The first essay that we wrote in this spring’s 1133 writing class was a text based paper on a topic of interest relevant to Denver, or Colorado as a whole. I chose to write about the current beetle epidemic in the Rocky Mountains. The mountain pine beetle is causing devastating harm to the Majestic Lodgepole Pines. I felt that this topic had validity in the environmental situation in Colorado; there is a growing threat of tragic forest fires because of the increased amount of dead trees. This paper was my first paper of the quarter and I struggled with using my sources to support my own ideas and to establish ethos behind the quotes that I did use. As the quarter progressed I found myself more able to use quotes more effectively.
The intention of this paper is to find whether freshman at the University of Denver use Facebook to keep in touch with friends or as a distraction from their school work. The research I do will hopefully be typical of most freshmen at universities across the United States. I want to see what students think of the influence of Facebook. This is a topic that is relevant in the life of a college student and the world that we live in because we are so absorbed by wireless communities. We are never more than a click away from our emails, Facebook, or Twitter because we are logged in on our phones, laptops, and other forms of technology. The technological advances that have been made are changing the dynamics in the classroom and the distractions that students have to deal with. This generation has to stay focused while these distractions are always present. Since there is no way to escape technology we have to learn to live with it. This qualitative paper was a struggle for me because I had never done anything like it before. In high school I would just write book reports and to actually take my own data and relate it to others and make inferences from my data was a learning experience for me. I found that I achieved a deeper level of understanding of the data representation and improved greatly from my first draft to my last. I found that I was able to quickly transition myself into this type of more scientific writing.
This Google Maps Project was intended to observe and report on Denver’s rhetorical situation. The topic that my group chose to do was to analyze the different purposes and influences that local art has in Denver. There are many examples of public art from graffiti to city sponsored art displays. The Denver Public Art Program was passed in the late 1980s and opened the door for public art in Denver. Any large scale city expansion project is required to spend one percent of their costs on art. This bill has improved the city’s beauty by mandating a focus on art in the development of the city. This bill has led to over 150 public art displays around the metro area. Local art is also expanding into new horizons due to the counter-culture movement. Local artists are being featured in local businesses around the city. This mutualism is growing by blending and expanding industries. Local artists whose art does not fit the style of art galleries or is not meant for the audience that attends art walks would not be given a chance to expand and be influential. The introduction of art into retail businesses allow these artists to get on the map with their productions.
We found that there is a vast range in art around the city so after some concluding we decided to narrow it down to four locations that would summarize the types of art that we were looking to observe. First we examined public art using examples from the Mustang on Pena Boulevard on the way to the Denver International Airport which is generally the first piece of art that any visitor sees upon their arrival at DIA. The second public display of art that we observed was the blue bear that peeks inside of the Colorado Convention Center. The other two sources catered to the other side of local art. We found that there was a connection between local businesses and local artists. We used Division West a store that sells trendy young men’s clothing that also premiers a new local artist every month by using their art to decorate the shop and offers the pieces to their customers. The other location was located downtown which was a high end exotic car dealership named the Motorsports Gallery which sells foreign cars but filled its shop’s walls with art from locals. We analyzed the differences in the types of art that we saw around the city and the different purposes for which they were intended. This project was also something new for me but I felt much more at home while writing than I have in the past. I felt like I was able to relate to the topic and provide useful insight. When gathering research I felt much more attached to this writing and by actually going out into the city I was able to collect a vibe and feel that I successfully explained my reactions to the reader.
Throughout this quarter I feel that my writing improved greatly especially in types of writing that I had not previously experimented with. This class gave me opportunities to expand my realms of writing and to write on topics that I felt were important to the city in which I live. I felt a sense of attachment to the projects that I did because of how they were relative to my place of residence.
Showing posts with label section 29. Show all posts
Showing posts with label section 29. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Olivia Anton Introductory essay
In writing 1133 we composed three very different styles of writing, a text-based, qualitative paper, and a Google Maps. The purpose of these writings was to give us a broad range of styles we can draw from in order to succeed in the up coming years at the
Clear blue skies—not too much to ask for;
They were here before we came;
Will they be here when we're gone?
Clean water—not too much to hope for;
It's the basis of our lives,
And without it we are done.
It was meant to create a personal connection between the reader and the author that is not normally associated with scholarly writing. This was a new style that I was unsure how to conduct in an effective way, it resulted in a weak attempt to use pathos in order to invest the reader in the paper. Pathos was not obviously constructed and created an awkward pause in the paper that ran together with the other introductory parts. The second paper focused on Qualitative research, we were asked to construct our own testable thesis that we connected to our past project or an entirely new subject. We then had to find a subject group to test our thesis on and drawing from past research to support the claim we were attempting to make. This research looks at how much the students at the
In the third piece of work, Google Maps, looks at a more interactive form of writing in order to influence a population greater than the DU campus. This was a group project were the individuals were connected by the groups theme. My personal goal of this Google maps document looked at the importance of culture and cuisine in
Introduction portfolio Draft- Lucas Kukulka
The goal of this paper was to research a topic through text. For my paper I wanted my readers to gain a better understanding of the make my day law and what it encompassed. I also wanted them decide whether or not they were in support of it based on my writing and evidence that I provided. The readers are people who are interested and controversial issues or maybe or already have a certain opinion about the law. I got my topic through a friend’s suggestion and then researched it on my own and found it to be interesting. I then conducted more research about it and organized section for my essay that I could conduct through out my paper. I think that I could have done a better job at clarifying my introduction. I think I did a nice job at being clear as to what my topic was and why it was interesting but as for the overall goal of the essay it may be a little unclear. I also made careless errors throughout my paper. I also needed to be more careful with my citing because that was also careless errors that I lost point on.
For my qualitative paper I researched the topic why student went to college. I chose this topic because it was interesting to me and I thought it would engaging to see the reasons students go to college these days. I gave out a questionnaire to a large amount of freshman in order to get responses. I think this was a good project because it allowed us to conduct our research for a topic we were interested in.
For our project, my group and I did a mapping assignment in Denver. Our topic was medical marijuana and what effect it has had on the city of Denver. We chose this topic because medical marijuana has become a growing trend in Denver and we wanted to explore if this was changing the culture of Denver itself. The audience for a project like this would be people who want to learn about Denver and the impact of marijuana.
The planning and process of this project was actually quite enjoyable. In order to get proper research for this project our group planned out various locations that we thought either represented the marijuana culture or directly sold marijuana. After narrowing down our locations we traveled around Denver and visited our various locations. At each location we took picture of the place and spent a little time there to get the vibe of it. It was splendid visiting all these places and also getting to know the city of Denver. In a few of the places we interviewed employees to get their opinion on marijuana as well. The people we interviewed were very friendly and had great deal of information to share with us. After visiting our locations we wrote a 200-300 words about each place about how we thought that place represented our topic and mapped it in Google maps. From our in class workshop we were made aware that many of our responses could be similar so that is why we opted to go to a wide variety of places rather than our original decision of just visiting dispensaries. Overall, I found this project to be fun, new and interesting. It allowed my group and I to not only to interactively research our topic but also get a better feeling of Denver itself.
Lucas Kukulka
For my qualitative paper I researched the topic why student went to college. I chose this topic because it was interesting to me and I thought it would engaging to see the reasons students go to college these days. I gave out a questionnaire to a large amount of freshman in order to get responses. I think this was a good project because it allowed us to conduct our research for a topic we were interested in.
For our project, my group and I did a mapping assignment in Denver. Our topic was medical marijuana and what effect it has had on the city of Denver. We chose this topic because medical marijuana has become a growing trend in Denver and we wanted to explore if this was changing the culture of Denver itself. The audience for a project like this would be people who want to learn about Denver and the impact of marijuana.
The planning and process of this project was actually quite enjoyable. In order to get proper research for this project our group planned out various locations that we thought either represented the marijuana culture or directly sold marijuana. After narrowing down our locations we traveled around Denver and visited our various locations. At each location we took picture of the place and spent a little time there to get the vibe of it. It was splendid visiting all these places and also getting to know the city of Denver. In a few of the places we interviewed employees to get their opinion on marijuana as well. The people we interviewed were very friendly and had great deal of information to share with us. After visiting our locations we wrote a 200-300 words about each place about how we thought that place represented our topic and mapped it in Google maps. From our in class workshop we were made aware that many of our responses could be similar so that is why we opted to go to a wide variety of places rather than our original decision of just visiting dispensaries. Overall, I found this project to be fun, new and interesting. It allowed my group and I to not only to interactively research our topic but also get a better feeling of Denver itself.
Lucas Kukulka
Howe_In Class_Portfolio Intro
Dear reader,
Throughout my freshman year, I dreaded going through the ‘WRIT’ class sequence. I had always considered myself somewhat of a mediocre writer and was not excited to be scrutinized by what I thought were limitations of my abilities as a writer. To my surprise I am coming out of the class with a new mind set on writing as a whole. The first project assigned focused on textual based research in which I chose the topic of Nuclear Power in the Colorado area. My audience being college-graduates who actively vote in Colorado was chosen because my goal was to attempt to present unbiased research showing the actual benefits and dangers of nuclear power.
The second project was a qualitative research project which I again focused on nuclear power. This time I created research of my own through interviewing University of Denver students in an attempt to get a grasp about their general feelings about the power source and how outside influences have affected their opinions. I learned how to properly conduct research and use the IMRaD format to explain my research methodology and reasons behind my research.
The third project was from a prior Writ class in which the theme of the class was rhetoric through the power of remix. For this assignment we were instructed to take an original piece of writing and remix it to change the rhetorical situation to our liking and eventually change the entire meaning of the writing. I chose a highly liberal article written by a notoriously left-winged journalist and changed the writer the be Bill O’Rielly. This changed the whole work and meaning.
Throughout my freshman year, I dreaded going through the ‘WRIT’ class sequence. I had always considered myself somewhat of a mediocre writer and was not excited to be scrutinized by what I thought were limitations of my abilities as a writer. To my surprise I am coming out of the class with a new mind set on writing as a whole. The first project assigned focused on textual based research in which I chose the topic of Nuclear Power in the Colorado area. My audience being college-graduates who actively vote in Colorado was chosen because my goal was to attempt to present unbiased research showing the actual benefits and dangers of nuclear power.
The second project was a qualitative research project which I again focused on nuclear power. This time I created research of my own through interviewing University of Denver students in an attempt to get a grasp about their general feelings about the power source and how outside influences have affected their opinions. I learned how to properly conduct research and use the IMRaD format to explain my research methodology and reasons behind my research.
The third project was from a prior Writ class in which the theme of the class was rhetoric through the power of remix. For this assignment we were instructed to take an original piece of writing and remix it to change the rhetorical situation to our liking and eventually change the entire meaning of the writing. I chose a highly liberal article written by a notoriously left-winged journalist and changed the writer the be Bill O’Rielly. This changed the whole work and meaning.
Meziere_Introduction_In-class
My name is Mark Meziere and I am currently finishing up my freshman year at the University of Denver (DU) in Colorado. I began my college career at the University of Oklahoma (OU) where I took an English composition class which is equivalent to DU’s writing class. Luckily for me, my high school English teacher did an excellent job of preparing me to write at a college level. I easily powered through my English composition class at OU, receiving A’s on every paper. I transferred to DU at the beginning of the Winter quarter and used the term as a break from writing. In the Spring quarter I was given one of the last registration times and almost did not get into WRIT 1133. Luckily, I was able to secure a position in the class to fulfill DU’s core requirements.
At the University of Oklahoma I had a very humorous and enjoyable professor but when it came time to do work she was all business. I completed a very lengthy and time consuming work which analyzed the Norman police department and how they affect the community. I found this to be an enjoyable paper to do because I learned a lot about the police community. I also felt satisfied after completing it because I put in a great amount of effort into making the paper perfect. The previous papers she had assigned were not too difficult, but this one made for a challenge.
The works I will put my utmost focus on I completed at the University of Denver. My first paper analyzes Colorado’s medical marijuana policies and how they affect the community. I feel this paper can definitely be improved through adding more reliable sources. I can also improve and make my argument stronger through a more detailed introduction and lengthier conclusion. I felt the content was all there but it could use some reorganization to make the paper easier to follow for the reader. I was pleased with my job in appealing to my audience. Overall, I feel this paper was not as polished as the others and therefore not as effective.
I would also like to revise my second paper which analyzed members of the DU community’s views on the smoke-free policy which DU enacted in 2010. I was proud of most of my work in this paper, especially in the organization. For this paper I had to find students and faculty to fill out my questionnaire. This proved to be no easy task, as many people will not respond to your requests to fill out a questionnaire. If I were to gather research again for this project I would ensure to have a larger and more accurate sample to DU’s community.
Muray_In-class Portfolio Draft
Dear Reader,
The purpose behind my Google map was to delineate the marijuana culture in Denver, Colorado. With two other University of Denver classmates, we pinpointed various locations that reflect the marijuana culture. Our locations are diverse, ranging from dispensaries to convention centers. My personal hope for this project was to discuss the relationship between the legalization of medical marijuana in Denver and the city’s already “laid-back” atmosphere. Colorado is a state famous for it’s liberal and progressive thinking and citizens. I wanted to reflect on how this new American movement of medical marijuana legalization has infiltrated and influenced the culture of this Colorado city.The research, which was conducted via interviews and observations, wasn’t too difficult to conduct. However, it required a lot of time, because we traveled to various parts of Denver. Not only was it a good experience to witness many different parts of Denver where marijuana is present, but it also provided a great opportunity to explore Denver.Living in a city that permits medical marijuana is rare in the United States. I find it interesting to see if this legalization can change the culture of the city or not. Our research was to attempt to notice some cultural changes made by the legalization of marijuana. Overall, I find our Google map to be an effective and correct illustration of Denver’s marijuana culture.
Kelley Murray
Dear Reader,
This essay delineates research gathered through a qualitative study I conducted concerning the purpose and validity of the University of Denver’s greek system. The research was gathered via an anonymous survey conducted on 50 DU under-graduate students. The survey asked various questions about greek life, student activity, and greek participation. The survey’s results were used as the main source for my paper, and supported my investigation and analysis if whether campus greek life is an imperative, positive, and/or negative aspect of the University of Denver’s social community. I also used outside research, which can be found throughout the review of literature in my essay, to gain a better understanding of the silence influence and presence greek life plays on a college campus.
The topic of greek life at the University of Denver is one that interests me for various reasons. Firstly, I am an active member in Denver’s Greek life community, and would like to gain another perspective on DU’s Greek life. As a member, I feel that Denver’s greek community is “unique” compared to other universities in being less selective/exclusive. I am in interested in knowing if students feel as if the greek life is a vital being of the University of Denver’s campus life, if it does serve a purpose, and if it is just not for four years, or for life, but for something more.
-Kelley Murray
Dear Reader,
This is a research text-based paper that discusses the controversy of art censorship in Colorado. I conducted my research by reading various scholarly texts. I found this topic important, because censorship can be very destructive to a healthy society and culture. I was very interested in learning about the current issue of censorship in the Denver community.In my WRIT 1133 course, I learned various ways to analyze and effectively write an academic paper. The course better informed me on how to appropriately identify and assess an argument through various mediums of research. I never have considered myself to be a “strong” writer. However, with the aid of WRIT 1133 I fee like I have developed into a more confident writer.
Oka Draft of Portfolio
The writing class this portfolio document pertains to is WRIT 1133. The goals of the class include but are not limited to, the development of our intellectual habits, the ability to produce informed writing and to comprehend the significance of diversifying the methods and media used in the work produced. SUMMARIZE THE ENSUING PARAGRAPHS
The first project assigned for this class was to produce a text- based paper. The paper was to offer a satisfactory answer to a research question of our choosing and had to include at least five scholarly sources. The main form of research required for this paper was textual research, a concept that I am relatively comfortable with. I experienced no difficulty in incorporating the academic sources into my piece, as I have done this before for my biology lab reports. The research question that guided my paper was, “Should the US Government Increase Funding for Genetic Research?” The target audience for this project was college individuals whom possess a decent amount of knowledge with regards to the matter at hand. In order to cater to the target audience group, my paper contained a significant amount of supported facts in order to allow the reader to comprehend the basis of my argument. After constructing a rough draft of the paper, a process note was created to help reassess the objectives of the paper. Revision of work is a concept that is relatively new to me. In Singapore, where I previously studied, written work was done in- class and revisions were never allowed much less encouraged. Upon writing the process note, I discovered that my paper lacked an appropriate scope and that I had neglected to introduce the reader to some of the sources before including it in the paper.
The first project assigned for this class was to produce a text- based paper. The paper was to offer a satisfactory answer to a research question of our choosing and had to include at least five scholarly sources. The main form of research required for this paper was textual research, a concept that I am relatively comfortable with. I experienced no difficulty in incorporating the academic sources into my piece, as I have done this before for my biology lab reports. The research question that guided my paper was, “Should the US Government Increase Funding for Genetic Research?” The target audience for this project was college individuals whom possess a decent amount of knowledge with regards to the matter at hand. In order to cater to the target audience group, my paper contained a significant amount of supported facts in order to allow the reader to comprehend the basis of my argument. After constructing a rough draft of the paper, a process note was created to help reassess the objectives of the paper. Revision of work is a concept that is relatively new to me. In Singapore, where I previously studied, written work was done in- class and revisions were never allowed much less encouraged. Upon writing the process note, I discovered that my paper lacked an appropriate scope and that I had neglected to introduce the reader to some of the sources before including it in the paper.
Andy Thomas_intro essay
For my First paper, I have been instructed to write an essay on the topic of my choosing using research from sources found through library research and databases. The assignment is entirely text based and seems to model a standard academic essay that I might be required to write for any other class.
For my particular paper, I intend to explore the pros and cons of natural gas drilling in Colorado. I feel as if this is becoming an increasingly important issue to both this state, and the country as a whole. With increased discussion and emphasis on new “green” technologies, I believe that the issue of natural gas will only become more important in the future, and understanding it now is of the utmost importance.
To complete my research for this topic, I intended to heavily use Internet databases and news sources. I planned to use databases to find scholarly works that would help me better understand the logic behind the controversies surrounding this topic, and then use news sources to gain a perspective of what the local people, who are most directly impacted, felt about this issue.
I felt that this essay best resembled other works that I have written. Thus, I feel it is the best indication of the type of writer that I am. I felt that this essay helped me grow in my ability to find quality sources, and it helped me improve my ability to incorporate them into my writing.
The second assignment asked me to conduct qualitative research on a topic of my choosing. It forced me to gain background information on the topic and then conduct original qualitative research involving other students.
For this paper, I plan to explore the pros, cons, and logic behind general education requirements, and how these are perceived by students at DU. I have found that many students are often strongly opposed to general education requirements, despite their nearly universal presents in academics throughout the country. For this reason I wish to explore why, either why there is a possible discrepancy between these two forces.
To do this I wish to conduct several interviews with students, preferably of different backgrounds and opinions on the topic. I wish to ask what their opinions are of the current gen. ed. requirements, how they feel these requirements should be addressed, and whether they understand and agree with the logic behind them.
I wished to address this particular topic because, especially as a first year student, I felt it particularly concerned my peers and myself. I felt it was an issue that many had strong and very varied feelings about, both students as well as administrators.
Qualitative research was not a topic I had ever been asked to do before this assignment. Thus, I felt that I was able to gain a new understanding of how to conduct research. I feel that I was able to incorporate techniques from my earlier project into this one as well as build on my writing skills while including outside research.
My final project was a unique assignment that incorporated Google Maps to complete it. I was asked to choose a topic dealing with something about the city of Denver. Then I had to go into the city and make observations about my topic, then record these and make a “Google map”. This required me to mark where in the city I had made these observations and discuss their significance.
For my Denver area map research project, I wished to examine the local music scene of the city. I feel as if music is an interesting reflection of a culture, and as a new resident to Denver this is something I wished to understand further. Additionally, music is something that I enjoy and the prospect of gaining a greater understanding of Colorado’s local music seemed to be an interesting project.
To conduct our research, my group and I will plan on attending a few local concerts and use our own experiences as evidence. We planed on viewing both local bands as well as other more national bands. We did this so as to determine not only what the city of Denver can produce, but also attract. We attended several concerts of both local and non-local bands, splitting the two about equally.
This final project required me to include most of the research skills I had previously learned or developed throughout the course. It also forced me to explore new interactive research techniques.
For my particular paper, I intend to explore the pros and cons of natural gas drilling in Colorado. I feel as if this is becoming an increasingly important issue to both this state, and the country as a whole. With increased discussion and emphasis on new “green” technologies, I believe that the issue of natural gas will only become more important in the future, and understanding it now is of the utmost importance.
To complete my research for this topic, I intended to heavily use Internet databases and news sources. I planned to use databases to find scholarly works that would help me better understand the logic behind the controversies surrounding this topic, and then use news sources to gain a perspective of what the local people, who are most directly impacted, felt about this issue.
I felt that this essay best resembled other works that I have written. Thus, I feel it is the best indication of the type of writer that I am. I felt that this essay helped me grow in my ability to find quality sources, and it helped me improve my ability to incorporate them into my writing.
The second assignment asked me to conduct qualitative research on a topic of my choosing. It forced me to gain background information on the topic and then conduct original qualitative research involving other students.
For this paper, I plan to explore the pros, cons, and logic behind general education requirements, and how these are perceived by students at DU. I have found that many students are often strongly opposed to general education requirements, despite their nearly universal presents in academics throughout the country. For this reason I wish to explore why, either why there is a possible discrepancy between these two forces.
To do this I wish to conduct several interviews with students, preferably of different backgrounds and opinions on the topic. I wish to ask what their opinions are of the current gen. ed. requirements, how they feel these requirements should be addressed, and whether they understand and agree with the logic behind them.
I wished to address this particular topic because, especially as a first year student, I felt it particularly concerned my peers and myself. I felt it was an issue that many had strong and very varied feelings about, both students as well as administrators.
Qualitative research was not a topic I had ever been asked to do before this assignment. Thus, I felt that I was able to gain a new understanding of how to conduct research. I feel that I was able to incorporate techniques from my earlier project into this one as well as build on my writing skills while including outside research.
My final project was a unique assignment that incorporated Google Maps to complete it. I was asked to choose a topic dealing with something about the city of Denver. Then I had to go into the city and make observations about my topic, then record these and make a “Google map”. This required me to mark where in the city I had made these observations and discuss their significance.
For my Denver area map research project, I wished to examine the local music scene of the city. I feel as if music is an interesting reflection of a culture, and as a new resident to Denver this is something I wished to understand further. Additionally, music is something that I enjoy and the prospect of gaining a greater understanding of Colorado’s local music seemed to be an interesting project.
To conduct our research, my group and I will plan on attending a few local concerts and use our own experiences as evidence. We planed on viewing both local bands as well as other more national bands. We did this so as to determine not only what the city of Denver can produce, but also attract. We attended several concerts of both local and non-local bands, splitting the two about equally.
This final project required me to include most of the research skills I had previously learned or developed throughout the course. It also forced me to explore new interactive research techniques.
Walkovitz_Inclass_Rough Draft of Intro Essay
In Writing 1133 this quarter, we focused on many different types of scholarly writing, which ranged from a Google Maps project to a typical research paper. This class focused on how to compile sources and properly use them. It also focused on how to do our own qualitative research and using interviews.
For the first paper of this course and my portfolio, I am using my text-based paper that was a research paper on medical marijuana. This paper looked at the uses of marijuana and how, although it is useful as a medical product, it is not acceptable for the general public. I wrote this for a general audience and tried to persuade them that marijuana should not be legalized for the general public and it should remain how it is currently. In writing this, I hoped to show my own thoughts while also backing my opinion up with proper scholarly sources.
My second paper was a qualitative paper about the correlation, if any, between student employment and grade point average. There are many students that are forced to have jobs for tuition, parental needs, or just to have money to live. In my paper I looked at how having a job affects the student’s grade point average. By surveying and interviewing college students, I determined if having a job affects their schoolwork and how it affects them, whether is adds more stress or gives them time to break away from school.
In my final project, the intent was to look at different public and local art around the city of Denver. We were assigned to create a Google Map mapping out different locations that we visited pertaining to our topic. By doing this, the relationship between popular culture and art was analyzed. There are many different examples of popular culture intertwined with art around Denver, and a lot of it goes unnoticed. Companies from the clothing store, Division West, to the exotic car dealership, Motorsports Gallery, use art by local artists in their showrooms to add more of a sophisticated environment. Division West has been trying to get more stores in Cherry Creek North to help out the local artists, but none are interested in staying open the extra hours for an art walk on the weekends or at night. Motorsports Gallery is also doing this while adding a high-class, homely feel to their showroom floor. Not only does this aid the companies, but it also gives these local artists a place to show their work and hopefully make some extra money.
For the first paper of this course and my portfolio, I am using my text-based paper that was a research paper on medical marijuana. This paper looked at the uses of marijuana and how, although it is useful as a medical product, it is not acceptable for the general public. I wrote this for a general audience and tried to persuade them that marijuana should not be legalized for the general public and it should remain how it is currently. In writing this, I hoped to show my own thoughts while also backing my opinion up with proper scholarly sources.
My second paper was a qualitative paper about the correlation, if any, between student employment and grade point average. There are many students that are forced to have jobs for tuition, parental needs, or just to have money to live. In my paper I looked at how having a job affects the student’s grade point average. By surveying and interviewing college students, I determined if having a job affects their schoolwork and how it affects them, whether is adds more stress or gives them time to break away from school.
In my final project, the intent was to look at different public and local art around the city of Denver. We were assigned to create a Google Map mapping out different locations that we visited pertaining to our topic. By doing this, the relationship between popular culture and art was analyzed. There are many different examples of popular culture intertwined with art around Denver, and a lot of it goes unnoticed. Companies from the clothing store, Division West, to the exotic car dealership, Motorsports Gallery, use art by local artists in their showrooms to add more of a sophisticated environment. Division West has been trying to get more stores in Cherry Creek North to help out the local artists, but none are interested in staying open the extra hours for an art walk on the weekends or at night. Motorsports Gallery is also doing this while adding a high-class, homely feel to their showroom floor. Not only does this aid the companies, but it also gives these local artists a place to show their work and hopefully make some extra money.
Grencik_Introduction
Dear Reader,
For the most part, I love to write in my room. I need to put on my headphones and listen to my “hardcore” music. I wear some sort of hoodie to keep me cozy warm with my hood up to narrow my vision strictly on my laptop. If I come across writers block for more than 30 minutes, that’s when I go to the library (still with the headphones and hoodie) and sit in one of the white cubicles and force myself to type. I do a very basic outline with what would be subheadings in the paper to organize my thoughts, and then type away from there.
The purpose of my first essay is to persuade readers that illegal immigration isn’t as bad as for those who are highly against it believe. I do want the readers to see things from the illegal’s point of view just to have some sort of sympathy and compassion towards these people, rather than just seeing them as “aliens.” I did about two hours of research on the matter finding mostly scholarly or attributable resources to strengthen my argument, and then a few that oppose it. Comments from my peers helped me by allowing me to see things that I may have not noticed before (e.g., I have a tendency to use a lot of parenthesis explaining my previous sentence or to go further into detail, such as this sentence here).
The essay does what my letter promises, as I go into a lot of detail on the troubles these illegal immigrants face in their home country. Regardless of whether or not the person is persuaded to see that it’s not as bad as people make it out to be, they will still see the other side and (if they have any morals or feelings) will sympathize for these illegal immigrants.
The first paper shows how I have grown as a writer because I feel that this is my most thoroughly revised essay, as you will see all of the red text (all of which are revisions). I revised citing my sources where they needed to be. For example, I opened a paragraph with “Most illegal immigrants cross the border through Mexico,” which one can question. Thus I found a source and made sure to cite that source directly after that sentence.
The purpose of this Google Map is to inform those whom are unfamiliar with Denver, Colorado about the music scene. What kinds of different venues are there in Denver? Do a lot of different bands come through and play? What’s the atmosphere of these events like? I want to answer the question of, “Is paying a few dollars worth the cost to go see a concert in Denver?” Hopefully the answer to that question will be yes after you read the descriptions of the different concerts. Choosing this topic was one of the easiest decisions I had to make during this project. The one “thing” that I love most is music, so why not go to different concert venues and watch some live music? Any chance that I have to make work fun, I will take be sure to take it.
Knowing now what I wanted to write about, I had to choose different concerts to go to and be economical about the situation as well. Considering I attended one of the best concerts with two of my favorite bands performing on March 27, I decided to include this concert as I will never forget a single detail of this one. Next our team found a concert at Cervantes that was cheap and we all could attend, so we did. Then we started hitting road blocks. With everyone’s different and busy schedules it was very difficult to get all four team members at one concert. To solve this problem, we would split up and each go to whatever concert we could, and made sure to get some sort of picture or footage. Finally, when putting together the final map, I could not find a way to embed the picture that I took from MusicFest. To solve this problem I decided to share the link where the pictures can be easily viewed.
The in class activities helped me figure out how to create and embed videos and pictures within Google Maps. The peer review also helped out a lot. It opened my eyes to see that I wasn’t being as descriptive about the surroundings and people as I needed to be. It’s so easy to miss details like that when you were at the show (so clearly you have a good visual image, but those who weren’t there don’t). This was especially true for the crowd reaction because the pictures give a good image of what the artists and lights were like, but each venue was dark in the crowd so it was near impossible to get even a “decent” photo (let alone one that could clearly show the types of people in the crowd).
That all being said, I hope that you will ultimately see that Denver has one of the most diverse and best music scenes in the nation.
The second essay I did in class is about how people view different music fans and their stereotypes towards them. I open the essay with previous studies done by other researchers to give you an idea of what exactly I intend on researching. I also take ideas from these researchers to form questions of my own. This background research provides credibility to my research as my sources are scholarly. By establishing credibility you should remain interested (or at least believe me) throughout the entire paper. I use more open-ended responses to help form the best and non-biased questions possible (i.e., “Please describe the typical listener of “X” genre) similar to that of the McDonald, et al. study.
The methods section describes step by step precisely how I will perform my research and will send you to the appendix for the exact questions. This will establish even more credibility as it's not some random research project thrown together, and it is in fact well done. I also include some similar methods done by the sources that I've researched to get the most out of my own research, such as the example question listed above. I’m not sure on exactly what I expect to come out of this research because of the large diversity of where people come from attending this University. However, like all stereotypes go, I do expect some agreements and disagreements on different genres among participants (but again, I’m not exactly sure what stereotypes will come of which genres).
I chose this topic specifically because I love music. Without music then I feel like my life would be much more boring. Nearly everything I do involves music. Working in the library, doing homework, goofing around on the internet, the list goes on and on. There are stereotypes about race, gender, even different social classes, so I wanted to research whether or not there is a stereotype for different types of music fans. Specifically all of my research is related only to the University of Denver. Ultimately, my goal is to educate you on what (if any) stereotypes do exist among the students at the University of Denver.
For the most part, I love to write in my room. I need to put on my headphones and listen to my “hardcore” music. I wear some sort of hoodie to keep me cozy warm with my hood up to narrow my vision strictly on my laptop. If I come across writers block for more than 30 minutes, that’s when I go to the library (still with the headphones and hoodie) and sit in one of the white cubicles and force myself to type. I do a very basic outline with what would be subheadings in the paper to organize my thoughts, and then type away from there.
The purpose of my first essay is to persuade readers that illegal immigration isn’t as bad as for those who are highly against it believe. I do want the readers to see things from the illegal’s point of view just to have some sort of sympathy and compassion towards these people, rather than just seeing them as “aliens.” I did about two hours of research on the matter finding mostly scholarly or attributable resources to strengthen my argument, and then a few that oppose it. Comments from my peers helped me by allowing me to see things that I may have not noticed before (e.g., I have a tendency to use a lot of parenthesis explaining my previous sentence or to go further into detail, such as this sentence here).
The essay does what my letter promises, as I go into a lot of detail on the troubles these illegal immigrants face in their home country. Regardless of whether or not the person is persuaded to see that it’s not as bad as people make it out to be, they will still see the other side and (if they have any morals or feelings) will sympathize for these illegal immigrants.
The first paper shows how I have grown as a writer because I feel that this is my most thoroughly revised essay, as you will see all of the red text (all of which are revisions). I revised citing my sources where they needed to be. For example, I opened a paragraph with “Most illegal immigrants cross the border through Mexico,” which one can question. Thus I found a source and made sure to cite that source directly after that sentence.
The purpose of this Google Map is to inform those whom are unfamiliar with Denver, Colorado about the music scene. What kinds of different venues are there in Denver? Do a lot of different bands come through and play? What’s the atmosphere of these events like? I want to answer the question of, “Is paying a few dollars worth the cost to go see a concert in Denver?” Hopefully the answer to that question will be yes after you read the descriptions of the different concerts. Choosing this topic was one of the easiest decisions I had to make during this project. The one “thing” that I love most is music, so why not go to different concert venues and watch some live music? Any chance that I have to make work fun, I will take be sure to take it.
Knowing now what I wanted to write about, I had to choose different concerts to go to and be economical about the situation as well. Considering I attended one of the best concerts with two of my favorite bands performing on March 27, I decided to include this concert as I will never forget a single detail of this one. Next our team found a concert at Cervantes that was cheap and we all could attend, so we did. Then we started hitting road blocks. With everyone’s different and busy schedules it was very difficult to get all four team members at one concert. To solve this problem, we would split up and each go to whatever concert we could, and made sure to get some sort of picture or footage. Finally, when putting together the final map, I could not find a way to embed the picture that I took from MusicFest. To solve this problem I decided to share the link where the pictures can be easily viewed.
The in class activities helped me figure out how to create and embed videos and pictures within Google Maps. The peer review also helped out a lot. It opened my eyes to see that I wasn’t being as descriptive about the surroundings and people as I needed to be. It’s so easy to miss details like that when you were at the show (so clearly you have a good visual image, but those who weren’t there don’t). This was especially true for the crowd reaction because the pictures give a good image of what the artists and lights were like, but each venue was dark in the crowd so it was near impossible to get even a “decent” photo (let alone one that could clearly show the types of people in the crowd).
That all being said, I hope that you will ultimately see that Denver has one of the most diverse and best music scenes in the nation.
The second essay I did in class is about how people view different music fans and their stereotypes towards them. I open the essay with previous studies done by other researchers to give you an idea of what exactly I intend on researching. I also take ideas from these researchers to form questions of my own. This background research provides credibility to my research as my sources are scholarly. By establishing credibility you should remain interested (or at least believe me) throughout the entire paper. I use more open-ended responses to help form the best and non-biased questions possible (i.e., “Please describe the typical listener of “X” genre) similar to that of the McDonald, et al. study.
The methods section describes step by step precisely how I will perform my research and will send you to the appendix for the exact questions. This will establish even more credibility as it's not some random research project thrown together, and it is in fact well done. I also include some similar methods done by the sources that I've researched to get the most out of my own research, such as the example question listed above. I’m not sure on exactly what I expect to come out of this research because of the large diversity of where people come from attending this University. However, like all stereotypes go, I do expect some agreements and disagreements on different genres among participants (but again, I’m not exactly sure what stereotypes will come of which genres).
I chose this topic specifically because I love music. Without music then I feel like my life would be much more boring. Nearly everything I do involves music. Working in the library, doing homework, goofing around on the internet, the list goes on and on. There are stereotypes about race, gender, even different social classes, so I wanted to research whether or not there is a stereotype for different types of music fans. Specifically all of my research is related only to the University of Denver. Ultimately, my goal is to educate you on what (if any) stereotypes do exist among the students at the University of Denver.
Matt Kase, Introductory Essay draft
Each of the assignments below used a different method not only in gathering data, but also in how that data was presented through my writing. I do not necessarily notice any chronological progression of my writing skills between the essays, however the range of topics and processes provided an opportunity for me to diversify my writing.
Text Based Paper
My text based paper focused on the evolving field of cognitive rehabilitation, specifically in conjunction with music or sound. Most of the information within the essay came from studies done by Michael Thaut, a professor of music therapy at Colorado State University. CSU has one of the largest and most successful musical cognitive rehabilitation graduate research programs in the nation. While most of my essay was spent explaining exactly what music therapy is and how music can affect the brain, much of the content was directed towards the value of continuing research in the field at CSU. Here lies the problematic aspect to this assignment. I wanted to explain how cognitive rehabilitation works, but that explanation was cutting into the amount of time I could spend talking about how Colorado, and America in general, should perceive music therapy. However, without the explanation of what music therapy is, its validity or impracticality as an alternative medicinal practice would be impossible to get across. While revising, I will attempt to find an even balance between explanation and argument.
Qualitative Research Paper
I hold a strong belief that popular music reflects the culture of a generation. After coming to Colorado from Illinois, I discovered an extremely popular genre that had yet to catch on so heavily in the Midwest. Dubstep is a form of electronic music in which a low frequency oscillator, or “wobble,” is used to create a grimy sound laid over a thick and highly syncopated beat. The sound is interesting, but I do not understand why it has gained such enormous popularity, particularly among college students my age. My study aims to explain what drives the Dubstep trend and tries to frame the genre’s success in terms of cultural and musical concepts. I interviewed several students at the University of Denver with one questionnaire designed to inquire about each of their personal beliefs and perceptions regarding both music in general and Dubstep.
Google Maps Paper
In hopes of incorporating some of the information I found while conducting interviews for the qualitative research paper, my Google Maps project revolved around the popular music culture and concert scene in Denver. I, along with the other three members in my group, visited seven concerts in the Denver area. With monetary restrictions in mind, our choices of concerts mainly reflected the underground or local aspect of Denver music. The writing style I incorporated into my description of Cervantes’ Cinco de Mayhem celebration is very different from the approaches I took with my first two essays. As a reporter on the location, I felt obligated to incorporate colloquialisms and slight humor. Although this may have detracted from the seriousness of my reporting, it was almost impossible to explain the public sex occurring at the show without a humorous touch. In the end, I believe that my cheeky descriptions made for a better piece of writing.
Fredrickson_ Portfolio_Introduction_Draft
Dear reader,
Our project maps the locations of various important areas related to marijuana culture in Denver. This includes restaurants, medical marijuana dispensaries, convention locations related to marijuana, as well as companies that develop and sell technologies related to marijuana. By doing so, it was our intention to map marijuana culture in Denver and by doing so, to show how engrained marijuana culture is in Denver. With no particular concentration of locations on the map, at least none the could be attributed to anything more than us being located at the University of Denver, we showed how expansive marijuana culture has become. Our aim was simply to provide information to those interested in this topic by mapping everything we could that was related not only to marijuana culture, but the medical marijuana movement in Denver and by doing so to show the locations where one might go if they were interested in learning more about the culture. Marijuana has become something much more than just a drug grown in people's garages under black lights and used by hippies. These days, marijuana has turned into what most would call a legitimate business venture.
In order to gather all of this information, we visited locations as well as researched legal interactions between those who are for and against medical marijuana in Denver. At each location we described whatever was there, and for the locations that we visited personally, we described the atmosphere of said location as well as any social interactions we had there.
This project is relevant to all those whom are interested or concerned about marijuana culture in Denver, and was chosen because of its large influence on the culture in our area.
This project improved my writing because I haven't done anything quite like it. Using Google maps as well as photos and videos forced me to write less academically and focus more on descriptive writing as a tried to paint a picture of the atmosphere of each area we visited.
Alexander Fredrickson
Dear reader,
In this essay, I focused on the not only positive, but necessary effects of capital punishment in Denver. I gathered my research by using the academic search engines provided by the Penrose library. The paper centered around three points: capital punishment keeps us safe, saves us money when we need it most, and will be easy to see the longevity of in Denver as it is human nature to resist change and capital punishment is engrained in the history of the city of Denver. In this paper, I also tried to explain all of the most common views of those whom oppose capital punishment and why and afterwords refute them.
This project is relevant to everyone who cares about the economy and safety of the city of Denver, as well as for those interested in capital punishment policy as a whole. As the economy of Denver effects both the state and national economy, you could even go so far as to say anyone whom is concerned with the well-being of the United States in general.
This paper improved my writing by improving my research skills. It was a learning experience for me as I was forced away from the “.com” and into more scholarly articles and websites.
Alexander Fredrickson
Dear Reader,
In this essay I intend to explore the issue of racial diversity here at the University of Denver. It is my intention to discern the majority opinion on how DU is dealing with diversity both in and out of the classroom. I intend to have this paper read by both DU students and hopefully the University of Denver administration and CME (Center for Multicultural Excellence) in the hopes that they will use this information to better deal with racial diversity here at the University of Denver. It is my opinion that the University administration is doing a terrible job dealing with diversity at the University of Denver. It is abhorrent that “…of the class of 2008, 70.0% are White, 1.8% are Black, 6.8% are Hispanic, 5.2% are Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.7% are American Indian, 5.3% are international, and 9.1% are race/ethnicity unknown(du.edu).” (This is the last statistic provided)The complete lack of diversity at the University of Denver is taking away an important aspect of our education which consequently makes us less ready for the post-college work environment. This topic is very important to me and should be to any student at the University of Denver as the diversity of our campus and classrooms effect our overall education. After admittedly trying experiences with diversity here at DU in both the classroom and in everyday life, I understand that the successful implementation of diversity at this University is difficult. However, it is of my opinion that diversity is necessary for a well-rounded education and its pros greatly outweigh the cons.
I will go about researching this topic by doing a series of 10 interviews with DU students who are living on campus.
I plan to both inform you about diversity here at DU (a basic breakdown of the population here at DU along with the mission statement of the CME) and then ask questions along the lines of: How well do you think that DU as well as the CME has upheld this mission statement? What do you think is the best way for DU students to experience diversity? And: What do you find to be the advantages of experiencing a diverse campus (if any)?
In order to get a more qualitative response, I plan on asking participants follow up questions based on their answer to the main interview questions. I hope to figure out what they see as the pros and cons of diversity on our education here at DU.
This paper improved my writing by forcing me to learn how to effectively do my own research by using interviews. I also learned what was necessary in order to use said interviews in my papers (referring of course to IRB).
-Alexander Fredrickson
Our project maps the locations of various important areas related to marijuana culture in Denver. This includes restaurants, medical marijuana dispensaries, convention locations related to marijuana, as well as companies that develop and sell technologies related to marijuana. By doing so, it was our intention to map marijuana culture in Denver and by doing so, to show how engrained marijuana culture is in Denver. With no particular concentration of locations on the map, at least none the could be attributed to anything more than us being located at the University of Denver, we showed how expansive marijuana culture has become. Our aim was simply to provide information to those interested in this topic by mapping everything we could that was related not only to marijuana culture, but the medical marijuana movement in Denver and by doing so to show the locations where one might go if they were interested in learning more about the culture. Marijuana has become something much more than just a drug grown in people's garages under black lights and used by hippies. These days, marijuana has turned into what most would call a legitimate business venture.
In order to gather all of this information, we visited locations as well as researched legal interactions between those who are for and against medical marijuana in Denver. At each location we described whatever was there, and for the locations that we visited personally, we described the atmosphere of said location as well as any social interactions we had there.
This project is relevant to all those whom are interested or concerned about marijuana culture in Denver, and was chosen because of its large influence on the culture in our area.
This project improved my writing because I haven't done anything quite like it. Using Google maps as well as photos and videos forced me to write less academically and focus more on descriptive writing as a tried to paint a picture of the atmosphere of each area we visited.
Alexander Fredrickson
Dear reader,
In this essay, I focused on the not only positive, but necessary effects of capital punishment in Denver. I gathered my research by using the academic search engines provided by the Penrose library. The paper centered around three points: capital punishment keeps us safe, saves us money when we need it most, and will be easy to see the longevity of in Denver as it is human nature to resist change and capital punishment is engrained in the history of the city of Denver. In this paper, I also tried to explain all of the most common views of those whom oppose capital punishment and why and afterwords refute them.
This project is relevant to everyone who cares about the economy and safety of the city of Denver, as well as for those interested in capital punishment policy as a whole. As the economy of Denver effects both the state and national economy, you could even go so far as to say anyone whom is concerned with the well-being of the United States in general.
This paper improved my writing by improving my research skills. It was a learning experience for me as I was forced away from the “.com” and into more scholarly articles and websites.
Alexander Fredrickson
Dear Reader,
In this essay I intend to explore the issue of racial diversity here at the University of Denver. It is my intention to discern the majority opinion on how DU is dealing with diversity both in and out of the classroom. I intend to have this paper read by both DU students and hopefully the University of Denver administration and CME (Center for Multicultural Excellence) in the hopes that they will use this information to better deal with racial diversity here at the University of Denver. It is my opinion that the University administration is doing a terrible job dealing with diversity at the University of Denver. It is abhorrent that “…of the class of 2008, 70.0% are White, 1.8% are Black, 6.8% are Hispanic, 5.2% are Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.7% are American Indian, 5.3% are international, and 9.1% are race/ethnicity unknown(du.edu).” (This is the last statistic provided)The complete lack of diversity at the University of Denver is taking away an important aspect of our education which consequently makes us less ready for the post-college work environment. This topic is very important to me and should be to any student at the University of Denver as the diversity of our campus and classrooms effect our overall education. After admittedly trying experiences with diversity here at DU in both the classroom and in everyday life, I understand that the successful implementation of diversity at this University is difficult. However, it is of my opinion that diversity is necessary for a well-rounded education and its pros greatly outweigh the cons.
I will go about researching this topic by doing a series of 10 interviews with DU students who are living on campus.
I plan to both inform you about diversity here at DU (a basic breakdown of the population here at DU along with the mission statement of the CME) and then ask questions along the lines of: How well do you think that DU as well as the CME has upheld this mission statement? What do you think is the best way for DU students to experience diversity? And: What do you find to be the advantages of experiencing a diverse campus (if any)?
In order to get a more qualitative response, I plan on asking participants follow up questions based on their answer to the main interview questions. I hope to figure out what they see as the pros and cons of diversity on our education here at DU.
This paper improved my writing by forcing me to learn how to effectively do my own research by using interviews. I also learned what was necessary in order to use said interviews in my papers (referring of course to IRB).
-Alexander Fredrickson
Benedetti, Portfolio Introduction Draft
I have definitely been strengthened as a reader and a writer through my 1133 Writing course here at DU. Three researched-based assignments have helped me learn how to conduct research in an ethical fashion and have taught me how to self-review all of my work. I have never taken a writing class that focused mainly on research, so this class was very beneficial in teaching me how to define my researching skills and helped me create some interesting topics.
For the first assignment, the text-based research paper, I chose to focus on a topic that interests me: sex trafficking in the city and surrounding areas of Denver. The purpose of this assignment was to create a research question to write about and to discuss both sides of the argument and eventually come up with a clearly-stated argument. I used various research instruments including the online library sources and magazine articles to come up with my information. Since I feel very strongly about this topic, it was fairly easy to come up with a clear and well-organized argument. This helped me learn how to use texts for research, like books, websites and other texts. With so many forms of information it is rather difficult to find and gather relevant information about a certain topic, so this assignment was very helpful in that sense.
The second paper we were assigned was the hardest for me out of all three. The qualitative research paper was designed to gather qualitative research around the DU campus in order to answer a question that interests us. Instruments such as surveys, interviews and people-watching were all options for us. For this assignment I chose to answer the question "Is there a direct correlation between a students happiness with DU and their amount of school spirit?" Simply, is a happier student more inclined to sport DU attire than a student who is less content with the school? In order to answer this question, I primarily used people-watching to come up with a percentage of people who were wearing DU attire. After this, I asked random students to be honest in answering how content they were with the school, and if there is anything they would change. This was definitely the hardest and most time-consuming assignment out of them all, but all of the information that was collected provided a strong research argument.
The third project, Mapping the Local, was my favorite project out of the three. Since it was a group project, it was easy to divide up all the work and put it together in the end, instead of having to do everything individually. Our group decided to create a Google Map, illustrating some of our favorite restaurants around Denver. Our basic question was "What makes restaurants popular?" We went to a variety of different restaurants of all kinds of cuisines and gathered information about the atmosphere, the food, the decor and the happiness of the customers. We conducted interviews at each restaurant and asked why they enjoyed (or did not enjoy) the restaurant. In the end, we compiled all of our information and made a map which included reviews, interviews and photos. It was fun working with a group. I find group projects much easier than individual assignments.
All of the in-class work and process notes definitely helped me to better organize my writing and focus on my weaknesses as a writer. Process notes allowed me to carefully articulate all aspects of my writing and allowed me to notice flaws that I would not have noticed otherwise. The in-class revisions were also particularly helpful because peers tend to have a different take on a certain paper, and their insight is almost always constructive. A great weakness that I have as a writer is being able to organize my thoughts into concise paragraphs to create an argument. This has always been a burden on my writing abilities and I am very glad I got to improve this through the Writing 1133 course.
For the first assignment, the text-based research paper, I chose to focus on a topic that interests me: sex trafficking in the city and surrounding areas of Denver. The purpose of this assignment was to create a research question to write about and to discuss both sides of the argument and eventually come up with a clearly-stated argument. I used various research instruments including the online library sources and magazine articles to come up with my information. Since I feel very strongly about this topic, it was fairly easy to come up with a clear and well-organized argument. This helped me learn how to use texts for research, like books, websites and other texts. With so many forms of information it is rather difficult to find and gather relevant information about a certain topic, so this assignment was very helpful in that sense.
The second paper we were assigned was the hardest for me out of all three. The qualitative research paper was designed to gather qualitative research around the DU campus in order to answer a question that interests us. Instruments such as surveys, interviews and people-watching were all options for us. For this assignment I chose to answer the question "Is there a direct correlation between a students happiness with DU and their amount of school spirit?" Simply, is a happier student more inclined to sport DU attire than a student who is less content with the school? In order to answer this question, I primarily used people-watching to come up with a percentage of people who were wearing DU attire. After this, I asked random students to be honest in answering how content they were with the school, and if there is anything they would change. This was definitely the hardest and most time-consuming assignment out of them all, but all of the information that was collected provided a strong research argument.
The third project, Mapping the Local, was my favorite project out of the three. Since it was a group project, it was easy to divide up all the work and put it together in the end, instead of having to do everything individually. Our group decided to create a Google Map, illustrating some of our favorite restaurants around Denver. Our basic question was "What makes restaurants popular?" We went to a variety of different restaurants of all kinds of cuisines and gathered information about the atmosphere, the food, the decor and the happiness of the customers. We conducted interviews at each restaurant and asked why they enjoyed (or did not enjoy) the restaurant. In the end, we compiled all of our information and made a map which included reviews, interviews and photos. It was fun working with a group. I find group projects much easier than individual assignments.
All of the in-class work and process notes definitely helped me to better organize my writing and focus on my weaknesses as a writer. Process notes allowed me to carefully articulate all aspects of my writing and allowed me to notice flaws that I would not have noticed otherwise. The in-class revisions were also particularly helpful because peers tend to have a different take on a certain paper, and their insight is almost always constructive. A great weakness that I have as a writer is being able to organize my thoughts into concise paragraphs to create an argument. This has always been a burden on my writing abilities and I am very glad I got to improve this through the Writing 1133 course.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Alex Fredrickson_In-class Revision Essay
My first paper for this class is the one I need to work on the most. The paper was written as a “pro-capital punishment” piece with three main points related to why Denver needs to keep capital punishment around. I need to spend more time disproving the claims of the opponents of capital punishment and working on my sources in order to make them more academic. The structure of the paper could also use some work. The organization of the paper currently does not follow a logical thought process and organizing it as such would make the paper much easier to follow and would also make it more convincing. Also, I should be more discerning of how much of a quote I use. I used very large quotes in my essay which sometimes stray a little off topic. I think if I paraphrased more, I could utilize the information given in the quote more clearly while at the same time excluding all of the things the reader shouldn't care about.
Goetz_in class revision
In the mapping the local, Google maps project I felt that I struggled to establish my thesis. In the introduction, a general description of our purpose and focus discussed how we wanted to explore the local Denver art scene and the influence that it had on popular culture. I felt that we had two rather different categories of examples. We used public art around the city and other locations that examined how local art can be used to profit local businesses. I think that the thesis struggles to include both of these realities and if I broaden it to include these two different topics I feel I may not be specific enough and will not give the reader a descriptive enough introduction to the project. I feel that a stronger thesis that includes both of the facets of the Denver art scene that I am going to discuss in the paper needs to be included. I am going to find a way to tie these two different aspects of art to establish my purpose throughout the project.
Anton_in class revision
For the Qualitative paper I need to focus on making connections with my findings rather than just reciting what I have found. This was the main critique and a part of my paper that will take the most time revising. I also need to focus on my first few paragraphs and the stating my claim “clearly and concisely”. This paragraph is lacking in strength and purpose. To express the point of the paper I need to examine and clarify the purpose to myself as well, the easiest way to do this would be to read the paper to an outside participant that can ask questions to make clarifying points. Again the point that needs the most work is the qualitative section that compares my results to the bigger purpose and discusses the relationship between previous works on my topic, environmental racism, and connections I can draw to the results I found. Another point to revisit is making the source a credible one by introducing the author- also site how the example refers to the point I am making and how that is developing into a qualitative argument.
Howe_In Class_Revision_Exercise
In my first paper, I clearly make my main claim or thesis of the paper. I could make some changes by giving more examples that help show the readers what is to come in my paper. I also will need to make sure that all of my quotations are fluvial with the rest of the piece. Another main problem with my quotations is I give the “What” of the contents of the literature but fail to explain “How” the writer uses the piece and how it is persuasive. I must be careful while giving examples to not have any disconnects with my audience and to make sure that I carefully explain everything so it is easily understandable. In addition to this I must be careful to not include any information without citing a source as proof of my statements. Along with this idea I have little proof of any of the author’s credibility and why the reader should trust this source and how their research directly relates to my paper.
Murray_in class revision
After reading tips on how to revise my papers, I think that there are many revisions necessary for both my text-based and qualitative research papers. I feel like both papers lack much of a thesis. The argument, or the point of my papers can be made more specific and clear to the audience. I think that this is very important, because if the audience cannot recognize what the paper is discussing the paper is pointless. Research and support need to be more evident in both papers too. Although I used many good sources, neither of the papers represents much research. I also need to re-cite my sources correctly. In my qualitative research paper, I need to write a better conclusion. The original conclusion is weak and doesn’t effectively conclude my topic of DU Greek life at all. The introduction and conclusion can be made more concise in both papers, too. I tend to ramble on and fill my writings with “empty words.” In my revision process, I plan on cutting out these random phrases or thoughts and either replacing them with new ideas that pertain more to the topic, or I plan on cutting out these ideas completely. I think that the most important thing for me to change in both of my writings is to make the topics more clear and obvious for the audience.
Revision In Class - Walkovitz
There are many revisions that could be done to my second paper. For the qualitative paper, I feel like I do a good job in making my topic clear but I feel as though I could do a better job in the beginning of my paper when talking about the other sources. I don’t feel as though I do a good job explaining how the sources make their arguments, I just list the sources and what they say. I also feel like I could do a better job in tying the sources together instead of relating to each one separately in different paragraphs. I also feel like in my conclusion, I could more tie it back to the main instead of rewording what was just said. I could also tie in why my argument is important and analyze that main point more thoroughly.
Lucas Kukulka-In class revision
For my first research paper I need to clarify my topic a bit. I think I do a nice job of showing what the focus is of my paper but the actual explanation is a bit contradictory and confusing for readers. There is also information that I could cut out in order to clarify my point. Also throughout my paper I do not have proper citations so therefore I need to fix those. I have to do this on my works cited page as well. Another missing piece to my paper is that I need to introduce my sources so that my readers know that my sources are credible. I should also explain my cited My conclusion is to repetitive and I need to talk more about the main point I am trying to make throughout the paper rather than summarize the introduction and the rest of the body paragraphs. I must also explain the significance of it in order to make it seem like my paper has a point otherwise its like so what? Those are the main corrections I need to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)