Project #1 Intro & Synthesis

Zachary Trimm

Writing and Rhetoric I

21 September 2012

Project #1: Questioning a Writing Construct (INTRO)

The concept of procrastination is well known in the learning community. Let’s be honest, this concept is often one that many students consider instantly as an instructor assigns work to be done. Some view procrastination as lazy, undetermined students ignoring homework and projects to go do such useless tasks as play video games or go to parties. Others see procrastination as a tactic to thrill an individual by having less time to meet deadlines. One proven cause of procrastination is that students thought the assignment was difficult, not enjoyable, and required a large amount of effort, which turned them away (Wilson). There is much debate on why procrastination is wrong, why we as humans procrastinate, and methods to help prevent procrastination. In reality, the construct should not apply to all students. Procrastination can actually be significantly helpful to some, depending on how it is done.

Project #1: Questioning a Writing Construct (SYNTHESIS)

Sources show that student will to work is not the only cause of academic procrastination. Eun Hee Seo does research on the difference between active procrastinators and passive procrastinators, as well as the effect of cramming. Active procrastinators are those who make “intentional decisions to procrastinate,” while passive procrastinators “postpone their tasks until the last minute because of an inability to make the decision to act in a timely manner.” Her experiments showed that active procrastinators had higher levels of academic achievement than passive procrastinators. The results also state that crammers can be successful just as much as those who actively study ahead of time.

Another view of procrastination comes from Wilson, who says that the assignment is the main cause for the act. When a student gets it into his or her head that the task might take some serious effort, that student is likely to put it off out of fear.

Stephen Bernhardt

Reader Response

In “Seeing the Text,” Stephen Bernhardt stresses visual presentation of writing as a way for the audience to understand the text. Bernhardt wants his readers to organize their writings in a format that will interest the reader. When writing a paper, visual methods are used show which ideas are most important to the overall meaning. Other methods are used to separate ideas and to group ideas with others. Bernhardt wants the reader to be aware of these methods, which may seem obvious, but will help with connecting to the audience.

Bernhardt’s passage has connections to Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” article. Berger explained the ways an image can be interpreted just by differences in the way people look, the background, etc. The same can be applied to text; someone can decide how they see text by how it is grouped, if anything is in the background of the text, any pictures or graphics, etc. McCloud’s article also goes along with the idea of visual text. Instead of simply writing a paper full of paragraphs, McCloud used a comic book format because he believed it would transfer his ideas to his audience in a more appropriate way.

I thought it was weird that Bernhardt would spend so much time on the concept of visual text when his use of it was not very interesting. Besides adding an example of something with effective visual organization, Bernhardt did not keep me engaged with his reading. I thought that someone who seemed to understand the concept could have done a better job of displaying it to the audience. Also, it would be tricky using Bernhardt’s concept in papers such as essays because there are so many established formats that students have to follow when writing. When making ads, power-points, or other graphic-aided texts, however, Bernhardt is helpful in making decisions on how to organize the work.

QDJ

#4) I believe essays are supposed to follow a specific format because it would be easier to point out features of the essay that should be included. For instance, in the typical five paragraph essay has the format of one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion paragraph. If an instructor wanted to find the main goal or idea in the essay, one could simply look to the intro. By established formats, the reader does not have to search all over for the point, and it also allows the writer to be organized in his or her approach to the paper.

AEI

#3) Gestalt is the way that the visual aspect of the text affects the reader. How the text is presented to the reader will determine the way that he or she takes in the information, if at all. Bernhardt uses gestalt as he has all the paragraphs closely connected, meaning that they all are related in some way. In between some of the paragraphs, he places graphics. These images give the reader a break from tiny font, chunks of words and actually lets the reader interact with Bernhardt’s ideas.

James E. Porter

Reader Response

In “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community,” Porter wants his readers to use previous writings to build new concepts and ideas. Originality and creativity are two hard ways of writing. One rarely comes up with completely new ideas on their own. He says “the creative writer is the creative borrower,” which means by producing concepts of your own from other writers’ material is that best way.

Porter’s argument is similar to Sarah Allen’s argument in “The Inspirer Writer vs. The Real Writer.” Both writers say that shear originality and creativity are difficult to come by. Even the writers who seem to have had original ideas may have been inspired from other writings, such as Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence. Porter’s writing is also very similar to Kleine’s research findings. Kleine’s subjects “gestured at a concerned community of peers and found starting points within the ongoing discourse of such a community.” This is exactly what Porter describes in his article: being influenced by and writing to a discourse community.

The article took a view that I have never seen before: creativity is not from within. I thought this was interesting because when I think of being creative, I think of ideas that are made up by you. I don’t always think of myself as the most artsy or creative person, so Porter’s argument made me feel better about that.
 

QDJ

#4) Porter's criterion on how writing should be evaluated is not much different than how I see it. When looking at text, there are many elements about it that have to be acceptable to the audience. Example of this would be grammar and tone. Text must follow many sentence rules and have an appropriate tone for the topic to be accepted. However, the arguments and ideas in a writing do not have to be accepted by audience to in order for it to be an acceptable writing. The goal of writing is to create new ideas and support them. It is the audience's choice to accept or refute ideas, but as long as the writing is relevant and appropriate it shouldn't be viewed as "bad." Many times my writing has been evaluated on being right or wrong. It also has been evaluated on length, for example, "essay must be 3-5 pages."

#5) In Porter's writing, he does many things that reflect the ideas he speaks about. One of his points is to use traces other writings to make new ideas. Porter constantly cites previous authors' findings and ideas to support his conclusion that writers should write to a discourse community.When writing to a community, the writer should have knowledgeof what the audience might presuppose. Porter easily connects to the readers by providing examples that the reader should be familiar with, like the Declaration of Independence. He continues by coming up with a conclusion that is new to the reader about that document.

AEI

#2) My new definition of plagarism would be "usage of someone else's work or ideas without the intention of making new ideas or mentioning the source." The course's definition of plagarism is "claiming another's ideas or work as your own or making up or falsifying information." The key difference would be that using another person's work, even without mentioning them, is acceptable as long as you don't completely use in the same way or context and you add your own thoughts to it.

MM

I do not think that having new ideas comes solely based on other writings. Of course, previous works will always have an effect on new works. However, there can be a difference between a big influence on writing and a small influence on writing. Adopting Porter's way of writing would not have a huge effect on my writing because I already write similar to his ways.

Peter Elbow

Getting Ready to Read

#1) When on Facebook, you post things that are relevant and appropriate to your audience: your "friends." The point of Facebook is to communicate with friends and family about what is going on in your life. You can make status updates about your day and what you are thinking; upload pictures of memorable moments; and write on a friend's "wall" to contact them. You do not want to represent yourself in a bad way by posting offensive or irresponsible material, such as cursing or smoking weed. Doing such behavior could even get you in trouble with current or future employers. The goal is to show a mature personality while maintaining relationships with others.

QDJ

#1) I define voice as the tone and manner you present your ideas, values, research, etc. in your writing. There are all sorts of voices that can be used in writing, for example, a serious voice when talking about diseases or a calm voice when talking about yoga. The voice you use should correlate with the material that you use in the writing.

#3) Elbow changes from an informal voice when talking about the larger conversation of voice to a persuasive voice when talking about his own writing. He wants to inform the audience about the pros and cons of using voice in writing, but when it comes to his own article, Elbow wants the audience to realize that you can both agree and disagree with voice because it is not a one-way thing. Voice can be helpful or hurtful, depending on the situation.

AEI

#1) sincerity - honest meaning from your words; resonance - the substance and quality of material from your words

Connecting to Other Readings

#2) Voice is more of a way to escape the haunting ghost of the "Inspired Writer." When using your own personal voice, it is often easier to get thoughts across to an audience than to use an academic voice. The academic voice is very rigid, while a personal voice can be flexible and more students are used to being personal in today's society.

Junot Diaz

My favorite article between Lamott, King, and Diaz would be Diaz's "Becoming a Writer." In his passage, Diaz explains a story of when he was writing a novel. His struggles represented for me a long-term, extreme version of writer's block. He started out good and had 75 pages of "pretty damn cool" material. This guy took ten years to write his novel; that's a long time! It just shows that good writers will often struggle a lot before producing good work. In a weird way this inspires me to never give up on my work because I have an example of someone who didn't and is famous for it.

Berkenkotter & Murray

Berkenkotter & Murray

 

Questions for Discussing and Journaling (QDJ)

 

#1) I thought that Murray's writing process was very complex and extensive. When I read about all of his note-taking and planning, I realized that he is beyond a critical thinker. Murray takes tons and tons of notes before actually writing - something I also do. I have to have visual evidence of my thoughts being in order for me to start writing a paper. One thing that I cannot relate with Murray on is his revision process. Murray produces several rough drafts before his actual final draft, whereas I may have one or two, if not none. I don't produce a draft until I am almost completely sure of what I want to be in my paper and how I want it in there.

 

#3) Berkenkotter's study showed her that the writing process doesn't always follow a linear schedule and is flexible. Murray's processes went back and forth between planning, revising, editing, evaluating, etc. Instead of doing one thing and then the next, many processes occur at the same time and cumulatively create the paper.

 

Applying and Exploring Ideas (AEI)

 

#1) When I write, I need to be at a desk or table because it makes me feel more productive for some reason. I need my environment to be quiet and distraction-free; I don't work well with music. I take a large amount of time to write, partly because I always second guess myself. Even when writing these responses, I disputed what I would write countless times. This is also a result of my experience. I have some writing experience, but I am not always sure what i should write, which makes me spend a considerable amount of time on processes that will take less time as my experience and comfort increases.

 

Meta Moment

 

One thing that I learned from the readings is that revision is a stronger tool than I thought. You will not always get your ideas across fluent and perfect the first time that you write them out. By going back to your paper and revising, you can get an overview of the completed project and add new insight or delete unnecessary thoughts. I used to think that going back to your paper would be a waste but might be something you miss so revision is a great tool.

Inspired Writer

E.L. James, the author of "Fifty Shades of Grey" says she was inspired to write her ground-breaking book from the "Twilight" series. In fact, she actually posted a version of her book on a Twilight fan site. She also said that this book came from her "midlife crisis" and that the book contained all her fantasies.

Berger - "Ways of Seeing"

 

Berger - "Ways of Seeing"

 

Before You Read

 

 

These two images of people have different views. When you see Dwayne Wade to the left, you think of a professional with a unique sense of style. When you see Rihanna to the right, you see a much more revealing style. This is one of the differences between media portrayal of man and woman. With men, having on a nice suit is the most common look of a well respected person. But with women, more body is shown and they are seen as sex symbols.

 



 

Questions for Discussing and Journaling (QDJ)

 

#2) Images of posed women are almost everywhere in advertising. For example, ads at bus stops show revealing women to attract customers to anything from make-up to clothing. These are similar to Berger's idea of women posing because they usually look at the spectator with a seductive face. Times have changed though. Back in the days of nude paintings, there was no make-up. Woman were depicted with natural beauty, whereas now women use tons of make-up to improve the lady's appearance. Also it is not acceptable for women to be displayed nude in most media, but that doesn't stop them from showing as much on a female's body as possible.

 

#4) Berger's intended audience is both men and women; men because he tells how nude images of women are made to satisfy them; women because he argues that woman always judge their own appearances.



McCloud - "Vocabulary of Comics"

Scott McCloud – “Vocabulary of Comics”

Before You Read

My favorite cartoon used to be “Dragon Ball Z.” I thought it was so cool because it depicted what looked like real people but they could do superhuman things, such as fly and shoot energy balls at enemies. I used to wish I could do some of these things. I mostly related to Goku because he was very goofy but when the going got tough, he got going.

 

 Reader Response

In “Vocabulary of Comics,” Scott McCloud uses the concept of “icons” to show that humans easily associate pictures with messages, ideas, and people. There are many icons that we see in everyday life. It is nearly impossible to disassociate images from known meanings or understandings we are already used to. For example, McCloud uses two dots and a line inside a circle to represent a human face. He does this to say that using icons is a good way to artistically relate to the reader without having to relay the message through words. It also allows people to illustrate more creative ideas to the audience.

McCloud’s ideas can be compared to Greene’s idea of “framing.” When you frame your paper, you identify a specific message you want to get across to the intended audience. McCloud says you can also do this by using icons. Also, an icon would be a less difficult route because people instantly associate the message with the picture.

I really liked the comic view that McCloud used. It was easy to read and it also went extremely well with the “icon” concept because he used pictures throughout the whole passage. The reading reminded me of many things I already knew in a clever way. Also, making allusions to many cartoons (The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bugs Bunny) helped me see McCloud’s point that humans make human faces out of many things that we see. McCloud did a great job of keeping me engaged while still explaining all the concepts of icons and their key differences.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling (QDJ)

#2) McCloud uses the comic book approach because it goes along perfectly with the message he is trying to portray to the audience. He could have written an article about how icons are so important, but it is much easily digested by the reader when you can physically see examples of icons. For example, McCloud could have simply mentioned a cross or a yin-yang sign, but by displaying the images the reader instantly applies his or her knowledge about that icon.

#3) By using a less-detailed, cartoon version of himself, McCloud took attention off of the character displaying the ideas in the comic. However, the information was so understandable that it would not have mattered who was explaining the concept. I was not too consumed with the cartoon, and the only reason the realistic character version made a difference is because the simple cartoon was used for the majority of the comic. When cartoons are used, we often disregard the actual object or figure that is used and associate the cartoon with the characteristics given by the author. A turtle can fight crime; a rabbit can be tricky and clever; a sponge can cook burgers.

Applying and Exploring Ideas (AEI)

#4) McCloud’s concept of a face being a human’s mask makes sense. People have all their thoughts and emotions in their minds, and they use this outer mask to display what’s inside to others. You could not be aware of other’s emotions if they did not have a mask, unless you converse with them, and that still may not do enough. However, the mask does not always show what people are thinking inside because they choose to hide that from the rest of the world. Therefore, the mask concept is not always effective.

Project #1 Proposal

Zachary Trimm

Writing and Rhetoric I

05 September 2012

Project #1 Questioning a Writing Construct (Proposal)

One of the most difficult constructs I used to struggle with was avoiding the word "things" in writing. Teachers always told me to be more specific when I write, but what bout when I previously mention what I refer to as a "thing?" I feel as if readers would know the idea I would try to get across.

Kantz Article

Zachary Trimm

Writing and Rhetoric I

5 September 2012

Reading Response pp. 67-85

In “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively,” Margaret Kantz wants the reader to realize that the text being read should always be questioned. Usually when students read sources, such as textbooks, they assume that what they read is automatically the truth. While what is in the text may be “facts,” Kantz argues that these facts are actually just supported claims by the author and that can still be refuted. This helps the reader because instead of writing research papers that simply restate what many other writers have said about a topic, a student can try to formulate a new argument about that topic. If a student creates an original argument, it shows that he or she truly understands the subject and thought about it critically. Maybe the most important aspect of questioning material, you will get a better grade on research papers.

Kantz’ article is similar to Greene’s article “Argument as Conversation: the Role of Inquiry in Writing a Researched Argument.”  In Greene’s passage, he says “the way you position yourself will depend on three things: which previously stated arguments you share, which previously stated arguments you want to refute, and what new opinions and supporting information you are going to bring to the conversation” (12-13). Kantz is trying to send a related message, that when you read arguments that already exist you don’t always have to agree; you can have your own opinions on the topic. Also, Kantz’ article is related to Kleine’s “What Is It We Do When We Write Articles Like This One- and How Can We Get Students to Join Us?” In Kleine’s article, he states the problem of students just copying material from sources without critically thinking about it. This is the same argument that Kantz takes, and the two writers both try to persuade readers to grasp the meanings and reasons why the text was written the way it was.

I enjoyed the way Kantz employed fictional characters into her article to show common thoughts of people involved in the research paper process. For example, Shirley is portrayed as a student who didn’t know to critically think about sources and Dr. Boyer is portrayed as a teacher who didn’t know that the directions given may have been too bleak. I also like the fact that Kantz recognizes that even though she is giving aid to students about writing research papers, the concept of creating an original argument is still tough. As a student, I never knew that way the purpose of a research paper. However, I find the Kinneavy’s triangle diagram to be helpful and I will use that process the next time I do a research assignment.

Questions for Discussing and Journaling (QDj)

#1) Kantz has a unique definition for the terms facts, opinions, and arguments. Facts and opinions are actually claims, according to Kantz. The difference between the two is that a fact is a claim that the audience will accept without proof and an opinion is a claim that will not be accepted by the audience without proof, and even evidence is given it may not be seen as the whole truth. Therefore, an argument is the way a writer uses his or her claims, facts or opinions, to persuade an audience to believe what he or she believes.

#2) Kantz says that students have trouble with assignments because they have trouble with the texts they read. She says that students misinterpret sources because they read them as stories instead of thinking about them. Students often don’t know that “facts” are kinds of “claims” that are used persuasively. Students also expect sources to tell the truth, which they sometimes don’t. I agree with this notion, because I used to read textbooks in high school just to soak in the information given. However, I do think it will be difficult to break this reading pattern just because I have done it for so long.

Applying and Exploring Ideas (AEI)

#2) Before taking this course, I learned that being creative in your research assignments was essential to writing a good paper. I am finding out that being creative in your approach will lead to success in this class as well. However, the ways of being creative vary from what I was taught in high school to what I am learning now. For instance, in high school I was told to come up with a unique topic (or one that interested me, if I had to pick from given subjects) and find information about it to share. Now, in college, I am learning to still find intriguing topics, but instead of just gathering information I should question what I read and form an original argument about my research. The relationship described by Kantz gives more meaning to research projects than I have experienced from other teachers.