Thlog 4

This week in writing we had one last opportunity to give each other help on our writing projects. I was surprised that so many people were writing about the same topic as me. I felt so much relief to finally be done with our first assignment. Now we have moved on to our new writing project that is based on research papers. I feel a bit more comfortable with research papers because they do not require as much creativity as our previous paper. Research papers, however, do require more investigation and reading. The fact that we were able to write about any scholarly journal was great because I read about something that interested me. I chose to write about child abuse and neglect, developmental role attainment, and adult arrests. This study was interesting to me because it discussed the difference between people who were abused and neglected at an early age and people who weren't, and how this impacted their life as adults. The PB2A I feel is very helpful exercise because I was able to take a close look at the way the publication was written. I was a bit lost before doing the assignment since I was unable to attend class on Wednesday because I was very sick. I didn't really understand what went on during the group projects but I still read the responses on the journal and tried to catch up with the class. I hope that after class tomorrow I have a better understanding of our second writing project. I am looking forward to this assignment.

PB2A

The scholarly publication I picked discusses how the derailment in one of the three critical areas of development-education, employment, and marriage-increases the likelihood of poor outcomes in adulthood. Some of the conventions I found in this publication was bold titles and subtitles, numbered pages, a “keywords” section, separation of categories, lots of citations, and a specific order of ideas. The title on the first page is very large and bolded with the purpose to catch the reader’s attention. The title reads “Child Abuse and Neglect, Developmental Role Attainment, and Adult Arrests.” From this the reader may assume that this paper will discuss the way child abuse and neglect have an impact in the latter parts of a person’s life. By using words like “child” and “abuse,” the author is evoking pity or sadness, a rhetorical technique known as pathos. Right away, it introduces what is being discussed and following the title is the authors that contributed to the publication. Beneath the title is the abstract. This is the part of the research paper that establishes what the paper is studying and the author’s argument. The author argues that these three developmental milestones are crucial to and that they negatively affect a person in their adulthood.

I noticed that in the first page, there are footnotes and a section dedicated to the corresponding author. It lists out the author’s name followed by her contact information, the institution she attends, and her address. By doing this, the author aims at establishing credibility. In the second page, there is a section with “Keywords” that give an outline of the different topics and strategies used in the experimental study. It then begins to chronologically discuss these topics in detail. The author keeps this order to make the paper sound clear and organized. This is helpful to the reader because it helps them navigate through the paper without confusion.

The author also talks about lots of different studies previously made. The author not only provides these resources, but also explains their significance to her study. For example, she writes “Eckenrode and colleagues (1993) found that maltreated elementary and middle school students scored 10 percentile points lower on a standardized math test, had lower grades overall, and were more likely to fail a grade in school than nonmaltreated peers.” She goes on explaining how this is supportive of her argument. Using other sources helps build credibility as a writer. It is important that these ideas are correctly cited as well.

After discussing the three different areas of development, the author introduces the present study. In this study, there are six basic questions and four conditions necessary to tell whether or not certain factors act as mediators in associations between variables. Next, we see a new paragraph that describes the methods put forth in the experiment. It breaks down in different sections the sample and design, variables and measures, and statistical analysis. After describing this, the author explains the results from the study. With this, there are tables and graphs that illustrate the results from the different subjects that were studied. The first table shows how abused and neglected children are at higher risk than the control group to have an arrest as a juvenile and adult, are less likely to graduate from high school, be employed, and get married.

The next set of analyses show the correlation between successful achievement and a significant decrease in risk for adult arrest. These graphs I feel are very important to this study because they offer evidence to the writer’s argument. Another important part to this study is the discussion of the results that are used to determine whether or not their theory was a valid one.

Lastly, there are author biographies at the bottom of the last page where they address their professional careers. Once again, they serve to give the author credibility.


Allwood, Maureen A., and Cathy Spatz Widom. "Child Abuse and Neglect, Developmental Role                     Attainment, and Adult Arrests." SAGE Journals. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Thlog 3

Week three was all about our first writing project. In class we discussed methods and tips that can help improve our paper. I found these to be useful for writing my paper. One tip I kept in mind was putting my work aside and looking back at it another time. When it comes to writing assignments I usually just complete it all on the first try. I practiced this technique throughout the weekend and was able to come up with different ideas to add to my argument. I was also able to read my paper through different perspectives. As I revised my paper, I looked at the Genre Analysis questions from the back of reader and checked to see if I addressed these questions the way I wanted to. So far, I think my paper has improved. I did not think the in-class peer revision helped at all. I did not feel that I was much help to my classmates either. I think that was because we were not given enough time to even read the papers carefully. I was also confused with the way in which our paper is supposed to be written. In some of my classmates' papers, they used "you" and "I" and I thought because the prompt said to address a scholarly audience we would not be able to use first-person point of view. However, I learned that it is okay to do as long as the paper does not go onto tangents and get too personal. I am glad that I am able to use second-person point of view because it makes it so much easier to grab a readers attention in an intro. I am still working on finishing up my paper and I hope that after Monday's class I feel a bit more confident about my work.

Thlog #2

     This week's class was awesome because we didn't meet on Wednesday. Most of Monday's class was a discussion about our PB1B. I enjoyed reading my classmates' analysis of textual genres because many of the genres chosen were unique and interesting. My PB1B was about Chik-fil-A billboards, which I had a pleasant time writing about because I find them to be very funny. The feedback I received was also very helpful and I feel like I have a more clear idea of what I need for my first writing project. I am glad that I was able to pick the genre for this textual assignment because I find it more enjoyable and free to be expressive about my ideas. My PB1B, on the other hand, was not self-picked. The generator assigned me a research paper that I probably read twenty times before I actually understood what it was talking about. Two hours of research and fifteen open tabs later, I was able to understand most of the scientific terms to some degree. I then began to make a list of some of the conventions I found in the research paper. I also looked up other research papers and found some of the differences and similarities between them. This exercise was very helpful to me because I learned to familiarize myself with a genre I had never explored before. I did have, however, some complications writing my thoughts into my PB1B due to the fact that I was writing about something I did not completely understand. The reading So What? Who Cares? was helpful in answering why writing matters and to who. This is a task that many writers are not able to fulfill-including myself. I hope that the exercises in class, readings, and feedback from other students continue to help me progress in my writing, especially with my first writing project.

PB1B

   The research paper I looked at talked about wireless sensor networks(WSN), which are freely-spaced sensors with the task to cooperatively transfer their data through the network to a specific location. It addressed the issue that these sensors face in network congestion, which is reduced quality of service that happens when a network node(point of intersection or connection)carries more data than it is capable of. The paper immediately begins to introduce higher-level terminology and explains what they mean. For example, context-free grammar-as described in the text-is a set of writing rules that "embodies the theoretical principles of programming languages." This is important to do because introducing terms that may seem new to some readers can draw away interest from the text.

   One writing convention evidently seen in this paper is a problem and a potential solution to this problem that is put to test. This paper argues that "few analysts would disagree with the deployment of context-free grammar." In order to solve this issue, they used multimodal models to show that write-ahead logging and simulated annealing(technique used to compute the global optimum of a given function) can help overcome this problem.
 
    The writing and representation of the text itself is another key convention to research papers. Within this research paper are the clearly labeled sections that contain discussions of the problem. It offers a numbered outline with an introduction, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion analyzing the results from the experiment. Following the results, are the ways in which these results are helpful(or not) in solving this previously stated issue. Other things that follow are an explanation of the ways in which the model can be improved. Another important factor is a step-by-step explanation of the experiment and its design(shown through visual representations) to better help familiarize the reader. The text is split into six categories. Some headings, such as the title, are made larger and bolder to emphasize the question being asked or the experiment being put to test.

   Research papers also include qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research refers to the process in which you ask questions and come up with procedures, collect data, analyze that data, make inferences based off of one's own generalizations in a particular instance, as well the interpret what the data means and how it affects the outcome of the experiment. Quantitative research refers to the way in which one tests a theory through the examination of the relationship among variables in the experiment. The results obtained from such practice can then be used to create statistical representations of the results such as graphs. An example of this is seen the section Architecture where they "assume that Smalltalk can be made classical, extensible, and concurrent...We use our previously deployed results as a basis for all of these assumptions." Because of results previously obtained, they are able to make assumptions about other future results even though the variables in the experiment are subject to change. Making inferences is important in this textual genre because an essential part to experiments is being able to deduce from ones learning.
 
   Lastly, this text uses scholarly references relating to the subject being addressed in order to create validity. When a writer includes adequate resources, it helps build their case.

Thlog 1

         This week we have been navigating genre and the conventions that make a genre. Through this activity(as well as the reading "Writing Spaces"), I became familiar with genres I did not realize were considered genres, such as text messages, diaries, and letters of recommendation. Genres are made up of conventions, which are like characteristics commonly found in a genre of the same type. In class, we looked at three different video clips from horror films and picked similar characteristics that we noticed in every film. I found this concept to be very interesting and helpful for my writing because it has helped me be more specific and concise. Country songs were another genre that we explored in class. We listed out the conventions of a country song, or things that were commonly seen or heard in the song such as lots of complaining, adultery, and story-telling lyrics. As we heard different country songs, I realized that many of these songs fit the descriptions listed. This activity really helped me with writing my PB1A. I also found that mastering genres can be very tricky because knowing the conventions of one genre does not necessarily mean you will be successful in mastering a different one. This goes in hand with the idea that learning the genres and how they function "helps us recognize and determine appropriate responses to different situations-that is, knowing what particular genre is called for in a particular situation"(Dirk 27). Another reading that we looked at, Teaching two Kinds of Teaching by Teaching Writing talked about the two types of thinking used when writing. I learned that first order writing is creative in generating ideas and often leads to more satisfying writing whereas second order thinking is often structured and controlled.  The idea of genres and rhetorical analysis is still a bit confusing to me. After reading Backpacks vs. Briefcases I became more familiar with observations made in genre and the function that those observations play. I hope to fully understand these ideas by the time I write my first writing project.

PB1A

                   One of the most common textual genres known to exist today are advertisements such as billboards on the side of a freeway. There are many reasons as to what and why they encourage a certain behavior from its audience. For example, a billboard may influence drivers passing by to become informed with services offered to the public, purchase goods or services, or perhaps convince them to support a specific cause(e.g. voting, donating to a children's hospital). Whatever the advertisement is achieving, it does so through the proper use of images, word choice, textual patterns, rhetorical appeals, format(etc). One widely recognized billboard spread through much of the busy freeways in California is the famous Chick-fil-A "Eat mor chikin" sign. The rhetorical message being implied here occurs in a specific context, such as a busy freeway or street. Exigence, audience, and constraints also come into play to better understand the context of such a work.

"Exigence is the circumstance or condition that invites a response"(Carroll 40). 

Many times, advertisements try to convince parents to feed their children food that is both enjoyable and healthy for them. This advertisement says to "Eat mor chikin" in comparison to beef because it promises both satisfying and healthier results against its other competition in the fast food market. The audience, in this case, can most appropriately be described as an average American family that glances at this sign after a productive day filled with family-filled activities. Often times these advertisements face constraints such as attention span, size, and language used that limit the way the message is being delivered. People who drive next to a busy freeway know that some billboards stand out more than others by its distinct characteristics that make it unique. "Eat mor chikin" is an example of this because it uses very simplified language, funny images, and personified cows to grab the attention of the spectators driving along the freeway. Also, because billboards tend to be large, it often uses very bold, large, centered words that get straight to the point. We can also see how the words "more" and "chicken" are misspelled to emphasize the silly idea of a cow being able to communicate and advertise a product to the intended audience-this is an appeal to an audience's intellectual side, better knows as logos.
                 This ad also persuades someone through pathetic appeals, or pathos, by its use of three-dimensional sculptures of cows on top of one another using a paintbrush to spell out the message "Eat mor chikin." This type of humor can be very powerful in persuading an audience because an advertisement of this type is not one that we come across very often. It is because of this reason that many Chick-fil-A advertisements have become widely recognizable and remembered. The type of rhetoric used on many related billboards come across as enjoyable and funny which make the message all that more efficient. These billboards are just a few of the many ways Chick-fil-A has been able to successfully promote its products to its specific audience in just a matter of seconds. Below are other examples of advertisements used. Enjoy!