What else do I still need to do?
I need to finalize my thesis. I already know my argument and what I want to say but I need to work on wording it so that it sounds appealing. I also need to work on my intro where I entice the reader. I also need to decide on the three main points I want to focus on in my paper. There is so much to say about this topic that it’s hard to narrow it down to three important areas.
What do I need outside help with?
I need outside help with revising and editing. I need outside help when it comes to finding more research. I would like to have someone go over my paper to make sure that it flows correctly and can honestly tell me if it’s an interesting read or not. I also need some help making sure I am citing my work correctly.
Why am I feeling threatened by this research paper?
The main reason I’m feeling threatened is that I’m worried my paper will not be long enough. I have had a hard time trying to come up with more to say to fill the length requirement. A friend of mine suggested that I just start writing and not worry about it being in first or second person right now because that is something I can go back and edit. I am going to take her advice.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Lesson Eight - Response
The strongest argument in Jean Kilbourne’s ""Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt"; Advertizing and Violence" is on page 423 of Rereading America. There is an advertisement for a bar in Georgetown showing an enlarged picture of a cocktail with the heading “If your date won’t listen to reason, try a Velvet Hammer.” I believe this to be the strongest argument because the advertiser is saying directly to get a girl drunk so she will do what you want.
I found a cartoon on the website www.idrewthis.org which pertained to the subject of my research paper; to what degree and at what age should students be taught sexual education. Throughout America schools are teaching students an abstinence based program while they should be teaching abstinence plus methods of birth control and how to have safe sex. In this cartoon there is a teacher giving students a lesson on safe driving. The teacher says that “Seatbelts and air bags are not 100% effective in preventing injury in traffic accidents. There is not such thing as “safe driving.” The only way to be safe is to never drive. So, don’t.” As the students are leaving the class they are talking about how the class was so easy and they are going to go drag racing in the parking lot. A little caption at the end says “What if the public schools’ “Abstinence Only” policy applied to other things than sex?” This cartoon portrays what my research paper is about. To view this comic online you can go to http://www.idrewthis.org/guestcomics/octan%20idtcomic.png. I have attached the cartoon as well.
I found a cartoon on the website www.idrewthis.org which pertained to the subject of my research paper; to what degree and at what age should students be taught sexual education. Throughout America schools are teaching students an abstinence based program while they should be teaching abstinence plus methods of birth control and how to have safe sex. In this cartoon there is a teacher giving students a lesson on safe driving. The teacher says that “Seatbelts and air bags are not 100% effective in preventing injury in traffic accidents. There is not such thing as “safe driving.” The only way to be safe is to never drive. So, don’t.” As the students are leaving the class they are talking about how the class was so easy and they are going to go drag racing in the parking lot. A little caption at the end says “What if the public schools’ “Abstinence Only” policy applied to other things than sex?” This cartoon portrays what my research paper is about. To view this comic online you can go to http://www.idrewthis.org/guestcomics/octan%20idtcomic.png. I have attached the cartoon as well.
Lesson Eight - Memo
To: Romina Kline
From: Tara Knapp
Date: 10 August, 2009
Subject: Sexual Education in Schools
The question of whether sexual education should be taught in schools is not the controversial issue that is being discussed around America. The issue is to what degree students should learn about and at what age. Children are having sexual intercourse around America. It would be naïve to believe that they are performing nothing other than abstinence. Parents need to stand together and listen to the facts as to why students should be taught, at the minimum, abstinence plus.
The abstinence plus program teaches students that abstinence is the best option but not the only option. Students will learn about condoms and contraception. Many schools in America take sexual education a step further and teach a full detail sexual education course. This is an important subject for children and teenagers to gain detailed knowledge in. The full detail sexual education program teaches that abstinence is not the most important thing. This program focuses on teaching students how to make responsible decisions about sex.
To help persuade parents into speaking out against abstinence only programs I will be writing a research paper displaying all facts about sexual education around America and explaining why teaching more than abstinence is important. I will include statistics of sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy in teens. I am not asking that parents stand behind their teenager having sex. I ask that parents give their teenagers the knowledge necessary for them to make smart and healthy decisions when faced with sexual situations.
From: Tara Knapp
Date: 10 August, 2009
Subject: Sexual Education in Schools
The question of whether sexual education should be taught in schools is not the controversial issue that is being discussed around America. The issue is to what degree students should learn about and at what age. Children are having sexual intercourse around America. It would be naïve to believe that they are performing nothing other than abstinence. Parents need to stand together and listen to the facts as to why students should be taught, at the minimum, abstinence plus.
The abstinence plus program teaches students that abstinence is the best option but not the only option. Students will learn about condoms and contraception. Many schools in America take sexual education a step further and teach a full detail sexual education course. This is an important subject for children and teenagers to gain detailed knowledge in. The full detail sexual education program teaches that abstinence is not the most important thing. This program focuses on teaching students how to make responsible decisions about sex.
To help persuade parents into speaking out against abstinence only programs I will be writing a research paper displaying all facts about sexual education around America and explaining why teaching more than abstinence is important. I will include statistics of sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy in teens. I am not asking that parents stand behind their teenager having sex. I ask that parents give their teenagers the knowledge necessary for them to make smart and healthy decisions when faced with sexual situations.
Lesson Six - Cartoon Response
Writing Arguments Cartoon
Almost 24 million youth ages 10 through 17 were online regularly in 1999. (Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth. June 2000.) Children and teens need extra attention and guidance when using internet chat rooms because of the risk of unwanted sexual solicitations and approaches, unwanted sexual material, and threatening and offensive behavior directed at them. Congress has already taken action with legislation creating the Child Online Privacy Protection Act to help keep children safe. There is also a show on Dateline NBC called “To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen,” that catches potential predators in the act. The show sets up a decoy screen name on the internet acting as a child and sets up meetings with predators.
I figured the claim being made due to the cartoon of a young girl looking into a dark room not knowing what was in there and evil looking eyes staring back.
Over Medicated Cartoon
These days there is a pill for any issue you have, even if medication is not needed for it one can get it. America is over medicated and this is a problem because it causes dependency in children and adults, the side effects can lead to serious illness or death and causes people to live an unhealthy lifestyle due to medication being the answer to every problem. Many of the health problems people have can be helped with sleep, water, a healthy diet and regular exercise. When medication is the only step taken in a health issue it is usually the beginning of several other issues as well. The side effects are listed on every medication and include warnings that that it might cause a variation of problems such as diarrhea, constipation, ulcers, blood clots, open sores, impotence, brain hemorrhaging, increased blood pressure, abnormal hair growth, temporary blindness, and in some rare cases, death. I figured the claim being made due to the cartoon of a doctor giving his patient pills and then another doctor giving a patient more pills for the side effects from the first pill
Almost 24 million youth ages 10 through 17 were online regularly in 1999. (Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth. June 2000.) Children and teens need extra attention and guidance when using internet chat rooms because of the risk of unwanted sexual solicitations and approaches, unwanted sexual material, and threatening and offensive behavior directed at them. Congress has already taken action with legislation creating the Child Online Privacy Protection Act to help keep children safe. There is also a show on Dateline NBC called “To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen,” that catches potential predators in the act. The show sets up a decoy screen name on the internet acting as a child and sets up meetings with predators.
I figured the claim being made due to the cartoon of a young girl looking into a dark room not knowing what was in there and evil looking eyes staring back.
Over Medicated Cartoon
These days there is a pill for any issue you have, even if medication is not needed for it one can get it. America is over medicated and this is a problem because it causes dependency in children and adults, the side effects can lead to serious illness or death and causes people to live an unhealthy lifestyle due to medication being the answer to every problem. Many of the health problems people have can be helped with sleep, water, a healthy diet and regular exercise. When medication is the only step taken in a health issue it is usually the beginning of several other issues as well. The side effects are listed on every medication and include warnings that that it might cause a variation of problems such as diarrhea, constipation, ulcers, blood clots, open sores, impotence, brain hemorrhaging, increased blood pressure, abnormal hair growth, temporary blindness, and in some rare cases, death. I figured the claim being made due to the cartoon of a doctor giving his patient pills and then another doctor giving a patient more pills for the side effects from the first pill
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lesson Seven - Questions
The audience for my essay was women. Women are the individuals that primarily make the choice of whether or not to have an abortion. They are the ones that need the facts set out for them.
I think the audience can be swayed by the facts laid out in my essay. The techniques for abortion are inhumane. Many women have emotional problems after having an abortion.
The sources are credible abortion websites. Women reading this essay should not deny the information found on these websites as many comments were made by medical experts.
I think the audience can be swayed by the facts laid out in my essay. The techniques for abortion are inhumane. Many women have emotional problems after having an abortion.
The sources are credible abortion websites. Women reading this essay should not deny the information found on these websites as many comments were made by medical experts.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Lesson Five - Questions
Write a question about any writing problem you think other students might also be experiencing.
How do you decide on which is the best idea to write about?
Which of the techniques for generating ideas for essays has been most valuable to you? Why? Give an example from the writing you have done so far.
Freewriting has been the most valuable technique for me because it’s the only time that I find myself writing without inhibition. For my essay “Grief is Not a Good Mixer for Alcohol” I wrote a lot about my personal experience in my freewrite which made it useful for me to pick out parts that I could discuss in the third person.
Which technique would you choose not to use again? Why?
I would not use the believing/doubting game again as a strategy for pre-writing. I have a really hard time imagining other people’s views. My mind gets stuck on my view and I ended up just sitting there writing nothing.
What have you learned about yourself during this lesson?
I learned in this lesson that I’m not as smart as I think I am. English was always an easy subject for me in school but it has been my hardest subject so far in college. Even with the pre-writing strategies I had a hard time coming up with issues to write about.
What have you learned about your instructor’s expectations of you?
The instructor expects me to thoroughly read each assignment and to follow directions completely. She expects me to read the work that is assigned and to learn as much as I can during this short semester.
How do you decide on which is the best idea to write about?
Which of the techniques for generating ideas for essays has been most valuable to you? Why? Give an example from the writing you have done so far.
Freewriting has been the most valuable technique for me because it’s the only time that I find myself writing without inhibition. For my essay “Grief is Not a Good Mixer for Alcohol” I wrote a lot about my personal experience in my freewrite which made it useful for me to pick out parts that I could discuss in the third person.
Which technique would you choose not to use again? Why?
I would not use the believing/doubting game again as a strategy for pre-writing. I have a really hard time imagining other people’s views. My mind gets stuck on my view and I ended up just sitting there writing nothing.
What have you learned about yourself during this lesson?
I learned in this lesson that I’m not as smart as I think I am. English was always an easy subject for me in school but it has been my hardest subject so far in college. Even with the pre-writing strategies I had a hard time coming up with issues to write about.
What have you learned about your instructor’s expectations of you?
The instructor expects me to thoroughly read each assignment and to follow directions completely. She expects me to read the work that is assigned and to learn as much as I can during this short semester.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lesson Four - Questions
Which of the suggested Tasks from Writing Arguments did you find most helpful in pre-writing your revision? Why?
The task I found most helpful was Idea Mapping. Before I started it I was thinking to myself that this has never worked for me before and I doubt it will work now but I need to have some pre-writing strategies for my assignment. It actually worked this time! I was a little worried about not having enough information for my paper and when I was mapping out everything I realized I had more than enough information and I even had some issues that I had not originally thought of. I am really glad I decided to use this task for my essay and I know in the future it’s going to be the first pre-writing strategy that I use.
Which genre of argument would you most likely write on your own? Why?
The genre I would choose for my own writings would be blogs. I already have several personal blogs and if I were to write and publish arguments I would want immediate feed back from people that were not bias. I read a lot of people’s blogs and comment on them myself so it would seem most natural to put my thoughts and opinions out into the world via this genre.
Why and how is an argument both a process and a product?
Arguments functioned as a process has two or more parties discussing the best solution to a question or problem. If each party looked at each others contributions to the conversation those contributions would be products. The written argument is the product and when it enters into a conversation it becomes a process.
What is the goal of argument?
The goal of an argument is to offer reasons in support of your conclusion, reasons that all parties to your dispute can accept.
How did previewing sections of a book (rather than simply reading them) help you to understand the material?
When previewing sections it gives you an idea of what you will be reading and sparks your interest in certain parts. Then when you actually go back and read it thoroughly your mind is already engaged.
The task I found most helpful was Idea Mapping. Before I started it I was thinking to myself that this has never worked for me before and I doubt it will work now but I need to have some pre-writing strategies for my assignment. It actually worked this time! I was a little worried about not having enough information for my paper and when I was mapping out everything I realized I had more than enough information and I even had some issues that I had not originally thought of. I am really glad I decided to use this task for my essay and I know in the future it’s going to be the first pre-writing strategy that I use.
Which genre of argument would you most likely write on your own? Why?
The genre I would choose for my own writings would be blogs. I already have several personal blogs and if I were to write and publish arguments I would want immediate feed back from people that were not bias. I read a lot of people’s blogs and comment on them myself so it would seem most natural to put my thoughts and opinions out into the world via this genre.
Why and how is an argument both a process and a product?
Arguments functioned as a process has two or more parties discussing the best solution to a question or problem. If each party looked at each others contributions to the conversation those contributions would be products. The written argument is the product and when it enters into a conversation it becomes a process.
What is the goal of argument?
The goal of an argument is to offer reasons in support of your conclusion, reasons that all parties to your dispute can accept.
How did previewing sections of a book (rather than simply reading them) help you to understand the material?
When previewing sections it gives you an idea of what you will be reading and sparks your interest in certain parts. Then when you actually go back and read it thoroughly your mind is already engaged.
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