Allen Reading Response

Before You Read

2. I do know professional writers have to go through the same processes that normal writers have to go through, but I think professional writers add their own "steps" in as well. I definitely know that professional writing is not easy, its very hard! Its hard because they have the "professional" expectation. And if they accidentally plagiarize they will "Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go and do not collect $200."

Summary

In the reading "The Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer" Allen compares professional writers to normal writers, such as college students. Allen's purpose is to prove those who think professionals have it easy wrong. Allen explains how professional and scholarly writers also have writers block and forget to add certain things and so on, just like normal people do. Her point is that everyone has room to improve their writing. 

Synthesis

This article is explaining that professionals too have problems with writing. Berkenkotter and Murray may agree with this, but Murray does not want writers to copy his way of writing. He wants them to find their own writing steps/skills. Allen explains that this is the way others learn how to find their own strategies. 

Questions

2. Allen wants real writers to practice inspired writers skills and strategies to improve their writing. She calls this connection.

3. I think collision is you and the person revising your paper agreeing on the problem that is being revised. I do not think this is plagiarism. I do think your person revising your paper and then you leaving all of there revisions without collision is plagiarism. You are having your paper revised by someone, that doesn't mean they are right. And if someone goes through your paper and fixes things and adds their own sentences without your collision, that is plagiarism.

2. I do agree with Allen that all writing is connection. I think scholars would suggest that everyone can improve and learn. I think they would say writing is something that is always changing and always will.

Thoughts

I thought this reading was very beneficial to people who think/thought professionals had it easy. The truth is that people who become professional writers were normal college students once too, they just tried really had and improved the best they could to get where they are now. And those achieved professional writers are still improving and learning. 

Berkenkotter and Murray Reading Response

Before You Read

2. When I think about it I find that I do have writing rituals. I always have to take brakes in between writing. It could be a multiple of different things such as, eating, watching TV, internet shopping, taking a nap, etc. I think I have to do this because I cannot focus on things for very long.

Summary

In the reading Berkenkotter uses Murray as a test subject. Berkenkotter is doing a study on the way professional writers write, so others can learn from them. In her study she found that Murray does a lot of planning. She found this out because he spoke aloud into a tape recorder while evaluating his topic. Murray did not complete the paper because he thought there wasn't an audience. Murray replies to Berkenkotter's results by saying he would not want anyone to copy his way of writing because every writer needs to discover their own writing strategies.

Synthesis

The reading was a test on Murray to see how professional/scholarly writers go about writing. Murray did have a down fall, and that was that he didn't complete his work. This is proof to Allen's article that professional writers have problems too. Both articles suggest that everyone can improve.

Questions

1. I thought it was interesting that Murray has his wife type his papers for him. I would totally do that because I'm so lazy! I also found it different that he did lots of planning. I plan myself, but I only plan once. I would like to be like Murray in the way that he has many different plannings on the paper. I would like to revise and add more things while I write.

3. Berkenkotter's thoughts on planning and revision changed so much because Murray does them so different from her. Murray does tons of planning and only calls it planning. Berkenkotter does everything in steps, while Murray does all steps in one, planning.

1. I could definitely be a better writer. I take lots of brakes while writing, this is procrastinating. (Sad Face) I start out good by doing research early on, but then totally forget about the project until two or three days before its due. I usually research, then highlight and do my planning while highlighting, then I just write from top to bottom. I usually have my "smart at English friend" review and help me revise. My writing experience isn't very broad. I haven't done very many different writing assignments. I think my level of experience affects my writing habits because in high school the teachers were more lenient and I took advantage of that.

MM. I kind of have a concept map for my planning. I would love to go more in dept with my planning like Murray does, but still stick with separated steps like Berkenkotter.

Thoughts

I thought this reading was very interesting. I liked seeing how professionals write and comparing myself to them. I agree with Murray when he says everyone needs to find their own writing strategies, but I think to find your own way you must first try new things (a.k.a. copying others strategies). I also think its funny when he calls himself a "laboratory rat!" Hahahahaaa..

McCloud and Comics (Video)

McCloud first explains that he is the odd one out of the family. He decided to choose a career in comics. In the video McCloud is trying to convey that comics give out information. That information could be from Ancient Egypt where the Egyptians could be telling us how they live and worship. That information could also be from a writer that is trying to entertain us with a political joke. I learned a lot from the TED video. McCloud touched on the history of comics and how they have evolve: from reading the up and down, reading them left to right, and so on. McCloud also explained that comics are not just on paper anymore. They are on the internet, and the internet has an endless canvas. The ways that the video related to the reading is that in both McCloud is telling us that comics are relayed information. In both the video and reading McCloud explains that we need the words in our comics, we can only use our imagination to a certain extent. At the end of the video (after learning all of these things) the audience and McCloud realize he was not the odd one in the family. he fit right in.

McCloud Reading Response

Before You Read

3. I believe children draw themselves as stick figures 1. because it is easy and 2. because children think that everyone is the same or equal. Stick figures do show the development of children because at a young age everyone thinks everyone is equal. But when children grow up and develop the become self-aware that everyone is not equal. In fact the find out that almost everyone is different from each other. 

Summary

The reading McCloud explains the differences between basic pictures and complex pictures. He uses comic strips not only to keep the readers attention, but to prove his point. When we see a basic picture, such as a comic, we visualize it as whatever we want. We can think up our own background and details and we can see the picture however we want to see it. This keeps us interested. In complex pictures he explains we see all the stuff, so its harder to find the main point and add our own personality to it, unlike in basic pictures.

Synthesis

In this reading McCloud compares pictures, just as Berger did. But McCloud was comparing basic pictures and complex pictures. Berger on the other hand was comparing pictures from different time periods. McCloud's point was that basic pictures let the reader put their own descriptions and characteristics in the picture themselves. They let the reader use their imagination. 

Thoughts

I thought that McCloud's definition of both simple and abstract photos was exactly right. I agree that basic or simple pictures let the reader/viewers mind run free. I believe when the viewer can use their own imagination they stay interested and remember the material. I also agree that abstract or complex photos put too much in the viewers mind, so they can not remember the concept as well. 

Questions

2. McCloud uses the comic book strip to keep the readers interested and to explain the concept in a different way than just in writing. If he would have only used writing he wouldn't have had any examples to prove his points. 

2. I do think more teaching strategies should use more imagery. I think many English and History lessons would benefit from this because they are easily portrayed through photos.  

4. McCloud's definition of a mask makes me think more about myself and others. Someone might be having a horrible day, but smile and hid behind their "mask." You would be able to be aware of the people around you intently if they did not have their "masks." You would then be able to see evey one's emotions through their faces.

Berger Reading Response

Before You Read

1. If I were to draw a woman I would have her facing forward. I would draw her this way because I would want her face to show. She would be the only one in the picture and she would be in a grassy field. The woman in my picture would be dressed in a white dress.

Summary

In the reading Berger talks about women and how they perceive themselves. He particularity talks about women from a time where they took nude pictures to view themselves and have others view them. Berger talks of men that both look at women's appearance and the way she acts in the nude pictures. He also says that women judge themselves in the pictures just as much as the men do. He compared different pictures from different time periods to make his point. Some of the pictures were old European and some were from modern advertising. He explains that women still look at themselves and are looked at in the same way today as in the early century. 

Thoughts

I thought the reading was very interesting. Berger's point was very valid. Women do judge themselves and compare themselves to others. Everything is about appearance to women, such as the clothes we wear and so on. I do believe it is true that both men and women look at the same aspects today as they did in the early century.

Synthesis

The reading compares pictures of women today and in art from the past. It is a lot like how McCloud compares basic and complex pictures. Berger proves that pictures have the same impact on viewers today as they did in the past. Berger's explanation is that men and women still view photos of women the same now as they did throughout history.

Questions

2. Women's pictures have been in advertisements and pop culture for years. Rosie the Riveter in war advertisements and Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe painting are great examples. These pictures are the same in some ways as the nudes described by Berger. Women and men both judged Marilyn Monroe as a sex symbol and a very powerful woman. The descriptions of the nudes were also judged by the way the women was laying or even her facial expression. Our pictures then and now are still the same as they are both still viewed as objects. 

3. The definitions are somewhat different today. Men and women today both like looking good and acting respectful in society. But men and women also both like having power as well. 

3. I do agree that today a woman's position in a picture plays a factor in the way the picture is viewed. Such as if a woman was pictured sitting with her face in her hands. Most would think the woman was sad or frustrated.

MM. I believe it is important to read articles concerned with these things so you have a better understanding of the word and so that you grasp that those words can having different meanings in different situations. In writing the spectator would relate to the author, the viewer would be the audience, and the writing could be art and/or advertisement. 

Video Responses

   #1 - ArticlesPlus-Finding Scholarship

     The video was about researching scholarly articles using AriclesPlus. Scholarly articles are also known as peer reviews and academic articles. The video tells you about what you should look for when researching academic articles. Academic articles need to have a title, authors, an abstract, an introduction, article text, a conclusion, and references or a works cited. When on ArticlesPluse you first search your topic, then you refine your results and update. This will narrow your search. I thought this video was very helpful. I will now have a reliable search engine to use when researching topics. I will be using ArticlesPlus for my future projects in this class. 

#2 - How to Find a Book in Alden Library 

     This video shows you step by step what to do when looking for books on a certain topic. You first go to ALICE Online catalog and search your topic. To narrow your search you must only use the main words of the topic, not a sentence. Once you choose your book, click on it. The books page will show all of the information you need to locate that book. You can either write down the books call number or have the information texted to you. Once you have found the book you can look at the books around it to see if any of them interest you because the books are sorted by subject heading. After you have all of your books you can go to the 2nd or 4th floor to check them out. This video encourages me to use books as research for future papers of mine. I didn't know how to find books before I watched this video. I thought it was very helpful when Chad said not to type a sentence in the search bar because I had always done that and wondered why my findings were not very good. I also thought it was very clever that they had what floor and the directions to get to the book on the website. 

#3 - How to Request a Book from OhioLINK

     In this video you learn how to request books from other schools in case Alden Library doesn't own the book or it is checked out when you need it. You first click on "Search  OhioLINK" from the page of your desired book. Once on OhioLink Library Catalog you look to  see if there are any copies of your desired book around the state of Ohio. If there is a copy all you do is click request, put in the name of your school, log in with your school password, choose a location to pick up the book, and submit. You will get an email when the book has arrived in 3 business days. I thought this video was very good for college students trying to find a certain book. It is very helpful that Alden Library will help you borrow books from other places around Ohio. This is a great tool to use if your desired book is not on campus.

Revised Topic Proposal

Revised Topic Proposal

     A writer should always show their personality through their writing. The personal touch in writing is very important to the reader. The reader can easily connect to the text if the writer puts their own style in the writing. Sometimes writers must first find their personal style; the perfect way to find it is to practice writing on a personal and business level. It is important to find their style of writing because they can then show their confidence through the text. It is more likely that the reader will agree with the argument in the text if they believe the writer is confident. A writer’s style should also always be in their writing because it is important to express themselves in their writing. Expressing themselves through their text is a defining aspect in the writing process.