Research Posting, Current research

Currently I am taking English 102 which seems to be a combination of critical thinking and writing; Speech, which again is crafting a well rounded argument with emphasis on critical thinking, writing and listening; Occupational Analysis and Course Construction which I must analysis the needs and goals of situation and decide the best course of action to accomplish those.   I’ve done brainstorming to discover what I already know about a subject and general internet to help understand it further. I use the dictionary as a research tool: including the preface which is very interesting and informative. The ‘Writer’s Resource’ is a handbook for writing and research that I reference quite often and expect to continue throughout my college years and beyond. I anticipate spending time at the library researching through the various data bases available there.

Argumentive Stance for a Forklift

The importance of an equipment operator wearing their seatbelt is a life or death issue.  Whether I am writing this for a fellow operator or a safety professional determines what approach I might take.  When trying to persuade a fellow operator I would use a nonacademic argument that is less formal.  The subject is seatbelt use but with an operator I would try to convince them to look at the actual data (rollovers kill the highest percentage of people trying to jump out) and teach them what to do in those circumstances. I would include personal stories that would reach out to the operators on an emotional side.
If I was writing to a safety professional it might be how to make the seatbelt part of the control system (maybe would suggest it won’t go out of park unless it is worn).  Safety professionals already know the data, I don’t need to convince them to wear a seatbelt, I need to persuade them of how to intergrate into the system better.  I would be using an academic argument citing specific research with the safety professionals. 

In both cases I would do more research and have case examples from sites such as NIOSH and OSHA. 

Rhetorical Rhombus Exercise 7.2

Exercise 7.2

Purpose- Based Questions
1. What is the thesis of my essay? There should not be a new law for texting while driving.
2. What is the ‘big picture’ I’m trying to convey? Inattentive or reckless driving should be enforced and prosecuted no matter what the reason.
3. What is the opinion I want my audience to be persuaded is the right one? Texting and driving is wrong but inattentive and/or reckless driving is already illegal.
Audience- Based Questions- your readers expectations about the subject, ways they might respond to your assertions, how you might counter respond
1. Who are the readers I’d like to reach? The general public, those that will contact their representatives.  People who don’t take driving seriously and see how deadly it can be.
2. What is my audience’s opinion on texting and driving? What is my audience’s knowledge of laws already on the books? Do I need to convince a hostile public that being killed or injured by a texting driver is worse than it being caused by a person changing the cd player. What is their experience with texting and driving?
3. How does my audience benefit from reading this essay? They learn what law’s are already in existence and what they can do to help with the enforcement or strengthen them.
Writer- Based Questions – concentrate on existing knowledge of the subject, whether need to gather more info and where
1. Which issue am I more passionate about? Anti Texting and driving or not establishing new laws.
2. Where will I find the most reliable sources? Government sources, stories of people that have been affected.
3. Who would I like to interview? Politicians? Family members of the injured by texting and driving? Law enforcement?
Subject-Based Questions- facts that can be verified and tested
1. Where am I going to get the statistical data? DOT accident reports and statistical charts?
2. What do I need to research to debate that a new law is not needed because the old one is not enough?
3. Does the audience see texting and driving as worse than inattentive or reckless driving? How will I debate that? Is there a difference?

Best ways of dealing with Sexual Harassment in the workplace?
Purpose- Based Questions
1.  What constitutes Sexual harassment?
2. Is prevention a way of dealing with it?
3. What training is needed or required?
Audience- Based Questions- your readers expectations about the subject, ways they might respond to your assertions, how you might counter respond
1.       What exactly constitutes Sexual harassment? What can we do if we are sexual harassed? Or think someone is?
2.       Why is sexual harassment different than a hostile work environment?
Writer- Based Questions- concentrate on existing knowledge of the subject, whether need to gather more info and where
1.       What do I know about sexual harassment?  Is there a clear and definitive line? What’s offensive to one is not offensive to another? Is it a harassment of sexual nature which one has a power over another and makes a hostile situation at work?
Subject-Based Questions - facts that can be verified and tested
1.       What is the legal definition? What does the labor law or OSHA say about it? Can I go to the women’s studies research and find out more information?
3. Revise each of the following assertions so that they can serve as strong thesis statements:
a)      Water quality needs to be improved.
a.       What water? City, State, local?  Improved how? Tested regularly for waterborne diseases? Smell or taste? Local Rivers, lakes or streams so that people can swim?
b.      What guidelines such as federal rules? Why should we have good quality of water-we are what we drink?
c.       Water is essential for human life and we should take steps to ensure that it is of the highest quality.
b)      Males are the dominant sex because they are stronger.
a.       What are they stronger in? Physically? Mentally? Are we talking about humans only or the animal world?  Examples of countries where it is more equal.  Perception of power?
b.      What is dominant, the opposite of recessive?  Or is it oppression? What exactly are we talking about with dominant?  Physically the male specie is more dominant.
c.       Males of the human species are the dominant sex in physical stature and strength; it has exaggerated their role in society.
c)       The university should offer more courses for minorities.
a.       Which university? Why should it offer more? What type of courses? Which minorities? Whose decisions about which ones? Students? Academic courses?
b.      Universities should be culturally diverse in their offerings?
c.       Universities should offer additional courses for all types of cultural to reflect and promote the diversity of its student population.  

Exercise 1.2 -Vitamin C Research

Using the internet I have located information that Vitamin C can prevent and protect you from many ailments and the list keeps growing as research is ongoing.  Most of these web sites are from companies that have a link to sell you a product such as http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/ which is supposed to be a non-profit devoted to preserving the "lost knowledge" about ascorbic acid and its role in life. It is dedicated to the memory of Linus C. Pauling a doctor whose controversy findings have not been replicated; a percentage of every sale is donated to the non-profit.    At the same time they have the disclaimer “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”.  

I went to http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c a web-site designed and written for the average person to answer medical questions.  It explained where current research was and what the RDA is.  Their article quoted American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dee Sandquist, RD, who said you could get the RDA from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Next, I checked with the experts at the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-c/NS_patient-vitaminc. They explain the one documented known illness from the deficiency is scurvy. A list based on tradition or scientific theories each disease or condition that it has been suggested that it is a cure for is ranked on a scientific grading system: A-Strong scientific evidence for this use, B-Good scientific evidence for this use, C-Unclear scientific evidence for this use, D-Fair scientific evidence against this use (it may not work), F-Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likely does not work).  The grades only use scientific evidence to support or disprove the usefulness of it.

If I was to write a paper on this vitamin I would start with the known uses of it from a reliable source. I would include what the RDA (recommended daily allowance) was with the safe limits based on known scientific sources; use the ranking system to promote the advantages of supplement, within the limits, for disease prevention and general good health.  I would inform on the disadvantages and potentially life threatening affects of taking this vitamin instead of getting known medical treatments for controversial uses. 

This vitamin is generally regarded as a safe supplement within the RDA limits but included in my paper would be the side effects and warnings regarding interaction with other medication such as blood thinners, the potentially deadly consequences for people with kidney issues, and what side effects mega doses could produce in a normal healthy adult.  

No textbook is perfect

I like the use of satire in Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”. I think using that as a model and writing an essay on a modern topic such as the sex slave trade would be an interesting challenge.  ‘Prostitutes have a free will and must want to be in that situation’ would be the stereotype challenged. 

Plato’s allegory and Edward’s sermon would be interesting to analyze how they use arguments to persuade their beliefs to others.  Douglass used very vivid and passionate writings to convey his message of slave and social injustice. I think Douglass and Edward’s had a very passionate belief about what they were writing and would be hard to duplicate unless you had a very similar conviction on a subject.

An essay about the American Education System could use any of these models and produce interesting results for and against. Research into the banking system could be quite informative as I think most of us don’t understand the complexities of it.

Review of the Table of Contents

At first glance at the Table of Contents I noticed the different types of arguments.  This suggests to me we will be learning how to write effective arguments using various models (Classical, Toulmin, and Rogerian) with the correct structure and conclusions to communicate and persuade our topics. 

The further I looked the more excited I became with the chance to learn different methods and strategies of reasoning.  How to research our papers and document sources is included and welcomed.  When I saw biomedical research as a heading I thought ‘What does that have to do with English’ but then it occurred to me this is more than an English course but a course on critical thinking and writing. Multicultural Learning is another step in critical thinking, If ‘you squeal like a girl is bad, then is being a girl bad?” Or convey a negative connotation?  Understanding and appreciating our differences by thinking of the meanings we convey in writing and speech is very important to our society.

The Internet is unarguably affecting and changing society. Is it for the better or worse? Will people become accustomed to believing whatever is written and not use critical thinking skills? The Art of Persuasion is the last chapter title which is really what the entire book is about; persuading your belief of a topic with a well written argument. 

I am looking forward to what I know will be hard work on my part to learn more about writing.

Spot Check

After reviewing the spot check, to get an exceptional grade of 4, I will have to show a clear understanding and engagement of the topic(s). Use of examples, anecdotes and facts [in a logical order] written with correct punctuation, inflection, and grammar to reflect my understanding of the topic will be required.  Look at multiple sides of an topic. Accurate researched information should be included.
I personally will have to make my point of view consistent and edit my blogs for clarity before submitting it.

Chap. 1 Ex 1.1 # 1&2

Whether to support or criticize beliefs we use arguments, quarrels, debate, and disputes.  They often are interchangeable but to me appear to be different levels of communicating a disagreement; different parts of an ‘argument’. People in everyday life often use these terms interchangeable because of definition overlap.  For example, an angry disagreement; do they have logical valid deferring statements or is it random?    After comparing the definitions I understand how confusing it can be, they are very similar.
Last year I took philosophy and learned the structure of an argument; the premise (reasons) and conclusion (belief or stand).  Which makes sense when you look at the Latin root(s)1 < clarity or make clear.  An argument doesn’t have to be negative in meaning such as a quarrel generally is, it could be used to support anthers view point or as a tool of persuasion.
A quarrel seems the furthest from a true argument with the Latin root 2< to complain.  It doesn’t seem to have a structure just a dispute or disagreement.  ‘The children quarreled who would be the first in line’, not having any valid reasons or statements, just disagreeing with the purpose of opposition. 
A dispute would be the next level in which it is a reason to debate or to question the truth or validity with the Latin root(s)3 < to examine, to reckons.  It doesn’t necessarily mean angrily but to engage in a discussion about a topic or belief.  It could lead to debate which comes next in line.
Most consider a debate a formal discussion with opposing points of beliefs.  It is not necessary angry but you need opposing points for a debate.  So a debate would be an argument with at least two differing sides.   The Latin root 4 < to beat would lend me to believe one side wanted to convince people their side is the correct side; ‘the politicians debated who would pay the most tax’.  
Content determines which of these words should be applied to a given situation.  But the flow of communication could turn a quarrel into an argument with a valid statement(s) and a conclusion.  ‘The children quarreled who would go first and reminded the teacher she was the line leader today.’  Content of evidence and delivery of information seem to help determine which word should be used to describe the situation.

Latin root, The American Heritage College Dictionary. 3^rd Ed. 1993. Print

1. pg 73, 2. pg 1118, 3. pg 401, 4. pg 357

English 102 1st Blog

This blog is for my online English 102 class at ISU.