What I've learned....

What have I learned in this class that will help me in the future?  Well in the near future it will help me in my class next semester. I’ve learned how to become a better writer and I have realized that you can’t just throw words down a piece of paper and turn it in.  You have to research, organize your thoughts, write, and rewrite. Although I feel like I have struggled all semester through this class, I do feel a sense of accomplishment. Thanks to all of you for the kind words and for building my self-confidence in this class.  Good luck everyone!

Agree to Disagree

The naysayers (parents and coaches) will make their argument by saying that there are health and psychological benefits to children playing sports. Health benefits that they would mention are that physical activity promotes healthy bones, healthy heart and can help prevent chronic illnesses and cancer.  My response would be that I agree however if practiced too hard and/or too long can also result in overuse injuries. They also will argue that physical activity promotes higher self-esteem and those children are less likely to be depressed.  My response to that is once again I agree but if the children are forced to play a sport that they don’t enjoy this will only result in lower self-esteem. Because if they don’t enjoy the sport then they are less likely to excel and low self-esteem results in depression.  I am on the fence with this topic because the benefits of sports are wonderful as long as are not overdone.

 

 

Works Cited

 

"The Health Benefits of Sport and Physical Activity." : International Platform on Sport and Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.

 

Mueller, McKayla. "Sports Should Be Fun, Not Forced." Cranford Chronicle -. Nj.com, 13 Mar. 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

 

 

Naysayer

Naysayer….this is new to me, so naturally I had a hard time brainstorming this for my topic.  My topic is over parents forcing children to participate in sports so my naysayers will be parents, coaches, and could possibly be the community. When brainstorming this topic most of the website posts are about parents forcing their children.  I think that the coaches and communities can highly influence children by pushing them to over work their bodies in practice and games.  Communities can influence sports by being really involved in certain sports with high expectations of athletes.

 I tend to agree with both side of this topic.  I love sports but I would not force my child to play a sport; now I will recommend them to play but if they truly do not want to play that is their choice. By forcing someone to do something you will never get the outcome that you would like. In my opinion if you go in half-hearted you will only get half-hearted results.

Rogerian Argument

Our next assignment is a Rogerian Argument.  In this essay we have to take our informative essay that we recently finished and turn it into a discussion where you argue your side and convince your audience to side with you.  Within this essay we are required to use logos, pathos, and ethos to support your evidence.  We also have to include “naysayers” and agree to disagree with their point of views. This paper needs to be at least 2000 words this time instead of the usual 1500, which is something I will probably struggle with but I’m optimistic.

Informative Research Paper Self Review

The topic that I’ve decided to research and write about is “The Effects of Forcing Sports on Children”. With this topic being a very debatable topic, it is important to inform people of the effects. Also being from a small town where youth and adult sports is important, this topic sort of hits home so I hard time not expressing my opinion. My paper still needs some work for sure but I feel like I’ve made some progress from my last paper. I noticed that I do need to follow the self-review questions a little closer and try not to wonder off topic but I’m confident I will it will be fine.

Unnecessary Pressure

The topic that I chose to write about is the effects of forcing children to play sports.  During my research I’ve discovered some of the top reasons why children quit playing sports and it has a lot to do with parents.  Everyone knows someone that is reliving their school ball days or just living through their child’s sports. This may sound funny to some but it’s a real problem and is causing children to quit sports due to the pressure of their parents and coaches.  This sort of pressure can be the result of players not performing on the level that is expected, parents and coaches getting too worked up about situations, and/or players not getting enough playing time. (Lancaster) It’s one thing to encourage your child to play and have fun but it’s another to yell and get upset and make yourself look like a fool.  I can relate to the intensity of playing a sport and being a spectator because I can get pretty caught up in the game but what needs to be recognized is the fact that we are there for the children, to encourage them to give it their all, and  feed them positive criticism. We need to use the old saying of “practice what you preach” because you wouldn’t want you child to act out because a play was called incorrectly, right?

 

Works Cited

 

Lancaster, Scott. "Why Kids Quit Sports & 7 Things to Do When Your Child Wants to Quit." Why Kids Quit Sports & 7 Things to Do When Your Child Wants to Quit. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Appearance is Everything

Normally appearance isn’t everything but when it comes to the look of a document or web site it is.  Mike Rundle said it well when he the principals are nothing but C.R.A.P.  He explained that in order to have a great looking site you have to have Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. To have contrast you need to have your features be dramatically different, you don’t want the reader to confuse what is related and what is not.  Use Repetition; be consistent with your styles, you don’t it to look chaotic.  It’s always good to have a good Alignment; all elements need to be aligned and have a nice flow for the reader’s eye. Finally use Proximity; group your features together just like you would group apples with apples and oranges with oranges.  Don’t mix apples and oranges together.   The bottom line is if anything is attractive then it will get a second glance no matter what.  It’s good to be your own critic on this; ask yourself if you would want to stop and read this or move on to something bigger and better. Just face it if you would spend the time to build a good flowing site then no one will want to check it out.

Miracles

My selected reading is a story called “I Survived….Plunging Into An Icy River” by Daniella Overtt.  The story is about a woman and her 2 year old daughter, Ashlyn, that had been visiting her parents in Atlanta and needed to get back home.  Her father works for an airline so she had the pleasure of flying for free as long as there was an opening. On the day of departure she and Ashlyn had been bumped from flight to flight and could be delayed for days so they decided to rent a car and drive 13 hours to get home.  After driving three fourths of the way home the mother fell asleep at the wheel on a bridge and they plunged into a frozen river.  Somehow they both made it out of the car with moderate injuries but still worried about freezing to death while trying to get someone to stop to help them.  Finally after running a ways she was able to make a driver stop in a parking lot and called 911.  When the car was pulled out of the water no one could believe that they made it out alive.

The only way that this story persuaded me was to not fall asleep at the wheel and to pull over when I’m that sleepy.  I liked reading this story because it shows how someone can be so brave in such horrible situation but it also scares me because having a wreck and plunging into water is one of my fears.  All that I can think about is how am I going to get my boys out if this happens.

What does the future hold?

The causes of media and campaign misinformation are the fact that it is easier to lie than tell the truth.  The media and the campaign supporters are out to get the juiciest information possible and if the information is positive they want to pick any negative out and blow it up.  When election year rolls around I am sick and tired of hearing about who did what in the past and what they promise for the future.  When really the fact of the matter is they just are telling us what they think we want to hear and we are fooled once again and by the time we are to cast our vote, who really knows who the right candidate is.  The sad thing is that these people are the ones that we trust to run our country.  The only way to really solve the problems with media and campaign misinformation is to increase the amount of people checking for the facts.  And even then can we trust that information is the whole truth, it seems like we could be checking the facts until we turn blue in the face.  The whole situation is frustrating and I worry about what the future holds for my children.

The Real Loser: Truth

I have to admit that it took me a few times reading this essay to understand what Kruse was trying to tell us.  What I gathered from it was that just like when we were kids, it was easier to lie or bend the truth than tell the truth. Of course in politics we hear about a person’s life mistakes rather than what has been done right. Kruse begins with giving us a history of how far back bending the truth goes. He goes on with giving specific examples of how politicians will go to the ends of the earth to win an election; by that point you realize that any correct or incorrect information is game and really the only loser is the truth because it’s not given a fair chance.

 I understand that when you are running for an office you of course want to win. But at who’s cost and do you really want to ruin someone’s life by not telling the truth? Kruse’s statement about how easy it is to fool the voters long enough to get their vote and get into the White House is the truth because how many times has that happened.  This essay is just sad; it makes me worry about what won’t do to get ahead.

Technology....like it or not........

Do we control technology or does technology control us?  Those are very good questions and

I can answer yes to both.  Yes, technology is everywhere and we all use it every day in one way or another.  When I think about the many ways I use technology it sounds like technology controls me because I use it from morning until night. I use it as an alarm, to check the weather, bluetooth my phone calls to my car, online classes, and of course Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as I’m rocking my youngest son to sleep.  In today’s society it’s almost impossible not to use technology.  Will technology eventually control us?  I believe that the answer to that question is also yes it will someday because as the old-school generations are becoming outnumbered by the younger generation and technology is all they know.  And it’s not their fault; it’s just the world that we live in today. This worries me because many of the younger generation already has a hard time communicating face-to-face and expressing emotions in ways other than text. It makes me wonder what the technology world will be like when my children have children.  The only way to make sure that we control technology is to control our time that we spend with it.

Taking the Good with the Bad

Technology has changed me in good and bad ways.  I’ll start with good; I love my smart phone and the ability to text my family members.  Yes it’s good to call and actually speak to them but when I just want to let them know that I was thinking of them and that I love them I give them a quick text. Being able to have Facebook on my phone is another great way to keep in contact with family that lives away.  The option of online classes was a wonderful feature of technology that has helped me go to school while having a full time job.  Probably the best thing about having internet at my fingertips is being able to look up anything that I have a question about. On the flip side however I’ve become really impatient with my computer or phone it’s not loading as fast as I expect it to.  With technology being so accessible I have the habit of picking up my phone and looking at Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter when I have more productive things to do.  I find myself disciplining my son about not being on his Xbox or iPod and the next thing I know my husband has his nose stuck on Twitter or myself on Facebook.  That is a real slap in the face and I need to practice what I preach. 

The World Today

Computers, smart phones, and tablets….seems like everything is connected to the Internet. Some days I wish we could go back to the good old days we didn't have a constant need for an electronic device.  I think that “Alone Together” probably applies to just about every household.  Some nights I look around and my husband and I are both on our laptops working on homework, our nine year son is on his iPod or playing Xbox live, and our two year old is asking for mommy or daddy’s iPhone and I think this is sad.  This is the perfect example of our family being together but being alone.  However we are not actually alone because someone is tracking our every move; this is very discomforting as a parent.  

I feel like filter bubbles and Internet trackers go hand in hand.  Trackers are keeping track of you and your information and filter bubbles keep track of what your interests are.  I have noticed that when I am searching on Google it likes to guess what I am searching for and I don’t care for that at all. I feel that when a search engine is trying to guess what I want to research it is limiting me on what I could find.  I think that everyone is in some sort of filter bubble and we just don’t realize it.  The scary thing is that the Internet is so powerful now, what does the future hold?

 

Here We Go.....

Writing an informative research paper is exactly what it sounds like; you are doing research on a topic to inform your audience.  To begin you need to choose a topic that interests you so that you don’t get tired of researching and writing about it.  Your topic cannot be about any of the banned topics but does need to be narrow enough so that you are not overwhelmed with information.  Take time to really research use five or more sources, put all of the information together to will help you explain your topic well.  From there you need to start actually writing your paper.  The first paragraph is your thesis statement or a summarization of the whole paper without telling the reader whether you agree or disagree, you have to remember that this paper is to inform not argue your side.  The following paragraphs need to support the thesis or topic.  Your thesis statement along with the “body” paragraphs need to be well organized to maintain the clarity of your topic; remember the goal of this paper is for your reader to learn from you.  Within your paper you will need to use MLA-style in-text citations, as well as a work cited page.

Using the Library

This week’s blog was to learn how to use the Kent Library to research; this lesson was a repeat of my UI 100 class. After using search path I realized just how easy the Kent Library was to use, it’s a hidden treasure.  I plan to try and use the library before using Google.  I’ll probably have to review the tutorials a few more times before getting used to using it, but like all other things….it’s a work in progress.

I'm frustrated!

What frustrates me the most is the fact that I can explain how to write a rhetorical analysis in my blogs but then when it comes to writing the paper I’m stumped. I feel like my paragraphs support my thesis statement but I’m not comfortable with my flow of my paper. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I don’t know if I’m picking the wrong pieces to analyze or if the problem is just me. Regardless on which one is the problem I'm frustrated!

Some habits are hard to break....

The article “The Unathletic Department” that I chose for last week’s blog was something that I think that everyone could relate to. While the feelings throughout the article were familiar to me, the subject was foreign.  The article was about finishing last in the 500 freestyle swim meet and the 500 freestyle meet was something I needed to understand.  What I discovered was the 500 freestyle meet is a 500 yard swim that you have to use the perfect technique for balancing your energy. A swimmer can’t start out with too much speed because of the use of too much energy and also shouldn’t start the race to slow because they may not be able to catch up. My first instinct is to “Google” it to get a quick and clear answer, however I am supposed to also you the Kent Library.  Google was definitely quicker and easier to work but the library was just as efficient.

Everyone can relate......

The assignment this week was to select an essay to analyze for the Rhetorical Analysis and Response essay and paraphrase it.  The essay that I chose was “The Unathletic Department” by Meghan from Johns Hopkins University.  Meghan explains her memory of being on a swim team and finishing last in the 500 freestyle swim meet. As the essay starts Meghan sets a sad tone about finishing last and how her ribbon looks just like the first place ribbon. As the essay continues you feel sorry for her because we all have finished in last place at some time or another. She explains how she felt when getting out of the water the second to the last swimmer was already dressed.  Meghan says “However, as I walked back to my team, carrying the seventh place blue, listening to the splash of the new event’s swimmers, I could not help but smile.” After reading that sentence she made me want to read more to see what she meant.  What Meghan did was change the emotion from sad to grateful.  She was grateful for that lose because she realized there is more to life than finishing first.

I will begin to analyze the essay by telling the title and author.  Next I will summarize what the essay was about and whether I agreed or disagreed with the author and why. In the body of the analysis I will have details that explain why I agreed or disagreed and also note any structures or specific emotions. In the last paragraph I will again summarize the essay and give my opinion about how convincing the author was.

 

Works Cited

 

Meghan. "Johns Hopkins University Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Apply, Essays That Worked, Class of 2017." Johns Hopkins University Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Apply, Essays That Worked, Class of 2017. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013.

I'm Guilty

Our assignment this week is to find or write the longest sentence you can and rewrite it using fewer words without losing any effectiveness. After reviewing the Paramedic Method I knew that I was guilty of using the confusing run-on sentences. I decided to look through my previous blogs and found more run-on sentences than I care to speak about. The following sentence is an example of run-on that comes from one of my very own blogs.

My first step to writing a paper or essay is researching my topic, which probably takes more time than it should due to not narrowing my topic; next is browsing through articles, which turns into more researching because I’m not finding what I want; and finally printing them. (wow is all I can say) 

The revision:

Researching the topic and printing information initiates my writing process.

Revising a sentence using the Paramedic Method on my own is a lesson in itself, especially when it’s a sentence of your own. The paramedic method defines how to repair a long, confusing sentence within its name.  I now understand that the quality of words is more important than quantity of the words.  I have to admit that I used these sentences to help with my word count but now these sentences will be harder for me use.

Tim Collins....Straight from the Heart

I think that Tim Collins did an amazing job in describing Marie Fatayi-Williams’ speech in “Straight from the Heart”.  Mr. Collins makes the reader feel like they are standing in the crowd during the actual speech about the death of her son. He paints the picture of the red double-decker bus that involved in the bombing in the city of London.  Tim describes Marie’s words to “have fed such an acute hunger for explanation, have slaked such a thirst (hunger & thirst are related words) for expression of the sheer horror of Thursday’s events.”  The examples “orators, statesmen and playwrights, of Shakespeare, Churchill, or Lincoln” are superordinates used to describe how great her speech was.  Mr. Collins gives the visual of Marie holding her son’s picture as her emotions of despair; hopelessness and the longing to be with her son makes the reader feel her heartache uses pathos.  Since Mr. Collins relates and shares the emotions of being a writer gives him creditably (ethos).  At the end of Tim Collins analysis of “Straight from the Heart”, the reader has heartache for Marie’s loss but also the feeling of inspiration due to the fact that she could stand up in front of a crowd and give such a courageous speech. Tim Collins' analysis is just breathtaking.

Rhetorical?

Once I googled the meaning of the word Rhetorical, I had a more of an understanding of what my blog was supposed to be about, but still a little confused. So here goes nothing.....After selecting a debatable article or essay that interests me, I will start with an introductory paragraph that gives a brief explanation of what my article is about. I will also include if I agree or disagree with the author and if they were convincing enough.  After the first paragraph I will build the body of my essay that gives details that support the beginning paragraph. Within the body of my essay I will explain what emotions that the author is using and what format is being used. The ending paragraph of my essay will resemble the beginning paragraph. I will again summarize what the article or essay was about and give my conclusion on if I was convinced or not and why or why not.

Self Reviewing Questions......Not good.

Wow, using the self-review questions really lowered my self-confidence in writing and makes me realize that I have a lot to learn.  Writing has always been a huge weakness for me; they say that we are our own worst enemy and at this time, that statement couldn’t be any truer.  After answering those questions, I realized that I left out things that are needed to make my paper complete. I have been worried about this paper from the very beginning, but I will take the criticism and move on to becoming a more efficient writer; hopefully. I feeling pretty silly now.

Comparing Styles

My writing process isn’t really a process; it’s more like chaos in my head. When reading Natasha Ribble’s writing process, she and I are very similar; we both seem to overthink things and are not strong writers.  I wouldn’t call myself a procrastinator though, but because I tend to overthink assignments take longer than they should. Writing has always been a weakness of mine and I don’t like be weak or to lose, so usually I try to turn them into challenges. Natasha mentioned how her biggest problem is getting started.  I’m the same, I’ll pick a topic and research and get good information and then I’m stumped and that’s where a lot of my time is wasted.

I wish it was easier for me to write papers and essays; one way I’m planning to improve this is actually using an outline or the app that Brooklyn Earnheart mentioned in her writing process blog. This app, Mind Map Diagram, looks to be very beneficial to me. Even without the app, Brooklyn seems very relaxed with how to write a paper while, I’m stressing about future papers already. I also am going to try and use the steps listed in our book; prepare, explore my reading, plan and organize, draft, and review and revise.  I feel like I prepare and explore pretty well, but I start struggling when it comes to planning and organizing my thoughts; which is odd because I am a planner and an organized person, there’s always room for improvement.  I realize that when I am intimidated about something, it is a weakness that I have either consciously or subconsciously and I hope that this class will help me with this.

Will Dave Duncan return to baseball?

The article I found is from Fox Sports and relates to my favorite MLB team, The St. Louis Cardinals.  Dave Duncan, a former pitching coach for the Cardinals, was the topic and whether he will return to baseball. Duncan left the Cardinals in January of 2012 due to his wife fighting brain cancer; she died in June later that year and currently his son, Chris Duncan also a former Cardinal, is also fighting brain cancer. Duncan says that he’s not sure if he’s ready to coach just yet but would listen to any club that is serious. (Rosentha)

 The article explains some of Duncan’s career; he was a catcher for Kansas City, Oakland, Cleveland, and Baltimore and later coached in Cleveland; he also coached with Tony La Russa for 28 seasons with several teams. Duncan says that he loves the game, just not some of the issues that come with it. (Rosentha)

This article shows mostly pathos as it explains Dave Duncan’s loss of his wife to brain cancer; many can relate to a loss of a loved one and unfortunately through cancer. The article continues with pathos by explaining about his son also battling cancer. I couldn’t image losing my spouse to a terrible disease and then having to worry about losing your son the same way.  Duncan’s career could be considered logos because they are facts and can be researched.

 

Rosentha, Ken. "Duncan Mulls Return to Baseball." FOX Sports. N.p., 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.

Using Logos, Pathos, & Ethos

When dealing with Logos, Pathos, and Ethos; you are inviting your audience to go on a journey with you.  For an example, if you were giving a speech on speaking out against suicide, your audience would want to know how you are linked to this issue. You would then explain to the audience how you felt at the moment you were told that your father had committed suicide.  This would be pathos because the audience will feel your despair.  You would continue with how as a young adult with younger siblings, you dealt with this tragedy. By letting the audiences relate to your story, you receive creditability; ethos. To give facts or concrete information, you could show them the death certificate or the newspaper report.

 

Using Logos, Pathos, and Ethos in your writing can be very beneficial to both the writer and the audience.  Literature containing logos, pathos, and ethos, not only allows you to express your emotions about the topic but also lets your audience agree and engage with you or disagree and ask questions on the topic.

Know Your Audience

Deciding how to speak or to write to different groups all depends on who they are and their age range. I speak to both of my children different and then also speak to my husband another way. When speaking to my youngest, who is two, I use simple words that are easily repeated and easily understood; with my oldest, who is nine, I speak to him more complex and more like an adult.  It is easy to carry on a conversation with my oldest because if he doesn’t understand something he is able to ask questions. Communicating with my husband is just like speaking to any other friend or family member; you use slang and words that you both are comfortable of using.

 

The best way to speak or write for an academic audience is to be organized and structured; using a thesis statement is a great way to start or end your essay or paper.  Regardless on where you decide to place your thesis statement, an academic audience expects the opening sentences or paragraph to be clear in presenting your topic and in what direction you are taking them.  It’s important to not wonder off in a different direction than you stated in the beginning; an easy way to stay on track is to use the PEE Structure.  Point: the main focus of the paragraph; Evidence: backs your point and thesis statement; and Explanation: proves your point and thesis statement.  If you are able to incorporate these tips into your essay or paper, you should be able to get your audience’s attention and retain their attention.

My Own Process of Writing

My writing process is not as well organized as I thought it was; it’s actually chaos that only causes me hours of unnecessary stress. My first step to writing a paper or essay is researching my topic, which probably takes more time than it should due to not narrowing my topic; next is browsing through articles, which turns into more researching because I’m not finding what I want; and finally printing them.  Once my articles are printed, I attempt to thoroughly read through each of them and highlight what information will be beneficial to my paper.  Then, I usually make notes in the margins reminding me what I should use to open my paper with and what to include and finally piecing all my information together. At this point my stress level is extremely high because I am aggravated with how long it’s taking me to gather everything and by then I’m not even satisfied with the topic that I selected. I never once think about my audience; however, I do try to make it enjoyable for my instructor to read. I’ve came to the conclusion that I tend to really over think writing a paper. After reading the text and viewing the videos, I realize that there is an easier way to completing a paper or essay and my process was way off base.

Online Classes

The best way to participate and to stay involved in an online class is pretty much the same as you would as if you were in an actual classroom.  Always being prepared is the main key, reading over the agenda or syllabus to see what will be discussed in class, if you’re unsure on the topic take a few moments to do some research because being knowledgeable will make it easier to discuss with others.  Make the discussion into a conversion as if you were talking with friends.  Always have the  proper supplies, there’s nothing worse than sitting down to start homework and having to get back up and losing your train of thought.  Distractions can be more difficult when taking an online class because you don’t have the instructor standing in front of you.  Try to go to a different room where it is quiet so that you will be able to concentrate, because it is up to you to stay focused.  Taking notes is a must, as you’re listening to the lectures or watching the videos take notes, it will only make it easier on you to refer back to later. Just because you are taking a class online doesn’t mean that you don’t need to take notes.  Always feel free to ask questions; there are no wrong questions, you never know someone else maybe wondering the something but they are afraid to ask.

Sarah Gibson

Hello everyone, my name is Sarah Gibson. I’ve been married for 12 years and I am the mother of  two small boys and live in the small town of Dexter, which is right in between Sikeston, known for Lambert's "Home of the throwed rolls" and Poplar Bluff.  I am majoring in Business Administration and I currently work at Montgomery Bank in Dexter. 

The one major challenge that I continue to overcome is the loss of my father.  My father passed away when I was 18 and just starting my senior year of high school. My father’s passing left my family with many unanswered questions, which was extremely difficult for a child at my age and my two younger brothers of nine and seven. With this sort of tragedy comes many other challenges throughout life, that being said, I haven’t completely overcame my father’s death, but I have overcame some of the curve balls life has thrown my way.

My goals for this class is to get a better understanding of writing and conquer may fear of writing papers.  In high school I always dreaded writing papers, essays, or any compositions that required more than just a few sentences. It’s funny now that I am older I am paying to go to school, I see the importance of the time spent when I didn’t want to be in class.