Anzaldúa

Anzaldúa

Pre Reading:

Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture. I have never heard of this term before.

QFD&J

1. Keeping her language, makes it the piece personal and it may also keep the reader engaged in the piece because they want to find out what the piece is about and also because it is different to what they have read before.

3. Yes I believe writers have to believe in themselves, because I believe that if you cant believe in yourself then there is no way others can.  Therefore in order to write a good piece the writer has to believe in it so that the piece is as believable as possible. When I write about a topic I find interesting, I find it easy to believe in myself because I have knowledge and interest in what I am writing. However I find it harder when I have little knowledge on the topic and do not find it interesting to write about.

A&EI

2. I believe she was right to write in the way she did because this is how she writes best so it becomes more affective and believable. It also makes the piece personal to her which really helps showing her views to the reader. I also believe it is effective because it is different from writing in a traditional way so it keeps the reader engaged.

3. I believe that is correct to a certain extent. Words can really get in to the mind of a reader, going into great detail and creating not only one image but many different views of one image. However if you are a reader who finds it hard to use imagery whilst reading, an image would be more affective than words. An actual image may be the most affective for a reader because they can actually see the detail in front of them which makes it more believable. For example if I were to see pictures of people in pain and being hurt this would have a deeper affect on me than words would. To communicate with someone about experiences I have had, I think a picture would be more affective because it would show exactly what im talking about rather than having to imagine what I experienced. 

alexander

QFJ&D:

1.      How are the concepts of male/female and masculine/feminine restrictive for all people? Give examples.

I believe that throughout our lives we are always restricted but we just may not notice it sometimes because this is the only way we know and when we are younger we are brought up in these constructs. For example sports are mainly for boys, girls wear makeup and play with dolls, when are younger then as we grow up boys must be masculine and girls should not wear baggy clothes but dress nicely and look attractive.

2.      How do the student narratives reinforce gender stereotypes and gender as embodied?

These student narratives show the difference between boys and girls because of the activities they talk about. For example in “Mr.Football”, he is portrayed by a girl and a big muscular man because this is what all footballers are seen as. Then this is contrasted with saying that he got injured through a jellyfish sting which meant he couldn’t play anymore. For the reader this then goes against the idea of him being strong but because he is a footballer everyone agrees it must have been a very bad injury rather than telling him to get on with it. I believe that in some ways that if a big muscular boy does something feminine they are less likely to be called gay than if a normal boy did it because it almost becomes cool if they do it, due to it being something new and completely opposite to their character.

A&E

1.      What significance trans pedagogy hold for everyone within a composition class, according to Alexander? In other words, what can “normally” gendered students gain from exposure to trans theory in their composition classrooms? Does this significance hold true for every minority discourse we have read in class?

I believe that trans pedagogy allows the two gender contrasts to interact and make them less obvious. I also believe that if someone is transgendered they do not see society as being constructed so they do not judge people on their actions but they just feel as though everyone should be who they want a lot more than other people. I believe the trans pedagogy has many positives however I also believe that some constructs must remain otherwise we have a very unfamiliar society that what we originally know. 

delpit and smitherman

Questions for Discussion and Journaling

1.      Does it matter to you that Delpit doesn't necessarily identify her race to her audience? Does her racial identity matter in context with this article? How does the message change depending on your perception of her identity?

No, I believe it is better because otherwise people would have preconceived ideas of her whereas now than can just judge her on her thoughts rather than her race. I believe that in this article, Delpit’s identity is important because her message can come across very strongly for the African American readers, so she is respected rather than her opinion being judged. However I believe that in this article the identity of the person is also important for the readers so that what she is saying can be trusted and valid rather than readers just saying “how would she know?”

2.      Do you agree with what Delpit is arguing? What are some effective parts of her argument? What are some weaknesses or shortcomings?

I agree with Delpit because I believe that people are born into a certain discourse community but some change and go into a different one, this may be because they wish to stay out of trouble or want to change but this implies that people are not just stuck in one community. However I do believe that most people born in a certain discourse community are likely to stay in that community because that is how they have been brought up and so it may take a lot of will power to get out of that community.

Applying and Exploring Idea

3.      In " Queer Texts, Queer Contexts, " Malinowitz suggests that generalization can be both effective and problematic. Do you see generalizations in this text? Where, and do you think they are effective, or problematic, or both?

I believe that one generalization which was made, which isn’t necessarily true is the fact that some people stay in discourse communities however in reality everyone is different and it also depends on certain situations people are in. Personally I think generalizing topics are bad because it puts many things together as one even if they are really very different, which also leads to stereotypes. However in a different context, generalizing details within a paper can help people understand making it easy for them to learn.

Smitherman

Pre reading exercises

·         Have you ever judged someone based on how they spoke without seeing them? What specific elements of their speech influenced your judgment?

I think along with most people straight away we judge people on what they look like. I believe that it is hard not to, however if I was to not see the person and just listen I think that I would pay more attention to their actual ideas and thoughts without relating it to what they look like. If I were not to see the person talking then I would definitely just judge them on what they have said rather than thinking “I wonder what they look like.” However I have not listened to a speech without knowing or seeing what the person looks like.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling

1.      How is Smitherman using Black Idiom (BI) rhetorically?

Smitherman repeats BI constantly. This is a positive because by the end readers understand the term however it can get very repetitive and for me personally it got frustrating because there was no variety in the writing.

Applying and Exploring Ideas

1.      Compare the two statements: “God doesn’t ever change” and “God don’t never change.” Smitherman suggests that there is a vital difference; not in the inherent meaning of the sentences, but in the meaning behind how the sentences are constructed. What is that difference? What is the significance of “God don’t never change” as the title of this piece, which is about language?

The language is very noticeable between these two statements, especially the grammar. I believe these two statements are closely linked with identities. If I were to look at these statements and say who said them then I would say the second statement “God don’t never change” was said by a black person rather than a white person just because of their culture and the way they talk to each other appears to be more like this rather than with correct grammar.

Flynn

QJ:

2.      Do you think we should take into consideration the time in which a piece of work was written when we evaluate a piece of writing? Or should the ideas within a truly great work transcend years and generations?

I believe that the time the piece of writing was written should be taken into account because society is changing all the time so it would be very hard for a piece of writing to transcend years and generations. Due to changes in society views of different things change so the piece of writing may be positive in one generation but no in another due to more updated changes. With changes in society also comes language change too.

3.      Flynn says that “Women’s perspectives have been suppressed, silenced, marginalized, written out of what counts as authoritative knowledge. Difference is erased in a desire to universalize” (157). What does this mean? How does the silencing of women's voices relate to the marginalization of other minorities?

I believe this means that women’s opinions are not heard to a certain extent and that men’s opinions in some ways over power the women therefore women do not get a say in some topics. This means by eliminating one opinion out of two, a shared point of view remains and everyone has to agree that this is the voice of the people in society. Silencing women relates to marginalization of minorities because just like not hearing women’s point of view is just like not hearing the minorities point of view in society due to the larger population of society over powering them. 

5.      Explain whether or not you find Chodorow’s claims about feminine vs. masculine identification processes convincing.

I believe it is very convincing because I believe that as we grow up if we are a girl we look up to our mother as who we want to be and as a boy we look up to our dad as who we hope to be. Although this is not true in all circumstances, some girls are “daddy’s girls” and love to be with their dad more than their mum and it’s the same for the opposite side.

AE:

4.      Does Flynn’s article demonstrate any limitations when generalizing about feminist investigation of composition? Does generalization serve any benefits? Explain.

As Flynn generalizes she only takes into consideration the things she wishes to express and not both angles. This means the reader does not get a balanced view on the topic and only her opinion. Generalization may serve benefits because it is a summary of most people’s views so therefore people get the idea of something without having to take a long time analyzing it however it leaves out some peoples views and details which may be key information in the topic.

5.      How does gender influence how writers use language? Explain.

I believe that gender plays a huge role in how something is written. If men are talking to me they talk or convey themselves in a different way compared to if a man was talking a woman. For example different language may be used, so men do not mind swearing with friends but it’s seen as rude to swear in front of a lady. Also slang for different topics may be used so men may talk about sport in a way they know but some women may not understand and women may do it when talking and beauty products.

Villanueva

Villanueva:

3. What does it mean that this piece starts with a memory and not a synthesis or thesis like we're used to in this class? What do you think starting with this memory does for this text?

This piece starts out with a memory which means that the piece starts out with something that the writer has written in relation to his thoughts and experience. I believe this helps the reader understand the piece because they are on the same level as the writer and I also believe it is more interesting because it is something which actually happened therefore it s realistic. I also believe it is interesting because it is something different compared to just having an intro or synthesis.

4. How do the different poems and passages contribute to Villanueva's point?

I found the poems quite confusing to begin with, then I realized how he was using the poems to express his thoughts and I found it quite interesting because I believe it helps the reader engage with the writer’s piece and his thoughts.

8. Villanueva's article deals mostly with how people of color employ memoria in their writing. What should students who don't identify as people of color take away from this reading?

People who do not identify as people of color can relate to those of color by understanding their experiences and what they go through. This may also help society because people not of color will not treat people of colour in a certain way because they now know what they feel and experiences they have gone through.

A&E:

2. What role does Porter's idea of intertextuality play in this piece? How is intertextuality important to memoria? Have traces of memories or other texts appeared in or affected your writing and how?

I believe that in this piece intertextuality really helps the reader understand the readers ideas on memoria which therefore makes us think about what we are reading and helps us understand different people’s thoughts. I enjoy writing best when I can involve my previous experiences because I can have a detailed idea about what im writing about and I understand what I am trying to say. 

Dialectical notebook

Dialectical notebook

1. “Autism itself is a rhetoric, that autism is a way of being in the world through language, through invention, structure and style.”: I believe that autism being described as rhetoric means that it’s left unanswered, so that we can make our own assumptions on autism, however being rhetorical may mean although it’s left unanswered it will be persuasive and show the person one side rather than both fairly which will be shown through structure and language.

2. “Autism is a profoundly rhetorical phenomenon”: relating to how we as people react to autism, I believe that this refers to our actions and what type of person we are. So for example if you were family you would be understanding and caring whereas if you were just a stranger walking past autism you may just ignore it and not say or do anything.

3. “Rhetorical listening allows us to generate a more productive discourse about autism” I believe this refers to how we react to something that is said and it depends on how it is said or in which content which accounts for the actions we take.

4.  “Rhetorical listening allows us to generate a more productive discourse about autism and the rhetorical triangle”: I believe this refers to the way we are taught and our awareness of autism. For example in my case I was brought up and told some people have it and they cannot help that they have it and also that I was very fortunate to be healthy. Therefore from a young age I had an idea in my mind of what it was and how I should react to what I here or saw of autism. However the people who may be nasty or have a stereotyped assumption of autism may be the people who are nasty. 

proj 3

Many people, equal importance, one dream, one desire, one common goal, many tactics, hard work, a lot of time, a lot of effort and people they look up to and dedicate themselves to: a community where all of these qualities are involved and where a group of people come together in order to achieve something as a group of people.  A lot of hard work is involved and it is all pulled together through one or two people who have a high authority within the community. A community has to have these people so that the discourse community can hold a structure and have a set idea of what they are going to do and how. In this assignment I will use an Ethnographic field to observe and analyse a sporting discourse community, to establish authorities, genres and identities within the community. These may include specific community languages which are only understood by them and separate them from other communities, making them unique.  

Malinowitz

Malinowitz

D&J

2. How is the presence of lesbian and gay discourses in the composition classroom just as important to those who identify as being heterosexual?

I think it is very important because in this world there are many people who are all different from one another. People who are different from the norm should be treated the same and this can only happen if people become used to them so they are not seen as different. I believe that being cruel to these people is only a way of not knowing how to act around them so by having more experience it makes it no big deal.

5. Explain how Sojourner Truth deconstructed the category of “woman.”

She saw women as from a slavery point of view, where they could act like men did and be treated the same as men getting the same treatment, food, punishment and attitude as them. She shows that women can work as hard as men and have the same attitude as men (take care of themselves).

11. Revisit your pre-reading definition of the term “queer.” How has your definition changed as a result?

I have only ever used the word queer when someone intends to be horrible to someone, implying that they are strange or stupid, however I believe the real meaning of the word is to be attracted to the same sex which implies that this people are weird and strange.

A&E

2. Think about an aspect of your identity (gender, race, religion, ethnicity, etc.). What language do you use to identify with this discourse community and how did you appropriate this language? How would your sense of identity differ if you did not have this language to express your “self” or if this language was silenced? Have you experienced this at some point in your life? Explain.

I believe that with my gender identity of being a girl comes politeness. In general I believe that girls are stereotyped as being more polite than boys. For example saying please and thank you so therefore if a girl does not use their manners I feel this is stated or recognized by another person and the girl is called rude. Whereas if a boy is bad mannered it may just go un-noticed.

MM

What do you think your instructor might say is the most important idea in this text? Explain.

Inclusion, no matter who you are or what you are, you should be accepted into the community because society is very diverse. You can tell people how to act around others but until the situation actually arises you do not realize things that can occur, for example you may be mean to someone without realizing so the best way to learn how to deal with this is through experience and deal with people who may be different to yourself. 

Devitt

QFD&J:

1.      For me, each classes essay structure differs because the tone is likely to be different along with the genre. In Leisure and Recreation I am likely going to set my essay out as more of a debate between one organization and another or maybe one idea to another. Whereas in my student athlete class when an essay is set it is structured as more of a report rather than a comparison. Along with the structure grammar is also likely to be different because a debate would use different tones to a report. A debate would be firm whereas a report maybe more inviting.

2.      At OU there are most definitely a wise range of genres mainly due to the amount of different interests people hold. For example at Peaden and at the ping centre a more competitive and word hard ethic is likely to be set there rather than at Walter Hall where I have my health class. Different people have different genres and those people give off those genres through the interests they have.

A&EI

3.      By researching through ethnographic fieldwork you get to discover with your own eyes different themes and ways of interacting which also allows you to see effective and ineffective methods within communities. This may also allow you to see what causes problems or how people interact and communicate with each other.

MM: I believe that ethnographic fieldwork is the best way to understand a discourse community because it allows you to experience the community yourself and have your own opinions on different people and themes rather than reading about them or having to go off other peoples views who you may have a completely different personality to and also research shows that learning through experience is one of the best ways of learning. 

Project 3 prop

For Project 3 I want my idea to be based around a sporting team. I myself am involved in a sporting team and I believe it can offer so many examples of authority, inclusion and exclusion of specific people and I can also use interviews of team members as well as observation to relate to project 3 topics. I can also relate behaviors to success and failure and see how that changes in different situations. 

wardle

D&J:

1. Wardle identifies engagement, imagination and alignment as the three ways newcomers try to belong in a new community. Firstly engagement can be used by someone to firstly get involved in what’s going on. For example a person may do this by sharing a common ground with someone in the group and showing an interest. Secondly imagination, this may be used to promote yourself to the group. For example if by using your imagination you come up with a respectful idea the group are going to listen and respect, however this may have a negative effective if the group do not agree. Lastly Alignment, would allow a person to come into a group and find where they fit in and where they do not. For example if the person knows they unlikely to get on with person then they should avoid them and stay with people they share common thoughts with.

3. A positive outcome was always unlikely to occur when too much control was used. As soon as a person becomes too controlling others do not wish to listen because they see it as “bossy, rude or even the person may come across as arrogant.” So if anything the people are likely to turn against them and do the opposite to what they wish.

5. I agree with Gee because I believe that you cannot just joining different groups and know it is going to have a positive outcome so therefore you have to gradually ease your way in and adjust to different environments and also it may take a fairly long time to realise this group is not for you but unless you try and fit in with how they work you wont know.

7. I was part of a field hockey team and a person with authority was our captain. The captain was a key role who was meant to lead the team by example of and off the pitch so anything they did was analyzed by everyone around. Unfortunately she made a bad decision one night and got drunk before a match. This led to her loosing her captaincy because the coach believed that if other players wanted to do it and she maintained captain then they would have an excuse to do so.

Gee

James Paul Gee:

QFD&J:

3. In this piece Gee differentiates between "Discourse" and "discourse", one has a capital and one doesn’t. When he explains “discourse” he refers to stretches of language which make sense whereas we he explains “Discourse” he refers to (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing combinations. Therefore he believes that discourse is part of a Discourse due to Discourses being in the world; forms of life which integrate words. At the first I thought I may understand that having a capital letter at the start of the word can make it very different however, not this different. Gee seems t have a whole different meaning on each word rather than it just being a name for something.

5. I believe it means that Discourses are linked to an individual person. So a Discourse will change depending on the identity it is being used with. So the way something is said or written within a Discourse depends on the identity of the person who is writing it and what they are trying to say. This implies that no discourses are wrong they are just merely opinions or standpoints which can be agreed or disagreed with.

11. Gee defines Metaknowledge as "Liberation and power, because it leads to the ability to manipulate, to analyze, to resist while advancing"

13. A discourse I would like to join is the Education College of campus because I hope to be an Elementary school teacher. I believe this college with help me learn everything I need to know in order to be the best I can and to be successful as a teacher. In order to be part of the college and do well I have to do well in school.

A&E:

3.

Dear Mrs Reece

There are many types of Discourses and Discourses can be defined in different ways. For example there may be dominant, nondominant, primary, secondary, literacy, apprenticeship and many more. As a teacher to help pupils I believe that you have to allow people to have their own opinions and chose what they want to do rather than shaping that which is why people have different Discourses. 

Glenn

Glenn Questions

Pre-reading:

1. Find an advertisement for an animal based food product. Does it feature an animated animal? How does its presence or absence affect your feelings toward the product and the company?

Nandos. The logo for this chicken based restaurant is a cockerel. I believe that the logo just provides the customers with an image which relates to food in the restaurant. In this case I do not believe it is done to draw the customers in. Also I believe that unless you are a vegetarian and even vegetarians do eat here, you are not going to be affected by an image as to what you eat. 

2. What connection do you have to farm animals? How much knowledge or exposure do you have to farm culture?

Personally I have no connection to farm animals. I went to a farm when I was little but other than that I do not really see farm animals or have a particular interest in them. I have a dog and I used to have a rabbit but I have never owned a pig or a horse or anything like that. I also have little knowledge in the farm culture because I was brought up in a town rather than in the countryside where wildlife and farming is a bigger thing.

QfJ&D:

1. What, according to Glenn, are the main characteristics of “factory farm discourse” (145)? How do those characteristics sanitize the process of factory farming? Is this type of discourse ethical? Why or why not?

There are two things within the farm factory discourse, double speak and speaking animals. Double speak was involved within the industry and may involve saying one thing but actually meaning something else. Speaking animals in adverts promotes to maybe the younger generation but at the same time gives a false impression of the animal being happy but in reality it isn’t. I believe it is not ethical because it is lying and the customers are not buying or consuming products we think we are. 

Lab Work

Topic: effects of reading to a fetus or infant

Question: does often reading to a fetus or infant cause them to be more literate at an earlier stage?

In my own experience my parents read to me from a young age and encouraged me to read words back to them so that I could learn at the same time as listening. I believe that through my parents help before going to school, it gave me a head start and I could understand and follow work at school better than if I went into school without being able to read at all. Due to me being able to follow in class I believe it helped me stay engaged and follow schoolwork rather than becoming bored or disinterested due to finding the work too hard to understand.

Literacy

Literacy’s

At a very early age everyone learns different literacy’s whether it be learning the alphabet or learning our times tables or tying our shoe lace. Mainly all our early literacy’s come from our parents in socialisation. After these kinds of literacy’s it is very common that everyone branches off into their own interests depending on the people and environment they are around.

Personally a literacy I learn from a young age was sport. At the age of 6 I began to play tennis because my family was very sporty and then at the age of 10 I began to play hockey. I played both sports at high school and I now play Hockey at University. Both of these various types of information whether it be skills, tactics or rules. I find that sport helps me relax and forget about everything else.

Another literacy I have learnt is technology. The use of laptops and smart phones are very common now so as a society we have to also become literate in these areas. Being computer literate for me was encouraged at high school then at home and in society it was used more and more which meant I had places to practice. I believe that as society develops so do we, so I also therefore believe that all literacy’s we develop are always influence from an external source.

Another literacy I developed was how to cook. From a young age I used to cook dinner and desserts with either my Mum or my Nan. They encouraged me to learn and also gave me the experience of cooking because it is a very good skill to have as we grow up and have to become independent.

Overall I think it is important to recognise that none of these literacy’s are possible without our one main literacy that we learn when we are younger which is reading. Almost everyone learns how to read just in very different ways. For me, the main way I learnt was reading with my parents before attending school. 

Wysocki

Questions for Discussion and Journaling

2. How does how Wysocki set up the text visually work for you as a reader? Is it a low-visual text as Bernhardt would explain it? Explain your answer.

Firstly the picture engages the reader’s attention straight away because it breaks down the text and makes it look as though there is not as much writing as there actually is. Secondly the photos and diagrams help the reader understand and engage in the piece of writing. The piece is very well structured with a clear title and bold headings. The headings and paragraphs breakdown the piece, enhancing the chance of the reader having a positive attitude whilst reading the piece rather than an attitude that it is too much to read so they will not bother reading it. I do not think it is a low-visual text because it contains different variations in the font, for example bold, highlighted and italic fonts which changes it up for the reader.

Applying and Exploring Ideas

2. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Do you agree with Kant that “the beautiful is that which pleases universally,” that some things are inherently beautiful? Or do you agree with Wysocki that “beauty is something we construct together” and subjected to social forces?

I believe that a person can contain beauty not only physically but in their characteristics aswell. If a person is polite then to someone they may seem beautiful because they are a lovely person. I believe beauty is a mixture of genetic inheritance and social structure. In the media we see images which are classified as beautiful so therefore our views are socially constructed to believing this however we may not necessarily think this without being told. Also genetically we are giving features and we are shaped internally through socialization, however we can use external sources to shape beauty such as surgery or being changed in to someone we are not depending on who we hang around with and our environment.

Meta Moment

Wysocki states, "There is no question that there is a certain necessity to effective visual composition because a design must fit a viewer's expectation if it is to make sense… but if design is to have any sense of possibility—of freedom—to it, then it must also push against the conventions, the horizon, of those expectations" (97). How does this statement apply to Wysocki's article? Does it apply to any other visual art? If so, how?

Wysocki states that a statement must make a big enough impact to effect views in society which does apply to this statement. In order to have an impact the message must be put across so the deign has to be strong. This can be expressed through words but the biggest impact would be through images. Images show beauty in a light which people may not have expected and which may shape peoples views. 

Baron

Baron

QFD&J:

2.  I believe that in this piece, Baron does shrug at technology but also sees it as a good thing replacing old methods, such as type writers. I think he implies that technologies increase people’s likelihood of becoming lazy, because he talks about how one day he did not know how to draft due to forgetting because he has become so used to typing. I agree that technology makes people “lazier” but I also believe that technologies help with efficiency and making it easier to communicate and write better papers.

4. Other than a pencil, other technologies which were once high technology are pens, highlighters, paper rubbers, etc. These are all writing tools and although they all basically do the same thing I believe even these types of technologies all has a step up from each other. For example the rubber was a step up from the pencil because it allowed people to erase mistakes and highlighters are a step up from pens because it allowed people to identify key points people were writing.

A&E:

3. Keeping records means that we can see changes we have made and also improvements we have made. This is a positive because if we ever need to go back and look as various stages things have gone through we can just look through old records. Not keeping records does not allow us to research and look up information but not keeping records can also help us forget mistakes we may have made in the past. On computers we may write pieces but not save them which mean these records become erased. Sometimes we do this without knowing when really we do want a record of our work.

MM: I think looking at writing is a positive, because everyone talks about how amazing technology is and how it can benefit us greatly. So if we talk about writing as a technology this allows people to have the same views on it. Also if we see writing as a technology it means we can keep developing it overtime and make changes to improve it. Personally I wouldn’t usually think of writing as a technology because there are not mechanical devices involved, I just have to do it myself and my brain still has to think about what to write, however if you break down other technologies there is always thinking involved from something which makes me think writing must also be a technology. 

Malcolm X

Malcolm X

QFD&J:

1. I believe that Malcolm is directing this piece at African Americans and the deprived. Firstly African Americans because he refers to a person in the text as a “the white man”, which makes me feel he is emphasising the white because it is different to him and the readers. Secondly the deprived, because throughout the text he refers to the limited sources he had available but yet he was still able to do what he wanted.

3. From a young age, Malcolm was deprived but he had sponsors such as books to help him with what he wanted to do. In prison I believe that his sponsors were books, the library and the floor in his cell, where he found it easy to concentrate and work.

6. I believe that motivation relates to your interest in a specific task you’re your taking part in. Therefore the more interest you have in a specific area the more motivation you will have to do well in it. So in my experience I have more motivation to train hard to be good at my hobbies whereas when it comes to studying for an exam, I have less interest in the specific area so therefore I have less motivation to sit down and study quietly.

A&E:

1. I believe as technology has increased and developed, there are two types of literate. Firstly being technology literate means you understand ways to connect through technology and you are able to work with technologies in order to do different tasks. Secondly being literate in a normal sense means that you write well and your grammar and punctuation are used correctly making your writing formal and high-quality.

2. My most influential literacy sponsor has to be my parents. My parents taught me how to read and write before going to school. Parents not only socialise you into beliefs and values but they also teach you basic skills. My parents also used sponsors to help be my sponsor such as learning materials with letters and numbers on to help me see visually what I needed to learn which made it easier. I believe I learnt from my parents the most because they were familiar to me and I grew up trusting them and listening to everything they told me.

MM:

I believe a teacher would say that the most important thing to take from the Malcolm reading is we can achieve in a deprived circumstance and our social backgrounds should not hold us back. As long as we have the correct attitude and motivation we can achieve and do well in life. I also believe Malcolm’s piece shows us that we should not be handed things on a plate, we have to work for them.

Alexie:

A&E:

1. I believe that people can overcome poverty but not all. In extreme cases it would be hard to ever imagine them succeeding without any, or very few resources. I believe sponsors such as books and institutions such as libraries would be open to most people so these would be the most common used, however once again in extreme cases these materials may be hard to gain access of.

Bell Hooks

AyR:

1. I do not believe I have ever fictionalized a memory but I know that sometimes I have Déjà vu, so I may see things which I believe have already happened. I also believe that sometimes I may over emphasise something within the experience than how I actually experienced it just to make it more interesting.

A&E:

3. I believe writing an experience down can add detail to the experience rather than it just being a rough memory. Also by writing it down at the time the event occurred can mean that you have it fresh in the mind so you can write a clear review on it. Another positive would be that by writing it down you can add emphasis on specific parts of the experience. For example make it more dramatic. 

Brandt

Brandt:

QfD&J:

1.

Brandt sees a literacy sponsor as something which does not only aid and support people with literacy skills but she believes that literacy sponsors can open some doors whilst closing others. Brandt sees sponsors as institutions, people and circumstances which make it possible for a person to become literate and shape the way the person actually acquires literacy.

2.

Sponsors are usually something which supports something else by giving them materials or equipment. For example schools (an institution) are sponsors of students but giving them text books. However a reason that a school may be a negative sponsor (in which it closes a door) is that sometimes schools cannot provide students with what they need so a different sponsor (parents) are needed. In my experience sometimes school has said they will provide me with a text book but haven’t had it due to a previous child not returning it so therefore I was unable to complete a piece of work.

4.

By stratified, I believe Brandt indicates that there are all different levels of opportunity, depending on the sponsor you use, depends on how well you will do. To gain a specific level you have to use the appropriate sponsor. In society today a high value is put on education due to going to university in order to get a good education and in the future to get a good job. As the importance (stakes) raise in these areas, it is important for good sources of sponsorship to be available. The sponsorship should open doors, rather than close doors, giving people the opportunity to achieve these high stakes.

A&EI:

1.

When I was younger, before I went to school, my parents and grandparents were my main sponsor. I learnt how to speak and write because of them and they may have used specific learning tools to help but they were the ones who helped the most. My Grandma’s was my main sponsor for learning how to spell and write. Every Sunday I would go to her house and we would do spellings and learn how to write them neatly. Another key sponsor in my life was when I got my laptop at the age of 13. My laptop helped me complete homework assignments and helped me research topics necessary to complete my homework. As well as using my laptop to research I would use libraries either in my local town or at school to rent out books and look up topics I needed to research. I believe these have been the main sponsors in my life outside of school then in school, I have received tutors and teachers help, as well as the use of textbooks. In schools there are always many people who are willing to help and assist you.

2.

In school, due to subjects following syllabuses, they always encouraged us to use certain books rather than others. Although we were encouraged to use specific books, on a very rare occasion were we told which books we can or cannot use. We were also encouraged to read outside of lesson materials to improve our grammar and once again we were encouraged to some books and not others just because they wanted to book to benefit us. In most subjects, at the start of the year we were given a list of books in which we were told that we could find all information on topics from these sources which was a huge help and which saved us a lot of time. Once again if we found a sponsor was unhelpful we could refer to mentors or the internet to help find specific information.

MM:

This article has given me a different outlook of my literacy skills. I have never really thought about how my skills are shaped and developed but I believe this article shows different sponsors we use in our lives and how they may affect our literacy skills and understanding. I also believe that I am still experiencing different types of sponsors today, from my parents to mentors and teachers. In college I am limited to different sponsors who allow me to complete different assignments, such as specific books and libraries.

bryson and dawkins

Bryson:

ByR:

3. How has technology changed the way we speak to each other? Is it grammatically correct? Does that affect your understanding of what others are saying? Can you come up any examples of ‘new’ words?

Technology has made social interaction very different. People may talk to others very differently through technology than to their face. For example they may be more open or forward with someone because they have a computer screen or telephone as a mask to hide behind. Also when using technology people tend to abbreviate their words or use slang, to make things quicker to type, such as “U ok?” meaning, are you okay? This may affect the way we write if we are doing a formal letter because we may unconsciously type an abbreviated version rather than the formal version. Sometimes using abbreviated words can mislead others which can cause confusion/

QfDaJ:

1. Define prescriptive and descriptive. What kind of grammar instruction have you encountered in the past? Give examples.

Prescriptive is when something is a rule which has to be accepted as it is and descriptive is something with can be interpreted in a specific way so is likely to change.I have encountered prescriptive in the past. At primary school we are told information which prepares us for writing in a specific way. For example, always putting a full stop at the end of a sentence and always putting a capital letter if it’s someone’s name.

AaEI:

1. Describe some of the ways Bryson says language changes over time. Where do you see this in Modern English? Would Bryson condone or condemn the change?

Bryson believes that English is changing as time goes on. He believes that we speak very differently now, compared to the past. Due to technology changes abbreviated words are encouraged along with slang phrases.  

Dawkins:

QfDaJ:

1. What conceptions about writing is Dawkins challenging?

Dawkins is challenging how reliable punctuation rules are, such as the inconsistent use of commas. He looks at how punctuation can change the tone of a sentence which is why he believes rules are not suited for every situation.

5. What do you know about punctuation now that you didn’t know before reading Dawkins?

Punctuation can be used to link single independent clauses together. I did not realise that adding different forms of punctuation in different parts of a sentence would change the tone and look of the sentence as much as it does. For example, having a full stop rather that an exclamation mark gives the sentence a much more blunt and serious reflection.

AaEI:

4. Think about your experiences as a writer in high school or middle school. Can you think of rules or directions you were given that just didn’t make sense to you, and still don’t? Write a letter to a past teacher creating an argument for why one or two common rules seem unnecessary. Remember to say not only what you think but why, giving the best reasons and examples you can think of.  

Dear Mrs Smith

I believe that when you taught me English you decided to just settle on basic rules rather than expanding on topics. For example the use of commas can be used to join sentences or other punctuation can be used depending on the type of sentence and the structure of the sentence. I believe teaching the basic restricts writing and puts a boundary on writing which does not allow creativity of the writer to show. 

Porter

D&J, 4: I believe that the evaluation of a piece of writing should be a summary of the text based on how well it has been written. Usually for me the evaluation of a paper is based on punctuation, grammar and spelling. Before reading Porter’s piece I would not have thought about acceptability. The acceptability, I believe, would be based on various people’s opinions whereas if you have a set standard, it would be easier to evaluate a piece of writing.

D&J, 5: I believe that his piece of writing is original but sources he has used as evidence are unoriginal. The ideas he talks about may have been spoken about before but because he has written them in his own way, makes it an original piece. I believe it is hard for a piece to be completely original because our thoughts and what we write about are likely to come from things we have read or experiences we have faced.

AE, 2: Plagiarism is something which is not written in your own words. If you take an extract from somewhere else you must state the source or else this is plagiarism. Some people believe that having people read over your work and helping you correct it is plagiarism. If you are caught, like Porter says you may have legal consequences.

MM: Porter has changed my perspective on writers. I still believe writers are creative but in a different way. It appears to me that writers need something in order to trigger a creative writing streak rather than just sitting down and being thoughtful. I have never thought of using other authors writing techniques to help my own writing so this will change the way I write for the better and this may increase the creativity of my writing. 

elbow

Getting ready to read

1.      How do you construct an identity using your Facebook profile? What do your different choices of what to include within your profile say about your identity online versus your identity at home?

On your Facebook profile your identity is constructed through the picture you choose to use, the colour scheme you have and the personal details you decided to show others. If you choose to express your feelings on your profile people can construct an image of you without even seeing. If you decided to write something negative about someone else then you may be seen as someone who cyber bullies, whereas if you use to show pictures of your friends and family you are a warm-hearted person who just wants to connect with friends online. People usually appear very different online to what they are actually like in person. This may be because what they write on Facebook  is taken the wrong way or because the person thinks they can say what they like and not be confronted about it.

2.       When you typically write academic papers, professors will often outlaw the use of "I" within your writing. How would your writing be different if you were able to use the first-person within this assignment?

If the word “I” is allowed to be used, the writer is able to express their own ideas and views on the specific topic, whereas if they are not their views are not seen in the piece of writing. If the word “I” is used this can also make the piece of writing more detail and more adventurous because it allows the writer to think about their feelings more and not just a generalised assumption.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling

1.       How do you define voice? Have you encountered different definitions of voice in the past and how do they compare to Elbow's definition of voice?

I would define voice as a personal thing to each individual. Everyone has a different voice because everyone has their own views and thoughts. Peoples voices may change depending on where they are, for example if they are in a classroom their voice may change due to peer pressure or being shy, whereas if they are talking to someone one on one then they may be able to express their voice more.

Applying and Exploring Ideas

1.       Elbow identifies two kinds of voices linked to any writer: sincerity and resonance. Can you write single sentence definitions, using your own words, for sincerity and resonance? And if you struggle with this exercise, what does this say about trying to use them in your own writing?

Sincerity only works if it is believable. Sincerity is the ready showing their true take on something and it may be used to show in letters of apology or proposal. People may see writer’s sincerity as wrong or dangerous due to not everyone having the same opinion.

Resonance may be parts of writing which add extra presence, for example these may be changes in tone. Resonance may be used by the writer unconsciously and it shows off the writers views but Elbow does not believe it shows off their full outtake on something because they are writing in an unconscious manner. 

reading response

1. I believe that writers have to take time over a piece of writing. I feel that everyday someone cannot just wake up and be creative, so in order to have the best piece of writing they need to work at a piece of writing then go back to it the next day and read over it to see if they can improve it or to check through it. I believe this is a difficult experience because of how long it takes and because of the amount of different ideas which can be used in one piece of writing. During the process of writing a paper the writer is likely to make changes many times.

2. On page 33 " The best piece of advice I can give you though, is to tell the Inspired Writer to shut up and let you write." States what she believes the purpose of writing is. I agree with this statement because I believe there should not be any rules to writing and people are likely to write a better paper if they are able to think for themselves. By allowing someone to write their own ideas, encourages personality to show in the writing. I agree with Allen’s ideas or free writing and expressing your own ideas because if everyone followed specific rules then most sets of writing would be the same.

3. I have colluded in the past, when I was younger. I do not believe it is plagiarism because it is someone helping you out. I believe if collusion is plagiarism then so is your tutor correcting or helping you with work because it’s the same thing. If my mum had written my work for me and I had done nothing then yes this is plagiarism but if I write the whole paper and my mum just reads through it to check punctuation I do not believe this is plagiarism.

MM:

There have been many occasions where I haven’t been inspired by something even though I feel like I should have been. If this happens I usually keep reading it to see if I have missed a key factor which would change my view on the reading. If I still feel uninspired I may research the particular topic to improve my knowledge and interest. To help me understand others writing and be inspired I may use imitation so I can understand a particular way someone writes. 

berger and mccloud

Berger questions:

Before you read:

• The male celebrity is shown as a powerful human being who wants to show off his masculinity in order to show power and strength.
• The female celebrity is shown as a feminine human being who wants to show her glamour and who wants to look the best she can for the camera.
• If I were to draw a picture of a woman I would have her facing the camera so that she is looking the viewer straight in the eye, which shows she is not hiding anything. If I was promoting an object then the women would not be the main image I want everyone to see, so I would arrange the seen so that the main focus for viewers is on the product. The woman would be nude so that the main focus is not on the woman but on the product.

Questions for discussion:

1.     Do you think artists of these paintings knew what they were doing when they created? Why? Would Berger agree with you?

      Yes I believe they did. In order to succeed you have to promote your ideas to a target audience, which also means that you have to engage them with the painting by making the viewer look at the object you wish to promote. I believe that Berger would agree with this as he wants to construct spectatorship and to do this you have to engage with the viewer.

2.     Where have you seen images of posed women in advertising or other pop culture? How have these images compared to the nudes discussed by Berger? How have our portrayals of women in visual media changed or stayed the same?

Posed women are advertised in beauty adverts on the TV, promoting the product to viewers as something which makes them feel or look better. People (in this case women) would see the advert and want their body to be as the picture shows but in reality the picture is likely to be airbrushed because in the ideal world everyone wants to be perfect so that’s what the advert had to portray. Our perception of women has changed. We used to generally see women as promoting a product now we see women selling themselves to the audience for money or by men they are seen as a sexual object.


Applying and Exploring:

2.     Berger shares insights into the relationship between spectator and subject in works of art. How can we apply these ideas to our interactions with texts when we read? What relationship do you enter with the author of an article, or the main character in a work of fiction? The subject in art tells the viewer something through visual meanings and just like art text draws an invisible image to the reader. For example everything we read has a meaning behind it as do pictures we look at. When we read a fiction book, if the author portrays the story well, we find ourselves in the shoes of the character so that we can understand the emotions they go through throughout the book.

3.     Berger refers to how the way the woman is positioned in an oil painting as the determining factor for how he believes the image was meant to be viewed. Do you see a similar determining factor in modern images of women?  If so, where? Explain what you do or do not see.

If you compare an oil painting to modern images of women, the oil paintings will be much more modest and they will be facing straight down the camera. Whereas in modern day pictures the women in the picture is likely to be looking away and posing almost giving off a sense of uncertainty, that makes the viewer want to look at it more. The similarity between modern day images and the past is that they both use women to promote to audiences by showing their bodies. In the past images were likely to be more sophisticated focusing on the object being promoted whereas in modern day the women is likely the theme being promoted.

McCloud
Before your read: (1)

●      Try to recall what your favorite cartoon was or still is. Do you relate to a character and find yourself connecting? What features do you think help you connect?

My favourite cartoon character was Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I believe I connect with this character because in the programme the producer always made the viewer feel sorry for Eeyore, maybe because he was always having bad luck or certain situations would always happen to him. I know I would hate to be in a situation where I always have bad luck so this automatically makes me have sympathy towards the character.  I also think Eeyore is portrayed as a cute cuddly character which makes the viewer’s warm to him. His round shaped body and sad eyes allow him to be cute  and due to his round features this makes him seem friendlier.

Discussion and Journaling:

1.      Why do you think adults still like the simplicity of cartoons? Do you think there is an age in which watching cartoons or reading comics is inappropriate? What do you think McCloud would have to say about it?

Adult cartoons are very different to childhood cartoons. They may look similar but the content which comes from them is different because the producer wants to connect with a specific audience. I believe that McCloud would agree with this statement and as he states certain viewers would enter a perspective frame so you can see specific situations, which furthermore links to an age of an individual does not matter when the question, do you think there is an age in which watching cartoons or reading comics is inappropriate? So I believe anyone of any age can watch cartoons, it just appeals to different people, with different humour.

2.        Why does McCloud use the comic book format to convey his ideas to the reader? How would his points have suffered if expressed them only through writing?

Showing a comic book allows McCloud to show off his ideas visually almost giving evidence of his ideas. They are also one of the most basic forms of showing his ideas, allowing everyone to understand by reading the images as well as viewing them. This also helps the reader understand McCloud’s ideas and witness them for themselves which would have suffered if it was just in writing.

Applying and exploring:

1.        Do you think more teaching strategies should contain visual imagery? What sort of lesson do you think would benefit from it?

I believe visual imagery would make a lesson more interesting for students because not only would it keep them engaged in what is being said but it would also help them to understand what the teacher is explaining and teaching. I believe lessons such as art, history, geography and science would benefit, making it easier to understand and see examples or what is being said.

2.        Why does McCloud contend that we are more likely to see ourselves in generic, cartoonish images that do not accurately resemble human faces? Contrary to McCloud’s argument, have you ever looked at a photograph or realistic portrait of a person and identified with the subject?

If the face is left unseen we are more likely to see resemblance because everyone has the same basic features, whereas if a face is reviled then more features are likely to be different so we do not relate it to ourselves because we see ourselves differently to the image.