Reflection on Project 2 Draft:

I reviewed Aaron's and Jess' drafts.

• My audience is specifically students interested in pursuing teaching special education or deaf studies following graduation. 
• My classmates will probably be bias towards integrating deaf and hard of hearing students with hearing students throughout their education experiences without the knowledge that sometimes it is unnecessary or not what that student really needs. This topic has so many points of view as to what is "right" or "wrong" that it can get hard to figure out what is best for the particular child - which is the most important thing. I think I also try to stay as neutral as possible so I shouldn't be disrespectful of their opinions. 
• Their values will be mixed between education with hearing and not hearing students. They will expect this article to take a side, which is tries not to do, so it will be interesting for them when they have to interpret if there is a bias or not on their own. 
• I think I need to give more information in the form of quotes. I have trouble doing this because I have been taught through my profession that quotes should NOT be used AT ALL. I took a class that required research papers every other week and if we used a quote we were negated 20 points because it is not encouraged in my field. I learned to not like using quotes which is why I struggle to put them in my papers. I wonder if there is a better way of using the information without using quotes? 
• I can use a professional yet not entirely scientific approach to my audience. I shouldn't expect them to read a research novel about this article if it isn't expected of us in our field. While my field will be about reading research papers and journals, I don't think I should expect that of my peers right off the bat. I should save that language for when I have my doctoral degree. 
• I usually have trouble staying consistent with my tone. I need to review this. My tone should remain consistent while keeping a positive and open tone. I don't want to get too opinionated. 

Clarity, Part 1

I decided to focus on Wordy Sentences, Needed Words, Variety, and Parallel Ideas.

1) I thought it was interesting that the chapter suggested using simpler words in order to cut down wordy sentences. I always thought using professional word choice trumped shorting sentences. I think I can highly benefit from this chapter as I have a tendency to overuse words.

I thought it was interesting that the chapter suggested using simpler words in order to cut down wordy sentences. I always thought using professional word choice trumped shorting sentences. I think I can highly benefit from this chapter as I have a tendency to overuse words.

2) In the Needed Words section, while I wasn't certain what it would be about, I thought it would help me with wordy sentences. Instead, I just feel more confused about wordy sentences and needed words. The fact that both chapters are telling you to do two opposite things is confusing.

3) The Variety chapter was very similar to the Needed Words and Wordy Sentences chapters and helped me understand my confusion between the other two. I am always surprised at the number of rules there seem to be in English.

4) I chose to look at Parallel Ideas because I was curious about this topic; not necessarily because I thought I needed it. However, I found this chapter just as helpful as the others. For this essay, I think this is useful because we are doing a lot of compare and contrast within the subject we chose.

REFLECTION:

I learned a lot through my peers about the chapters I read. I found a lot of us use wordy sentences (I am not alone!) and that we can all use too many commas. I think I need to review my own paper for similar issues.

Taken from How Misconceptions Killed Kevin Carter, by Jess Gonzalez:
"Even after the devastating loss of his best friend, photojournalist Ken Oosterbroeck, who was killed on the day he’d been away to be interviewed about winning the Pulitzer, Carter did his best to live up to the much sought after prize he’d been awarded, adding weight to the pressure he was already under from the attacks from the public, some even calling him “inhumane” for failing to assist the child in the photo." - here is a great example of wordiness and long run-on sentences I found through my peer.

Taken from NASA Budget Cuts, by Aaron Jatana:
"He then explains himself by saying that the study of other planets is one of the most popular studies for young students in Astronomy today, and those are the people who won’t get projects funded for." - here is a great example of too many words that mean the same thing. "explains himself" and "by saying" are just too similar to be in the same sentence. There should be a better way to say this without such repetition.

Draft of Rhetorical Analysis

Hello again,

Last draft I had trouble with tenseness, wordiness, and I used a lot of unnecessary words instead of getting right to the point. Please help me narrow down and shorten my draft. Please let me know where my "fluff" words are, where I repeat, and if I missed anything important.

So here it is. Thanks again,

Britt

Project 2 outline

The Introduction: 

Start off describing the struggle involved with parents who have a newly diagnosed child, Miller's education background, then finish with the thesis I pick from the previous post.  

The body:

1) The context of the article: grammar, vocab choices, strategies used or not used, unbiased, links used, bold and colored word choices, etc.

2) The culture of the article: The need of these families, the parents, and children. The newly exposed to culture individuals. The things parents may take into consideration or questions they may want to ask. The resources and their availability to the class of households this article is focused on. 

The Conclusion:

In conclusion, 2nd thesis statement would work well with tweaking. This article should be used because it is unbiased and therefor the most reliable piece of rhetorical evidence available to the public in need of assistance. 

Draft thesis statements

Here is my drafting process for the thesis statements. Instead of circling the items I wanted to focus on I decided to highlight.

My thesis statement idea is:

With the help of his educated background in deaf studies and American Sign Language, John Miller shows mixed hearing and non-hearing family members the perfect guide to education focused on each individual child’s needs without interference of personal judgement or bias, allowing for the family to come to their own personal choice in such a personal matter.

John Miller composes a beautiful article for the perfect guide for new families of the HOH or Deaf community on the best education practices available to them. Through an unbaised approach, he helps parents pick the best education for their child focused on that child's level of need.



I think, understanding the full assignment now, I wish I had picked a different article. This article was picked because it fit best with the first analysis assignment given in this deadline, but it doesn't match the end project very well. I would have picked a more suggestive article if I had known this was what we were working towards. Because there isn't much of an argument in this article, the challenge will be allowing it to be used like one without a biased opinion in my final draft.

REFLECTION:

I commented on Selena's post first. I found both of her thesis statements to work well for the essay. I liked how direct and clean the paragraphs were. I would like to use this and apply it to my own statements to make them more clear.

I then commented on Jess' post. I thought she could use more direct language and when I thought about my own thesis I realized that I could use the same advice. I also found that I should use the author and the name of the article in my statement. It may help direct the audience of my analysis.

I agree with Jake that I need to separate my first thesis into multiple statements in order to help the flow and "vibe" of my thesis. I should also look back through the article and look for what isn't in the article, as Ms Wolfe stated. I think this will help.

Analyzing my Audience

1) These readers have recently been told that their son or daughter has been diagnosed with Hard of Hearing (HOH) or deafness. These parents aren't sure of their beliefs yet which is why they are looking into this article and others similar. They want to find the right option for their family but cannot do this without the knowledge to make an educated decision. These parents are in a new and scary place in their lives, also wondering about where to take American Sign Language (ASL), and looking into all kinds of resources. It has just occurred to them that they don't know what to do to get their child through their education. These parents believe in the importance of an education for their family - they just aren't sure what kind that may be yet.

2) The language of this article is perfect for this audience. In their confused and scared emotional state, these parents need answers in a concise, quick, and educated manor. Some may not have as great of a vocabulary as others do which is why it is important to use regular speech talk, not a lot of scientific words that could get more confusing, and not too dull and small that the author is talking down to them. The language used in this article is the perfect example for how you'd want to talk to these parents.

3) These parents are probably in middle and lower class households though some upper class families may also choose to use the internet for their research. The reason I would think most upper class families would not choose to read this article is because the upper class has two main methods of finding information that is personal. The first is that they know a lot of helpful and powerful resources through their connections; neighbors, friends, business partners, etc. The other method they have is that most upper class individuals are highly educated and would resort to scientific academic journals instead of simple articles for just anyone. They also have the money to send their child anywhere or to keep them home for home schooling, something many other families cannot afford.

4) These parents will get the choice to pick what they want for their child for education. Since most will not be upper class they probably will not pick home schooling or boarding schools. They will be limited by the resources in their area, the amount they can afford on special treatment for specific ASL classes, lip reading, etc. They will probably pick a school close by that has a large deaf or HOH population but that is also a regular high school so they get both worlds in their education. But this article lets the parents decide what is best for them.

5) These parents want to know everything about this topic in order to make the best decision they can for their child. They will want to know the different costs for each type of education, the resources in their area, if they need to move to get closer to a better program for their child, how their child will be treated in each environment by both peers and teachers, how they will get these resources, where to sign up, how to sign, and so many more. These questions will plague them at every step of their child's education. Each new academic year, each bullying situation, every step of the way will have them back to this and other resources online and at clinics.

6) The best way to be persuaded in this situation would be financially appealing and more inclusive schooling would be best. These families do not have millions of dollars but still want to do what is best for their child. If they were told their financial stability was safe with one school or that the program at the expensive boarding school was the best in the nation and the only true option to insure a perfect life for their child, they would be more likely to pick that one.

Cluster of "Education options for children...."

I did my cluster in google drawings. I simply took the three main categories and four subcategories to centralize the cluster. I then took the information I gathered in my previous posts to compile a shortened list of each category which I put in the circles and file shapes.

Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies in "Education options for children who are deaf or hard of hearing" by John Miller

The author uses a link to a credible source for more information in his article. He references 3 other websites and places to explore for more detailed information as well as more personal information, such as the schools in particular areas in the United States. This adds credibility to his name by using updated, informative, credible sites to help validate his own statements.

The visual arrangement is also high quality. By bolding the pros and cons, and by making the different types of schools available in a different color from the rest of the text, the reader can visually see the pros and cons of each school type without having to read the full article. They can skim through the material and read up on what they want more information about.

The author also links his personal credibility page to his name next to the title, so there is an easy way of researching his credibility from the article without having to research him. This makes him highly credible as well as trustworthy.

The author tries to avoid emotion about any particular portion of his text. He tries to remain as unbiased as possible in order to be fully informative. I think he sympathizes with those of the deaf community, but he tries to stay as neutral as possible. I think this passive way is best when trying to be informative. He comes off as understanding and approachable to the topic, but I wouldn't expect him to give me a hug. He seems to know a lot about this topic and be well knowledgeable. I think this helps the audience pick the best option for them by not having to feel a slight sense of uncertainty based on another emotions towards the topic.

While he is a credible source himself, the author does not link this article to historical records, statistics, interviews, opinions, or studies. Instead, he links reports of schools in each area of the United States, uses clear and concise sentences. He uses proper grammar and effective paragraph structure best suited for the reader. He uses clear transitions as well to connect different parts of the text together. By not being emotionally connected to another interview or expert opinion, he remains unbiased. This helps in his effort to remain so.

I do not think this author meets any of the standards of logical fallacies listed on these pages because he remains unbiased and tries to steer clear of emotional rampages or opinions. This adds to his credibility. If he used one of these tactics, his readers may have a harder time looking at all the facts he set up as unbiased. They may not trust him as a source or it may only attract one side of the debate to his article.

Analyzing the message in "Education options for children who are deaf or hard of hearing" by John Miller

Of the bullet points in the text, I think the main message of this article is to inform the audience about a topic that is often misunderstood. However, I would say that this topic isn't so much misunderstood but rather unknown entirely. The other points that come close to this author's message include; respond to a text, explore a topic, or analyze a topic.

Some of these bullet points are not relevant to my article including, express an opinion, interpreting, persuade readers of something, reflect on a topic, advocate for change, or to move readers to do something. I think these do not fit because my author does not take a side in the debate.

The important message in this article is to inform the readers of their options and to allow them to make the decisions on this topic because it reflects personally. I think this author is trying to avoid adding layers to the message or persuasion because of how personal this topic is and how confusing so many other sources can be with their own opinion. I think by sticking to a easy to interpret article of all sides to the situation the author becomes a highly reliable and usable source.

Analyzing my own Assumptions:

1) I don't believe I share enough with this culture yet to make a decision on a topic as sensitive and important as this one. Because I have a little education on the culture I do know more than some other people about this subject but I personally do not fully understand this culture yet. My hope is to someday be able to understand more. To say that I know enough about this culture to make an informed decision to this extreme would be to disrespect the culture all together.

2) I grew up in a hearing world and have only recently been introduced to the signing world. I would say that my culture is very different from theirs. I believe culture extends beyond societal norms. Of course, both cultures follow the laws of society, extend the same manners and decent behavior as any person would, but on a deeper level we are completely different. Their experiences are entirely different in that I cannot imagine a world without sound. Every time I reflect on a memory or an experience of my own there is sound.

3) The reason I find this culture to be so fascinating is because of how different it is to my own. I would like to become bilingual in ASL in the hopes of discovering this culture and possibly making it part of my own. I integrate sign language into my classroom every day by using sign to help my students "find their words". If a child with a speech or language delay or disorder can't express themselves when they need to it builds up in the form of anger and frustration within them and eventually they get upset and could upset the classroom. By teaching some simple signs that are used in passing (ie: when reading a book or talking to the class, I casually use signs repeatedly so they learn in passing, indirect ways) a student will usually start using the sign too. When a child is stuck on a sentence or a word, they can use the sign to express themselves through tears, through a stutter, and more. This is where my culture, or the culture I have created in my classroom, may be similar to the Deaf culture.

4) This text is written in our time, so this question is irrelevant.

EDIT: Analyzing others' assumptions

I analyzed Jake's  and found his topic to be really interesting! I think looking at subcultures within the general culture is something both him and I must look at as we continue with our research. My topic on education relates strongly with economic standing of these families, because of resources and financial reasons many families don't get to pick which education their little ones get. This is something for me to keep in mind!

I analyzed Jess' blog next. I found her topic also very interesting. I think the biggest issue my generation has is that we don't usually look at subcultures within our "American" culture even though we all have them. I think this is a common custom of ours that we need to break but will take time to fully get in the habit of being aware of.

Analyzing My Audience

1) What values, ideas, norms, beliefs, even laws of the culture play an important role in the text?

• I think the new ways of the deaf and hard of hearing culture is that they get to decide if they completely mix their culture with that of the hearing, or not. The beauty of this culture is that it depends on the individual, the family, everything, to decide if it is best for them to be in the hearing world or to stay in the deaf community and the deaf world. By choosing to go to an all deaf school, only signing, and not integrating their lives in that of the hearing they are choosing to be exclusive. If they choose to be part of both the hearing and non-hearing worlds then that is also a choice and can be chosen only by those individuals. This culture can be so broad and so narrow all at the same time. It is beautiful in that way. 

2) Does the text address these values, beliefs, etc directly or indirectly?

• The article I chose gives light to all of the aspects of this culture. Whether they are inclusive or exclusive the author provides the pros and cons of each kind of system. In a way, he is not only discussing education, but the foundation of the morals of the parents providing the child with education. By choosing a residential school, they are putting their child in an exclusive environment focused on the deaf community and leaving the hearing world behind. By choosing a day school for their child they are choosing a life of mostly the deaf world with little to no interaction with the hearing. In a hearing school, there are many options, from just the classroom with out help, a little help, or full on help away from hearing students. This could potentially open the children up to an inclusive lifestyle. All these things are balanced precariously on one another and depending on the foundation of the family, the author may get varied responses from the audience. 

3) What is the relationship of the text to these values, beliefs, etc? Is it critical of these aspects of the culture? Is it supportive? Does it seek to modify these aspects of the culture in a certain way?

• This text does not sway to one side of the spectrum or the other but rather stays medially, allowing the audience to make the decision for themselves. This is the best resource for parents who are in need of information because the author gives all the information he finds important about each kind of education, and allows for the audience to gauge it for themselves. The author does not seek to modify anyone's opinions or to support or negate anyone's values or ideas on proper education. 

Cultural Analysis of "Education Options for Children that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing" by John Miller

I think the strongest article I posted was "Education Options for Children that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing" by John Miller. I think this is the strongest because of the solid background that the author has with the field he wrote about. While this may not have been my first choice for this research project, I think starting on a solid foot is better than trying to catch up later.

Previewing the article:

Things have changed drastically for hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf. While it used to be that those with hard of hearing or deafness were thought to be developmentally slow or mentally retarded, individuals that fit this category were hidden away from public eye or else left in their own community of individuals like them, the more adoptions and resources there are today have made it obvious that it is not the case and that they shouldn't be treated this way. Some hearing couples adopt hard of hearing (HoH) children or children who are deaf and do not know the resources available to them. Some others have children born with ear defects, underdevelopment, or other cases that result in HoH or deafness. These parents now have resources that are growing in funding and credibility and are in need of finding the best way to care for their children.
This article is intended for those parents seeking resources and answers to how to raise their children the best. This article is straight forward and informative, and touches on the key aspects any parent would be concerned about. The author specifically states that this article is intended for those seeking advice on resources available to them and also states that these resources vary by area and the extent of the child's hearing. The author explores many options for education, starting with Pre-K and going up through all age groups. He also discusses pros and cons of each type of education he lists, keeping in mind that these children are HoH or deaf. He also provides other credited resources to these familial relations in the hopes that they will explore them. This whole article is designed to help a certain group of individuals establish their culture - of education, that is.

Skimming for cultural references:

This whole article is a cultural reference. This article lists out pros and cons for the HoH and Deaf Communities in education. Using language such as "tailored to your child's needs,", "[each child has] different levels of hearing loss,", and "with a teacher for the deaf," are all great vocabulary for someone or individuals in this culture.

Skim for cultural values:

I think the biggest cultural value in this article is that each child is different and not every one of them fits the same mold. Each child has different levels of hearing loss, have special needs or desires, has different levels of working with other children, and have different ideas of what they need for an education. This is a huge cultural value because being deaf in a hearing world is very hard. Deciding whether or not to have your HoH child in a school tailored specifically to just one culture or both is a tricky situation and needs to be handled with a great deal of care.

Reread and narrow the focus:

I think the most important parts of this article will be the pros and cons of each type of education. I think the definitions of each type of education style will also come in handy.

I also think that this article is a great resource because it's purpose is not to pick sides in this debate but rather to educate the entire population of this group and give all the information he can. By not taking sides in this discussion he opens up the door for parents to make the best decision for themselves and for their child.

Evaluation of Rhetorical Situations

Is American Sign Language a ‘foreign’ language?

Angie Leventis Lourgos is a writer for the Tribune. She has studied journalism in college and has been writing ever since. She has written a lot of breaking news articles for the Tribune. She seems to focus on familial issues like animals, heartbreaking stories, and the like. 

I would say this article is intended for college students and those involved in the deaf community. The reason is that this article is about college credit being given for Foreign Language to those who take ASL. This mostly impacts college students and those who disagree with the "foreign" part of this delegation. Those would be those involved in the deaf community who understand that ASL is not "foreign".

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language Can Benefit Both of You

Jane Collingwood is an author in Psychcentral, an online psychology news program. She has written a lot about pregnancy, mental illnesses, and emotional disorders. She has a degree and holds her profession in Psychotherapy and Therapeutic counselling. 

This article is oriented towards professionals interested in learning the hard facts about baby sign, as well as well educated parents who may be considering baby sign for their child. The language in this article is very scientific which may confuse those who don't already understand the concept of baby sign or it's benefits. 

The publication of this article is from January 2013. This article was delivered through the internet. Baby sign has become increasingly popular since the 90's and is becoming a very interesting topic because it is seen as a higher class thing to do. This article is intended for hearing parents with hearing  children. There wouldn't be a question about sign language usage in a family with hearing impaired individuals as it would be their only method of communication. 

Education Options for Children that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

This article was written by John Miller. Miller has been trained as an interpreter for ASL when he was 22 years old. He frequently demonstrates ASL videos on this website. He also has a masters in deaf education. 

This article is intended for parents who are interested in learning about the options of their ASL child before they are old enough for school. This means that these parents may be a little confused as to how to handle their child as of yet due to the fact that they aren't used to the hearing impaired or ASL world yet. This is evident by the fact that the article starts by describing preschool options and the fact that the author states the intention of the article.

This article was published in 2012, which may be a little outdated but highly informative all the same. The author has a masters in deaf education so this article is what he studied for at least 2 years intently. This makes this article highly intelligible. This article is intended for a mixed family of hearing and non-hearing family members. 

Developing a Research #2 question:

I have been taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes in the hopes of becoming bilingual. I would love to be able to teach young parents and families sign in order to help them connect with their infants on a more intimate level than those who choose not to learn ASL. This poses a debate in my field of study, Speech and Hearing, as well as to families and every young couple considering having a child.
Some believe, myself included, that teaching an infant sign will help with communication between the infant and the parents or family. An infant who doesn't have control of the fine muscles of the larynx and pharynx does have control over gross motor movements, like making a fist and waving an arm to signal it's wants and needs. Some others believe that before an infant can talk they do not have cognitive function and therefor cannot express what they want or need because they don't know. These individuals may also believe that if you do teach a child sign before they can speak they will not want to talk and will not use speech at all. This is untrue and teaching them sign may help develop social skills before most their age. I would love to discuss in my next research project the controversial ideas of whether or not teaching an infant sign language prevents them from developing speech or not.

Does teaching an infant American Sign Language before they are able to speak limit their speech abilities in the future?

I have also been curious about discussing if ASL is a language or not. Many believe that ASL is not a language because it does not involve speaking; even though it is a form of communication. I think this would also be a fun topic of discussion.

Is American Sign Language a true language?

Which brings up yet another question for families and young couples:

Is it best to have hearing impaired or ASL children go to a public, hearing school or a ASL, hearing-impaired or deaf school?

Reflection on Project #1:

• What challenges did you face during the Quick Reference Card project and how did you deal with them?
•  
• What successes did you experience on the project and how did they happen?
• I think the greatest success I felt was following the analysis of a single source. Through the lengthy process of discovering the source paragraph by paragraph I learned a lot about the source because I had to describe each paragraph with so much detail. I liked how much I learned and how my end paragraph turned out. I wish I had done that with each source. 
• What kinds of arguments, rhetorical strategies, design choices and writing practices did you find the most effective for your project? Why?
• I found that focusing on one side to the argument was narrow-minded. I also found that outlining everything made the final product come together faster and in a more organized manor. 
• What kinds of arguments, rhetorical strategies, design choices and writing practices did you find were not effective for your project? Why?
• I think next project I will choose a topic with more options. There is a debate on play versus educational curriculum for preschoolers but the debate is almost over. There was a lot of information to support play oriented curriculum and not a lot for the other side. I would like to find something with more support for both sides. 
• How was the writing process for this project similar to other school writing experiences you’ve had in the past? How was it different?
• I have had to write multiple essays and research papers in the past. However, I do not usually need to show my work or go this far into detail on each step of the writing process. I found that there are a lot more steps than what I am used to doing for this assignment. 
• Would any of the skills you practiced for this project be useful in your other coursework? Why or why not?
• I would like to keep trying to do the article summary paragraph by paragraph skill set. I think it does take a long time but that I may be able to learn more than a regular reading from it if I do take the time. I think this may come in handy when reading textbooks as well. 

Finished Project 1: Play oriented curriculum in preschools

This is my final project #1!

Identifying Basic Grammar Patterns

In my paragraph I found that I tend to use a lot of compound sentences. I also like to write fewer sentences that still contain the information but in a concise manner. I will need to focus on broadening my sentences, adding more sentences, and creating larger written work within the same context of the piece. This will eventually help me gain length in my final draft but will probably take time to accomplish.

Integrating a Quote

Summary of "How Preschool Fights Poverty"

How Preschool Fights Poverty
By: Cynthia E Lamy

1) Summarize each paragraph:
      A) Lower-income household children are usually behind in development from higher income household children, as shown through scores in early math, literacy, vocabulary, and social skills.
      B) These scores continue to remain lagging throughout higher education, where much of the focus of the media and political debate is, even though the delay shown in preschool can be a huge indicator of such behavior. "Children who enter school lagging far behind don't usually catch up,".
      C) Lower income families tend to be more stressed, less educated, less patient, and less likely to have the resources available to them to help grow the vocabulary, social, literary, and other skills necessary to stay ahead in kindergarten.
      D) Preschool helps to bring all children to the same high level of skills and learning ability.
      E) There are 3 studies that show the growth and development of children from preschool to higher education to prove that preschool is beneficial.
      F) These studies each started 10 years behind the other, so the finished product adults are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's.
      G) Other statewide studies have started to follow children through elementary school; though not completed they still have helpful insight to the growth of young children and have been conducted in many different states and therefore show variety.
      H) These studies showed that those who had preschool education prior to kindergarten had higher developmental and test scores than those who didn't.
      I) These children scored higher than the control group on standardized tests, were more successful as shown through their yearly expected incomes by the age of 40, had lower crime rates than the control group, attended college at a higher rate than the control group, and were less likely to be a teen pregnancy statistic.
      J) High quality programs are: staffed with highly educated, responsive teachers with "strong backgrounds" in child education, knowledge of best practice in the administrative offices of the program, strong classroom supports and lots of knowledge in background information, and classrooms that are full of interesting materials and play activities to engage and entertain learning.
      K) Preschool teaches children that they like to learn.
      L) Preschools also provide families with support systems and resources some cannot find on their own.
      M) Preschools help school systems by delivering highly educated children with a desire to learn who are less likely to need extra help, make poor choices and fall out of schooling, or need to repeat a grade. This gives higher level schools good ratings and less money pulled from the budgets, giving them more money to use for further classroom learning materials.
      N) Preschools give a holistic approach to children at an early age, promoting school in a successful, meaningful way that instills success and learning for years to come.

2) 1-2 complete sentences:
      A) Preschool extends the love of learning to all children, no matter the family household financial status by promoting positive and successful learning experiences in a safe and loving environment. Through preschool programs, these children can grow up to be successful, well oriented adults who have higher standardized test scores, less teen pregnancies and crime rates, higher incomes by the age of 40, and more likelihood of going to college.

3) Write it again:
      A) Preschool extends the love of learning to all children, no matter the income level of the family household by promoting positive and successful learning experiences. Through preschool programs, these children can grow up to be well oriented adults who have higher standardized test scores, less teen pregnancies and crime rates, higher incomes by the age of 40, and a more likelihood of completing college.

4) Comparing my summary to another peer's:
      A) I compared my summary of that of Jake's. I found that I liked how he stated the very basic, general information, and left out the details of the article for the audience to read on their own. I found this helpful in a summary situation. My summary definitely has more writing in it, as I dive into details. I guess this is a prime example of how two different writers can provide the same kind of writing in two very different ways.

Draft of Quick Reference Guide

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/15b2WZ318buRDF5P4gpVEXv5Gm0cNlSNAtzGULHMPO7Q/edit?usp=sharing

My draft on Preschool curriculum is kind of modge-podge to me currently. I cannot decide what is understandable to the reader and what is understandable to me (being a preschool teacher makes this hard as I already know and understand this topic). I would like the viewers to help me figure out what is clear and what is unclear. I would also like help figuring out what is needed (ie: more information on a topic, a definition, etc) and what is not needed but in there (unnecessary information or ideas). Lastly, I would like to know if I am unclear and where. Thank you for taking the time to review my draft!

QRGs, the Genre

This genre seems to focus on the fast and most important facts, not leaving room for little insignificant details to the topic, and is focused on helping someone learn more about something that they probably already know a little bit about. It seems like this type of writing is for those who want or need more information fast about a certain topic. This is defined by the use of visuals to greatly enhance the writing, and simple topic sentences that help a reader find the answer they are seeking fast. 

Response to three other blog posts:

I looked at Selena's blog first. I found that her use of words to be concise and detailed, but not overly informational was helpful and she was very intelligible. 

I then looked at Aaron's blog. I found that we had similar ideas, but varied in who the audience was. I like that there was a bit of controversy there because it shows how different people can think many different things from the same information. 

Lastly, I looked at Helen's blog post. I thought she went into a lot more details than may have been needed, but that the common ideas she carried were the same. I liked how she exposed the authors, and not just the genre, in her post. 

Cluster of Preschool Curriculum Controversy

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/drawings/d/1HgI5b2Dedh7MnA6kPV4GH7ICp483-WtegTPd0qbl4gc/edit?usp=sharing

In my cluster I categorized each side to the issue on Preschool curriculum. I noticed that I need to do more research for the reasons why play-oriented wouldn't be successful. But I have enough sufficient research to back up play-oriented preschool. I think my next step will be to look more into the political viewpoints of this discussion and to also look more into educational preschool learning.

Annotated Bibliography of APA Style

Annotated Bibliography of APA Style:

International Play School India, Best Preschool Education India, School Franchise | MapleBear (International Play School India, Best Preschool Education India, School Franchise | MapleBear)

The purpose of this article was to show their program was both play-oriented and yielding the highest marks all over the world. The audience for this article was probably to the teachers and parents and the curriculum board in Canada and around the world. This company wants to make play-oriented education available and viable all over the world. They have found their company to be highly successful throughout the world through engaged play-founded learning. This can later be used to help solidify that education-focused programs can be play-oriented as well. 

Membership (Educational Leadership:Faces of Poverty:How Preschool Fights Poverty)

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/How-Preschool-Fights-Poverty.aspx

The purpose of this article was to show that preschool is highly important because it builds the child up so those who are from lower poverty lines still have the same level of social and educational skills as those who are from privileged homes. The audience is probably directed towards teachers and parents to help further promote enrolling children of all backgrounds in preschool classes. If this information were to spread nationwide there would be a lot of newly enrolled lower-income family children. This will help back up how preschool is important in my essay; the reason to write the essay in the first place.

Weisberg, D. S., Kittredge, A. K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Klahr, D. (2015). Making play work for education. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(8), 8-13.

The purpose of the article was to show how play-oriented education works to enforce real educational science and mathematical questions in the preschool setting. The primary audience is for teachers and parents to show that there is a way of making learning fun without detriment to the program or information. This will be helpful when I need examples of play-oriented learning that have been proven effective.  

The National Preschool Debate Intensifies (Edutopia)

http://www.edutopia.org/preschool

The purpose of this article was to tie together the two sides of preschool education through politics. The audience was designed for those interested in the political side to this argument, including government officials, companies responsible for curriculum guidelines, and teachers who are directly involved with the education of these young minds. This article will be great to use with my essay because I can use direct quotes from politicians to show both sides of this argument. 

Academic vs. play-based preschool debate fading in favor of intellectual discovery (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2015/04/01/Academic-vs-play-based-preschool-debate-fading-in-favor-of-intellectual-discovery/stories/201503310025

The purpose of this article was to show how play-oriented education is more engaging and how more people are seeing it that way in today's education system. The audience is directed at teachers and parents responsible for these young minds. This article shows that the growing support for play-oriented preschool curriculum may be coming out the stronger foot. This article uses a wide variety of effective examples which will help in my essay. 

EDIT: The last 4 sources:

High-Quality Preschool: Why We Need It and What It Looks Like. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/high-quality-preschool-why-we-need-it-and-what-it-looks via Tumblr

The purpose of this article to share with parents how a greater level of education-based curriculum within a preschool can greatly increase the chances of a successful child in later education. The audience is for parents. This article will be great for supporting education-based preschools. 

Why Preschool Learning is Extremely Important for Your Child? (Education Blog)

https://educationxpozz.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/why-preschool-learning-is-extremely-important-for-your-child/

This purpose of this article is to education parents on the positive aspects of a preschool environment all together. Though this article doesn't delve into which is better, play or education based learning, this article is important to back up the reason to discuss this controversy. I will be using this article to help support my claims that preschool controversy is worth discussing. 

40 Preschools Will TRIAL TEACHING A SECOND LANGUAGE THROUGH PLAY-BASED LEARNING. (2014, November 7). Retrieved July 21, 2015, from https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/2lmy9j/40_preschools_will_trial_teaching_a_second/

The purpose of this article is to spread the news that play-based play could be shown to help children in preschool learn a second language. This is more for the public media side of things and doesn't have any strong background information or facts behind it, making this simply a supplementary article to my discussion. The targeted audience is simply for those interested. 

Getting Preschool Right (The Huffington Post)

By: Bongiorno, Laurel.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurel-bongiorno/getting-preschool-right_b_2782871.html

The purpose of this article is to showcase to teachers, parents, and politicians, the benefit of play-oriented preschool, and childhood. This is focused for audiences involved with these children or with politics around the funding of such programs. This article will help solidify my claims towards the political aspect of this debate as well as the help prove the point that play-oriented education is better for the children. 

Ideology on my Controversy

I am going to now tie together all of my previous posts on my preschool debate by answering the questions listed out to me. 

I think that every teacher, no matter the level or discipline, every parent or future parent, and every business is involved in this issue. Not only is it political, but the ideas of the roots of the children in this nation are for us all to admire and encourage. While there are two sides to this issue everyone has a point of view on it that makes a big difference to our future. Companies involved in the education system such as ASCD and MapleBear, as well as early education specialists and parents are all involved in this huge topic that doesn't seem to be a big topic of discussion when it should be. The fact that the building blocks for all learning starts in the preschool setting and that each child who goes through the system will need to be able to eventually put forth their knowledge and bright minds into the world, means that the way in which we teach them at 3 has a great impact on the job they have, the family they keep, and the car they drive in 20-40 years from this moment. The unacknowledged teachers who are struggling to fit in both the strong education-oriented curriculum set in place by the state and the play-built willfulness of fun, engaged learning, just doesn't seem fair. The fact is that there are only two sides to this issue: the first is that children should be structured from an early age and learn discipline and learning to memorize and be smart, and the second is that learning should be fun and engaging to the child. Both could yield the same or different results but the fact is that the results won't show up for another 20 years or so. 

Evaluation of Social Media Sources

Next, I looked up two articles from Storify to find social media related posts to further the debate on the education of a preschooler. I found two posts to be best beneficial to my debate.

The first, an article by ASCD; The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, which states how important preschool is to a young child and to a future student and scholar. This association is directly linked to how a preschool will teach toddlers and so this post is highly important to determine their stand on the issue. Since this is a journal article from this association directly, it is hard to say who would be the main collaborator. This company collaborates with other companies with the same or similar missions on social media, though they tend to post their own articles, journals, books, etc. for the public to read. The article shared is from 2013, so it is still relevant, though there may be new and improved information on this topic. I would say that this source is reliable due to the fact that it is the ASCD.

The second, an article by MapleBear Canadian School systems, is a great article on how preschools around the world, in particular, India, are using play effectively through their program. Showing the perspective outside of the United States tends to pull in more interest from the audience of a paper and to show contrast. I think this post is credible since it is posted by an education system. Since the MapleBear Canadian school system is all over the world, including in India, their company is directly linked to someone in the India school system, so location doesn't seem to be greatly effected. I would say that this post is also highly reliable.

• Credibility - Can you corroborate who the person who posted the social media message is. Can you Google them? Do they belong to an organization or institution that bestows credibility on them (for example, a university, governmental organization, non-profit, company, etc.)?
• Location - Are they in the place they are tweeting or posting about? Are they directly involved with any of the events relevant to your controversy?
• Network - Who is in their network and who follows them? Do other individuals with institutional credibility associate with this person on social media?
• Content - Can the information they’re relying on in their tweet or post be corroborated from other sources?
• Contextual updates - Do they usually post or tweet on this topic? If so, what did past or updated posts say? Do they fill in more details?
• Age - What is the age of the account in question? Be wary of recently created accounts.
• Reliability - Is the source of information reliable?

Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

I looked up two scholarly articles for my assignment on preschool education and the debate between play-oriented and academic-oriented preschool education. I used LexisNexis through the University of Arizona to complete my search. The links these articles are linked to are from this website and will not work with other programs.

The first scholarly source I found was a journal, "Making Play Work for Education" by Deena Skolnick Weisberg, Audrey K. Kittredge, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and David Klahr. Published May 1, 2015, this article is extremely timely and relevant to current political debates faced now in America. It is from Kappanmagazine.org.

The second scholarly source I found was also a journal, "Promoting Pretend Play in the Preschool Years: TeacherPractices and Strategies for Involving Families" by Marna Wintera & Heidi Hollingswortha. Published May 12, 2015, this article is also extremely time-relavant which is why I chose these two articles. The more timely an article or journal is, the more likely the information has not been disputed and proven false, also making it the latest facts on a subject.

Both articles have the same purpose; to encourage play-oriented education in preschools through education of the teachers and parents who are in close contact with children of this age group or similar age group or developmental level.
Both journals cited many other academic journals, some of 2014, some later, which help to back up the facts discussed in their journals. These citations would also make for great references if I were to pursue them further.

Evaluation of General Sources

I was asked to look at controversies in my field of study to discuss as well as to practice citing properly. I chose the key words "Preschool controversy 2015" and "Preschool debate 2015" because I knew that there is a huge debate going on right now in America in regards to how to treat preschool- in a more academic way or play-based. I prefer play-based learning due to the fact that the kids want to learn and learn on their own through the activities we guide them through. Besides, who wouldn't want to play all day anyway? Others in my field would disagree and feel that a more structured beginning will result in a more formal and structured process through college, paving the way early for homework, assignments, and other school-related things. 

The first article I found was: "Academic vs. play-based preschool debate fading in favor of intellectual discovery". 

The following is more information on this article.

• URL: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2015/04/01/Academic-vs-play-based-preschool-debate-fading-in-favor-of-intellectual-discovery/stories/201503310025
• Author: Jill Harkins
• Last Updated: April 1, 2015
• Purpose: To educate teachers and parents on the development of play-based favoritism. 
• Graphics: There is one graphic of a little boy playing with music bells.
• Position on Subject: Play-based oriented preschools tend to see more goals being reached by the toddlers who follow this type of learning style. 
• Links: There were no other links or suggested articles to read in completion of this article. 

The second article I found was: "The National Preschool Debate Intensifies".

The following is more information on this article:

• URL: http://www.edutopia.org/preschool
• Author: Michael Lester
• Last Updated: May 29, 2007
• Purpose: Inform politicians, teachers, and parents of the increased in heated debate.
• Graphics: There is one graphic of a little girl writing her ABCs on a chalk board. 
• Position on Subject: Feels that the political debate is strong when it comes to preschool because preschool is a strong foundation for children and can improve poverty rates if handled appropriately. 
• Links:National Institute for Early Education Research  is the link provided for futher information. 

 

My Profession

I was asked to explain my profession of interest to you all so here it goes! 

I am a Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) major. Students in my program learn to understand and break down speech and language into the core building blocks in order to help those who need help with speech, language, or hearing. As a student in this field, I have to be able to understand how speech is different from language and understand the principles of Audiology. My major is primarily for those wishing to pursue a graduate degree in either speech pathology or audiology. From there, these students either become a speech pathologist, an Audiologist, or a teacher in one of these areas. The frusterating and beautiful thing about my major is that my peers and I are always divided. Speech and Audiology are so similar and yet so different that the class is usually clearly defined; a little under half of the students in my core classes prefer audiology and dislike speech, and a little more than half prefer speech and dislike audiology. You will probably never find a student in my major who is undecided between the two fields. 

I was drawn to this field in an attempt to rediscover the zest for life I lost as a nursing major. I am a transfer from New York, and being a nursing major for three years crushed my love of learning and life in general. Once I knew that I wanted to work with toddlers, it was hard to see myself as a nurse who holds down the screaming three year old while I inject a painful shot. So as I hunted down the next step in my life I can across Speech pathology and loved it. 

I am currently studying in an internship under Dr. Beeson, head of the department of SLHS and one of the most well known professionals in our field. She is nationally known for her wisdom and genius articles published. ASHA, American Speech, Language, Hearing Association, is the leading certificate program in our field. We strive to uphold the highest ASHA standards, read ASHA magazines, follow their pobcasts, and follow their protocols. ASHA is HUGE in our field as everything revolves around it. ASHA is the most highly regarded and awarded program, but there are a few other articles and journals we look to. NSSLHA, National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, is a huge database for our field as well. Written by students, published by students, it is a great tool for students to participate in and learn from. The American Journal of Audiology is a big site for those interested in Audiology and is published by ASHA. 

Time Management

I was asked to reflect on my time management for this course through a blog post. Since I only work during the school year as a preschool teacher, I don't think I need to worry about my time management. More likely, I will need to work on my procrastination tactics because I have a lot of free time on my hands. I work during the day at an internship but since this is only a few hours a day my month of July is rather free for English. I don't see this as an issue during this month. I am just glad I changed and am taking this over the summer and not during the semester so I have the time to focus.

My Thoughts on Comments

Recently I read an article on Donald Trump which states his opinion on the verbal and medial attacks he has faced since speaking out about illegal Immigrants in the United States. I then read the 10 chosen comments posted by my professor on this subject. Following that, I have been asked to write responses to the four questions she posted in relation. 

I agree that some of the comments expressed fears or anxieties, both rational and irrational, that could be centered around jobs and illegal immigration and it's potential to corrupt the government. I believe these fears have been around for a long time. I think since we as Americans started coining the term "Illegal Immigrants" there has been a fear of these unknown persons 'taking over' our country and colonizing under false pretenses. I understand that Trump feels threatened due to his large investments in companies and resorts which rely on money from within a tight circle of wealthy individuals. These people are often threatened by the unknown taking their money through hard work because they don't see a profit from that money once another earns it. I believe that those that commented are afraid of the unknown as well. One comment from a listed "Al'n" posted that they are a first generation of illegal immigration and that they took great offense to Trump's statements. They spoke of the hardships and determination it takes to become a citizen and how if it were not for their mother's decision to come to America prior to gaining citizenship, it probably would not have been accomplished. They then continue into stating that the misconception that all illegal immigrants are untrustworthy and cowardly is just that - a misconception. 

The beliefs and values I noticed in the comments ranged greatly. While some focused on our need for American jobs others focused on the ability for immigration to take place. I think these beliefs and values are all based on the experiences of the individuals and what their life has led them. Some come from families which are based on immigration while others are upset about the lack of jobs or the crime facts of a particular region.

Some comments seemed more reasonable through the amount of factual information provided in their comment. While some didn't seem to take any amount of text away from the article, such as the one about dog fighting which doesn't relate any sentence in the above article at all, others add a lot of outside factual information to back up their opinion. Those that included facts, no matter their viewpoint or how it correlates to my own, seemed more reasonable because the people who commented seemed well read on the subject. 

Those who did not include facts or outside information to justify their responses did not seem trustworthy or worth the read at all. The anonymous person about dog fighting and the one about Hitler were both just unnecessary comments to get a word in on this article which, for some odd reason, has a lot of reads. There is no point to their comments and therefor no trustworthiness about them. Those that backed up their opinions with facts, either about personal experiences or the facts about the crime Trump tries to use as an example for his own claims, prove that they both read the article and added something else that they found relevant and important to possibly sway another into their opinion. 

EDIT: 
JG asked me if I thought the more factual comments or the more emotional ones left a stronger image in my mind. To be honest, I found the comments that were the most ridiculous to be the ones that I thought the most of later. I think this might be the sad truth of our social society today - we crave the absurd to such a degree that we forget reality. Thank you for reading my post and commenting on my thoughts. I do try to stay in the middle of an argument instead of taking one side over another; playing both fields is fun and engaging! 

I commented on the following two blogs. There were a few people who didn't have blog links up yet and so I couldn't even access their blogs to read. Bummer. 

http://lazssummerofenglish.blogspot.com/2015/07/my-thoughts-on-comments.html?showComment=1437111832867#c5066790887917974836

http://helenofalaska.blogspot.com/2015/07/public-speech-acts.html?showComment=1437112199971#c4247514488170423025

Sports and Transgender Controversies

Harper, Joanna. "Do Transgender athletes have an edge? I sure don't." July 13, 2015.
Washington Post April 1, 2015.

My second assignment was to pick a controversial issue of 2015, find an article, and post the link for you all to read. I chose Transgender women in sports because I have quite a few friends of the LGBTQQIP2SAA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Two Spirited, Asexual, and Allies) community. This is a big part of my life.

This article from the Washington Post is about a Transsexual woman expressing her concern for a bias opinion on women transgender athletes. She states that she feels that her competitors don't understand that she doesn't have advantages because she used to be a woman. I think this is a big issue recently due to the gay rights movement winning in the supreme court. I think many people can argue both sides of this powerful and thought-provoking issue which is why I chose it. 

My Writing Process

I created this blog to help express myself through my writing during the course of my English 102 course at the University of Arizona. Feel free to edit, comment, and help me gain the knowledge and experience I am seeking through attending the U of A. Oh, and Beardown!

First off, I was asked to write about my writing style and to answer a few questions in one of the textbooks I have started to read for this class. The book is A Student's Guide to First-Year Writing by Kristin Winet, Brad Jacobson, and Madelyn Tucker. I am following along to the questions given on page 47.

1) I consider myself to fall into two of the types of writers as stated on pages 46-7 although I don't believe anyone "belongs" in one or two or three categories I do feel that out of the four types given I could relate to these two categories the most.
The first category I can relate to is the Procrastinator category. Simply put, I don't like to spend a lot of time writing when I could be doing one of the other 800 things I have to do in a day. I am a full time student and a preschool teacher. I am also a proud and loving owner of a bunny; Gracie. Gracie is a four year old Rex rabbit who is my pride and joy. Any previous bunny owner understands how having a rabbit is both time consuming and a great reward. Try having a two year old and puppy in the same room as you for endless eternity and you might start to grasp the idea of having a bun in the family. But do not get me wrong, I don't procrastinate to do nothing else or to simply put off projects. I am extremely responsible. Many times I will start a project hours, days, or even months in advance but I stop before I finish it entirely and then let it sit until the week before it's due. I just don't think it is worth the drawn out process of multiple drafts if it looks good the first time around.
Which brings me to my second category of choice; the Heavy Planners category. I think this category fits my character more because I choose to think about the project or writing prior to touching my pen to paper or my fingers to a keyboard. Like I wrote previously; why write it twice if it can be good the first time through?

2) I think my writing style takes on many different forms depending on multitudes of factors in my life. The biggest factor is the other pressing matters in my life. A prime example of this kind of distraction would be work. I am a part time preschool teacher at Wings on Words a preschool primarily dealing with toddlers ages 2-5 who have communication disorders or delays. I have such a hard passion for what I do that I tend to forget about the rest of the world when I am there. I am sure I am not the only one who would rather play with play-doh and Legos than do homework or an assignment. I find a lot of stress relief from my busy life in the complexity of children. I also am part of a fraternity, camp wildcat club, and more that take up a lot of my time.
Another reason I may procrastinate or treat a piece of writing differently is if the class the assignment is part of is part of my major or not. Most of the time I prioritize assignments, not by when they are due, but instead if they are part of a class I am passionate about or not. If I do not find the class to be as impressive as another I will probably withhold doing the assignments until the very last second. But all in all this process hasn't had any lasting effects on a grade and I personally like how my style fluctuates so easily.

Buissinne, Steve. "Building Blocks Construction Play Toy Colorful". July 13, 2014.
Free for Commercial Use.

3) I think my writing process works for me because it has yet to fail. 'If it ain't broken, don't fix it,' is something I was brought up on in my home in Vermont. Another saying I grew up on was, "There's not a problem in the world you can't fix without the proper application of brute force and duct tape,". But that is for another blog post entirely.

4) Because I fluctuate so nicely between a bunch of these categories, I don't see a point in trying to change or feel structured in one grouping or another. I think writing should be endlessly expressive and imaginative so to put restictions or to force the words and creativity to come earlier than it is ready is a lack of freedom of speech. Something I am constantly helping my preschoolers with is when their words just don't come to them. I have 3 and 4 year olds come to me for help in what we call "finding your words" and I am constantly telling them that sometimes, no matter our age, the words take time to come and don't come right off. It's natural and normal and to pretend otherwise is wrong in my opinion.