Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Kerry Dirk. “Navigating Genres.” Published 2010. 262 pages.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	Dirk illustrates the true meaning of genre by comparing writing to music genres. Dirk starts her introduction by discussing country music stereotypes. He suggests that country songs are mainly about love, patriotism, politics, and depression but, she asks the question of, “If I wanted to write that didn’t do any of the above things, would it still be a country song?” (Dirk 3). He relates this example to thesis statements by saying, “every thesis statement should introduce three points of discussion” (Dirk 11).
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	N/A
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	This reading connects to a lot of things we have covered in class about strong thesis statements and introductions because this is what makes your paper interesting and draws the reader in. The contents of your introduction reflect how your paper is going to be.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	How can i specifically make improvements to my genre when writing a paper?

 

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Gita DasBender. “Critical Thinking In College Writing: From Personal to the Academic”. Published 2011. 50 pages.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	Gita DasBender writes in her chapter about how to define critical thinking for first-year writer; explaining a process to help them read, write, and think. She includes focus on Anne Dillard’s essay, “Living Like Weasels”, explaining how it can teach students how to read carefully to gather ideas, analyze and identify key points in the text, and to synthesize the arguments and observations. The chapter also guides students on how to move from a personal response to a formal one, helping with academic writing as it states in DasBender’s title. She also provides an annotated essay as a student’s guide to a strong text and how to approach it critically and engage with other’s ideas to develop your own perspective and own reasoning.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	N/A
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	This reading connects to the other articles we have read in Writing 101 last year as we focus on critical thinking throughout the semester as we incorporate it into our writing. As we approach different ways of writing through podcasts, projects, slideshows, and essays. Also with the help of peer reviews to help correct our writing and others can input their opinion on our writing or issue we are writing about.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	What does “mindlessness” mean in this context?

 

Ann Johns mainly focuses on academic discourse communities in her writing. Her main idea is her own ideas and thoughts of her discourse community, which is academic’s. she uses evidence from other authors to explain the community of academia. She introduces the term “communities of practice” and defines this as a collection of people in the same community. She explains communities and membership. An example of this would be cultural communities that may include religious, tribal, social, or economic experiences that “may be central to an individual’s daily life”. Johns’ goal is to get students to move away from a certain academic community that they have on campus and extend the communities in order to get to know a person. Learn a person’s goals, experiences, such things that shape their lives or have impacted them. She thus explains the different communities one may be apart of; social, political, and recreational communities, professional communities, academic communities, and language, texts, and values communities. I am a member of the republican party for political communities, I am apart of the basketball players in recreational communities, I am a student apart of the professional communities, I am apart of the pre-law program for the academic communities, and I am apart of the English speaking portion of the world for the language communities.

I think to be defined as a writer, you must read a lot, analyze, and enjoy writing. I  think defined writers must have certain characteristics. A writer should be well-spoken and read, critical, imaginative, creative, disciplined. I wouldn’t necessarily define myself as a writer but if I were to do so, I would say I am very well-spoken, articulate, and thoughtful. I think I have a good ability to analyze things and emotions/feelings. My mother has always said I’m articulate and express myself and my feelings very well. I’m thoughtful and always think of others and consider things before I do them or how they may affect another person. As a writer, I’m very personal and relatable. I enjoy writing non-fiction and real things/events. I like to be personable. Google’s definition of a writer is, “a person who writes books, stories, or articles as a job or regular occupation”. And Wikipedia defines a writer as “a person who uses written words in different styles and techniques to communicate ideas”. I don’t believe we as a society are able to define and judge one person as a writer and another not a writer. I believe everyone is a writer in their own way. Some publish and some don’t.

 

My favorite commercial is the “Jake from State Farm” Ad: https://youtu.be/47cAxRX3aDg 

 

State Farm is a large group of insurance companies throughout the United States. They offer bundle insurance and coverage. For home, auto, and life. State Farm’s slogans are: “Here to help life go right” and “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there” (secondary). The scene of this commercial is of a man on the phone with someone at 3 AM in his living room. He says “Really? You’d do that for me?” and “that sounds like a really good deal”, as his wife comes downstairs and asks who is talking to. He proceeds to tell her its “Jake from State Farm”. Based on his words he said to the person on the phone and the time of night it is, she doesn’t believe him. As a viewer, we can assume that her thoughts are that he’s talking to a woman because she takes the phone from him and asks the person “Who is this? What are you wearing Jake from State Farm”? A man responds and says “Uh, Khakis”. She turns to her husband and says, “She sounds hideous” and he responds back with “well she’s a guy so..”. The commercial ends with bold subtitles reading “Savings. Even at 3 AM”. State Farm is an insurance company. All of their ads relate to their claim that they are very reliable and have great customer service. The purpose of this ad was to show that. State Farm is a reliable company and is here to assist its customers. By showing the man on the phone at 3 AM with a State Farm employee, it shows that no matter what time of day it is, State Farm offers its services. They are prideful and confident in their company’s purpose and slogans. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”, it is 3 AM and State Farm is there to offer you a deal in coverage, savings and answer any questions along the way. They have reviews of being a perfectly fine company for different types of insurance. This is a memorable commercial for me because it draws the viewers in by making us wonder who the man really is talking to. We become just as curious as his wife and it doesn’t necessarily give away what company or service this commercial is for. Not right away and it intrigues viewers. It also adds comedy, relating to the wife assuming it’s a woman on the other end of the phone when it is really a State Farm agent. This is also why it is my favorite commercial.

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	“Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother With Logic?” By Rebecca Jones
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	The word “argument” is often used as a negative term in society but it is viewed as a positive thing in writing. We often used Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in high school papers to use ethical reasoning and feeling. Jones talks about deductive reasoning, which is a conclusion based on multiple premises that are generally assumed to be true. Different arguments give different reasoning. Whichever is appropriate to use when persuading a reader. Jones argues that a good argument should “see all angles of the issue” and “find common ground”, in order to have a solution to the problem. She also discusses the way to appeal to a certain audience through “ethical appeal”. The right advertising and convincing to a person’s idea. Jones’ purpose of this article is to know which direction to go when creating an argument. Knowing all sides and aspects to an issue and then methods to support that argument– the “appeals”.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	-fallacies -fallacious -Isocrates -syllogism –
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	N/A
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	How did the word “argument” differ so drastically from the meaning of the word in english and the word in writing?

1. Adverse Childhood Experiences are types of neglect and abuse including parental mental illness, substance, and alcohol abuse. May include divorce, abuse, domestic violence, and incarnation of a parent. Toxic stresses are the response when the child has experienced this neglect and abuse “such as physical and or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship- without adequate adult support”. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/#:~:text=Toxic%20stress%20response%20can%20occur%20when%20a%20child,burdens%20of%20family%20economic%20hardship%E2%80%94without%20adequate%20adult%20support.)
2. Adversities such as poverty, racism, and violence can affect the way a child grows up because of trauma. Trauma can affect a child’s development by their functions of thinking and perspective of the world. It may affect fundamental development in areas of language, mobility, physical and social skills, and managing emotions. May cause a decrease in their ability to learn at a fast pace or a child may be recommended treatment or therapy. It may lead to depression, anxiety, and, stress.
3. Since trauma and ACEs can affect a child’s development in the function of language, it may also affect their speech and language of writing.

1. Through research and help from her high school friends, Dr. Mona discovered that there were high levels of lead in residents’ homes. She also used hospital electronic medical records as data for her study. Dr.Mona saved lives by furthering her investigation with the effects the Flint, Michigan tap water had on people’s health. She also had helped the lives of people who were sick, easy access to the hospital in which she worked. Flint was a poor city and struggling. She worked there anyway and didn’t leave the city because she cared about helping the people of Flint.
2. My freshman year of high school, I was being bullied by a girl who was a year older than me. She had transferred that year and was new to the high school. She had a lot of friends already because she had a sister who already went to the school and cousins. There was tension between us because she was a sophomore on the JV girls basketball team and me and my best friend, Jordyn were freshmen on varsity. She had made several comments to us about how we didn’t deserve to b on the varsity team and how we probably wouldn’t play (she was wrong). She had a personal vendetta against me and went to social media and began making posts about me. Her, her sister and friends were posting things on their stories saying they were going to beat me up. As a freshman, I didn’t know what to do so I told my mom. A few days after, they continued. Until, my mom finally came to my school and told the assistant principal. Without me making it known to my mom, she wouldn’t have had it addressed the way it did. The bullying would’ve gotten worse.
3. To make the world a safe and better place, you could simply do personal hygiene, right now in the world, wear a mask, use hand sanitizer, social distance, recycle, not litter, etc. Simple things to help from making others sick and help the world from dying.

Literacy Sponsorship

Since I was little, literacy has been a part of my life. Of course, at a young age, I didn’t realize it. My mother was and still is very religious. It was taught to me that reading your bible and praying every night was important and almost essential for a child of God and follower of Christ. It became repetition and when I was old enough to read on my own, I read my bible till I fell asleep. My mother also read books of my choice. Disney princesses, Dr. Suess, “The very hungry caterpillar”, “A bad case of Stripes”, and so many more. I attended Cason Lane Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee from grades K-4th. The emphasis on learning by reading was big at my school. My teachers taught me that reading grew your knowledge and ability with words. Reading helped writing. As a first-grader, I always hoped my mom gave me enough money for the book fair (she never did). Still excited about all the endless possibilities and anxious for my class’ time slot, the book fair tempted us kids and personally, made me want all of the books there. I don’t know if I can say I have that same desire for books now but I try. My interests in books have changed, my knowledge from literature has expanded, and my ability to write with literary devices has peaked.

My familiarity with literature began in middle school. Major papers, essays, journals, narratives. My experience with literature, however, began with my mother. This classifies her as my first literacy sponsor. Deborah Brandt defines sponsor of literacy as “any agents, local or distant… who enable, support, teach, model as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy” (Brandt 73). When I was young, it was always a book presented to me and as I grew, I noticed the importance of literature through my mother’s work. She worked as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, including as the emergency department nurse manager for the Choctaw Health Center in Choctaw, Mississippi. Prior to her health care career, my mother worked as a detention officer for the Choctaw Police Department and as a Native Youth summer counselor in the Youth Opportunity Program for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. All the while she had a one-year-old, working two jobs and going to school. My mother holds an associate degree in nursing from Meridian Community College, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Vanderbilt University. She is now the Nashville Area Director for a government agency called Indian Health Service (IHS), serving 36 tribes from the Northern Woodlands (Maine) to the Everglades (Florida) to the Gulf Coast (Texas). IHS is a federal healthcare provider for American Indians and 3 Urban Indian healthcare programs located in Baltimore, Boston, and New York. As a part of her job description, Dr. Cotton writes policies, procedures, grants, and budget allocations for tribes monthly. I have seen first hand how much literature takes place in a job like that. It takes a lot of writing skills to provide leadership of a comprehensive federal, tribal, and urban Indian healthcare system. With a background in nursing, she had to learn the different varieties of language to use. As a nurse, it’s essential to learn “Standardized Nursing Language” (SNL): “a commonly-understood set of terms used to describe the clinical judgments involved in assessments (nursing diagnoses), along with the interventions, and the outcomes related to the documentation of nursing care”

(kb.nanda.org).

The high school journey through literacy was four rough years of learning how to utilize my resources, cite, use of diction, ideas, themes, language, grammar, and style. Filling me with knowledge and new tools to write my own story and prepare me for the next level of writing. I distinctly remember sophomore year of English class, I was introduced to Greek mythology, the elegant language of Shakespeare, different styles of writing, and presentation. It was most useful when writing personal narratives. Those were my favorites. Capable to share my stories and experiences of life with others was the peak of my writing ability.

With this literacy experience from my mother highlighted throughout my childhood, I am grateful for the resources I had and have. With the struggles through my literacy journey, I feel as though college will give me that literacy freedom we all long for. The ability to express my thoughts, thinking, and experiences through literature is a big accomplishment and my journey isn’t over. I will continue to grow and learn. For me, literacy is a way of identifying and relating myself to others as a necessity for my future occupation and life. Literacy holds power.

 

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	“What is literacy”? Of James Paul Gee
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	My initial reaction to Gee’s article was surprised with his definition of “disclosure”. He wants others to think of disclosure as, in his words, an “identity kit”. Think of it as something that gives you instructions on how to talk, speak, write and act. Gee’s informational youtube video helped me understand his message more. He is trying to advance the educational world by informing educators on the new possibilities of teaching. He uses video games as an example. He is apart of the older generation, the baby boomer generation, so he suggests that they don’t understand the world of technology and video games. The world of digital media is advancing and Gee suggests that digital media works like books and from what we know and learn, we can use. Gee didn’t know how to play a certain game so he read the manual. He then tells us how he played the game ”terribly” but, eventually he understood the game, looked back at the manual and couldn’t comprehend it anymore. Educators should either use digital media as a tool for better learning or improve their teachings to make learning more efficient and fun for kids to understand. Gee stated he couldn’t understand the manual after playing the game because he saw “an image, an action, an experience, a goal, a dialog” that fit the words in the manual. In other words, visual aid made possible by digital media and in particular, video games, can help allow kids to enjoy learning in new ways.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	-hierarchical -instantiate -trivialize
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	It relates to a lot of the other readings we’ve read in class because it all relates to the different ways to improve learning.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	How would one specifically use disclosure in a modern way to learn?