- I felt I have always been good at descriptions, using different words that mean the same thing. Using correct descriptions that i know and understand. Not just random words that mean the same thing, but words that i would use in real life. I like to have a quirky way of doing thing, like describing someone or something. I try to write like i would talk. I have had a couple people say that to me this semester alone. I never really thought about expressing general nouns before like, walking or putting on a sweater. I would just say walk but now i will think a little bit more about the little words. I relearned what a metaphor and simile is. Completely forgot about it.
- I think the most important point in writing is that first paragraph (introduction) and the first sentence in the following paragraphs.
- I picked this picture because when i was traveling from the states to Afghanistan, somewhere in our travels i ran across this exact replica. i would take pictures of it and post them all over the office. I think this picture is quirky but cool. It was more of a motivational thing for my company.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Reading Response ch. 5
Final Draft "Arts In School"
Rebecca
Pottebaum
Jennifer
Zukowski
ENG
121-118
29
August 2014
“The Importance of Arts in High School”
Can
you imagine taking a single piece of charcoal, making a powdery self-portrait,
taking it to state and winning? How about influencing a younger generation and
making a difference? I learned I had an amazing artistic talent when I was a
freshman in high school, the following years in high school, I had new outlook
on how I wanted to live and succeed in my life. Art gave me the confidence I
have never had in myself before. The importance of Arts in School can stem to
music, acting, and even dance, which will give kids courage in themselves and
not afraid to stand out to pursue their dreams and succeed.
When I was a freshman, I was the
picked-on kid that had no self-confidence. The students, heck, even the
teachers thought I would end up on the streets. I had no positive self-image until
I was introduced to the wonderful world of pastel art. Six months later, I had
an intense self-portrait that won 1st prize at a state competition.
For those 6 months, I wasn’t out vandalizing a trailer or spray-painting
buildings; instead I was at school after hours, to allow more time for me to
throw powder at my paper. Arts in school can get kids off a troubled road and
onto a path of success.
One female that improved herself
through school was Ceria. She was a troubled chick that didn’t care about
anything other then boys. The school was having a art display by all the
teenagers in Art Club. I had put on my, “Can You Read Me” picture that I had
won at state with. I was walking around looking at all the drawing when I
noticed Ceria looking at my picture. I walked over and asked,” What do you
think?” She said, “I want to learn how to draw like that.” A couple months later,
we had become great friends and Ceria started taking Art Classes. She went from
being a D student to an A student. Not just in Music and Art but all her
classes. The influences in Arts in School can make such an immense force that
bounces around to all children directly or indirectly.
In 2003, New York City started a study on the Arts Influences
on Kids, starting with, “Blueprint for
Teaching and Learning in the Arts.” The experiment was showing so much
progress that in 2007, Major Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott announced, “ArtsCount.” The program introduced, “The Annual Arts in Schools Report.” This
report made schools accountable for improving and maintaining quality Arts
learning for all kids, grades 1-12. In March 2008, the first report was published
in the Big Apple. The Annual Arts Report contained information about arts
teachers, budgeting, providing multi-cultural speakers, and parent involvement.
There is comparison on the count of kids taking classes in 3rd grade
vs kids taking Arts classes in 5th grade. There is so much pertinent
information that lets people see the long-term effect of Arts in school.
Instead of kids only taking 2 Arts Classes, kids showing interest and taking 3
to 4 classes. To compare the two reports, here are the 06-07 Report and 12-13 Report. New York City definitely has
it right when it comes to improving our future generations.
With the high demand that colleges are placing on students
today; there is a need and requirement for kids of all ages to take extra
curricular activities through all their schooling. Arts introduce social
skills, confidence, and a interests in activities that can help them during
school, when they go to college and start applying for scholarships. The social
skills will help them for the rest of their lives, even when they are 50.
Requiring more Arts in school doesn’t just help them; it makes people strive to
do better for themselves for the rest of their lives. For me, it was winning a
state competition that made me say, “You know what? I can do this. I can
succeed if I try.” I believe actions speak louder then words. My actions in
life make me a success story that can represent, “Arts in School are needed.”
Works
Cited
“Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Art.” Arts Education at the
New York City Department of Education.
“The
Annual Arts in School Report” Arts
Education at the New York City Department of Education.
“Arts
Count” Arts Education at
the New York Department of Education.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Reading Response #1
Reading Response #1
Chapter one of the Patterns for a Purpose text
book is entitled “Reading Critically”. This title could cause a reader to infer
a number of things, but the general idea of the passage is to inform students
how to analyze something for credibility and coherency before diving into it.
In my personal opinion, I believe that this chapter gave
good insight on what to look for and what to watch out for to determine the
quality of a passage. However, most of this insight was seemingly review to
anyone who had picked up a piece of literature, or attended an English class,
at least once in their lives. For example, the section in which determining
fact from opinion is touched upon, I as a reader had trouble figuring out how
this knowledge would not just come as common sense to most people. Although
everything within the chapter is relevant and useful, it is like I mentioned,
full of redundancy and review.
If
I were to look at chapter one from a professional/learning standpoint however,
I would give it an “A+” in information. This section is jam-packed with clear,
detailed descriptions of what to be aware of in a text. It includes very
important topics such as determining credibility of an author, looking for an
unbiased approach to an informative essay, and how to go about the most useful
and efficient process of reading different variations of writing. Generally
speaking, this chapter does a great job of providing detail and would be very
useful to anyone looking for a deeper grasp on how to judge a composition based
on many underlying factors.
By Claire Reyburn Image
Video games causing shootings??
From the first
violent sin when Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy, Man has had a
violent history. Look at many of old
history manuscripts of the Romans or the Greeks and even fictitious writing
like Homer’s Iliad, they are all riddled with violence. Look at how “entertaining” it was for the
Romans to take people and put them in the ring and watch them fight to the
death (2). Is there a correlation
between violent video games and violent behavior? It seems a little far-fetched
considering Man has always been fascinated with violence. There is not enough evidence to directly
support the relationship between violent video games and violent behavior.
The testing of
psychological effects video games have on adolescents is very difficult to
assess with any accuracy. Each test and
study done has had different parameters, length of trial periods, and, most
importantly, subjects (1). Each person
has their own chemical make-up that makes them individual. Just like all physical features of a person,
chemical make-up of a person is just as diverse. One person is out-going and loves socializing
and group projects while another is reserved and shy and can go through all of
school without one group project, yet another likes a lot of friends but is
very individualistic and does things their own way. All of these traits are a result of each
person’s chemical makeup. Now do not
misunderstand and think just because someone has a certain chemical make-up
that they are excused from consequences.
Absolutely not!
There are just so
many things to take into consideration when conducting psychological
experiments. That is why it is a
difficult yes or no to whether video games induce violent behavior. But society seems perfectly happy with blaming
problems on shallow and empty factors.
Why does society pin these problems on something that is not only
tangible but barely skin deep? Why is that?
Is it because someone just wants a reason that terrible things happen
and something like violent video games is visible, tangible, and changeable?
Unfortunately the problem is much deeper than the visible which is why it is so
hard for people to accept. There is
something else going on and no one wants to admit it. There is a little evil and a little good in
everyone and they are always at war with each other. The part everyone is responsible for,
themselves, is the side they choose to take.
2) http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-out-outside-in/201212/violent-video-games-and-movies-causing-violent-behavior
Games and Violence?!
Video Games vs Violence in American Society
School
shootings and violence in the United States have come to the forefront of our
attention, most notably with mass school shootings by either one or two
individuals. In the past twenty years or
so with the advent of social media, instant news sources and media commentators
Americans have tried to explain how such violent and senseless acts occur in
our modern society. Video games such as
the ‘Call of Duty’ series, ‘Battlefield’, and MMORPGs have drawn the most
attention from those who wish to do something about this perceived pandemic
that is currently plaguing our utopic society.
American culture uses video games as a scapegoat in an attempt to explain
away a fundamental element to human nature.
Kristin
Bezio compares this habit of deflecting blame to the invention of Rock &
Roll in the 1950’s and 60’s. As with
today’s video games intellectuals attempted to blame the promiscuity, drug
abuse, and general disregard for society on this new kind of music as if there
were an underlying plot to destabilize the United States.
Violence
in human culture is written throughout our history, from roving bands of humans
trying to secure food and resources to nations fighting over their right to existence. During the Punic Wars in 200 B.C.E. there
were no electronic sources of entertainment but still the Carthaginians managed
to slaughter over 80,000 Roman legionnaires. How can these actions be
rationalized if not for an underlying barbarity that we all possess but choose
to ignore.
21st
Century video games have become a multi-billion dollar industry throughout the
world and programming companies take advantage of our quest for blood. This notion of blood for millions of people
stops once the console has turned off, but for singular individuals in a sea of
millions if not billions this artificial reality is not enough. Their acts violence time and again are linked
not to video games but their deep seeded need for attention and fame that they
would not normally achieve in their current daily lives. American media then fulfills their quest for
fame by analyzing every aspect of their life and plastering their names and
pictures for all to see.
American
society as a whole has lust for violence and blood; this is readily apparent as
motorists tend to slow down and impede traffic after an accident in the slim
chance that they will be able to see the blood, broken body, and viscera of an
unlucky individual. By blaming video
games societal critics attempt to solve a greater issue or aspect of human
culture but are in fact attacking a symptom and not the true underlying cause or
why our human nature precludes us to violence.
Bezio, Kristin M.S.. “Stop blaming video games for America’s gun violence.” 13 February 2013. Web. <www.csmonitor.com> 27 August 2014.
Cole, the man, the legend.
Cole Moffitt Interview Article
Cole
Moffitt is a young student at Front Range Community College who like most
people in America today typically only writes in text messages, short emails or
for assignments in class. These writing
styles are brought on by a culture of instant communication and gratification
which has led many to perceive a dumbing down of future generations.
Cole’s
writing began in high school when he took an English class in which peer work shopping
was an integral part. This class provided him with a wide variety of skills as
well as a method for getting his writings checked for various errors. Like most writers having someone review your
work can be a hurdle because psychologically you work is perfect for you when
there could be some serious errors. In a climate of spell check and autocorrect
in social media it is easy to see how one could become sucked into his or her
own work while ignoring outside influences and critiques.
The
culture of social media in America today is reflected in Cole with his
familiarization of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. These forms of instant communications have
exceeded if not replaced the use of letters, emails, and regular phone
calls. This societal switch to instant
gratification and communication has caused millions of young Americans to become
less adept in composing research papers, articles, and professional
emails. A culture of text messaging and
emoticons by young adults is a symptom or progression of American culture and
not a reflection on individuals who operate in such a manner.
Instant
gratification and the prevalence of smart devices capable of connecting the
user to an immense array of knowledge and research has led to the decline of
libraries and hard covered articles. A
decline library membership and knowledge is directly correlated to the rise of
social media, Wikipedia and online documents.
Though this has sped up research and therefore the amount of knowledge
one has access to, it has also led to people to become solely reliant on such
sources which cannot be independently verified.
All
of these hurdles that are in front of Cole can be surmounted as long as he realizes
and confronts his perceived shortcomings.
One of the first steps in overcoming these obstacles is take a course
such as English Composition, in which every paper and writing that you produce
is read and scrutinized allowing an individual to get over the nervousness of
having your work become public. Pursuing
knowledge and information in libraries, research papers and peer reviewed
journals is slowly becoming lost but hopefully through this class, Cole and
millions of young adults like him, will begin the difficult transition back to
working hard to understand and truly comprehend the information put in front of
them.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Graz_University-Library_reading-room.jpg
Swarles' Ch. 3 RR!
Jonathan Gourley
Ch. 3 Reading Response
Chapter
3 covered writing draft composition and function. In my prior experiences I had never
associated an image directly with a writing assignment except to enhance my
arguments. The way that the book describes
image usage seems to be to not as precise.
Typically in my past writings I have edited and adjusted as my paper
evolved, which created a much more fluid type of response. The book however seems to layout multiple
steps and gradations to the writing process from outlines, pre-drafts, drafts,
overviews, etc. This seems like over kill to me when you could create a layout
or plan then follow that outline and create a paper out of that. Writing more efficiently would seem to make
more sense in utilizing ones time more economically.
Writing
in various forms with multiple steps definitely has its merits in composing
longer essays or research articles.
These multiple steps will allow various people the opportunity to
observe and make corrections on your work that you may or may not have caught
by yourself.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2090/2349630643_712c43496b_z.jpg?zz=1
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