Annotated Bibliography- wvuhockey

1. Limited, King Brand Healthcare Products®. “Professional MCL Injury Treatment.” MCL Injury Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

Background: This article explains the necessary therapeutic requirements that coincide with MCL and ACL strains and tears. It also tells us what happens when you tear one of these major ligaments.

How I used it: I used this article to help better elaborate the importance of the rehabilitation process that goes along with an ACL and MCL injury.

2. “Tommy John Surgery (UCL Reconstruction) and Recovery.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Background: Thoroughly explaining the common Tommy John injury in baseball, pitchers can see what is actually happening to their elbow ligaments.

How I used it: I used this to educate the reader about the most common injury in baseball. Many players are familiar with the Tommy John injury but are not exactly sure what all it entails. I want to familiarize interested players so they know how to fix the injury

3. “What Is a Mild Concussion?” Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Background: Concussions are the most dangerous injury associated with contact sports. A concussion is a contusion on the brain which impairs your thinking and motor skills. They are caused when the brain rattles around and strikes the inside of the skull. The harder it hits, the worse the concussion will be.

How I used it: Players need to know how serious concussions are and how they can be treated. As well as knowing how to treat them, they also need to be aware of how to prevent them with safer equipment and more knowledge about the rules of the games.

4. Shoulder, 1_Sudden Onset2_Sprains2_Top of. “AC Joint Separation | AC Joint Sprain – Symptoms, Treatment and Rehabilitation.” AC Joint Sprain – Symptoms, Treatment and Rehabilitation. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Background: The most common injury in contact sports is none other than the AC joint separation in the shoulder. This injury is not as serious as others because all it takes is rest to heal it but it is extremely painful. If not treated properly, surgery will be required to fix the damaged ligaments.

How I used it: Due to my personal experience with this injury I felt that it was necessary to elaborate on the healing time required for this injury. If I was more knowledgeable about this injury at the time, I wouldn’t have had to stop playing. Knowing about your injury Is half of the battle so thats why I harped on this section so much.

5. “2016 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis.” 2016 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis | NFL Football Operations. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Background: The NFL is scared that if they make the game safer, they will lose some of their audience. They have come up with a way to keep the players safer while keeping the attention of the audience by enforcing the penalties to cheap shots and dangerous hits.

How I used it: Explaining the new rules and penalties is the best way to inform people of the “new” NFL. The NFL website had some great articles explaining in detail about what we can expect from the game we all love this year.

6. Casebook.” USA Hockey Officiating Rulebook Mobile Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Background: USA Hockey is making some serious changes to the game due to the fact of so many injuries to players. Injuries in youth hockey are affecting athletes for the rest of their lives. If they are lucky enough to make it to a high level, there is no doubt about it that their bodies have taken a toll.

How I used it:I tied my personal experience in with research from the USA Hockey website to explain the new penalties to hits from behind as well as other cheap shots that are known to cause serious injuries to hockey players.

7. “forty Percent of Former NFL Players Suffer from Brain Injuries, New Study Shows.” The Washington Post. WP Company, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Background: Brain disorders from retired NFL players is a recently discovered epidemic. Back in the day, there were no regulations on hits. The harder the hit, the more the fans loved it so nobody cared about the wellbeing of the payers… not even the players cared. Now that retired players are dying at a young age, and the ones that are still living are not healthy. It was time for a change no matter what the fans thought.

How I used it: There are many stories about players who are sick from the game of football. Their families are affected because they act out harshly. It isn’t their fault. Anybody who receives that many blows to the head are going to have side affects. Many people are oblivious to this but if you dig a little deeper the truth about the game will come spilling out.

8. Evidence of CTE Found in Lew Carpenter’s Brain.” ESPN.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Background: Lew Carpenter is an older player who had his brain donated to science after he passed away. His brain shows many serious side affects of what the game of football has really done to him.

How I used it: Lew among many others were diagnosed with CTE. Unfortunately for Lew, modern medicine was not around during his hay day. By the time they found out about his illness it was too late.

9. HodgesCorrespondent, Jim. “Admirals’ Calabrese Glad to Be Alive after Vicious Hit Broke His Neck, Spine.” Virginian-Pilot. N.p., 06 Dec. 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.

Background: Anthony Calabrese is a very talented hockey player playing in the ECHL professional league. On thanksgiving he was pushed from behind into the boards and broke his neck and back. The video is quite horrific. This just goes to show how dangerous the sport really is.

How I used it: Usually if an incident like this occurs, you will only hear about it if it happened to a NHL player but this story needs to be heard. This tragedy goes to show how the new penalties are currently in affect. The guilty player who caused the injury is receiving extremely serious penalties and fines.

10. National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.

Background: You will find detailed explanations about different types of common sports injuries and the difference between them. You will see what ones are most common and which ones are most dangerous long term.

How I used it: To explain the differences between different types of injuries and what Injuries you can expect from different sports.

Reflective – anonymous

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.

Reflective – aaspiringwriter

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 unbiasedGiving 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 argumentDefinition ArgumentProposal +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 argumentDefinition Argument and also in Bibliography.

Reflective- brobeanfarms

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 have used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development. With one of the very first writing assignments, Stone Money, I have explored many different articles regarding a concept in history that I had previously knew nothing about. While conducting my research, I have discovered information about the stone money concept which led to the result of a short paper that I have written which demonstrated my knowledge and opinions on the concept of money in the past, present and future. In my opinion, I believe that my research has improved greatly from taking this course. I have learned to effectively utilize my resources to the greatest ability.

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.

This semester, I have had the privilege to improve my writing skills in many different categories. One skill that I have had the lack of opportunity to work with would most certainly be this. In my Visual Rewrite, I have learned to place text into conversation to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. As we selected a short silent video ad, I was able to visually analyze and create detailed text about the ad. This type of assignment was new to me, so I adapted and learned through the professor on how to approach this assignment.

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.

Time and time again, our professor has stressed the importance of revising and editing assignments. Each and every assignment that I have posted has been edited more than twice at the least. A perfect paper is impossible to exist. One assignment that can demonstrate my ability to rhetorically analyze the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing as well as other texts and visual arguments is my Definition Rewrite. With this being one of the first short papers relating to my research position paper, I was able to successfully analyze my thesis. In turn, I was able to apply this to the paper to build a solid structure to base my research position paper off of.

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.

This semester was one of the more challenging semesters. With this being my first semester back in over a year due to training, the adjustment was tough. In my opinion, my work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations. I believe that I have met this expectation in the majority of my papers, but more specifically in the Proposal +5. In this assignment, we were required to find five trustworthy sources, but it did not end there. What made this assignment differ from other assignments in the past was the fact that we were required to analyze each source and apply the material that relates to my research topic. This forced me to pre-read my sources to solidify that it would be reliable and applicable to my topic. This significantly helped support my own ideas and interpretations.

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.

One of my pieces of work that can represent this core value is my Research Position Paper. It is of the utmost importance to respectfully cite the work credited from other sources. Even through previous assignments, I have improved one of the most important skills in writing. The research paper was the big test where every source gathered was used for a single paper. The knowledge gained from previous assignments helped me correctly cite every source and incorporate it into the paper. Due to the knowledge and practice, my work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation.

Rebuttal Rewrite- jsoccer5

Media’s role in a National Epidemic

The American love for sports is a love like no other. Children idolize athletes and aim to become a professional someday. Many children become completely absorbed into the world of professional sports, wearing the same clothing as professionals, acting like these professionals not only on the field but also off the field, and consuming the same foods and beverages that these athletes are thought to consume. What many children and families do not realize is that athletes are paid large amounts of money to be a spokesperson for big companies such as Gatorade and Nike, even if they don’t particularly like the brand. One industry that thrives from this idolization is the industry of sports drinks, like Gatorade and PowerAde, which was projected to reach 2 billion dollars in 2016. Americans cannot get enough of these products and are led to believe they are good for them because these athletes use them. In an article written by Andrea Cespedes that was published on the Livestrong Foundation website she states “Americans certainly seem convinced these hydration drinks offer plenty of benefits.” While Americans are not wrong, these drinks do have some beneficial factors. Unfortunately they are full of negative factors and the positive factors are only beneficial to a small percentage of people.

Cespedes defines sports drinks to be “artificially flavored water containing added electrolytes.” Americans are aware that electrolytes are essential when it comes to working out. Electrolytes are minerals that you lose when sweating and help with proper muscle function and they need to be replaced after exercise, which is why it is essential to consume when working out and exercising. When Americans found out what electrolytes were and why they are needed, they then assumed that the only answer on how to recover from sweeting and working out is the consumption of sports drinks. By this definition, sports drinks are ultimately considered mineral enhanced and flavored water not posing any health threats. Cespedes also talks about how sports drinks are a great source of carbohydrates that can be quickly absorbed and turned into fuel, ready immediately after exercise lasting around 90 minutes. She also states in her piece that the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition showed “in 2014 that these drinks enhanced the body’s ability to break down carbs during exercise and can enhance exercise.” Cespedes also discusses how these drinks can work as pre-workout energy boost if you haven’t eaten prior to a workout and how they are essential after a workout to prepare for the next workout scheduled. All of these statements lead Americans to think that anyone that exercises should consume these beverages as they are good for them, however this is untrue as most Americans do not exercise to the extent and intensity needed to consume these drinks. In result of Americans reading an article like this, the assumption that as long as you exercise for an hour to an hour and a half consuming sports drinks are good for you. What comes as a result of that thought process is children constantly consuming sports drinks as most of their sports last at least an hour and these children push to consume these beverages as their favorite athletes do as well. What Americans are not made aware of is the amount of negative impacts these drinks can have if consumption is made by people who are not exercising to the extremes needed to lose all those electrolytes and carbs.

The biggest problem of these ‘oh so famous’ sports drinks is that they fall in the same category as sugary drinks, such as fruit punch and red bull, and the consumption of sugar drinks is a key factor in the nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity.  For many the idea that these sports drinks that are supposed to be good for you, are actually full of sugar and are bad for you seems to be confusing and conflicting. The way media and companies such as Gatorade use celebrities to promote the product and talk positively sells Americans on the decision to purchase and consume sports drinks. Unfortunately Americans forgot that these drinks are actually packed with sugar. When looking at the back of a 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade, it contains 35 grams of sugar, and 150 calories. According to the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans “the suggested amount of discretional calorie intake for children, which includes sugars and fats, should be about 5-15% and the consumption of sugar should be between 12 and 25 grams per day and based on their age. ” While these are the ideal suggestions for ultimate health, Americans actually consume about 82 grams of sugar a day as well as 16% of their caloric intake which comes strictly from sugar. That bottle of Gatorade is almost double what the amount of sugar intake should include and while these drinks are recommended to be consumed during exercise, a child who plays soccer for an hour twice a week is not working hard enough to lose all those electrolytes and carbs making that excess sugar from the sports drinks turn into fat.

While these sports drinks are promoted in a way that makes them seems healthy and good for you especially after exercise that is not actually the case. These large companies use professional athletes to promote these products, as they actually are exercising to the extent that is needed to have to replenish the missing electrolytes, when in reality most everyday Americans do not exercise to that extend especially children. Big corporations like Gatorade use media to its advantage to promote these products to make money, even though the information given is often only for a particular person. For parents who get their information about these drinks from other sources such as the article on the Livestrong site, the authors use vague terms and phrases, such as Cespedes did, when talking about electrolyte replacement stating “They must be replaced if you sweat a lot or are exercising at a relatively intense level for more than an hour.” The lack of clarity on what a lot is or what a relatively intense exercise is leaves rooms for Americans to determine that they are fulfilling those requirements so they must consume these products. Throughout many campaigns and initiatives more people are becoming properly informed about the overall health benefits of drinks like this. Americans are slowly becoming more and more health conscious, resulting in less consumption of these drinks and more consumption of water and other beneficial beverages.

Work Cited

Cespedes, Andrea. “Benefits of Sports Drinks Like Gatorade and Powerade.” Leaf Group, 09 June 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2016

 Johnson. “How much is too much?” Research. SugarScience.org, 30 Mar. 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

 

Reflective- yankeeskid6

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.

In College Comp II professor Hodges reintroduced an idea that has been fed to me for years. However, because of Professor Hodges I have thoroughly listened and taken this advice to heart. The idea that was presented is simply proofreading and correcting. We as students and writers are advised to constantly check and fix our work because it can only get better. However, most students such as my old self would take an assignment as a one and done deal. That is the definition of content. Although, as Professor Hodges stated in class no one should be content, we should always want better.  I achieved this goal by always asking for feedback on all my work. Aside from just posting on the website I also talked to Professor Hodges during class about work, topics and ideas for writing. Feedback from others is the most important starting point for your revision because more than one opinion opens doors for different ideas. I feel my best representation of taking feedback and correcting is in my Causal Argument Rewrite.

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. 

When writing about any topic you should be well educated before you even think about typing anything. Therefore, gathering information through critical research is key. You cannot develop an opinion or create an argument on a topic you know nothing about. I feel I accomplished this goal in my Proposal +5 because I gathered many sources I felt sided with my argument for my essay as well as other sources that gave light on the issue I was presenting. I gathered articles with opinions, statistics and case studies. The material I gathered helped my writing flow better, become clearer and establish a definite argument. We as writers need other source material to amplify our own stance; it is crucial.

https://rowancounterintuitive.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=8396&action=edit

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.

When it comes to writing a position paper and especially an argumentative piece, we must take into consideration which audience we are writing to. Professor Hodges made sure we understood the importance of having a purpose to writing for a specific audience. I feel I accomplished this goal in my Definition Argument Rewrite because I used valid evidence in my work along with appropriate wording to relate to the audience. The topic that is presented has a certain demographic it reaches out to. Once I realized how prevalent the topic was and took the advice of Professor Hodges as well as classmates I changed certain wording and source material. This was done because In my first draft I was quite naïve towards my audience and a bit irrational. Once I thought of them more my work became better.  

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.

Once again, it is important to gather information to back up our claims as writers. We cannot simply state our opinions as fact, we need research to back up our claims. In my Definition rewrite I accomplished this goal as well. I went out and searched for scholarly articles to back up my claims. I then used statistics to make those claims valid and substantial. Sometimes the audience agrees more with statistics and other times its more opinion related, therefore you must have sources that accomplish both. Real evidence supporting a writers argument is the best way to persuade a reader in agreeing with us.

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. 

For a paper to be viewed as successful and fair you must treat all material in proper way. This involves providing evidence for your stance on an issue and doing so in an appropriate manner. You must cite every piece of work that is not yours. A writer cannot take anothers opinion and evidence and deem it his own. This would be the epitome of unethical. Finally, it is only fair to not be one sides and look at the opinion of your opposing side. Take into consideration the opinions and facts they have and it will not only challenge us as writers, but help us dig deeper into our research to prove our points. My personal example of how I accomplished this goal is in my Rebuttal Rewrite . In the rewrite I present the opposing side of my arguments common view points and present this in a manner in which is fair and concrete. The data that was used was scholarly and properly cited. The rewrite was ethically sound.

Reflective — dragon570

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.

I have demonstrated core value one that I have made revisions to my work in my Definition Rewrite. I kept working on my Definition argument to make it better for my portfolio. I added more of the stuff I researched later on after I wrote my first draft. I learned that the more I rewrite and make my can prove the paper. In class, I learned that rewriting can never stop because once I see a flaw in an essay I have to go back and fixit to make sure that the paper flows throughout the paper.

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 have demonstrated core value two in my Rebuttal Argument. I understood that not a lot o people would be on board with the idea of not having helmets. I rebutted against my position so that I could eliminate the flaws in my essay. It helped me to counter argue the readers position because I listed what the readers may side with than talked about why that would be bad and then gave my reasons why it would be a bad idea.

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 have demonstrated core value three about my audience being the industries that are creating helmets and the NFL as a whole. For example, in my hypothesis on my white paper wanted to let  the NFL and the helmet industries know that the football league should change the rules and how the way they tackle in general.

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 have demonstrated core value four in my Causal Rewrite. I showed that my research helps to illustrate my position on football helmets and how dangerous they are. In my the fifth paragraph of my causal rewrite when I talked paraphrased what Steven Laurey states in the TED talks speech. I showed the evidence of what I learned in during the time I research through the sources that I have come up with.

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 have demonstrated core value five in my argumentative papers that in order to win my reader over I would have to do my research and find why the position I am write about is right. Using correct citation can help strengthen my paper because it shows the reader that I did my research on the topic that I am siding on.

Reflective–lmj20

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.

In this course I learned that writing is more than creating one draft and being done with it, as I am used to. In this course, I found myself constantly revising my work to the point where the original was almost completely different than the final draft. The piece that most displays this value is my Causal Argument. I originally wrote my causal argument about standardized tests causing minority students to be at a disadvantage. However, Professor Hodges left feedback that brought up points that I had not originally considered. One of the points that I had not considered was where I initially contradicted myself. I had stated that minority students were not prepared fully for standardized tests but then later stated that teachers in minority schools teach to much to the test. Even though when I posted it I thought my essay was good, having someone else read it allowed me to rethink my logic. I reworked the entire argument to make a stronger and more clear piece and by the end almost every aspect of it had changed.

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. 

While preparing for my research paper, it was important to read many different texts from a range of sources in order to get a full grasp on my topic. While analyzing different sources it was clear to see that, although some were more similar than others, all the sources in one way or another contained similar ideas and worked off of each other. Therefore, in my work it was important to show all of the ideas that I had learned  and highlight the differences between different sources. The work that most shows Core Value II is my Definition Argument. In that piece, where I attempt to define “test equity,” I cited three sources to make my case. All three pieces shared similar ideas about the fundamentals of standardized testing but all came to unique conclusions. Therefore, I used the conclusions that each of the sources used in order to create a conversation about test equity.

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.

Throughout this course, I have learned that every work has a purpose and intended audience. In my Visual Rewrite, I displayed this core value by analyzing the purpose of the 30 second ad “How Much Would You Like to Lose?” The purpose of the assignment was to show that every aspect of the ad was placed there for a particular purpose. In this ad, even the man and woman’s clothes were placed for a purpose. First, the man and women were dressed elegantly which indicate that they were on a date. Later, the man’s clothing began to change into raggedy garments. Then, the couple’s body language change where the woman began to shift away from the man as if she was no longer interested in him and the man begun to display looks of shame.  For this ad, the intended audience was those who drink and it showed the audience the dangers of buzzed driving. Without thoroughly analyzing the piece, I would not have been able to fully understand the purpose of the ad. I was able to incorporate this concept into my other pieces during the semester.

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 my work, it has been important to evaluate many pieces from a variety of different sources. The assignment that most reflects Core Value IV is my Bibliography where I cited the twelve sources I used in my Research Paper. I clearly did not have enough research or experience to write an entire research paper on standardized testing so I had to find sources to support my ideas to persuade my audience. Some of my sources were research studies, such as Kenneth Wodtke’s “Exploratory Observational Study of Standardized Group Testing in Kindergarten,” which allowed me to use real-life observations to relate to my general thesis. Other sources were surveys or statistics, such as NAEP’s data on the achievement gap, which I was able to incorporate to further persuade my readers. I naturally incorporated all of the sources from my bibliography to create solid evidence to support my argument about standardized testing.

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 research paper, I expressed the complex and controversial debate that surrounds standardized testing in American public schools. As with anything controversial, it was important to express my ideas as fairly as possible. It was also important to acknowledge opinions that differ from mine and refute them respectfully and fairly. In my Rebuttal Rewrite, I was able to accomplish that. The source that I chose to refute, Latasha Gandy’s “Don’t Believe the Hype, Standardized Testing is Good for Children, Families, and Schools,” the author conveyed a set of beliefs that were completely different than the ones that I was conveying in my research paper. She believed that standardized testing was the most important tool in fighting educational justice in America. Although I did not agree with her argument, it was still important to acknowledge her points and clearly state the basis of her argument. By showing my readers this point, I was able to respectfully refute her argument by using the sources I had gathered in order to support my own points.

Reflective Rewrite- theshocker69

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.

One of the largest lessons that I have taken away from college composition is the recursive, never-ending cycle of good writing. Good writing is never finished. Last year in comp, I learned a great deal about proofreading. But yet, this semester I have learned more about changing my work than ever before. Every assignment this semester has been thoughtfully proofread and edited, but real revision began during my Visual Rewrites. The first moving image assignment was enjoyable, which made revision a fun recursive process. At the beginning of the semester, I struggled with revision, but we learned more tools to aid us in our revision towards the end of the semester which helped me greatly.

Not only are recursive stages of revision dire for great writing, but recursive discovery for the topic you are writing about is just as important. Without a broad knowledge of what you will be writing about, your writing will not be great. I was sure to create a legitimate interest in topics discoursed during class to make better writing. Informative writing creates curiosity within the reader, that becomes possible when the writer educates themselves on their subject of discourse. Further, lack of knowledge in your topic of writing will result in a bored audience. Gun control has always been a topic of discourse within my family which has resulted in a genuine interest on the problem. Therefore, gun control was the ideal research topic for me.

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.

By sorting all of our composition work into an online blog, a large platform that allows for a large community for discourse amongst various topics has been created. In my writing I was allowed discourse between my professor and I in order to improve my writing, as well as discourse amongst my fellow anonymous students. By receiving anonymous discourse from other students in my class, I am able to analyze a diverse view separate from my own that has helped tremendously in preparation for my research paper. And by forcing anonymity, this creates a bias barrier that encourages honest, although sometimes brutal, criticism that acts as a motivator towards the student to improve their writing in their recursive stages.

Throughout the semester, I have received large amounts of feedback from my professor and even a fair share from my peers. On my Definition Argument assignment, Darnell18 commented at me, “I like how you cover details on a variety of guns. The subject matter is very informative”. This dialogue between my audience and I helps me better understand what the audience wants to hear.

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 writing for my Research paper, I provided readers of the blog with unbiased and accurate information. Nowadays, it is challenging to find unbiased information. In response, I made a mission to supply that to the readers of the blog. In doing this, I was sure to search for observational data as opposed to subjective analysis. Subjective information is unreliable and strays from the work I am attempting to provide. By rhetorically analyzing the purpose, audience, and contents of my writing, I was able to provide accurate information effectively to the readers of the website.

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.

Without a premise, a conclusion has no meaning. Illustrations and evidence are of dire importance to support the writer’s ideas and deductions. As stated before, I wanted to deliver unbiased, accurate information to the readers. Therefore, I limited my sources to unbiased electronic web pages and documentaries in order to receive the most precise information as possible. I was sure to evaluate each website before it’s use to be sure that it’s facts and data were accurate and true, and that each website lacked subjective observation as to avoid such data to achieve my composition goal.

My annotated bibliography is a direct representation of the sources I located and evaluated, and also explains how I incorporated illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and conclusions.

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 worthy opponent is wrong.” This quote told to us in class sticks out in my head with every argumentative paper I write. In class I learned the importance to be civil in our rebuttal arguments, and to respect our opponent, but to crush them in our knowledge and compositional skills. My work demonstrates this by showing that general knowledge is generally wrong, respectfully. My work also politely attempts to prove that our perceptions are not to be trusted, and that observational data is our key to advancement as a society.

Further, I learned the ethical responsibility of providing accurate citation to show respect for the sources that made my writing what it is. Without proper citation, the advancement of knowledge is halted because the validity of the information will be questionable.

Reflective-edwardnihlman

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.

For any work to become great, it is important to look at its shortcomings and work off of that. An important part of Professor Hodges’ class is getting feedback for an essay, and then rewriting the essay based on what was suggested. The best example of me demonstrating this core value is seen in my Causal Argument essay. After completing the original essay, I talked directly with Professor Hodges and through his help, I was able to drastically change and improve upon what I had originally written. For example, one of my original paragraphs lacked a clear argument and had a lot of sentences that shared a similar meaning. To elaborate, it said that there was a connection between socioeconomic status and aggression, but in numerous sentences. It also brought up this being the government’s fault, but that line of thought went nowhere. With his feedback, I condensed what was originally written to a few sentences, wrote more to create a better argument, and restructured it all to be more coherent. So now it goes from establishing that some people are at a disadvantage, those people could end up in a lower class, a lower class leads to a higher level of aggression, and this increased aggression can lead to committing crimes. It wraps up by establishing that this is the government’s responsibility and as such, they may blame others to subvert attention.

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.

While it is important to use information to back up an argument, it is very easy to simply parrot what someone else is saying. In order to avoid this, one would have to read and analyze the text that they plan to use, and see how they can incorporate it into an essay which says something new on a topic. I followed this core value best within my Rebuttal Argument essay. To elaborate, I had found that the American Psychological Association found a correlation between violent video games and increased aggression. However, it does not directly support the case that violent video games can lead to criminal activity, so I used this to my advantage. I expressed how aggression can be a broad term, and as such, one can not say for sure that the aggression from video games can lead to murders.

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.

An important part of creating good writing is to understand the rhetorical elements. In other words, analyzing the purpose, audience, and context of a writing. By doing this, one can become a better writer overall. I went along with this core value in my Visual Rhetoric Analysis. In this assignment, I had to watch a thirty second PSA without audio, and try to figure out various things about it such as symbolism, purpose, audience, etc. I accomplished this by analyzing the video second by second. I looked at all of the various details of the frame to understand the argument that was being made. By the end, I had a clear understanding of what the PSA was trying to portray and how it expressed this. It was a PSA on texting while driving. It established a good Samaritan who was extremely selfless. In the end, he texts while driving, showing that even the best people can make the mistake of texting while driving. It is a bad thing to do, but those who do it are not inherently bad.

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 to make a good argument, one should have sufficient evidence to back up the claims they are making. Without this, an argument can be chalked up as a baseless theory, lacking any sort of credibility. However, when evidence is used properly, an argument is enhanced and becomes more persuasive. I demonstrated this core value with my Causal Argument essay. In this essay, I brought up various points such as socioeconomic class determining levels of aggression, and poor parenting leading to increased aggression in a child. Alone, these claims mean nothing, but I offered evidence in the form of experiments which show my claims have merit to them, and makes the argument stronger as a whole. I also acquired the information of the experiments through databases since it is important to acquire evidence from a credible source.

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.

A major part of writing anything is to cite where you got your information from, and use the information appropriately. As a student of a university, it is important for me to uphold this ethic, and not plagiarize other people’s work. Even if it were not forbidden, it is only appropriate for others to be credited for the things they worked on. I upheld this core value in my Rebuttal Argument essay. In it, I drew upon a graph, article, and essay in order to get my points across. Whenever I was referring to something in the text, I made sure to clarify what it was and who wrote it. I also created a works cited in order to properly document the sources I used within the essay, and to give proper credit to those who made the respective sources.