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Category: ENG110 (Page 1 of 3)

Learning Outcomes 5 and 6

ENG110 has successfully taught me how to properly cite my sources, in any text really, but specifically MLA. I know I need to cite my source if I have included a quote or have paraphrased the text in my own words. I know to put the author’s last name and page number -if any- from the text in parenthesis at the end of the sentence with a period after the end parenthetical. If there isn’t an author stated, use the first word of the title. If I have used two quotes or paraphrases from the same source, I don’t need to state the author’s name again, just the page number, unless I have switched between that source and another source, then I must restate the author’s last name. Before ENG110, I didn’t even know that I had to cite sources in MLA format. But, now I can cite all my sources successfully and correctly. I have also learned how to properly create a works cited page, at the end of my essay, by myself instead of using a website online to do it for me. The Little Seagull is the textbook which helps me do so. It has everything anyone may need when it comes to writing formats, citing, different writing techniques, etc.

Examples:

In the text, it reads, “First, an American look Laotian as much as an American looks Irish or Rwandan or wears a turban or won’t eat Kansan hog for religious reasons or is quadriplegic” (Paterniti 5.)

“Do you know what it’s like to believe so deeply in something, in a race of people that most often hates you, in a country that is your country now and yet pulls up in your parking lot and flips you the bird? Maybe the difference between you and Donna is that she hates and understands that she is hated back. But more than that: She believes, too” (7.)

David writes, “But most days, if you’re aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she’s not usually like this. Maybe she’s been up three straight nights holding the hand of a husband who is dying of bone cancer… Of course, none of this is likely, but it’s also not impossible.” (DFW 7.)

He uses a scenario at a supermarket: where after a long day at work you need to go to the supermarket to pick up some things for dinner, but nothing is going right for you, all the lines are so long, the traffic is so bad, all these people around you are so annoying, they’re obnoxious and rude, and you think everybody is just in your way and you are frustrated that they won’t just get out of your way (4, 5, 6.)

Learning Outcome 4

Before this course, whenever we did peer-review in class, my edits, comments, etc. were all just local revision based. I would fix any spelling and grammar errors that I found all throughout my peer’s work. I was always too afraid to change something in their paper or suggest a change I their paper, I didn’t want them to get upset with me. However, after taking this course and practicing peer review time after time after time, I now know how to properly and correctly review a peer’s work. I still do a lot of local revisions fro them. But now, I also do a lot of global revision edits and comments as well as local revision edits and comments. I know how to suggest change into a peer’s work in a way that isn’t demanding or rude, it is subtle and suggestive, “just an idea :)”.

I actually enjoy peer review because this allows me to see another perspective on my paper that I wouldn’t have thought of before. Every peer review work we did in this class was a success and was very helpful when revising my papers. I actually include my peer review edits and comments into my revision process.

Example of peer review that I did on my peer’s, Olivia Clark’s, work:

Learning Outcome 3

How I stay active when reading is by annotating. While I read, I underline or highlight things that may seem important to the story or any argument that I am trying to make from whatever it is I am reading. I do not know how to explain my process behind choosing what to annotate. I usually just start reading and whatever sticks out to me, something that seems extraordinarily important, I will highlight AND underline it. If something seems important, but a little less than extraordinary, I will highlight it. If something sticks out or backs up an idea I have already highlighted, I will underline it. If something confuses me or excites me or I can relate to or I have practiced such preaching statements before, I will underline or circle it and mark it with a question mark or an exclamation point.

This ENG110 course has made me extremely proficient in the following learning outcome: “Employ techniques of active reading, critical reading, and informal reading response for inquiry, learning, and thinking.” Reading materials and having to annotate them so often from this course has strengthened my techniques for this learning outcome. I do actively think intensively while I read assignments and so on from start to finish. Annotating allows me to feel like I am sort of having a conversation with the author(s). I feel as though creating an outline of a reading material helps guide me in seeing the structure of the argument being made. Being able to summarize and analyze different text after different text allows me to fully comprehend the text, which is helpful for discussions and writing papers.

Informal Reading Response Example:

In “Consider the Lobster,” David Foster Wallace goes into detail about the different ways of preparing a lobster and which way is most commonly used. “As an a la carte entree, lobster can be baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, sautéed, grilled, stir-fried, or microwaved. The most common method, though, is boiling. If you’re someone who enjoys having lobster at home, this is probably the way you do it, since boiling is so easy.” This explains all the different ways to cook lobster, which is useful for this piece because he later goes into the ethics of boiling lobster alive. People claim that boiling lobsters alive is okay because they don’t feel pain, “The nervous system of a lobster is very simple… There is no cerebral cortex, which in humans is the area of the brain that gives the experience of pain.” This means that they assume that since lobster’s don’t have the cerebral cortex, then they must not feel pain. But DFW contradicts this claim, “The human cerebral cortex is the brain-part that deals with higher faculties like reason, metaphysical self-awareness, language, etc. Pain reception is known to be part of a much older and more primitive system of nociceptors and prostaglandins that are managed by the brainstem and thalamus.” This explains that the cerebral cortex actually isn’t the part of the brain that senses pain, so the fact that lobsters don’t have it is meaningless. 

I don’t believe it’s morally okay to boil lobsters alive, neither do I think it’s okay to slaughter animals. However, this won’t stop me from eating these animals. I have never had lobster, so I can say that I have never boiled a lobster alive. But I eat and very much enjoy meat… Does that make the slaughtering okay? No. But I do believe in the fact of not seeing it helps with coping. I refuse to watch any videos that show the truth behind slaughterhouses or anything like that, because I enjoy meat. If I was to watch them, I would feel different about eating meat. 

I did not like his footnotes. The short ones were okay, because they were short, sweet, to the point and connected well with text. However, the long paragraph and a half length ones were wordy, confusing, and seemed irrelevant to me. 

The similarities I noticed between this reading and “This is Water,” was the confusing wording and run-on sentences. Other than that, the two texts were nothing alike. The messages were completely different, this text was more boring.

Annotation Examples:

Learning Outcome 2

Section from Paper 2:

I believe DFW’s views and ideas about how we think and our default setting is true. I strongly agree with his tactics of being mindful. David writes, “But most days, if you’re aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she’s not usually like this. Maybe she’s been up three straight nights holding the hand of a husband who is dying of bone cancer… Of course, none of this is likely, but it’s also not impossible.” (DFW 7.) This is an example of being mindful of the possibilities that others could be dealing with. You may know their name, but you don’t know their story, so be aware. I believe the characters in Paterniti’s piece could be taught DFW’s lesson, as well as myself. During times of road rage or even frustration with my daily life here at school leads me to, without even thinking about it, think about my own needs and how everyone is in my way. David’s explanation of our default setting is useful for trying to understand the interactions in “Eating Jack Hooker’s Cow”. The story reads, “Realized the Astro charged $28 for a single. Then, according to Jack and Bev Hooker, put that sign out. SINGLE, $26.95. See two signs now: one at the Holiday and one at the Thunderbird… Jack Hooker went right out and put up his own sign: AMERICAN OWNED. Donna retaliated by buying a bunch of American flags, put them up everywhere.” (Paterniti 10.) This shows the battle for business between two motel owners. Jack and Bev are both white Americans, they hate Donna. Donna is a Laotian-American, she hates Jack and Bev. They hate one another because they both “stand in the way” of each other in terms of business and success, but deep down it’s race and personal beliefs that stand in the way. It’s their default setting, their selfishness that stands in the way. 

This section of my paper is called a Barclay Paragraph. This paragraph helps me form a pattern for a paragraph and helps me connect and synthesize quotations from two different essays in support of my argument. It starts with a claim, any claim that I would like to make about my argument. I then make a brief introduction for the quote that I will use to support my claim. After I put the quote in, I give a brief explanation of how the quote relates to my argument. Then I insert a small transition to the next claim from the other essay. Then another intro, quote, and explanation. These paragraphs are great for helping me connect the two essays, which strengthens my essay. When it comes to writing claims, a quote, and an explanation for that quote, I am really good. I’ve been doing that type of writing since the 3rd grade for MCAS testing, so I’m really used to doing those types of paragraphs. Barclay paragraphs are not much different from the format of an MCAS open response answer. This prompt was particularly easier to make connections between the two essays, which was why it was my favorite paper to write. I understood both texts very well and could easily make connections between them in my head, this is why putting it onto paper came so easy for me.

Learning Outcome 1

For this Learning Outcome I have chosen to share the revisions between the rough draft (attached images) and final draft of Paper #2 from ENG110. When I wrote my rough draft, I just sat there typing anything and everything that I could think of, which actually came out pretty good. I was pretty proud of my rough draft results. The only problem was, the personal story part of my personal essay was so good and strong that it made the other parts of my essay seem dull. My intro, more specifically, was probably the weakest and worst part of my essay. Introductions and conclusions are always an issue for me. Every time I write an introduction, I write it as fast as I can because I know it’s no good and I know that the body parts of any essay are the parts where I can really get my thoughts and claims out, which is probably my biggest weakness in writing. But, it also depends on what I am writing. When I am writing a creative writing piece, my introductions are usually pretty good.

My revision process is a pretty solid regime. I usually start my gathering any outside edits that were made on my paper, such as peer reviews or any edits or comments my professor had made on my first draft. Once I have what I need around me, I will read my essay once through without touching it at all. Then, I will go through it again and edit what I think should be edited, locally and globally. Once I am done making any edits that I see fit, I’ll then go through the outside edits and make those changes if I see them fit, which most of the time I do. After I finish all the editing from outside reviews, I read my paper aloud continuously until I can read through the entire thing without feeling the absolute need to make any edits. Finally, I call it a day and my final draft is finished.

Essay #3 Self Reflection

  1. I believe the strengths of my essay are the small counterarguments I included. I also provided a lot of strong claims and facts to back up those claims. My voice is present and strong throughout the paper. One of my stronger paragraphs is the paragraph where I share my view as a non-athlete college student. I share how I feel about the whole argument as a regular student who doesn’t get recognized for my hard work, which I think makes a strong point.
  2. My essays have improved over the semester by my revising process. My revising process has improved tremendously over the semester. I never used to edit my papers and essays how I edit them now. My revising process has grown so much that I believe I am a better writer.
  3. “Gene Smith, the athlete director at Ohio State University, has said that if the NCAA pay ceiling were lifted and he were pushed to pay basketball and football student-athletes more than their full-ride scholarship packages, he would not expect to maintain the same number of sports” (McDavis 2). This quote and how it is framed works very well in my paper. I introduced it by using a counter argument and the quote is just the facts that back up my argument. I then explained how some schools can’t afford such compensation for student athletes and some schools may be considering cutting sports program altogether. I then explained how I felt about that and explained why I see it as wrong and unfair.
  4. My revision process consists of going through all my peer edits and editing whatever it is I was told to edit, including my professor’s edits. Then, I will read my paper aloud again and again until I can read it without making any revisions to it as I read it. This includes global and local revision processes. Once, I can read through it completely twice without making any edits, I am finished.

Informal Reading Response

In “Consider the Lobster,” David Foster Wallace goes into detail about the different ways of preparing a lobster and which way is most commonly used. “As an a la carte entree, lobster can be baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, sautéed, grilled, stir-fried, or microwaved. The most common method, though, is boiling. If you’re someone who enjoys having lobster at home, this is probably the way you do it, since boiling is so easy.” This explains all the different ways to cook lobster, which is useful for this piece because he later goes into the ethics of boiling lobster alive. People claim that boiling lobster’s alive is okay because they don’t feel pain, “The nervous system of a lobster is very simple… There is no cerebral cortex, which in humans is the area of the brain that gives the experience of pain.” This means that they assume that since lobster’s don’t have the cerebral cortex, then they must not feel pain. But DFW contradicts this claim, “The human cerebral cortex is the brain-part that deals with higher faculties like reason, metaphysical self-awareness, language, etc. Pain reception is known to be part of a much older and more primitive system of nociceptors and prostaglandins that are managed y the brain stem and thalamus.” This explains that the cerebral cortex actually isn’t the part of the brain that senses pain, so the fact that lobsters don’t have it is meaningless.

I don’t believe it’s morally okay to boil lobsters alive, neither do I think it’s okay to slaughter animals. However, this won’t stop me from eating these animals. I have never had lobster, so I can say that I have never boiled a lobster alive. But I eat and very much enjoy meat… Does that make the slaughtering okay? No. But I do believe in the fact of not seeing it helps with the coping. I refuse to watch any videos that show the truth behind slaughter houses or anything like that, because I enjoy meat. If I was to watch them, I would feel different about eating meat.

I did not like his footnotes. The short ones were okay, because they were short, sweet, to the point and connected well with text. However, the long paragraph and a half length ones were wordy, confusing, and seemed irrelevant to me.

The similarities I noticed between this reading and “This is Water,” was the confusing wording and run-on sentences. Other than that, the two texts were nothing alike. The messages were completely different, this text was more boring.

Connecting the Parts

For example, maybe the mean waitress from the 99’s isn’t so mean after all.” -Transition

“So I’m sitting in this classroom, trying to do this homework that I don’t understand, surrounded by people I barely know, slowly getting more and more frustrated. The more I can’t understand my homework, the more I think about how I don’t know any of these people.” -Repetition

“I get so frustrated that I begin to cry while doing my homework on the 3rd floor of the library, in front of all these people that I don’t know and they don’t know me and all I can think is, ‘I want to go home.'” -Repetition

But I also need to eat, and I need to shower, and I need to do the dishes, and I need to start my laundry. The problem with this is that now I’m aggravating my frustration even more.” -Pointing word, Repetition

However, just like the previous events of my day, nothing seems to be going right for me.” -Transition

But I’m stressed even more now because I hadn’t taken that into account and I still need to finish my homework and take a shower and I miss my mom and dad and I just want to go home. I hate homework and I hate these classes.” -Pointing word, Repetition

For example, Friday night I was trying to get back to my home from going into Boston. The traffic was bumper to bumper and I had been driving a lot already and I was tired and getting frustrated. As I felt the frustration building up, I paused and looked at all these cars in front of me and thought about DFW’s point of being mindful and self-aware.” -Transition, Repetition

I don’t necessarily see any patterns, but in my personal piece of my essay, I definitely relied more on repetition. This worked out well in my favor, because my personal piece ended up being the strongest part of my essay, and I believe the repetition helped it get there. I don’t believe my passage is hard to follow, but maybe that’s because I am the one that wrote it. I would need to hear from someone who didn’t write this, who is just a reader, to understand if it is hard to follow.

Intro Analysis

“Self-awareness is not something we are born with. Self-awareness must be learned and practiced and it is not an easy thing to do. We go throughout each day doing our own thing and most of us believe that we are being as mindful as possible, but what does being mindful really mean? Everyday life, as we know it, can be perceived in a totally different way. Instead of being so quick to think, you could take a second to really analyze the situation, and be mindful of it, to see it in a different light. For example, maybe the mean waitress from the 99’s isn’t so mean after all. Maybe she has gotten yelled at by her boss so many times for being on the phone, when in reality: she’s on her phone so much because she is checking on the status of her son who is in the hospital- or maybe she is coming off a bit moody because she is going through the worst mental health slump she has ever faced. Now, it may seem far-fetched to think these things, but it’s not impossible for these situations to be true. I think humans naturally practice a sort of selfish behavior without even realizing it and changes can be made to that behavior if you really set your mind to it. Self-awareness, mindfulness, and critical thinking is important for your own mind’s sake.”

I think one strength that I have found in my introduction is asking the reader a question. I think this will get the reader’s mind thinking a bit, and maybe they will be interpreting what the rest of my writing will be about, just from a simple question. Another strength I have found in my introduction is the real life scenario. This kinda paraphrases some of the ideas that DFW had in his speech, so I feel as though it brings that piece into my introduction. Also, it is relatable to the reader, so they can get a sense of a real life scenario that relates to what my topic is about. One weakness I have found in my introduction is my thesis. My thesis statement is there, but it is not clear cut. I believe I still got the message across just fine, but it could have been structured a lot better. Another weakness I have found was that I didn’t really include a real summary of both of the texts that I used for this piece. Although, I feel that if I had used summaries of both texts, it would make my introduction a lot longer than it needs to be. I think it leaves some room for interpretation and it also allows me to give my essay more volume by having multiple separate paragraphs for each summary of each source I used. I think my introduction could have used a little more debate, but I believe my message/ideas/arguments are made promptly enough for the reader to comprehend.

Learning Outcomes

“Demonstrate the ability to approach writing as a recursive process that requires substantial revision of drafts for content, organization, and clarity (global revision), as well as editing and proofreading (local revision).” Before I took this course, in high school I would always just write whatever I wanted or whatever I needed to for an assignment and pass it in without revising it. The only revising I used to do was spelling and grammar check. Now that I have taken this course, I take my writing and revising process seriously. I revise my texts over and over again until I can read it out loud without having to make any edits or revisions. I have also grown a lot with global revision. I can now look at my text as a whole and decide if my message is clear and makes sense and carries out through the entire piece.

“Employ techniques of active reading, critical reading, and informal reading response for inquiry, learning, and thinking.” I’m not even 100% sure what this standard entails, but it does sound like I could use a little bit of work in this area. If the reading is boring or long, I tend to do mostly passive reading. I always keep trying until I can actually actively read it, but sometimes I need tips and tricks on how to become more active while I read. I have no felt that I was passively reading for any reading required for this course, I have enjoyed all of the readings that were given and have felt active while I was reading them. But, I will need to work on this for the future, in other courses, when I am given a reading that leads me to passively read.

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