Evaluation of General Sources

I was asked to preform a general internet search, and to find a recent topic that relates to my major, which is education. I searched "Education controversies 2015" and "Education arguments 2015," as well as for the year 2014 into Google. In this blog post, I will analyze and examine my findings, as well as determine their credibility.

I found the first two searches to be the most effective, perhaps due to the neutral language used in the search. Almost all searches dug up results related to Common Core, and the issues that are being brought up against it recently. Here are two sources I found to be most useful: 

-http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-debate-over-common-core/

-http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/opinion/meet-the-new-common-core.html?_r=0

First source--testing it's reliability questions:

1) What is the URL?
 The URL ends in .com--reliable source, owned by a company

2) Who is the author?
 CBS News. There is no specific author's name provided.

3) When was it last updated?
 September 21st, 2014

4) What is the purpose?
 The article's purpose is to talk about Common Core, and explain what it is and what it would mean for schools and students. It also provides first-hand opinions of various teachers, school district staff and parents, in order to inform the readers of the pros and cons of the subject.

5) Are there graphics on the article's page?: There are minimal graphics, and the only one actually included in the article is a depiction of what a standard math question for a first-grade student would look like, in a Common Core program.

6) What is the author's position on the subject?
 The source seems unbiased, as they offer positive and negative accounts of the program. I do not believe the source is trying to gain anything from persuading their readers to believe one thing or another, but rather informing them of possible outcomes.

7) Are there any links provided?
 There are some quotes that are hyperlinked to another article, that also discuss Common Core. It also provides a "More Info" section at the bottom of the article with a couple different links. 

Second Source--testing it's reliability questions:

1) What is the URL?
 The URL ends in .com, which shows that it is owned by a company.

2) Who is the author?
 Jordan Ellenburg, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, wrote this article and others.

3) When was the post last updated?
 June 16th, 2015

4) What is the article's purpose?
 The article's purpose is to provide a different perspective on Common Core. The author suggests his reservations towards the new program, and wants to inform the readers of these as well. The author also uses a persuasive writing method, as to get more people against the program.

5) Are their any graphics?
There are no graphics in the article.

6) What is the author's position on the subject?
 The source is biased, and completely one-sided. The author wants the readers to believe his opinion, so he would benefit if they agreed to his points made. Most of the information is primarily based on opinions, however, they are backed up with facts and statistics.

7) Are there any links on the page?
 There are no links that lead to more information or other articles discussing Common Core. 

woodleywonderworks. "First grade reading - small group breakout." 10/11/09 via Flickr.
Attribution Generic 2.0 License.

--Jenny Bello

My Major

In this blog post, I will be discussing my major, elementary education, and some controversies that are discussed in the field.

Recently, I have been asked a least a couple times, "what is your major?" I reply with, "Elementary education," and the other party almost always replies with an "Awhhhh..." or "How cute!" I know that these are the natural responses we use towards children, but before these experiences, I didn't know that it was considered "cute" to be studying education. Or maybe they were just referring to my small paycheck I will be receiving in the next couple years...but hey! I'm getting ahead of myself.

The following questions refer to my major:

1. In the education program, students learn how to help others learn effectively. For example, some education majors are specializing in deaf studies, special needs or the L3 major (Literacy, Language, and Learning) which focuses primarily on reading and writing. These are all drawn from the same program, the College of Education.

2. Most people end up finding a job in a public school system rather quickly. Some go on to graduate school, to pursue a higher position in the education field, but most students have recently found teacher positions easily, right after receiving their undergraduate diploma.

3. I was always intrigued by the thought of becoming a teacher growing up, and I think it was because I had some amazing elementary school teachers. In my senior year of high school, I got a job at a school and I worked closely with elementary-aged students, and I became even more aware of my desire to become a teacher.

4. I have many different role models in my field. Some are my parents' friends who have been teachers for over 30 years, who I know personally, and others are teachers who work in intercity schools and in poorer neighborhoods, none of which I can name. On a broader scale, I find those who educate people outside of the classroom even more exciting. They might serve as tutors, or childcare staff, but they are fundamentally doing the same thing as a licensed teacher.

5. The leading academic/scholarly journals for the education field are:

• Review of Educational Research
• Educational Researcher
• Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics

Herald Post. "Angelica Jordan Named Top DODEA Teacher." 11/08/2010 via Flickr. Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License. 

The weird thing is, that will be me someday soon.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After reading two other classmates' blogs, Rachel's and Addie's, I discovered a few new things. Rachel is studying molecular and cellular biology, Addie is studying journalism and I am studying education. All three majors are so different, yet very similar. All offer a variety of jobs in the field, and prior to reading their posts, I was not aware of the many career paths they each could take. However, all three majors specialize in unique topics and "worlds," so to speak. The science world, the public relations and media world and the education world could not be more different. But, I realize that they are all interconnected, as they build off each other. The educators teach the scientists, the scientists create technology, the technology experts develop media sources and websites, and the cycle repeats itself. Basically, I could be teaching the next generation of MCB majors someday! Overall, I realized that as we each choose our individual subjects or disciplines, one student's is not that far off from another's. 

My Thoughts on Comments

In this blog post, I will discuss and analyze comments on my controversy, which I introduced in the post "My Controversy." I found two credible comments, and two comments that lack credibility. I also answered a few questions about each comment.

Public comment sections have always scared me. I can't help but wonder who is sitting behind the computer, ranting and cursing to or about someone they have never met. I also don't understand how they have this much time on their hands.

Reasonable/credible: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-child-left-behind-overhaul_55c25483e4b0f7f0bebb53da

1. This commenter seems like she wants to be understood, as an educator. She is fearful and anxious that the school system that she knows and has worked with will crumble, because standardized testing may not be in place anymore.
2. She clearly believes that some sort of testing is a fair and trustworthy method to determine a student's knowledge. She also believes that it is not only beneficial to the student's success, but to the faculty and teacher's.
3a. She is a credible commenter because she uses her full name, uses grammatically correct language and punctuation, and does not seem too aggressive or angry. She is also a teacher, and has first-hand knowledge of what standardized testing is used for.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-child-left-behind-overhaul_55c25483e4b0f7f0bebb53da

1. Karl Wheatley clearly wishes that all standardized tests would simply "disappear," and he seems somewhat anxious that instead of this, tests will be used more often in the future.
2. I think that this commenter is a firm believer in a traditional method of schooling. He seems to have an extensive knowledge on how the current education system works, and perhaps he believes that the recent developments and changes done in the educational field have been harmful.
3a. Clearly, this commenter sounds credible, primarily because he titles himself as a "researcher" in a related field and provides a believable statistic. He also uses appropriate language and grammar, and seems very calm about the subject.

Not Reasonable/Credible:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-child-left-behind-overhaul_55c25483e4b0f7f0bebb53da

1. This commenter seems to be talking from personal experience. She might personally have had difficulty in school with tests and memorization, and might be fearful or nervous for another student that might have to go through the same experience. I gathered this information because she is clearly using aggressive language and exaggeration.
2. Conway most likely believes that each student should learn at their own pace, and that testing should be done away with altogether. She seems to value education, but not the system that we are using in schools today. She seems family-oriented, as she talks about "our children."
3b. At first I thought she was a credible source, because she put her own name and used somewhat decent grammar. However, the farther I got in the comment, the less I thought she was reasonable. Her cursing and metaphors (parrots?!) make her sound immature.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-child-left-behind-overhaul_55c25483e4b0f7f0bebb53da

1. This commenter is clearly afraid and nervous of the people being left to their own devices. He believes that people are not responsible enough to determine what success looks like without standardized testing.

2. I think that this commenter is extremely pro-government. It seems to me like he trusts the government more than any other institution, and would like to leave the majority of the responsibility up to them.

3b. This commenter is extremely unreasonable because all of a sudden, he mentions World War II. This war and the education system have absolutely nothing in common, so the fact that he brought this up was hilarious to me. His point was not made clear, which made his lack of credibility even more apparent. 

Like I said, comment sections are scary, but more significantly, they are overwhelmingly entertaining.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION: After reading and viewing two other blog posts, I have a few thoughts on format and content. As my classmates and I have just started this course, we have not completely figured out everything yet. We have not mastered formatting, hyperlinking, including citations and blogging itself. However, I see that a common theme and mistake is the lack of "blogger formatting." We discussed what is expected in a blog's format, however we have not put these things into practice. Betsie did a great job at leaving plenty of white space in between paragraphs, and I need to remember to do this in my posts.

Relating to content, both Betsie and Bree did a great job analyzing and examining comments. I was reminded how many commenters on the internet bring up their own experiences and lives into their posts, and how their background changes their point of view on a wide variety of controversies. This was especially true in one of Bree's "credible" comments. I personally loved getting to see my classmates' views of their controversies, because it allows me to understand things in a different light.

My Controversy

There are many controversial topics to choose from, but I was told to choose one, which in itself is an internal controversy.

My article is on the "no child left behind" idea, and the pros and cons behind it. As an elementary education major, I find this controversy compelling.

http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/does-no-child-left-behinds-testing-regime-work

The "No Child Left Behind" act was established in 2002, yet there is still a lot of discussion over the subject. Tests were created to assess how each student, from grades three through eight, learned and obtained knowledge taught during the school year. In high school, students are tested only once, also over math and reading. Some, including myself, have a problem with the test results being the only method into which a child's knowledge is determined. Others, however, are in favor of the method and continuously support it, because it serves as a valuable estimate of how well the teachers and school districts are doing academically. The article also gives insight on what would most likely happen if the "No Child Left Behind" act was forgotten about. It would most likely cause the teachers and schools to become more lenient and tolerant towards letting an individual child fall behind. I somewhat agree with this, and I am beginning to understand and comprehend the "pros" to the act, but I cannot ignore the weight of the "cons." I believe that faculty and students should be held responsible for their education, and that all students should try to learn basic concepts by a certain age. However, rushing a student through school without properly educating them, just for the sake of a statistic, is appalling, and if this has to be done to be in accordance with the act, I say we do away with it.

--Jenny Bello

Calendar Reflection

In the Weekly Calendar Exercise, I realized that my time fills up quickly. This is a scary thought, considering I haven't even started or pursued a lot of the clubs and activities that I had planned.

My time slots filled with clubs, classes, homework and friends. As the semester progresses, I might end up having to set aside more time for each of these items mentioned. This means that I need to reevaluate and plan ahead, so my homework and classwork isn't at the bottom of my priorities list. Here are a few things I can do to ensure that I have plenty of time to complete my homework:

• -set aside (at least) 2 hours a day just for homework
• -learn to say 'no' to activities and social events if work is yet to be completed 
• -use your time wisely (put down that cellphone and work!!)
• -pick a study spot where you will not be distracted
• -remember that school comes first (I did come to college for an education, not just a social life)

Marco Buonvino. "Schedule." 03/15/2010 via Flickr. Attribution-Non-Commericial Use 2.0 Generic.

With all this said, I hope that I can learn to manage my time appropriately and leave plenty of time for homework and projects, while still accomplishing and participating in the many extracurriculars that I would like to!

REFLECTION:

My classmate, Thomas, had excellent insight into managing his time effectively. He said that he tries specifically not to overload or crowd his schedule so that he has plenty of time to complete his homework. I, on the other hand, am very bad at this, because there are so many things that I want to be apart of. However, as I said in my original post, school must come first. Another classmate, named Charles, also seems to understand the difficulty between being involved in activities versus keeping the time open for school work. Hopefully, we will be able to solve this "problem" quickly, and learn how to maintain the perfect balance. (Both of my reflections have ended up coming to the same conclusion: finding a balance. Interestingly enough, balance seems to be the answer to the majority of life's struggles.)

--Jenny Bello

My Writing Process

Before reading this section on "Discovering Your Writing Process," I didn't think I even had a writing process. I would simply just write. But then again, that is a characteristic of one of the types listed in the section.

Each of the four categories describe habits and mannerisms that different writers could have.
The categories are as follows:

• Heavy Planner
• Heavy Reviser
• Sequential Composer
• Procrastinator

A "heavy planner" is a writer who spends a great amount of time on planning and preparation, resulting in a thorough and complete first draft. While this may sound beneficial, the writer may not revise as much or as sharp as other writers do. 

A "heavy reviser" finds his or her voice while writing. This type of writer revises and plans as he or she works, but must be able to critique their own writing appropriately. 

A "sequential composer" separates their time equally between planning, writing and revising. This is a very efficient writing method, as they refer to their notes and revise immediately after part of the work is produced. 

A "procrastinator" is someone who claims to "work better under pressure." These types of writers save their work until the last minute, which tends to leave time only for a final draft. This is not a favorable method, as it does not allow time for any complete revision. 

Thinking about Your Own Writing Process Questions

1. I consider myself to be primarily a "heavy reviser," because I do not plan ahead when I write, unless it is absolutely necessary. I am able to find my purpose or thesis after I have already started to write, so it is proven to be the best method for me personally. 

2. If I had to choose another method that I occasionally fall back on in my writing process, it would be the "sequential composition" method. Sometimes I do write notes beforehand and reflect immediately after each paragraph, and revise if necessary, but usually not. 

3. As I said, the reviser method has been proven to make me a more successful writer in the past. I have a more complete idea of what I am going to write after I have already started. However, revising my own work is somewhat difficult for me, which is why I might try new approaches in this class. 

4. I think I could become a better writer if I became a "sequential composer." If I had a plan prior to my writing, then I would be able to develop my thesis clearer. Also, the revisions would be more complete. 

This image below illustrates my writing process perfectly: messy, a bit chaotic, yet improved.  

Julie Jordan Scott. "Revision in Process". 04/11/2011 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic License.  

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After perusing around my fellow classmates' blogs, I uncovered a few truths about my writing process, and the writing process as a whole. Chloe's post made me realize that maybe the "ideal" writing method for me is a combination of the different types. I should learn how to plan more beforehand, revise more after the work is finished, and also complete my individual paragraphs as I write them, but completely disregard the "procrastination" method. Another one of my classmates, Tyler, said that he is trying to find a balance between the writing methods, which echoes my point of developing a combination. This class is a perfect setting for experimentation in writing, so I hope that I can explore various strategies to become a better writer.