Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In this blog post I will be reflecting on my work through the course by answering the provided bulleted questions.

Alan Wolf, "Midland Painted Turtle" taken on August 27th, 2005 via Flickr Attribution Generic 2.0

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?

The biggest challenge for me that came up with this course was the work load. Out of all my courses it was the most demanding and required the most time. Learning to balance this with my other classes that I was taking was the biggest challenge that I faced. This course required a significant amount of work each day.

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?

Through this course I learned that I have strong time management skills. I turned everything in on time and never procrastinated the deadlines. I never had to do a ton of work on Saturday as I spaced out my work over the week. My writing skills were stronger than I thought as I created some pieces of writing that I was very proud of. My editorial skills increased in strength due to the structured peer reviews we did. The project three peer review helped me learn how to peer review more effectively.

3. What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.

What I learned about the concept of "genre" was that there is a certain way of writing depending on the genre. The genre is like a set of rules, and the rules are the conventions of the genre. You must follow these rules to successfully write in the genre. You cannot simply pick a genre and not follow the conventions. By following the conventions you are then writing in the genre.

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?

One skill I know I improved on was my time management skills. I also know that my editorial skills have improved. Before this I would rarely edit my papers. I would try to write the paper to the best of my capability the first time around and then not revisit it. I still write it to the best of my capability but I now know how to edit it to make it even better.

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H?

I would say that my project three was my most effective moment. I used a genre that allowed me to be creative and I was very proud of how my project turned out. It followed the conventions, was effective for it's purpose, and looked professionally done. It allowed me to create a project using everything that I learned in the course.

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H?

My least effective moment was the punctuation posts. I did not like doing those at all and my blog posts were very forced. I felt as if it was unnecessary busy work. I understood why we were doing the punctuation blog posts but I feel as if no one actually allowed themselves to learn about punctuation by doing them.

Revisiting My Writing Process

In this blog post I will be revisiting the first two blog posts that I made in this course. I will reflect on them, seeing how I have changed as a writer and how my time management has changed. I will also be looking forward to the future.

Dean Shareski, "Mirrors" taken on August 3rd, 2009 via Flickr Attribution Generic 2.0

My Writing Process:
At the beginning of the semester I considered myself a heavy planner with a dash of heavy reviser. I think I have become a better balance between the two. I have learned to take some of the time I would use on planning and use it to revise. I plan slightly less and revise more. This course has taught me to simply "crank" out pieces of writing due to it's heavy workload so I have learned to create a rough draft that can simply be crafted into a final draft. Looking forward, this class has taught me to work diligently and stay on top of my work. I think I have learned to edit and revise much better. I have also learned to understand a grading rubric better and learned how to create a piece of writing based off of a rubric. For the future and rest of my college schooling I think that his class has taught me to write in different genres. It has made me a more diverse writer and more efficient writer. I will continue to be a nice blend of heavy planner and heavy reviser. Depending on the genre I will be able to lean more to one side if that is what will work better for that genre.

Calendar reflection:
Looking back on my calendar reflection was amusing because it is funny how much I thought i'd be able to do. I actually have done a decent job balancing everything I feel like. I was correct about choosing between hanging with friends and going to the recreation center. I seem to have more free time than I did in high school but I also seem to have more stuff to fill it with. I think this course has taught me to not procrastinate because if you do it leads to the worst weekend of your life. I have done everything I have sought to do in college so far and I feel like I have managed my time well. Moving forward, I would like to go to the rec more. I tend to nap a lot so maybe I will cut back on that and go to the rec instead. I believe this course has shown me that I will keep working hard. I survived this class when at time I thought I would not and I am proud of that.

Reflection on Project 3

In this blog post I will be answering the reflection questions on page 520 of Writing Public Lives. 

Daniel Stockman, "Corgi Puppies", taken on May 28th, 2011 via Flickr Attribution-ShareALike 2.0 Generic License.

1. What was changed from the first draft to the final was the platform, I switched from power-point to a prezi. I also added a voice over to it to make it more like a presentation. 
2. I did not change my thesis/organization too much as I felt that it was created effectively the first time around. I made the prezi very organized, moving from one idea to the next. 
3. Audience had a lot to do with the structure and organization of my prezi. I wanted to make it clear what the argument was first before introducing the counter arguments. I also emphasized on addressing what computer science is first. 
4. I feel that it strengthens my credibility. I am making an effort to make sure the whole topic, pros and cons are all laid out there for the audience to see. I am not holding back and i'm confident in my argument so it makes me more credible. 
5. These changes will make it so the audience has a full grasp on the topic and in turn will side with my argument. The venue is perfect for a prezi because it is simple and an interesting presentation. 
6. I made sure to not put too much words or sentences on any one slide. I did not want any slide to be overwhelming to the audience so they were more of talking points. 
7. By understanding the whole topic and not this my side, the audience will understand what my purpose in my argument is. If they understand all the aspects of the topic then they will understand where i'm coming from and it will be more clear to them. 
8. The only conventions that I had to consider was the limited text space on the slides so it was not overwhelming. I also had to put the voice-over on the presentation in order to make it effective with the talking points. 
9. Through reflecting I realized as a writer I can adapt to any genre with not much difficultly. This presentation was difficult to make but I feel like it achieves it's purpose and is effective. I feel pretty confident and proud of this project. 

Publishing Public Argument

COMPLETEEEEEE! Here is the link to the final copy of my PREZI.

Moyan Brenn, "Happiness" taken on March 30th, 2014 via Flickr, Attribution Generic 2.0

Now to answer the provided questions:

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←---------------------------------------X-----------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←-----X----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         ___X___ My public argument etablishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument prooposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         _______ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

For my public argument I gave insight to how computer science can provide much more than just learning computer science. I explained how it would be beneficial for the students in the way that they think, setting themselves up for job opportunities, and diversifying a one-dimensional work field. I also gave reasons as to why the counter-arguments were refutable. 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

                    __x__ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

                    __x___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

                    __x___ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

                    __x__ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

                    __x__ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

                    __x__ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

                    __x__ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

                    _____ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

                    __x__ Other: Voice over of presentation

Emotional appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

                    __x__ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

                    __x__ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

                    __x__ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

                    __x__ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

                    __x__ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    __x__ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    __x_ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

                    __x__ Other: Voice over of presentation

Logical or rational appeals

                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    __x__ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    _____ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

                    _____ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

                    __x__ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

                    __x__ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

                    __x__ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

                    __x__ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

                    __x__ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

Prezi 1

Prezi 2

Prezi 3

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

For the peer reviewing I peer reviewed the drafts of Gabee and Joy. 
Their peer review sheets can be found through the links below
Gabee's peer review
Joy's peer review


I will now be answering the provided questions regarding reflecting over my project three draft. 

1. Who reviewed your Project 3 rough draft?

No one has peer reviewed my draft. I would wait and see until later if someone reviewed it but I have to finish this deadline before right now since I have work until midnight. 

2. What did you think and/or feel about the feedback you received? Be explicit and clear. 

Tell me what helped or what confused you about the feedback you got.

No feedback was given from peer reviews but my conference with Professor Bottai was helpful. He suggested to use more evidence if I make bold claims. He also suggested to do a voice over. He also suggested to show the counter arguments in the beginning to make it seem as if I am arguing against something. 

3. What aspects of Project 3 need to most work going forward [Audience, Purpose, 

Argumentation, or Genre]? How do you plan on addressing these areas? 

I will need to move a counter argument to the start of the presentation and I will need to make my claims either less bold or provide evidence to back them up. 

4. How are you feeling overall about the direction of your project after peer review and/or instructor conferences this week?

I really like my presentation and like what I have going with it. It is effective and is visually appealing. I think it gets my argument across and is effective. What I need to do is simply finesse it. 

Draft of Public Argument

My draft is still very much a draft, maybe even less than that. I will be working on it and making it complete tomorrow so right now it is not even complete but I plan on finishing it and adding things such as visuals, quotes, etc...

To visit my draft click HERE.

UPDATED

Okay so I decided to make a prezi instead. I originally created a powerpoint but I was not feeling it that much and the prezi is turning out a lot better. Just disregard what is above and refer to the links below.
Link to my PREZI
Link to PEER REVIEW COMMENTS SHEET

Considering Visual Elements

In thus blog post I will be answering six questions from Writing Public Lives regarding the visual aspect of my project.

QThomas Bower, Visuals, taken on March 16th, 2008 via Flickr Attribution Generic 2.0

• What color choices best reflect the visual-rhetorical tone of my project? 

For my PowerPoint presentation I feel that colors such as blue, silver, and black will be most effective for the colors. These colors can contrast one another so the presentation will pop and they have a slick and clean look to them. They also can be associated with computers which is the topic of my presentation. 

• If my project is going to be displayed, are the fonts large enough to be read at the distance from which it will be viewed?

Since the genre I will be using is meant for presentations, I will need to ensure that the font size is large enough to be read in a presentation. Even though I will not be presenting this and simply turning it in, I have to make sure it could be presented if necessary. I have no clue what amount of people this could be presented to so it is important to make the font big enough for a large group. 

• If my project uses headings for different sections of my argument, do these headings stand out and break up the text clearly? Should another font or font color be used to make them more distinct?

With PowerPoints there is a heading section. This will allow me to clearly lay out what the heading is as it distinctly stands out on it's own. I can also possible change the font or color to make the heading more clear. The headings will effectively break up the different parts of the project. 

• If you are writing a multi-modal argument, do the visual images help you move from point to point in the argument clearly?

The visual images will help me conclude an idea that I have established. I will use them to show statistics or simply to appeal to the audience's visual wanting. They will help prove my argument as well. 

• If you are calling your audience to take specific action, is this called specifically developed? Do they know what action they take or what steps they can take?

In my presentation I will conclude with ways for the audience to help achieve the goal that I have been striding for. I will have a slide telling the audience what they can do to help. 

• Do the different visual and textual elements come together persuasively as a whole, or are there elements that seem disconnected or out of place?

I plan to use whatever visual and textual elements I have in the most effective and persuasive manner I can. If something feels disconnected or out of place then I will move it until it is in place and is working effectively. 

Project 3 Outline

In this blog post I will be creating an outline for my project three.

Introduction: For my introduction, the Connect the Issue to Your Audience's World View will be the most efficient type of introduction for my piece of work. My project is already very directed and created to appeal to the audience. This type of introduction falls in line with it because it helps me appeal to the audience even more so. If I can connect the issue to my audience's personal views on the world(values, ideals, politics) I will be able to sway their opinion on the issue. I have to help make them understand that by teaching computer science will help further an individuals education and with am more educated world comes a better world.

Body:

-Major Supporting Arguments: Computer science teaches problem solving skills, furthers education, teaches students how to learn better in other classes, good computer science jobs, lucrative field, interactive and fun, creates diversity in computer science field if it is taught in schools.

-Major Criticisms: Too much workload for students, cannot add another main topic in schools, not enough funding, not every kid is interested in computer science, too early on to teach complex ideas such as computer science.

-Key Support and Rebuttal: I will use all the supporting points at some point in my argument as they only strengthen the effectiveness of my argument. The rebuttal points that are most important for me to address are funding and too much of a workload.

-Topic Sentence/Evidence:
By teaching computer science in schools, students will be setting themselves up for the future, will learn to work with computers and technology, and will be learning invaluable skills that will help them succeed in their other classes. They will not have too much of a workload because by learning computer science they will only be making their other classes easier for themselves.
https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=216
http://www.governing.com/columns/tech-talk/gov-a-time-for-code.html
https://www.ncwit.org/resources/moving-beyond-computer-literacy-why-schools-should-teach-computer-science/moving-beyond
-These sources provide me with information and why schools don't teach computer science and why we should.

The cost of teaching computer science and adding another core topic in education is well worth the work for the students. They will gain invaluable skills that will help them achieve a greater education by learning computer science.
https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=216
http://www.governing.com/columns/tech-talk/gov-a-time-for-code.html
https://www.ncwit.org/resources/moving-beyond-computer-literacy-why-schools-should-teach-computer-science/moving-beyond
-These sources provide me with information and why schools don't teach computer science and why we should.

-Map of My Argument
To visit my Coggle click here!

Conclusion:
The conclusion I will use is the Call to Action conclusion. I want my readers to try and help get computer science more attention in the schooling system. They will see what teaching computer science can do for their children's education and they will then go and try to get computer science implemented in their child's school.

Reflection: I read the blog posts of Joki and Jon. Jon seemed to have a very good grasp on what he needed to do in terms of visuals to make his genre and project more effective. He knew that he needed images that would only help his genre become more effective. Joki on the other hand has a very unique genre(letter) that doesn't necessarily include visuals. She still may be adding images but Joki definitely has a harder task when it comes to visuals in her genre. After reading these two I realized like my classmates, I also have a very good grasp on what my visuals should be to help further the quality of my project three.

Analyzing My Genre

In this blog post I will be answering questions regarding my genre, by answering these questions I will be analyzing my genre. I have also linked five examples(of the same topic) to the genre type that I will be using.

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

Screenshot from Sean Bottai's website, taken on November 2nd

Social Context: 

• The genre is typically set in a presentation setting. It is typically in schools and students use power points to present to the classes. It is easily used for a presentation because it is made as a presentation platform. 
• The subject of the genre will be the computer science. I would also say the subject is public presentation. 
• Many presenters use this platform because it can be visually appealing and presented to a large group of people. It can provide slides that display talking points and the speaker uses the slides to aid him in his presentation. 
• As stated earlier, it is used for a presenter to present information to a group of people. It can be used to simplify an idea or to simply aid a presenter when they are presenting information.

Rhetorical Patterns of the Genre: 

• The type of content that is usually included is shorter, efficient information. An example of this is images that provide statistics or statistics themselves. Also short quotes are usually good also. It is important to not place too much on a slide or it is overwhelming. 
• The use of rhetorical appeals is dependent on the topic. The genre is simply a platform to present information. In this situation, pathos will be used along with ethos and logos. Pathos is most applicable to my topic. 
• In the examples they all start with a title page that eventually leads to the main idea of the presentation. They also include images and short bulleted points. They all also conclude their presentation in one manner or another. 
• The use of claims is very common. Since these are used in presentations the statements are typically used as talking points that the presenter will go on to elaborate on. 
• The language used is semi informal. Since they are short discussable claims they are not super hard statements to comprehend. The jargon used depends on the creator of the presentation and the topic of the presentation. 

Analyzing What those Patterns Reveal about the Social Context of the Genre:

• The genre includes the audience and the presenter. This genre does not include the idea of an author who writes a whole essay. It rather includes a person who creates the presentation.
• For readers or viewers this genre requires them to be attentive and try to be comprehensive. For the writer it requires the writer to be as effective and informative as possible in as little words as possible. 
• The assumption that the user is trying to get information conveyed to a large crowd along  with that the person using the genre is a good or efficient presenter. 
• This content treats facts and statistics as most valuable because they are the most effective use of statements in the little space provided in the slides. Long quotes are less valuable because a viewer will most likely not take the time to read it all when the slide is being presented. 

Reflection: I read the blog posts of Olivia and Grace. They both have very interesting genres in regard to their project threes. Olivia is doing a cooking video and seems to have a good grasp on the aspects of the genre and how she will implement them in her project. The same goes for Grace, she is creating a blog post.....something we are very familiar with. We all seem to have a good idea on how we will create our genres and how we will be effective with it.