While writing this paper, I was pushed to look for and obtain the information and sources needed to complete this paper, which somewhat improved my research skills since the sources were not provided for me or weren’t coming from one particular source. Over time, I have noticed that I tend to rely upon my ideas to complete a paper because this is what was required from me in terms of previous reports in high school. Now that I am in college with different professors and different writing requirements, I have to learn a different writing style. This is hard, but it is also a challenge I am continuously pushing to take head-on. I think the most stressful part of doing this essay was feeling defeated. Even though my work was fine, I was still my own worst critic and doubted myself and my work. Which, in the end, was causing me to be stressed and upset. In order to overcome this feeling, I just continued to push through and keep working until I was happy with my work, and in the end, it paid off and worked in my favor. I would probably write about a different topic. I wrote about online school because, at the moment, it fits well, but there are other topics that I would like to explore further. Regarding what I would change with what I did, I probably would have explored different points that I discovered about online school. For the process, I would have mapped out what I was going to do more and make it to where my decisions about what to write were already made.
Argumentative Paper Reflection
The first thing I have learned is that an argumentative paper is more about getting one’s point across with supporting evidence than proving that one’s argument is correct or the truth. Even though this may appeal to others, I think of fighting, yelling, and overpowering when I see argument or argumentative. In terms of papers, this is not the case; one must prove their point without bashing or attacking the opposing side. With the topic of questioning the helpfulness of online school, I have discovered that I am not the only one who feels that online school has caused more harm than good in terms of mental, physical, and so many more aspects. Not only was this discovery beneficial to my research but also to me as well. It has resulted in me feeling less alone and singled out during these difficult times. The only problems I would say I am facing are structure and embedding my sources within my papers. As I continue working on my writing, the structure is coming together, and besides, when I get to a stopping point within my draft, I will send it to my teacher and peers so they may provide any additional pointers.
For Argument’s Sake Ted Talk Reflection
When it comes to Choen’s central claim, I would say it is by losing an argument you are really winning because, in the end, you are learning something new. In order to get his idea across, he first refers to himself by stating that he became better at arguing but still loses, then he goes on to question what we win and loses from arguing and what is the point of it. He also asks if trying to get someone to go against what they believe is a good thing. In addition to this, he discusses the War of Metaphor, where he talks about how one can gain through loss, and he encourages us to question if we can find new ways of arguing or perhaps find new types of “ arguers.” When it comes to questions, I would ask as a counter argument I would question if losing is a good thing if the opposing side gains no knowledge from your prospective because another gain in terms of arguing would be educating the opposite side. Then, in addition to that, can one not learn and win in the same instance does losing have to be associated with learning if anything isn’t learning a positive gain, so in hindsight, you are winning by gaining knowledge while the opposing side is gaining nothing but cockiness. When it comes to project three, I will be sure to use the arguments of war to figure out how to dominate my argument through my conduct, thinking process, and how I talk about the subject matter. Then, instead of just attacking, I will provide a valid view from which one can learn and gain.
Project #2 Unit Reflection
I think that project two improved my ability to provide evidence and support from the source itself. Instead of just referring to my own ideas, I had to go outside my comfort zone and actually pull information from my Op-Doc and incorporate it into my paper. I think this project showed me that I struggle to provide the reader with a brief description of what the Op-Doc or wherever I’m getting my information from is about. While it is important to incorporate my own ideas, I need to show where my thoughts stimulated and came from. When I was finishing the project, the things that stressed me out the most were frequently asking for help and my paper’s length. It stresses me out when it comes to asking for help because I don’t want to seem like I am too dependent. I’ve always struggled with asking questions or for help because I want to be able to do things on my own account. When it came to the length of my paper in high school, the word count and length requirements were different from college, so I was worried about the execution and length. In order to deal with the stress, I reached out to my teachers and peers to get their opinion on the things I was worried about in terms of my paper. I want to remember that it is crucial to add textualized evidence from my source, such as paraphrasing, quoting, or including summaries to help support my claims and ideas. Not only do I want to remember this for my Epilogue Post but I want to remember this for my future work.
Op-Doc Analysis So Far
One main thing I have learned about analysis is the differentiation it has from an argumentative paper. Instead of fighting for or arguing for one side, you break something down into multiple pieces and draw conclusions from it. In order to do this, I learned to pay attention to what the author or person is trying to say and how they got to this particular viewpoint. In the op-doc I chose, it is about learning how to be alone during quarantine. I learned that even though the circumstances we are in right now are quite a hardship, it is also a significant learning experience. It gives us time to figure out ourselves and what makes us happy.
Most importantly, this is one significant learning experience of not taking the little things for granted. When it comes to struggles sometimes, it may be hard for me to get my thoughts across like I could have the idea in my head but struggle to write it down in words. Besides, it can be hard to correctly analyze the op doc without getting the wrong message across.
Calorie Detective Response
I think the filmmaker has two primary purposes that he is trying to address. The first is that you should not trust everything you see or hear. Secondly, everything is not what it seems, so you should always do additional research of your own. The audience maybe those who track their calories based on information provided at restaurants or at labels and those who are oblivious to the false accuracy of calorie counting. To address ethos, the filmmaker went to a professional to provide substantial evidence on the subject matter of calories. With pathos, he appeals to the audience’s emotion by showing how their hard work to watch their calories is going down the drain because it is inaccurate, which will potentially upset them and make them question their calorie consumption. Lastly, in regards to logos, he draws out a chart to show the logic resulting from his calorie accuracy experimentation. The Calorie Detective and Toys op-docs of war address two different problems as a whole. Calorie Detective talks about and addresses the false information about calories in the foods we are eating. Toy of War addresses and brings notice to the hardships and struggles of those from South Sudan.
Project #1 Unit Reflection
During Project 1 my mentality towards writing completely changed. I focused more on letting my thoughts flow rather than them being planned ahead. In addition I pay close attention to my grammar and punctuation making sure that it is accurate and lacking mistakes. When it comes to weaknesses my 5 paragraph essay method was totally debunked which resulted in me feeling lost and not knowing how to start preparing my paper. The most stressful part of Project 1 was questioning myself. I am usually a sure person when it comes to my writing but in this instance because I was trying a new writing method I was constantly doubting myself and my work. I overcame this by working hard and to the best of my ability, doing this gave a sense of peace knowing I did my best. I was successful in overcoming the stress but was still a little worried about my future grade. In addition I was stressed about not being able to communicate with and learn about different writing styles face to face in class with my teacher but I overcame this by using my writing resources. I will remember what I learned about the debunking of the 5 paragraph essay outline and how true writers let the information flow through them onto paper.
Common Read Thoughts
When reading this book the message that came across was that even in difficult situations you have to stand up and do what is right. I think this concept is very important for college students such as myself to comprehend and understand because in life we will have experiences in which we might need to step up and say something. In What The Eyes Don’t See we see Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha struggle to get the truth out there but she never stopped trying and fighting. One can even see the mental effect this situation had on Dr. Mona when she wasn’t eaten but even through these hardships, she prevailed. I think this overall shows college students that being truthful and fighting for what is right is always the right path to take. It’s not going to be easy and it won’t be fun but at the end of the day, it will be worth it. This book and this story just showcase a demonstration of this process in order to reach a certain audience.
Willingham Response
I think Willingham’s purpose was to show the effects and dangers of multitasking while partaking in activities that require our undivided attention. To get this message across he gives a series of examples and scenarios in which multitasking takes place and potential ramifications that could come from these acts. The audience that is being addressed are those who are not aware of the budding risk and consequences of multitasking during events that require our ultimate focus. Overall this op-ed is both conclusive and persuasive. It presents us with the main idea and lots of support to back it up. Then for those who still may not be convinced, there are examples of circumstances that clearly express and show the dangers of doing multiple activities at once to further get his point across.
Weekly Reflection
When it comes to writing I would say my greatest strength is being able to put my words together in a way that effectively meets the criteria presented to me before hand. In addition my other strength includes diction I work very hard not to be repetitive with my words and to expand my vocabulary throughout my writing. When it comes to weaknesses my greatest one is fragment sentences. Sometimes I fail to notice my incomplete sentences and the effects they have on my paper. In addition I would say the uncertainty of if my paper is just an abundance of words jumbled togehter that fail to get the message across is what causes me the most stress. Then my biggest concern after that is fragment sentences because they tend to drift from the main clause or idea.