Considering Types

In this blog post, I will discuss and brainstorm about what type of argument I am going to be making in my own public argument. I am using the information in the section titled, "Five Basic Types of Public Argument" of Writing Public Lives (page 414).

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Of the five options listed in the reading, including position, casual, evaluative, proposal and refutation arguments, I am most interested in pursuing the evaluative argument. I am planning on writing an editorial, so this style of argument would fit with my genre's conventions.

Refutation argument's characteristics:

• evaluate a current solution of a controversy
• argue against this solution
• portray it as ineffective
• discusses something that has already been developed or introduced

This would be the best for what I am planning to write because the Common Core program has already been implemented and introduced in a lot of schools and because I have wanted to discuss the ineffectiveness of the program. So, the evaluative argument style would help me fit these topics into my writing and genre the best. 

For my topic and my genre, a lot of these argument options would work. However, the proposal argument would not be able to fit into my purpose of writing or my genre. A proposal argument "analyzes a particular problem and then develops a proposal for addressing the problem in its thesis," (Writing Public Lives). In an editorial, the author's job is not to present a solution or a new idea, but to reflect and give their thoughts on an existing one. Also, I am not educated or capable of proposing a whole new method that would improve education, so even if I tried, it would most likely be a failed attempt. A proposal argument is a strong option for many writers and genres, but it does not fit into my purpose of writing.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

I read Addy and Rachel's blog post about the types of arguments. Rachel was leaning towards the position argument, while Addy was deciding between the casual and the evaluative argument. I suggested to her that she should consider using the casual argument, as it seems to fit her purpose and genre the best. Looking back on my own purpose of writing and genre, I think the refutation argument is still going to be the best and the most strong for my controversy. 

Rhetorical Action Plan

In this blog post, I will start developing a rhetorical action plan by answering the questions on page 412-413 of Writing Public Lives. 

1. Audience: Who are you going to try to persuade with your public argument? Describe the following aspects of your audience in a few sentences:

• I am trying to reach and persuade the people who think that Common Core is the only and best option to go with for a change in schools. This group of people might include parents, government officials, the faculty of different organizations and even teachers. 

• Knowledge: What does the audience know about the topic, text, or idea? How do they know the topic (where do they get their knowledge from)? Do they have certain predispositions or opinions about the topic that you will need to address?
• The audience knows a lot about the topic, as they are already involved or well-versed on what Common Core is and what it plans on accomplishing. They get their knowledge from their own personal experience as well as their own research and findings of information. They might be biased either towards or against Common Core, due to their situation or experience with it. As I am attempting to reach some who are directly implementing Common Core into schools nationwide, I need to address that this specific set of standards does not have to be seen as the only option. I need to address the fallacy that this specific method will cure all of education's problems.
• Values: What do you know about the values, ideals, principles or norms (standards of conduct) that members of the audience might hold?
• I know that every audience member that I am planning on addressing values education and the students of our country. I know that they hold the student's future in their hands and they want to protect and assist in their journey through education. However, some might differ on political ideology or the broad definition of what academic success looks like. 
• Standards of Argument: What type of research or evidence do you think will be persuasive for your audience? How might you have to translate this research for them?
• The most persuasive research or evidence would probably be quotes and stories taken directly from students who are living and breathing Common Core. They are not only first-hand witnesses, but they serve as the group that these audience members are trying to care for and look after. If I can show that a lot of students are unhappy, stressed and saddened by the sudden changes in their curriculum, then the audience will probably respond positively towards my argument.
• Visual elements: What visual elements might your audience respond to? Why?
• If I include several interviews (videos, podcasts) of children talking about Common Core and pictures of such students, then this will cause a reaction out of my audience. Connecting a face to a story always evokes thought and emotion, because it humanizes the subject.
• Purpose: Why is your audience reading or listening to your argument? Are you trying to expand their understanding of an idea, encourage them to take action on an issue, challenge a long-held tradition or viewpoint, etc.? How likely is your argument to motivate your audience?
• They want to know what the public is saying about Common Core. I might be trying to do all three of these things. For example, I am trying to challenge some of them and their long-standing viewpoints on the subject, while expanding all of the audience's knowledge on the subject and on education which would subsequently encourage them to take action on the issue.

2. Genre #1: What form of writing will you use? After identifying your genre, list your answers for the following questions:

• I am most interested in writing an editorial for my public argument (see here and here). I am interested in the format and style.

• What is the function of the genre? What is it designed to do for your readers? Or, why did you choose it?
• The function of an editorial is to openly express the author's opinion on a specific subject, while being informative and instructive. The editorial is designed to persuade the audience to believe or at least consider believing as the author does. I chose it because I would love to personally explain my feelings and thoughts on Common Core, in a professional and rational way.
• What is the setting of your genre? Where could you see it being used? 
• The setting of an editorial can be anywhere from a magazine to a newspaper. I have seen it used in Time magazine, The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, along with countless other examples.
• How might you use the rhetorical appeals we have studied--ethos (character), pathos (values/emotion), and logos (logical argumentation) in this genre?
• I might lean towards the pathos and ethos side of my argument in this genre, primarily because I feel like that is what an editorial's main purpose is. I will include my own narrative and thoughts on Common Core, as both a student and an education student, which will hopefully involve both pathos and ethos.
• What type of visual elements, if any, will you use in this genre? 
• For visual elements, most editorials include a picture of the author as well as a link to a bio. I will probably follow this convention, as well as include other photos and media sources that are related and associated to my research and opinions. 
• What type of style (formal, informal, conversational, academic, etc.) will you use in this genre?
• For editorials, the writer uses an informal and conversational tone, with the inclusion of personal pronouns and narratives. I will be following this convention. 

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Genre #2: What form of writing will you use? After identifying your genre, list your answers for the following questions:

• I am also considering using a podcast as my genre (see here and here). 

• What is the function of the genre? What is it designed to do for your readers? Or, why did you choose it?
• The function of the genre is also to inform, but in a professional manner. Usually a podcast involves a lot of audio information presented in different ways, such as interview and music. It is designed to allow the reader to take a break from written text, yet still provide a way to absorb information. It also can be a story-telling tool, that incorporates different voices and sounds, almost like a play or movie without the visual aspect. I would choose it to do something different and break away from a genre that involves written work. It would help the reader to visualize information creatively and individually.
• What is the setting of your genre? Where could you see it being used? 
• The setting is any news website, radio show or other source. I have seen podcasts broadcasted by NPR and Itunes, as well as other websites and sources.
• How might you use the rhetorical appeals we have studied--ethos (character), pathos (values/emotion), and logos (logical argumentation) in this genre?
• I would probably choose to embed clips of children and other people talk about the standards, which would evoke a strong emotional response from the crowd. Through the act of storytelling, I can appeal to the ethical side of the argument as well as incorporate statistics and information.
• What type of visual elements, if any, will you use in this genre? 
• There are no visual elements in this genre.
• What type of style (formal, informal, conversational, academic, etc.) will you use in this genre?
• In this genre, the style is mostly formal and academic, however, an incorporation of a narrative or story would make it more informal and casual. It would help the reader connect to the argument and the author better. 

3. Responses/actions: Explain the possible actions that you would like your audience to take after they read or view your argument. 

• On a blank sheet of paper, make two columns: Positive Support and Negative Rebuttals. Then list out the potential positive and negative reactions to your argument
• Looking at the list, underline the negative rebuttals that you feel will be most important for you to address and briefly list the response to them. 
• Finally, trace out the potential chains of action that your writing might create. If for example, you wanted to "raise awareness" about an issue, draw a line from this point and list the potential actions that raising awareness might create. 

Positive Support

• agreement that Common Core is not the answer
• equal acknowledgement that the fundamentals of Common Core were valid
• appropriate recognition that there is a change needed in education
• encouraged outlook on the future of education
• understanding of what alternatives there are besides Common Core

Positive reactions:

• audience is persuaded that a child's educational learning process is an individual activity
• empathy for teachers and students
• passion for a revival in education
• significant recognition to those who are seeking to make a change in education

Negative Rebuttals

• Common Core is the only answer 
• education can be achieved universally, using the same methods
• anyone who is opposed to Common Core does not care about students and America's future

Negative reactions:

• bitterness towards those opposed to Common Core
• anger and pessimism about the future state of our country
• disrespect towards anyone not in favor of it 

Potential chains of action:

• knowledge of other options can lead to voting or moving towards a different alternative
• encouraged outlook on the future of education can help to boost school's and teacher's morales up, which may affect education positively

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After reading Addy and Rachel's blog posts, I reflected back onto my own rhetorical action plan. Both of them had a very clear view on what their audience is going to look like, and how they plan on approaching their audience. I really liked how both of them included such clear responses to the audience's potential reactions to their argument. This will be really beneficial to their writing in the near future. I haven't thought or considered how I am going to combat my audience's rebuttals as soon as I start writing, but I think I need to do that. 

Analyzing Purpose

In this blog post, I will be brainstorming and explaining my new approach that I could bring to this controversy. I will be answering the questions in the "Thinking through the Purpose of Your Public Argument" section in Writing Public Lives. 

1. I want my readers and audience to be persuaded that there is in fact a need for a change in education, but Common Core is not the answer to this need. I want the readers to grieve the failed attempts with improving education, but they should feel hopeful to about new possibilities and alternatives in the near future, too. I want to raise awareness about these substitutes that are seldom discussed.

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2.  Plausible Reactions:

• raise awarenes
• agreement
• desire to promote change
• emotion

Not plausible reactions:

• become resentful towards Common Core
• enraged at the current state of our education
• bitterness towards government or educational organizations

3. Possible effects: 

• raise awareness: be more informed about state of our education, clear up any fallacies regarding Common Core or education as a whole
• agreement: could tell other people their own opinions on the topic and echo mine, help to bring awareness 
• desire to promote change: could influence their actions and thoughts towards education, could inspire them to vote a certain way or voice their opinion
• evoke emotions: could drive them react appropriately off those emotions, such as doing any of the things listed above

4. For my public argument, I want to involve the "every-day" people. I want to address the teachers, school district faculty, parents, education majors and students in my writing. It would be most effective to write to these specific groups of people because they are directly involved on the receiving end of the program. They see the effects of the standards first-hand, as they witness it in the classroom or close-by. I also think I would be able to relate and use my personal experience as a recent student and as an education major, which would help me build a common ground between the audience and I. With this specific audience in mind, my argument will be focused on addressing problems that incorporate and involve them. 

--Jenny Bello 

Analyzing Context

In this blog post, I will be taking a step back from my controversy and focusing on the context surrounding it. To do so, I will be answering the questions on page 340 of Writing Public Lives under the "Reading the Context of Your Public Debate" section.

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1. What are the key perspectives or schools of thought on the debate that you are studying?

There are a lot of different perspectives involved in this controversy, including the national government, educational organizations, teachers, parents, school districts and of course, students. They all have somewhat of an equal role in this debate.

2. What are the major points of contention or major disagreements among these perspectives?

The groups disagree mainly on the effectiveness of the program. Some primarily focus on the benefits that the standards could create, while other groups disregard these potential positives and focus on the negatives. They all believe that they know what is best for education.

3. What are the possible points of agreement, or the possible common ground between these perspectives?

All the groups agree that there is a need for change in the education system and that America's education is falling behind other countries. They also are fundamentally focused on student's success, whether it may be referring to their futures or the present.

4. What are the ideological differences, if any, between the perspectives?

A lot of parents, teachers, students and school districts believe that education shouldn't be "one size fits all," while the national government and educational organizations believe that this is the best method in improving education.

5. What specific actions do their perspectives or texts ask their audiences to take?

Some perspectives and texts ask the audience to consider the long-lasting benefits of the standards and to think about the future of America's education. Other perspectives ask their audience to sympathize with student's and to express resentment towards the program.

6. What perspectives are useful in supporting your arguments about the issue? Why did you choose these?

I am choosing to focus on the student's and teacher's opinions of the controversy, because they are witnessing the effects of the program. I think these will be the most useful because it will provide clear evidence and insight into what the standards entail.

7. What perspectives do you think will be the greatest threat to your argument? Why so?

I think the government's perspective is the greatest threat to my argument, as well as educational organizations who are working towards the implementation of the Common Core. These two groups have established a lot of credibility and authority for themselves, and I am going to be attempting to disprove a lot of what they say or believe to be true, so this could be difficult.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After reading through Rachel's and Clay's blog posts, I realized some differences on our interpretations of context. I chose to list specific groups that are involved in the controversy, while my classmate's talked more about the debate's background. I think both approaches are important, but I need to focus a little more on the topic itself. I really like how Rachel and Clay have a clear and obvious direction for their argument. I think this exercise allowed us to look at the bigger picture behind the controversy and look forward at the direction our projects are going to take.

Audience and Genre

In this blog post, I will identify specific groups that could be interesting in reading my public argument. I will explain why these audience members might be interested in my topic, and will give examples on locations and genres.

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1. Education students: As these current changes in curriculum for schools are becoming more and more apparent, future teachers want and need to be educated on what is taking place. They are most likely interested in the developments in schools, and want to know more about it.

• Common Core discussion at an university: example
• Quick Abstract for an article--Graduate School at University of Pennsylvania: example
• Podcast--Graduate School at Harvard University: example
• link to opinionated education journal: example 

2. Parents whose children are attending schools: Parents are interested in the changes that are happening in schools and the effects this could have on their child. 

• Video--mom against Common Core: example 
• Blog--parents against program: example 
• Short article--PTA parents opinion/background: example
• Magazine article (QRG?) Celebrity parents: example 

--Jenny Bello

Extended Annotated Bibliography

In this blog post, I will compose more annotated entries that answer the questions I have written. Along with each annotation, I will explain why the source is going to be helpful in my own public argument.

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--Jenny Bello

Narrowing my Focus

In this blog post, I will refer back to the questions that I have just made in my post titled, "Questions About Controversy." I will pick a few questions that I think are most important and interesting and explain why I think I should answer them.

1) Who is responding more positively towards the program, gifted or regular students?

• This is a very interesting question to me, primarily because in my research, I have not found a lot of information on this specific aspect of the program. I think it would help to build my argument, either in agreement or disagreement towards Common Core. This statistic could help me focus more on the student's perspective rather than on the parent's and teacher's.

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2) Where has this controversy been the most prevalent? Journalism? Social media?

• I want to find the answer to this question because I think it reflects a lot on what people are saying about the issue. If people are mainly talking on social media about Common Core, they are going to be openly critical and harsh about the subject. But, if a writer is discussing Common Core in an academic journal or magazine, their language and opinion of the controversy will be different. Within different genres, people often change their perspective on controversies.

3) How is Common Core going to affect alternative schooling, such as home-schooling and online school?

• This is a big factor in the controversy today, because some do not think that Common Core is a universal education method that can be adopted outside of public schools. This is something to consider that will help me form my argument either in agreement or disagreement with the standards. A lot of people and parents have complained about this issue, but have not provided actual evidence in relation to this question. 

--Jenny Bello

Questions About Controversy

In this blog post, I will start to brainstorm some questions regarding my controversy that I would like to answer in this upcoming project. This questions will help me to discover what I still need to clarify in order to make a complete argument myself.

My controversy that I will be making my own public argument is about Common Core. As I covered this topic in Project 1, I found it really interesting, and I am excited to learn more about it.

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WHO:

• Who is the leader program of the Common Core standards today?
• Who is writing the curriculum?
• Who is saying what about the standards, in terms of economic class?
• Who is responding more positively towards the standards, gifted or regular students?
• Who is in complete favor of the program, and who wishes to do away with it completely?

WHAT:

• What are the benefits that schools who have adopted the standards have seen?
• What are the Common Core test results?
• What are private and charter schools testing with?
• What are possible alternatives to Common Core?
• What specific states have transitioned over to the Common Core controversy?

WHEN:

• When were the Common Core standards first created?
• When was the Common Core first introduced into a school?
• When did states begin to back out of the program after they had already introduced it into their schools?
• When President Obama is no longer president, will the Common Core standards still be a major topic of society?
• When, and if, the Common Core standards are adopted into schools, what are the major consequences of the program?

WHERE:

• Where was the first school that adopted Common Core?
• Where has this controversy been most prevalent? Social media? Journalism?
• Where, in the United States, are test scores the highest? the lowest?
• Where does political ideology come into play in the controversy?
• Where do people give their opinion on the controversy most frequently?

HOW:

• How is Janet Napalitano involved in the controversy?
• How is the Department of Education involved?
• How is the government suggesting the use of such a standard? Is their method effective?
• How is Common Core going to affect alternative schooling, such as online or home-schooling?
• How do the Common Core standards compare to other previous standards?

--Jenny Bello

Reflection on Project 2

In this blog post, I will reflect on my published version of Project 2. I will answer the questions provided from Writing Public Lives on page 520 that discuss the revision process.

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

The biggest thing that was revised was the wording of my sentences. I had the ideas in the previous drafts, but the illustration or the presentation of those drafts were weak and obscure. In my revision process, I had to focus on how to convey the coherent thoughts in my head to my audience. Another thing that I had to consider that is related to wording is the order of my sentences in each individual paragraph. I changed the order of my paragraphs a lot to see what would be the most effective order.

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

Originally, my thesis was not specific at all, and did not directly provide the points that I was going to be discussing in my writing. Overtime, however, after reading some other people's papers and having others review mine, I realized that I would be able to make a stronger thesis if I blatantly said what I was going to write about. Also, this revision helped to mold the exact direction that I was going to take in my paper.

3. What led to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?

I was led, or forced, to make these changes, because those who were peer-reviewing my drafts kept telling me that my word choice or order did not make much sense. Also, they wanted the paper or my purpose of writing to be forecasted in the introduction. My ideas came off as vague, and so I had to revise them.

4. How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

These changes help to make me sound more intelligent, as a writer, and in my final draft, I think I finally sounded like I knew what I was talking about. The organizational changes provide clarity for my audience, which I think helps to boost up my credibility as well.

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

The audience now is aware of the purpose of why I am writing this paper, as well as the key points I will be discussing. Secondly, for the specific audience I am addressing, the changes in word choice and paragraph structure and organization make sense. I took away things that were focused on summarizing the article and I tried to incorporate more analysis on why the author might including such points.

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

As I have mentioned before, I reworded and reorganized my sentences so my thoughts would be discernible. Also, I rewrote some things to incorporate a more direct and explicit style, which is one that does not come naturally to me.

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

My audience will now know why I am writing this paper, because I explicitly stated my intentions in my introduction. The way I phrased and worded some sentences later on in the paper will also help them understand my purpose.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

Yes, this was a major part in my revision process. As I read through and revised my paper, I discovered that it felt more like an expository essay than a rhetorical analysis, and I did my best to change this. I had to rethink how I was presenting my ideas and if they were presented in a way that matched up with the genre.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?

Through the process of reflection, I am feeling more confident in my writing. I feel that I have successfully done all that I could have in terms of this project and this exercise reminded me just how far my paper has come since the first draft. In relation to this, it serves as a good reminder that no one's paper turns out perfect the first-time around. It requires work, and patience, and more work, but it is worth it in the end. Now, I am proud of my writing and all that the work I have shown for it.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After reading through Bre and Annelise's reflections on their projects, I realized that a lot of other students struggled trying to fit into this genre of writing as well. We all had to do a lot of revision so as to effectively write a rhetorical analysis. Annelise and I both revised and rewrote our thesis a lot, while Bre and I both tried to reword and rephrase things so as to keep the audience engaged and interested. I really like how Annelise said that during the reflection process, she grew as a writer. Bre said a similar thing about her own writing. We are all in agreement that reflection is a worth-while and effective step when writing.

Project 2 Published

In this blog post, I will publish my finished version of Project 2.  Hooray!

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Enjoy!

--Jenny Bello

Punctuation, Part 2

In this blog post, I will discuss three more punctuation topics or chapters, and then relate it back to my rhetorical analysis. I will revise my analysis, keeping these topics in mind, and relay what I have learned from revising back into this blog post.

Unnecessary Commas (pg. 308)

• do not use between compound elements that are not independent clauses
• do not use to separate a verb and it's subject
• do not use before the last item in a list
• do not use between two adjectives
• ex. old maroon sweater
• do not use after an inverted phrase
• ex. At the university a girl did her homework.
• do not use after a coordinating conjunction
• and, but, nor, or, for, so, yet

The Semicolon (pg. 314)

• use when ideas or clauses are closely related and if there is no conjunction
• use between an independent clause and a transitional expression
• transitional expressions
• transitional phrases: for example, even so, on the contrary, etc.
• conjunctive adverbs: besides, certainly, nonetheless, therefore, etc.
• use between items in a list that contain internal punctuation
• Classic novels include The Great Gatsby, with Daisy and Gatsby; and To Kill A Mockingbird, with Atticus and Jean-Louise. 
• do not use when introducing a list

End Punctuation (pg. 333)

• use period if sentence is not actually exclamatory
• questions in a series can be done with question marks
• do not overuse the exclamation mark
• use periods when illustrating abbreviations

After Revision:

Unnecessary Commas: After revising my current draft, I realized I enjoy the use of commas a little too much. While this isn't completely wrong or incorrect, I use at least one comma in the majority of my sentences. In some sentences I use three. (Whoops!) Now that I have reviewed the situations where using a comma is inappropriate and/or grammatically incorrect, I notice that I struggle with some of these things I listed. I tend put too many things in between commas, making the sentence seem choppy and almost like a parenthetical. This following sentence is an excellent example of such a mistake: "Nicholas Kristof writes, "Pay Teachers More," and actively persuades, encourages, and pushes the audience to become more sympathetic towards American teachers and their low salaries, by employing rhetorical strategies," (Bello 1). I did not need the comma after the word "encourages," because it is the second to last item in a list. Also, I did not need the comma after "salaries," but I felt like I needed it there. As a writer, I have grown accustomed to using commas but commas should be used strictly and carefully.

Semicolon: Another punctuation element I really enjoy using is the semicolon. However, do I use it correctly? Not always. After reading and reviewing the correct usages of a semicolon, I discovered that in my general style of writing, I tend to use semicolons to place emphasis on a certain point. I have yet to include one in my current draft of the rhetorical analysis, but now that I have read through the proper uses of a semicolon, I might give it a try.

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End Punctuation: I feel the most confident in this topic out all three of them. I have a pretty good idea of when to use question marks, periods and exclamation points. Some are to be used sparingly and others are to be used the most frequently. Looking through my draft, I realized I mainly stick to using periods, in exception to the one question I posed to my audience. I wrote, "Why would the author include these things, personal experiences and pronouns?" (Bello 2). I included this for a specific purpose, which was to relate to my audience and explicitly present a question or topic that I was going to address. Also, because I only used this punctuation mark once, I think it adds to my paper and does not distract or draw away from the text.

--Jenny Bello

Paragraph Analysis 2

In this blog post, I will include a second version of my rough draft, with my own comments regarding each individual paragraph. I will determine how well each of my paragraphs focuses and develops a main idea, organizes itself internally, links ideas and provides smooth transitions (Rules for Writers Chapter 4).

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After analyzing each of my paragraphs, I realized I have a lot weaknesses in my writing. For the most part, I stick to one specific idea or topic in each paragraph. However, I do not develop it fully or completely. Within one larger, less specific topic, I tend to explore or dabble into smaller and more concise sub-points. This is not a bad technique, but I have not done it carefully or completely enough just yet. Also, I do not provide smooth transitions between this sub-points, making my writing seem random and choppy. Additionally, some of my ideas are hypocritical. I need to revise and make sure that each idea has a proper analysis and explanation to it, and that I do not contradict myself or my thesis.

On the other hand, I have done some things very well. First off, my introduction and conclusion are now two of the strongest and most well-developed pieces of my writing, because I have rewritten and revised them. Secondly, in every paragraph, it is easy to identify the direction into where that paragraph is headed, and the topic I will be addressing. I provide a significant amount of evidence for each point or claim I make as well. Lastly, I am starting to think less implicitly, and more explicitly. As I have never written this way before, I know it will be difficult, but I have an idea on what this will look like now.

--Jenny Bello

Revised Conclusion

In this blog post, I will be revising and rewriting my conclusion. In order to do this, I will be picking one of the approaches listed and explained on page 56 of Student's Guide. 

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My new conclusion seeks to answer the "so-what" question. I struggled with transferring my original ideas into less of a summary, but I am happy with my result. I explicitly talked about the article and the genre as a whole, which also offering some important examples of what to look for when writing a rhetorical analysis. I tried to look to the future too, reflecting on how the author did that himself in his article. My new conclusion is shorter in length than my original, but it means so much more!

My old conclusion was very bland and boring. I have this terrible habit of thinking of a conclusion as a summary, that repeats my thesis and points, using a different choice of words. That is not necessarily what a conclusion is, and I am learning this now. Sure, it is well-written and it sounds nice, but now, as I am re-reading it, it does not mean much of anything. I am not answering the "so-what" question, which was my original purpose and goal of writing my conclusion.

--Jenny Bello

Revised Introduction

In this blog post, I will be rewriting and revising my current introduction. I will be using the "Tips and Strategies" on page 52-53 of Student's Guide to help me through this process.

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My new introduction is definitely more effective and practical for the assignment, and I feel more confident about it. I ended up throwing out my old thesis all together, and my current thesis is a combination of a lot of the sentences and ideas that I developed in the introduction. I grabbed the reader's attention, with the quote that I used in my previous introduction, yet I worded it a little differently. I tried to be more explicit with my audience, as well as give my opinion of the author's effectiveness. I am feeling much better about this introduction, and I think my audience will too.

In my old version of my introduction, I was not explicitly explaining or introducing the topic or purpose of my writing. My topic sentence, which I wrote to get my audience engaged, is now coming off as cliché and uninteresting. Also, my thesis is not adequately expressing the purpose of this rhetorical analysis. I'm actually relieved that I have been assigned this blog post, because it forces me to evaluate and revise my work.

--Jenny Bello

Reflection on Project #2

In this blog post, I will be reflecting on not only my own draft, but how the process of peer review have affected my thoughts on revision. I will be answering the corresponding questions in Student's Guide on page 197 as well.

I peer reviewed Rachel's and Addie's rhetorical analyses and they reviewed mine. This experience was very helpful, as I got to give advice and suggestions to another classmate, and received help and insight into my own paper.

"Revision" Questions

• Do you have an identifiable thesis? Does it point to the specific rhetorical strategies you analyze in your essay, or are you merely using vague terms like ethos, pathos, and logos?
• My thesis is identifiable, and I know this because my reviewers echoed this back to me. However, I did not list any specific strategies, or even these three broad terms. I simply left it at "the author used rhetorical strategies." I did this because I did not want to give off the standard three-prong feel, but I do not want to come off as vague or unclear. My current thesis may not be as compelling as I want it to be, and I will definitely consider revising and/or fixing this. 

• How have you decided to organize your essay? Does each paragraph have a central point that is supported with evidence from the text and in-depth analysis? 
• I have organized my essay by topic. I discuss the writer's tone and style of writing, then I analyze the statistics he uses and why he might include them. In the third paragraph, I discuss the author's credibility, and in the last body paragraph, I mention the audience of the editorial. I tried to stick to a main point in each body paragraph, however I think the way I organized the paper as a whole, with the order of the topics, can be switched around a little, to create better transitions.

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• Did you clearly identify and analyze several important elements of the text's rhetorical situation and/or structure?
• Yes, I did identify these things. The way I went about identifying and analyzing them can be revised a little. To be more specific, I need to organize my thoughts in a better and clearer way, and reword a few sentences. Also, I need to summarize less and focus more on the rhetorical situation. While revising, I need to make sure that I am answering the prompt that I have been given.

• Did you explain how and why certain rhetorical strategies were employed? Did you discuss what effects these strategies have on the intended audience and overall effectiveness of the text?
• I answer "how" more than "why," because I find it easier to present evidence to my argument, but not analyze it further. I definitely need to work on this, and go deeper into my analysis of each point or illustration I present. I tried to explain the overall effectiveness, but I need to add more to this, in each of my body paragraphs. 

• Are you thoughtfully using evidence in each paragraph? Do you mention specific examples from the text and explain why they are relevant?
• I can positively say that I included a lot of textual evidence in my analysis. Of course, I can always include more, but I am proud of the amount that I have already included in my first draft. The evidence that I chose to include in my analysis serves as strong additions and illustrations to each of my argument. I feel strong in this particular area of my paper.

• Do you leave your reader wanting more? Do you answer the "so what" question in your conclusion?
• My conclusion right now is not very strong, or inspiring. I need to go back and start all over again, perhaps adopting some key phrases or sentences, but mainly scrapping the whole thing. Reading it over, it feels more like a summary than anything. It does not answer any "so what" question, or even reflect back to anything bigger than this article. I need to be able to answer this question, which will end up leaving my reader wanting more. Even my peer reviewers questioned my conclusion, and asked how it relates back to a bigger situation or topic. 

--Jenny Bello

Punctuation, Part 1

In the following post, I will be listing the three topics that I chose from the Rules for Writers "Punctuation" section. With these topics, I will be discussing how I can improve in these areas in my writing, as well as include some tips that I have learned while reading the corresponding chapters.

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1) Building effective paragraphs: I always have felt that my paragraphs might lack the transitions, development and organization that they should embody, so reading this was beneficial. I do not struggle with presenting a main focus to each paragraph, but I do have trouble sticking and referring back to that point. To improve my writing, and while I am in the revision process, I can reread each paragraph to determine whether my main point is consistent throughout.

In addition to this, I should not include any new information or thoughts into a body paragraph just to add length. Lastly, I need to consider my overall "pattern of organization." The chapter listed a lot of ways that a writer could go about organizing each paragraph, and some of my favorites that I would like to experiment with are narration, comparison and contrast, examples and illustration and analogy. These would not only add variety to my paper, but it would help me organize my thoughts better. In order to improve my writing, I need to stick to my main idea and creatively develop each paragraph in an orderly way.

2) Sentence Patterns: I always try to vary my sentence structures, internally and externally, in a paragraph. This is not only to keep the reader engaged, but it is my own personal preference as both a reader and a writer. The chapter starts off with five standard patterns that I have never identified, but I use all the time. Later on in the chapter, different types of verbs are introduced, such as linking, transitive and intransitive verbs. I have never known that these were actually considered to be in a separate category; verbs are verbs. However, each are used for a different purpose. If I actively varied sentence patters and verbs, this would be beneficial to my writing as a whole.

3) Managing Information; avoiding plagiarism: This has been a common theme, both in class and in our separate blog posts. We have been taught and have practiced how to paraphrase and summarize, without plagiarizing, however, reminders are always helpful. I sometimes paraphrase an author's sentence, without mentioning him or including an in-text citation. The chapter reinforces this idea of paraphrasing vs. summarizing, and how effective the two are. Also, the chapter recognizes the need for quotation marks if there is a direct phrase or sentence taken from the author. These may seem like elementary and basic tips, however, if I am consistent with this, it will help me become a better writer.


REFLECTION:

After reading Addie's and Rachel's rhetorical analyses, I came up with a few ideas that relate back to these three topics. First off, these are all common topics that my classmates and I struggle with: maintaining focus on a specific point, varying sentence patterns, and avoiding plagiarism. These two writers developed their paragraphs very well. In Addie's paper, she writes, "To eradicate this issue in her article, as soon as she begins writing, Powell starts to build trust with her audience by appealing and relating to their values concerning media ethics through her critical and sardonic tone and dogmatic word-choice," (Stansbury 1). After asserting this claim, she sticks with her central thesis and continues to explain and analyze how and why the author might do this. As I read this, I reflected back to my own paper, and I realized I might lack that focus in some of my body paragraphs. Also, when Rachel paraphrased her author, it was very well-written and well-executed, but I think that she should paraphrase a bit more in her analysis. She writes, "Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell biologist at UC-Davis, shares his fears about the side effects of gene editing and designer babies giving the upper class an unfair advantage," (Bear 2). While this is an excellent introduction to a new topic or idea, this is not cited properly. I think she, and I, both have the right idea on how to paraphrase, but sometimes do not effectively carry it out. Overall, I learned that these three topics that I chose are things that not only I can improve in, but most of my classmates can as well.

--Jenny Bello

Draft of Rhetorical Analysis

In this blog post, I will be including my first rough draft of my rhetorical analysis. This is the culmination of my research and the past few blog posts of work so far.

I am somewhat proud of this, however there are many, MANY things I am unsure of and need to revise. Overall, my points are what I am proud of, but I do not know if my execution or illustration of these points is good enough. Also, I tried to incorporate and keep my own audience engaged, but I am not sure if I did that either. Was it interesting? Was it engaging? If not, please let me know some suggestions that I should be doing to achieve this goal. But my main concern is whether or not I fulfilled the assignment--I think I did, I am just not so sure. Let me know any suggestions or ideas, but keep in mind, this is a rough draft.

Rhetorical Analysis for "Pay Teachers More"

Sebastian Wiertz. "Drafting." 03/4/2012 via Flickr.
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--Jenny Bello

Practicing Summary & Paraphrase

In this blog post, I will be including a quote from my article, and I will be summarizing and paraphrasing it. I will take the tips and suggestions from Student's Guide and Rules for Writers to help me do this.

Original source from "Pay Teachers More":

"That's a pernicious fallacy. A basic educational challenge is not that teachers are raking it in, but that they are underpaid. If we want to compete with other countries, and chip away at poverty across America, then we need to pay teachers more so as to attract better people into the profession." (Kristof 1)

My Paraphrase of Original Source:

Nicholas Kristof writes that the belief that teachers are being overpaid is a devastating lie. Teachers are not enjoying the excess amount of money they have; they are struggling because of the small amount of money they are paid. If America wants to be compared to other countries, and put an end to financial insufficiency, then citizens should take action to increase teacher's salaries in order to bring more qualified people into the education career.

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My Summary of the Original Source

Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist, addresses a misinterpretation of teacher's salaries, as he explains that in order to bring more talented and qualified professionals into the education field, teacher's salary should increase.

--Jenny Bello

Project 2 Outline

In this blog post, I will be composing an outline for my rhetorical analysis of "Pay Teachers More." I will be using the techniques and tips that we have been discussing in class and also in Writing Public Lives, on pages 122-125.

In the PDF file, I found the "Sections of the Paper" to be extremely helpful. The text broke down each of the following components of a paper: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. I was originally afraid of even approaching the introduction in a rhetorical analysis, however, this section provided useful information. It suggested to include just the right amount of background that the reader needs to understand the article, but not to get too involved with the actual argument or controversy. In the thesis sub-section, there was a central question, that asked, "What do we observe or understand about the ways it tries to persuade its audience?" (Writing Public Lives, pg. 122). If I can answer this question with my thesis, then I am on a good track.

The section also reminded me to make a claim that is both debatable and supportable; it should be a question that can be discussed further, but also that the text can provide evidence towards. In the body paragraphs, I should be able to provide strong textual evidence, specify on which aspect of a rhetorical is being used, and also answer the "why" question, instead of just "how." Additionally, in the conclusion, I should not just re-state the thesis or analysis, but I should be able to go off those thoughts and develop a new, bigger idea revolving around the article's overall persuasive aspects. Overall, reading this section was extremely applicable and helpful while thinking about how I am going to be writing this analysis.

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Outline

INTRODUCTION:

• background/context
• who Nicholas Kristof is/credibility/career
• what the overall controversy
• how he explains and reacts to the controversy
• The reader learns about the positive effects that an increase in salary could create, and the author ends with a cry for help for our education system.
• my thesis:
• Nicholas Kristof writes "Pay Teachers More," and actively persuades,  encourages and pushes the audience to become more sympathetic towards American teachers, by using rhetorical strategies and techniques. 

BODY: Rhetorical strategies and how they are used

1) shocking statistics

• examples
• women and careers (pg. 1)
• salary (pg. 1)
• "good" teacher benefits (pg. 2) 
• international comparisons (pg. 3)
• why they are used:
• to present the drastic changes education has gone through over the years
• to illustrate the pros and cons of an increase in salary
• to evoke emotion
• how they are being used
• compares today's education with that of 50 years ago
• personal experience/narrative
• refers to credible sources, such as a researcher at Stanford and other references
• uses direct quotes
• the effect they have on the reader
• move towards a change
• evokes anger, passion or discouragement
• USA normally ranked higher than other countries--sense of concern or uneasiness
• empathy and respect towards teachers
• fear for our education system

2) casual and conversational tone

• examples:
• "we" (pg. 1)
• "I think" (pg. 2)
• "Look, I'm not a fan..." (pg. 2)
• "That makes sense to me." (pg. 3)
• why the author includes these phrases and word
• to relate to the reader
• to give off the feeling of a conversation, not an article
• to fit the genre--editorial
• connect to his own past, and the readers
• how he uses them
• includes his personal opinions
• relates his evidence to his own view points
• contextualizes additional information
• adds narrations

3) establishes his own credibility and his evidence's 

• examples:
• "the figure is from..." (pg. 1)
• "as measured by SAT scores" (pg. 1)
• "Eric A. Hanushek of Stanford University..." (pg. 2)
• "notes Amy Wilkins of the Education Trust..." (pg. 3)
• "I invite you to comment..." (pg. 4)
• hyperlink to bio page
• information about career and achievements
• why the author includes this information
• to support his evidence 
• to build trust and respect between him and the reader
• to reaffirm and publicize his accomplishments in his career
• what is the effect on the reader:
• trusts the information
• amazed at the writer and his accomplishments
• feels positively towards the writer

4) appeals to values or beliefs shared by the audience:

• examples: 
• "If we want to compete with other countries..." (pg. 1)
• "We all understand intuitively..." (pg. 2)
• "You probably have..." (pg. 2)
• "We should be..." (pg. 3)
• why he includes these:
• to relate to the audience
• to remind the audience of their fundamental beliefs
• to encourage them to reminisce about their "school days"
• what is the effect on the reader
• audience feels more comfortable with author
• feels engaged, active and involved
• can relate to the author on multiple levels
• adds a new level of "personal" persuasion
• sees the evidence in their own lives

Analytical claims (my arguments as to why my thesis is correct):

• The author presents himself and his sources in such a way that make them look credible, which make the audience want to believe and respect the writer and the evidence.
• see above for evidence
• The author adds his own personal narratives that engage and interact with the reader, but more importantly, encourages them to reflect back onto their own beliefs and experiences.
• The use of statistics, such as the ones in the article, not only add evidence to the argument, but evokes responses such as empathy, or other emotions.

CONCLUSION:

• article is persuasive: appropriate use of rhetorical strategies that encourage and push the reader towards his opinion
• why: his thoughts were overall well-developed and were the perfect balance of being opinionated, but not overwhelming
• it has been persuasive, because it mentions the past, and it will be persuasive in the future because many are starting to see the need for a change in education, and this could be a possible example of how to go about that

--Jenny Bello


REFLECTION:

I read through Lauren's and Rachel's outlines, which both included an ample amount of evidence to argue with. They both had specific claims and sub-theses that would help direct the course of their paper. I really liked how Rachel included sub-claims, in addition to the main ones. This would be helpful when planning out the organization and development of my thoughts in each body paragraph. Lauren also did a great job with providing her analytical claims at the beginning of each paragraph section, almost like a topic sentence. I will most likely be doing this in my analysis, but I should have done it in my outline to organize my thoughts more clearly. 

Drafting Thesis Statements

In this blog post, I will include 2-3 examples of thesis statements that I could choose from to go into my analysis. I will use the information found in Student's Guide to effectively formulate my theses.


1) Nicholas Kristof, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times uses shocking statistics, strong word choice, and a conversational tone to effectively persuade and encourage the audience to be more sympathetic towards American teachers. In his article, "Pay Teachers More," the reader learns about the positive effects that an increase in salary could create, and the author ends with a cry for help for our education system.

2) The article, "Pay Teachers More" discusses the benefits if we were to follow the title's advice. Nicholas Kristof, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times demonstrates the need for a change in our current education system through persuasive techniques such as comparisons, statistics, and loaded language. The author effectively persuades the audience to weigh his opinion, yet does not provide a full and complete argument that embodies the whole issue.

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I feel strongly about my two theses. The first one is my personal favorite, as it reflects what I want to talk about in my analysis. However, the second option seems to encompass a wide variety of topics that I can discuss in the future, as it presents a weakness of the article as well as many strengths.

I might end up combining the two theses into one, strong and complete one.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

I read through my classmates' Rachel's and Annelise's theses and I have some ideas to bring back to my own personal thesis. It was relieving to know that they were having as much trouble with their thesis statements as I was with mine! Both had strong and well-written theses; they just need a little revising, as does mine. Rachel wrote hers similar to the way I had written mine, and Annelise's approach was a bit different. Rachel and I both listed the techniques that we were most likely going to touch on in our body paragraphs, and in the end, it came across as a list. Annelise touched on the rhetorical strategies her author used, but did not provide a set list. I like her strategy more, and I am hoping that I can reword and revise mine to fit that same mold. If I can accomplish this, then I think my thesis will be stronger and more professional, while leaving the audience interested into reading my full analysis.

Analyzing My Audience

In this blog post, I will be discussing who my audience for my writing is going to be, and how to properly determine that. By doing so, I will be answering the questions in the "Identifying Your Audience," section of page 41 in Student's Guide.

1. Who am I writing for? What are the audience's beliefs and assumptions?

My intended audience includes any new students to the education field, but it can also expand to my professor and classmates. My audience is analyzing the rhetoric used, while the actual text is positioned towards a different set of people. The author's audience are the people who frequently read The New York Times. After researching the demographics of the people who read the specific newspaper, I concluded that this may have some affect on the writer's overall purpose and message.

2. What position might they take on this issue? How will I need to respond to this position?

The writer's audience will most likely agree with a need for change, but they might not agree with the correlation between performance and salary that the article weighs so heavily. But, I do know that the majority, if not all, of the audience values education, and he reminds them of this fundamental belief. I am writing to an audience that will hopefully react positively to my analysis and will be able to understand my argument.

3. What will they want to know?

The readers will want to know an explanation to the blatant statement that the title provides, "Pay Teachers More." They will want to know the article's primary argument and the actions that the text calls for. They will also want to see how I analyze and critique the author's text.

4. How might they react to my argument?

Some might agree fully with my argument, while others might think differently. I want them to acknowledge the things that the author accomplishes, while also recognize the need for more information and context. Hopefully, they will agree with me by the end of the analysis.

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5. How am I trying to relate to or connect with my audience?

I am trying to appeal to my audience's central beliefs regarding rhetoric, and how it is appropriately used. This could be done by providing evidence, using a relaxed, yet professional tone of voice and mentioning past experiences in regards to writing a rhetorical analysis. If I effectively accomplish these three things, then I will be able to connect to my audience.

6. Are there specific words, ideas, or modes of presentation that will help me relate to them in this way?

If I use the rhetorical strategies, ethos, pathos and logos to analyze the article, then that will help me relate to my audience. Also, if I provide some context that the author does not include, then this will help me keep the audience engaged.

--Jenny Bello

REFLECTION:

After reading my classmates' posts, I can see that we all have some questions and reservations about this project. Originally, I was confused on the intended audience and purpose of my analysis, and that reflected in this blog post. Reading through Bre's and Rachel's blog posts helped me answer some of these questions for myself in my own writing, as well as address somethings that they might have been missing. I reminded Bre that the purpose of this assignment was to analyze the rhetoric and how the author is arguing his point, not to present the argument itself. Also, reading Rachel's post reminded me of the importance of presenting my analysis with an unbiased view point, that is neutral towards the issue.

I now realize that this blog post was fully developed and that it just needed a little help with specific details. I think I properly address who the audience is and what they are looking for, but I originally was misled with the assignment as a whole. After revising and reading through this post, I can fully understand what the assignment is asking me to do.

Cluster of "Pay Teachers More"

In this blog post, I will include a working hyperlink to my Coggle cluster, which serves as an organizational tool for ideas and thoughts. This is helpful, especially when I am in the process of pre-writing.

Jenny Bello. "Pay Teachers More" Cluster. 10/04/2015 via Coggle.

I kept my Coggle cluster very simple and to the point; my three main branches are the bullet points in the blog post description. In my "Specifics" branch, I discussed the purpose, context, audience and author in relation to the text. In the "Cultural values and ideology" branch, I introduced the values that society has, and the response that the author takes towards these stances. In the last branch, "Key rhetorical strategies," I explained the ethos, pathos and logos parts of the article. 

The cluster is very simple and to the point, and because of this, it will help me tremendously in my writing.

--Jenny Bello

Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies in "Pay Teachers More"

In this blog post, I will analyze the rhetorical strategies used in the article, "Pay Teachers More." There are three fundamental rhetorical strategies: ethos, pathos and logos. I will be answering questions found in Student's Guide on page 181-184.

Appeals to Credibility or Character: 

• Which items on the ethos bulleted list on page 182 can you recognize in your text?
• In the text, there are examples of:
• references to credible sources-- "The figure is from a study by McKinsey & Company, 'Closing the Talent Gap.'" (Kristof)
• author's public image/information about author's expertise-- link to bio shows that he has been a writer for The New York Times since 2001, Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, foreign correspondent for The Times and won many prestigious awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes. 
• acknowledgement of counterarguments and refutations to those arguments: "From the debates in Wisconsin and elsewhere about public sector unions, you might get the impression that we're going bust because teachers are overpaid. That is a pernicious fallacy." (Kristof)
• appeals to values or beliefs shared by the audience-- "We all understand intuitively the difference a great teacher makes." (Kristof)

• How and why would the author use these strategies?
• The author uses these strategies to relate to and engage with the audience, to establish his credibility and help to back up his claims with evidence.

• How do these strategies affect the audience's perception of the author's credibility and character?
• These strategies force the audience to consider his many accomplishments, both academically and professionally. The audience's perception is therefore more trusting and positive towards the author, because of these effective methods. 

• How does the use of these strategies impact the effectiveness of the text's overall message?
• The use of these strategies provide clarity in the text's overall message, as it verifies the claims that he makes. The reader not only trusts the author more, but finds that he or she can relate to him more. 

• Does the author seem to have any biases or assumptions that might impact their credibility?
• Yes, the author says, outright, that, "I'm not a fan of teacher's unions," (Kristof). This fact could help shape his opinion and overall sentiment towards the controversy. He also seems a little wary or bitter towards the government as a whole, as he rarely says anything positive about the institution. Overall, however, the writer is able to present his opinion without overwhelming the reader. 

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Appeals to Emotion:

• Which items on the pathos bulleted list on page 182-183 can you recognize in your text?
• Some examples of pathos found in the article include:
• level of formality: uses words like "I" and other personal pronouns, which gives off a relaxed feel
• shocking statistics: salaries then and now, additional earnings that students would make if they had a "good" teacher, comparisons between other countries' and our education system
• tone of voice: conversational, relaxed, yet passionate

• What emotional responses is the author attempting to create? 
• The author is trying to stir empathy in the reader towards teachers. He is also trying to get the audience to question and doubt the current situation that education is in, especially as he relates it to other countries.

• What is the actual result?
• The author actually achieves this result, because after reading this, I personally felt sorry for the amount of disrespect that teachers receive in our country. I was also astonished that while other cultures seem to value and praise their nation's educators, ours looks down on them for their low economic status. This made me even more bitter, because their low income is not their choice.

• Are these emotions effective or ineffective for this particular audience and rhetorical situation?
• These emotions are effective, because this particular audience, if they read this article, would already have a strong interest in the education system. After reading the text, they must feel even more compelled to change or advocate for a change, and to think about teachers a little differently. 

• How do these emotional appeals affect the credibility of the author or the logic of the text?
• If anything, I think that the way that he presents his opinion and uses these rhetorical strategies boosts his credibility. At the end of the article, he seems like an honest, good-natured writer, who is an advocate for the educators of our country.

Appeals to Logic:

• Which items on the logos bulleted list on page 183 can you recognize in your text?
• Some logos examples that were included in the article are:
• Statistics: The writer included many different statistics, whether it was comparing teacher's salaries over a large number of years, giving evidence to claims of the benefits of having a "good" teacher, and other pieces of informative data.
• Effective organization of sentences, paragraphs, etc.: The author did a good job of creating a natural "flow" throughout the text, as his transitions were smooth and easy to follow. 
• Clear transitions between sections of text: "moreover," "indeed," "consider"

• What response is the author attempting to create by employing these strategies?
• The author is attempting to come off as well-educated, as well as knowledgeable about the topic he is writing on. Kristof also tries to provide the perfect amount of information that helps his credibility, while not overwhelming or boring the reader. 

• What is the actual result?
• The writer achieves this result, as well. He provides a large variety of statistics, and gives context surrounding all the data. He also refers to other credible sources. Additionally, the way he writes makes him sound even more intelligent and rational.

• Are these strategies effective or ineffective for this particular audience and rhetorical situation?
• These strategies, and the way that he carries them out in writing, are effective for this audience and rhetorical situation. The audience is proposed with a lot of new bits of information, that help to form a plausible and complete argument. 

--Jenny Bello


REFLECTION:

After reading my two classmates' blogs, I have a deeper understanding of how rhetorical strategies are illustrated in individual texts and articles. Both Rachel and Lauren did an excellent job of developing and analyzing these strategies being used in their texts, and I think that I did, too. I gave specific examples to the strategy being used in the article, and I explained why the writer might have chosen to do so. Lauren's article seemed to focus mainly on ethics, as did Rachel's. After discovering this, I am realizing that a lot of current and up-to-date controversies revolve around ethical issues. I think that this blog post and analysis will be advantageous when completing this upcoming project.