What/Who is WPA in the WPA Student Learning Outcomes?
First off WPA is Writing Program Administration. The writing program administration is basicly a list of expectations that should be met by every English Composition 2 student after the end of the year. The expectations include from rhetorical knowledge, Critical thinking, reading and writing, processes and knowledge of conventions. In rhetorical knowledge the student is expected to focus on a purpose and use conventions of format. Under critical thinking, reading and writing the student is expected to use writing and reading for learning, thinking and communicating. For processes the student should know that it takes several drafts in order to get the final draft done. Also learn how to critique others and balance out information. And for knowledge of conventions the student is expected to learn common formats for different kinds of texts and control spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Response to Chapters 1 - 3
The reading opens up with the several definitions of rhetoric and then goes into a statement on how important writin is in the four areas of a human being's life (Academic, Personal, Professional and Civic). I also noticed how SIMILAIR the reading is to the WPA reading online how Chapter 1 is broken down by Rhetorical Knowledge, Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing, Writing Processes and Knowledge of Conventions. The chapter closes with writing responsability and writing technologies. Technology is a system of practice that extends human capabilities. The system of writing that we use is actually a technology for extending human thought across time and space.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Extra Credit
Extra Credit Worksheet
Summer 2008
What did you do?
I went to a website called FreeRice.com and defined words. For each definition I match correctly I donate rice for free.
What did you learn?
I learned that there are organizations that want to help stop world hunger and want to help educate the minds of people.
Will you do it again?
Yes, I use freerice.com for my wikis and as a time killer
What did you do?
I went to a website called smithmag.com and made a six word memoir
What did you learn?
I learned that a lot can be said with a small amount of words.
Will you do it again?
Not particularly in my spare time, but I would like to make a challenging poem or story in a certain small amount of words.
What did you do?
I visited the Dali museum
What did you learn?
I learned about Dali’s view on women with his work of art. (A exhibition temporarily set up)
Will you do it again?
Yes, I plan on going again with my family and visitors
What did you do?
I went to youtube.com and found videos that related to my project two.
What did you learn?
That one in ten schools are considered “drop out factories” and that there is not motivational push for Latinos to achieve in high school.
Will you do it again?
I love to search on youtube, but not particularly this topic.
What did you do?
I went to npr.org and listened to the 24 hour online stream.
What did you learn?
About the future of minimum wage in the United States on how it plans to rise.
Will you do it again?
I do like to listen to the radio, but not particularly The National Public Radio. I might get more into it when I grow up and become more interested in the world news.
What did you do?
I opened a refworks account online and created folders of stuff I am interested in such as art and graphic design
What did you learn?
I learned that I can find several resources in any area I am interested in and save them so I can view them whenever
Will you do it again?
Yes, I will probably use this during college
Summer 2008
What did you do?
I went to a website called FreeRice.com and defined words. For each definition I match correctly I donate rice for free.
What did you learn?
I learned that there are organizations that want to help stop world hunger and want to help educate the minds of people.
Will you do it again?
Yes, I use freerice.com for my wikis and as a time killer
What did you do?
I went to a website called smithmag.com and made a six word memoir
What did you learn?
I learned that a lot can be said with a small amount of words.
Will you do it again?
Not particularly in my spare time, but I would like to make a challenging poem or story in a certain small amount of words.
What did you do?
I visited the Dali museum
What did you learn?
I learned about Dali’s view on women with his work of art. (A exhibition temporarily set up)
Will you do it again?
Yes, I plan on going again with my family and visitors
What did you do?
I went to youtube.com and found videos that related to my project two.
What did you learn?
That one in ten schools are considered “drop out factories” and that there is not motivational push for Latinos to achieve in high school.
Will you do it again?
I love to search on youtube, but not particularly this topic.
What did you do?
I went to npr.org and listened to the 24 hour online stream.
What did you learn?
About the future of minimum wage in the United States on how it plans to rise.
Will you do it again?
I do like to listen to the radio, but not particularly The National Public Radio. I might get more into it when I grow up and become more interested in the world news.
What did you do?
I opened a refworks account online and created folders of stuff I am interested in such as art and graphic design
What did you learn?
I learned that I can find several resources in any area I am interested in and save them so I can view them whenever
Will you do it again?
Yes, I will probably use this during college
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Issue
The issue I am concerned about is that our R.A. on our floor blamed my room mate and me and the people who live in front of us for attempting robbery and breaking and entering into her dorm. A police officer came and I decided to write a statement saying I had no idea what happened I believe my R.A. is responsible and should get in trouble with Brian since she made such a large mis judge on us and have reason to suspect us. I still wonder why she would blame us, but it shows that she clearly doesn't really like us or think we are on to something.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Knowledge or Information
Knowledge or Information
Archie Zariski opens his article by stating that Professor Hibbitts has convinced him that obstacles of self publication can be overcome with out to much difficulty. But there were some doubts Archie still had about the "knowledge of networks" through the technical and theoretical perspective. Archie makes the point on how one must learn by actually conversing with another person to actually learn material. Archie does not deny the statements of Hibbitts but does state that it will be a different world as known today on his approach.
In the Basement of Ivory Tower
First off I will like to point is that I enjoyed and understood this reading so much more than Archie's article. I barely understood what happened in the article by Archie but I and clearly get the message in Professor X's article. He explains how he fails 7 out of 15 students in his two courses that he teaches, English Comp 101 and 102. Being a very strict grader on his students he waits each time to see if the College will contact him about all the students he is failing but they never do. Professor X takes an example from a student named "Mrs L", a student in her 40's who has never interacted with a computer before. She realized that she couldn't do the research asignment because she kept thinking in a high school paper mentality. Professor X knew that he was going to fail her the first day in the library when he saw how difficult it was for her to pick a topic and use a computer. It troubles in the mentality of the Professor to fail some one who is trying to live the dream, go back to school in a late age to get a diploma.
When I finished reading this I noticed that I really enjoyed Professor X's article so much more than Archies. I found it easier to read and thought a lot about it to, there is a lot of philsophy behind this article in how a teacher must to their job. This teacher simply grades the papers according to College standards and ends up failing 7 out of 15 students.
1) Why do you take such a strong approach on grading papers?
2) Do you get into arguements with your students about your grading system?
3) For the students who fail multiple of times, do they eventually pass the class?
Archie Zariski opens his article by stating that Professor Hibbitts has convinced him that obstacles of self publication can be overcome with out to much difficulty. But there were some doubts Archie still had about the "knowledge of networks" through the technical and theoretical perspective. Archie makes the point on how one must learn by actually conversing with another person to actually learn material. Archie does not deny the statements of Hibbitts but does state that it will be a different world as known today on his approach.
In the Basement of Ivory Tower
First off I will like to point is that I enjoyed and understood this reading so much more than Archie's article. I barely understood what happened in the article by Archie but I and clearly get the message in Professor X's article. He explains how he fails 7 out of 15 students in his two courses that he teaches, English Comp 101 and 102. Being a very strict grader on his students he waits each time to see if the College will contact him about all the students he is failing but they never do. Professor X takes an example from a student named "Mrs L", a student in her 40's who has never interacted with a computer before. She realized that she couldn't do the research asignment because she kept thinking in a high school paper mentality. Professor X knew that he was going to fail her the first day in the library when he saw how difficult it was for her to pick a topic and use a computer. It troubles in the mentality of the Professor to fail some one who is trying to live the dream, go back to school in a late age to get a diploma.
When I finished reading this I noticed that I really enjoyed Professor X's article so much more than Archies. I found it easier to read and thought a lot about it to, there is a lot of philsophy behind this article in how a teacher must to their job. This teacher simply grades the papers according to College standards and ends up failing 7 out of 15 students.
1) Why do you take such a strong approach on grading papers?
2) Do you get into arguements with your students about your grading system?
3) For the students who fail multiple of times, do they eventually pass the class?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
letter to editor
Dear Editor
When you state that 35.4% of Latinos fail to earn diplomas and point out the false excuse of “well, what can you expect from inner-cit schools? Those poor, minority kids just can’t or won’t do the work” As much as I agree that it is a false excuse and I believe that there should be a solution attempt in providing the future of Hispanics with more graduates, I do believe that there is a lack of motivation in the Latino community. So by stating that they won’t do the work, I wouldn’t call it a full false excuse.
Then when you state that there is no big mystery to why kids drop out, you list all these reasons in which I agree completely. There are so many reasons why kids drop out, but you conclude the paragraph by saying that they are lured by gangs, which is one of my main points in my research paper, and I believe that’s the main reason why so many Latino kids are dropping out.
Sincerely Danny McDonald
When you state that 35.4% of Latinos fail to earn diplomas and point out the false excuse of “well, what can you expect from inner-cit schools? Those poor, minority kids just can’t or won’t do the work” As much as I agree that it is a false excuse and I believe that there should be a solution attempt in providing the future of Hispanics with more graduates, I do believe that there is a lack of motivation in the Latino community. So by stating that they won’t do the work, I wouldn’t call it a full false excuse.
Then when you state that there is no big mystery to why kids drop out, you list all these reasons in which I agree completely. There are so many reasons why kids drop out, but you conclude the paragraph by saying that they are lured by gangs, which is one of my main points in my research paper, and I believe that’s the main reason why so many Latino kids are dropping out.
Sincerely Danny McDonald
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Los Angeles Times: Stopping the Dropouts
Los Angeles Times
July 19, 2008 Saturday
Home Edition
Stopping the dropouts;
State statistics should boost efforts to reduce the number of students who quit before graduation.
SECTION: MAIN NEWS; Editorial pages Desk; Part A; Pg. 18
LENGTH: 591 words
It wasn't true, what the critics said about half the students in Los Angeles Unified School District dropping out. One in three do. The first state database to count dropouts in a more realistic way revealed this week that although the district's numbers weren't as bad as feared, neither were they statistics to inspire a happy dance.
L.A. Unified is finally taking meaningful measures to keep kids in school, a formidable task. But how did we get to this place? By ignoring our dropouts with great thoroughness for many years and even by covering up their existence. If researchers questioned the high numbers of youngsters leaving inner-city schools, district administrators would respond that this mostly reflected families who had moved away.
The district does in fact have an alarmingly high mobility rate -- each year, 27% of its students move -- but until this week there was no regular system in place to track where the missing had gone. It didn't help that both the state and federal departments of education paid most of their attention to test scores and very little to dropout rates. In fact, a school could look better under the No Child Left Behind Act by having its low achievers leave.
As a result, dropout rates at some Los Angeles schools don't just reach half, they go beyond. Nearly 60% of the students at Jefferson High leave without diplomas. But L.A. Unified is hardly the only district in the county where dropout rates exceed the statewide number of 24.2%. The new database lists Inglewood Unified as having a 43.9% dropout rate, Compton Unified at 43.3% and Lynwood Unified at a whopping 49.5%.
Throughout California, black and Latino youngsters have higher dropout rates, and that's reflected in L.A. Unified as well, where 35.4% of Latinos and 40.2% of African Americans fail to earn diplomas. Numbers like that lead to such false excuses as, "Well, what can you expect from inner-city schools? Those poor, minority kids just can't or won't do the work."
Then what to make of Santa Ana Unified, where 92% of the students are Latino, many of them from impoverished families, yet the dropout rate is 9.1%? It's worth noting that, in L.A. Unified, the dropout rate for white students is more than twice that high.
There's no big mystery to why kids drop out. They fall behind in their studies to the point where catching up seems hopeless. They feel stupid, and even dropping out seems better than being reminded daily of their stupidity. Their schools are chaotic, even dangerous. They fall into a habit of truancy that no one helps them break. They are lured by gangs or are overwhelmed by financial and personal problems.
Under Supt. David L. Brewer, Los Angeles schools had begun contacting apparent dropouts, trying to coax them back into the classroom. Now, Senior Deputy Supt. Ramon C. Cortines is mapping a more comprehensive intervention. Schools would receive financial incentives for raising attendance -- something the district could afford because it gets more money from the state for each day students are in class. By the end of the first grading period, ninth-grade teachers would have to report on failing students and provide an immediate remediation plan. Schools themselves would get regular report cards based not only on their test scores but on such factors as whether students feel safe.
Most important, the state each year will reveal and refine the dropout data. Just as the No Child Left Behind Act led to major reforms in urban education, so should putting these bleak numbers before the public eye.
July 19, 2008 Saturday
Home Edition
Stopping the dropouts;
State statistics should boost efforts to reduce the number of students who quit before graduation.
SECTION: MAIN NEWS; Editorial pages Desk; Part A; Pg. 18
LENGTH: 591 words
It wasn't true, what the critics said about half the students in Los Angeles Unified School District dropping out. One in three do. The first state database to count dropouts in a more realistic way revealed this week that although the district's numbers weren't as bad as feared, neither were they statistics to inspire a happy dance.
L.A. Unified is finally taking meaningful measures to keep kids in school, a formidable task. But how did we get to this place? By ignoring our dropouts with great thoroughness for many years and even by covering up their existence. If researchers questioned the high numbers of youngsters leaving inner-city schools, district administrators would respond that this mostly reflected families who had moved away.
The district does in fact have an alarmingly high mobility rate -- each year, 27% of its students move -- but until this week there was no regular system in place to track where the missing had gone. It didn't help that both the state and federal departments of education paid most of their attention to test scores and very little to dropout rates. In fact, a school could look better under the No Child Left Behind Act by having its low achievers leave.
As a result, dropout rates at some Los Angeles schools don't just reach half, they go beyond. Nearly 60% of the students at Jefferson High leave without diplomas. But L.A. Unified is hardly the only district in the county where dropout rates exceed the statewide number of 24.2%. The new database lists Inglewood Unified as having a 43.9% dropout rate, Compton Unified at 43.3% and Lynwood Unified at a whopping 49.5%.
Throughout California, black and Latino youngsters have higher dropout rates, and that's reflected in L.A. Unified as well, where 35.4% of Latinos and 40.2% of African Americans fail to earn diplomas. Numbers like that lead to such false excuses as, "Well, what can you expect from inner-city schools? Those poor, minority kids just can't or won't do the work."
Then what to make of Santa Ana Unified, where 92% of the students are Latino, many of them from impoverished families, yet the dropout rate is 9.1%? It's worth noting that, in L.A. Unified, the dropout rate for white students is more than twice that high.
There's no big mystery to why kids drop out. They fall behind in their studies to the point where catching up seems hopeless. They feel stupid, and even dropping out seems better than being reminded daily of their stupidity. Their schools are chaotic, even dangerous. They fall into a habit of truancy that no one helps them break. They are lured by gangs or are overwhelmed by financial and personal problems.
Under Supt. David L. Brewer, Los Angeles schools had begun contacting apparent dropouts, trying to coax them back into the classroom. Now, Senior Deputy Supt. Ramon C. Cortines is mapping a more comprehensive intervention. Schools would receive financial incentives for raising attendance -- something the district could afford because it gets more money from the state for each day students are in class. By the end of the first grading period, ninth-grade teachers would have to report on failing students and provide an immediate remediation plan. Schools themselves would get regular report cards based not only on their test scores but on such factors as whether students feel safe.
Most important, the state each year will reveal and refine the dropout data. Just as the No Child Left Behind Act led to major reforms in urban education, so should putting these bleak numbers before the public eye.
Media and Risky Behaviors
Soledad Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig A. Anderson immediatly state two points, one is that the United States youth is spending to much time with electronics daily and that they can lead to unhealthy behaviors that can lead to societal costs.
As they state that "health risk behaviors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—obesity, smoking, drinking, sexual risk taking, and violence" can occur from the the activity from over use of electronic devices.
The article takes each risk behavior into its own category and explain individually in detail how the risk behavior plays its role in the addiction to electronics. Obesity has a large section portion identifiying that part of the reason that obesity has reached its climax internationally is because of the amount of electronics that get played daily and the amount of advertising for un-healthy foods. Through out the article there are also large quotes to give an effect of the point that they are trying to express. Obesity has its own links through each kind of electronic addiction, from video games, movies and the internet. Obesity is making its impact due to the amount of food that adolescants are eating and to the fact that they are not getting enough exercise. The article then takes a shift in how adolescants are the largest amount of new smokers to smoking.
"Many studies provide clear and strong evidence that youth are more susceptible to viewing smoking favorably and to becoming smokers as a result of exposure to smoking in the media."
After the impact on how smoking is largely inspired by the media, the artcle takes another shift into how adolescants are getting addicted to alcohol. The most common advertised drug on the media that seems to be making a large impact onto adolescant society is alcohol. After the commentary on alcohol the article takes another shift into the amount of sexual intercourse that is occuring in the adolescant society. Sexual influence is inspired everywhere in media this day, from advertising alcohol to soda. "Virtually no attention has been given to the ways in which the sexual content of advertising may shape adolescent sexual behavior."
After the impact on how sexual intercourse has largely increased in the adolescant society, the next shift is into adolescant violence showing the largest statistics in the article so far. Youth violence resulting in death or injuries has a direct and indirect cost of $158 billion a year. Media exposure has shown violence inspired from movies, advertisements and most of all video games. The article shows that there is a percentage of adolescants playing video over 15 hours of video games per week. Television and movie violence has been one of the most common types of films and shows to be shown on TV and for the public to buy. There is studies that violent games leads to violent behavior. "Despite many reports that exposure to violent media is a causal risk factor, the U.S. public remains largely unaware of these risks, and youth exposure to violent media remains extremely high."
The article concludes by expressing that media has a very high influence on the behavior of adolescants in American society. All the behaviors were covered with percentage in how they are increasing per year. A solution that the article ends with is stating that studies have shown that positive behavior that is played or shown can influence positive behavior. So a shift in channeling more positive behavior can be looked upon as a solution.
Is That Just Some Game? No, It’s a Cultural Artifact
Heather Chaplin
The history of video games impressed me in how it can be perserved and cherished more instead of being violated to be shut down. I noticed some of the games there that created its name in history such as Warcraft being the first real time strategy game. Video games is a sign of the advancement in technology this day to the technology of the world. Mr. Lowood has a passion and pride to the advancement of video games and wants to protect it by avoiding emulators to steal the games and have them played for free on the internet.
As they state that "health risk behaviors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—obesity, smoking, drinking, sexual risk taking, and violence" can occur from the the activity from over use of electronic devices.
The article takes each risk behavior into its own category and explain individually in detail how the risk behavior plays its role in the addiction to electronics. Obesity has a large section portion identifiying that part of the reason that obesity has reached its climax internationally is because of the amount of electronics that get played daily and the amount of advertising for un-healthy foods. Through out the article there are also large quotes to give an effect of the point that they are trying to express. Obesity has its own links through each kind of electronic addiction, from video games, movies and the internet. Obesity is making its impact due to the amount of food that adolescants are eating and to the fact that they are not getting enough exercise. The article then takes a shift in how adolescants are the largest amount of new smokers to smoking.
"Many studies provide clear and strong evidence that youth are more susceptible to viewing smoking favorably and to becoming smokers as a result of exposure to smoking in the media."
After the impact on how smoking is largely inspired by the media, the artcle takes another shift into how adolescants are getting addicted to alcohol. The most common advertised drug on the media that seems to be making a large impact onto adolescant society is alcohol. After the commentary on alcohol the article takes another shift into the amount of sexual intercourse that is occuring in the adolescant society. Sexual influence is inspired everywhere in media this day, from advertising alcohol to soda. "Virtually no attention has been given to the ways in which the sexual content of advertising may shape adolescent sexual behavior."
After the impact on how sexual intercourse has largely increased in the adolescant society, the next shift is into adolescant violence showing the largest statistics in the article so far. Youth violence resulting in death or injuries has a direct and indirect cost of $158 billion a year. Media exposure has shown violence inspired from movies, advertisements and most of all video games. The article shows that there is a percentage of adolescants playing video over 15 hours of video games per week. Television and movie violence has been one of the most common types of films and shows to be shown on TV and for the public to buy. There is studies that violent games leads to violent behavior. "Despite many reports that exposure to violent media is a causal risk factor, the U.S. public remains largely unaware of these risks, and youth exposure to violent media remains extremely high."
The article concludes by expressing that media has a very high influence on the behavior of adolescants in American society. All the behaviors were covered with percentage in how they are increasing per year. A solution that the article ends with is stating that studies have shown that positive behavior that is played or shown can influence positive behavior. So a shift in channeling more positive behavior can be looked upon as a solution.
Is That Just Some Game? No, It’s a Cultural Artifact
Heather Chaplin
The history of video games impressed me in how it can be perserved and cherished more instead of being violated to be shut down. I noticed some of the games there that created its name in history such as Warcraft being the first real time strategy game. Video games is a sign of the advancement in technology this day to the technology of the world. Mr. Lowood has a passion and pride to the advancement of video games and wants to protect it by avoiding emulators to steal the games and have them played for free on the internet.
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