discussion #4

1.) I feel as though everyone who takes the challenge to enter college, has a responsibility to themselves to strive for success. To "claim an education" as Rich put it. We either meet the challenge head on and push ourselves to our fullest potential, or we get left in the dust by those who are striving to be the best. It is important for women to work harder, to study longer, and to get better grades than others, because we already just by entering college have succeeded in not becoming another statistic. Men who enter college are expected to succeed. They should push themselves pass the point of doing good enough. If we go through college as most of us did in high school, barely making it then what would be the point of it all? Also those of us who come from low income families, or families of a different culture should not only strive for success within themselves, but they should work harder to prove to those people who feel as though they shouldn't be here anyway, that they have earned this. We all deserve an education, but it is up to us whether we take advantage of our opportunities.

2.) I think that Rich means by the ethical and intellectual contract between teachers and students is that in college, we as students agree to learn. This is not something that is being forced upon us. We want to be successful in life, so we agree to come to class and learn, not as an obligation but a choice. The intellectual part of this is that in the end once we have successfully gained our degrees we will realize that it was worth it. The knowledge we will gain from our professors is a priceless gift and only we have the choice to take advantage of it or not.

prompt # 3 question # 4

        After reading I realized that our rubric and the section on the characteristics of academic writing are very similar. The section states that a good paper has clear evidence our rubric also calls for enough evidence to support our position in the paper. Also both requires a good interpretation of evidence in your writing. Our rubric calls for both points of views to be considered in the paper, while Irvin wants the paper focused on a particular reader. Overall both expectations of the final paper require the topic to be narrow enough so that whomever the reader may be they will clearly understand your side in the arguement.

prompt # 3 question # 3

       After reading over the section a few times to get an understanding of what exactly is being said, I think that the most useful part of  "Academic writing is an analysis" is towards the end of the section when Irvin states that analysis works better when you "put all the cards on the table". I agree with this statement entirely. Writing down the information that you need to analyze and jotting down a few notes as you read will make the whole process easier. As you continue to write notes and think critically your understanding becomes better and writing becomes easier. I think what makes a good analysis is up for discussion. We can never quite understand exactly what a specific teacher wants in a paper. It is always better to ask rather than guess and analyze the wrong thing, the wrong way.

prompt # 3 question # 2

       In order to incorporate the right evidence into a paper about personal experience is to consider every option available. Personal experience papers do not have graphs and charts, or statistics to refer to so that makes them tricker to write. The first thing Hinton listed is personal experience. While making an argument for a personal experience paper you have to have personal detailed evidence of your particular subject. This will help when trying to argue both sides. Having a certain experience will make it easier to have your side of the argument stand out against the side you are disagreeing with. Being able to clearly argue both sides will give your paper a better outcome. Hinton made a list of all of the aspects of good evidence, I think that the most important on the list is "What kind of evidence would most convince my audience?" This question is important to answer because your audience is everything. Your teacher will be looking for certain key points when reading your paper and the right supporting evidence will make your paper stand out against others.

prompt # 3 question # 1

       How often do I read over an assignment ? When I receive writing assignments I would usually read the assignment sheet twice before starting, to get a general understanding of what I need to do. During the assignment I would not look at the assignment sheet unless I was completely stuck or needed a little more information about everything that should be included in the paper. Or if my teacher was not as clear about what they wanted in the paper, looking at the assignment sheet can help with unsurities. Then before completing the paper I would refer back to the assignment sheet to make sure I completed all of the requirements. After completely finishing my first draft, checking the assignment sheet again will benefit by ensuring that I have not wandered from the requirements. It is always helpful to check requirements when doing a paper. Writing a successful paper requires full understanding of what is being asked of you on the assisnment sheet.

Discussion prompt #2 question #2

     Malcolm X did not need a full school education and many college degrees to feel free. Once he learned to read and comprehend, his curiousity lead him to his freedom. He became addicted to reading books and with his love of reading came his freedom. Malcolm X was able to learn about things that interested him, issues that meant the most to him, and black history. In the quote from Bell Hooks' Teaching to Trangress, he makes education out to be everything. He feels as though the only way to feel complete paradise is through an education. In Bell Hooks' point of view life can be nothing without an education. I feel as though both mean are right. Sometimes having an education is the best option, but not always. Natural skills or interests can lead to the feeling of freedom when doing something that you love to do. Life does not always require an education, although having one can be useful. Throughout life we have many accomplishments and all of them do not come through an education. Education can give you freedom to a certain extint, but living life happily can give you that same feeling of paradise that Bell Hooks mentions.  

Discussion prompt #2 question #1

       In my daily life the word homemade most often refers to cooking, but in this case I think the word means out of the ordinary. Something completely different than the usual. Being from the south things are often better homemade than store bought. Food has more flavor when it's homemade rather than warmed from a box. For example;  holidays like Thanksgiving would not be the same if all of the food was from cans or bags. Gifts are better when they come from the heart and are not dependent on value or materialistic things. Even if the gift is simple, when love is put into it, often times it means more. Although homemade is better in certain catergories, it is not always the best choice. For instance, a homemade sweater may have more sentimental value than a store bought one, but it would not always be the best choice on a cold winter day. For Malcolm X a "homemade" education paid off. He was able to read and articulate by just reading. Would a "homemade" education pay off in today's society? Personally, I don't think it would. Everything today is based on education. We cannot do almost anything without a high school diploma or college degree. I can't think of anyone who has educated themselves without a university other than members of my family.