Anzaldua Questions

Questions for discussion and Journaling

1. Gloria Anzaldua uses both English and Spanish within her article. BY reading this article I can tell she is very intertwined with her writing. She talks about how she can’t sleep at night because her writings will keep her awake if they are bottled up inside of her. This piece made me wish I could write with such depth and be so connected to my writings. I feel it made the piece more personal by not being, “clued in.” I think she wants the writing to use their own words to connect and make their own meetings. These are her own personal stories which are her memories encapsulated in time. This piece is much different from other pieces with in this book and leaves a lot of parts unexplained. I think she doesn’t explain much of the story because she wants the reader to make their own personal opinion of her stories, and take what they want from her life story.

3. Anzaldua has a deep connection to her writings and has to trust her thoughts to compose her writings. I feel each person has a different opinion on how they write the way they do. I feel some people just spit ball writing and others have to have a deep connection on what they are writing. I think every writer should believe what they write and not take others ideas to compose their writings. I believe when I have strong feelings about what I write it helps me to get my ideas out better and write more freely. I have different feelings about each topic I write.

Applying and Exploring Ideas

2. Gloria is an amazing writer and is one of the most creative writers I’ve ever read.  I feel the way she wrote this piece was very personal and had the most impact by being written in this. If she wrote it in a more tradition academic format it would of took a lot away from the piece. The way she wrote her piece shows she believes in her writing and, it also shows she has a deep connection with her writing. She wrote her piece this way because this the way she wanted to write her thoughts, feelings out on paper.

3. No, I do not agree with Anzaldua’s statement that images are more direct than words. I feel images give the reader instant images in your head, but they cannot explain thoughts as deeply as words can. I personally feel words affect me deeper than an image. I know when I look at a familiar picture it can spark a memory in my mind better than words could. This happens more often to me with images than words but, images occasionally affect me on a deeper level than words. When I am talking to my friends or writings them notes I would communicate through images because they are funnier and it is easy for me to get my points across through pictures. I understand better though words but, communicate better though pictures, although I feel this is different for everyone.

 

Alexander Questions

 

Questions for Journaling & Discussing

6.  As Alexander states in his article there are restrictions of everything including people. There is so much diversity in the world it is hard not limit or restrict your writing in some ways. Male and female restrictions obviously happen because social perception has made gender such a huge separation. This separation effects the writing by, limiting creativity and presenting a “sexed” and stereotypical view of men and women.  This gives writing a fake aspect, denying the true and real characterizes to readers. We need to expand and respect more neutral general texts. You cannot focus on the of the gender of the writer and not be bias to the piece.  This knowledge can be used to take these sharp visions of transgender to expand and understand the narration of gender. An experiment of Trans pedagogy in transition presenting limitations on writing. First, in deconstructs the male/female binary-one of the most pervasive modes of meaning making in our culture. Second, in deconstruction this binary, trans sites powerfully revel gender as a social construction- as a narration that rhetorically, and politically, uses gender to maintain categories, roles, and knowledge that delimit and police our bodies and identities. By examining stories students have wrote shows many more of real life examples of accepting Trans gender writing and how it opens up the world of writing so much more.

7. These student writing help to define even more how student narratives reinforce gender stereotypes. In “Mr. Football” written by two females, shows stereotypical examples of a buff and stupid football player. He ends up getting hurt by stepping on a jelly fish and, only focuses on get back to playing football. They don’t add any examples of him maybe likening shopping or even cod, to add a real aspect to this gender. There are also examples of gender stereotypes in “Scarlet” written to a male. It is a about a very pretty girl who gets into this dark and mysterious life style. This gives her the innocent girl who has broken into stereotypical bad girl lifestyle.  A Similar example to this is in a student narrative called “Amanda” by a male.

Applying and Exploring

3.  According to Alexander the presents of the transgendered is beneficial everyone within a composition class. This will bring students out of there social “norms” and interrogate the constructs of gender that we often take for granted as “natural” or “normal.” This not only alerts others to the presence of differently gendered people, but also to examine critically how gender limits our potential sense of self. This will expose the harmful myths around what it means to be a woman or a man. Many trans theorists have been inspired to think along such lines after considering the work of queer theorist Judith Butler, whose notion of gender performativity has been a useful if contentious approach to thinking critically about gender. There is no need to be no gender identity behind the expression of gender. There is need to denaturalize the sense of “gender” and is not essential but, rather a sociocultural construct where masculinity and femininity have come to appear natural.  

 

Delpit and Smitherman

 

QFD&J

1. It doesn’t bother me that Delpit didn’t identify her race in her article. I feel the points she identified were more powerful not knowing whether she was black or white or any other race for that fact. Her race shouldn’t matter to the reader but, not being white dose make her points more powerful because it shows more of her personal experience with the issue. As she talks about Gee and his ignorance to acceptance, it doesn’t change the perception of her message but, it makes her message more powerful to her readers knowing that she is black.

3. Yes I agree with Delpit and I also disagree with Gee’s points that she brings up in her article. You can feel her anger in the article and being raised in a white male dominate world her point are exactly correct. Her use of intertextuality makes her argument even more compelling. I agree that you can change your discourse and add new ones, and not be stuck in our own ways like gee states. Also that is hard for minorities to become adjusted to white male styles of teaching. They assume the needs and voices of the students. On that note some weak points are that she doesn’t look at the effort students are putting into it to because, failing is only a lack of not trying. Other facts I found to be a shortcoming of this article was that she didn’t elaborate on how to pull of this niche. For the most part her article had an impact on the way I viewed this subject.

A&E

3.  I see a lot of generalization but, I also see a lot of individual stories to make the piece powerful.  She generalizes many types of students but, Keith Gilyards story made the article so much more powerful in my mind. Showing all of his struggles and how he reacted to them changed my opinion. Also contrasting Gee’s generalization, with her own, made the article more effective. I feel it was problematic that she generalized all the problems with being a minority and never really presented a solution to them.

Prereading of Smitherman

-          I am a very judgmental person which, is something I am trying to grow out of but, its part of me. When I hear someone’s voice I do judge them. It is typically based of the sound of there voice but, primerally based on what they say. Someone’s voice is a very powerful thing, and a very easy way to judge someone.

QFD&J

2. Smitherman used black idiom rhetorically by focusing on the ideas of the student rather than focusing on how well there grammar was. This was a very powerful note in my eyes because this shows students you should focus more on your ideas but, at the same time, be conscience of your grammar skills. If students just focus of their grammar they lose how to write a paper with any good ideas, just facts. This essentially teaches students the wrong way to write a paper.

A&E

5. The only difference in these statements is that one statement is purely ignorant English. I mean if that is the way you talk, you should also write this way but, should probably take a proper English class. The significance of having “God don’t never change” as the title shows the power of the meaning of words and not exactly the grammar behind them. Also that God is an implication of us. No language is perfectly logical, so there is no perfect God. Personally I don’t believe this statement to be true but, I believe this is the message Smitherman is trying to convey to his readers.

Flynn

Q & D

2. Flynn’s piece took over 30 years to be published. I personally like her revised piece better but, we should take into consideration the time it took to write this piece. Many beliefs and ideas on genders and their roles have changed since 30 years ago. It would be ridiculous to say the ideas today are still the same and that nothing has changed. Her ideas were good for her time and are very good to reflect on. I feel there was a lot less respect for women 30 years ago and we should be happy on the improvement we have made. Things change and they can change into truly great ideas again.

3. I’m not exactly sure what Flynn’s was saying here. If I had to guess I feel Flynn is trying to say in the first part that, Women were forced by men to be looked at as the weaker gender; with men having all control. It’s her cry out for a voice in this world. In the second part I believe she is trying to express how men and women are different in many characteristic traits. You cannot try to blend both or have one with all the control. With more and more ethnic background coming together there will be power conflict. This is where other races are blended together in a common area and one race feels they have more power hence, trying to take control. When both races are clearly equal and should be treated like that.

5. I agree with Chodorow’s claims about feminine and masculine identification and believe there are convincing. Males and females do have different interaction patterns. Each gender looks at life with a different goals and especially emotions. Achievement I feel is a huge goal for men and women do get pissed about that. I believe the major of Chodorow’s claims to be true.

Applying and Exploring

4. I think Flynn’s article demonstrates not very many limitations about feminist but yet, more empower women. It generalizes this discourse by saying it was a women empowering course.  This also powered women in political marginality. This generalization gives women a reputable name within the writing community. This generalization can cause limitations because it may emphasize female and male developmental processes, and may define their fields of inquiry. So women receive benefits and limitation from this generalization.

5. Well obviously a male and female will talk differently in each of their writings because, they have different genes and traits. Gender also has different experiences, especially their early relationship with their primary parent, their mother. So multiple aspects in society and in life shapes what kind of writer you will be.   

Villanueva Questions

Discussion and Journaling

3. This article was much different then all of the other articles we’ve read in class. The entire content was so different than any other; it shows you the power of your personal life experiences. It put your life literally in to your writing and applies a more personable aspect. This can give writings a whole new meaning. It can either cause great understanding to your read or cause tension to your reader. Many different aspects can come into play by using memories in your writings. I really think the memory at the begging of this article made me more interested to read it. This is a very good attention grabber that will draw more readers in. I feel most believe would rather read a personal story over facts and figures.

4. Different authors each telling there different story this in this article gives so much diversity. Its not like reading one article but, many stories pulled into the same paper. At the same time you learn what memory they have, and also how to put your memories in your writing also. Each story brought little facts which came together to be one big idea. I think bringing all these memories together made Villanueva’s come to life.

8. Taking entire race out of writing would leave a void in your writing. Diversity in writing makes the readings better and more interesting. It different types of memories that will make your writing better, it shouldn’t matter who is telling the story as long as you’re listening. Villanueva’s article was very good because of the diversity in the memories.

Applying and Exploring

2. Porter’s idea of intertextuality plays in this piece by all the different memories from different people came together into one amazing article. This important to memoria because this helps your memories blend with the facts and other ideas in the writing. I put my own personal style in my writing so you can tell it’s my writing. My style for writing is very personal and adding stories is the way I write. I feel this draws the reader into your writings and gives you a personal insight on top of that.

Dialectical NoteBook

1. “Public awareness and public discourse about autism are approaching critical mass.”

2. “The definition rhetoric focuses of the role of communication in social interaction.”

3. “I know that something in his invention is not getting out into structure and style that it has stalled there, that he is working through the rhetorical process.”

4. ‘A spectrum that encompasses a wide range of behavior.”

5. “The goal of rhetorical listening is to generate more productive discourses.”

1. I feel this is a very power statement in this article because how much the public somewhat shuns acknowledging this discourse. In April of 2008 the first World Autism awareness Day, and this significantly how large of a discourse community this really is. The statistics of autism incidence are comparable to lightning strikes, car crashes, and the likely hood of becoming a professional athlete.

2. I found this point interesting based on the aspects of communication. There is a huge barrier between the communication of a social discourse and the autistic discourse. Many people turn away and reject this discourse because they feel if they don’t understand what is being said the idea is not important. Autistics have a different way of communicating and have a different rhetoric than a different social discourse, therefore making communication very difficult.

3. This is a quote from Paul Heilker about his son who has autism.  I realize being a father and having a son with autism is very difficult to handle. I honor his commitment to his son and how to truly to tries to understand his son. He realizes his son has the ideas in his head and can process them; he just doesn’t have the tools to access the rhetoric to communicate.

4. This is simple quote, which can have a lot of meaning behind it. I feel the more we learn and discover about Autism is the key to find an answer for better social interaction. This would diminish the gap of the social realm of the autistic community.

5. This quote describes my feeling exactly. I feel if you cannot understand by studying, then you must listen and observe what you perceive.  There are many communication barriers although, I feel both sides of the discourse communities understand this but, am unaware on how to fix it.  Listening is a keep into understanding this discourse community.

Intro and Synthesis

            It has been said every day you learn something new. Now I believe this to be a true statement because every day you are constantly learning. Now consider this idea in to literacy learning. Every day you constantly evolve and acquire new literacies. Various authors call these literacies Discourses or discourses, which make up multiple discourse communities. Everything you do can be considered a discourse community, in my personal opinion. Discourses are group members’ shared ways of being in the world. People typically have multiple discourses which, make up their everyday lives. When a group of people share goals or purposes and use communication to achieve them, these groups is classified as a discourse community. Each discourse community has six distinct characteristics helping to define what a discourse community is. Many people also have multiple discourse communities which all require different kinds of attention to be accepted in this community.

            Discourses can be broken down in many different ways, but they are primarily separated into discourses and Discourses. A Discourse could be considered an identity kit, including instructions on how to talk, act, and often write. Discourses with a capital ‘D’ are forms of life being a man or women, Asian or American. Discourse spelled with a lower case ‘d’ is the language used within a Discourse. This is important because you can have a discourse without a Discourse; connecting together to create discourse communities. One of my personal discourse communities is the Ohio University Equestrian Team. This discourse community would be considered a Discourse in my life because it consumes most of my life. This team covers all six aspects of discourse communities by John Swales. We have common public goals and requirement the entire team has to fulfill. Our members are constantly staying in contact with people within and without this discourse community. We have mechanisms in place required of our members to make sure everyone has constant feedback. There are standards for accomplishing tasks. The team has special lexis, which a member outside of our discourse might not be aware what this term means. Finally, the equestrian team has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content including the expertise we have compared to the novice riders.

            These are the social practices of the Ohio University Equestrian team. People outside of this discourse community may not have the knowledge and expertise to understand our Discourse community, as James Paul Gee discusses, agreeing with aspects of Swales six characteristics. Gee discusses how the social practice may cause conflict within or between discourses. As I stated before, from scholarly author Elizabeth Wardle, there are certain lexis’s or terms outsiders wouldn’t understand about this discourse. Coinciding with Swales, Wardle, and Gee, Devit et al discusses the genres or small classifications which make up discourse communities. On the other hand Malinowitz talks about gender contrasts and the conflicts that can occur within a discourse community. This applies to the Equestrian team considering it is a female dominate Discourse.

Malinowitz questions

 

Discussion and Journaling

2. Our culture has become very diverse. It would be ridiculous to say everyone is homosexual. People come in all different shapes and sizes, different genders, and they can like who they want to like. Our culture has become so diverse I feel people have become universally accepting of characteristics of other people. There has become a subtle but persistent change in the classroom climate around the subject of sexual orientation. This will prevent many prejudices. People have become more emphatic and comfortable with lesbian and gay existence, often introduced as essay topics. Not having ant suspicion or surprise. Gay and lesbian discourse are just as important because they are part if our collective conscience.

5. Sojourner Truth deconstructed the category of “women” in many ways. She saw women as weak, lazy, and annoying. She was such a strong and empowering women. She set the standards for women in her day in age and women today still look up to her. She was put through hard work and labor all day because she grew up as a slave. I believe she was stronger than most men I know.  I feel if she was strong enough to endue all this she really did deconstruct the category of “women.”

11. This article really changed my definition of “queer.” I really never thought of my definition of what “queer” means to me. I knew before this article my definition of queer had nothing to do with anyone gay or lesbian. If I had to define it my definition would probably be very ignorant and say something like, “ a queer is someone who is very off and not normal.” Now my definition after seeing all the information in this article would change my definition to be somewhat more knowledgeable. My definition now would state, “A queer in my personal opinion is someone who defines their sexual orientation and sexual attraction with someone the same sex as them.” This is still a very general definition, but I feel it still defines the word.

Applying and Exploring

2. The aspect relating to this article that would relate to this article would be that I am a woman. In the article in talks a lot about how women had less rights and needed to prove themselves. It also talks about the aspects of women being lesbians. This topic is very general and there are many different languages used in this Discourse community. When two women are talking there language would obviously be different than a women talking to a man.  This conversation may include more gossip, and probably talking about men. I can appropriate this language because I myself am a girl and understand how to talk to women, and know what language is appropriate. This language is essential to my life and all lives of women, because this is our way to vent, because the language of women is much different than the language of men. If this language was silence then I would probably go insane.

Meta Moment

I feel my teacher would think there is many points that are considered important. We are currently learning about discourses, so the point of Gay and Lesbian discourses would be a main concept in class. Also how this discourse has changed and became more prevalent and accepted within our culture. We would most likely talk about how discourses have clear, set ideas, but yet are constantly changing. This discourse has changed and grew just as the discourses of being a man and women have changed. All of these discourses have changed because the way they are being socially constructed. We construct these discourses not only by our personal opinion, but the way the world looks at them as a whole, socially. I believe most concepts we perceive are majorly influenced by social construction.

Ethnography Proposal

Okay Dr. Kapela I have chosen a ethnography proposal, which isn’t exactly connected with writing although it has to do the Ohio University. The discourse community I have chosen is the Ohio University Equestrian. This is my favorite club which I am currently apart of. I feel this would be a very good topic for this project because it is something I know much about, it would be easy for me to obtain an interview with one of my fellow members, and it covers the six characteristics John Swales discusses in his article. I am not quite sure if this would be considered a Discourse or discourse in my life yet, because I really do love being a part of this team; horses are considered essential to life, for me. Two days out of my week (Wednesday and Tuesday) are dedicated to this team. The whole team has bonded very well this year with all of the new members; I am one of these new members I speak of.   I thought it would be hard to find a discourse community which covered all these aspects that I am a part of, and then I realized this team would be a perfect topic for this project. This team has common public goals and requirement the entire team has to fulfill. Our members are constantly staying in contact with people within and without this discourse community, by email and text message. We have mechanisms in place required of our members to make sure everyone has constant feedback and so every member is receiving the same information. Some of this information is also given to the public, out of this discourse community ensuring our team has exposure. We have standards for accomplishing tasks. These tasks could include fundraising or charity work. The team has special lexis, which a member outside of our discourse might not be aware what this term means. Finally, the equestrian team has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content including the expertise we have compared to the novice riders. Coving all six aspects of a discourse community I feel this was a very good choice for a topic.

Devitt et allllllllllllll

2. As Devitt introduces us to the conflicts produced by switching genres, the conflicts I see when I am asked to produce the genre of a paper in your composition class in comparison to an art history class is very minimal. The way I look at it as, dose differ in every class, although certain classes help me in each other to write papers. Like my English 151 class has improved my writing skills so much already, and this has helped me to write papers in every other class to. Of course every class is going to have completely different topics for papers besides that, and some technical language, a paper is just a paper. Every paper has a genre and either it is difficult for the individual to write about or simple, it can go either way. I’ve never really noticed any conflict in writing two or three papers; I just notice the similarities or the differences in each paper.

3. Bawarshi defines the term genres as environments within which familiar social actions are rhetorically enacted to understand them as language practices. There are obviously many genre sets within Ohio University and even some genres can break down into related genres or as I like to call them, subgenres. Some very distinct genres could include teachers, students, organizations, employees, and I guess cliques? Teachers are the foundation which holds Ohio University together. They provide the students with information that is the keys to their future. They provide us with so much knowledge and help students when it is needed. The students of Ohio University, including myself, bring the party! Just kidding, clearly to every student here education is the most important thing on their mind. They work very hard for each and every academic grade. In return many students are given internships by the University to help guide their future. Also many students participate in clubs or activities. There are many organizations and activities here at Ohio University. I am participating in some of these activities including an intermural softball team, complex senate, and the equestrian team. Activities such as these provide the students and many other people with time consuming events to occupy their time. Finally there are many employees at Ohio University, soon I will be one, that keep this fine establishment running at its best and I am very appreciative of this.

Applying and exploring Ideas

3. Ethnography field work is much different than just reading scholarly articles, although both many cover many of the same topics. Both are helpful sources in discovering information about ethnography. I feel you would need to dig deeper in to each of these two types of research message to discover more about ethnography. You would be able to discover information like language used within society. You would be able to fully grasp information by reading a scholarly article as opposed to going outside of the class room, and researching in the physical living situation. You have investigate communication within social organizations. There are social actions and genres taken to be rhetorical manifestations or maps of a community’s actions, then genre analysis is an especially helpful path in ethnographic methodology. To investigate social motives and actions, ethnographers can examine the uses of language associated with these actions. Therefore you can learn a lot more about discourse communities and their genres by researching through ethnographic field work as opposed to reading scholarly articles.

Meta Moment

I feel scholarly research or ethnographic field work can both be great ways to discover more about ethnography. Personally my learning style, it would be more beneficial for my research through ethnographic field work. This is because I know I learn better by experience rather than sitting in a class room being informed about a topic. I think any student ethnographer would agree that they would learn more about ethnography by being outside in the real world, then inside the class room. This gives a student or anyone studying this field an experience on top of knowledge, rather than just scholarly researchers ideas on the subject. I feel every person has a different way of learning subject and the way I feel best suited for me would be ethnographic research.

Wardle Questions

1. According to Wardle the three ways that newcomers try to belong in a new community are engagement, Imagination, and Alignment.  Engagement is defined as a “common enterprise” that newcomers and old timers pursue together to develop “interpersonal relationships” and a “sense of interacting trajectories that shape identities in relation to one another.” An example of this could include common ground between two members of the community. Like after talking to someone you discover they also play baseball and you two should play together sometime. The second aspect is Imagination, “a process of expanding…self by transcending… time and space and creating new images of the world and self. An example of this could include thinking of new ideas for the group to participate in. This can lead to a positive mode of belonging. Lastly there is Alignment; this is the “negotiating perspectives, finding common ground, defining broad visions and aspirations.” You would have to adopt the ideas of the group and an example of this could include doing something you personally do like to do, but participated because the group did. I feel this is aspect might be a major reason many people do not participate in joining new communities. This is an aspect that many people would try to stay away from because it destroys their identity, but joining a group which you love this aspect could be avoided.

3. I feel Alan’s conflict in his work place did not have a positive outcome because he clung to his old ways of doing things. He took a misstep but this is normal for many newcomers. He clung to his own ways of writing, which the group did not accept. On the other hand the group also did not change their views of what they found acceptable. Both sides should have been courteous to the other. This could have been handled to have a positive outcome by when the older member read the email they could of told the new comer the mistakes he has made and how not to make them or what to do to correct them. They could have easily talked this situation out to the newcomer so he realizes his mistakes rather than scolding his for them. This would have provided a much more positive outcome to the situation.

5. I agree with Wardle over Gee in this aspect of this the work place community. I agree with Wardle because he is exactly right about why Alan didn’t successfully join his new work place community. Alan was resisting the ideas behind this work place community. He did not want to adopt the identity that people in that community imagined for him. He was stuck in his old ways. I completely disagree with Gee’s statement of, Alan’s primary Discourse was very different from the Dominate Discourse he encountered in the Humanities Department. I disagree with this because that is ridiculous to say. That is like saying people cannot change from certain aspects of themselves because this is what they have been taught. If Alan really wanted to join that community then he could of changed, but he felt it was better to just stay true to his original self.

7. A time I can think of when an ascribed authority lost their authority through their linguistic actions, occurred for me in fifth grade. My fifth grade teacher Mrs. Bushnell was very picky about student she liked and didn’t like. Well I just happened to be one of the students she didn’t like, shocker! One of her favorite student was the one child in the class everyone and I didn’t like, just because of her favoritism to him. She would let him do whatever he wanted to never get in trouble. After dealing with this ridiculousness for a good chunk of the year, he personally bothered me and that’s when things got serious. One day in gym class he made me cry, and Mrs. Bushnell didn’t even care. So me and all my girlfriends went to the principal’s office and complained, multiple times. Well long story, short, by the end of the year she was fired and the students were happy.

GEE

QFD&J

3. As I began reading this article I didn’t feel I was going to understand Gee’s writing style. When I started reading the paragraph about Gee’s distinction between Discourse with a capital D and discourse with a lowercase d, I didn’t quite understand it. I had to re-read this paragraph several times to comprehend what he was talking. Finally I believe the message is trying to say is spelling Discourse with a capital D, is an identity kit that instructs the way we act, talk, and write. This can help us explain our sayings, doing, being, valuing, believing, and combinations. Discourse would be considered the major points defining our identity. Discourse spelled with a lower case d would be considered the stretches of language that make sense. These are the minor points that rationalize the major points in our mind. This makes sense to me and is very logical. At the same time he talks very highly of Discourses and discourses, although I feel it is an exaggerated why of saying a simple concept.

5. Discourse communities is sort of a identifying kit. This can be defined as an appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write. This is a role others will recognize. Some examples of Discourses are American or Russian. A man or woman, a member of a socioeconomic class, even a factory worker or a boardroom executive.  Discourses are not mastered by overt instruction, like you cannot acquire a second language by sitting in a class room. This is acquired through a second language. Apprenticeship can aid these practices. I believe this to be true because you are initially raised by your family and surrounded by their traditions. Based on the behavioral aspects, I think this is true because, most cultures have similar aspects and traits.

11. As defined by Gee metaknowledge is, the exposure to another language, having to translate it into and other wise relate it to your own language, can cause you to become consciously aware of how your first language works. This “metaknowledge” can actually help you better understand your first language.  This can enhance your composition, study skills, writing, critical thinking, content- based literacy, and a combination can lead to metaknowledge. According to Gee metaknowledge is liberation and power. This is because it leads to the ability to manipulate, to analyze, to resist while advancing. This can make “maladapted” students smarter than “adapted students” Although multiple discourses can conflict with one’s home discourse.  Metaknowledge can be a very powerful and important thing in aspects of learning. I can make a better student based on in and out of classroom learning.

13. There are many discourses which I don’t wish to be a part of. I do not wish to be part of the Discourse called Sororities.  This is a large discourse in college and every girl wishes to be in one. I feel they are dumb and girls look to find a title for themselves by joining a sorority. One apprentice I am a part of is The Ohio University Equestrian team. I love horses and personally love this discourse that I am a part of. One hard part about joining a new discourse is learning the practices of this discourse. Also fitting in with the people within a discourse is another huge part of joining a new discourse. I feel having love and passion for the discourses which you become a part of is a huge part in being accepted within a discourse. You have to love what you do to be happy, and there are people along the way which could help to with this aspect. Usually if you love the people you will love whatever you do with them, because you’re having fun. I feel it I would have to pretend to be something else then I should not be a part of this discourse community. You should be accepted for who you are and there is no need to pretend.

Applying and Exploring Ideas

3. Dear Pr. Steven Kapela,

Discourses can be explained as what we are saying, doing, being, valuing, and believing. Discourses can be broken down into many sub topics like dominate and nondominate Discourses. There is an important distinction between dominate and nondominate discourses. Dominate are secondary discourses the mastery of which, at a particular place and time, brings with it the acquisition of social goods. Non-dominate discourses are secondary Discourses the mastery of which often brings solidarity with a particular social network, but not wider status and social goods in a society at large. There are many actions you can take to help students form non dominate Discourses. I ask of you to react on a more personal level with students from nondominate discourses. I feel this would help them better relate to the society at large.

4. In everything within life there will be tensions and conflicts. Not many of the personal discourses I am involved with directly have any conflict or tension. I guess my classes and groups or clubs could have some conflict based on my work ethic. They all have the same values, beliefs, attitudes, language use, and so on because they are all a part of the Ohio University environment. I try to navigate between my Discourses by importance. I know it is more important to finish my school work before going to my activities. This avoids any conflict between my Discourses.

 

 

Glenn

1. One very food chain, with an animal icon, is Chick-fil-a. Chicken being the main food from this restaurant, a talking chicken would be an obvious icon. This animal is not animated, but yet a person being forced to stand in a suit all day, in event establishment they own. I feel this is a great way for the company to sell food, but very unfortunate for the person inside the suit. Based off of all the commercials and what I’ve personally heard this is a very honest company. The chicken suit is awesome and a great thing to take a picture with. This is a very good way of advertising the company and probably boosts sales. Chick-fil-a being my favorite fast food restaurant solely based on the food, I would say this company is very true to their word and is good to their animals. Whether or not the chicken suit made my opinion this way, I truly love Chick-fil-a.

2. I personally have very little connection with farm animals, being raised in a suburban community. I love horses and pigs, but never grew around any animals more than a cat and dog. I’ve had a long love for farm animals my entire life and wished I grew up on a farm.  MY friend Maryann was very rich and owns a few horses, and goats, which I enjoyed playing with as I grew up. Other than this aspect I have been deprived of farm animals most my life. On my knowledge of farm culture I know for the most part family owned farms take very good care of their animals. On the other hand I saw a cow being milked once and realized how cruel and badly they treat these animals. Most are locked in little cages their entire life and their only purpose is to be eaten, which is horrible.

Questions for discussion

1.  As Glenn discusses there are two main and codependent corporate discursive strategies for the “farm factory discourse.” These include the use a “double speak” these describe particular processes internal to the industry. These could include lies saying how nice they treat animals and how they live. The second is the creation of “speaking” animals in advertisements to see products of those industrial processes, like a talking cow saying how happy she is. NO, the discourse is absolutely not ethical because I believed these lies. Every time I saw Happy Cow commercials I really believed these cows were raised on a farm and were treated well. Lies—after reading this article I now know none of this is true and these animals are treated terribly. It hides from the public what is actually going on in these companies and I really believe it should be illegal.

Appling and Exploring

2. The company I choose to do some research on is Omaha Steaks Corporation.  I love these steaks and personally love to eat them often. This is clearly a factory farm, just based on the mass selling of these steaks all across the nation. It’s obvious from the website they are no family farm, nor do they pretend to be. They know very well how good their steaks are and do not need to tell any lies to still make a profit.

4. The human culture is very ignorant and turns living beings into non- human commodities very often. WE as humans very done this with many things, such as slaves. They are people to and we treated them as if their only purpose was to work. Some parents turn their own children into non- human commodities, when they try to force them into fame or some other ridiculous fantasy they could never pursue. Also in illegal drug smuggling operations, the Cartel, turns humans into moving containers for their drugs, just to make a profit. And finally the worst of them all, if I do say so myself, sex slavery. All across the world girls are being sold to be drugged, raped, and killed. These are very few of the many ways humans turn living beings into non-human commodities.

Cover letter

Avalon Bednarcik

ENG151

DR. Steven Kapela

Oct. 19,2012

To whom it may concern,

            My group and I collaborated to work together and construct this brochure.  We found the most impactful literacy sponsorship in our lives to be Family. Even diving deeper into this topic, the aspects of family we found to effect sponsorship are the cultural, social, and environmental. Based on the limited space as you can see, we had to make it somewhat cluttered to fit all the nesissary information. We still didn’t have enough space to fit everything we needed to say still at this time It fine though, it’s a rough draft, it should be rough. This brochure may be somewhat confusing to read on line, without printing it out, but the flow works well with the set up of our arguments, data, and methods. Overall the majority of my group put in their part, and provided some input to make this whole project come together.

1.     Good use of research

2.     It’s So Ugly!

3.     Some text is hard to read

4.     Good flow

5.     Could use more visual texts

6.     Break up the texts

7.     Could make the style of the brochure more flashy and desirable to look at

8.     Text is some what confusing, but gets message across

9.     Grammatical errors

10.  Stayed focus on topic and very interesting

Lab Work

Topic: The topic my group has chosen is the major influence of family in our literacy sponsorship.

Question: The argumentative question my group has chosen is, How family effectives your interpretation of aspects of life?

literacy narrative

As I was growing up there were many literacy narrative, which influenced me into the writer I am today. Throughout reading literacy narratives, I learned almost anything can be a literacy, which made you the writer you are today. My personal literacy sponsors came from mostly my parents, in very indirect ways. I have also recently found a new literacy sponsor, my class English 151, because my teacher is awesome and has taught me so much already.

                Growing up with my parents always there for me, have taught me so much about the way I write and I didn’t even notice it. When my brother and I were just little babies up to the time when we could read, my mother read us stories. Both my brother and I learned how to talk and write at a very early age and I believe my mother was the influence in this. Most parents also allow their children to talk like little babies and talk to their children like they were little babies. However my mother would never do this, she would always speak to us like we were grown adults, and we clearly were hugely impacted by her influence.

                Another literacy sponsor was my father. He and I are very much alike, and he is a very successful business man, owning two companies. He would always take me to work with him, and attempt to teach me business stuff. His friends and workers would also talk to me and taught me how to be a business woman, and sell merchandise. Maybe subconsciously I retained this information, but I really do believe bonding with my dad and just talking to him influenced my writing style a lot.

                Finally, a really good literacy sponsor is my teacher Steven Kapela. I can honestly say I have hated English and I never listened in class up until this point. Every other teacher I have had makes writing and reading feel like a chore and be over strict about how to write. The way he teaches his students about writing makes it seem so fun and a lot less difficult then thought. Reading is also a very hard thing for me to do, it so challenging for me to pick up a book. The book for this English class is so interesting to me and made me understand so many different viewpoints to look at reading from. Therefore these three literacy sponsor, transformed me into the writer I am today.

               

Wysocki Questions

Dr. Steven Kapela

QFD&J

2.  Wysoki sets up the text as a high visual, unlike Bernhart talking about low- visual. The text is presented with many pictures and diagrams which is very high visual, although in the reading uses the imagery in the picture displayed, and many logical connections which makes the read a visual image in your mind. It explains how the text in set up with four ‘design principles’—contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. Giving the reader good visual aspects to display in their mind to better understand her somewhat intelligent, difficult writing style.  This also gives the reader a clear visual hierarchy of elements important to the layout. This layout gives the reader cues into the important and desirable information of the texts.

A&E

2.  I personally beauty is see within the eye of the beholder and is different from individual to individual. I somewhat agree with Kant’s idea thins are inherently beautiful. Some aspects of everything on earth every person should be able to find something which they see as beautiful, and could be considered universally beautiful. Every individual sees beauty in a different, and find some things ugly or beautiful. Like every single person on this earth cannot name one singular object as beautiful. Kant discusses how beauty is found through structural-formal- nature of his analysis of knowledge. This is corresponded into three divisions- the cognitive, the ethical, and the aesthetic. I feel you cannot make one singular model for beauty and changes from person to person. I agree with Wysocki that beauty is constructed together. Many aspects of this general construction could include your community and social norms. Not every individual will believe the same thing is beautiful looking at it in this aspect though. WE all have our different viewpoints and still find different things beautiful based on our own personal likings.

Meta- Moment

I believe this statement fully applies to Wysocki article because it talks about the different aspects every individual looks at in when deciding if something is considered beautiful. This applies in the contexts of how the human brain visually perceives objects and wheatear the individual believes they are beautiful. This also applies to every other single kind of art. Everything can be considered art, and you have to llok at objects in this way to understand if you believe they are beautiful. Also you must understand the logical steps your brain takes to perceive something, and why you see it as art, something beautiful, or see it as something ugly. Art and beauty can be looked at as a general construction, but also must be looked at through the eyes of each individual. 

Baron

DR. Steven Kapela

QFD&J

2. I see Baron accepting technology more, and realizing that new technology is a part of life and it will alter the nature of writing. He established how pencils are becoming obsolete due to computers, and how many new ideas are accepted in classrooms. Such as calculators weren’t accepted, spell check wasn’t allowed, and how computers have completely changed the classrooms. I do not agree that this was one of his messages, I actually believe the opposite.

4. Once highly popular literacy technologies could include many things like, horse drawn carriages, Walkman’s, ink quill pens, watermarks, invisible tagging devices, fax machines, answering machines, and even home telephones are almost out of date. The majority of these objects are electronically based, and in the age of technology they easily become out of date.

Applying and Exploring

3. Many recording devices like videos and text messages are beneficial because you’ll know the exact words and keep what they say for later dates. This could be very beneficial if someone threatens you and you have to prove what is said. The internet can also be viewed in the same way because whatever you say on there is there forever. This can be unbeneficial if you are the one threatening someone, which you shouldn’t do. Besides regretting what you have already said, there is not many unbeneficial factors.

Meta- Moment

I have always thought of writing as technology, because it all began with cavemen writing of walls. This helps me better my knowledge of writing as a technology. This doesn’t change my terms it just helps me better realize how far we have come as a civilization. I cannot wait to see how many advances have to come with technologies including cell phones and computers.

Malcolm X, Alexie, Bell

Dr. Steven Kapela
Avalon Bednarcik

MalcomeX: QFD&J

1. I believe Malcolm’s intended audience is African American’s because he emphasis his struggles of growing up as a slave, and being denied many things due to his race.

3. Malcolm X had many sponsors including people and institutions. Including Alex Haley who he narrated his autobiography. Other people include Mr. Elijah Muhammad, his visitors Ella and Reginald.  Institutional sponsors include Charlestown prison, where Bimbi made him envy his knowledge, a dictionary, his correspondence and his reading of many books. Including, Will Durant’s, Story of civilization; The new York Times; Parkhurt’s collection; Nat Turner; Herodotus, the father of history; Half a billion people, about deeply religious brown people, and then he started to study philosophy. I think his most influential sponsor was Mr. Muhammad, which could be considered a very strange answer. I believe Mr. Muhammad gave Malcolm X, a lot of respect and appreciation based on how ignorantly and highly he praised white people. I’m not sure where his wisdom is derived from, but his mad teaching changed Malcolm X. Basically the whole concept of prison itself changed him.

6. Malcolm X went through a lot in his life and experienced many things no one should ever see.  He had a lot of motivation to back up his readings, and personality reading is so hard for me. My mom used to read to me as a kid and maybe that’s why I don’t like it right now. Reading is fine; I just have really specific taste in reading. Although I have had many reading lists, with very shitty books, it’s very unfortunate.

Applying and Exploring

1. This is a very touchy subject, in today’s world, oh the Internet. How it has changed our lives so much, and made Americans ignorant to literacy. I’ve read studies about how the internet has made Americans ignorant about the speed, and that too much information is coming to our brains any the same time, making it unbeneficial, in some aspects. We’ve have become a very Illiterate America.

2. Okay, Dr. Kapela, I currently don’t think I can elaborate a whole page on this, but I’ll try. I am still young and consider your class my literacy sponsor. I’ve hated English class my whole life, and I actually like your class. I’ve actually learned good tools I can use in English. I always receive good grades in general, but English is the hardest class. You have taught me so much about English, and this year isn’t even half way over. I really appreciate how much you made me appreciate English.

Meta- Moment

I feel my teacher would say his literary sources are the most important idea and I would agree with that statement. They were his motivation to everything he is today.

Alexie: applying and exploring ideas

1. I do not believe every person can overcome poverty; this is kind of ridiculous to assume. Although determination can be major part of succeeding, so is talent. I’m sure everyone can think of someone that is fully submerged in a career path, which you know they have no talent, but heart? It takes a lot to make it to the top, and you got to have ‘it’ to get there.

Bell: As you read

1. I have a lot of memories which, I have fictionalized and many I don’t even remember.  Ids rather not name anything specific or personal. Although, my brother, my cousins and myself were all very close as children growing up and I have many fond memories which were very different than what they recall. I believe it is because of my somewhat more creative brain.

QFD&J

4. Bell means by the word, “kill” in her writings was, as a child growing up she was punished for speaking things not meant to be spoken. Referring to her sisters Gloria’s suicidal past. She felt the bond was lost or broken in telling. Her autobiographies were written in memory of her mother’s hope chest. She did learn to gain knowledge, and self-growth though the autobiography of others.

Applying and Exploring

3. Typically there are many horrible parts of every traumatic event the storyteller would wish to delete. So I feel most people, writing a story tend to change it solely because there appearance might be embarrassing.  On the hand you really could have been traumatized and actually forgot the event.

Brandt Questions

QandD

1. Brant defines literacy sponsor as something that poses some definitions of literacy. When talking about literacy it is accurate to speak about literacies, which is evaluating your own competence in communication. Literacies come in many different forms. You have home literacies such as storytelling and the language you speak. Hobby related literacies can include radio- controlled vehicles or gaming. The school system can teach you many different types of literacies like computer and information literacy. Your personal history including your family, your geographic location, your culture, your hobbies, your religious training, and your schooling teach you the basic literacies to function in society.

2. Literacy is sponsored by people. Sponsors of literacy benefit because it will support their goals.  Some literacy sponsors are organizations or institution, like a public school or a major corporation. Before the invention of the printing press, the biggest literacy sponsor in Western Civilization was the Roman Catholic Church.  Most literacy sponsors are empowering and prevent illiteracy in Americans. I have learned to become literate from having good conversation with my parents and teachers.

4. In Brandt’s writing by the word stratified is being referred to as the strategies sponsors use to force the formation of new literacy requirements, while decertifying older ones. They both have different dynamic of literacy sponsorship.  There is stakes involved because there is always a need to get a competitive advantage above the rest, always having a thirst for more knowledge. It pertains to the potential of the sponsors to divert sponsors’ resources toward ulterior projects, often of self- interest or self-interest.

Applying and Exploring

1. My literacy I feel is more comparable to sponsorship patterns of Branch because he went to a large university and the occupations of his parents were more comparable. Lopez lived in a more rural lifestyle and went to a very diverse University. Branch learned most of his literacy though his parents and his education where I always learned most of my literacy. I feel they were adequate because I was accepted in to college. I wish I had spoken to my father more because he owns a business, so I would have a better business oriented sponsor. Every teacher up until my English 151 class has forced a certain topic or certain literacy on my learning.

2. My school was very catholic and one book banned from my school was, 50 Shade of Grey because it was too provocative.  Every year in high school the students of each particular grade has assigned list of very boring books to read, which I didn’t enjoy. MY senior year English teacher didn’t feel magazines counted as reading, although I feel they are a good source of public knowledge. One of my influential sponsors of literacy is my grandfather, because he is a very influential person and a very powerful speaker though his story telling.

Meta Moment

Most of the chapter goals apply to most of Deborah Brandt’s article. She explains the concepts of literacy and multiple literacies. She states how sponsors are a good source to connect to certain groups and different audiences. Depending on where you have attended school or have worked helps the research or the planning needed to improve or advocate literacy. I didn’t really notice much of Brandt discussing vocabulary, but it was touched on, she could have elaborated more on that topic. On discussing different personal backgrounds of shaping literacy, she elaborated and made it easy to understand where literacy comes from. Her article didn’t discuss much about improving researched based or jargon based texts. Understanding where your literacy comes from helps you cite your sources and gain more from your reading.