Project Reflection

I gained a lot from this class. I am glad that I was exposed to several different writing mediums like digital, memo, script, and academic research essay writing. I learned how to improve my writing using techniques from provided articles and texts, in-class workshops, and feedback. I was also pleased with the opportunity to collaborate with my peers in writing the memo and tour script. The research process and blog posts were particularly instrumental to my learning experience and I believe the effort I put into the overall ZMA project deems me a decent grade. 

The Research Process

An experience that has been significant for me is researching for my academic research essay. My research was aided significantly by The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers by Bruce Ballenger. One of the techniques I relied on from his book was using a double-entry journal. While doing my research, I created a Google doc that had my double-entry journal. In this double-entry journal, I had each source as a heading or a subheading if it was closely related to another source. Under each source, I kept a table with three columns. The first column was an area for page numbers or time stamps, the second column was a section for quotes, a summary, or paraphrasing of something that I could apply to my essay, and the third column was a section for notes and opinions I had about that quote. This strategy was very helpful when it came to writing my essay. Having the majority of my sources along with the information I could use from them helped me to organize my essay and it quickened the drafting process. This technique is something I plan to use in the future, especially in research essays because it made me a more organized and efficient writer. 

Blog Posts

A potentially overlooked aspect of the class might be the blog posts. Although the blog posts did not make up a significant portion of this class, I think that I gained a lot from writing them. One skill the blog posts taught me is how to write in a digital format. Learning how to use digital techniques like embedded clickable links, ethical pictures, and section headings are skills that can easily translate to future work. Additionally, practicing using section headings translated well to my academic research essay. Another aspect of the blog posts that was beneficial was they gave me practice using multiple sources to make a point. Having to connect multiple sources to make a point or reflect on an idea in each of the 10 reading responses was great practice for the research essay where I had to similarly use multiple sources rhetorically and reflectively. 

The final reason why the blog posts were beneficial is that they gave me a way to organize and reflect on what I learned from the readings. Writing the blog posts allowed me to set goals on ideas to improve my writing. For example, when writing the blog post titled “Indecisiveness, Curiosity, and Research,” I was able to reflect on the three goals for my research essay based on the reading. These included selecting a topic I am curious about, improving in finding primary resources, and having a way of organizing my research. The blog posts also gave me space to explore more abstract ideas like comedic writing and appealing to multiple audiences, ideas that I could use in future writings. 

Overall, writing in this digital format was significant because it allowed me to practice important writing techniques such as using section headings, weaving information from sources, and reflecting on readings. I would definitely consider blog writing as a way to focus my thoughts and writing techniques when writing future pieces. 

My ZMA Project Grade

I think my work falls within the A or potentially B category of the rubric. I actively participated in every class, effectively collaborated with my group members, adequately used primary and secondary sources, and significantly revised my written work using feedback, in-class workshops, and secondary source material. Although, with more time some of my deliverables could have been more rhetorically effective and thorough, I believe that the effort I put into my overall ZMA project deserves an A or high B. 

Category 5

One aspect I think I excelled at was category 5 of the rubric. Our group had an effective divide-and-conquer method for producing our work. The parts of the memo I participated in were the positive aspects of the website, a proposed tour possibility, the tour recommendation list, correspondence with Elizabeth, and revising assigned memo sections (QR Codes and Mobile Phones, Instructions for Viewing Art Pieces, and Long-Term recommendations). While working on these parts of the memo I was able to modify and improve on what I was accomplishing with the guidance of my teammates, Constant and Victor. For example, Victor was able to help me make adjustments to my writing about the positive aspects of the website as well as combine my ideas with his and Constants. Additionally, I collaborated with Constant in adding recommendations at the end of the memo. Our group's strategy of delegating tasks and then coming together in times of need to collaborate was a great strategy. By doing this I think we were able to contribute to the memo substantially and thoroughly. 

Category 3

Another aspect of the rubric that I accomplished was the third category of the rubric. I believe my active participation in the free writes significantly contributed to the fulfillment of my research goals. For example, coming up with 10-15 inquiry questions helped me refine and kickstart what exactly I wanted to research and write about. Additionally, Eli’s mind map workshop gave me an outline of how I want to organize my essay and where I should place the sources I had collected. The mind map also helped me to refine the information I wanted to include. For example, during the workshop, I decided that I was no longer going to discuss wishi wild mushrooms in my essay since I had very little information on them. 

In addition to my application and participation in in-class workshops, another reason I was proficient in the category was the documentation process. As explained above, I was able to document my research process through the double-entry journal and blog posts. Additionally, I also documented my work by annotating and taking notes on provided readings. For example, I would underline useful techniques from  The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers by Bruce Ballenger and I would make bulleted notes on articles provided that included topics like introductions and conclusions, topic sentences, and script writing. 

Final Thoughts

This class provided me with lots of powerful techniques and skill sets that I will look back on for future assignments. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to take this class because of all the valuable experiences I will be walking away with. Despite the rigor of this course, the experience was well worth it and I look forward to applying ideas from this class in the future. 

Sexist Language

 Postman Postal Worker

More and more, writers are avoiding the use of sexist language. Instead of using the word postman, maybe they're using an alternative like a postal worker. Using man instead of a more gender-neutral term can be considered controversial since it puts men as the default and neglects other gender expressions. In The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers it states, “To avoid sending the wrong message, it’s worth making the effort to avoid sexist language,” (Ballenger 220). My question asks (1) Should we include literature in our writing that contains sexist language? And (2) Should we censor literature that contains sexist language? Shortly, my answers are (1) yes and (2) no.

Including Sexist Language?

Literature that includes sexist language should absolutely be included in our writing (hear me out). Quoting or paraphrasing material that includes sexist, or even racist, ableist, etc. language can be a beneficial way of characterizing the author of the writing. It can indicate the time period in which something is written or the author's beliefs and intentions. However, when quoting or paraphrasing information with sexist language it is important to make your reasoning for including that type of language clear. This can be addressed by providing historical context about when the material was written or a statement about the person's beliefs. Writing with lots of offensive language can be addressed in the introduction. A strategy for introductions listed in the article “Introductions and Conclusions” states to give “background information necessary for understanding the essay,” (Freedman and Plotnick). Adding information about why your writing contains controversial language in the introduction can be a beneficial way of clearly stating your ethics, thus, making your writing easier to understand.

Censoring

No, we shouldn't censor literature that contains sexist language. First of all, that would take too long but, also, as I stated before, literature that contains sexist language says a lot about the time period the work was written, the author's beliefs, and potentially the author's geographical location (more patriarchal area vs. less patriarchal area). Teaching history in this way can also be specifically beneficial to students. In “The Book I Never Got to Read: A Tale of Book Censorship” the author discusses how books that have been censored in recent times can teach students history and says, “Teaching history to students allows for past lessons to be understood, lessens the chance of repeating mistakes in history, and creates an opening for students to form their own opinions on history, the current present, and the future.” By keeping literature uncensored of sexist language, students can be more cognizant of how things were written, which will help them with their own writing.

Sexist Section Headings?

Section headers are effective and commonly used tools in academic writing. Should sexist language be used in these? I think they can, particularly if the writing specifically tackles sexism. Sexist headings can be used in a sort of ironic/mocking type of way to introduce a point. For example, it could say:

• “Women can’t be policemen!” - Person Mcpersonson
• Why would a woman ever want to be a congressman?

The worksheet, “Using Section Headings” by Grand Valley State University Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors states that headings can help readers get the “gist” of your document (1). By including section headings like the examples above, readers would easily pick up on your tone and stance on an argument involving sexism. 

Works Cited

Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. Eighth ed., Pearson, 2015. 

Everett, Courtney. “The Book I Never Got to Read: A Tale of Book Censorship.” Emerging Writers, 2022, https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/emergingwriters/vol5/iss1/7/. 

Freedman , Leora, and Jerry Plotnick. “Introductions and Conclusions.” University of Toronto Writing Advice, https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-conclusions/. 

Grand Valley State University Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors. Using Headings. https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/CC3BFEEB-C364-E1A1-A5390F221AC0FD2D/creative_writing_reflective_writing_gg_final.pdf. 

Appealing to Multiple Audiences

Childhood Movie

Animated children's shows and movies will sometimes appeal to two audiences, the kid, and also the adults that are watching the show or movie with them. Occasionally, when rewatching a show from my childhood, I will pick up on a joke that completely flew over my head when I was younger, or sometimes I will gain a new appreciation for the show because of the fascinating details in the animation or musical score. For example, when I was a kid, I liked the movie Ratatouille because of Remy's humorous antics, but now that I'm older I appreciate the movie because of its incredible musical score. I believe the same can be done with argumentative essays. They can be directed toward a primary audience, like children for the movie Ratatouille, but also include details that can be understood by a secondary audience.

Code-Switching

One thing that many of us do on a day-to-day basis is code-switching. Defined by “The Light Switch of Language: Code-Switching,” “Code-switching is the ability to change dialects or languages based on your setting or audience,” (Johnson 1). Speaking to different audiences via words or references that are specific to each culture, age group, discipline, etc. can be an interesting tactic to intimately relate to multiple audiences while at the same time educating people about unfamiliar terms or references.

Topic Sentence

A necessary part of an argumentative essay, topic sentences, can be used as a vessel to incorporate code-switching. According to the article, “What is a Topic Sentence?” a topic sentence is “a sentence, sometimes at the beginning of a paragraph, that states or suggests the main idea (or topic) of a paragraph,” (Nordquist). A topic sentence can accomplish this goal of stating the main idea of a paragraph while at the same time appealing to multiple audiences.

Example: Jerk Chicken is Better than Fried Chicken topic sentence

• Y'all know that I enjoy that simplicity of a salty piece of fried chicken, however, the spicy kick of Walkerswood jerk seasoning of the far less-saturated jerk chicken deems it supreme.

This example uses code-switching by first addressing its southern audience with “y’all” and then referencing a common Jamaican seasoning while at the same time addressing the main idea of the paragraph, chicken flavor.

Thesis Statement

Another important part of an argumentative essay is the thesis statement. I believe a thesis statement can also be directed toward multiple audiences. An article titled “Using Thesis Statements” highlights the importance of expressing “awareness of difficulties and disagreements” in thesis statements, and I believe this can be accomplished in a manner that appeals to multiple audiences (Procter).

Example: Older Pixar movies are better than newer Pixar movies thesis statement

• Children now are spending more time watching Pixar movies than children of the early 2000s, and Pixar movies from 2016 to present-day have a higher average Rotten Tomatoes score than films from 1999-2015. However, older Pixar films are better due to their more unique plots and a stronger ability to evoke emotion.

That statement is entirely made up by me, of course, but it is an example of how a thesis statement can address disagreements towards their argument from two audiences: the children with high watch rates and also film critics. 

Final Thoughts

All that being said, I will most likely only target one audience for my essay since it does not explicitly speak to two or more audiences like the southern fried chicken vs. jerk chicken example. However, one of my goals is to have a perfected thesis statement since it is a pivotal part of any essay, and as The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers states, it is vital for me to “return again and again” to this statement throughout my essay (Ballenger 165).

Works Cited

Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. Eighth ed., Pearson, 2015. 

Johnson, Cierra. “The Light Switch of Language: Code-Switching.” Emerging Writers, May 2021, https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/emergingwriters/vol4/iss1/6/. 

Nordquist, Richard. “What Is a Topic Sentence?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 12 Feb. 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/topic-sentence-composition-1692551. 

Procter, Margaret. “Using Thesis Statements.” Writing Advice, University of Toronto, https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/thesis-statements/.

Comedic Writing

The Good

Can you and should you craft a comedic argument? When it comes to comedy, there is a right time and a wrong time. For my academic essay that touches on projected food trends of the Cherokee people, individuals that have continuously been subjugated, it probably would be best to stray away from comedic qualities. But, what about a more lighthearted academic essay, like arguing for a weekly pizza party or banning carpet in bathrooms; should comedy have a space in these types of academic essays?

    Laughs can have a place in a place in academic writing. An example of this is “8 Strategies for Critically Engaging Secondary Sources” adapted by Mark Gaipa. The article contains several silly stick figure cartoons, but at the same time, these cartoons are accompanied by text that gives useful advice on how to interact with secondary sources. For example, the second strategy listed says, “Agree with a scholar to gain evidence and authority. Possibly go on to defend the scholar from attack by another scholar, thus resolving a larger controversy,” and to accompany this text there is a cartoon of a little stick figure telling a substantially taller stick figure with a graduation cap that “‘and I’ve read all your books,’” (Gaipa 1). For this article, the comedic elements meshed well with the academic guidance. The humorous cartoons were a unique rhetorical strategy because of their pathos appeal that made an academic-focused article, which can be dull, quite enjoyable.

The Bad

            Although there are instances where comedy can be a great strategy in academic essays, I do think there are times when it should be discouraged. As mentioned before, I don’t believe humor should be in essays about certain subjects like my essay topic, but another area where it should be avoided is counterarguments. In an article titled “Argument” by The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill it states, “When you are summarizing opposing arguments, be charitable. Present each argument fairly and objectively, rather than trying to make it look foolish.” If you add comedy to the counterargument section of your essay, you could fall into this very trap of coming off as someone that believes the opposing argument is nonsense rather than being viewed as an ethical writer that considers the opposing arguments seriously.

The Ugly

            Incorporating humor into an argumentative, academic essay is tricky, and it is something that I and others typically avoid. You are at the risk of not seeming to care about what you are writing or offending someone. However, using comedy is a risk that more people should take because who says that argumentative academic writings can’t be funny? Two things writers should consider in these comedic essays are that the sources should speak to each other and they should be careful with their signal phrases. In “Identifying a Conversation” it says, “There are many ways to put sources together to make a conversation. You might think of it like a puzzle, except that you have some control over how the pieces are shaped,” (Carabelli). It is necessary for writers, especially those that want to incorporate comedy, to have their information from their sources flow into each other like a conversation. Incorporating intertwining information from scholars can boost the credibility of writers that integrate unserious jokes or stories. 

    Lastly, writers that want to incorporate humor into their essays should use signal phrases that make the shift from humorless to humorous clear. A signal phrase is “a phrase, clause, or even sentence which leads into a quotation or statistic” (Hacker). If a writer is quoting something that is designed to be a joke, they should make that clear before the quote via a signal phrase, or a sentence following the quote.  

Works Cited

Carabelli, Jason. “Identifying a Conversation.” Writing Commons, 30 Nov. 2022, https://writingcommons.org/article/identifying-a-conversation/. 

Gaipa, Mark. 8 Strategies for Critically Engaging Secondary Sources.

Hacker, Diana. “Signal Phrases.” Signal Phrases, https://department.monm.edu/english/mew/signal_phrases.htm.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Argument.” The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 14 June 2021, https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/argument/. 

 

 

Code Switching and Paraphrasing

 

Paraphrasing a Language/Dialect

            Paraphrasing dialects and other languages to make them just like “regular” English should be highly discouraged. One day, I randomly watched this television show called Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern where some guy travels to different countries to try unique cuisines from various restaurants and street vendors around the world. In the show, the dialogue of a non-English speaker is repeatedly dubbed by the same two English speakers. The dubbed dialogue is aggravating, not only because their voices are more monotone than Siri, but also because it neglects the viewer from the unique fluctuations and inflections of a potentially foreign language. Instead of dubbing the speech, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern – and any other show that does this – should include the dialogue spoken by chefs and customers and simply add English subtitles. The same should apply to essays. When it comes to paraphrasing a foreign language/dialect, writers should take direct quotes or very cautiously paraphrase without erasing the culture and history that is embedded in the language.

In The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers it says, “Paraphrasing demands that you make your own sense of something,” (Ballenger 111). This idea is very important when you are paraphrasing from an unfamiliar dialect or language. It is important to make sense of what you read, based on prior knowledge and research, in the most courteous way possible. Besides opting for a direct quote, a method of paraphrasing could be to incorporate a blend of “regular” English and the other dialect/language. The writer should then verify that they are correctly interpreting the unfamiliar dialect/language they borrowed from. They could do this by utilizing several online resources or by having someone that speaks the dialect/language read over the material and approve it.

Code-Switching in the Classroom

Blending multiple dialects/languages is not only necessary in essay writing, but it should also be encouraged in classroom dialogue. “The Light Switch of Language: Code Switching” outlines that, “Teachers should teach code-switching to all students because it's already a part of our everyday lives, and it would be easier if students actually understood it,” (Johnson 2). Teachers should teach code-switching (incorporating words of another dialect or language) because as the author mentions it is already prevalent outside of the classroom, but also it will help students with writing their essays. Students understanding that code-switching exists and having knowledge of words/phrases from different dialects will make it easier for students to comprehend media featuring different dialects, such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or Patois (a Jamaican dialect) and languages like Spanish or French, and then properly apply them to their writing.

Final Thoughts

Even though teachers typically do not teach code-switching, I still believe it is vital for writers to expose themselves to media that incorporates dialects and non-English languages to become better-informed writers. Using words from a language that I cannot speak is something I might try in the current research essay I am working on or in future essays, so I must engage with other dialects and languages so that I can present other people's cultures vividly and respectfully.

Works Cited

Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. Eighth ed., Pearson, 2015. 

Johnson, Cierra. “The Light Switch of Language: Code-Switching.” Emerging Writers, May 2021, https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/emergingwriters/vol4/iss1/6/. 

Research Paper Feelings

   

I feel okay about how the research assignment is going so far. I have found a lot of sources and I am in the process of reading through the sources and taking notes. One thing that I continue to realize is how little knowledge I have of my topic. So, while going through my sources I have come across a lot of interesting nuggets of information that will be useful as basic knowledge even if I don't include the source in my writing. One worry I have about source selection is my primary sources. I think I have found a few, but I am not entirely sure how useful they will be to my paper, and for some of the them I am not entirely sure if they even are primary sources. Overall, I have enjoyed researching my topic and I am looking forward to what comes next. 

Banned Books

A Food Analogy

Search Engines and libraries are increasingly drifting apart in terms of the information they provide. Search engines are like an all-you-can-eat buffet with a different dish getting added every second while libraries are starting to look like a single slice of white bread. The ongoing ban on books on library shelves is a nonsensical way of idolizing United States history especially when our ugly history and its effects can easily be accessed in the palm of our hand.

History

The banning of books makes no sense. Banning these books that oftentimes involve LGBTQ+ themes and stories that have to do with racial issues/racism goes against the “free speech” that the U.S. was supposedly built on. “The Book I Never Got to Read: A Tale of Book Censorship” states, “Teaching history to students allows for past lessons to be understood, lessens the chance of repeating mistakes in history, and creates an opening for students to form their own opinions on history, the current present, and the future,” (Everett 4). Continuously neglecting the stated benefits that come from learning history by banning books is a way to uphold the discriminatory laws, policies, and our very political system by means of ignorant mindsets towards silenced, overpowered people. 

Google it?

The banning of books really makes no sense. I get (but don’t agree with) that people in power want to silence the voices of subjugated groups to uphold the racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. backbone of our political system by banning books, but what about the internet? With the internet, anyone can access the atrocities of the U.S. past, present horrors, and also progress that continues to be made. The banned books can be delivered by Amazon in a day and the information they disclose can be further studied with a simple search. So, at this point, it seems like books are getting banned just to piss us off. 

Internet Education

If libraries are going to continue to starve students of reality, I think it is important to teach students how to properly do online research. One useful place to conduct research is library databases. In The Curious Research: A Guide to Writing Research Papers it states, “An advantage that libraries have over the Web is that information in libraries is more organized. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there is so much information to organize that librarians had to develop a special language for searching it,” (Ballenger 53). Students must understand this language so that they can access books, videos, articles, etc. that are available at their institution's library or (if it is not available) another institution's library. Another way of researching online is through search engines. Being able to properly find appropriate sources is useful for not only research essays but also for answering everyday questions. Because banning books that are a little too realistic for people to handle does not seem like it is coming to an end, therefore, students must be taught how to educate themselves through more open-ended online capacities. 

Works Cited

Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. Eighth ed., Pearson, 2015. 

Everett, Courtney. “The Book I Never Got to Read: A Tale of Book Censorship.” Emerging Writers, 2022, https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/emergingwriters/vol5/iss1/7/.