This Semester

Prompt:

This semester you have had opportunities to analyze features of academic, professional, and public texts. You have also had opportunities to write academic texts, present for a general audience, and to compose blog posts and tweets for social media. Given what you now know about rhetorical choices, genre, and language history and change, reflect on the nature of writing in 2015. What challenges and opportunities do new technologies/platforms offer?

Choose only 2 examples and explain.

Identify examples among your own blog posts and those of your peers of successful responses to the unique challenges and opportunities of that genre.

To the right are the outcomes for the writing course I took this semester (Writing 121).

Response:

With every new social media site or way of communication there forms a new genre of writing. Blog writing is different from tweeting is different from instagram captions. I think this is beneficial in the way that people can promote themselves and learn in whatever way they choose by communicating in a way or multiple ways that they find most comfortable. Different fields are using different modes of communication, so being exposed to different types of social media is not useless; is is becoming more and more of a predominant part of culture.

Another thing that genres like blogs do is make complex information discovered in studies by professors easier to understand for the average person. Many people who are very involved in a field have a blog, and this allows for complex information to be simplified so more people can obtain knowledge on a variety of subjects.

However, with this, there is also more availability of false information to the average user. This can create an ocean of unreliable information that people believe because it 'sounds right' or 'makes sense' with no evidence for how credible the source is. Because of this it is important to understand how to justify what sources are and are not credible.

This is the textbook our course curriculum was based off of.

Celebration of Student Writing

Prompt:

Write about your experiences at the Celebration of Student Writing. What kinds of presentations did you observe? What kind of range? What do you think is the added value or decreased value of large celebrations of peer writing?

This is the board I made for the Celebration of Student Writing. It was based on the research I did regarding muscle growth.

Response:

This Celebration of Student Writing was supposed to be more sustainable this semester, but I noticed that most people made boards as opposed to doing something electronic. A lot of the presentations were interactive as well and I noticed many people giving out candy as well. There was a huge variety of topics covered by students, from projects about multiple sclerosis to comic book characters.

Having a large celebration like this provides for a more relaxed environment in the way that people don’t pay much attention to your project as they do to their friends, but that is also a downfall considering the time and effort that went into doing the research and making the projects. Because people are there with a lot of people they know they are not likely to have the attention span to listen to you talk for seven minutes. Also, there were so many projects it was hard to decide which one to go to.

Preparing a five to seven minute long presentation really wasn't necessary. People would usually just come along and you would have a conversation about your topic as opposed to you spouting off information the whole time. Personally I liked it because I didn't have to give my presentation and it was a very lively environment but no one really even came over to see my project. Maybe it would help if the projects were sectioned off by topic (like medical projects in one area and psychological ones in another area and artistic ones in another area) so people could go to whatever area interests them. It was a fun experience to be around so many other people in my same writing course, I do think that there are a lot of issues with how the celebration is laid out.

Draft of Problem Statement

The problem I have come up with for my paper is: many people underestimate or are not aware of the importance of carbohydrates for muscle growth when doing resistance exercise. Usually people think that proteins are the most important thing to consume a large amount of when exercising, but carbohydrates are just as important.

Here is a visual of muscle protein synthesis. Note: hypertrophy is another word for muscle growth.
Link to this webpage: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/figure-1-protein-turnover-b-copy.jpg

Carbohydrates fuel muscles for resistance exercise, decrease muscle protein breakdown during exercise, and benefit muscle recovery when ingested with proteins or amino acids. As I mentioned in my last post, glycogen stores in muscles are the stores of carbohydrates in muscle tissue which provide the energy for people to put the most effort into their workout. Since carbohydrates are our most quickly and often metabolized source of energy, it is best to have plenty stored in muscles because, if there isn't enough, your body will start to burn proteins for energy (muscle protein breakdown). Carbohydrates also help fuel processes to carry amino acids to muscle tissue for the rebuilding and recovery of torn muscles.

Note: See my previous blog post for definitions of bolded terms.

Defining Your Terms

Terms often have a variety of different meanings to a variety of different people. Someone in one field may interpret a term one way, while those not in the field or in a different field think about it in a completely different way. This is why it is always important to define the terms you are using in writing. That way, the reader will be able to understand what you are writing in exactly the way you intend it to be interpreted.

Note: I have decided to change my research topic. I was having trouble finding evidence to support my past claim, so I have decided to focus on writing about the importance of carbohydrates when it comes to muscle growth and athletic performance in the gym.

In my paper, I plan to define muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein breakdown, complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates, muscle recovery, glycogen stores, muscle growth/hypertrophy, amino acids, and proteins. I will just discuss them as they come up in my writing so the readers understand what those terms refer to and how they all connect. These terms matter because they are used very often in my field and the average person may not understand what those are or what they mean in relation to the context of my paper.

Here is a model of a glucose molecule, which is the sugar that makes up carbohydrates.
I found it at this web address: http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/pix/glucose.gif

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS): the production of muscle proteins for muscle tissue. This can lead to muscle growth.

Muscle protein breakdown (MPB): the breakdown of muscle proteins in muscle tissue. This can lead to loss of muscle mass.

Complex carbohydrates: Carbohydrates that are more difficult for the body to break down and act as a stable, longer term source of energy. These are found in foods like sweet potatoes, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, etc., and stored in muscles as glycogen.

Simple carbohydrates: Carbohydrates that are very easy for the body to break down and provide a short burst of energy for the body, often found in processed foods such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta. These carbohydrates are not stored in muscles.

Muscle recovery: The rebuilding and healing of torn muscle tissue after resistance exercise.

Glycogen stores: Stored carbohydrates in muscle tissue.

Muscle growth/hypertrophy: The result of muscle protein synthesis and proper recovery which occur from exercise and nutrition.

Amino acids: The monomers (building blocks) of proteins.

Proteins: A macromolecule, along with carbohydrates and fats, that is composed of amino acids.

Here are the links to the essays we read for class:
http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/bartholomae.pdf
http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/LaurellJohansonBlack-SRB.pdf

My Writing Process

When I actually get around to writing, the process is very long and stressful. I often get extreme writer's block and then I'll have a moment where I can type for a half hour straight without stopping. I also talk about my subject with my mom a lot because she is better at coming up with ideas than I am and she knows a lot about, I'd say, everything.

Something else I tend to do is look for any sort of excuse to get up and do something besides what I am supposed to be doing. Maybe I'll start watching TV (because it's usually on and in the same room at the computer) or go to the kitchen when I am really not hungry or check my phone or send some random Snapchats about how I need to be doing my homework, ironically enough.

 The picture above is a messy representation of where my writing process happens. I spend a lot of time thinking, planning an outline, and collecting evidence so I am not left in the middle of typing my paper and not clear on how I am going to back up my statements. I like doing this because I can relate English to math: it's like a formula. All you need to do is create your intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion and list the points you want to make in each paragraph. From there you can write your paper smoothly while knowing exactly what you want to say.

I like to do this in a place I am comfortable or around some other people to help me brainstorm. First I show a picture of me on my bed with a notebook attempting an outline, next is me at the dining room table which is closer to where my family is, and the last is a picture of me at the computer, which shows me actually typing my paper.

This second picture shows how I write, in steps similar to those pictured but probably in a variety of orders. First I am shown on my bed brainstorming; I often think I have a good idea, but then as I think more I just end up confusing myself and having to come up with another idea. The second picture shows notes I take, describing the possible outline, layout, evidence/supporting info, and sentence fragments for and to use in my paper.

The next two sketches show me at the computer sighing, typing, and deleting, as I always have trouble getting started or end up with three different intros I could use. Then I talk to my mom for ideas and can actually figure out something substantial to write.

Soon after I decide to distract myself and procrastinate for a while by watching TV. After that I will get tired and refuse to work anymore, so I sleep and wake up and the process starts all over again, eventually resulting in my finished paper.

Here is the link to the essay I read regarding writing processes: http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/priorandshipka.pdf

Research "Problem"

I believe the problem I am looking to discuss in my research is that regarding advertisements for new exercise programs making false claims about the results they will supposedly give you. 

There is always some new product or set of DVDs the advertisers are trying to convince us to buy when we know they are all the same. However, when we start watching them, that specific one seems to stand out because it was created by doctor so-and-so, or it includes something that makes it unique.

In my paper I would like to identify the issues with all of these false claims and explain what some of those specific claims are and explain why they are incorrect and how they can be harmful to those making purchases or practicing what is told to them.

This is not necessarily one of the programs I will discuss in my paper, but it is an example of an exercise program advertised on TV with the same claims as many other programs.

Ted Talk Response: "Txtng is Killing Language. JK!!!"

Many have said before that texting impairs peoples' ability to write in standard American English as English classes require. In the Ted Talk "Txtng is killing language. JK!!!" John McWhorter identifies that texting is not in fact writing, but "fingered speech." 

He supports this by stating that writing was invented to get a point across to a certain audience in a very formal way, whereas many people text in the way that they speak. Also, new words, slang, and terminologies have arisen and evolved through texting. 

The only issue I had with McWhorter's presentation is that he provided texting samples that did not seem very accurate, or slang that my class mates and I had never heard of before watching his presentation. For example, everyone I know spells out words for the most part and does not attempt to leave every letter out they possibly can to shorten their message (like the example to the left), which is what he presented to be closer to the truth. My friends and I simply tend to write with our own personal lingo and expressions to make the texts readable in a way most similar to how they would sound if we were speaking those words ourselves.

Language is constantly changing, with new slang and word usages and even just brand new words that were created to identify recently invented or popularized objects, games, TV shows, acts, and many other things as well. Because of this, it is not necessarily fair for someone to say that someone else is speaking 'incorrectly' simply because it is different. 

As many linguists have identified, standard American English is not the "correct" way of speaking, but rather only one type of english. There is African American English, British English, and many other types of english that are valid languages spoken in a variety of places around the world with different terms and ways of spelling the same words.

I know that I have a certain way of speaking myself, which changes depending on the environment I'm in. At school I do not tend to use my personal way of speaking, but try to keep it more academic and appropriate for the environment, as I am not with my friend or family but in public. In a school or work setting people want to be treated with respect, and that will not happen if they break certain boundaries, such as using too much profanity or speaking in such a way that your teacher and/or peers can no longer understand what you're saying because there is so much personal slang involved.

Personally, when I am at home I shorten half of my words so I am only pronouncing the first one or two syllables. If I did that at school I am pretty sure people would think there was something wrong with me and be confused about what I was trying to say, but at home I am with my friends and family and they understand what kinds of things I say and the meaning and context behind them.

In a professional environment it is safest to stick to common expressions recognized by most age, racial, and cultural groups and keep standard American English grammar errors to a minimum when speaking. Just because someone uses made up words and slang at home or with their friends definitely does not mean that he or she does not know standard American English, but rather that the individual understands the parameters in which it is necessary and appropriate to use.