Draft of Open Letter

In this post, I will attach the draft for open letter to Mr. Bottai and my peers. But first, some things you should know before reading it. 

Unknown. "Cute Puppy." 08/22/2015. Share Alike 3.0.  

I am still working on the flow of my letter. I have all my major points down, I just need to work on the flow a little more. If you would give feedback on the balance of professionalism and friendliness. 

Also, if you could keep an eye out for grammar mistakes.

HERE is my draft. 

Thanks! 

B.A. Jordan

Reflecting MORE on my Writing Process

This post is to help reflect on my writing process throughout this course. I will do this by answering 6 questions provided to me. This will help me build a foundation for my final reflective open letter.

Harmes, Ross. Devastatingly Cute. 09/22/2009. Attribution 2.0 Generic. 

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?

My biggest challenge was definitely during project 2. I had so much other homework and I was falling behind in the deadlines. I started to become a constant cycle of missing deadlines.

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?

I learned that in order to get things done, I needed to switch up the places I was working or else I would fall asleep. Time management is hard when you have a roommate that gets work done really fast and then wants to talk and hang out.

I have learned that my writing is better when I am not as rushed. I get things done quicker when I am rushed, but it is better quality when I can take my time. I like this course because I would have to rush to get deadlines done, but then on the next deadline, I could go back over and edit my work. this helped my writing much more than only turning in a final draft.

I also learned that I am really good at editing grammar and sentence structure, but not at organization. This showed me that I need more people to edit my paper than just one. Also, that I can do a thorough job with grammar, but they need another person do the theoretical part.

3. What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.

I did not realize how many types of genres there are in writing or used to make public speech acts. A genre is a way to categorize speech acts that contain similar conventions to effectively reach a certain audience. For example, the first genre that we learned to write were blog posts. I then wrote a Quick Reference Guide, Rhetorical Analysis, and then a talk radio segment.

Understanding a genre is important because it helps to know the goal of the speech act and the audience. A quick reference guide has a different purpose than a talk radio segment.

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?

The process of "prework" I will most definitely use. The prework that went into all the projects taught me the value of preparing for a writing assignment. I intend to use the techniques I have learned, such as Coggle, in the future to prepare for writing assignments, presentations, group work, etc.

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H?

I don't know if I can pin down my most effective moment. But, one of my favorite moments was when I conducted my interview with my econ professor, Reff. I didn't think that he would actually have time to do an interview with me, but I asked him anyway. He happily agreed and said we could do it after the next class! Well I'm so glad that I had this idea and got the courage to ask because we ended up talking for an hour after the interview. I would classify us as friends now and he has encouraged me so much. He is even helping me with my steps of applying into the Eller college.

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H?

The nights that the clock was ticking down to 10pm...then 11...then 11:30, and I was typing like a crazy lady. Those were my least effective moments. When I was cramming all my work into the last minutes and even up to the last seconds. Yes, I may have worked faster and got more done in those moments than in the entire week, but it was not quality, nor was it good for my blood pressure.

Revisiting My Writing Process

This post is intended to help me revisit my writing process that I started this semester out with. I will go back and look at the two first blog posts I wrote, My writing Process and Calendar Reflection.



"Peepee time for little puppy" by stephzerofour - Flickr: peepee time for little puppy. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peepee_time_for_little_puppy.jpg#/media/File: Peepee_time_for_little_puppy.jpg

I have defiantly always been a "heavy reviser" and procrastinator. Through this semester and this course, I have found that I am a little less of a procrastinator, though I am still a heavy reviser. I still think best when physically writing things down on paper, but I have discovered new ways that are effective for me to get my thoughts typed. I have been introduced to Coggle. This will be my new best friend for all of my writing projects in the years to come.

This course tells me that I still have room for improvement. I have seen that the less I procrastinate, the more I can get done. I have improved my procrastination habits slightly which shows me that I can get even better in the future.

As far as time management, I think I have gotten better at setting time aside when I said I would. As the semester went on, my roommate got more comfortable with asking me to taker places or work out with her and I had to learn to say no to her in order to get my homework done. I have learned not to do homework on the couch for too long or I will fall asleep. I also learned that it helps me to move where I am working. The business center at my apartment complex is a great place to focus as is my parents' house.

Reflection on Project 3

This post is too reflect on the process of creating project 3. I will do this by answering 9 questions from Writing Public Lives.

1. What was specifically revised one draft to another?

Well. my rough draft was simply the raw recordings of what I planned to turn into my talk radio segment. So all the spoofs and mistakes were cut out and everything was stitched together.

2. Point to global changes: how did you reconsider your thesis or organization?

I knew what my thesis was all along, but I did change my organization up quite a bit. Before I started, I didn't even think about having an intro and conclusion to the actual interview the way it is. Because my voice sounded different because I was recording in a different spot, I decided to make the interview a past recording that I am just now putting on air.

3. What led you to these changes?

I figured that it would make more sense, but also, it allowed me to talk about the interview and explain things I wouldn't if Reff was still sitting right in front of me.

4. How do these changes affect my credibility?

I think it made me seem more knowledgeable because I could explain more in depth what is going on and what certain things mean. It increases my credibility by showing my understanding.

5. How do these changes better address the audience or venue?

Like I said, it helped me to explain points and my opinion better.

6. Point to the local changes: how did I reconsider sentence structure and style?

This was not a main concern because my speech act was audio, but I did work on my tone.

7. How will these changes assist my audience in understanding my purpose?

My tone helps people know that I am passionate about what I believe is right.

8. Did I have to reconsider the conventinos of the particular genre?

Yes. I still don't know if I got them right, but I just kept gong back and listening to other examples.

9. How does the process of reflection help my reconsider my identity as a writer?

It helps me think about what I need improvement on and where I have strengths. This was new for me so it showed me how fun new genres can be,

Publishing Public Argument

This is my final project 3! Enjoy.

 

 https://drive.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/file/d/0B3K0hYDE4LNZNThaTzZ3ZFBVZ2s/view



(Music credit: Royalty Free Music- SOUNDOTCOM.COM. Pop Intro.)

 

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------X------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←-----------------------X-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         _______ My public argument etablishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument prooposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         ___X____ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

     First, I am able to provide personal stories of application to the controversy. I apply the controversy to my life and explain what would happen. This is different than what others have used.

 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

       ___X__ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

        __X___ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

        __X___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

        __X___ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

        _____ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

         __X___ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

       ___X__ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

        __X___ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

        __X___ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

        _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

   __X___ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

    __X___ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

   ___X__ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

   __X___ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

    __X___ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

    _____ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

    ___X__ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

      _____ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

      __X___ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

      __X___ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

      __X__ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

       _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

     _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

    _____ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

     __X___ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

     __X___ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

     _____ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

     __X___ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

     __X___ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

    __X___ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

    _____ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

     _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

 

ONE

TWO

THREE