Readers Response #24

In the article, “Tllili Tlapalli: The Path of the Red and Black Ink”, Gloria Andzaldua informs her readers on what kind of sacrifice and the importance writing has on her. She describes writing as “her whole life”, starting from a very young age.

Andzaldua’s article can be related to Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”. Both authors focus in some part on art and history and further apply that to writing. Reading Andzaldua’s article, I can also relate it to many other authors’ concept of identity.

QD:

1. Andzaldua defines Western Art as dead objects instead, while nature of tribal art work has an identity. I think with the technology established today, art is becoming a lot more communal rather than individual.

2. I do not think it should have been written in any other way. Despite being aimed towards creative writing, it is also good to be exposed to many different types of writing.

I wasn’t really engaged in this piece; for the most part I thought it was boring. Not too hard to comprehend but discussed a lot of different topics outside of writing.

Readers Response #23

In the article “Viewpoint the Laugh of the Medusa,” Helene Cixous argues that women should use their own voice in their writing, rather than the voice of others. Cixous also covers the negative aspects that have come over women’s writing, such as men’s writing forcing women to not write with their voice.

I can really relate Cixous’ article to Flynn’s article. Both authors discover the difference of women and men’s writings. Although, Cixous focuses more on the negative aspect that men have on women while Flynn focuses on the differences between the two.

QD:

1. This piece made me a bit uncomfortable. Cixous made it very clear her opinion on men and it wasn’t a good one. I don’t think she attempted to create discomfort. I believe she spoke her mind with no filter.

2. I think that she wants women to write in their own voice despite of the image men have put on female writers. I think she suggests that writing can help you find yourself and form your own identity.

I didn’t mind this article. Although, it was very confusing at some points, I can’t really relate to her argument about identity and her opinion that men influence how a woman writes.

Reading Response #22

In the article, Transgender Rhetoric’s: (Re) Composing Narratives of the Gendered Body, Jonathon Alexander explores the concept of transgendered theories. He exams samples by students prompted with transgendered theories to prove the point that transgender theories inspire feminist compositionist pedagogical approaches to seeing gender as a social construct.

I think this article can be related to Smitherman’s article on Black English. They are both sort of trying to get their own race, gender, and way of writing across to the readers. Both authors are trying to teach these topics in the classroom.

3. According to Alexander teaching trans pedagogy in the classroom results in exposure to gender roles, social norms, and the intersections between gender and politics, although, he only exposes this to white college students.

4. I think he considers gender a construct because he explains it as a “tricky word to define” (200). Being that transgendered is merely a category for a wide range of many different genders. Alexander quotes Feinburg stating “Millions of females and millions of males in this country do not fit the cramped compartments of gender that we have taught to be “natural”… (200)”, when describing the implications of this construct being both “personal” and “political”. Alexander believes that being knowledgeable of such a construct is not only useful for better understandings, but to help interrogate the contracts of gender we are familiar with.

Reading this article, I didn’t really think the article was that effective or persuasive. I do not agree with the concept of teaching transgender topics to students as helping them be more well-rounded and knowledgeable.

Readers Response #21

In the article, “God Don’t Never Change”, Geneva Smitherman discusses racism in writing. She believes that white grammar and black grammar differs, and how black people write should be considered as a separate style. Because of that black people should not be graded incorrectly because grammar.

Smitherman’s article can be related to Gee, Wardel, Flynn and many others. I believe what they have most in common is how someone’s identity shapes the way they write and how they are viewed to others. They also both cover that how someone is brought up, has a huge influence on their writing.

QD:

2. Smitherman uses Black Idiom rhetorically by providing many different examples of Black English throughout her article.

3. I believe that language supplies power for many different races and classes because how you speak reflects your character and personality and being knowledgeable can bring power.

I personally didn’t like this article. I thought that it wasn’t well supported, I personally don’t believe in white and black’s having separate and specific uses of language.

Readers Response #20

In the article, Composing as a Woman, Elizabeth Flynn explores the concept of the role gender plays in writing. She argues that most of the writing that is acknowledged and given credit for comes from men. She explains the intellectual difference between men and women.

I can relate this article to Gee’s article with the concept of identity. Also, many other articles we have read about how identity shapes your writing. It’s very relative to the concept that Flynn is trying to explore but also with a different topic.

Before You Read:

1. I have never seen much gender role difference when it comes to the public school I have attended all of my life. I believe that the teachers in my school treated both genders the same.

 QD:

1. I believe that Flynn has acknowledged the fact that most of the time a woman’s input or opinion, even as a scholar is often ignored and not seen as a figure of authority when it comes to writing. This relates to the marginalization of other minorities because the diversity of opinion is what valued in today’s world.

I enjoyed reading the article. It didn’t relate to other articles that we have explored too much, it was nice to cover different topics. I also thought the topic was interesting.

Readers Response #19

In the article, Memoria Is a Friend of Ours: On the Discourse of Color, Victor Villanueva introduces a new look at discourse. His main concern is that he is an “uneasy mix of races that make for no race at all yet find themselves victim to racism” (176). He believes that his discourse should reflect that he is an American, from Brooklyn, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, with an ancestry dating back before the Europeans, a person of color and an academic.

Victor Villanueva’s article can be related to Gee’s concept of primary and secondary discourse. Villanueva suggests that he was born into a primary discourse by prejudice. He believes that there should be a discourse for all of his interests having nothing to do with the color of his skin.

QD: 7. I believe that Villanueva was born into the Discourse of being Puerto Rican. I believe that his secondary Discourse included the things that he liked or hobbies, although they weren’t the same as other people his race. I think it is more complex than Gee’s article accounted for. There is always more to a person than the race they are born into.

I think that Villanueva is making a very good point about discourse communities. Almost every discourse communities come along with a certain social view or stereotype. I liked the examples provided to back up what Villanueva was trying to accomplish.

Readers Response #18

In the article, Autism and Rhetoric, by Paul Heilker and Melanie Yergeau, they introduce the concept of autism being rhetoric. They explore the definition of rhetoric, stating “most definitions of rhetoric focus on the role of communication in social interaction” (262). They then proceed by stating the definition of autism. “… The way that autism presents itself in the world, per the medical establishment, have to do with communication in the social realm.” (262) They discover that, with two like definitions, autism is a rhetorical phenomenon.

Heilker and Yergeau, unlike most professionals, “contend that autism is a rhetoric, a way of being in the world through language, a rhetoric we may not have encountered or recognized frequently in rhetoric…” (262) Swales believes that the role of communication in social interaction is bound only by his six characteristics.

I enjoyed reading this article, because it was about a topic I never really explored. I think that the way these scholars think is fascinating. I respect the kind of connection Heilker and Yergeau made between rhetoric and autism.

Project #3 Intro and Conversation

James Porter describes a discourse community as, “A group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated.”(91) A discourse community shares the same assumptions about what is appropriate and what is not within the community.

Discourse communities are often studied by professionals and have many different views. James Paul Gee views discourse communities as an “identity kit”. He thinks that with a discourse community comes along an appropriate costume, instructions on how to act, talk, and write. He believes in the concept of having a primary discourse, the one you were born into, and every discourse after that is considered to be secondary. “Our primary Discourse constitutes our original and home-based sense of identity, and” Gee believes, “it can be seen whenever we are interacting with “inmates” in totally casual (unmonitored) social interaction.” He refers to the discourses to the social institutions that have a demand and command a secondary Discourse.

John Swales, however, has a very different view of what a discourse community is or the characteristics of one. Swales’ gives us six defining characteristics of what a community must acquire to be considered a discourse community. These characteristics are as followed:

“1. A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals. 2. A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. 3. A discourse community uses it participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. 4. A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims. 5. In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has required a specific lexis. 6. A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.”(471-473)

Swales’ also introduces the concept of genre. “Genres are types of texts that are recognizable to readers and writers, and that meet the needs of the rhetorical situations in which they function.”(467) Swales’ believes that genre, in a discourse community, is very evident.

                Amy J. Devitt states, “Contemporary genre analysis focuses on the actual use of texts, in all their messiness and with all their potential consequences”, when introducing genre analysis. (99) Genre analysis is used to tie together actual language to bits of language that have underlying idea. This analysis makes the conflict between discourse communities evident. Although people of other discourses try to make the information understandable to everyone, genre analysis reveals the fact that the users have different beliefs, purposes and interests. “The communal agendas of those who create genres may conflict with the interests of those who use them – users who would ideally reproduce the ideologies and agendas of the legal community, but who do not.”(103)

                Elizabeth Wardle takes a different approach to deciphering the many possibilities a discourse community has. Although many authors can agree on one thing, the definition of a discourse community, they all add their own unique niche within the conversation. Wardle’s niche is identity and the concept of someone being a “tool” to the discourse community, rather than a member. Wardle does a study on Alan, a new employee, fresh out of college. In her study she discovers that, unlike Gee, Alan was never really apart of the discourse community, but just a “tool”. Because he saw himself as such a high position in his work place, he decided that he would not change his writing habits, or email habits, just because of the specific discourse community he was in. This resulted in a change in his identity. He was not looked at as a higher position, more like a tool to the company. Wardle wraps her argument by stating:

“Allan’s example illustrates that learning to write in new communities entails more than learning discrete sets of skills or improving cognitive abilities. It is a process of involvement in communities, of identifying with certain groups, of choosing certain practices over others; a process strongly influenced by power relationships – a process, in effect, bound up tightly with identity, authority, and experience.”(533)

Despite all of the ongoing conversation about discourse communities I believe that, to further the concept of a discourse community, we need to discuss the negative impact stereo types can have on such discourses. Many people like to think that cheerleading isn’t classified as a sport or to be a cheerleader you need to be ditzy. Sean Branick states, “The world of…” in my case, cheerleading, “…is more complicated than it may seem to the public eye”.(571)

Readers Response #17

In the article, Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces, Elizabeth Wardle introduces the concept of tools when it comes to discourse communities. She does a study on a new employee, Alan, fresh out of college, trying to communicate in his new workplace that sees himself above everyone else. How he perceives himself has a lot to do with discourse community, because he feels as if he doesn’t need to change his habits to fit this specific discourse community. Alan illustrates that some people are not perceived as members, just tools.

Wardle’s article can be compared to Swales, Gee, and Devitt et al. Like Swales, Wardle identifies and defines what a discourse community is. She also covers the concept of genre when it comes to discourse community like Gee. Wardle is very like these authors when it comes to the role discourse communities play. But she is also very different than them. She introduces the concept of tools. She says “In reality, he was hired in a support staff position, as a “tool” to fix things the faultly needed”. (528) Also, Alan’s identity had a lot to do with this factor. Because he viewed himself as higher authority he refused to change the way he wrote emails and the other staff saw him as unimportant and was oblivious to the work he actually did accomplish. This also relates to Gee’s statement that you cannot “more or less” a discourse. Wardle goes against that by saying you are not either in or out of a discourse, but you can be used as a tool to the discourse community.

Readers Response #16

In the article “Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities” by Amy J Deviit, Anis Bawarshi, and Mary Jo Reiff they all contribute their own ideas to make the claim that genre analysis can help students that are trying to comprehend the different discourse communities there are. Genre analysis not only allows better comprehension but it also helps students become more familiar with the genre that comes along with the discourse community.

I can relate this article to many articles that we have written. Such as Swales and Baron, all three articles deal with the concept of what a discourse community means to them. They also cover the fact that there are many other factors that come along with discourse communities. Like Devitt, Bawarshi, and Reiff, Swales introduces the idea of genre to us in his article.

I thought that reading this article was help prior to the starting of project three. I think it is very helpful to discover all the possible claims made about a discourse community. This will help further understand and clarify what exactly a discourse community is. It can also help with picking what specific discourse to study.

Project #3 Topic Proposal

A discourse community is often looked to be a certain community that has its own set of rules that often differ from other communities. The discourse community I choose to study is cheerleading. This fits the six defining characteristics of a discourse community perfectly.

1. A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals. With being a cheerleading, comes great responsibility. Prior to the season starting, each cheerleader is required to read and sign a set of rules, before they can even get handed a uniform, go to a practice, or basically be a part of the squad. These rules entitle how a cheerleader is expected to act in public as a leader. It includes what the purpose of being a cheerleader is, how a cheerleader is supposed to be presented, and what kind of person they expect you to be.

2. A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. Although there is a captain of the squad, each cheerleader has the right to voice her opinion. The squad usually makes decisions as a squad. This can include decisions about what uniform or outfit to purchase, what routine to perform, or even what cheer is called out next.

3. A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. Every squad has a captain for that exact reason. Although everyone has almost an equal amount of input, the captain provides information to the coach for feedback.  The captain often makes the routines, and the coach gives feedback on what is working and what needs worked on.

4. A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of it aims. As a cheerleader you had to not only cheer your team on to victory, but compete with other squads and just be a role model for other students in the school. A cheerleader has many jobs outside of just cheerleading and puts in a lot of time and commitment.

5. In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis. Something lexical that outsiders wouldn’t understand is the words associated with cheerleading movements and dances. We often use this terminology that others wouldn’t understand such as: High V, Low V, Daggers, Touchdown, T, Checkmark, etc., when referring to specific movements.

6. A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise. Every year in the cheerleading community there is a try out process. This process is very important to cheerleaders. One bad try out could cost your position on the squad. During try outs the top seven or so cheerleaders with the highest score make the squad. You go through a three day camp and learn the material that you will be judged on at try outs. During try outs you perform the material to the best of your ability. You will be judged on not only the material, but your appearance as well.

I am very interested to share my knowledge about cheerleading being a discourse community. I am very well informed about this certain discourse community because I have been a cheerleader for seven years, including captain for three of those years. I am curious about not only sharing the information that I know, but learning and looking at cheerleading in such a different way. I was thinking I could interview my very own high school coach and possibly a fellow cheerleader or myself if possible. A text that I can analyze would include the cheerleading handbook which includes the mission statement, goals, expectations, and regulations.

Readers Response #15

In the article “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” by James Paul Gee introduces his definition of a discourse. He argues that you cannot “more or less” a discourse, you are either viewed as a member or you aren’t one at all.

Gee’s article can relate to Swales article “The Concept of Discourse Community”. Both authors make it their main point to give their own definition of what a discourse truly is. Swales has his clear six characteristics of what a discourse is and Gee takes a different approach by introducing the fact that everyone is born into a discourse and any after that is only secondary.

Before You Read:

1. Two activities that I take part in that are very different are yearbook and a hobby of mine, following certain television shows. I think they both differ when it comes to relation. There can always be a possibility that a popular television show can be brought up in yearbook or be covered as a story.

QD:

1. When Gee says that you can speak perfect grammar and yet be wrong I believe he is trying to explain that perfect grammar can differ with your location or the discourse community that you are a part of. I think this does for the most part conflict with what we are taught in school. Educators teach only one side and to them that is the only real “right way”.

Overall, I really enjoyed Gee’s argument. I think that in a way he has a good point to make. I think that there will never be a set “right way” even if it has been portrayed that way. I thought the article was very interesting and liked the stand that Gee took.

Reader's Response #14

In the article, “The Concept of Discourse Community” by John Swales is as the title explains it. Swales’ redefines what a discourse community is to him. Swales’ comes up with six characteristics that a discourse community has to have. He also demonstrates that discourse communities all use genres.

I can relate “The Concept of Discourse Community” by John Swales to James Porter’s “Intertexuality and the Discourse Community” because they both mention how the discourse community has an impact on writing. Porter argues that what we write is shaped by our specific discourse community and Swales challenges that a little bit with his definition of a discourse community.

Before You Read:

2. I come from a city where there are so many Greeks; we get off of school for their holidays. I remember going to a Greek fest, and although being friends with many Greeks in my town, I felt a little out of place. They have never made me felt this way, but being the only one of color in a whole building can cause some discomfort.

QD:

5. As silly as it sounds, the only discourse community I can relate to is being a cheerleader. As a cheerleader, you must sign an agreement of public goals, or expectations. As for participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback I was captain of the squad and that position not only meant leading, but providing info and feedback to my coach. The different genre’s I was exposed to on the squad was that being a cheerleader you were held up to a certain expectation as a leader. A specific lexis that was required was creating different and various routines. Lastly, the threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise would be the try out process.

I enjoyed the article, “The Concept of Discourse Community” by John Swales. I really liked the concept of the six characteristics of what makes a discourse community. I can easily relate what Swales was presenting to discourse communities that I have been apart of.

Readers Response #13

In the article, “The Sticky Embrace of Beauty”, Anne Frances Wysocki questions the way that we see beauty and what deciphers beautiful from not beautiful. Wysocki believes the conflict to be the fact that we often link social views to our individual views. She explains the effect visual advertisements have on the eye.

I can relate Anne Frances Wysocki’s “The Sticky Embrace of Beauty” to Stephan Bernhardt “Seeing the Text” tremendously. Both authors focus on the way a text is presented and the effect that it has on its readers. They both introduce the idea that the visible features of written text have an impact on how students comprehend or understand what they are reading.

QD:

2. Wysocki sets up her article very different than most. She has various headers, bolded texts, underlined texts, highlighted texts, and often uses her own format when writing. I think the way she presents the article helps me, as a reader, feel more interested to what she is saying. As Bernhardt would explain it, this text is not a low-visual text. It has more characteristics as a visually informative text. Wysocki includes a variety in mood and syntactic patterning, emphasis controlled by visual stress of layout, type, size, spacing, and headings, and it is also localized; each section is its own locale with its own pattern of development by arresting reader’s attention.

3. The Peek advertisement does interest me a bit. It has a very scandalous and interesting look to it that would draw me in. I wouldn’t personally want to read a book including erotic and sexual photographs.

AE:

2. I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t think that beauty is determined universally, many people have many different opinions that vary by the person. Wysocki introduces the idea that beauty is something that we construct together but forced by social forces to think otherwise. I agree with Wysocki’s idea that if we build the qualities of beauty, then we can potentially see the beauty.

MM:

1. I believe that Wysocki’s statement, "There is no question that there is a certain necessity to effective visual composition because a design must fit a viewer's expectation if it is to make sense… but if design is to have any sense of possibility—of freedom—to it, then it must also push against the conventions, the horizon, of those expectations" (97), applies to her article because the readers have specific details draw them into a text. I believe it applies to many other visual arts because presentation has a lot to do with who will be interested in it.

I enjoyed reading “The Sticky Embrace of Beauty”. It is always refreshing to read an article that isn’t the same format as the rest. I think that it helped Wysocki’s argument and helped understand what she was trying to present a lot more with how she presented the text itself.

Readers Response #12

 In the article, “From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies” by Dennis Baron focuses on the effect that technology has on literacy. Baron does research on the history of different writing technologies. He introduces the fact that even pencils can be considered as technology and that writing never lacked technology. Baron shows the reader how technology and literacy intersects.

I can relate Baron’s article to Debrah Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy”. Both authors introduce the fact that literacy has a big impact on what resources you have and what social background you come from.

Before You Read:

2. My definition of technology is basically a new and faster version of something. Some examples include books to kindles, computers to laptops, and landline phones to cell phones. I think anything that is an upgrade of something else can be considered technology.

QD:

2. I agree with the fact new technology changes and shape the nature of writing. I believe as the world’s technologies grow the concepts and resources make writing a lot easier and more available to a wider audience. I do agree with this fact, technology is growing rapidly every day and is a lot different now than from when I was kid.

I really enjoyed this article about the effects technology has on literacy. It made me want to redefine what exactly I thought technology was. It also made me really think about what were actually doing when we write.

Readers Response #11

In the article, “Sponsors of Literacy” Deborah Brandt introduces the ideas that people can’t become literate on their own. She portrays that literacy is “sponsored” by people, institutions, and circumstances. Brandt discovers after interviewing a large amount of people, literary sponsors are everywhere. She also talks about the fact that people “misappropriate” literary sponsor’s intentions by using the literacy for their own reasons rather than the sponsors, portraying tensions between the two.

I can really connect Deborah Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy” to James Porters “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community”. Porter introduces the idea that every text has a trace of another text. I think that really connects to the fact that although people often have their own personality, who they become has a lot to do with who their sponsor was while they were growing, and that has a big effect on them.

Before You Read:

2. I have seen U.S. culture and my own local community encourage and emphasize reading in many different ways. Growing up, our teachers stress the importance of reading. In today’s world you can rarely get a job without knowing how to read. Teachers as well as parents stress to kids about the importance of reading.

AE:

1. My literacy history compared to those of Branch and Lopez were quite different. I would say I was somewhere in the middle of the two. Growing up in a middle class family I went to a public school and learned to read and write through school. I had early education, plenty of access to books and computers, and a lot of parental support. My primary literacy sources would have been the teachers that taught me to read and write. I think I definitely had an adequate amount of access provided by my sponsors, and I took advantage of that. I think I have had access to all the literacies I could even hope for growing up.

I really enjoyed Brandt’s article, I never really thought about all the advantages I have had when it comes to previous schooling. Unknowingly, literacy sponsors have a lot of effect on you as a person which is a topic most people don’t even usually acknowledge.

Readers Response #10

In the article “Good English and Bad” Bill Bryson explains how the rules of grammar are simply fading. He starts with the history of English, explaining its complexity. He talks about the fact that since there are not grammar police, the rules have been broken. Bryson believes that this problem was created because of how we teach grammar.

When Reading Bryson’s article “Good English and Bad” I could really relate it to James Porter’s article about the discourse community. Although different topics, they both touched on the idea of having to fit into a certain community with their writing. They both realized that what we write depends on the community you are in and whether it’s there or not determines if you follow the “rules”.

Before You Read:

1. I would consider good English from bad English depending on the usage of words, variety of vocabulary, and sentence structure. Bad English would be more considered as simple and full of error. I think this because growing up our teachers would show us clips of good writing and bad.

QD:

1. Bryson is challenging grammar. Bryson states “Consider the parts of speech. In Latin, the verb has up to 120 inflections. In English it never has more than five…” when explaining how watered down the complex language really is. He also mentions “We seldom stop to think about it, but some of the most basic concepts in English are naggingly difficult to find” and explains the fact that the definition of a sentence is a lot different than how we use it.

AE:

2. I think what Bryson means when he says the English is fluid and democratic is that it is always changing with the popular crowd. I have seen this in writing because it is always changing and writers sort of change their style with the popular demand at the time.

MM:  Verb. Noun. Adjective. When I write I am never really thinking about the part if speech. You learn about parts of speech in middle school. I think when your younger knowing the parts of speech does help you with writing. It’s what shapes the sentence and helps you get a better understanding of it. I think as you get older you don’t really think about the parts of speech when you’re actually writing it just happens.

I thought Bryon’s article was kind of interesting. Grammar is something that’s not so important to people more so now a days. I really think grammar needs to be enforced a little more. Grammar is something we deal with in everyday life whether realizing it or not.

Project 1 Intro/Conversation

When defining plagiarism, one might say: an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author, or without the fancy terms, cheating. What do we really do to avoid plagiarism? What is the real purpose of plagiarism rules? If I were to rewrite the rules of plagiarism I would make sure to separate the people who aren’t guilty to the actual cheaters.

In today’s academic world, plagiarism is something that can ruin someone’s life if you’re not informed of it properly. Plagiarism is often misconceived as something easy to avoid because of paraphrasing, but what it really is to writers is a burden. When trying to inform someone about the facts of a topic, the last thing you want to do is rearrange the words to make the statement less efficient. But hasn’t it all been said before? While were busy paraphrasing someone else’s words to make it our own, how do we know that the same combination of words we are using haven’t been used before? We don’t. Writing has been around for hundreds of years. Every combination of all the words in the English language has been used once before. This takes originality to a whole other level. It questions if originality can even exists in today’s writing. More people struggle with trying to watch how they re-word a sentence so there not considered “cheaters” rather than focusing on how to draw in their audience with facts. There is a fine line between someone who has their motive set out to copy someone else’s writing, to put their name on the top of it, versus someone who just wants to get facts out there.

James Porter draws out the idea of intertexuality when it comes to plagiarism. He proposes the idea that every text has a “trace” of other texts. He also touches on the fact that every text draws some ideas from other texts. So who is given credit for being original?

Darise Bowden describes plagiarism “On the one hand, plagiarism is a nasty, venal, and immoral crime that needs to be eradicated while, on the other, plagiarism cannot be a problem--sharing and borrowing is inherent in the nature of language”, explaining the many sides plagiarism can be looked at. But can plagiarism be taken so lightly as to not have a set definition?

Readers Response #9

In the article "Seeing the Text”, Stephen Bernhardt discusses the concept of how a text is presented and its effect on who picks the text up. Visual appearance has a lot to do with how appealing it is to certain people. One of the most important ways to draw someone into text is through images or the certain way the text is set up. In most of the advertisement, resumes, and many other documents we use a mixture of images and words to make it look presentable to the reader. In this article, Bernhardt shows us that these work together when it comes to how it is portrayed.

This article is really in a way connected to McCloud’s. They both introduce the way that people unknowingly connect images to different symbols and in this case presence. Without realizing it, how you present a text has a lot to do with the attraction people have to the text.

Before You Read:

2. With a text heavy advertisement I am most drawn to the image. I think the text emphasizes the image by drawing your eyes to the image. Being the only image, your eyes are horizontally drawn to the image.

QD:

4. I think you are supposed to write an essay in a specific format to make it easier to understand. Unknowingly your eyes are drawn to specific things when it comes to

AE:

4. A website I visit often is the Ohio University home page. It guides me by having a directory bar on the side of the page. I think the website does a good job at guiding someone to finding what they’re looking for. They also have a search bar to help with guidance.

After You Read:

1. I think that McCloud would have represented this argument just like Bernhardt. They both cover the concept that by taking first look at something you associate it with other things and presence can draw someone into a text.

MM:  In all the formal writing assignments in this course I think that questioning constructs requires the most visual thinking about presentation for text. In order to complete this assignment you have to really think outside the box about how a construct is constructed.

I really enjoyed this article. I can relate to seeing a magazine or text that appeals to me so I end up picking it up and taking a look. I also think that presentation can go a long way with how successful something turns out to be.

Readers Respons #8

James Porter in “Intertexuality and the Discourse Community” covers a major point in writing. He starts with questioning the construct of originality. What is originality when every text has a “trace” of plagiarism? He believes that everyone is guilty of drawing some ideas from another text. He is questioning how we should even define plagiarism when originality is so hard to find.

Porter’s article to me has a different purpose than previous articles that we have read. You can, however link it to Kantz’s article. They both pertain to the usage of sources, but have a very different meaning and audience.

Before You Read:

2. I get help from various books, websites, friends, and teachers when it comes to my writing. I explore different views on the subject in order to take my own stand.

QD:

4. I agree with Porter. I believe that when it comes to evaluating writing they key focus should be on its “acceptability” rather than its sources. Porter states “…choosing the “right” topic, applying the appropriate critical methodology, adhering to standards for evidence and validity…” when explaining what really is important in writing (96). I think that this relates to the writing I have done in the past because the teachers are so focused on how good I reworded the text than the actual text itself.

5. I think his own work reflects on the principles he’s writing on very well. He’s explaining that nothing is really original! The fact that everyone gets these ideas from somewhere just supports the claim that he is trying to make.

AE:

2. I think they should rewrite plagiarism by telling students you can’t copy a paper or take credit for work that isn’t your own. I don’t think as a student is writing a research paper they need to re-word every sentence that they come about in their research. I also don’t think the way you word a sentence is crucial to plagiarism because hasn’t it all been worded before? This differs than the original definition of plagiarism by eliminating the need to change every word you come in counter with and just get your point across without worrying about getting kicked out of school because you forgot to paraphrase.

MM:

1. Porter’s idea has not changed the way I view writers. I never really thought that good writers come up with brilliant ideas without any help or all by their selves. Adopting his notion might be a relief to me. It won’t necessarily change the way I write a lot, but I will be more comfortable presenting ideas in the way they were meant to be written and not paraphrase so much that it takes away from its own meaning.

I liked Porter’s argument, it made a lot of sense to me and I support his ideas. I think that plagiarism is sort of a wall put up between the writer and the information. If someone is going to steal someone else’s work they should suffer the consequences, but don’t hold everyone’s work accountable. Let the cheaters be aside from the writers who want to get their point across.

Readers Response #7

Peter Elbow in "Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries" addresses the arguments that come about writers write when it comes to “voice”. He states that this argument is one that’s been dead for quite some years now but it needs to get woken up. He argues that voice is still in everyone’s writings today, whether they realize it or not. Elbow also addresses the positive aspects of using voice in your writing. He states “With practice people can learn to write prose that “has voice” or “sounds like a person,” and, interestingly, when they do, their words are more effective at carrying meaning.”(Elbow 52) He also lists negative outcomes from using voice in your writing. “Ignoring voice is necessary for good reading.” (Elbow 54) He touches on the fact that students improve their ability to understand the context by ignoring the voice.

I think that Peter Elbow’s “Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries” is very similar to Greene’s “Argument as Conversation”. Although both articles have different topics they are also alike. I think both articles point out to you that while writing, you’re doing something you never even realize. In this case, putting yourself into the text.

Before You Read:

1. You construct an identity on Facebook by what you post and what you write about yourself. I think your identity online can be more made up rather than in person. You can exclude all the negative things about you and only focus on the positive. You can also lie.

QD:

1. Voice is putting yourself into your own writing, whether it’s past experiences, cultures, or anything that shapes you as a person. I think my definition of voice has always corresponded well to Elbow’s definition.

4. Elbow closes his argument with stating that he supports utilizing both ways of writing or thinking. He acknowledges the necessity of using both forms. If the tension between both ways of thinking was completely gone there would be no growth in writing. He states “Just as we can see more about texts through if we learn to look at them with two lenses in succession- the lens of voice and not the voice- so, too, in our thinking game we need to learn to use both intellectual modes: the doubting and believing games.” (Elbow 58)

AE:

2. When you read something out loud you’re more likely to listen to your words and understand what you are reading. “Ear training” has affected comprehension of words. Reading it out loud makes students more comfortable to speak. I think it is a great tool to use, and you should implement this when reading a more difficult text.

3. Elbow addresses the positive aspects of using voice in your writing. He states “With practice people can learn to write prose that “has voice” or “sounds like a person,” and, interestingly, when they do, their words are more effective at carrying meaning.”(Elbow 52) He also lists negative outcomes from using voice in your writing. “Ignoring voice is necessary for good reading.” (Elbow 54) He touches on the fact that students improve their ability to understand the context by ignoring the voice. I think these coexist with a single piece of writing because we want to have a more effective meaning and understand the text at the same time.

MM: I think for both perspectives on voice to co-exist you need to establish the right time for either or depending on the article you are writing. I believe that it is not possible to do such a thing at the same exact time.

I thought this article was very easy to read, but at the same time dragged out. It was a little difficult to comprehend in some ways. He got his point across but I think it could have been done a little clearer. Other than that I enjoyed learning about voices in writing.

Readers Response #6

In “The Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen discusses the differences between the inspired writer versus what we do when we write. Allen states that even professional writers have experiences with “slogging’ through their own writing processes. She also mentions good strategies on revising your paper and who to go to for such revisions.

It’s hard for me to really connect Allen’s piece to a previous reading. I think what makes her article different than the ones I have read is that most of the time the articles I have read are ideas I have never even thought about. Her article was very clear to me, and didn’t make me think like the ones we have read.

 Before You Read:

1. When I think about professionals writing I imagine it to be very time consuming and all over the place. I don’t think there experiences are any easier than the rest of us. I believe everyone has a different writing process, expert or not.

QD:

1. The myth of the inspirational writer is a familiar one. You have a writer that gets an inspiration and literally can’t stop writing and comes up with an amazing piece. This discourages students that don’t feel the same way. It makes students think because it doesn’t come so naturally that it can’t be as amazing. The reality is that many good pieces come from people who aren’t inspired writers and most of the time from people who have worked really hard.

3. I am guilty of some form of conclusion. In high school writing so many essays for acceptances one of my teachers actually edited my piece by rewriting almost every sentence. I didn’t realize that was a form of plagiarism until reading it in the text now. I think conclusion doesn’t always have to be a form of plagiarism. I think revision is an important step in the writing process. I believe there can be minor and major cases when it comes to conclusion.

AE:

1. I can’t recall ever using imitation in a piece of writing. I have realized that I love the style a writer has used but never decided to try it out for myself. I think this would be appropriate when you’re establishing your style. Wanting to imitate how a writer writes isn’t technically plagiarism.

MM:

1. I have never really had an experience with an inspired writer. I have felt a little discouraged when writing didn’t come as easy. I think my experience will be better when it comes to my struggles, I will have a more broad view on how many people feel the same way as me. It will make my writing easier by not giving up as quickly.

I really liked Allen’s article “The Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer”. I think it helped me gain more confidence with my writing. It was an easier piece to read and I definitely understood it a lot more clear than other pieces I have read in the past.

Reading Response #1

In the article “Argument as Conversation” by Stuart Greene he attempts to explain to the audience the differences and similarities of a scholarly discussion and an argument. He discusses the principles of how issues and situations contribute to framing a disagreement in a different way.

Before You Read

1.  I would define an arugment as two people disagreeing on a topic in a angerly manner. Arguments can be thought of as differences, so in everyday conversation you will find that not everyone has the same view as you. In an academic setting I would refer to it as a debate. I think the difference is being loud and angry or just having a debate about different views.

QD

2. Greene quotes Kenneth Burke yet again to stress the importance that every argument is connected to another. Whether or not you just entered the debate no one has the knowledge to retrace all the actual steps of the discussion at hand, because it has been present long before any had got there. The extended metaphor about his passage is that no matter what time you enter the conversation you will always have to exit while still so heated. When writing an argument you can position yourself in many other different ways. This depends on three things, which arguments you share from previous occasions, which arguments you want to argue against, and what new information or personal opinions you will bring to the table. You can challenge it by forming important issues that haven given enough thought.

3. Framing is a strategy to help include different views in advancing an argument. A metaphor associated with framing is a camera lens. The way a photographer focuses on one piece of a picture with the lens rather than another is the same as framing as a writer. Framing is a strategy writer’s use in developing arguments. It forces you to name your position, offer a definition and description of the foundation of which your argument develops, specifies your argument, and helps organize thoughts.

AE

2. Greene’s article represents a conversation itself with the readers. He frames his argument by bringing different and conflicting voices to light. I believe in his article he has practiced what he preaches about "argument as conversation" by presenting the many different ideas of writing through his writing.

I personally thought that the passage on “Argument as Conversation” was very interesting to me. I find it very hard to decipher deeper meanings of arguments and never seen it in such ways presented in the text. I think having a broader view on argument could be helpful to me in the future, to be more open minded. I think these ideas will help me be more informed in future debates.

Readers Response #5

John Bergers “Ways of Seeing” helps us understand the way that men and women are portrayed in classical paintings. He includes that women are very stereotyped on how they are seen by other people from their actions.  Berger compares this identity with how people view men by their actions to be manly or powerful. To support this Berger studies nude paintings that portray women as objects for men. He also forced us to think if there is really a difference from how people saw artwork back then to how spectators see it today.

Berger’s article was a lot different than any article we have touched base on this year. I think the comparison this article has with anything else would be modern life today. You can see how time has changed how we view men and women but you can also tell the similarities it still has in todays world. Advertising uses women as sexual objects just like they did in the oil paintings.

 

Before You Read

1.       A women in a classical art portrait and a women in a modern day magazine have many similarities but many differences as well. Some things they have in common are nudity. Both women are portrayed with fewer clothes. But the differences with that are that women that were nude in a classical art portrait are seen as just beautiful art. Versus now a days women are portrayed in a way that tries to seduce other men or be portrayed as sexy.

2.       Men are depicted a lot different than women in the celebrity world. Seeing a picture of a women celebrity you notice the need to wear a lot of makeup and they are portrayed a lot more sexual than men are.

QD:

2. You can see similar images of women in magazines today. These images are very like the ones that Berger has mentioned in his article. “...naked is to simply be without clothes, whereas the nude is a form of art.” (Berger 210) I think our view of women in social media has changed. When people see naked women the last thing that they think of it is art. When in reality it can be seen as a form of art, just like with classical portraits of nude women.

3. I think the assumptions that Berger makes about culture are similar to today’s world. Many people judge women on how the dress or what they say to be there character. When it comes to mean they associate their actions to how “manly” they are or how much power they possess.

AE:

      2. There are ways that we apply Berger’s ideas to texts that we read. There is a clear relationship between the author and the reader. This results in relation to the ideas and thoughts being passed through from the author to the reader.

    4. Humor defines people on how lightly they can take a situation. You can always take a horrible situation or thought and turn it into something humorous if you were that kind of person. Humor can be used to much advantage, to lighten a situation or make it a little less tense.  Humor can be seen as a compensation for some conflicts. I think that humor does not fall into gender. It depends mostly on your character rather than your gender.

MM: I think it is important to think about the similarities and differences between nude, nakedness, spectator, viewer, art and advertisement in this article because you need to understand how  people view classical art. I think this article is more connected to audience. If you are of a different audience you will probably question if nudity is classified as art.

I liked Berger’s article. I thought it was really easy to relate to. It is very clear the relations that the oil paintings have in present day magazines. I also liked the comparison of the actions women take today effect a lot on what that says about their character and how men’s actions portray how manly they really are.

Readers Response #4

Scott McCloud in “Vocabulary of Comics” demonstrates symbols and the connection they have to humans. Uniquely he showed us his views on such a topic by comics instead of traditionally writing about it. By using a comic strip it made his ideas a lot more clear. I could actually understand and connect to his concept of how we view ourselves in a less detailed drawing. It is easier to see yourself as that comic if it wasn’t so specific to an actual person.

McCloud reminded me of almost all the previous reading I have done in the past. They all manage to really get me thinking about concepts and ideas that never even crossed my mind. He was also portraying his message through framing. Greene has defined what framing was and how writers use it. McCloud made his reading dialog directly for the reader.

Before You Read:

1.       When I think of my favorite old time cartoon I think of the Power Puff Girls. Most of every girl my age could relate to Bubbles, Blossom, or Buttercup. The makers of the cartoon had made these three girls so different that while a child you at least related to one or had a favorite. The features that made the connection so strong were the hair color. Bubbles was a blonde, Blossom was a read-head, and Buttercup was a brunette.

2.       After drawing a picture of myself and then of a friend and not being the best artist I noticed that a big detail that set us apart was hair color as mentioned in the first question. My friend, being blonde and me being a brunette you could tell that most details beside that fact was mainly similar.

QD:

1.       I think adults like the simplicity of cartoons because they make you feel like a kid again. It doesn’t make you think a lot, you can automatically relate to the cartoon because its audience is so wide. I personally don’t think a cartoon can ever have an age limit. In the world we live in today there are even cartoons made specifically for adults. I think McCloud would agree with there being no age limit on cartoons. He knows the power one simple image has on drawing someone in and the power it has on relating to a wide audience.

2.       I think McCloud used the comic strip format to further express how true his argument really is. It’s a lot easier to get your point across sometimes by actually demonstrating it and he did that very well. I think by writing his points down we wouldn’t actually relate to it so well. It would be much harder for us to put ourselves in his shoes or see his point of view.

AE:

1.       I definitely think that more teaching strategies should contain visual imagery on helping to understand the piece that much more. Many people in today’s world learn better by seeing an image. They are more visual learners. I think you can get your point across by using visual images and it would help the reader see what you are seeing.

3. I think many adults give up on the idea of cartoons because they think that they are growing out of being able to relate. Little do they know that they encounter some of the same symbols in everyday life.

 

I loved everything about “Vocabulary of Comics”. I thought it was a very great way to express ideas by using examples through explaining it. I also love the fact that all of the readings require you to think about something that never even crossed your mind before. This piece really got me thinking about all the everyday symbols that we encounter every day and don’t even notice.

Research Tools Summary

In the first tutorial it demonstrates how to find scholarly/full text articles by using article plus. A scholarly article, also known as a peer reviewed or academic articles, are made up of 7 parts: a title, authors, abstract, introduction, article text, conclusions and references. After typing an article keyword into the search bar you can further narrow it down to a scholarly article and full text.

In the next tutorial it demonstrates how to find a full text article when all you have is the citation. You can first look in the citation and identify the author, title of the journal, and year of publication. Furthermore you will click on the ALICE tab on the home page of the library, change the search to periodical title, and type in the title of the journal. After you receive your results, you click on the one with the specific year and volume and there you find your article. If you find that the article is unavailable you can request it to be sent to Alden Library for free.

You will find in the next tutorial how to request a book through OhioLINK. If you type in a book in the search bar and see that it is not available on campus all you have to do is hit request OhioLINK and it will be sent to you within 3-5 business days.

Project #1: Topic Proposal

One construct that I am most interested about is plagiarism. This construct is most visible in paraphrasing and research. Schools and universities have very strict policies on plagiarism, so strict that it could change your life in the scholarly world. We try to rephrase a sentence or fact to avoid plagiarism in a way that we don’t change the meaning of the sentence. Plagiarism directs us to sometimes move around words and sentences in a way that defers the meaning or point of the sentence. Our concept of good writing when it comes to plagiarism is working around it, coming up with similar but different words to put in place of the ones already being used.  In reality I believe that you can look at plagiarism as something unavoidable. Somewhere someone has used the same words as you have in a sentence so does that mean you are responsible for plagiarism?

Key Words:

Plagiarism
Originality
Research
Claims

Reader's Response #3

In the article, “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively” by Margaret Kantz she points out that writing and reading are not about receiving and transferring information, but that certain texts don’t mean the same to you as it would the next reader. As readers we try to relate and put ourselves into the text and try to draw meaning from their context. She states that the intended audience has a lot to do with how you will personally view the facts.

 

I think that Kantz article is a lot like Kleines “What Is It We Do When We Write Articles Like This One- and How Can We Get Students To Join Us?” They both get you to really think about what you are reading when collecting facts for a research paper. Like Kleine, Kantz presents the idea that not only students can help with writing problems but that teachers have to guide them in the right direction to do so.

 Before You Read:
1. Most of the time having a factual argument is simply resolved. Look up the fact on the internet and there you have it. Most of the time seeing it in bold print must mean its true, so the argument ends at that.

QD:

1.       Shirley doesn’t have much of a broad horizon when it comes to facts, opinions, and arguments. Kantz contends that facts are something that cannot be seen from different viewpoints or be debated. Facts can be backed up and proven. On the other hand opinions can be viewed as a fact. Facts about certain topics and for certain audiences can be viewed very differently depending on the reader. And arguments are just conversations, not always raised voices. Arguments can be viewed as differences in opinions.

2.       Kantz says students lack or don’t know that:

-          Composite derived from public research

-          Misunderstand sources because they read them like stories

-          Expect their sources to tell the truth

-          Facts are a kind of claim and often used persuasively in objective writing to create an impression

-          Misread texts as narrative

-          Expect factual texts to tell the truth, instead of arguments

I think Kantz is correct on what she thinks the students are doing wrong. Sometimes I find myself viewing facts as something that is set in stone while in reality it is merely how someone is viewing the topic. I feel like I understand almost everything that she says students don’t know. I am very open to trying to open up my understanding on facts and sources.

AE:

1.       Although I haven’t had any college writing assignments at this point I can relate to my high school teachers not being clear about what they expect in a paper. I have had many teachers give me a project or writing assignments with a main topic but no details on the points they expect us to hit. I think well written directions and not so well written directions for an assignment have one thing in common and that’s providing the topic. They both state what the paper or writing assignment would be about but more detail explains what the teacher specifically wants from it. I think including all the main points of what the teacher wants to get back in a paper is very important in getting a good grade, and making them feel more knowledgeable.

MM:

Kantz is trying to analyze the different views people have on certain events that can change how the readers view the facts presented. Audience plays a huge role on the angle the author is going to go with and exploring many different facts on the subject can be helpful on declaring what stand you take on the topic. This would be useful when trying to understand the answers to your questions when writing. It also can help you think more constructively and have a broader stance on a certain subject.

 

I thought that the article was very interesting. It really made me realize how different audiences in different situations can exaggerate facts for their own benefit. I like how every text we read is similar to the last and they sort of connect to each other. I also feel like I am a very good audience for the articles I have read and they can make me a better writer.

Readers Response #2

The main objective of Micheal Kleine’s “What is it We Do When We Write Articles Like This One-and How Can We Get Students to Join Us” is to inform his audience that when a student is given a topic to research they routinely go through the ropes of copying facts from one page to another without taking in the information. Kleine examined the way professional researchers do research. He built a hypothesis about a heuristic strategy that Kleine believe the professionals use for researching. After Kleine draws some conclusions about researching he thinks further about how to get students to research like professionals.

I think that Micheal Kleine’s piece was very alike to Stuart Greene’s article. They both try to change the audience in how they view writing. Their audiences are very alike as well. Kleine and Greene try to change the view of many college students. While Kleine tries to get them to change the research habits, Greene tries to show them that all arguments aren’t yelling and screaming it’s just a conversation.

Before You Read

2. Going through my syllabi I will do at least three researched writing this semester. I imagine the research process will be really difficult and time consuming. I think I will need to spend a lot of time in the library for these processes. I will probably be working on them all semester long.

QD:
1. Kleine’s article lines up with plenty of experiences that I have had in the past. Looking up information and transferring it to a piece of paper and furthermore to a professors briefcase was the main objective of a research paper. I completely think that Kleine is describing the kind of research I do and have done in the past. There is no searching, analyzing, or evaluation going on in the process.

3. What I got from the passage was that the professional’s that Kleine interviewed didn’t include sources as a big role in the research process. I think they wanted to stress the importance of actually writing the paper and learning from it was the most effective. Sources have played a big role in my past research efforts. Teachers in my past only care about the information that you have acquired from a source rather than actually taking in the information that you have in front of you. I believe that the difference between making your sources a big role in your paper and making the writing and learning process is actually learning and sharing knowledge.

4. I would change how I do research by worrying less about pleasing a teacher with the information that I have acquired and focus more on learning more about what I’m researching.

I personally liked Kleine’s article. It got me thinking about the purposes of research papers. I found many of his solutions or ideas very reasonable about correcting how we gather information and write research papers. I would love to try out some of his methods.