How Writing Paper #3 Differed from Paper #2

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30

Sonia Begert

12/4/15

How Writing Paper #3 Differed from Paper #2

            Writing paper #2, which was an analysis essay on which we compared two to three different ads, and paper #3, a position essay, was vastly different for me. When writing my analysis paper I had to choose different images and compare and contrast them to each other. This involved finding images, researching the creators of these images, and finding out what the true meaning behind them were. But in my position paper, I had to choose a topic on which there was some controversy behind it, and I had to take a stance. This was so different from the analysis paper because instead of having images to interpret, I had to interpret people’s arguments against and for my topic, which required much more research and time. Another way it differed was that I wrote this paper in MLA format for the very first time in my life, while in paper #2 I did not. Lastly, a way that paper #3 differed from paper #2 was that I had a new set of requirements to meet. Requirements like including counter-arguments, giving support to my views, and to have a respectful tone throughout my essay, while in my analysis essay I had a different set of requirements. I enjoyed writing both these papers, for it expanded my perspective on how to include the audience, keep a consistent point, and to think rhetorically. 

Argument Paper #3 Final Draft

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30 – Paper #3 Final Draft

Sonia Begert

12/3/15

The Option of Homeschooling

Education is so important, for it provides the pathway to a successful and purposeful life, especially in today’s society with jobs and careers that require extensive knowledge. This is why there is so much effort invested into schooling the younger generations, so that they might have opportunities even more extensive than generations past. Now, in almost every state district in America, there is a public school willing to give the school age population an education paid for by the government. This is a great blessing to many families, for many parents and guardians must work full time. But this is not the only way to receive your schooling, for today you can attend private schools, boarding schools, or be homeschooled.

In time past homeschooling was the original schooling. Sons had to learn from their fathers on how to build houses, plant seed, and take care of their families, and daughters learned from their mothers on how to raise children, cook, and keep a household. This was their schooling, it was equivalent to their education, and they were taught by their parents.

            My entire education from kindergarten to my sophomore year of high school I was homeschooled, but I have now continued with my schooling in a community college and participate in the program Running Start. I have never been ashamed of my past schooling, and in fact I firmly believe that I have had an excellent education. But during the time of my homeschooling years, I was confronted on multiple occasions on why I should stop homeschooling because it is not a good education and that it does not compare with the education I could receive by the state. Why many people did not support homeschooling puzzled me and still does, and in this paper I will be discussing why homeschooling is just as effective as the regular public schooling.

            Homeschooling has vast advantages. Homeschooling allows parents to be a part of and involved in their child’s education, while in public schools parents have very minimal interaction (“The Home-School Team”). Homeschooling also provides the tailoring of curriculum to meet the child’s specific needs. (“Home Schools”) Lastly, homeschooling allows the parents to have better control over peer influence (“Home Schools”). Homeschooling has in fact been growing in recent years, for in the year 2007 only 2.9% of the school age population were homeschooled, and now in the poll taken from 2013, it has risen to 3.4%. (“Homeschool Statistics”). This is a ginormous leap, and it shows that there truly is an interest in families to homeschool their children.

            Since public schooling is so readily available, there are many advantages to it also. First, there is free and accessible transportation to and from school. Also, there is the fact that public schooled children have the opportunity to join extra-curricular activities like drama, band, and sports. Then, there is the privilege of having qualified and certified teachers there to deliver an education to your children (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”).

But even with these advantages that the public school offers, it could possibly not be the optimal way to educate your child. In the public schools, often children struggle to succeed and this is most likely caused by the inflexibility of the schooling. Some disadvantages are standardized testing, the inflexibility of curriculum, and over-loaded classrooms. Standardized testing is one the hardest points in education for many children, this is because many children have a difficult time meeting the very specific requirements that the state enforces (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”). Also, the inflexibility of curriculum prohibits children from having courses that would best fit their needs and from choosing what they want to study (“U.S. Department of Education”). Then there are over-loaded classrooms which brings up the possibility that your child is not receiving much, if any, personal attention, and this is a major cause of educational deficiency (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”). From these disadvantages you can see that there is definitely a need for differing choices for education, a choice that could lead children to succeed and enjoy school, and homeschooling is one of those options.

            But many people discourage homeschooling, promoting the public school system. Homeschool Companion points out that when parents homeschool their kids, many are not qualified teachers and do not provide an optimal education for their children like an actual teacher would in school (“Disadvantages of Homeschooling”). This is true, most parents are not certified teachers, but homeschooling by parents alone is not the only way to homeschool. There are options like charter schools and co-ops that have qualified teachers there to teach your child once or twice a week, but yet still let the child have the choice of his/her curriculum and is still able to do the majority of his/her work at home, thus making the child homeschooled.

            Then, there is the common argument that homeschooling leaves kids socially inept (“Social Disadvantages of Homeschooling”). Even though this is a well-accepted point, it is far from the truth. This argument borders the line of stereotype, for the “stereotypical” homeschooler is clumsy, nerdy, and hates crowds. In fact, homeschoolers are able to spend more time with people with a broader age range, not just their immediate peers when in school (“Homeschooling vs Public School”). Also, homeschoolers even have more time to socialize and participate in sports than public schoolers do, since they are able to schedule their schooling around their activities (“What About Socialization?”).

Even with these arguments against homeschooling, you can see the need for children to have differing options from the public school, and we do. The option of homeschooling is incredible, but so many times children are mocked and teased for it, or told that they are not receiving a full education like I experienced during my years of homeschooling. There is not one sure-fire way to receive an education, for every child is different and has different needs, and homeschooling might just be the very option that brings some children a better education.

Homeschooling has always been there, it is natural for us humans to learn from our authorities, especially our parents. Education is important, and with our education today there are many requirements, and thankfully homeschooling has been able to mature and be able to meet those requirements through programs and tailored curriculum. This is very beneficial to children who excel in being taught at home rather than in public school, and this option should not be scorned.

Works Cited:

- “Homeschool Statistics” Time4Learning. Time 4 Learning. 2015. Web. Nov 24 2015.

- “Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance” PublicSchool.Org. PublicSchools.Org. 2012. Web. Nov 24 2015.

-“Disadvantages of Homeschooling” Homeschool Companion. Homeschool Companion. 2014. Web. Nov. 24 2015.

- Corner, James P. “The Home-School Team: An Emphasis on Parent Involvement” Edutopia. Edutopia. July. 1 1997. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Mhoon, Jim. "Home Schools" Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family, 2007. Web. Nov. 19 2015. 

- “U.S. Department of Education: Higher Educated Parents More Likely to Homeschool” Tea Party. Tea Party. May 24 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- “Social Disadvantages of Homeschooling” Successful Homeschooling. Successful Homeschooling. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Amy, “Homeschooling vs Public School” Mommy Edition. Mommy Edition. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Kochenderfer, Rebecca “What About Socialization?” Homeschool.com. Homeschool.com. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015. 

Argument Paper Rough Draft #1

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30 – Paper #3 Rough Draft

Sonia Begert

11/27/15

The Option of Homeschooling

Education is so very important, for it provides the pathway to a successful and purposeful life, especially in today’s society with jobs and careers that require extensive knowledge. This is why there is so much effort invested into schooling the younger generations, so that they might have opportunities even more extensive than generations past. Now in almost every state district in America there is a public school willing to give the school age population an education paid for by the government. This is a great blessing to many families, for many parents and guardians must work full time. But this is not the only way to receive your schooling, for today you can attend private schools, boarding schools, or be homeschooled.

In time past homeschooling was the original schooling. Sons had to learn from their fathers on how to build houses, plant seed, and take care of their families and daughters learned from their mothers on how to raise children, cook, and keep a household. This was their schooling, it was equivalent to their education, and they were taught by their parents.

            My entire education from kindergarten to my sophomore year of high school I was homeschooled. I have never been ashamed of this, and in fact I firmly believe that I have had an excellent education. But during the time of my homeschooling years, I was confronted on multiple occasions on why I should stop homeschooling because it is not a good education and that it does not compare with the education I could receive by the state. Why many people did not support homeschooling puzzled me and still does, and in this paper I will be discussing why homeschooling is just as effective as the regular public schooling.

            Homeschooling has vast advantages. Homeschooling allows parents to be a part of and involved in their child’s education, while in public schools parents have very minimal interaction (“The Home-School Team”). Homeschooling also provides the tailoring of curriculum to meet the child’s specific needs. (“Home Schools”) Lastly, homeschooling allows the parents to have better control over peer influence (“Home Schools”). Homeschooling has in fact been growing in recent years, for in the year 2013, 3.4% of the school age population were homeschooled while in 2007 it was only 2.9% (“Homeschool Statistics”). This is a ginormous leap, and it shows that there truly is an interest in families to homeschool their children.

            Since public schooling is so readily available, there are many advantages to it also. First, there is free and accessible transportation to and from school. Also, there is the fact that public schooled children have the opportunity to join extra-curricular activities like drama, band, and sports. Then there is the privilege of having qualified and certified teachers there to deliver an education to your children (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”).

But even with these advantages that the public school offers, it could possibly not be the optimal way to educate your child. In the public schools, often children struggle to succeed and this is most likely caused by the inflexibility of the schooling. Some disadvantages are standardized testing, the inflexibility of curriculum, and over-loaded classrooms. Standardized testing is one the hardest points in education for many children, this is because many children have a difficult time meeting the very specific requirements that the state enforces (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”). Also, the inflexibility of curriculum prohibits children from having courses that would best fit their needs and from choosing what they want to study (“U.S. Department of Education”). Then there is over-loaded classrooms which brings up the possibility that your child is not receiving much, if any, personal attention, and this is a major cause of educational deficiency (“Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance”). From these disadvantages you can see that there is definitely a need for differing choices for education, a choice that could lead children to succeed and enjoy school, and homeschooling is one of those options.

            But many people discourage homeschooling, promoting the public school system. Homeschool Companion points out that when parents homeschool their kids, many are not qualified teachers and do not provide an optimal education for their children like an actual teacher would in school (“Disadvantages of Homeschooling”). This is true, most parents are not certified teachers, but homeschooling by parents alone is not the only way to homeschool. There are things like charter schools and co-ops that have qualified teachers there to teach your child once or twice a week, but yet still let the child have the choice of his/her curriculum and is still able to do the majority of his/her work at home, thus making the child homeschooled.

            Then there is the common argument that homeschooling leaves kids socially inept (“Social Disadvantages of Homeschooling”). Even though this is a valid point, it is far from the truth. This argument borders the line of stereotype, for the “stereotypical” homeschooler is clumsy, nerdy, and hates crowds. In fact, homeschoolers are able to spend more time with people with a broader age range, not just their immediate peers when in school (“Homeschooling vs Public School”). Also, homeschoolers even have more time to socialize and participate in sports than public schoolers do, since they are able to schedule their schooling around their activities (“What About Socialization?”).

Even with these arguments against homeschooling, you can see the need for children to have differing options from the public school, and we do. The option of homeschooling is incredible, but so many times children are mocked and teased for it, or told that they are not receiving a full education like I experienced during my years of homeschooling. There is not one sure-fire way to receive an education, for every child is different and has different needs, and homeschooling might just be the very option that brings some children a better education.

Homeschooling has always been there, it is natural for us humans to learn from our authorities, especially our parents. Education is important, and with our education today there are many requirements, and thankfully homeschooling has been able to mature and be able to meet those requirements through programs and tailored curriculum. This is very beneficial to children who excel in being taught at home rather than in public school, and this option should not be scorned.

Works Cited:

- “Homeschool Statistics” Time4Learning. Time 4 Learning. 2015. Web. Nov 24 2015.

- “Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance” PublicSchool.Org. PublicSchools.Org. 2012. Web. Nov 24 2015.

-“Disadvantages of Homeschooling” Homeschool Companion. Homeschool Companion. 2014. Web. Nov. 24 2015.

- Corner, James P. “The Home-School Team: An Emphasis on Parent Involvement” Edutopia. Edutopia. July. 1 1997. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Mhoon, Jim. "Home Schools" Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family, 2007. Web. Nov. 19 2015. 

- “U.S. Department of Education: Higher Educated Parents More Likely to Homeschool” Tea Party. Tea Party. May 24 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- “Social Disadvantages of Homeschooling” Successful Homeschooling. Successful Homeschooling. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Amy, “Homeschooling vs Public School” Mommy Edition. Mommy Edition. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015.

- Kochenderfer, Rebecca “What About Socialization?” Homeschool.com. Homeschool.com. 2015. Web. Nov. 30 2015. 

Developing your argument

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30 –Developing your argument

Sonia Begert

11/23/15

Developing your argument

1.      I am trying to change the perspective people have on homeschooling. I want to point out that homeschooling can be just as effective or better than regular schooling and that it should not be looked down upon.

2.      I am writing to my English professor along with my classmates.

3.      I would appeal to their beliefs and values by telling them that a good education is essential to having a successful life, and the public schooling is not the only way to attain an education.

4.      My audience should believe me because I am an expert witness to homeschooling, for I have spent my entire education from Kindergarten to sophomore year being homeschooled.

5.      Homeschooling should be widely accepted as a good education because one, when homeschooled you have can tailor your curriculum to meet your child's needs; two, allows parents to be a part of their child's education, and; three, parents have better control over peer influence.

6.      A good point made on the other side would be that homeschooling deprives kids from real, experienced teachers and that the kids are not getting a full education from just their mother or father.

7.      To rebuttal the previous point, there are more ways to homeschool than just being directly taught by your parents. There are things like charter schools and co-ops where there are licensed teachers to teach your kids once or twice a week and the kids will be able to take their work home with them.

8.      Another point the opposing side could take is that it produces kids that are socially inept. Because the kids are from children their age they will have a harder time communicating and bonding with their peers.

9.      In answer to this I would say that this could be true, but in the majority it is not. Homeschooled kids have friends and peers, and they might even be spending more quality time with them.

10.  The benefit for this change would be that homeschooled kids would not feel excluded, and mothers and fathers would feel like they had more control over their child’s education.   

In class lab- analyzing a short essay (position)

Leah Nieman- Why you should not update you profile picture to the French flag. By Paula Lee
Annotation: Explicit position on how French flag profile picture is for self appraisal. No evidence to back it up, however in comparison to Katherine Spriggs, Spriggs listed several more facts to back her arguments up, which is linked to logical appeal. Lee gives no clear understanding of why the subject matters, other than that it doesn't benefit France in the slightest. Lee writes with authoritative tone, and talks generally about the public.

Holly Snider- Why Bernie Sanders is a better choice than Hilary Clinton, and Paris explains why. By H.A Goodman.
Annotation: Explicit position that democrats need to be taught a lesson. She responds to others by saying "am I liberal enough fro you." Her evidence is decisions that past democratic presidents have made. Her indication was not clear besides politics, and she talks about current world issues. She does not give other side an opinion, mostly just hers, and there is an authoritative tone. There were more ethical and logical, not so much emotional. Katherine Spriggs uses more emotional and logical appeal

Bela Burns: How leaving public school saved someones life. By Diana Crandall.
Annotation: Diana shares her explicit position that if more teens could find a "haven" (charter school) like she did, we could prevent tragedies like teen suicides. There is an authoritative tone, and she gives background information into her situation. She gives details that many states won't let Charter Schools open, yet they are more cost effective, and it's hard to convince tax payers to fund charter schools. She ends with "having a choice meant the different between life and death." Katherine Spriggs uses much more logical and ethical appeal, and more evidence, as well as counterarguments, while this discusses more of a personal situation, and uses most emotional appeals.

Grace deMeurisse: How the Western Foreign Policies formed Middle Eastern extremist groups
Annotation:  Gives background information into the 1980's, when The United States was allied with Osama Bin Laden in eliminating The USSR from The Middle East, and how our foreign policies later backfired when we entered Saudi Arabia. It states an explicit position that we need to consider the history and our foreign policies when thinking about Middle Eastern Extremist Groups. The Author talks about how nobody is asking the question that is most important: What is the history behind the Extremist Groups. This can be compared to Katherine Spriggs, because while her essay states positions of both sides, this gives more background information and more evidence from credible sources, such as intelligence officers.

Incorporating Sources Effectively - English 101

My topic is the Benefit of Homeschooling

Google Three Sources -

First Source:

In an article written by Jim Mhoon published by Focus on the Family, Jim comments on how, "Home schooling has a long tradition in the United States. Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Theodore Roosevelt, and other greats were all educated at home." ("Home Schools")

Second Source:

In an article published by About Education, the author Kathy Ceceri talks about how home schooling statistics are not always reliable. ("Homeschooling Studies and Statistics")

Third Source:

According to Erica Ardnt, a wife, mother, homeschooler, and author of Home Schooling 101, she states in her book that, "The best way to begin homeschooling is to start with the basics." (2) She then suggests that, "...you start off by creating a vision for your homeschooling journey." (2)

Bibliography:

• Mhoon, Jim. "Home Schools" Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family, 2007. Web. Nov. 19 2015. 

• Ceceri, Kathy. "Homeschooling Studies and Statistics" About Education. About.com 2015. Web. Nov. 19 2015.

• Ardnt, Erica. Home Schooling 101: A Guide to Getting Started. Aurora: Erica Made Designs, 2013. Print. 

English 101: P. 100 Q. 1-4

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30

Sonia Begert

11/18/15

Thinking About the Text:

“On Buying Local”

Katherine Spriggs

1.    -  It is clear that this topic matters to Katherine Spriggs. Has she convinced you that it matters-and if so, how? How does Spriggs establish the importance of her topic?

Katherine Spriggs was very clear that this topic mattered. Throughout her essay I was emotionally moved and once finished almost convicted. She did so by pointing out the importance of it, how shipping food is a huge contribution to Global Warming and how there are several health benefits.

2.   -   What counterarguments or positions other than her own does Spriggs consider – and how does she respond to each case?

The counterarguments Spriggs considered were arguments by Alex Avery, the director of research and education at the Center for Global Food Issues, and an argument by Jeffrey MacDonald. Alex Avery’s argument was toward how we should buy food from the places it grows best at and that it would be wasteful to grow crops that would not sustain in other parts of the country. Katherine responds by saying that his point is true, but that when we buy local we should focus on buying as much as possible from farmers nearby. The next argument was about how small farms are not as efficient with their resources as large farms are. Spriggs response to that was to state that this is a misconception and that small farms are inefficient in the total of crops outputted, but they are more efficient in total output of all crops per acre.

3.     - Choose a section of Spriggs’ essay that you find especially effective or ineffective. Referring to the genre features discussed on p. 66, describe what makes this part of her argument persuasive–or not.  

The section that I found most effective in Spriggs’ essay would have to be the conclusion. (p.99, paragraph 2) I found this to be effective because she told us the advantages of buying locally, but she didn’t just glorify it completely, she did tell us the cons of such a change in living would be. But then she concluded with the statement, “Buying local is an easy step that everyone can take towards “greener” living.”(1) Referring to page 66, in her conclusion she gave a specific position (buy local), included counterargument details, good reasons and evidence (environment, social, economic advantages), wrote in an authoritative tone, and appealed to the readers emotions (look to the quoted sentence above(1)).

4.   -   Spriggs includes several photos in her essay. How do they contribute to her argument?

Spriggs’ photos contributed to her argument by giving us an idea of the differences of small community farms towards large agricultural farms. She also showed us through the photos food being shipped by semi-trucks, an example of the burning of fossil fuel, and also a photo of beautifully colored organic winter squash which appears to be at a local farmer’s market. These photos showed the audience how the shipment of foods is causing global warming, and also the un-healthy effects of mass production of crops with large, corporative farms. 

P. 80 Prompt

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30

Sonia Begert

11/18/15

Salon Article Analysis:

“Spare us your French flag filter: The self-indulgent social media performance doesn’t help anyone”

            An article published by Salon and written by Paula Young Lee talks and takes a position on how the new French flag filter promoted by Facebook to update your profile photo in remembrance of the tragedy in Paris is rooted in self-appraisal. She starts out by telling us about her Facebook profile photo and then clearly states, “It has not been French-flagified on Facebook. I am not about to change it.” She then tells us a little about her background and family. She inform us about how her niece is half French, and that her brother-in-law is from France. Since Paula’s extended family is French, they have experienced much grief towards the disaster that happened on the night of November 13^th.

            She then informs us of the ridiculousness of putting the filter of the French flag over your profile photo. Lee says that filtering your photo is, “…self-involvement masquerading as empathy for others.” She then enlightens us on the bombings and shootings that happen every day in Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, and many other places, and we as a country do not promote anything like the French filter for those unfortunate occurrences. Paula then concludes by telling us to do whatever we would like to on our Facebook profile pictures, but that it does nothing to help France and that it only makes yourself look good for others to see. 

*will be hand-written annotation* 

Works Cited:
Paula Young Lee "Spare us your French flag filter: The self-indulgent social media performance doesn’t help anyone" Salon Nov. 16 2015. Web. Nov. 18 2015. 

Brainstorming for Paper #3

Brainstorm Ideas:

-Recycling
-Homeschooling
-The harm of video games
-Schools teaching students a second language

Argument Analysis in class lab (public service announcements)

Leah Nieman

Grace deMeurisse
Holly Snider
Bela Burns

There were many differences and similarities between our analyses between videos, as three watched the same video, and one watched a different video.

Leah Nieman, Bela Burns, and Holly Snider all watched drinking and driving, and I (Grace deMeurisse) watched texting and driving.

Leah, Holly, and Bela all report that the drinking and driving analysis all use ethical appeal and credibility, because there is many different people reporting on the story (from mothers, fathers, various members of churches).

They use as well many ethos (emotional appeal) to appeal to the viewer as well from sad music, to facts and heart wrenching stories.

The video on texting and driving uses many ethos, and not as many logical appeals as there were no statistics or facts shown in the video.

Video Summary and Analysis

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30

Sonia Begert

11/11/15

Video Summary and Analysis

            For my English class I was required to watch a public service video, and I watched one on the dangers of drinking while driving. This video was about two teenage girls, 17 year old Shauna Murphy and 15 year old Meghan Murphy, and how their drinking led them to be in a car crash that cost them both of their lives. It was taken place in Southboro, Massachusetts, when they crashed through a telephone pole which led to the car being impaled. In the video there were several witnesses to the story, which added a lot of ethical appeal (credibility). During the video I was able to hear the mother’s and father’s side of the story, the Reverend Father’s confirmation, the Fire Dept. Chief’s story about the accident scene, and also Melisa Smith’s story, who was the only survivor in the crash. The story of Shauna and Meghan is impactful. While the audience watches this video, they see clips of the girls throughout their childhood and stories of them from their friends, and they soon realize that these two girls are just like the rest of us. This built common ground between the girls and the public. As a result from the crash, the mother and father of the girls took action and started the “Murphy Sister Foundation”. With this foundation they are impacting the United States, wanting to share their story to teens and provide them with safety. They do this by donating to “Safe Rides”, an organization that is willing to drive people when they are intoxicated, and also donating to the sending of teens to driver training safety schools. Through the “Murphy Sister Foundation”, the audience hears about the reasons and evidence of why driving intoxicated can change your life in a split second, this provides us with logical appeals. Through this story my opinion about drinking while driving was confirmed even more, and I’m thankful for the investments the “Murphy Sister Foundation” is making to insure safety for others.  

How things mean - in-class lab

Bela Burns
Holly Snider
Leah Neiman

Album Covers: These covers suggest that the performers are "cool", "hip" and "caught up with the times". They show this by their various demeanors. Several elements that work on the viewers are facial expression or body language and clothing. The set of album covers are very different. One album cover shows a very feminine woman, and the other shows a pair of masculine men. Both albums display people who look serious. The two different covers have different appeals, which will attract two different audiences.

Rolex and Hello Kitty watches: These two watches suggest telling time is for everyone. One of these watches displays a childrens icon, and the other displays an official business look. Several elements such as how fancy the item looks or the fact that one displays a well known kids character, work on the viewer. These two products, while they are the same, appeal to two very different age groups with different income.

The same product can attract two different audiences, by the content and persona they display.

In-Class Lab: "Reading Sources Critically"

Bela Burns
Holly Snider
Leah Nieman
Grace Demeurisse

In Class Lab: 11/10/15

1.       The author makes the argument that racial terms should stick with the race they are founded from. The author presents a number of different positions, such as views from “red necks” or “jews”. We are analyzing the argument through these questions.
2.       He spoke with authority, which helped his speech be persuasive. The author considers counterarguments, such as young white people who think it is okay to use the word because their friends use the word. The whole speech was given without citations.
3.       The author’s speech seems biased because the whole speech is about his opinions. He also shares with us personal experiences. He gives the example that he grew up in the south, therefore he could be considered racist.
4.       Boston College is a private, Jesuit Catholic research university. The college shares the same opinions as the author, because they invited him to speak at their university. The college may have a reoccurring issue with the use of this word.
5.       We have not seen any other similar sources on this topic.
6.       This is a topic that people should acknowledge. An opinion to be considered is where do we draw the line between equality and privilege. The term used by white people can be racist, or be misunderstood.

7.       The intended audience is white people at the Boston College, or viewers of the video. We are members of the addressed audience. The main topic of this video is to inform readers about the topic, as well as argue a certain point.

Summary of pages 269-284 - English 101

Leah Nieman
11/10/2015

In our reading from pages 269-284 we cover these two topics, the role of argument and analyzing arguments. The first section, the role of argument, states how argument is part of our daily lives and how it is necessary to cope with the world around us. In the section it uses examples like Madonna and Martin Luther King Jr. to support their (the author’s) points. The next section is about analyzing arguments. In this section they point out that when you encounter an argument, which are everywhere, you should analyze who is arguing, what’s at stake in the argument, and what claim the argument is making. These pages I read told me the importance of argument, how to guide through an argument and understand it, and how to present an effective argument myself.  

Prompt on p. 70 - English 101

Leah Nieman

11/10/2015

I have recently wrote an essay on the topic of abortion. My stance on it was clear, but yet I tried not to be condemning. I took a stance on Pro-life, and abortion is a very controversial subject. The medium was print, and it was a short, 3-paragraph essay. I thought about my audience a lot while writing this paper, because it is such a heated topic. I wrote facts, but yet I tried to consider the other side also, but still kept to my beliefs. My paper was just a part, a small contribution, to the heated arguments going on about abortion today. I did not realize while writing my essay about my stance on abortion that I was joining a larger, ongoing conversation, but looking back I feel a sense of purpose about it, like my opinion actually matters. 

Prompt on p. 69 - English 101

Leah Nieman
11/10/15
Prompt on p. 69

This music video had a unique twist to it. It had Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign “Yes, We Can” speech delivered in a musical way, where people harmonized and put a tune to Barack’s impacting words. It was very powerful. Obama stated that “Yes, We Can” change our world, while singers chanted in the back a repetitive “Yes, We Can” in the background. The video was in grayscale, giving it a more solemn and sincere feeling. The singers in the beginning of the video were solemn, but then as the video went on, they seemed to get more and more positive and excited about the hope of changing our world. There was a variety of singers; Caucasian, African-American, and Indian, both men and female.  This gives the sense that this message is reaching every one of every race and presents a very non-biased view. At the end of the video it highlighted the word “hope” and slowly the “h” and the “p” faded away and were replaced with a “v” and a “t”, spelling the word “vote”. It was a very impacting video and I believe it influenced several people when it was time to head to the polls. 

Collaborative Exercise - English 101

Ads our group chose: Leah Nieman, Isabela Burns, Holly Snider, Grade deMeurisse

How does the example you have chosen appeal, or not appeal? What words, sound, or images does it use to support its position? If you were to revise, what would you do? If you were to create another medium, how would it be different?

This ad thinks using high definition toothpaste will brighten smiles. It implies that white teeth are better. It appeals to people because they want a straight, white smile like the person shown in the picture. The words “up to 3x better whitening” supports its position of white teeth are better. The image of the girl with the bright smile persuades people to think she got that smile by using this toothpaste. There aren’t very many people out there who do not want or like bright white smiles, so that pretty much covers the audience perspective part of it. But if it were to be revised it could have more information and facts about the toothpaste. For example, including the whitening ingredients. Using the white background makes the words “ILLUMINATE YOUR SMILE” really pop out. The woman look really happy with her smile and most peoples over-all goal is to achieve happiness so by obtaining a beautiful smile you will be that much closer to being happy. Using this HD toothpaste makes people happy. If the medium were to be changed it should be put in a magazine, because magazines have large audiences and a lot of magazines discuss ways to better yourself and this ad does just that.

Illumipearls. Advertisement. Illuminate Your Smile, 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. 

http://www.macleans.com.au/other-products.desktop.html

This is an advertisement for Naked brand juice. This advertisement explains that they ( The Naked company ) doesn’t have anything to hide, because their products are 100% all natural. They tell us that they use 100% juice. This advertisement makes us wonder if other brands do have something to hide?  The advertisement uses the color green as the main color for this ad. The color green is commonly associated with “natural” products. By using this color scheme, and using the phrase “100% juice”, the advertisement helps us see this product as healthy and natural. If I were to advise this advertisement for a different audience, possibly one that wasn’t so environmentally concerned, I would add information about the taste of this product. I could also mention something about the unusual color of the drink, making it unique. If I were to create this advertisement in another medium, I would change it to a commercial. I would still use the same color scheme, and use the idea of the product being all natural. I could also include music and videos that interest the viewer.

Naked. Advertisement. The Naked Truth. Jul. 2013, Web. 5 Nov 2015.

My group chose an advertisement on Coke. It takes a position on how you should have your young child drink coke soda, in order for them to have a “higher chance of gaining acceptance and ‘fitting in’ during those awkward pre-teen and teen years”. They make this claim saying that laboratory tests have proven this to be true.

                This advertisement does not appeal to us as a group. We all take the stance that young children, and especially babies would not benefit from sugary drinks. In the advertisement, the words it uses to support their claim of how babies would benefit later in adolescence from drinking Cola would be the title, “For a better start in life, start Cola earlier!” The images they use is a smiling mother and child, looking like they are on top of the world, giving the impression that they are happy with the Cola product and an open bottle of Cola in the left hand corner. If we were to revise this ad, we would have the baby be drinking the soda, and the mother happily watching. Another medium we would choose for this advertisement would not be on paper, but on the crates of Cola sodas. We think that this would be more effective in reaching to the people who are buying the product.

“For a better start in life…” hoaxes.org Museum of Hoaxes, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. 

My group chose one of our three to four ads to be this e-card, satirically talking about tests in school. This ad is relating the amount of school work and the intensity of tests to how student's brains are beginning to shut down.

School's these days are beginning to set unrealistic standards with an emphasis on a general spectrum of a topic, and expect all kids to be inclined towards the subjects they're being tested on. The result is a mental shut down, and discouragement amongst the student body. For example, in Washington State, you must pass the Algebra 1 EOC (End of Course Exam) to graduate high school. If you don't pass it, you must retake it until you do pass it. This places unnecessary stress on students who may not be inclined towards math, however who may be prodigies in literature or artistic based subjects.

As a result of having to consistently retake, or simply waste time on these tests, you're missing important lectures and material covered in class, which you'll then be behind on as well, only making school harder, resulting in your brain shutting down not only after "we take tests" however simply from an overload of school work. 

If I work to change the medium of the advertisement, I would put it on a billboard with large bolded letters, and broadcast it outside of every building with any school affiliation to blast the message and make it loud and clear about the excess of unrealistic expectations regarding school work and testing in high schools. 

Citations: 

"The human brain is amazing. It functions 24/7 from the time we were born. . ." Cartoon.Pinterest. Your ecards. 

Exercise on p. 62

Taking Positions –

The Positions I Took

·         -I took position this morning while debating with my mom on which car I to take to school

·         -I had to take a position in American Government class today when being asked about where I stand on gun control

·         -I’ve had to take a position on the rules of my room in my house this week

·         -I’ve taken position while discussing OC’s Winter Quarter with my mom this week

·         -I took a position this week on an American Government paper discussing elite theory.

     The Positions Taken By the People around Me

·         -Like I said above, this morning my mother took a position on the matter of which car I would be driving this morning to school

·         -A friend of mine took a position on why he like a certain type of music, while I took a stance and disagreed with him

·         -My sister took a position while debating with her mom on her wedding planning earlier this week.

·         -My dad took a position last night while discussing why we should not own a dog to my little sister.

Position Ad

How does the example you have chosen appeal, or not appeal? What words, sound, or images does it use to support its position? If you were to revise, what would you do? If you were to create another medium, how would it be different?

My group chose an advertisement on Coke. It takes a position on how you should have your young child drink coke soda, in order for them to have a “higher chance of gaining acceptance and ‘fitting in’ during those awkward pre-teen and teen years”. They make this claim saying that laboratory tests have proven this to be true.

                This advertisement does not appeal to us as a group. We all take the stance that young children, and especially babies would not benefit from sugary drinks. In the advertisement, the words it uses to support their claim of how babies would benefit later in adolescence from drinking Cola would be the title, “For a better start in life, start Cola earlier!” The images they use is a smiling mother and child, looking like they are on top of the world, giving the impression that they are happy with the Cola product and an open bottle of Cola in the left hand corner. If we were to revise this ad, we would have the baby be drinking the soda, and the mother happily watching. Another medium we would choose for this advertisement would not be on paper, but on the crates of Cola sodas. We think that this would be more effective in reaching to the people who are buying the product. 

"For a better start in life…” hoaxes.org Museum of Hoaxes, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. 

Taking Stock In Your Writing - Paper 2

Leah Nieman

English 101 – 5:30

Sonia Begert

11/4/2015

Taking Stock in Your Writing: Paper #2

1.        How did you go about analyzing the text? What methods did you use—and which ones were most helpful?

I analyzed my paper rhetorically. The methods I used were to: have a questions about the ads I was analyzing, figure out the claim each ad was making, support evidence to confirm the claim of the ad, choose two different ads that provided counter-arguments, point out how the ads are proving their points and the visuals they used to attract the audience, give quotes to prove the message the author was trying to prove, and how the ads appealed to the readers emotions. After going through all these methods, the ones I found that really helped me with my paper would be to have questions, use visuals to describe authors point, and how each ad appealed to the audience. Those three methods helped me provide enough information for my analysis.

2.       How did you go about drafting your essay?

I drafted my essay according to the English textbook, “Everyone’s an Author”. I first wrote out my thesis, found evidence for my paper, wrote down my sources, and drafted an opening and conclusion. After doing this I was able to start my paper with a plan in mind and where I would be going with it.

3.       How well did you organize your written analysis? What, if anything, could you do to make it easier to read?

I tried to organize it well. I included transitions and I feel like everything flowed. I think if I would redo something to make it easier to read it would be to summarize the first ad more.

4.       Did you provide sufficient evidence to support your analysis?

I think I did. My two sources came from the sites behind the ads that I looked up on Google Images. Also, some information I gave (Example: Smoking used to be associated with high class) came from my grandparents and their stories and also I saw this to be true through old television shows.

5.       What did you do especially well?

I don’t really know exactly what I did “especially well”. I guess the part of the paper I’m proud of would be where I describe the second ad, where the man is inserting cigarettes into a gun as if they were bullets. I feel like that area was written well and easy to understand.

6.       What could still be improved?

I think my conclusion. I tried to answer my questions that were in the beginning of my paper through my conclusion, but I think I could’ve been more clear.

7.       Did you use any visuals, and if so, what did they add? Could you have shown the same thing with words?

The visuals I used were the advertisements I was analyzing, if those count. I did write the paper though to be sufficient enough to be without the ad visuals. I feel that my description is very detailed and easy to follow and picture.

8.       How did other readers' responses influence your writing?

I got some great feedback. Their responses especially influenced my original title for the paper, showing me that how it conflicted with the rest of the paper.

9.       What would you do differently next time?

The thing I would do differently is pick both my ads from very credible sources. My second ad was from a media designer, not a company or campaign. I feel as though this dampens the impact of the ad slightly.

10.   Are you pleased with your analysis? What did it teach you about the text you analyzed? Did it make you want to study more works by the same writer or artist?

I am pleased with my analysis. I learned much while writing it. For instance, before the analysis I did not know about some events going on in the 1940s, but now I know about how they were learning about cancer, and how that was a period of time where much change was arising. I did peek my interest for that era of time, and I feel like I will be looking more into the 1940s.

11.   What are the transferrable skills you can take from this into other writing situations?

The questions on looking “critically at your rough draft” in “Everyone’s an Author” will absolutely transfer to other future papers of mine, because the questions were excellent.