. Also she came to find that stating goals for yourself, and your paper can change the way inwhich you look at writing. On page 223 in the second paragraph, it said "In this instance, we can see how a writing plan leads to a number of sub-plans" Applying and Exploring Ideas My own writing habits are not very proactive. I am the kind of person who knows their topic for a week or two, and doensn't necessarily type out my paper, but I write it in my head over and over until I have the version of it that I want. I usually organize in my head my thorough introduction, then my main points then a vague idea of my conclusion. I think this is a fairly common, yet unprofessional way of writing. I am brainstorming...but in my head and not out loud. Then I wait for the last minute to take the paper that is in my head, and bring it to life. I believe that there is a certain corrolation to the amount of writing experience you have, and the amount of time you put into a paper. I believe until a certain extent, I will always brainstorm papers the way I have literally since the beginning of time, however with more intelligence and purpose as I get older. However, I assume once I get to a certain level of writing, I will then be doing it because I want to, and not because I have to. Then, I will put more time and effort into my paper because I am doing them by choice and not as an assignment. Meta Moments I have learned that revising and editing are two different things. I used to think that they were the same process. Now I know that revising is looking at the placement of sentences/ideas, and looking at the overall flow of the ideas. And I know that editing is looking for spelling/grammatical errors that do not actually pertain to the theme/ideas of the paper, but the technical issues of the paper. My Opinion I think this was one of the harder articles to get through. Maybe because it was two articles kinda crammed into one, or maybe it was my focus. However, I found it informational. Especially because we are getting ready to turn in our first paper. | draft |
Monday, January 23, 2012
Kleine Reading
Summary
This article is based around the act and process of writing research papers. And of course, the research that goes into them. Kleine catagorizes two kinds of research paper writers: A hunter finds what he is looking for and a gatherer discovers that which might be of use. The article also included observations he made regarding people's attitudes and motives for writing research papers.
Discussion Questions
1. This article does not really line up with how I view research papers- though it should. When I think about a reseach paper, I think about sitting down at my desk, with Microsoft Word pulled up, and typing a paper. However, Kleine is trying to get me to look at research papers as more research, than typing. Which is probably how it is supposed to be. He is not describing how I do my research papers. I have always done them just to complete them (guilty, yes.) and not really to pack them full of as much information as humanly possible.
3. For the people that Kleine interviews, sources are everything. Not only were the people he interviewed doing a large amount of preparation for their papers, however they were doing a large variety of research including scientific, social and psychological. Having diverse sources helped them to piece together the best supported paper possible. In my past research papers, I would usually use the first statistics/quotes I could find and stuck them in my paper. I can explain this gap in saying that I was doing these research papers because I HAD to, they were writing these papers because they wanted to. They were able to put more effort and care into the papers simply because they were not being told to do it.
4. I would definitely start my research before I even started the paper. I would keep a chart to organize facts as I found them, and select specifically which ones I wanted to use and which ones I thought we're valid enough for my paper. I would also use a wider variety of sources, from social to statistical to scientific. Just to make my paper more well rounded and trust worthy.
My Thoughts
This article kind of made me realize the lack of effort I put into my research papers in high school. And kinda made me feel bad about it at the same time. I know that you have to work for the grade you want...but doing the bare minimum kinda let me slide by in my English classes in high school. However, now when I start my research papers- not only will I plan proactively to write them last and research them first, I will leave enough time for myself to do the research necessary for me to recieve the grade I want. This article helped me to see research papers as more research and less paper- you have to know your topic, and know it well to write a good, informative paper. Otherwise, you're simply doing what you need to do to get full credit on the rubric.
This article is based around the act and process of writing research papers. And of course, the research that goes into them. Kleine catagorizes two kinds of research paper writers: A hunter finds what he is looking for and a gatherer discovers that which might be of use. The article also included observations he made regarding people's attitudes and motives for writing research papers.
Discussion Questions
1. This article does not really line up with how I view research papers- though it should. When I think about a reseach paper, I think about sitting down at my desk, with Microsoft Word pulled up, and typing a paper. However, Kleine is trying to get me to look at research papers as more research, than typing. Which is probably how it is supposed to be. He is not describing how I do my research papers. I have always done them just to complete them (guilty, yes.) and not really to pack them full of as much information as humanly possible.
3. For the people that Kleine interviews, sources are everything. Not only were the people he interviewed doing a large amount of preparation for their papers, however they were doing a large variety of research including scientific, social and psychological. Having diverse sources helped them to piece together the best supported paper possible. In my past research papers, I would usually use the first statistics/quotes I could find and stuck them in my paper. I can explain this gap in saying that I was doing these research papers because I HAD to, they were writing these papers because they wanted to. They were able to put more effort and care into the papers simply because they were not being told to do it.
4. I would definitely start my research before I even started the paper. I would keep a chart to organize facts as I found them, and select specifically which ones I wanted to use and which ones I thought we're valid enough for my paper. I would also use a wider variety of sources, from social to statistical to scientific. Just to make my paper more well rounded and trust worthy.
My Thoughts
This article kind of made me realize the lack of effort I put into my research papers in high school. And kinda made me feel bad about it at the same time. I know that you have to work for the grade you want...but doing the bare minimum kinda let me slide by in my English classes in high school. However, now when I start my research papers- not only will I plan proactively to write them last and research them first, I will leave enough time for myself to do the research necessary for me to recieve the grade I want. This article helped me to see research papers as more research and less paper- you have to know your topic, and know it well to write a good, informative paper. Otherwise, you're simply doing what you need to do to get full credit on the rubric.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Paper #1
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WQKHyqzhRGJi8GMSV9j71D2XIdA3kKA4-xvPJmKp7Vw/edit
Cover Letter
With this paper, I was trying to get my point across regarding the writing contruct of grammar in the most personable, yet intelligent way possible. I wanted to put a personality to the paper, but at the same time, stay on the point. My main point was that grammar is too highly regarded when deciding if something is "well written". I supported my claim but first, a use of a personal anecdote, then using examples from our Writing About Writing book, along with brief historical examples. To oppose the other side of my argument, I used an article from The Cornell Daily Sun. I think my introduction/hook and close are working well. However, I am a little unsure about the middle. I would like to go more in depth with my historical examples, if I were to need to add length to my paper. In their responses, I would like my classmates to give me feedback regarding where they thought the paper wasn't so well supported, or if any of my points/claims seem off balance, or misplaced. Also, if they think I should head farther in one of the directions I started in, I'd like to know this too. I would have given my prep work more time, honestly. I would have liked to get more research done, and some more supporting facts perhaps about statistics on how much grade school teachers stress grammar, and why. I debated emailing my old teachers, just to see what input they may have. I didn't know if I should add more support to what's wrong with the current teachings of grammar, or focus more on how it is used today by professional writers- I really don't know. This is another thing that I'd like more of an opinion on.
Cover Letter
With this paper, I was trying to get my point across regarding the writing contruct of grammar in the most personable, yet intelligent way possible. I wanted to put a personality to the paper, but at the same time, stay on the point. My main point was that grammar is too highly regarded when deciding if something is "well written". I supported my claim but first, a use of a personal anecdote, then using examples from our Writing About Writing book, along with brief historical examples. To oppose the other side of my argument, I used an article from The Cornell Daily Sun. I think my introduction/hook and close are working well. However, I am a little unsure about the middle. I would like to go more in depth with my historical examples, if I were to need to add length to my paper. In their responses, I would like my classmates to give me feedback regarding where they thought the paper wasn't so well supported, or if any of my points/claims seem off balance, or misplaced. Also, if they think I should head farther in one of the directions I started in, I'd like to know this too. I would have given my prep work more time, honestly. I would have liked to get more research done, and some more supporting facts perhaps about statistics on how much grade school teachers stress grammar, and why. I debated emailing my old teachers, just to see what input they may have. I didn't know if I should add more support to what's wrong with the current teachings of grammar, or focus more on how it is used today by professional writers- I really don't know. This is another thing that I'd like more of an opinion on.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Dawkins Reading
Summary:
In the article "Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool", John Dawkins attempts to explain grammar and punctuation, not as laws of right & wrong, but rather choices that you as a writer have to make every day- not whether you are going to use them or not- but where and how you are going to use them. Dawkins takes a stance, and tries to explain grammar and punctuation as a choice of the writer as to how they are going to push their point so it jumps off the page and clicks with the minds of the readers.
My Thoughts:
I have to admit, before coming to school- grammar and punctuation were the first things I looked for when I did a peer edit. "You need a comma here, this isn't capitalized correctly, reword the sentence, put the verb and helping verb in a different place here..." That was the easy part of editing to me, and the first place I ran to whenever I got a classmates' paper to look over. I got some strange and creepy adreniline rush from taking out my pen and marking up where comma's should be, and misspellings, and apostrophe's misplaced. It was weird, yet I loved it. However, after reading many articles about constructs, and the true problems behind writing, I am beginning to put my red pen down, and not worry about grammar/punctuation so much. Turns out...it's not that important. Infact, sometimes, it may have more meaning/weight if used in the wrong place. Who knew?
Getting Ready to Read:
1. My sister's wood-scrap and cardboard treehouse made a great place to play with her friends.
2. The tree house that my sister and her friends play in is made out of cardboard and wood-scraps.
3. My sister and her friends love to play in the wood-scrap and cardboard treehouse.
Questions For DIscussion
2. Dawkins makes this claim because he believes that college writing handbooks make the grammar rules look like bold laws, and not guidelines. In the 2nd paragraph, he says that he wanted readers to look at grammar as rhetorical. He wanted there to be choices involved.
3. Raising/Lowering is a "device for gaining rhetorical effect." By raising the comma, you are adding a break in the thought and a pause in the sentence early on in the sentence. And by lowering, you are moving the comma back towards the period (or end of the sentence..) also for rhetorical effect. Semicolons and dashes are examples of these devices also because it builds pressure in the sentence.
4. Dawkins calls his way of grammar "rhetorical" because he wants grammar to involve making choices about how you would like the grammar to effect the reader, and the flow of the sentence/paragraph.
5. After reading Dawkins article I learned the leaniency of grammar. They are not set in stone laws; but rather tools to help you ass emphasis and emotion into your sentences. They can add pauses, which can allow for readers to stop and reflect upon the writing. Grammar is a lot more freeing than I remember. In school we are taught that a comma must go in X spot, and dashes can only go in X spots as well. But writing is about saying "hmm I think I want a dash there. Regardless if my 4th grade language arts teacher taught me it should or should not go there- I want it there. And it's staying."
Meta Moments
I believe Mr. Whicker wanted us to read this article so that when we get ready to type our first papers due next week, we don't have to worry about being binded to laws and regulations that we were drilled with in grade school. Grammar is a tool to get your point across and to add emphasis. Not to make you write like a puppet-- which is something that I am used to doing in regards to "proper grammar and punctuation". By reading this article, I will be less stressed about getting the grammar in my paper "absolutely perfect" and worry more about using it to the best of my abilities, and to use it to benefit the reader in understanding my points of view.
In the article "Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool", John Dawkins attempts to explain grammar and punctuation, not as laws of right & wrong, but rather choices that you as a writer have to make every day- not whether you are going to use them or not- but where and how you are going to use them. Dawkins takes a stance, and tries to explain grammar and punctuation as a choice of the writer as to how they are going to push their point so it jumps off the page and clicks with the minds of the readers.
My Thoughts:
I have to admit, before coming to school- grammar and punctuation were the first things I looked for when I did a peer edit. "You need a comma here, this isn't capitalized correctly, reword the sentence, put the verb and helping verb in a different place here..." That was the easy part of editing to me, and the first place I ran to whenever I got a classmates' paper to look over. I got some strange and creepy adreniline rush from taking out my pen and marking up where comma's should be, and misspellings, and apostrophe's misplaced. It was weird, yet I loved it. However, after reading many articles about constructs, and the true problems behind writing, I am beginning to put my red pen down, and not worry about grammar/punctuation so much. Turns out...it's not that important. Infact, sometimes, it may have more meaning/weight if used in the wrong place. Who knew?
Getting Ready to Read:
1. My sister's wood-scrap and cardboard treehouse made a great place to play with her friends.
2. The tree house that my sister and her friends play in is made out of cardboard and wood-scraps.
3. My sister and her friends love to play in the wood-scrap and cardboard treehouse.
Questions For DIscussion
2. Dawkins makes this claim because he believes that college writing handbooks make the grammar rules look like bold laws, and not guidelines. In the 2nd paragraph, he says that he wanted readers to look at grammar as rhetorical. He wanted there to be choices involved.
3. Raising/Lowering is a "device for gaining rhetorical effect." By raising the comma, you are adding a break in the thought and a pause in the sentence early on in the sentence. And by lowering, you are moving the comma back towards the period (or end of the sentence..) also for rhetorical effect. Semicolons and dashes are examples of these devices also because it builds pressure in the sentence.
4. Dawkins calls his way of grammar "rhetorical" because he wants grammar to involve making choices about how you would like the grammar to effect the reader, and the flow of the sentence/paragraph.
5. After reading Dawkins article I learned the leaniency of grammar. They are not set in stone laws; but rather tools to help you ass emphasis and emotion into your sentences. They can add pauses, which can allow for readers to stop and reflect upon the writing. Grammar is a lot more freeing than I remember. In school we are taught that a comma must go in X spot, and dashes can only go in X spots as well. But writing is about saying "hmm I think I want a dash there. Regardless if my 4th grade language arts teacher taught me it should or should not go there- I want it there. And it's staying."
Meta Moments
I believe Mr. Whicker wanted us to read this article so that when we get ready to type our first papers due next week, we don't have to worry about being binded to laws and regulations that we were drilled with in grade school. Grammar is a tool to get your point across and to add emphasis. Not to make you write like a puppet-- which is something that I am used to doing in regards to "proper grammar and punctuation". By reading this article, I will be less stressed about getting the grammar in my paper "absolutely perfect" and worry more about using it to the best of my abilities, and to use it to benefit the reader in understanding my points of view.
Murray Reading
Summary:
In Donald M. Murray's article "All Writing is Autobiography" he makes the point that all writing is a product of every person you've ever met, ever experience you've ever had and every lesson you've ever learned. When writing, you use your past experiences to put your best foot forward to produce the best paper possible that is going to reach the most amount of people possible. He quotes his own poem, then goes on to discuss how every single line, whether he meant it or not, is about a time in his life. And if those experiences had never happened- then this poem wouldn't be the same.
My Opinions:
I agree with Murray's article. It reminds me of another one we read, but I can't remember the name of it. However I think this concept translate into many areas of life. For example, every time you make an important decision, or even a small one for that matter- you decide based on past experiences you've had with an alike problem. You also use all people you have ever come into contact with. Subconciously, all of these guiding forces are like little hands molding you, and your actions. These actions include writing. I agree with Murray's thoughts and furthermore, agree that this concept can be applied into other areas of life.
Getting Ready to Read:
The main advice was to, like Murray was saying: not use the word "I". We were also taught not to put contractions into formal writing. Also, I think it was kind of a rule of thumb to use "intelligent" words. Which most of the time lead to me using the "synonym" tool on Microsoft Word to find a smarter word to replace the one I had used. I thought it gave your paper a good "vibe" from the start, if there was big words in them...which probably sounds really silly and superficial, but it's kind of true. I would be more impressed with a paper that used creative and colorful words vs mundane and overly-used adjectives.
Questions For DIscussion
1. He is asking us to reconsider the originality construct.
3. Murray's article is less formal than most articles published in a scholarly journal because it includes personal opinions and he basically reveals "himself" and how he identifies as a person, and how his "self" is evident in his writing. Scholarly journals are not supposed to be expressive, or personal. They are formal pieces of writing, designed to be informative. He broke out of the rules of writing by using words like "I" and "me" and referencing his own personal poem. Also, he talks about his own personal experiences in order to strengthen his point and give examples.
4. This is a really hard question to answer considering I just had my brain focused on how informal and unscholarly this article is, but if I had to choose, I think it is scholarly because it offers a new and fresh opinion on a topic that has been rehearsed and rehearsed the same way for so long. Also, it is meant to inform, not entertain, which makes it fall under the catagory of "scholarly".
5. His idea's don't really change the way I look at writing because I agree that everything you write is a product of every word you've ever spoken/heard. It is impossible for you to completely isolate yourself and your thoughts because you are constantly, and subconciously referencing your past experiences and knowledge. Every person you've ever learned from, and any experience you've ever learned from can be found evident in your writing. I do not believe that this really requires a change in how you write considering you've been doing it since you learned how to write. You may however, be more accepting of the idea that you are writing from the perspective, and with the help of every past experience/lesson you've ever had. It is not something you can really turn on/off, but more accept.
Meta Moments
As a writer, this article kind of gives me permission to write from the perspective and with the help of my past experiences. Every other article we have read has said that true scholarly articles look & sound like they have been written by robots, but this one makes it seem okay to let myself, and my experiences flow out. (without fear of rejection or hesitation.) Also, it kind of reiterates the fact that it is impossible to write and not be influenced by your past.
In Donald M. Murray's article "All Writing is Autobiography" he makes the point that all writing is a product of every person you've ever met, ever experience you've ever had and every lesson you've ever learned. When writing, you use your past experiences to put your best foot forward to produce the best paper possible that is going to reach the most amount of people possible. He quotes his own poem, then goes on to discuss how every single line, whether he meant it or not, is about a time in his life. And if those experiences had never happened- then this poem wouldn't be the same.
My Opinions:
I agree with Murray's article. It reminds me of another one we read, but I can't remember the name of it. However I think this concept translate into many areas of life. For example, every time you make an important decision, or even a small one for that matter- you decide based on past experiences you've had with an alike problem. You also use all people you have ever come into contact with. Subconciously, all of these guiding forces are like little hands molding you, and your actions. These actions include writing. I agree with Murray's thoughts and furthermore, agree that this concept can be applied into other areas of life.
Getting Ready to Read:
The main advice was to, like Murray was saying: not use the word "I". We were also taught not to put contractions into formal writing. Also, I think it was kind of a rule of thumb to use "intelligent" words. Which most of the time lead to me using the "synonym" tool on Microsoft Word to find a smarter word to replace the one I had used. I thought it gave your paper a good "vibe" from the start, if there was big words in them...which probably sounds really silly and superficial, but it's kind of true. I would be more impressed with a paper that used creative and colorful words vs mundane and overly-used adjectives.
Questions For DIscussion
1. He is asking us to reconsider the originality construct.
3. Murray's article is less formal than most articles published in a scholarly journal because it includes personal opinions and he basically reveals "himself" and how he identifies as a person, and how his "self" is evident in his writing. Scholarly journals are not supposed to be expressive, or personal. They are formal pieces of writing, designed to be informative. He broke out of the rules of writing by using words like "I" and "me" and referencing his own personal poem. Also, he talks about his own personal experiences in order to strengthen his point and give examples.
4. This is a really hard question to answer considering I just had my brain focused on how informal and unscholarly this article is, but if I had to choose, I think it is scholarly because it offers a new and fresh opinion on a topic that has been rehearsed and rehearsed the same way for so long. Also, it is meant to inform, not entertain, which makes it fall under the catagory of "scholarly".
5. His idea's don't really change the way I look at writing because I agree that everything you write is a product of every word you've ever spoken/heard. It is impossible for you to completely isolate yourself and your thoughts because you are constantly, and subconciously referencing your past experiences and knowledge. Every person you've ever learned from, and any experience you've ever learned from can be found evident in your writing. I do not believe that this really requires a change in how you write considering you've been doing it since you learned how to write. You may however, be more accepting of the idea that you are writing from the perspective, and with the help of every past experience/lesson you've ever had. It is not something you can really turn on/off, but more accept.
Meta Moments
As a writer, this article kind of gives me permission to write from the perspective and with the help of my past experiences. Every other article we have read has said that true scholarly articles look & sound like they have been written by robots, but this one makes it seem okay to let myself, and my experiences flow out. (without fear of rejection or hesitation.) Also, it kind of reiterates the fact that it is impossible to write and not be influenced by your past.
The Inspired Reader vs the Real Writer
Summary
In Sarah Allen's article "The Inspired Writer vs the Real Writer", she gives a first hand account of stories (as what I understood to be an English teacher) and how she explains basically that anyone who says "writing just flows from me, or writing is easy" is either lying or not REALLY writing. Her 10 page rant can be summed up in the saying "If you have at any point in your life sat at 11:30 pm on a Sunday night with a paper due on Monday morning, and wondered if at anypoint the perfect thesis or the perfect intro was just going to spring into your mind- or why it wasn't, for that matter-- then you are REAL WRITER. Everyone else who claims to be able to just sit down and crank out a paper, with no writer's block, or frustration- is clearly either Rain Man (writing edition.)
My Thoughts
I most definitely agree with Allen in that writing wasn't invented to be easy. We are only as good as the words we know. And thus, we can only communicate through the words we know- and our writing can only mirror our feelings and the points we would like to get across via those words we know. And this is difficult. In my opinion, half the difficulty of writing is the fear or anxiety that the teacher isn't going to like what I turn in. At the end of the day, let's admit: we are not writing to express ourselves, or because we so passionately want to share with the world our ability to form a 5 paragraph essay, we write because it is assigned to us! We write not to express ourselves, we write to please the prof, and get that A. She is absolutely right that the vision of a "good writer" is slurred by people's belief that good writers can write about anything, anywhere at any time, with ease- and it is going to be absolutely inspiring and flawless. I agree with her completely. Yes.
However, did I find it necessary to (let's be honest here.) use my long weekend to read this? Not exactly. I do believe that her points, and examples could have been condensed and even made more effective if the paper was shorter. About halfway in I caught myself drifting into la-la land, and pondering the questions "man, how many more pages of this? and wow, I still have to read out of the writing about writing book...I wonder if it's going to snow this week?" I highlighted points and details that I thought to be important to me understandind (and remembering for Wednesday) what I read...and the fact that I went without highlighting for 2 pages at a time, says a lot in my mind.
Discussion Questions
1. When writing, I get most anxious about whether or not the teacher is going to understand my view, or like the way inwhich I organized my points/quotes/every little detail. I do not worry about grammar and mechanics. In fact, if anything, that puts me at ease, because I know that I have a good eye for mistakes like grammar/punctuation/spelling, and those types of things are the first to go when I do a revision of my paper. Organization always worries me because I have always felt that it is like a secret that only the teacher knows as to how he/she wants to papers to flow- and you won't find out if you hit the nail on the head until you get your paper back. I have pretty good time management skills so I map out my papers by saying i'm going to write so many words this day, then X amount the next day, then editing this day. So that I am not up the night before staring at a blank computer screen with one eye and jealously watching my roommate sleep with the other. Length is rarely something that I struggle with (just look at this post...) However, it does happen. When I am writing about a subject that I'm not particularly a fan of- it is surely harder to write a lengthy paper on.
2. When sharing writing with classmates, I am usually nervous that they are going to point out a weird mistake I made such as "didn't you know we were supposed to use X margin? or didn't you know the citation was due along with the rough draft today?" (Basic little details that I may have overlooked in the assignment. When the teacher reads my paper I usually fear critiques including "Why didn't you follow the paragraph formula?" or "you're digressing in this entire page. bring it back to the topic." I have never really worried about anyone thinking my ideas are stupid, but more invalid, or unsupportive to the topic. I tend to veer off the road with my papers into thoughts and examples that make sense in my scatter brain, yet probably have no revelence to the topic.
3. These questions are related in that proving most writing related anxieties are self-causing and due to the fear of reaction. We are writing to please the teacher in the long run, but "peer edits on Wednesday" is flashing in the back of your mind. And questions arise such as "Is the teacher going to recollect our papers and randomly distribute them? God. I hope they dont. I hate that. What if So & SO gets my paper-- they're going to laugh at this part...should I even put it in?!" And before you know it, you're psyching yourself out about a hypothetical situation.
4. To address these anxieties, I would basically tunnel vision the end result: to get a good grade. My English teacher senior year encouraged his students to keep the prof in mind when we are writing. Because at the end of the day, they're the one with the red pen and the password to blackboard that will decide our fate. And that is what I have done thus far and it has worked out pretty well. Also, you can't sweat peer evaluations, because other than them finding grammatical mistakes, they don't know anymore about an A paper than you do. That is why theyre taking the class with you, not teaching it. So your attempt at a well written paper is just as good as theirs. As far as the deadline anxieties go, you really need to make a game plan early on in the assignment so it doesn't build up. Map out the paper (yes, make a concept map like you did in 3rd grade if that's what it takes) then go from there. If the paper is 1000 words and you have a week to write it, do 150/day then take the extra time to look it over/do your citation. It's all about having a plan and STICKING TO THE PLAN.
In Sarah Allen's article "The Inspired Writer vs the Real Writer", she gives a first hand account of stories (as what I understood to be an English teacher) and how she explains basically that anyone who says "writing just flows from me, or writing is easy" is either lying or not REALLY writing. Her 10 page rant can be summed up in the saying "If you have at any point in your life sat at 11:30 pm on a Sunday night with a paper due on Monday morning, and wondered if at anypoint the perfect thesis or the perfect intro was just going to spring into your mind- or why it wasn't, for that matter-- then you are REAL WRITER. Everyone else who claims to be able to just sit down and crank out a paper, with no writer's block, or frustration- is clearly either Rain Man (writing edition.)
My Thoughts
I most definitely agree with Allen in that writing wasn't invented to be easy. We are only as good as the words we know. And thus, we can only communicate through the words we know- and our writing can only mirror our feelings and the points we would like to get across via those words we know. And this is difficult. In my opinion, half the difficulty of writing is the fear or anxiety that the teacher isn't going to like what I turn in. At the end of the day, let's admit: we are not writing to express ourselves, or because we so passionately want to share with the world our ability to form a 5 paragraph essay, we write because it is assigned to us! We write not to express ourselves, we write to please the prof, and get that A. She is absolutely right that the vision of a "good writer" is slurred by people's belief that good writers can write about anything, anywhere at any time, with ease- and it is going to be absolutely inspiring and flawless. I agree with her completely. Yes.
However, did I find it necessary to (let's be honest here.) use my long weekend to read this? Not exactly. I do believe that her points, and examples could have been condensed and even made more effective if the paper was shorter. About halfway in I caught myself drifting into la-la land, and pondering the questions "man, how many more pages of this? and wow, I still have to read out of the writing about writing book...I wonder if it's going to snow this week?" I highlighted points and details that I thought to be important to me understandind (and remembering for Wednesday) what I read...and the fact that I went without highlighting for 2 pages at a time, says a lot in my mind.
Discussion Questions
1. When writing, I get most anxious about whether or not the teacher is going to understand my view, or like the way inwhich I organized my points/quotes/every little detail. I do not worry about grammar and mechanics. In fact, if anything, that puts me at ease, because I know that I have a good eye for mistakes like grammar/punctuation/spelling, and those types of things are the first to go when I do a revision of my paper. Organization always worries me because I have always felt that it is like a secret that only the teacher knows as to how he/she wants to papers to flow- and you won't find out if you hit the nail on the head until you get your paper back. I have pretty good time management skills so I map out my papers by saying i'm going to write so many words this day, then X amount the next day, then editing this day. So that I am not up the night before staring at a blank computer screen with one eye and jealously watching my roommate sleep with the other. Length is rarely something that I struggle with (just look at this post...) However, it does happen. When I am writing about a subject that I'm not particularly a fan of- it is surely harder to write a lengthy paper on.
2. When sharing writing with classmates, I am usually nervous that they are going to point out a weird mistake I made such as "didn't you know we were supposed to use X margin? or didn't you know the citation was due along with the rough draft today?" (Basic little details that I may have overlooked in the assignment. When the teacher reads my paper I usually fear critiques including "Why didn't you follow the paragraph formula?" or "you're digressing in this entire page. bring it back to the topic." I have never really worried about anyone thinking my ideas are stupid, but more invalid, or unsupportive to the topic. I tend to veer off the road with my papers into thoughts and examples that make sense in my scatter brain, yet probably have no revelence to the topic.
3. These questions are related in that proving most writing related anxieties are self-causing and due to the fear of reaction. We are writing to please the teacher in the long run, but "peer edits on Wednesday" is flashing in the back of your mind. And questions arise such as "Is the teacher going to recollect our papers and randomly distribute them? God. I hope they dont. I hate that. What if So & SO gets my paper-- they're going to laugh at this part...should I even put it in?!" And before you know it, you're psyching yourself out about a hypothetical situation.
4. To address these anxieties, I would basically tunnel vision the end result: to get a good grade. My English teacher senior year encouraged his students to keep the prof in mind when we are writing. Because at the end of the day, they're the one with the red pen and the password to blackboard that will decide our fate. And that is what I have done thus far and it has worked out pretty well. Also, you can't sweat peer evaluations, because other than them finding grammatical mistakes, they don't know anymore about an A paper than you do. That is why theyre taking the class with you, not teaching it. So your attempt at a well written paper is just as good as theirs. As far as the deadline anxieties go, you really need to make a game plan early on in the assignment so it doesn't build up. Map out the paper (yes, make a concept map like you did in 3rd grade if that's what it takes) then go from there. If the paper is 1000 words and you have a week to write it, do 150/day then take the extra time to look it over/do your citation. It's all about having a plan and STICKING TO THE PLAN.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Stedman Reading
Summary:
In Kyle D. Stedmen's article "Annoying Ways Poeple Use Sources" he discusses 6 different writing habits that bother him. Things ranging from odd usages of quotations to agitating citation mistakes. He convienently provides examples of these improper usages of sourses so that the cause and effect of the mistake is highly visable. After providing examples of each of these annoyances, Stedman gives "fixes" to each of the problems.
My Own Thoughts
I definitely agreed with the annoyances he listed involving quotations. To me, you have to know how and when to use a quote or it completely works against you. They can either be helpful or incredibly distracting. However, the interesting thing about quotations it that if you simply relocate them, or change their lead in- they can go from being completely random to a huge stepping stone for you to a point, or opinion or literally anything you could want to do in a paper. You just need to know how to do it to the paper's full potential. Anyways. I digress. I however believed that his annoyance involving the alphabitized citation/being able to look into the source more easily/quicker was a bit ridiculious. Maybe because I have never graded a paper and actually needed to look into the works cited...I'm just used to being pestered by having to make them. So, this example isn't exactly something that would annoy me, personally when reading a paper- however, I can understand if a professor had a stack of 20+ papers and needed to breeze through the citations-- it would come in handy.
Syllabus Questions
1) I believe that the Stedman reading and the previously assigned readings allign because they all involve fixing "distractions" or something that could occupy a reader before being able to fully understand the point of your paper. Also, they touch base on writer's flaws (not paper's flaws) that can be aknowledged before the paper is written/turned in that would help the writer better communicate, and the reader better understand.
2) In High School I was basically taught "you need X amount of sources...one need to be an article, one needs to be an interview, one needs to be out of a book.......ready.....go." and teachers never really cared that the sources had "meat" they just cared that on the due date they could run through the works cited page and see X amount of books, articles, interviews etc. I would be lying if I said that at some point in high school I didn't make up a source, or use my aunt & uncles names as authors of a book I made up simply because it was after midnight and I was tired of Googling sources. It happens. But more frequently, it goes unnoticed. I was taught the mind set of "I don't care what the sources contain...or if they're reliable...or if they're REAL...I just care that on the day you turn in your paper you have X, Y & Z and I'll give you full credit on your works cited. It's THAT easy." As a future language arts teacher I don't believe it should be THAT easy. It should be a hunt. For the most reliable, and the most educated source.
3) I have for sure changed my views on sources since the beginning of fall quarter. Through my speech class, and my EDTE class, I learned how to evaluate sources, and look deeper than "hmm it came off Google- it HAS to be true." I learned how to do APA style citation- and that literally changed the way I think of doing citations and research. Citing things is no longer "do it right and you'll get full credit." it is now "do it right and your paper will be full of useful information that will add substance and passion to your paper."
Questions For Discussion
1) In terms of "bending the rules for publication space/audience" I believe that the younger the audience, the bendier the rules. Depending on the topic of course, it is hard to put a general opinion on this because it depends so heavily on the topic. Say I was publishing an opinion column in The Post. I would most definitely use language and sentence structure that an OU student wouldn't just be able to read but would WANT to read while hiking Morton Hill, or waiting for a friend for lunch. However, if I were to be writing an opinion article in Times magazine, it would be more geared towards an educated, older audience. Thus requiring me to use different language/quotes/lead ins.
2) "Dating Spider Man"
In the January 9th edition of The Post, an article about MAC basketball did not start with a quote-
which I liked. It read: "Coming off a tough loss to Robert Morros, Coach John Groce said he was proud of his team's intensity despite its diffuculty executing."
3) Rank the annoyances from least annoying to most annoying:
1- I Can't Find the Stupid Link
2- I Swear I Did Some Research
3- Uncle Barry and his Encyclopedia of Useless Information
4- Armadillo Roadkill
5- Dating Superman
6- Am I In the Right Movie?
In Kyle D. Stedmen's article "Annoying Ways Poeple Use Sources" he discusses 6 different writing habits that bother him. Things ranging from odd usages of quotations to agitating citation mistakes. He convienently provides examples of these improper usages of sourses so that the cause and effect of the mistake is highly visable. After providing examples of each of these annoyances, Stedman gives "fixes" to each of the problems.
My Own Thoughts
I definitely agreed with the annoyances he listed involving quotations. To me, you have to know how and when to use a quote or it completely works against you. They can either be helpful or incredibly distracting. However, the interesting thing about quotations it that if you simply relocate them, or change their lead in- they can go from being completely random to a huge stepping stone for you to a point, or opinion or literally anything you could want to do in a paper. You just need to know how to do it to the paper's full potential. Anyways. I digress. I however believed that his annoyance involving the alphabitized citation/being able to look into the source more easily/quicker was a bit ridiculious. Maybe because I have never graded a paper and actually needed to look into the works cited...I'm just used to being pestered by having to make them. So, this example isn't exactly something that would annoy me, personally when reading a paper- however, I can understand if a professor had a stack of 20+ papers and needed to breeze through the citations-- it would come in handy.
Syllabus Questions
1) I believe that the Stedman reading and the previously assigned readings allign because they all involve fixing "distractions" or something that could occupy a reader before being able to fully understand the point of your paper. Also, they touch base on writer's flaws (not paper's flaws) that can be aknowledged before the paper is written/turned in that would help the writer better communicate, and the reader better understand.
2) In High School I was basically taught "you need X amount of sources...one need to be an article, one needs to be an interview, one needs to be out of a book.......ready.....go." and teachers never really cared that the sources had "meat" they just cared that on the due date they could run through the works cited page and see X amount of books, articles, interviews etc. I would be lying if I said that at some point in high school I didn't make up a source, or use my aunt & uncles names as authors of a book I made up simply because it was after midnight and I was tired of Googling sources. It happens. But more frequently, it goes unnoticed. I was taught the mind set of "I don't care what the sources contain...or if they're reliable...or if they're REAL...I just care that on the day you turn in your paper you have X, Y & Z and I'll give you full credit on your works cited. It's THAT easy." As a future language arts teacher I don't believe it should be THAT easy. It should be a hunt. For the most reliable, and the most educated source.
3) I have for sure changed my views on sources since the beginning of fall quarter. Through my speech class, and my EDTE class, I learned how to evaluate sources, and look deeper than "hmm it came off Google- it HAS to be true." I learned how to do APA style citation- and that literally changed the way I think of doing citations and research. Citing things is no longer "do it right and you'll get full credit." it is now "do it right and your paper will be full of useful information that will add substance and passion to your paper."
Questions For Discussion
1) In terms of "bending the rules for publication space/audience" I believe that the younger the audience, the bendier the rules. Depending on the topic of course, it is hard to put a general opinion on this because it depends so heavily on the topic. Say I was publishing an opinion column in The Post. I would most definitely use language and sentence structure that an OU student wouldn't just be able to read but would WANT to read while hiking Morton Hill, or waiting for a friend for lunch. However, if I were to be writing an opinion article in Times magazine, it would be more geared towards an educated, older audience. Thus requiring me to use different language/quotes/lead ins.
2) "Dating Spider Man"
In the January 9th edition of The Post, an article about MAC basketball did not start with a quote-
which I liked. It read: "Coming off a tough loss to Robert Morros, Coach John Groce said he was proud of his team's intensity despite its diffuculty executing."
3) Rank the annoyances from least annoying to most annoying:
1- I Can't Find the Stupid Link
2- I Swear I Did Some Research
3- Uncle Barry and his Encyclopedia of Useless Information
4- Armadillo Roadkill
5- Dating Superman
6- Am I In the Right Movie?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Rosenberg Reading
Summary
Karen Rosenberg wrote about the stratagies she developed on how to get through the oh-so-enjoyable assigned reading in college english classes. These stratagies included considering everything about the author, the intended audience and how to get the most out of the reading by paying close attention to the text.
My Thoughts
I really liked this reading, and ironically, since it is about assigned reading- I didn't think it was too hard to get through. She started out by emphasizing the fact that she, like us, hates assigned reading and struggles sometimes to stay awake while reading let alone understanding the text completely. I never really thought about some of the points she made, such as getting through "the abstract". I didn't even know that existed...but it explains why sometimes the hardest part of assigned reading is getting through the first few paragraphs. That's where all the big words hangout. I also never really read through "the goals" in my textbooks. They were always just something that I skimmed over. I also never really thought about academic journals lacking a hook- I guess if you're reading an academic journal, chances are you're doing it by choice, or you're doing it because you have a quiz on it- and your hook is recieving an A on said quiz.
**question about what rhetoric means to me is under "Response Blog # 2"
Karen Rosenberg wrote about the stratagies she developed on how to get through the oh-so-enjoyable assigned reading in college english classes. These stratagies included considering everything about the author, the intended audience and how to get the most out of the reading by paying close attention to the text.
My Thoughts
I really liked this reading, and ironically, since it is about assigned reading- I didn't think it was too hard to get through. She started out by emphasizing the fact that she, like us, hates assigned reading and struggles sometimes to stay awake while reading let alone understanding the text completely. I never really thought about some of the points she made, such as getting through "the abstract". I didn't even know that existed...but it explains why sometimes the hardest part of assigned reading is getting through the first few paragraphs. That's where all the big words hangout. I also never really read through "the goals" in my textbooks. They were always just something that I skimmed over. I also never really thought about academic journals lacking a hook- I guess if you're reading an academic journal, chances are you're doing it by choice, or you're doing it because you have a quiz on it- and your hook is recieving an A on said quiz.
**question about what rhetoric means to me is under "Response Blog # 2"
Responce Blog # 3
Getting Ready to Read
How I get help while writing: I do research with Google & the library. I get feedback from teachers and peers, who recommend changes or find mistakes.
Questions for Discussion
2) I do agree with the theory of "intertext". It is almost impossible to have an idea, or an opinion on a topic that has never before been expressed. Should you really have to cite an opinion if it is your own, but someone else wrote about it before you? Intertext makes it harder for writers to be individual/unique. It is hard to stick out when so many topics have already been written about and so many opinions have so passionately been rehearsed over and over. It doesn't make writers less important, but it does make it harder to have a unique idea/opinion.
3) To Porter, autonomous writing is all about the extent to which writers say things that have already beem said. Texts and topics have been rearranged for hundreds of years- and that's what makes them unique: the ability to twist a topic, or to look at an old topic with a completely new and different outlook.
4) I believe that judging writing based on whether or not it is accepted within the writer's community is almost being close-minded. The success and acceptance of a concept being written about it not just for the niche of the writer to decide. Since sometimes, more often than not, writers are not always a direct product of their surroundings. They write to reach out to the world, not just their comfort zone. Maybe this was just the way that I interpreted this question, but I believe the best writers write to spread their message to everyone, and they do not write with a style that is comprehended by their surroundings only.
5) His writing supports his opinions of intertextuality. Since, he is definitely not the first person to write about it- he must be autonomous, and put his own twist to the topic. Intertextuality has to be true, because somewhere at some point in time he heard about, or read about the topic and he formulated his opinions of the topic and then wrote this article. It would be nearly impossible to cite the exact moment, and person that inspired his opinions and thoughts on the topic.
6) As an individual, it is harmful to write because you are not considering the opinions of others. As an isolated writer, it is harmful because you are not looking at the theories of the topic that have been writen about before you wrote your paper. And I honestly have no idea what is means to write "as a heroic".
Meta Moments
After reading this article, I have realized that it is absolutely impossible to write "completely alone". Since every person you have ever come into contact with, and every experience you have ever had has in some way, shape or form molded you and your opinions on the topic. So as you are sitting there in your dorm, or in Alden you almost have to picture every single person you've ever talked to about the topic sitting there with you whispering helpful hints and thoughts.
Summary
In Keith Grant-Davie's article: Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents, he writes about his theory of intertextuality and original/autonomous writing. By looking at how writers are influenced by their surroundings and their peers, he poses the question: is it really possible to write a paper without plagiarizing since you are using ideas/opinions that have come from your experiences/other readings?
My Own Thoughts
This article really got me thinking about plagiarizing and how you do it without even realizing it because it would be really hard to trace all of your thoughts on a topic because they are all formulated from past experiences. Also, I never really thought about how hard it is to be a unique writer, or to bring a new opinion or thought into a topic because so much has already been written about. This article definitely was useful to me and got me thinking. As a writer, it made me consider how I could make my writing more unique, and my own since any topic I would consider writing about has already been discussed/covered.
How I get help while writing: I do research with Google & the library. I get feedback from teachers and peers, who recommend changes or find mistakes.
Questions for Discussion
2) I do agree with the theory of "intertext". It is almost impossible to have an idea, or an opinion on a topic that has never before been expressed. Should you really have to cite an opinion if it is your own, but someone else wrote about it before you? Intertext makes it harder for writers to be individual/unique. It is hard to stick out when so many topics have already been written about and so many opinions have so passionately been rehearsed over and over. It doesn't make writers less important, but it does make it harder to have a unique idea/opinion.
3) To Porter, autonomous writing is all about the extent to which writers say things that have already beem said. Texts and topics have been rearranged for hundreds of years- and that's what makes them unique: the ability to twist a topic, or to look at an old topic with a completely new and different outlook.
4) I believe that judging writing based on whether or not it is accepted within the writer's community is almost being close-minded. The success and acceptance of a concept being written about it not just for the niche of the writer to decide. Since sometimes, more often than not, writers are not always a direct product of their surroundings. They write to reach out to the world, not just their comfort zone. Maybe this was just the way that I interpreted this question, but I believe the best writers write to spread their message to everyone, and they do not write with a style that is comprehended by their surroundings only.
5) His writing supports his opinions of intertextuality. Since, he is definitely not the first person to write about it- he must be autonomous, and put his own twist to the topic. Intertextuality has to be true, because somewhere at some point in time he heard about, or read about the topic and he formulated his opinions of the topic and then wrote this article. It would be nearly impossible to cite the exact moment, and person that inspired his opinions and thoughts on the topic.
6) As an individual, it is harmful to write because you are not considering the opinions of others. As an isolated writer, it is harmful because you are not looking at the theories of the topic that have been writen about before you wrote your paper. And I honestly have no idea what is means to write "as a heroic".
Meta Moments
After reading this article, I have realized that it is absolutely impossible to write "completely alone". Since every person you have ever come into contact with, and every experience you have ever had has in some way, shape or form molded you and your opinions on the topic. So as you are sitting there in your dorm, or in Alden you almost have to picture every single person you've ever talked to about the topic sitting there with you whispering helpful hints and thoughts.
Summary
In Keith Grant-Davie's article: Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents, he writes about his theory of intertextuality and original/autonomous writing. By looking at how writers are influenced by their surroundings and their peers, he poses the question: is it really possible to write a paper without plagiarizing since you are using ideas/opinions that have come from your experiences/other readings?
My Own Thoughts
This article really got me thinking about plagiarizing and how you do it without even realizing it because it would be really hard to trace all of your thoughts on a topic because they are all formulated from past experiences. Also, I never really thought about how hard it is to be a unique writer, or to bring a new opinion or thought into a topic because so much has already been written about. This article definitely was useful to me and got me thinking. As a writer, it made me consider how I could make my writing more unique, and my own since any topic I would consider writing about has already been discussed/covered.
Response Blog # 2
What "rhetoric"Means to Me:
Rhetoric to me, is the art of arguing. In terms of this class and rhetoric. I believe it refers to the basic components and guidelines of formal writing. As far as rhetoric and reading academic journals, I believe it furthers it's definition by becoming a use of highly effective writing in the instance of persuading & informing. Questions for Discussion
1) Kantz believes that facts, opinions and arguments are all theory based. She believes that everything you believe to be fact, all of your opinions, and arguments that you make, are all products of your experiences and beliefs that you have.
2) Kantz believes that the average student makes 3 major mistakes when using sources. First, students read their sources like stories. (I'm not 100% clear on what she meant by this). Second, she thinks that all students expect all sources to be completely true. And lastly, she believes that students don't look at facts as claims, but rather they think automatically that it all must be true. I agree that these are common mistakes of writers. However, I believe that most college students know by now to check the validity of their sources. We all know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable for instance.
3) I think that the article would be better named "Using Sources Effectively". While the article does talk about how to use the sources to their full potential, I believe it was more about knowing what to trust in a source, and realizing that you need to not only research your topic, but research your sources also, to make sure that they are legitimate and choose the ones that will help you the most.
6) This article has definitely made me stop and think about how I conduct my research for papers. Next time I start research for a paper, I will give more thought about not only what are the facts, but where are these facts coming from? Have they been proven? If so, then by who, and has further explaination happened since then?
Meta Moments
I believe Kantz is arguing the "rhetoric" construct. She is questioning how trustworthy and to what extent we should rely upon our research/sources. She is also questioning how to use the text constructively, and persuasively.
My Construct Challenge
I would like to challenge the "error" construct. I do believe that grammar is incredibly important. If I am reading a paper full of spelling/grammar mistakes, it is almost impossible for me to focus on the arguments/message of the paper because the errors are such a distraction. It truly takes away the reader's ability to focus in on the message of the paper because I believe, the errors are a huge distraction.
Summary
The assigned reading included a quick overview of writing constructs: plagiarism, originality, errors, rhetoric, rhetorical situation and context. The reading also included an article by Kantz, who gave a hypothetical situation involving a student doing research for a paper and the common research mistakes that students make.
My Thoughts
I agreed with the majority of Kantz's article. I support her claim that most students have semi weak reserach skills, however, I do believe that at a college level, most students now know how to conduct proper reasearch. (For the most part). Reading her article got me thinking about the validity of sources however. With the internet, it is incredibly easy to just Google something and assume it to be true because it's online. However, this isn't the case. Kantz explains that you have to research your topic AND the source. Making sure that it is truthworthy and valid.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Response Blog #1
~Getting Ready to Read:
I define an argument as a conversation between two opposing opinions. The words argument and conversation can relate, but do not always go hand in hand. Arguments can become conversational if a topic is casually brought up in conversation where two or more sides oppose one another. And a conversation can become argumentative if the conversation consists of two opposing sides, however the two conversers are dicussing the two sides neutrally. I just confused myself greatly, but as I thought about my answer-- it made perfect sense to me.
~Questions for Discussion (#1-3):
1. According to Greene, it is incredibly important to not only read about the subject you will be writing about, however, read a lot of articles/books/opinions on the topic. This way, you can take bits and pieces of all of the reading you did to not only educate yourself on the topic, but to produce an unbias, and diverse paper on the topic.
2. Burke uses the metaphor that you are going to a party, and you get there late. When you walk into the party, the conversations have already begun and you feel overwhelmed that you can't understand them because you came late. Finally, you think you've heard enough of the conversations to jump in and add your imput. Some people may shut you down, some may back you up. Even after you leave the party however, the conversations and arguments only grow more intricate and deep. I can't say that I completely understand how this all ties into writing, however if I were to guess I would say that you have to write for all types of readers because you don't know where they are jumping into the reading from. And you have to make it coherent, yet still hold your ground on the side in which you are arguing. With this being said, the book goes on to explain that all arguments stem from previous arguments, and previous statements & thoughts. It may challenge that all arguments are connected. Which kind of makes my brain hurt to think about...but in some sense, they are. Every single opinion you have, or argument you make is the result of an experience you've had. However, in terms of writing this may challenge that all of your readers/audience may not understand your arguments the same way. SO. It would be nearly impossible to write a paper that would appeal to, and be understood by, all of your audience.
3. Framing is setting up a thought provoking question that can be answered with the knowledge and the tools you have, is organized around an issue and explores the 5 W's. This concept is important to Greene because it is the basis of all argumentative writing. Not only does this get the writer thinking about their topic so they can decide on how to go about arguing it, but it allows the reader to lead into the topic and get a good stance on the author's opinion, and decide if they agree with the author, or will form their own opinion.
~Applying & Exploring Ideas:
I found Greene's article to be converstational with students who are preparing to write. He frames his argument by stating that the majority of writing an argument is not actually sitting down at your desk to type a paper, it is sitting at the library and reading multiple opinions on the topic, and finding sources that will not only back up your opinion, but make it more well rounded. For example by referencing scientific and scholarly opinions on the topic. I do believe that Greene pushes to make the arguments as conversational as possible. He believes, and goes on to support that they are more understandable when the question is framed in a thought provoking manner, and then the opinion of the author is explained and carried out in a logical and relatable fashion.
~ Reading Responses:
" In his article, Greene attempts to explain to college level writers that good argumentative writing begins with well rounded, and diverse research. He argues that before writing an argument, you need to not only complete the research but effectively frame the question at hand for your audience because you will produce the best paper this way, and they will be able to understand it to it's full potential."
Summary: Greene believes that the best argumentative papers should be 3 things: well researched, well framed, and conversational. Research should not just be done on your opinion of the matter, but all sides. The question at hand should be well framed (thought provoking and clear.) The argument should be conversational in that it makes sense to readers, and is written in a relatable way.
I define an argument as a conversation between two opposing opinions. The words argument and conversation can relate, but do not always go hand in hand. Arguments can become conversational if a topic is casually brought up in conversation where two or more sides oppose one another. And a conversation can become argumentative if the conversation consists of two opposing sides, however the two conversers are dicussing the two sides neutrally. I just confused myself greatly, but as I thought about my answer-- it made perfect sense to me.
~Questions for Discussion (#1-3):
1. According to Greene, it is incredibly important to not only read about the subject you will be writing about, however, read a lot of articles/books/opinions on the topic. This way, you can take bits and pieces of all of the reading you did to not only educate yourself on the topic, but to produce an unbias, and diverse paper on the topic.
2. Burke uses the metaphor that you are going to a party, and you get there late. When you walk into the party, the conversations have already begun and you feel overwhelmed that you can't understand them because you came late. Finally, you think you've heard enough of the conversations to jump in and add your imput. Some people may shut you down, some may back you up. Even after you leave the party however, the conversations and arguments only grow more intricate and deep. I can't say that I completely understand how this all ties into writing, however if I were to guess I would say that you have to write for all types of readers because you don't know where they are jumping into the reading from. And you have to make it coherent, yet still hold your ground on the side in which you are arguing. With this being said, the book goes on to explain that all arguments stem from previous arguments, and previous statements & thoughts. It may challenge that all arguments are connected. Which kind of makes my brain hurt to think about...but in some sense, they are. Every single opinion you have, or argument you make is the result of an experience you've had. However, in terms of writing this may challenge that all of your readers/audience may not understand your arguments the same way. SO. It would be nearly impossible to write a paper that would appeal to, and be understood by, all of your audience.
3. Framing is setting up a thought provoking question that can be answered with the knowledge and the tools you have, is organized around an issue and explores the 5 W's. This concept is important to Greene because it is the basis of all argumentative writing. Not only does this get the writer thinking about their topic so they can decide on how to go about arguing it, but it allows the reader to lead into the topic and get a good stance on the author's opinion, and decide if they agree with the author, or will form their own opinion.
~Applying & Exploring Ideas:
I found Greene's article to be converstational with students who are preparing to write. He frames his argument by stating that the majority of writing an argument is not actually sitting down at your desk to type a paper, it is sitting at the library and reading multiple opinions on the topic, and finding sources that will not only back up your opinion, but make it more well rounded. For example by referencing scientific and scholarly opinions on the topic. I do believe that Greene pushes to make the arguments as conversational as possible. He believes, and goes on to support that they are more understandable when the question is framed in a thought provoking manner, and then the opinion of the author is explained and carried out in a logical and relatable fashion.
~ Reading Responses:
" In his article, Greene attempts to explain to college level writers that good argumentative writing begins with well rounded, and diverse research. He argues that before writing an argument, you need to not only complete the research but effectively frame the question at hand for your audience because you will produce the best paper this way, and they will be able to understand it to it's full potential."
Summary: Greene believes that the best argumentative papers should be 3 things: well researched, well framed, and conversational. Research should not just be done on your opinion of the matter, but all sides. The question at hand should be well framed (thought provoking and clear.) The argument should be conversational in that it makes sense to readers, and is written in a relatable way.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
What Writing Means to Me
Writing has always come easy to me. I was never the student struggling to complete a 5 paragraph essay, or a research paper. I just did it. I was never the student who cringed at the sight of book report, or a thesis paper. I have, and always will love writing. After all, it is everywhere. It is almost impossible to make it through a day without some kind of reading/writing. To me, writing is the simplest yet most complicated form of communication. It is the basis of all interaction. Next to caveman drawings, it is the earliest form of communication. And my favorite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)