Journal Entry 4

In the Introduction to They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to structure and generate your own writing.
Specifically, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer help you successfully enter academic thinking and writing, but also the wider worlds of civic discourse and work. As the authors themselves put it, “these templates can give you an immediate sense of how to engage in the kinds of critical thinking you are required to do at the college level and in the vocational and public spheres beyond.” Although some people believe that critical thinking and writing go deeper than any set of linguistic formulas, Graff and Birkenstein insist that these deeper habits of thought cannot be put into practice unless you have a language for expressing the in clear, organized ways. In sum, hen, their view is that templates are successful in the use of it in critical thinking and writing.

I agree. In my view, the types of templates that the authors recommend can be beneficial in the development of any type of paper that may be required for us to write in college. For instance, research papers. In addition, one can use these approaches that can help them get through situational research even well after they may have graduated from college. Some might object, of course, on the grounds that templates are very straightforward and they have problems recognizing that their originality and creativity all sound similar. Yet I would argue that one should be able to use a template to get a critical thought or viewpoint out, and still be able to use their own personal point of views and thoughts to make it original. Overall, then, I believe using templates is a good way to enhance the writing of college students-an important point to make given that although, most of us have made it to college, we still are unaware of how to adequately and professionally write our own thoughts and viewpoints into our everyday schoolwork.

Journal Entry 7- Professional Editing Strategies

1. The author summarized in one paragraph about what more she was trying to find out through research when she said she was conducting an activity that consists in, “comprehending and evaluating a text written by a given author and in making making modifications to this text in accordance with the assignment or mandate given by a client. Such modifications may target aspects of information, organization, or form with a view to improving the quality of the text and enhancing its communicational effectiveness”.
2. Their research method consisted of a case study in helping them to collect information. In order to understand the information that they collected from the case study, they used a procedure called protocol analysis. Protocol analysis is a tool developed by cognitive psychologists that has been widely used to understand the process underlying both writing and revision.
3. Unlike students, professional editors rarely have to read to grasp what their assignment because they almost receive it orally from their clients. While in the students case, when it comes to reading and editing, they have to read it numerous times to catch even the littlest of miistakes.

Making A Better Choice

Bids for student’s virginity hit $6.7 million

3. Listen Natalie, you have to sit down and think to yourself, in the long run, whether your morality and your virginity is worth more than money. Yea, your sister might have resorted to selling her body for money, but you have opportunity to go to school, to get a great education, and make something for yourself. If you can’t afford school, you can always take out loans. If you ever want kids, you don’t want to know about how you sold your body for money. In order to make a living, this sets a horrible example for your kids and every other woman who is watching. Basically, you’re saying that it is ok for a young woman to sell their body for money.

Journal Entry 6-"The Rhetorical Situation"

1. Bitzer causes quite the confusion amongst readers and writers when he brings up the phrase “rhetorical situation” because they tend to misinterpret the word “situation” in the phrase. Bitzer explains that he understands that “situation” is not a term used when it comes to the use of rhetorical theory. He doesn’t mean “situation” as in a moment or period in time. He mentions how no major theorist has come about to treat the rhetorical situation as a distinct subject, but ignore it.

2. Bitzer uses the phrase to extract the nature of the contexts in which the speakers or writers use to create rhetorical discourse. He went on to give examples of questions that would be answered when dealing with rhetorical situations like, “How should they be described? What are their characteristics? Why and how do they result in the creation of rhetoric?” He also mentions how he hopes to establish it as a controlling and fundamental concern of rhetorical theory.

3. Exigence is defined in the dictionary as urgency, or a case or situation that demands prompt action. Bitzer defines exigence as “an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be”. It was then explained the difference between an ordinary exigence and one that occurs in writing when said, “an exigence is rhetorical when it is capable of positive modification and when positive modification requires discourse or can be assisted by discourse”. An example of exigence that can be used for someone to respond to in writing is the new financial plan that President Obama is trying to put into effect and how it will help our slowing economy to finally revive itself to its fullest potential.

Journal Entry #3

"Inventing the University"

1. What Bartholomae means when said that students must "invent the university" when they write in college is that a student must be able to accept that they have now reached a new level in their educational studies. That now, being past the high school level, we must take on a completely new approach when writing educational papers. Students must be able to write appropriately in college and not get stuck on the mindset that they have now moved on from. The way that studies are now conducted in universities is much more differentiated and professional compared to that of the prior learning. A student should then be able to learn how to take in different standpoints of arguments and studies, and be able to come up with their own personal point of views that one day may be used in their field of profession.
2. Bartholomae suggests that students should consider themselves as privileged to be allowed to being, "the insider", the person with the inside information to a very important course. One is to also take into fact they should also feel privileged on being able to speak on the subject. As students, we are expected to be active and engaged in what we speak about, but we are also expected to continue to improve our style of writing. Thus, slowly, but surely, we tend to pull away from the presence of typical writing, as to more formal and professional writing.
3. The handful of differences between the examples of student writing Bartholomae examines and opinionated are interesting in its own ways. The first writing seems to be of less thought and structure, while the second writing seems like a lot more effort and thought was put into work.The use of vocabulary can be significantly distinguished between the two papers. In addition, the first paper had a somewhat more arrogant point of view for creativity, while the second writing was more open and knowledgeable of the things that influence us him in life. The first writer took it upon himself to accept full credit for his "creativity", while the second writer was more observant and open to admit that his "creativity" was influenced by the things that he may do on a daily basis. Bartholomae felt as the first writing was not very elegant or influential. However, the second writing, obviously being more well written, he saw as more consistent and grammatically correct. The writer of the second paper was more tougher to read and understand, thus, Barholomae says that it will be easier to accept the idea that indeed the writing was "original and unique".

Workshop 1 - Expertise and Interests

Expertise in :

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Football
• Coaching
• Playing Pool
• Video Games
• Fantasy Sports

Interested in:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Football
• Music
• Traveling
• Movies

Journal Entry 2- Toulmin Analysis

Toulmin analysis of the connection between behavioral problems during your teenage years with adulthood can be broken down into many different areas. The claim itself is the fact that there is a connection between behavioral issues during one's teenage years to poor outcome during adulthood. The study was published in the British Medical Journal, but the qualifier of the study is from a national survey of health and development done by the Medical Research Council. The reality is that we know that, granted, poor behavior can lead to a poor outcome. This is warranted. The grounds from the study are based on the fact that researchers have long believed that there is a connection between teenage behavioral issues and a poor adulthood. Numerous amounts of data were acquired from the study.The study called for the observation of more than 3500 people, which started with the initial observation around the age of 13 or 15. Problematic behaviors included disobedience, lying, restlessness, daydreaming during school, and poor behavior towards discipline. The researchers included evidence like this to show that indeed there just might be a connection with the two. Most of this data was also backed up when even those that were studied that showed even mild behavioral issues also had a poor outcome during adulthood. More than 1000 of these adolescents who showed this less severe behavioral issues increased the likelihood of divorce, alcohol abuse, and overall life adversity. The use of Toulmin analysis helps us better understand what is being researched or studied by breaking things down to specific details.

To read more about the article go to: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/09/adolescent.behavior/index.html

Misbehaving teens at risk for adulthood problems?

The current article that I just recently read is an argument about the connection behavioral problems during your teenage years may have with the development of mental and personal problems during adulthood. The study was published in the British Medical Journal and a national survey of health and development from the Medical Research Council. The study called for the observation of more than 3500 people, which started with the initial observation around the age of 13 or 15. Problematic behaviors included disobedience, lying, restlessness, daydreaming during school, and poor behavior towards discipline. This study is a fact of a claim. The researchers included evidence like this to show that indeed there just might be a connection with the two. They also concluded that even those that were studied that showed even mild behavioral issues also had a poor outcome during adulthood. More than 1000 of these adolescents who showed this less severe behavioral issues increased the likelihood of divorce, alcohol abuse, and overall life adversity. These results do not necessarily mean that behavioral problems during the years of adolescence will cause complications later in life, but the connection may in fact be due to underlying factors, such as mental illness, or negative environment that does the change over time.

This article can be found at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/09/adolescent.behavior/index.html