Thlog Week 10... Adios

This week has been exciting and gloomy all at the same time. This was the last week in Writing 2, and I feel like I have improved and developed into the writer I hoped to be in the beginning of the week. As I worked through the survey questions and my portfolio, I noticed the immense improvement that I went through and all the elements I learned from the articles, self-referential videos, PBs, and WPs. Although at times I felt overwhelmed or had too many writing assignments due, I am glad that I was pushed and given all this work, because through the process of writing multiple papers, I was able to learn about what parts of my writing I was weak on and the aspects I should work on. Comparing my WP1 to my WP2 to my WP3, I realized an improvement in my analysis, punctuation, grammar, creativity, and use of sources. I also took a look at my Thlogs written in the beginning of the quarter and recognized how naive I was in regards to really important concepts like genres, conventions, and rhetorical features.

I recently discovered through the survey that the requirement of this writing class was, “achieving a heightened ‘genre awareness’ – studying genres and their conventions across both scholarly/ academic and non-scholarly sources.” This class has immensely fulfilled that requirement. Through the assignments and De Piero’s teaching, I acquired a skill for recognizing different genres, their conventions, and each individual’s distinct “moves.” I can’t even go through a whole day without labeling or realizing certain genres or a specific “move” of an individual/book/movies. This skill would not have occurred if it wasn’t for De Piero’s diverse teaching style and constant teacher-student class interaction. I came into this class a little nervous but I am leaving confident in my ability to write a thorough and well-developed essay. I even learned how to make a website! The skills and experience I gained through this course was something I never expected or anticipated.

Thlog Week 9

Thlog Week 9

            T-minus one week until we are done with the quarter…Or at least with classes (we still have lovely final exams). These 8 weeks have flown by and I am honestly surprised as to how much we have learned in such a short amount of time. I feel as though the next week will be the most productive and developing week for my writing thus far. The portfolio I will be working on throughout these last days of writing is an assignment that I have thought a lot about. This is the first assignment that, as a student, I am given an opportunity to redeem myself as a writer. De Piero’s immense amount of feedback with WP1 and WP2 has allowed me to take a closer look at my many weaknesses and strengths. I am starting to work on this portfolio a little bit earlier than I thought, so I can feel like I have enough time to read, and reread, and reread the WPs and focus on the various ways to develop my analyses. My WPs that I submitted as a final has turned into my, “shitty first draft.” On top of Zack’s comments, I will also look back at my peer’s comments and see how I can additionally advance my paper.

             Also, I am super into the Portfolio Week Google Doc’a’thon. This will allow me as a writer to get help from several of my peers with an issue I have been struggling with. It’s also a plus to see other people’s questions. It likely some things others are struggling with is something I may be. I am looking forward to enhance and improve my writing through suggestions from other writers like myself.

            The PowerPoint presentations we had today have also introduced me to mistakes I have made in my previous papers. For example, I should start focusing on parallelism. Have a grammatical incorrectly sentence is very annoying to reader (see?). Also, I think I am going to start incorporating more semi-colons in my sentences to develop a more diverse amount of sentence structures. I will also start focusing on my hedged language. I think if I go through my essays and change non-hedge language to hedge it will create credibility and professionalism with my audience.

            Overall, as we are getting closer to completing this writing course, I feel pretty accomplished and proud with my progress. I am also ready to complete a fabulous portfolio!

Thlog Week 8

             Finally we have finally finished our last WP! After having finished this project, I feel accomplished and proud. I put much more time and effort into it than I planned, but it was so worth it in the end. Compared to the difficulty level of WP2, this project was much more exciting and I felt more relaxed. Being able to pick and choose what I wanted to focus on and the direction I would like to take with my writing was a huge relief. The topic I chose, which concerned bullying, was a topic I am very passionate about, and it is a problem that I have witnessed multiple times. Being able to choose my own topic and display it in my own way was the best part of this project. Because I chose to make fake Facebook accounts in order to get the conventions down perfect, I had fun messing around with making up the individual’s personal information, such as the person’s name, age, profile picture, where they live, etc. The TIMES article I worked on was also an interesting path I chose to take, because I worked on a cover page and put in a lot of effort trying to make it look authentic. As I was writing the article, I surprisingly did not have writers block, and I wrote exactly what I hoped and expected to accomplish. I felt in control of this project.

            This class does a great job in forming me into a better writer. Through all the peer reviewing and question/ answer sessions we have in class, I leave the class feeling familiar and comfortable with what I am supposed to be doing. The peer reviews allow me as a writer to know which aspects of my writing need more analysis or are unclear and which aspects are strongest. The class itself feels very relaxed, so I never feel any pressure or stress when I find something confusing and need clarifying.  We spend a lot of time trying to become more creative and assertive writers, which I was hoping we would do. Although I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the work we get, I know it only pushes me to improve as a writer.

           I hope portfolio prep isn’t toooo bad. I guess this assignment will only make me into a more advanced writer as I take a closer look at the aspects of my writing that need the most work.

Thlog Week 7

As we come closer to finishing up the quarter, I feel like I have learned and advanced much more as a writer. My initial ambition at the start of this quarter was to become a more creative writer, and WP3 has already started to allow me to become one. I am very intrigued by the concepts and rubric of this writing project, because it allows me to think outside the strict, firm format of essays I had to follow throughout the years. Before Monday’s class, I was very much confused and a little overwhelmed with this WP, but after the class lecture, I feel more prepared and excited to start writing.

Some activities we worked on as a group in class that I found very helpful was the practice of decoding genres and conventions through children’s books videos. Although this was such a simple exercise, it allowed me to better comprehend the purpose of being familiarized with an author’s moves in a text. The constant interactions between my peers and the teacher opens up questions that I would have never asked or thought of. Through various questions concerning WP3, I was able to have a better understand on what my goal and ambition would be. In particular, the group chat we had about some of our ideas for WP3 gave me a better realization with the path I would most likely take. The fact that I do not have to focus on the quantity of my paper, but more on the quality, gives me a sense of relief, because now I can spend more time artistically and innovatively showcasing and detailing my work- instead of keeping track of how many pages or words I have done.

An option I am considering after Monday’s class is to do a thorough children’s book that would gear towards the younger audience. The readings by Mcloud we were assigned to read were very helpful and informative, and it gave me an opportunity to see a great example of how to effectively and uniquely present my ideas through comics.Like most readings, this presented me with a sufficient amount of detail on how to format and explain certain ideas/concepts for certain audiences in certain situations! I am still struggling to decide whether to make a TIME magazine article instead for the younger audience. 

PB3A

And The Next Writing Project Begins...

In my WP3, I would like to broaden my ability to creatively write an authentic piece concerning bullying in schools. As I searched through scholarly and peer-reviewed articles pertaining to bullying, I am looking in particular for papers that address how to reduce bullying in schools and regulations that should be implemented to stop bullying all together. These articles relate to a wide variety of audiences- those who get bullied (children) and those who parent bullied children and take action (adults/parents).

            To first address the younger audience, I was thinking of either making a children’s book or a children’s magazine article. Although most children’s books have little to no words and contain mostly pictures, I hope to make my children’s book similar to a colored comic. Each picture frame would have enough words to perfectly suit to a child’s interests and fascinations. Due to the fact that this would be read by children aged around three or four to nine, all the vocabulary words used will be clear and easy to comprehend. Depending on how much time I have to commit to the pictures, I will either hand draw or use digital imaging. My purpose if for children to get the right idea of what bullying entails and steps they can take to be kinder, more well-mannered individuals. The colors might not be bright, since this topic is rather depressing and gloomy. The text will be larger than academic pieces. There will be a story-line described behind this that will contain 2-4 characters, a problem arising, and a solution that will teach a moral lesson. An example is Billy bullied Tom, Tom got badly injured, and Billy got expelled learning how his actions affected not only another individual, but his well-being as well.

            If I go with the direction of a children’s magazine article, I will refer to magazines such as, “TIME Magazine,” “KIDS Magazine,” and “Disney Magazine.” These three magazines are read by adolescents all over the country, so theses references are reliable and dependable. The diction of these articles are simple, so elementary and middle schoolers would be able to comprehend the information. Additionally, the cover page of each of the magazines does a great job as drawing the audience in, so if I go with this route, I will most likely make a cover page along with the article. I will also add multiple pictures throughout the article for the readers to refer to. Since bullying is a sensitive and touching issue, the pictures I use will affect the audience emotionally. This article will not be extensive or long, because children do not voluntarily read articles that seem extensive (they will get the impression that this would bore them). Rather, I would like to have an equal balance of pictures and information/analysis.

            I will address my older audience through an extensive Facebook rant made by a mother of a bullied child. Most individuals who are fervent and passionate about a subject turn to Facebook to notify the public about the importance and “essence” of their topic. This mom will post a picture of her bullied son’s bruised eye and will rant about how the school is not doing anything, there is no justice, there should be stricter bullying rules, etc. Just like most Facebook users who post long rants she would most likely start with, “I do not usually do these longs posts, but…” or “PLEASE READ AND SHARE!” In referring to this Facebook person, I will most likely make a fake Facebook account and after all is said and done, I will screenshot all the information, so it is displayed in the exact Facebook format. Additionally, a lot of this fake mom’s family and friends (who also have children and are within her similar age group) will comment, display anger, concern, show support for the mom’s decisions, and continue on with the rambling. Some will even share this post. Hopefully, like most important and touching posts, it will then become viral.

            Although I am not certain with the exact decisions I will make concerning this WP, I have a good idea with the genres I would like to use, the age groups of my audience, which articles I will most likely refer to, and how much work I am willing to put into this to perfect it. 

Thlog Week 6

             Finally Writing Project 2 is finally over with! Although this project was very tedious and took a lot of my time to write, I learned a lot after finishing it. I feel as though I improved with elaborating and incorporating much more detail in my thesis and analysis. I did struggle with putting my voice in the paper. I had trouble with limiting what I had to say with many of the concepts I tried to evaluate and explain. My problem was trying not to rant and go off topic. I tried not to sound too redundant, and I attempted to make my arguments clear yet interesting for my audience. After the four PBs and one WP I already completed, I found it much easier to determine who the audience is and to explain the genres/conventions of each piece. I repeatedly looked back at my past writings to help me organize and establish a way to layout and write my paper – and to incorporate the course readings.

 Although my thesis statement was much more detail-oriented and expressive, one aspect I struggled with was making it arguable/debatable. Though the paper explained the conventions, rhetorical features, and the “moves” of the author, so much of the information I included was purely factual- not opinionated. Hopefully my thesis statement accomplished what it was supposed to.

The peer review we do in class definitely helped me to see the parts of my essay that needed improving and further analysis. I not only became more familiarized with my writing and ways to improve it, but through editing my peer’s papers, I found ways to advance and develop my own. Also, through reading some of their body paragraphs and ways they introduced key concepts we learned in class, it gave me an idea of what I need to add. I hope this writing project has shown a huge improvement on my part.

I also enjoyed the online class we had on Wednesday and hope we are able to do more – having class in bed definitely beats class in the lab. The activities made me feel closer to other students in the class, because I got to communicate directly with people I never had. The independence and being isolated from the class allowed me to focus and write my responses more effectively and analytically. I now feel ready to take on WP3.

Bob Ross/ Disney Artist Videos

The Bob Ross clips were aimed at explaining to the audience each step to draw a realistic painting. The Disney Artists in the beginning aimed at painting animations then displaying it graphically. Bob Ross made constant eye contacts with his audience, while the Disney Artists Videos explained the artists “moves” in the background

Bob Ross allowed his audience to preview an art instruction, step-by-step process.He emphasized the technique and style of each of his moves.He used the technique of wet-on-wet oil painting, adding additional layers to each layer of paint.

The disney artists video established how different painters go about painting a single tree, in different settings- the indoors and outdoors. Unlike the Bob Ross video, these painters did not interact directly with the audience. instead, there was a background voice- This is what the audience was referring to throughout the video to better understand the painter’s techniques.

The artists also described the tools they used and how they are supposed to be used.

Both artists explained how an individual might go about doing something wrong, like Bob Ross with the mountains- then explained how to fix their mistake.

Each artist differed in which features of their painting they want to put the most emphasis on: certain parts of the mountains or trees.

Week 5.2 Journal Responses

Q1: Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with me WP2 compared with my WP1. I put in a lot of work with trying to incorporate the course readings and quotes directly from the articles. I struggled a little bit with trying to blend in all the information together to make it flow smoothly, and I tried to not to sound redundant. I also had a problem with keeping it within a 6 page limit.

Q2: The two comments that I received yesterday that were the most helpful was to make my thesis arguable and add more analysis to my arguments/statements, which I worked on that night. Compared to previous papers, I needed to explain and analyze my claims thoroughly to make it clear for the audience to understand. Also, I had to go back to my thesis multiple times and revise it, so it can tie in with the whole paper.

Thlog Week 5

This week was a bit challenging, because of the Project Builder. The PB took a lot of preparing and research, but the reading, “How to Read like a Writer” really helped me with discovering different methods on distinguishing what each writer’s moves are. The activity done in the beginning of class concerning the conversation between Dirty and De Piero was also really helpful, because it provided an example with how to apply moves to everyday conversations. All the different examples we do in class to elaborate on certain topics and ideas are the most useful, because through the activities, questions get asked and answered which elaborate on the most confusing and unclear aspects.

I am still struggling on the idea of the multiple moves a writer can have, but what helps me better understand them is when I go back to last week’s lessons and activities with the videos of well-known figures and their famous “moves,” like Michael Jackson’s moonwalking and Michael Jordan’s dunking. Because each of these individuals are commonly known for a specific action, writers have to be known for a distinct technique that other writers may not use. Just like my other classmates’ writings, mine differs in format, diction, details, and elaborations.

To be completely honest, thinking about working on Writing Project 2 is kind of worrying me, because I am not quite sure I will be able to effectively explain how each piece’s structure unfolds and builds, and how to identify the nature of data in each piece (part 3). I also need to work more on a more specific- driven thesis. My first Writing Project’s thesis was very vague, so formulating a thesis that would tie in every aspect/feature of this paper is going to be a challenge. One thing I do know I will do is work on this essay by referring to my first WP and analyze what I need to focus on. Hopefully this essay will be much more specific and developed.

PB2B

Rockin’ Your Moves

Each author is gifted with a distinct method and way of thinking that can be seen throughout their literary pieces. Unless an individual has copied off another student, which is totally unethical and illegal, their piece of work will never be written in the same manner as another, even if the assignment and rubric is exactly the same. The steps and processes an author takes to write their piece is known as their “moves.” How an individual chooses to format, punctuate, state, elaborate, or argue their topic or ideas are all an essential aspect to their unique moves. Similarly to Jackie Chan’s move with the karate kick or Michael Jackson’s move with moon-walking and crotch grabbing, each writer approaches their different pieces of literature in their own distinct way.

In the appendix, “The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: ‘They Say I Say,’’’ the authors Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst elaborate on some of the most common moves a writer utilizes when expressing and communicating their piece. The article, “Murder! Rhetorically Speaking” by Janet Boyd, used many of the same techniques Graff, Birkenstein, and Durst identified. One move that Boyd constantly used was “Making What ‘They Say’ Something You Say.” This technique was significant when Durst attempted to make his ideas and thoughts into a statement rather than an opinion. By attending closely to the author’s perspective and experiences, it allows the audience to understand more clearly the author’s arguments. The author’s point of view was a foundation and basis in which he was able to elaborate later on a more reasoned and evidenced-based perspective. Another move that was continuously implemented was, “Introducing Standard Views.” When the author states, “…Am I right that it starts with you arriving at the crime scene, and that you wrote in first person?” (86). The author elaborates on common situations most individuals experience and relates it back to the audiences’. This technique is used to conclude that not only does the person reading write a specific piece with similar conventions compared to the author, but so does all the other audiences involved. “Introducing Standard Views” standardizes certain writing procedures.

Another move that Boyd uses is, “Introducing Quotations,” and “Explaining Quotations.” Both these moves are most commonly practiced in academic writing. In order to provide evidence and argue your point accurately, you must provide research and data to support your claims. The author in, “Murder! Rhetorically Speaking,” frequently refers back to his student’s work to clarify his claim.  Introducing sources with phrases such as: “x states…, according to x…, or in x’s views…,” the author can effectively present who they are referring to. By explaining quotations with expressions such as: “x’s point is…, x is saying…, in other words x believes…,” the author can clarify the importance and effectiveness of the quote.  Finally, a common move the author uses is, “Signaling Who Is Saying What.” Relating back to introducing and explaining quotations, this method is crucial in referring back to who the quote pertains to. This builds ethos by crediting reliable individuals and allowing the audience to perceive that your argument is accurate and trustworthy.

Although the appendix “The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: ‘They Say I Say’’’ provided a thorough list of moves that authors regularly utilize, there are numerous amounts of techniques each author uses that are harder to standardize. For example, in the article, ““Murder! Rhetorically Speaking,” the author made constant use of the italics to emphasize certain important terms or to define vocabulary. This move would be defined as “Diction Emphasis!” This technique is very effective, because it allows a way to stress or draw attention to the importance of the word or elaborate on a certain idea. It also permits the author to add his voice into the article, allowing the audience to better understand his point of view. Another move this author uses is constantly referring to the audience directly. For instance, the author stated, “Or perhaps you, like Chelsea Vick, felt mounting drama to be the most persuasive approach” (95). This technique, “The Classroom Method,” was used throughout the article and was very effective in allowing the audience to feel a deeper connection with the author as an educator. The whole article felt like a lesson rather than a literary reading. Although, as students, it was essential to annotate and evaluate this piece of literature, the author constantly referred to the audience, students, in second person, creating direct dialogue. Similarly, the move, “’Let’s Try This’ Exercises,” was a method the author regularly used to keep the audience active. Boyd’s technique was effective in keeping his audience attentive and active. As opposed to other boring and dull readings, the technique of keeping the audience active was much more unique and made the time spent reading interesting. He asked his audience to, “Visualize yourself in your new occupation, recall the “five facts,” and then take five minutes to write up your findings as a coroner would...” (87). Through this method, it becomes much easier to understand the author’s purpose and reasoning by applying it to yourself.

 Another move, known as “Review…Did You Know?” was used to allow the audience to see if they comprehended what was just explained.  He also used many rhetorical questions and elaborated on those thereafter. He asked questions such as, “So what did you include in your eulogy? Of the five facts, you probably mentioned…” (91). These questions were effective in expounding upon the topic. It gets the reader to think and compare their answers to the most common/frequent ones. It also gets an audience to think about the purpose of why a certain idea is being explained and what its purpose is. Finally, the author made use of subheadings to introduce the topics. This method, known as, “The Process You Will Be Familiarized With,” gives the audience an idea of what practices will be implemented and what the focus is of the next section. To be aware means to be educated!

Each author is distinct in their own way and this is shown through each of their textual literary works. Their distinctive actions implemented in their works are known as their “moves.”

Thlog Week 4

              This week’s PB was actually much more enjoyable to work on, because the article I found online was really interesting. I wrote about stress on college students and how that affects their drug use and personality, so this article really related to me as a college student.  I found it informative and educating, as I learned more about a topic that many of my peers would experience throughout the years. Writing the PB was not too bad, but I did struggle on comparing and contrasting the rhetorical features of the scholarly article and the generator. Although I feel I am well-informed so far with certain topics concerning rhetorics, identifying rhetorical situations and exigence are topics I continually have to review. 

              So far, I am really appreciating all the work we do in class to prepare for the project builders and writing projects. It really helps when we do in-class activities, like the “Murder! Rhetorically” activity, because it elaborates in detail on ideas we have to write about. This specific reading really intrigued me, because it talked and explained one topic- writing with concern for the audience- and explained this in multiple examples, even referring to students’ works. The follow-up activity was fun, because we got to relate the readings into writings we worked on to see how everything connected. And it was interesting to see how this all links back to our everyday real life situations. I also enjoyed the "Moves" activity and all the videos we referred to. 

            The most intriguing aspect of this class that I started to really notice this week is how interactive it is. Although a lot of the work is done independently, the constant interactions done in class opens up questions that I would have never asked and those questions clarify topics that I find confusing. Overall, the in-class work allows me to fully comprehend topics that I struggled to understand.

PB2A

Another Rant About Genres…

The generator, “An Automatic CS Paper Generator,” and the scholarly source, “Personality, Social Stress, and Drug Use Among College Students,” are both genres that are oddly familiar with distinct differences. For the most obvious difference, the generator allows individuals to view multiple random essays as opposed to the article which stands alone. Additionally, although both titles presented in both articles were informative, the generator’s titles were much more specific, arbitrary, and abstract as to what they will discuss. The scholarly source’s title directly addresses what the article discusses, but in a broad aspect. Similarly, in both articles, centered in the middle of the page is the title in bold. Then, right beneath the title is the author’s name, which is also positioned in the center. Additionally, the scholarly source and the generator articles included an Abstract, which is an indication presented earlier to allow the audience formulate and develop an impression as to what will be discussed. Unlike the scholarly source, the generator included a Table of Contents and made use of images, graphs, and outside information to educate the readers. The scholarly source conducted an experiment themselves rather than primarily collect a lot of outside information and organize that into one essay. To introduce and elaborate on their thesis beforehand, they included some outside information, but their primary thesis and argument was driven by the experiment conducted. Both articles included references near the end of the paper to provide credibility and assurance to the audience.

The audience in both ranged from college students to older adults. The diction was very formal and the tone was informative and unbiased. Both articles were driven to elaborate and clearly explain the topic presented. Due to the fact that the article, “Personality, Social Stress, and Drug Use Among College Students” was experimentally driven, they included the method, the experiment, the design, the procedure, the materials, and the result. Neither article had an exigence, or at least it wasn’t clearly illustrated. Both included a discourse, which responded to some type of problem. For example, the scholarly source was responding to the issue pertaining to drug and stress related situations. Finally, both of the articles that were written effectively argued and supported their thesis through data and experiments.

There were multiple aspect to the scholarly piece, “Personality, Social Stress, and Drug Use Among College Students,” that complimented the entity of the article, but the most significant features of the article was the details pertaining to the experiment. The core part of the article revolved around the data of the experiment and the elaborated results. First, the participants were described, which was essential, because the audience knew who the experiment was directed towards. Details such as the gender, age group, and ethnicity of the participants were included. Next, which was the most important part to understand, was the design and procedure. To better understand why the procedure is taking place, it is critical to recognize how the process would take place.  This section of the article emphasized the steps and processes that would occur, such as how the researcher would gather their information. “The experimenter visited classrooms and residence halls, and asked students to complete packets of self-report measures” (Coleman & Trunzo 2). How the experimenter gathered their information allows the audience to identify if the experiment is trustworthy and reliable.

Another aspect of the scholarly article was the materials used. The three main materials used was the stress test, the personality test, and the drug-use self-report instrument. These three resources that were implemented linked with each other and related with one another. For example, “Users of illicit street drugs and narcotics (major drug users) displayed higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of conscientiousness” (Coleman & Trunzo 3). Neuroticism and conscientiousness were part of the personality aspect, while the extent of the drug use was concluded through the drug-use self-report tool. Based on the stress level, if the stress level is high, there was a higher chance of drug use. Through all these self-evaluations, it was concluded whether an individual was stressed, how this impacted their personality, and how much drugs were used. Finally, the results summarized what was revealed through the experiment. The two ideas that were elaborated on was group personality differences and predictors of drug use. As stated earlier, high levels of neuroticism and low levels of conscientiousness were related to minor and major drug use. Additionally, extroversion and stress were predictors of drug use, which explains why there is a rise in substance abuse for college students.

The experiment aspect of this article was mostly informative and educational. It was the most essential part of the article, because it allowed the audience to comprehend first-hand what the concept and importance of the topic was. The details that the article included allowed the audience to have a full and complete acknowledgement of the problem. The experiment was driven to elaborate on the thesis, and it was essentially illustrated why the topic, “Personality, Social Stress, and Drug Use Among College Students,” is significant and why it is an important problem to address for today’s society. It was essential to better understand the question: which path are college students headed on?

Thlog Week 3

This week was our first writing project which, in contrast with other assignments, I enjoyed doing. I have never been given an assignment with so much freedom and free will in which I can write. Before I joined this class, I hoped this writing class would make me a more creative writer, and this class is beginning to shape me into one. I have learned so much about myself as a writer and hope that throughout this course, I can turn into a developed writer that is able to write innovatively. I feel as though the group work we did this week was so informative. I not only learned more about my writing and ways to improve it, but through editing other’s papers, I found ways to advance and develop myself.  This writing project also made me much more familiar with different conventions. After completing two different projects builders to prepare me for this paper, I became much more acquainted with the skill of recognizing the different conventions with different genres. Something I struggled with was distinguishing between the topic and genre of my paper, because I tried not to become too specific with what I was going to write about. The assigned readings have also shaped me well for this paper, because it went over things that I found confusing or I missed during class. When I struggled with writing the WP, I went over the past articles we read in class to become more comfortable with certain confusing areas, like rhetorics. The reading, “Responding to Students’ Writing,” also familiarized me with the techniques and methods to peer edit student papers. The more I read about editing other’s papers, the more I became able to edit my papers better.  This week was a tough week with trying to perfect my paper, (even though there is no such thing as a perfect paper), but it was also gratifying to finish and feel proud of my essay.

Thlog Week 2

              This week was a bit challenging with the papers and reading we were assigned, but I truly believe this class is preparing me to be a more efficient, creative, comprehensive, and improved writer. It has also taught me work ethic, as now I cannot procrastinate to get an assignment done, because the assignments feel like they are never ending and piling up. I am learning a lot more about genres and conventions through each class, and this has allowed me to improve the method in which I write my papers. Each assignment given has its own conventions, and this awareness has led me to make careful and stimulating choices on how to structure and format my essays. I am struggling a bit on understanding the topics on rhetorical situation and rhetorical analysis, though the activity we did in class this past week did clarify some points I missed/ misunderstood.

I enjoyed reading the passage, “So What? Who Cares?” This was an important and interesting read, because it elaborated immensely on the importance to clarify and clearly state how your writing pertains to the audience. By openly and explicitly going into detail, this will allow the audience to comprehend fully what is being informed. I hate it when I am studying a textbook for an exam or reading summaries to better understand a book, but the author does not take time or effort in their writings to explain ambiguous information. This reading allowed me to take a closer look at the importance of writing detailed-oriented and thorough papers.

I love how in every class we are taught simple rules to remind ourselves the “right” way of doing certain things. An example was learning about the differences between a dash and a hyphen or when to use the oxford comma. The daily writing and process tips are improving my writing and also saving me time and effort when revising it.

PB1B - Genre Generators

                For every problem you have a solution, for every action you have a reaction, for every idiot there will always be a bigger idiot, just like for every genre you have conventions. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different types of genres, and with each genre there are countless amounts of conventions that follow. Memes, comics, and formal essays are a few genres that have a specific form which typically appears most frequently. Through online generators that allow individuals to learn more about each genre, it becomes more clear and easier to understand the format and content most genres follow.

                The generator, “An Automatic CS Paper Generator,” allows individuals to view random essays which lets them obtain a better understanding on how to format, structure, and organize a formal paper. First-off, centered in the middle of the page is the title in bold describing what your paper will address. The titles provided through this generator are rather long, arbitrary, and abstract ideas. Right underneath the title is your name, which is also centered. Then comes the Abstract which is supposed to be aligned in the left margin. The Abstract is defined as, “existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence” (Oxford Dictionary). An Abstract is similar to an idea introduced beforehand to allow the audience form a preconceived notion and develop an impression as to what will be discussed. Following the Abstract is the Table of Contents (which is pretty self-explanatory), then you begin to analyze and elaborate on the topic. As you explore and discuss the topic, you can use images, graphs, and outside information to educate the readers. As you come to an end and finish reading the paper, references are listed to provide credibility and assurance to the audience.

                The website that generates comics is one in which is used to cause laughter and enjoyment. The comics presented on this site were related in content and characters, but differed in the storyline.  The story pertains to two main character, each given random dialect through various comics. Comics range from anger, to awkward moments, to comedic moments, to the most random and ridiculous conversations. “Pandyland” is formatted through three scenes, horizontally placed, and the character’s replies were written in thought bubbles. For example, a conversation started with, “I just had a fantastic wink,” then replied with, “IPads are great! I love apple!!” Finally the conversation ended with, “Um…That was awkward.” Obviously, as seen through this discussion, there was no point or purpose driving this comic. Fortunately, through the colorful and vibrant colors displayed in each comic, it made it enjoyable and clear to understand what was going on.

                Last, but not least, the memes generator was the most entertaining and amusing one thus far. Memes are defined as, “an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The meme generator was primarily composed of images with captions that cause laughter. Most are formatted with a statement in the upper center and a response with that statement in the lower center or a whole statement broken into two parts. The depiction displayed may be a reaction that signifies the situation or it explains the situation in a single picture. A couple popular figures include the Grumpy Cat, Foul Bachelor Frog, and Donald Trump. An example is, “If it’s okay for a girl to state ‘no shorties’… A man should be able to state ‘no fatties.’” Memes generally tend to be harsh, funny, ironic, sarcastic, sexist, or even racist- none of which should be taken seriously or personally.

                Studying these three types of genres is extremely helpful, because it educates an individual about the concept of genres and its convention. A genre is a general idea that can be broken down into multiple and a wide range of examples.  When studying multiple examples within the same genre, with the same conventions being repeated, it becomes much simpler to distinguish which ones are similar or formatted the same as the model example. Comprehending what’s happening in these websites allows the audience to clearly understand genres through relatable and relevant topics. Memes and comics are genres students come across every day, so connecting the newly learned idea of genres to frequently used and admired examples makes the process of understanding the material much easier. A student who spends time on Buzzfeed daily would be able to distinguish Buzzfeed blogs from other blogging sites.

Other Generators: http://gigglepedia.com/f/funny-generator.asp (the ditch letter and boss insulter were fun to play around with).

PB1A

          With over 350 million members, Facebook has become one of the most used, reputable, and established social media sites. Although some social media sites like Myspace are starting to die out, Facebook has only been growing larger. Each day, almost 55 million users update their status virally to allow their “friends,” or random strangers they recently added, to see what they are up to. What they post about can range from what they are doing, eating, how they are feeling, or just a random vent. Whether the newbies of Facebook understand or have yet to figure out what a “normal” or typical post is, it is an issue that many seem to figure out at some point.
         A post on Facebook can be used in almost any situation. Most users who post a status do so to gain attention and get as many likes as possible. An article by FStatuses written to address the most well-known Facebook statuses wrote, “One of the hottest questions in social media is what constitutes the most popular Facebook statuses. There is no one simple answer to this, although it is fair to say that light-hearted postings are among the most popular Facebook statuses. This is because they cheer people up and stimulate happiness.” Posts that generate laughter and smiles are ones in particular that are most talked about.
          The length of a Facebook post usually can vary depending on the situation. Facebook posts concerning the death of a loved one, the acknowledgment and voicing of a social problem, or a “love post” that expresses affection generally tend to be longer than most. Posts in regards to a birthday, how an individual is feeling, a random statement (a joke, fact, or small detail that seems important for the whole world to know), or what a person ate that day tends to be smaller posts. Facebook statuses do not necessarily have to be formally stated or correctly punctuated. Abbreviation for words that expose laziness to actually type the whole word are commonly used as well. Some common ones are “u” instead of “you”, “lol” to signify laughter, “omg” to illustrate surprise or shock, and “btw” abbreviated for “by the way.” These are just a few of the regularly used terms to depict and describe feelings. Pictures and videos can also be posted through statuses and shared to allow followers to view a particular event that seemed important enough for the user to capture.
             Facebook statuses can be used by various types of people to promote and update a variety of different circumstances. For example, celebrities usually use this social media site to keep in touch with their fans. They usually post things to keep their followers updated on what’s going on and to promote and advertise events. Usually famous users are more subject to spell correctly, use proper punctuation, and refrain from disrespectful or discourteous posts. Additionally, Facebook can be used by activists/campaigners/ protesters to rally support and educate the public about a certain issue. The site is used as a passage to allow individuals to gain knowledge about problems that can be aided through popular acknowledgment. Advertisers, companies, and businesses also use Facebook to their advantage as they promote and endorse their “sales pitch” to the public. They also usually notify the public about deals and promotions that can be going on to help increase their profits or number of customers. Finally, regular and normal individuals typically update their status to keep close friends and family up-to-date. These types of posts are generally over-looked and irrelevant. Usually when a post relates or is significant to another individual, they can “share” it and allow their followers to additionally view it as well. Posts can be made private to allow only those you are friends with to view it or public to allow everyone that uses Facebook to view it. Statuses can be bland, mean, dramatic, or informative. Users are given freedom to pick and choose what to post.
             Overall, Facebook has become an essential part of millions of lives and has permitted individuals to have a voice, be given an opportunity to change the world, or seem cooler than they are.

Thlog Week 1

This class had been the most informative and entertaining English class I have taken thus far. I learn so much in a short amount of time. Specifically today, we went into deeper detail concerning genres, conventions, first-order, and second-order thinking. Learning about the two different categories of thinking was thought-provoking and fascinating, because I go though both processes multiple times a day in multiple situations. For example, when I vent to my family or friends about my day, this is usually first-order thinking. On the contrary, when I am speaking with my professors or T.A.s, most of the time I plan ahead of time what I am planning to say. In these types of situations, I am undergoing second-order thinking. Learning about these two methods grabbed my attentions, because it was similar to putting a name to the face. It allowed me to classify something I dealt with on a daily basis for much of my life. Learning about genres and conventions was also interesting, because it is a topic that pertains to everyday tasks and practically all of my classes. I love how in this class we are given examples, such as the YouTube videos, to help us better understand the topic. Instead of giving us topics to study and remember, we are given activities that generate thinking to engrave the learnings into our understanding. In regards to the writings, I enjoyed reading the article, “Navigating Reading,” by Dirk. This was particularly interesting to read, because it came from a college student’s perspective. It was also informative, as it went into depth explaining genres with modern examples mixed with added humor. All this made it a stimulating read. It was additionally easy to read and comprehend. So far, I am having fun with the content and enjoying the assignments of this class.

About me!

I am a newbie at blogging so this is sort-of exciting. Anyways, my name is Cilina, I am a freshman, and from Los Angeles. I am Jordanian, and I get this a lot, so I guess it’s easier to say I am Middle Eastern. I am from a family of six, including two younger brothers and an older sister, and I have learned so much growing up in such a cultural and diverse family. I thought the hardest part about being in SB was being away from home, but I’m somehow loving it. It also helps that I see my family every one to two weeks (perks of living an hour away).

I am currently majoring in Psychology, but I’m planning on double majoring in Physiology as well. I also hope to get licensed to be a Paramedic here. Working around emergencies situations has got to be the coolest job. Hopefully though, after sometime, I will go to Nursing school or Med School. I guess I’ll just wait and see what happens. I would also love to travel to underdeveloped countries and provide medical aid or become an Army Nurse for a little bit. Speaking of traveling, my favorite thing to do is travel. I’ve visited six different countries and plan on continuing to travel throughout my life. That’s probably one of the reasons I would love to study abroad my junior year.

One of my favorite things to do is listen to music and binge watch TV. Some of my favorite singers/bands includes Christina Aguilera, Imagine Dragons, Carrie Underwood, and Sam Smith. Aside from sometimes being totally lazy, I love to hike and adventure new, unknown places. Last minute plans are usually the best plans. I am definitely looking forward to adventuring all of SB.

Anyways, I hope I get to know all of you. See you!