Category: x Archive Assignments

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to write about for my research paper.  While in class, I wrote down so many ideas such as writing a paper on how sitting in front of a TV  for a long period of time affects teenagers’ brains, or how the killing in Newark, NJ had increased over the years. I thought most about the problems that we face today in the world, and it seems that the most common problem we currently face is police brutality.  I noticed that police brutality is a a wide concept, so I decided to focus on one group —  African Americans.  I found my sources by using the Google Scholar search engine to make sure all of my research was fact-based.  I achieved this goal by making sure all my sources came from a reliable website and made sure I properly informed people about the topic I researched.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities.

I achieved this goal by making sure the evidence proved the point that I discussed in my paper.  When finding articles on the web for my research, I made sure they came from a reliable source that others could also review.  I gathered many articles before I even started applying them to my paper.  I picked what article to use by finding evidence that fit in each paragraph and examples that I could use. I had to narrow my search by actually writing a question inside of the google web page because if I was just to write “police shooting in 2016,” I would get too many results. So, to help get articles more fitting to my topic, I would search for articles by putting “police shooting of African Americans in 2016 statics.”

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

In my research paper, I started off not achieving this goal because I actually didn’t have a purpose for this paper. I knew there were many things that I could talk about, but I just didn’t know which one I should choose to discuss.  As I began writing, I started to achieve this goal by creating a thesis, which in other words is an argument for my paper.  My purpose for my paper changed from just how law enforcement killings have increased dramatically to how law enforcement killings among African Americans had increased over the years. I decided to chose African American as the group I would discuss because they are the most common group that stays in the media when it comes to this situation.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

In order for me to meet this goal, I had to make sure that I had a thesis to help start with writing my paper.  With a thesis, I was able to accomplish what evidence I would include in order for it to support my overall thesis of my research paper.  While conducting research for my topic, I had to make sure that the evidence was actually useful and insightful for what I wanted to educate my readers about.  Based on the research I did, I found many articles that stated facts.  At first, I used a article that wasn’t reliable with the statics that were stated in the article, but once I learned how to search for good articles, I found sources good statistics that made sense and would help support my thesis.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation.

I didn’t actually achieve this goal because I was focusing on my thesis while writing so I could make sure my point was made.  I always thought that the thesis was the most important part of the paper because it was supposed to give the reader an idea of what your paper going to be about.  My paper started off as an opinion paper where I was citing information.  For the analysis, I was stating my opinion instead of stating why the source was connecting back to the overall question of the paper.   I stated my opinion on what I actually thought about with the evidence that was stated in the paper.  I changed this view because I realized that a research paper is supposed to inform people on something they may not previously know, but instead I was telling them how I felt about the topic I chose.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

When writing anything, especially something research based, I make a point to explore different perspectives and opinions pertaining to my topic because I understand that things are not always what they seem to be. We can’t stop after looking at just one source or reading something only one time because ideas are never stagnant. Concepts and theories are constantly evolving and improving upon themselves to keep up with the climate of the situation and environment they’re born in. I will say I’ve had trouble with this because I can be stubborn and a  mind but I believe that for the most part I’ve accomplished an acceptable level of exploration, discovery and development. I think this statement is best proved in my “Stone Money Rewrite” because the concept of the assignment made me rethink the way I chose to explain my stance on the topic and whether my thoughts and explanations were valid in an argument like this.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

In my paper, “Rebuttal,” I included direct quotes from a few different blogs and figures who have strong and clearly worded opinions pertaining to my thesis. Their statements have helped to support and strengthen my position on the topic of teaching religion in schools. I’ve done my best to explore different stances as well as different sources of information make my arguments and explanations as well rounded and holistic as possible because I understand that these different ideas all play into each other and are all intertwined in one way or another.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

I believe that understanding the context of one’s writing writing and the way in which it will be perceived is absolutely vital to the composition of any piece. It doesn’t matter what the intentions are if the reader’s perception is completely different because once they form an idea about they piece it will be very difficult to convince them of anything different. It will be far easier to predict the perception of a piece if the context is well defined in addition to knowing the audience well. In the same way that one should speak differently to a toddler than they  would to a congressman, the writing style and vernacular should change according to who is being addressed. I believe I best demonstrated this skill in my “Visual Rewrite.” I used a simplistic vernacular and described each scene as clearly as I could think to do.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations. 

I am not a credible source. I have no grounds to make claims or insist that my opinions are the right ones. Evidentiary support is an absolute must in all of my papers. I try my best to at least provide some kind of justification to any statements I make in my writing unless I believe that the statement itself is justified by general knowledge of the circumstances surrounding my thesis. Specifically in my “Visual Rewrite,” I do my best to justify every assumption I made about the video and its context. Rather than simply stating that the room looked like that of a young teenage boy I explained that the room was decorated in stereotypically male shades of blue and grey as well as plenty of athletic trophies and posters.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

In my “Definition Argument,” I’m very confident in the way I supplied information and how I worded my opinions and statements in their context. I believe I wrote clearly and concisely in a way that was factual and simple. A decent amount of the text was rewritten from several sources in a more concentrated way that filtered out any content that wasn’t entirely central to my central argument in this paper. I did my best make distinctions between facts that I found in my research and statements I made pertaining to my own opinions as well as deliver both in a a way that would contribute to an effective and well rounded argument rather than in a way that would be simply pushing my own beliefs.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Throughout this semester I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development. This was most evident in my first assignment, Stone Money, where I examined every aspect of the authors work and used each meaning to form a culmination statement. Most of all I was taught that not all statements come a face value, sometimes you you to dig further to get want the author really wants you to know.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities.

My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. This was one I had trouble with, most of my work was self generated being that I have a lot of thoughts. I did manage to use that draw back how ever to develop my own view points on other people’s work. This was most apparent in my Visual Rewrite where I was able to draw from visual cues and make my own observations.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments. When reaching out to my audience in my Definition Rewrite I made it clear there was more than just one definition of Alzheimer’s disease. By incorporating the standard definition, its connotation, and also its unknown effects I believe I really opened my readers mind to its complexity.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations by writing my Proposal+5 by coming up with a solid thesis. I evaluated which would suit my type of argument best and went onto to pick a suitable topic.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation.

My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. This was shown in my Annotated Bibliography assignment where I gathered the resources necessary to make a sound argument for my paper. I hand picked sources to align with my ideals and beliefs, this in turn gave my own opinion a stronger foothold.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

We were told that at the end of the semester, we are supposed to produce a 3000 word research paper and it can be based on any topic. Initially I was very excited but was not able to settle on a specific topic. I chose to write on Modern Feminism and included my research in my Proposal +5 but then my professor advised that my plan catalogues the many ways women face discrimination around the world, it won’t make much of an essay. Hence for my white paper I settled on projecting India as the next superpower. I changed the entire concept of my paper and had to go through the whole process of exploration, discovery and development all over again. I was glad I changed the topic because it helped me broaden my understanding regarding my own country and kept me engaged in writing till the end. The work was tedious but it gave me a new outlook on writing. The more you involve in your writing, the better outcome you will be able to produce. Reading, Revising and editing are the key

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

I learned that in-order to engage your readers it is important to establish a conversation in your writing. I always thought that establishing conversation simply means citing sources in your article. But my professor taught me that in order to create a conversation and write a meaningful coherent article it is important to define an argument, define its causes and effects and give definite proof supporting your argument. Re-reading and asking for constant feedback from the professor and my peers helped. This is demonstrated in Definition Argument.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

Before writing my short arguments, I started by doing critical reading and analysis, made a critical engagement sheet and outlined my thoughts and started finding my sources to support my argument, keeping my audience and purpose in mind. My professor taught me that to be a writer it is important to be unbiased. Giving your own opinions would be an injustice to the reader. So I tried to remain open minded during my casual argument and decided not to jump into any conclusion without in-depth understanding of the topic.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

To write a research paper one is bound to do a lot of research and collect appropriate illustrations and evidences to support the argument. Initially I started by just picking up random articles  and citing them in my work which is seen in my Proposal +5 and then my professor advised me to use sources that actually relate to my argument and establish an conversation. I was advised to use google scholar and the rowan database to get strong evidences for my paper. I also took help of wikipedia articles which helped me to establish a clear thought process. Listening to audio podcasts also helped. My use of illustrations and evidences is demonstrated in casual argument, Definition Argument, Proposal +5, and stone money.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

Ethical writing is important. Every writer deserves to be credited for their writing and so citation is important. Hence during the semester I tried not to Jeopardize any of the university policies or code of conduct. I have always maintained a habit of including a works cited page in all my arguments. I might have forgot to cite the article here and there but my professor warned me on time so that I can avoid plagiarism. My works cited can be seen in casual argument, Definition Argument and also in Bibliography.