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.