Lesson 10 What to write about hmmm?

Free writing yeah…I am getting close to complete my course; my summer session at campus is over. This is one of the craziest summers I ever had in my whole life. Normally I play softball, travel out of town for state tournaments and more. I use to work in a different environment and I was not happy. Suddenly a 360 degrees turn took place in my personal life that bring mix feelings such as stress, pride, fear, threat, hope, confidence, peace, and happiness.
From all the things I have learned this semester, dedication and love for what you are studying is the key of success in your future career. I am humble, thankful, and very emotional for all these A’s, I also have C’s but for me this is good regardless. I work hard, cried, and stay long hours working on my assignments for each of my classes because all of them are meaningful to me. Academic Writing is been the hardest for me, each time the instructor’s corrections comes to me I also laugh. Wow without noticing I make mistakes like writing been when I want to write being, and so for. I feel sad when I cannot meet my goals but I never give up. This is my thank you note to God, and each of the people, teachers, and co-students who help me out in my educational career. This is a difficult journey that I been slowly conquering with a smile and gratitude far away from my natal Ecuador. Dreams sometimes come true; it is up to you and one more thing… Love you all “because my thankful heart is happy heart” (Veggie Tales song about the real meaning of love-my little ones love it too)

Research Paper: Confidence or threat by

This prompt offers two positions concerning the research paper:
Why am I feeling threathened by this research paper (if you are)? or Why am I feeling confident about this research paper?

I am very confident because I am writing a personal situation as an Adult ESL Student in College facing many obstacles and at the same time gaining many good experiences that is expanding my vocabulary, knowledge, and other qualities that I need to achieve.
However, the threat is there around the corner when the researching takes long hours that detracted me from other obligations. Scares me just to waste my time in some articles that are not good evidence to support my claim, but I am very happy because I found myself learning more and more. I am very happy with my progress.

What do I need outside help with?

I found a friend who is reading my papers. I can get an advice of what should be avoid of any other corrections. The person who is helping me is a nice lady who shared a Biology class with me and she is also studying to become an Elementary Education she represent an extra opinion, no someone who is writing for me, she is a caring friend who trust me and is also pushing me to become a better writer.

What else do I still need to do?

Lesson 9 was annotated bibliography.I submit 10 sources, four were images. The cartoon was my favorite and is very funny. The previous lesson is already submitted and waiting for grading. I am currently working in lesson 11, I must research a little bit more so I can write a summary of extra sources.

Lesson 8- promt three: Is your thesis weak?

I believe is good but I might consider some revision. Remember that I mentioned before that my essay is about ESL students? Well on the top of my head I do not recall what was written or how it looks like.
Our instructor asked to complete an exercise about Thesis Statements from Writer's Handbook site.
My score was 90%.
I did it twice though lol...lucky me the server was failing so i haven't the chance to save the previous score. So i had to start all over again and that's how i got a 90%.
Why lie? I am good but not that excellent lol.
Only one more thing to add, I am so proud of myself by working this class so hard and trying to met the deadlines.
My instructor is very supportive and by now i think I have stopped apologyzing when something goes wrong.
Have a happy lesson 9 :)

Borrowing an image as a visual that can fit with my thesis.

This is the second prompt from my post assignment of lesson 8. My topic is concerning ESL College Students who struggle while going through an educational career mixed with stress, tension, and current life responsibilities. Why this topic? I am having a battling with my own demons and fears. For example, when I find out some writings are not accurate that raise some insecurity as a worker leading my confidence to abandon me. For other individuals who are English native speakers this could be considered as dumb;However, it is real life situation. Sometimes I think: God take my brain away, wash it and reset it so I can update myself without neglecting my life. This is a twist of sarcasm aiming to amuse my readers as well. Now in my research work, I was goggleing and review many of the results Sara Haley talks about What You Can Do When Overwhelmed at her blog "A Sharing Connection". Her post is very interesting and helpful, from her tips the one I identified myself as the one difficulty to achieve is saying NO, and just loved Larson’s Cartoon. I agreed with the statement because is really hard but so necessary sometimes. I wrote to her just today while preparing this post, and hopefully she will know that I am requesting/linking her post in my essay journey. Finally I just can add that I hope you enjoy Sara’s tips to avoid the feeling of quitting when things get tough and hairy.

"Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt." Image and Essay Review.

Our instructor has request to review, read and annotate any image of the Essay from the Anthology Rereading America: Cultural Context for Critical Thinking and Writing. This is one lesson I have enjoyed the must until my first love; Advertising and Marketing become under the microscope when the persuasion shift to perversion.
Jean Kilbourne have compile and argue about how sexuality is used as the best shot to increase sales and clientele. First the devaluation of the dignity and the permissive violence toward women is simply disgusting.
Second, a societal right of men over women that turn female population responsible from all bad, dirty, and nasty things even get killed because we are or we want to be (as I will say) daredevils.
Third, no matter our age we still been the instigators of sexual harassment, child molesting, and even rape; a pathetic thinking but a cruel reality.
Oh how sad is to see brilliant minds hungry for fame and money go for the easy idea just because the audience like it! For example, from the images of this essay all are repulsive sweet talking with romance, fun, and sensuality; however, we can put them in scales of offensiveness based in the content, implicit message, and visual connotation.
In page 418, my first disappointment is an advertisement where the elements show a messy bed, with three ties, one rose on the white bedding and some sort of feminine bag to the right side of the bed. Next the label said is ok to go adventurous and do whatever it takes just to have some pleasure for one night. At first, my annotations were: "This promotes sugar talking and trickery to get sexual reward, also give to men the right to lie to women as some type of nice strategy to achieve an one night stand"... Now that I review the image is suggesting that an orgy is just fun. Why? Three ties from three men, and only one feminine bag, plus the legend of the advertising itself , one more time "The right Lie can make even the most casual evening more memorable."
This is just a piece of this disastrous art, why the talent of illustrators, photographers, creative writers, and marketing savvies just sale their soul to the devil that in this case is money making and prestige.
We are grown up, our mature mentality can handle these subliminal messages but what about our youngsters, we are creating a manual of how to be a pervert, how to get what we want from the opposite sex where no is just the first step of a nice cruel adventure until a successful forceful intimacy occurs. Gender wise is also a competition of who is the dominant sex.
Who is responsible for this huge mess, we might never know. Hopefully, we can find a way to do things right, no man or woman have the right to deceive, abuse or mistreat the opposite gender. My humble but raw opinion is not trying to offend no one. This is just my trail of thought concerning something I live and learn in my past. I study Advertising and Marketing, I am a natural illustrator, a creative writer, an intermediate graphic designer. I have worked in the field back home in small but successful Advertising Companies and I never saw things like I see it now. I guess is time to wake up and do my best to be an open minded role model.
Sometimes a feeling of being in the wrong era or the wrong planet posses me, I just don't get it, and is nothing that I can do to change the rest of the world perception of things but I can do something else, teach my own children and the ones I borrow at my work (as a Early Intervention Teacher) that is something called dignity, respect, and morality. I am not an angel but I do have feelings and love for humanity; I will hate to see my little girl or boy or my other little ones become the Target or oppressors of this malevolent generation where sex is the best way to enjoy, survive, and experiment life.

Audience prompt three:

What value does each of your sources have to your audience?

Work Cited

Anyon, Jean. “From Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work.” Rereading America:
Cultural Content for Critical Thinking and Writing. 7th ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 173-89.Print.The first source provides information of a series of studies on 5 different schools that shows differences of the quality of education according with class stratus. The work class schools were the least to show Developmental Appropriated Practice among children.

“Education Summit.” Department of Education and Early Intervention. State of Alaska, n.d. Web. 7 July 2010. The second source tell us about the ongoing work the Department of Education and Early Intervention have done so far to guaranty the quality of the education in Alaska with the goal of having a lower rate in the drop off and increase the numbers of students who will continue College Education that will also improve the future economy of the State by having qualified professionals as the leaders of tomorrow.

Ongtooguk, Paul. “Their Silence About Us: Why We Need an Alaska Native Curriculum.” Alaskool.org. Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2010.The third source is a web site with native based curricula applied to the need of native, and non- students. New teachers who are not familiar with the values and traditions will not connect or build bonds of respect and closeness. Is a good source for parents who are looking from other cultures who are residing in Alaska.

Audience prompt two:

Can the audience be swayed by your claim and reasons? Why or why not? Tell why each reason is strong enough to sway a person to your way of thinking.
I present the audience, thesis, and the three supporting reasons to support my claim in the prompt one corresponding to lesson seven.
My claim has both sides of this polemic, I am a parent of developmentally delayed twins, and I am a teacher assistant with a different cultural background. I see, live, and learn every day from my own children, and my other children who I work with in a Head Start Program. I fall into every single supporting reason of the thesis; I am a mother, a worker and, a student who depends of the government grants to afford my Bachelors in Child Development. My goal is learn how to be a protagonist in my children educational journey, become the best Special Ed teacher I can be through my education, and a student who comes from other country and have faith and is grateful for the opportunities I have in the State of Alaska.

Audience prompt one:

Who is the audience for you essay? What is the thesis of the essay? Does it include the claim and three supporting reasons to make it a strong thesis?
The Audience of my essay is parents of multicultural children of Alaska who must appreciate to know more about The Alaska Education Plan to reinforce parent involvement as part of student’s success in their educational career, and other topics related the quality of education itself.
The thesis: The mix population in Alaska brings numerous challenges in regards the student’s education vs. the quantity of qualified teachers that should meet the Alaskan needs. Most of the work-class schools are affected, and this is expensive for the Government to afford professionals to cover programs for children with learning delays, second language peers, and last but not less the portion of qualified individuals who are not in the position to complete the Masters degrees.
I believe it is a strong thesis and it has three supporting reasons that are in bold.

Find another graphic and write a response.

The Instructor asks to find another graphic, commercial, or video to analyze. I search online and found Political Cartoons of the Week A Roundup of the Week's Best Political Cartoons By Daniel Kurtzman, About.com Guide (Cartoons for the Week of July 25-31, 2010Copyright © 2010 Universal Press Syndicate). Bennett shows how skin color can build misconceptions about Arizona population regarding legal status. Even though, many cases of illegal immigrates nationwide is on the news very often, this type of prejudice mentality affects the people who sacrifice is a legal alien who work hard to build a better life for their relatives. By the other hand, is a fact that many illicit negotiators well known as coyotes make a living encouraging people to take the risk and spend lost of money, this same people normally are in debt to make this dangerous journeys. Many people will criticize and said why they spend this money trying to get in the United States instead of using it to create their own businesses. Sadly many third world countries economies are bad, and there is a very competitive market that put out of business the micro industries. United States have a quota of legal immigrants per year and the government is working hard to be more flexible and also intensify the legal control in the borders, and the American Dream must stop being the Americans Nightmare for the sake of humanity and equity of rights.

Response to the cartoon on page 227 of Writing Arguments.

The instructor asks to write a strong thesis statement for the cartoon's argument. How did you figure out the claim being made?
Darien Times published a political cartoon by Sven Van Assche. The author tells us about the polemic regarding child safety and the accessibility to chat rooms. Thus, innocent conversation of young children and teenager can prompt kidnappers to find with ease their next target. Sadly many victims are providing information as addresses, stratus, family activities and other relevant hints to commit a crime. For example, the audience will accuse the parents by not using parental control in their computers at home; moreover, are other places that this child can have Internet access like their peers houses, libraries even their own portable computers. By the other hand, the other portion of the audience and parents of victims go against the chat rooms, online friend finders and more sites where the same youngster publishes pictures of properties, self portraits and other source for the abductors and child molesters to strike. Finally, in actuality the majority of these online sites have policies to guaranty the confidentiality of the user, and parents are more aware of what their children are doing or going online. This is a team work where all of us need to open ears and eyes and reinforce that communication part with our young community to reduce the numbers or murders, sexual abuse and missing children in our cities, states, countries. This is a worldwide concern that is been taking care of and have no time for distractions or procrastination.

Which of the techniques for generating ideas for essays has been most valuable to you? Why? Give and example fron the writing you have done so far.

Clustering or topic mapping allows me to organize my subtopics with artifacts needed that could be included in the essay. For example, one of my revised essay about lesson one assignment, I notice that it has much evidence that can be very confusing and will need lot of work writing them all in a 4 pages essay. I learn that the reader can be bored or confused with this clutter of information, the work cited is also a reference for the audience if they are not familiar with the evidence, and is unnecessary go into tedious details. An essay is more a compilation of an investigation, not a database of all the information. I believe I were too worry in how it looks instead in how it must be done but now that I noticed my errors it would be easy for the next writing assignment.

This is the sample of the first and last paragraph of freewriting based on the clustering previous my revised argument:

“Thoughts of a Silent Warrior: Secret Wounds and Numerous Rewards of an Ecuadorian Woman in Alaska” This title tries to explain the pros and cons of the author’s personal experiences and current life as an immigrant. Lots of personal baggage and a mix of sadness, discomfort, solitude and regrets contributes to her current pain. Does this essay reflect the author’s self-pity? It seems like is too much pressure on her, trying too hard, and finally finding an excuse to feel pity. Did she?

The author of “Thoughts of a Silent Warrior: Secret Wounds and Numerous Rewards of an Ecuadorian Woman in Alaska” did some housekeeping and clerical jobs in a laundromat when she started to work. (Smart way to avoid first person ha ha) Living as a legal immigrant can open so many doors in the United States. The World Wide Web and the Newspapers are the source of the claim from much of my reading that regards this topic side by side with opposite outcomes despite illegal workers. The news and some facts point out the Latino American population is fairly passing the levels of poverty. Welfare is the temporary rescuer until we get on our feet, is also a fact, thus the period of temporary assistance is short by finding employment in the occupations mentioned above. Most Americans resent us because we accept the employment refused by them. The Alice in the Wonderland effect is not a problem anymore, we can develop and perform many important occupations, we are willing to cope with our fears and emotional roller coaster, and we just need to be trusted.

Which technique would you choose not to use again? Why?

From the three writing formats: Formal Outline, Classic Outline, and Pro and Con Because Clauses, my least favorite is the Formal Outline. This format is quite complicated to me. For example, I was working for a small audience about Secondary Smoking, I was having problems organizing the facts by importance to meet the outline guidelines because Secondary Smoking is a very polemic topic and all the facts are relevant. Even though took me a while molding my paper I like to say that I did OK. Now between audience choices: Smallest to Largest I think I can work with both; moreover, largest audience is my personal favorite, is more challenging that compose and we must be careful how we present our thesis, and I am a quite adventurous writer.

What have you learned about the textbooks we are using for this course?

I used to read a lot when I was in High School; I have read research essays, poetry, and prose. I also enjoy composing the same genres I loved to read, but other things changed in my life that took me away from this my first love. Now reading in a non-native language is even more fascinating for me, I have my dictionary handy or use some online software to learn the pronunciation; however, sometimes is hard to think in English while composing my writing work. Writing Arguments to me is like comparing old knowledge of what I loved to do in my teenager years, Re reading America is a new flavor full of the richness of American Culture and vocabulary, and finally A Writer’s Reference becomes my best friend because refresh my knowledge and add some other concepts that I do not remember or maybe I did not learn before.

What have you learned about the writting process and/or about yourself during this lesson?

Writing Process is very entertaining but exhausting for an ESL lady who tries hard to do it right. I love to write, is my favorite thing to do, I can go on and on, I also got lost in the process. The difficult part for me is because I still thinking in Spanish sometimes, usually when I a stressing or in a rush for something, or when I feel exhausted.
My mind diverges from the main idea and put me into a different track of thinking which is very inconvenient. I wonder if I do the same while talking to people. My answer to this question is HECK YEAH hehehe. I cannot stop been a goofball, a jokester, a happy person (at least I try to) but I have been doing my best and relax so I can do a better assignment.

What have you learned about your intructor's expectations of you?

Mrs. Kline sounds to me like a very open minded person; she pushed me to become a better writer. Her expectations are not lower than other current teacher towards the other students. I believe her expectations are less complicated than my personal expectations; I can be harsh on myself. My instructor will cheer me up to continue with the hard work, a very genuine and nice thing to do for a stranger. As an ESL student I am less flexible than her which is funny to me (if I am in a good mood). I learn that is not about perfection, I can make mistakes and each time that the same old mistakes are there and she correct me will stick with me and hopefully one day I will stop having the same errors.

Is Academic Writing difficult just for ESL student or is also hard for a native English speaker too?

Our instructor request us to write a question about any writing problem I think other students might also be experiencing, so I choose to ask about how hard is for a native speaker to write an appropriate formal document.
English is my Secondary Language. It is my joy and everyday challenge to interact and exchange with my classmates and coworkers criteria’s or new ideas that will build up knowledge for all of us. There are many things like grammar, sentences structure, verb tenses, etc. We use an informal style while conversing, but it is important to learn how to communicate effectively on paper. My goal is that everybody understands what is there to be shared. So the question goes back and forth in my head, and I wonder if it is hard for native English writers too? I will love to hear some opinions about this question.

How previewing sections of a book rather than simply reading them help you to understand the material?

Previewing or reading the entire material has different outcomes. For example, if you are just scanning for simple ideas, be aware that this material will be not retained. This also varies from person to person must people do not like to read long chapters with tedious topics. By the other hand, as an ESL writer I need to read the whole material to be able to understand and also generate questions for my instructor for a better comprehension and avoid to be stuck in the literature. In addition, previewing can be very convenience when the material is extensive and intensive. We are going to read it at least three times before the concept can be retained in our brain as fresh and new information in our database.

What is worth arguing about?

Ramage in chapter one of Writing Argument speak about Argument is Not Pro-Con Debate. He said that “Argument entails a desire for truth seeking, not necessarily Truth with capital T but truth as a desire to find the best solutions to complex problems." We might be very touchy about the topic we are defending or criticizing, is almost impossible just pass by without been noticed. This is why I need to be prepared for the opposite point of view. Is very important understand that this truth varies from the individuals who argues and defend a personal thesis by putting on front what they are thinking to see the audience reactions that would generate new ideas or question to find a universal agreement or that precious Truth. I like to talk, discuss, discover other people ideas, I might learn from them, maybe they will learn something from me. Arguing is worth it as the book said "Argument is Both a Process and a Product."

Did you ask somebody else to make recommendations about your revising process? Why or Why not?

Honestly is one of my qualities, and I will said that most of the time is not possible to me ask someone else to revised my writing. Is many thing in my head that takes me to other different direction, I am aware that this will be a problem and will have direct impact on my grades. I have tried one to use the assistance of the Writing Center it went good, the problem for me is lack of timing, I want to do one thing in 30 minutes and I end using 3 hours. Seldom easy, it will take time to get it right, but is rewarding once you learn though the experience, and ask people with more knowledge what it should be necessary to revise properly a document.

Which Genre of argument would you most likely write on your own? Why?

The book tell us about thirteen genres, in the chapter two of Writing Arguments we can see that "genre are often categorized by format, purpose, or type of publication." As personal choice, it is more comfortable to adopt the Blog and posting to chat rooms and electronic bulleting boards genre. If we like to be quite informal, telling what we think about certain topic, presenting personal opinion as one important piece of mind in regard that idea; this is the type of genre that fits our style. It will always go with some evidence. This genre is also like open ended questions to the ones who might read it, then commentaries and short pro’s and con’s even short debates may occur. Even though, this same topic would be presenting in other blog, the originality of our writing style, and thinking will frame the post.