SWA #23 Essay 4 Worksheet

Title: Technoloy: Does It Promote Achievement in the Classroom?
Thesis: The major costs of new technology inovations are becoming an issue in education funding. Students, parents of students, teachers, and school administrators all have opinions on the subject and want to know if techonology incorporation is worthwhile.
I. Studies have been taken in order to test whether or not students progress while using technology.
   A. Statistics of progression of elementary age students.
       1. Do the statistics make the incorporation of technology seem effective?
       2. What kind of technology has been used at this level?
   B. Statistivs of progression of middle/high school students.
       1. Do the statistics make the incorporation of tecnology seem effective?
       2. What kind of technology has been used at this level?
   C. The opinions of students and if they enjoy using technology in the classroom.
II. Parents attitudes towards the fact that of their children using technology and where their tax dollars might be going.
   A. Statistics of studies that show parent's opinions.
       1. Are the parents in favor of the technology use?
       2. Do parents see progression in their children's academics due to technology incorporation?
   B. How much of tax money is going to this cause?
       1. Does this change parent's opinions?
       2. What percentage of tax money might be going to this?
III. Teacher's opinions and observations of technology use in the classroom.
   A. Younger teacher's vs. older teachers
      1. younger teacher's opinions
      2. older teacher's opinions
   B. Has progress been made in their classrooms?
      1. Test scores?
      2. Student's interests rates up?
IIII. School Administrators must consider the opinions and feelings of all of these groups of people while making decisions.
    A. School Administrators' opininons
       1. who do they line up with?
       2. are they diverse?
   B. New ideas about technology in corporation that come from school administrators
      1. For the benefit of students?
      2. For the benefit of teachers?
Conclusion: Due to the fact that our world is starting to rely a lot on technology, the incorporation of it into classrooms makes sense.

SWA #21

Student Document 2: "The Age of Information: Advantages for All, or Just a Bust?" Response Questions

What is the issue?
The issue is that our generation has gone from having minimal interaction with technology to being engulfed in a world that is ran by technology. The author states that there are some very negative things that come out of the constant social networking that today's society partakes in.

Is the importance explained?
The importance is stated in the conclusion. The writer states that the internet and social media are being overused so much and are causing our generation to develop issues such as ADD and OCD. This is important because it affects how this generation will perform in the future in college and in the workforce.

Are the four distinct perspectives easily identifiable?
Yes, they are stated in the introduction.

What are they?
1. university professors and school officials
2. parents of students and young adults using the technologies
3. the students and young people themselves
4. the makers, marketers, and producers of such gadgets

Is the thesis informative and concise?
yes

Do the introduction and conclusion offer effective leads to and out of the argument, how do you know this?
Yes, the introduction properly introduces the argument by stating the distinct perspectives and the issue at hand. The conclusion empolys a quote to offer a different view on the argument, which can lead to further discussion.

Is the essay effective? Explain?
This essay is effective because it speaks of a real issue in today's society. The essay begins in a catchy way, that will make the argument more receptive to readers. The essay provides clear examples and quotes from outside texts to back up the author's claim. The author makes the essay effective by clearly and fully reaching the goal of explaining the thesis statement.

What would you have suggested to the student writer if you had been partnered for peer review?
As a peer reviewer, I would have suggested that the student consider changing some of their grammar issues and check again for spelling errors. I would have also suggested that the author needed to more blatantly explain the issue in the introduction.

SWA #20: Paper 3 Outline

Title: The Effects of Technology on Education and the Views of Teachers and Students
Thesis: Due to the developing economy today, technology is advancing rapidly. Teachers and students alike have different opinions on ways that technology should or should not be incorporated into education and school administrators have to make decisions based upon the opinions and performances of both.
I. Studies have been conducted in order to assess the responsiveness that students have towards technology use in the classroom.
A. Boys vs. girls statistics
1. what kind of technology boys respond better to
2. what kind of technology girls respond better to
B. Different age groups
1. elementary student's response
2. middle and high school student's response
3. College student's response
II. New teachers and older teachers have different opinion on the use of technology in their classrooms.
A. Should seasoned teachers be expected to change their teaching methods?
1. what will more positively affect students
2. will this affect job openings?
B. Why are newer teachers more responsive?
1. age difference
2. does experience come into play
III. Administrators and school board members make decisions annually reagrding technology and its incorporation into classrooms.
A. different opinions of school administrators and board members
1. what they think is better for students
2. what they think is better for teachers
B. studies that have been conducted about their opinions
1. what has worked in specific schools and districts
2. what their opinions are on these conclusions
Conclusion: Administrators and school board members use studies and statistics to assess what needs to be done in their district regarding the use of technology in classrooms with teachers and students.

SWA Annotated sources 3/14/12

Article One: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/249596?uid=3739896&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55890371853

This article was describing the introduction to a paper that speaks about schools using technology for educational purposes. The paper focuses on different strategies to improve educational performance through the use of technology.

Article Two:

SWA: Jay Captain Kang essay key terms and names

Ichiro Suzuki- Major League Baseball Player for the Seattle Mariners. Japanese.

Bobby Valentine- Manager for the Boston Red Sox (currently). pervious manager of the Chiba Lotte Mariners in Japan, where he found Ichiro.

acculturation- process of cultural and psychological change that results following meeting between cultures

euphoria- emotion as an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of contentment


Both descriptions of these individuals help me further understand the story of how Ichiro was drafted in the the American Baseball League.

Both of these terms relate to the essay in a huge way. The first term refers to Ichiro's transition to the United States and the way people viewed him. The second term refers to the emotions that baseball causes for fans and players alike.

3/12/2012 In Class Work

1. Kang argues that persona of certain athletic figures cause us to generalize oursevles. We allow ourselves to be generalized because this gives us a sense of belonging to a certain idea or group. He uses his own experience with the famous Japanese baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

2. Topic: the life of racial and ethnic seterotypes in sports
The majority of Kang's essay focuses on the racial stereotypes that happen in baseball. He claims that fans should base who they cheer for in baseball based upon a player's skill, not their ethnicity.

3. The author's arugement is effective in showing how Ichiro made Asians feel like they were apart of something, and this was largely due to stereotyping.

SWA #17: Annotated Sources

Article One: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2649146?uid=3739256&uid=2&uid=4&sid=55878300173

F. King Alexander is an assistant professor of higher education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this article he is arguing that the state of education in our country has decreased in the past decade. He believes that due to the fact that critics have placed such great expectations on education, that education has failed in the eyes of many. He states that our nation is in need of new governmental demands in order to obtain an increased educational performance.

Article Two: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1602446?uid=3739256&uid=2&uid=4&sid=55878300173

This article speaks about the adequacy of school funding. The article states that many states have been looking to increase their educational performance since the 1970s. The adequacy of educational funding is an issue that relies with each individual states' legislature. Due to the fact that this is hard to measure, this presents an issues that has many opinions within it.

SWA #16 Annotations

Funding in Education

Article One: http://www.blufftontoday.com/bluffton-news/2011-08-15/36m-cut-sc-education-delayed
The state department of education did not spend enough money on special education last year. Their punishment has been delayed for one year. People are arguing if this is right or not. Governor Nikki Haley refuses to utilize the $144 million that could bail South Carolina out of their education issues.


Article Two: http://www.trtribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2032:governor-haley-slashes-sc-education-budget&catid=42:rokstories&Itemid=219
Governor Nikki Haley announced in June 2011 that South Carolina Education funds were being cut by $56 million dollars in the start of the 2011 school year. Haley and the new SC Superintendent of Education are unmoved by pleas from the SC School Boards Association to accept the $144 million that has been set aside for education in South Carolina. The Education Jobs Fund is a new program that is federal. The program will provide $10 billion in assistance to states to save or create education jobs for the 2010-2011 school year.

Key-words:
budget
funding
education
South Carolina
budget cuts
SC Board of Education
SC Superintendent of Education

SWA #15

1. Funding in Education
a. http://elearn.elke.uoa.gr/2ndicee/psach.pdf
b. http://www.nuepa.org/libdoc/e-library/articles/2006jbgtilak.pdf
c. http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ331324&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ331324
d. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1540-5850.00082/abstract

2. Government Spending
a. http://www.nber.org/papers/w2588
b. http://www.jstor.org/pss/1814667
c. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.00573/abstract
d. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167223198000207

3. Decline of Literacy
a. http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED237125&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED237125
b. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1980.tb01777.x/abstract
c. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/jcen.25.5.680.14579
d. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rYzraWP9y60C&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=decline+of+literacy&ots=H1p_05Wj89&sig=fBl080W6hL9OPfGO8Wvw8vDOH4U#v=onepage&q=decline%20of%20literacy&f=false

The issue of government spending was the easiest to research. However, I think I will choose to write about and analyze the issue of funding in education.

SWA #13

1. The Decline of Literacy a. There is a record number of citizens and inhabitants of our country that do not know how to read or write proper English.
b. This is controversial because there are so many immigrants that have grown up learning in a different language.
c. I believe that if you are living in this country, then you should at least try and understand our language.
d. I would like to research the statistics of individauls in this country that are not familiar with the English Language.

2. The Decline of Public Education
a. Test scores are declining and the overall financial state of public education.
b. This is a controversial topic because some states are on different levels of this topic. Some are worse than others, some are better than others, etc.
c. I believe in the improvement of public education.
d. I would like to learn the different stances of different political figures on this topic. I would specifically like to research South Carolina's public education system.

3. Government Size and Spending
a. Some citizens believe that our government is too large, which leads to more spending.
b. This is controversial because it invloves different political parties and the stances of all of them.
c. I believe that America does need to be a bit more conservative in the area of spending money.
d. I would like to research the salaries of paid government officials and how that affects our economy.

SWA #12

Emily Wyatt

English 102-111

February 20, 2012

Annotation

Annotation of “A Healthy Constitution”

Waters begins her essay referencing a specific middle school in Beckley, West Virginia from the film, Super Size Me. She explains the role that fast food plays in our lives and the negative effects that it places on us. She states that many students from this middle school are overweight because of the processed foods that cafeterias are serving. Waters then contrasts this with the healthier diet of Central Alternative High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. Central, a school for troubled youth, started to serve healthier food to try to change the performance of students in the classroom as well as give them better attitudes. This turned out to be successful. Waters then ventures to say that healthier diets do more than helping students make better test scores and have better health and discipline. She states that by serving students a healthier menu prepares them for the responsibilities of citizenship. She believes in “edible education, not just school lunch reform.” She proposes that educators integrate classroom instruction, school lunch, cooking, and gardening into the subjects of math, science, history and reading. This would allow educators to teach children where their food originates and how it is made. Children would be able to participate in the making of their food. Waters has founded Chez Paniesse Foundation, an organization that is meant to inspire food activists how to establish edible education programs in their communities. She then using a Thomas Jefferson quote that states that “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens…” Waters agrees with this statement and the fact that our communities are places for our children to learn about the production of their own food. She believes that this would make us a “caring society,” and that edible education promises that.

1. Waters states that the children will be learning from "farmers that depend on the land; we depend on farmers; and our nation depends on all of us." This would instill an idea of democracy into students by teaching them how our goverenment is operated.
2. By highlighting the fact that students would enjoy being able to particiapate in the production of their own food, they would be learning in a way that they would be able to remember in a postivie light.
3. I am not aware of exactly what each school in South Carolina serves. I would not venture to say that many schools in our state serve "fresh, locally grown, low-fat, low-sugar" meals.

SWA #11

Oswalt uses humor to place the audience into a more receptive mood. He begins his argument by stating "I'm not a ner. I used to be one, back 30 years ago when nerd meant something." He uses this catchy introduction in hopes of humoring his readers. Perhaps Oswalt believes that readers respond better to comedy and that a quirky comment may relax them before they read his essay. In addition to this, he may also feel as if he connects to readers more easily if he uses an element that everyone can identify with; comedy.

SWA #10: Essay 2 Worksheet

Oswalt's Strategy of Persuasion

In "Wake Up Geek Culture. Time to Die," Patton Oswalt creates his argument through his employment of humor, facts, and personal experience.


I. "I'm not a nerd. I used to be one, back 30 years ago when nerd meant something."

A. Oswalt uses humor to place the audience into a more receptive mood.
1. People respond better to comedy.
2. Comedy is an easy way for audiences to connect with a writer.

B. By beginning his arguement in this way, Oswalt states his argument in a way that is more presentable to an audience.
1. Comedy may make some readers be more open to addressing an argument.

II. "The problem with the Internet, however, is that it lets anyone become otaku about anything instantly. In the '80s, you couldn't get up to speed on an entire genre in a weekend. You had to wait, month to month, for the issues of Watchmen to come out."

A. Oswalt highlights the fact the Internet makes it easier for anyone to access information in an instant.
1. People can do a multitude of things on the internet.
2. The Internet is a fast connection to the outside world that allows people to instantly connect to others.

B. In the '80s, there was more anticipation for information.
1. Things were not as instant, people had to wait and work for things they wanted to discover.
2. Decades ago, things may have been more cherished due to the amount of time people spent waiting on them.

III. "So we each built our own otakuesque  thought-palace, which we crammed with facts and nonsense- only now, the thought-palace was nicely appointed, decorated neatly, the information laid out on deep mahogany shelves or framed in gilt. What once set us, apart, we hoped, would become a loveable quirk."

A. Oswalt believes that by discovering information for himself and on his on time, helped him develop into the person that he is today.
1. Oswalt attributes much of his growth to the time he spent discovering as a child and teenager.

B. His reputation was based upon who he actually was and what he made of himself, not what others perceived of him on the internet.
1. He wishes that one day, his daugher will discover herself through things she learns on her own.

Conclusion: Oswalt feels as if he will effectively influence the audience through the employment of comedy, facts, and personal experience.

SWA #9

I chose to read the article "Why Factory Farms Threaten Your Health" by John Robbins. Robbin's article is about the wrongness of the over use of antibiotics that are injected into animals in modern factory farms. He claims that factory farmers are injecting these antibiotics into animals that will increase their weight. He states that factory farms relate their overuse and misuse of antibiotics to the overuse of them in hospitals in our country. He states that drugs have been "heavily overused" and have caused "alarming consequences." However, the majority of the use of medical antibiotics in our country is on factory farms. He explains that Congress is considering a bill called "H.R. 1549, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act." This bill would help save the remaining antibiotics as well as cut down on the misuse of it on innocent animals. Another reason that this bill would be passed would be to keep the food that American's injest healthier and less harmful. This article implies that Robbins supports the fair treatment of animals. He is also concerned about our nation's health.

SWA #8

pg 364
1. Scully encourages other Conservatives to put their strong dislike for certain animal-rights organizations to the side and to research animal cruelty themselves. Since Conservatives tend to stand up for moral standards, that animal-rights should be a Conservative cause. Scully also points out that in addition to discoursing moral standards, Conservatives also like to apply laws to situations. To speak to Conservatives on this cause, Scully highlights the wrongs that are being done to animals in our country. He specifically focuses on factory farming and the cruelty of it. Using specific examples, he describes certain situations, intending to stir emotion in readers (especially Conservatives), and inviting them to support the cause because it is battle of morals.
3. I believe that Scully is an animal rights supporter, but not a vegetarian. He believes that yes, animals are meant to be apart of our daily eating habits. However, the way in which they are prepared for people to eat is what bothers him. He states that "little wrongs, left unattended, can grow and spread to become grave wrongs, and preciesly this had happened on our factory farms." He believes that this issue has evolved into a major problem and that the cruel, unfair slaughter of animals should be against the law.
Response to question on Homework section:
Scully does address other sides to this argument in his essay. He states that "it is not exactly true that liberals care more about these issues." He believes that people assume that it is a liberal cause because "the proper conservative position is to stand warily and firmly against them."

Concerns about my Paper #1

My paper is very unorganized. I had a hard time understanding the topic in general. I was confused as to which advertisements to choose and what to argue about. I need some help trying to organize the entire paper. I felt as if I repeated myself quite a bit.

SWA #6: Intro to Paper One

Emily Wyatt

English 102-111

February 1, 2012

Paper 1, Draft 1

Coca-Cola Advertisements

      Companies rely heavily on magazines, newspapers, and other sources to advertise their products. Coca-Cola is a large company, known worldwide for their famous soda. They advertise in many different companies and in many different ways. The first ad that being analyzed here, showing the new design of the Coca-Cola bottle, is an American from a Google article. The second ad, is from a French Style magazine and displays a woman advertising the new Coca-Cola Light. The people advertising these different products are trying to appeal to American people and French people. They use this technique in hopes of being able to sell more of their products.

SWA #5: Description of Ads

Article One:
1. an ad by Google
2. why the Coca-Cola bottle should undergo a new design
3. American, English speaking, soda drinkers
4. general food advertisements, entertainment, travel, advice, etc.
5. the publisher assumes that the people viewing this ad drink soda and are unhappy with the way that Coca-Cola has previously been advertised and bottled.

Article Two:
1. an ad by Style Rumor magazine
2. why French people (particurally women) should drink Coca-Cola Light.
3. Style and Fashion advice.
4. clothing, make-up, perfume, food that women tend to eat.
5. The publisher assumes that the people reading this magazine are French and are women. They assume that these women want to lose weight and become more attractive while still being able to drink Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola Ads

Two different Coca-Cola Ads- 1/30/2012

Ad 1:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=coca-cola+ad+2012&um=1&hl=en&biw=1311&bih=507&tbm=isch&tbnid=ECUbgfN0NSbM9M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bypassfanpages.com/2010/06/this-is-the-new-coca-cola-bottle-that-will-be-introduced-in-2012/&docid=xmSMZj2mGWlvzM&imgurl=http://www.bypassfanpages.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/squarecokeconcept.jpg&w=450&h=473&ei=vuwmT-6NHsnFtgeYo43KDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=73&sig=105482090050631312688&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=146&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=87&ty=64

Ad 2:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=coca-cola+ad+2012+france&um=1&hl=en&biw=1311&bih=507&tbm=isch&tbnid=UobbYuCrgMvohM:&imgrefurl=http://stylerumor.com/2010/04/05/coco-rocha-coca-cola-light-by-karl-lagerfeld/&docid=CG9VcGjHb2hbsM&imgurl=http://stylerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Coco-Rocha-for-Coca-Cola-by-karl-lagerfeld.jpg&w=724&h=526&ei=GO0mT-iHJYyCtgenzZEl&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=349&sig=105482090050631312688&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=193&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=119&ty=94

Ad Questions:

1. I chose to analyze two different Coca-Cola ads. The first ad is aimed towards an American audience, and the second ad to a French audience. The are both from internet advertisements ran by Coca-Cola.

2. Ad one is read and analyzed by an American audience. Ad two is read and analyzed by a French audience.

3. Ad 1: There is a Coca-Cola in a red box, hidden to the audience. The text explains that the Coca-Cola bottle is now undergoing a new design. The text describes the bottle to have a new cap, offering a more comfortable drinking position, a cruve that make the bottle easier to hold, and a stackable design that will make Coca-Cola easier to transport. On the side of the ad, there is a photo of the regular Coca-Cola, a Diet Coca-Cola, and a Coca-Cola Zero, all redesigned and in their new boxes. The cokes are put in these boxes for the ad to create suspense in people that enjoy drinking Coca-Cola. Advertisers believe that making cokes this way will be more efficient. Ad 2: This ad is a photograph of a woman enjoying a Coca-Cola Light in a glass that has been served to her by an attractive male server. She appears to look fit and well-dressed, enjoying her Coca-Cola Light. Both the man and the woman are dressed in black and white.

4. I chose these two ads because there is English on one of them and French on the other one. The ads are different because the French ad is targeting women and the American ad targets all Coca-Cola drinkers.

Arguments from Photographs and Articles

Emily Wyatt

English 102-111

January 23, 2012

Paper 3, Draft 1

Arguments from Photographs and Articles

      Chapters One and Two of Writing Arguments introduce the meaning of the word argument and how to read and explore an argument. These first two chapters include many different examples of controversial arguments. Photographs shown argue about toxic imports, toy safety, physician-assisted suicide, war, ethanol use, airplane baggage dilemma, and illegal immigration. “What will future generations condemn us for?” by Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses issues about our prison system, industrial meat production, isolating the elderly, and the environment. This article talks about the effect that these issues will have on our future generations and the future of our country in general. From Writing Arguments Chapter One, I chose to research the airplane baggage dilemma. From Appiah’s article, I further researched the isolation of elderly people.

Travelers worldwide are becoming infuriated at the incompatible baggage claim demands at international airports. People believe that checking-in a bag and depositing a bag at a kiosk is too difficult, due to the fact that airports are a very busy place. In addition to this, passengers are also very frustrated at charges that are placed on baggage. The image from Writing Arguments is of a family that has “avoided the $15 per bag charge” by packing everything into carry-on bags and wearing the rest of their clothing. This leaves them all overloaded with clothing, looking ridiculous and distracting. This image is trying to depict the lengths that passengers will go to in hopes of avoiding paying extra charges for their luggage. By creating this message, the illustrator of this image is controversially putting airlines in the spotlight. The illustrator is publicly stating that if airlines do not reduce or demolish fees, people will be forced to take action.

Appiah’s article refers to the isolation of the elderly population in our country. He claims that “nearly 2 million of America’s elderly are warehoused in nursing homes.” Studies show that depression and anxiety issues have increased in elderly people, affecting their moods, physical health, and memories. By putting this in his article, Appiah is arguing that we need to take better care of the elderly population in America. Depression, Alzheimer’s, and health rates of older people would significantly incline if they weren’t so isolated and neglected. Appiah wrote this article in hopes that he would prompt America to realize that this is an issue that needs to be resolved.

Get Smarter Response 1/18/12

Jamais Cascio and Nicholas Carr seem to have different ideas. In "Is Google Making Us Stupid?," Carr is stating his belief that the internet and other technological advances are being used in ways that are detrimental to our society. He argues that people are relying solely on the internet as their source of knowledge, instead of learning things from themselves. He claims that our society is spending so much time on social media networks and online sources that most of us find it hard to complete raw research and reading paper-back novels. Cascio, in “Get Smarter,” completely disagrees. Cascio is interested in the further development of the worldwide web and other technological resources. He believes that our society is progressing and is about to transition to a time where these industrial advances will aid us in our over-all improvement. He even ventures to say that we are about to experience situations that this technology will assist us in getting through. Cascio is entranced in the web's fast moving progression towards a higher intelligence and is looking forawrd to seeing where our society is in twenty or so years. One thing that both articles have in common is that they both agree that the web is fast-paced and is a heavy influence on our society. It is their opinions on this influence that make them differ.

I happen to agree with both of these authors. I agree with Carr when he claims that some forms of ADD are induced by our constant and ever-present addiction to multimedia. However, I also agree with Cascio when he claims that the same media is going to help us progress over the next few decades. Some statements from each of their articles make sense to me.

Introduction Paper 1/12/12

Emily Wyatt

English 102-111

January 11, 2012

Paper 1, Draft 1

My English 101 Experience

            During the fall of 2011, I was enrolled in English 101 here at the University of South Carolina. This course required me to compose four different essays. For the first assigned essay, I had to analyze a photo. I was to describe the design and why the design elements worked together to make the work a meaningful whole. I chose to analyze an image called “Car With Political Bumper Stickers.” The photograph was of a Ford pinto from the 1970’s that was plastered with bumper stickers that addressed political and social issues in the United States. In my paper, I focused on why the driver of the vehicle felt as if he or she had to express their feelings on the back of their car. I argued that the driver felt this way because there is not a proper political forum for citizens to express their political stances in our country. In essay two, I had to closely read and analyze a small section of a short story. This essay required me to focus on a few textual elements that contributed to my argument. I chose to look at two paragraphs from Annie Dillard’s “An American Childhood.” I focused on the diction, imagery, and repetition that Dillard employed in the story and argued that by using these tools, she emphasized the blamelessness of childhood. Essay assignment three found me examining a film. I was to watch Boyz N the Hood and decide which historical or cultural contexts shaped the plot of the film and illuminate my understanding of it. I looked closely at a few scenes from the movie and described how the director clearly depicted the time period in his story. The last essay, essay four, had me compare and contrast a pair of texts that were in conversation with each other. I paralleled a still image from the 1933 King Kong film and a still image from the 1976 King Kong film. I argued that relationship between these two images signified the importance of American symbols and that the images related to America’s overall state during the two different time periods.

            My greatest accomplishment in English 101 was that I received an A for the course. I was proud of the hard work I placed into developing the four essays that I wrote. My best writing experience would have to be writing the first essay in English 101. I felt as if this assignment provoked my thoughts the most. I worked hard to plan out a well-developed essay and ended up earning an A due to the fact that I worked hard. My worst writing experience was the third essay that I wrote. I had a difficult time writing the essay because I felt as if I had to summarize the entire film. This second experience affected me the most because I learned more from it. After essay two, I rewrote another draft and figured out how to not summarize as much of the film. I learned more from writing essay three.