Students and Drinking

My group has chosen to record a video that is trying to persuade teenage students not to consume alcohol. We are going to start off our video with a party setting. Three of us will be mixed in with the "partying" students while one member of our group will be recording. We will have dialogue where we are making fun of for example the drunk girl passed out or the girl laying right next to the toilet. We will also include some startling facts of the consequences of drinking.

Media/Design

When designing a paper the first part to consider is what type of font style you would like.  You want your readers to be able to easily read the text, but the font style also has to fit with the type of paper you're writing. The book says Times New Roman is businesslike or academic, which is what I have always used when typing, and others such as Comic Sans makes your paper look more playful. The book suggests not to go overboard with typefaces use only two or, at most, three different styles. Next to consider is the layout of the text. An academic essay, will usually have a title centered at the top, one inch margins all around, and double spacing. This is what I am most familiar with and have never written a paper any other way. Then you divide your text into paragraphs. By using paragraphs it chunks the information together so the reader can easily process all the information. Once that is completed we move on to the heading. These headings give the reader an idea of what they are about to read. You can write your heading as a question, noun, or phrases. At the end of your design you need to evaluate it before moving on. Ask questions such as, does it fit the purpose, does it meet the needs of its audience, how well does it meet the requirements of the genre, and how well does the design reflect the writer's stance. Now we move on to spoken texts, such as speeches and presentations.  For a spoken text there needs to be a clear structure so the audience can follow what you're saying. Also summarize a complex point so the audience can follow what you're saying. Repeat your speech over and over to present a powerful presentation. Also it helps to include visual aids to get a point across to the audience. The last text is an electronic text which includes blogs, emails, and other online communication. First you need a home page which gives the name of the site and gives the readers an understanding of what the site is about. A clear organized structure is a crucial part to designing a web page because you want your readers to be able to easily sift through the different aspects of the page. Also an explicit navigation system needs to be included. This shows what's on the site and lets readers click on the main pages. Just as an essay there needs to be a consistent design by using colors to highlight what is what and using typeface to distinguish different parts from others. Some websites also include links which let the reader click on a related topic and read about it.

Beginning and Ending

Today I will be reading on how to begin and end a story. A helpful tip the book shares is that an introduction should entice its readers to keep reading by connecting to the text through their interests such as shared experiences, anecdotes, or another attention grabbing device. When beginning a story I learned that I need to point out what I will be talking about in the introduction so my readers will have an idea of what the rest of the story will be like. This is called a thesis statement, and all beginnings should contain one. Do not assume that just because the reader knows the key points means he/she will know about the whole topic so providing background information will make for a solid story. Also defining the key concepts will assert the way you feel about your topic. You could start with an anecdote that relates to your story or ask a question to get the reader thinking at the very beginning, this will also grab their attention. Finally we reach the end of the story in which we will restate the main point, discuss the implications of the argument, refer to the beginning, end with an anecdote or propose some action. Another important aspect of a story is its title. Here are some examples from the book of different titles; sometimes titles simply announce the subject of the text: "Black Men and Public Space". Some titles provoke readers, "Thank God for the Atom Bomb". While others add a subtitle, "Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood". The book explains the strategy to ease into a thesis statement. First they say to state your topic as a question, then turn you question into a position, and then narrow your thesis. A topic sentence states the subject and focus of the paragraph and is usually at the beginning of a paragraph.

A Critical Eye

For my reading today I will be learning strategies for a reading with a critical eye. The book explains that reading textbooks with new vocabulary is hard and it can be difficult to pick out key concepts and understand the reading. I have felt like this a couple of times while reading texts in college. The book assures that the more you read these academic texts the easier it will become to understand them. They suggest getting a brief overview by skimming and then reading it again paying close attention to details. Something I use while reading to get the main points is annotating. All I do is highlight the parts I believe are important. Another tip I find useful is summarizing a text so I can understand what exactly the author is trying to get across. Check for fallacies because they often seem plausible, but have faulty reasoning. This is good advice when reading a persuasive essay.

Analyzing Texts

When reading through the Analyzing Text chapter I enjoyed reading about the commercials aimed at women. I found these ads to be very sexist and honestly, a load of crap. If someone pitched an ad for Listerine, Lux, or Resinol like that these days I think they would be laughed at. Taking into consideration that these commercials are from the 20's, 30's, and 40's I'm sure they worked well in getting consumers to buy the product because back then people were more gullible. It's not that they were stupid they just didn't know what we, as consumers, know today. I know that using a certain soap won't get me a husband or that using a certain mouthwash will keep me "sweet". Lantry also points out how all of these themes have a weak factor in women's struggle for equality in the world of sex roles. The main theme is that pleasing men causes happiness in women. These ads kind of remind me of the more current "Axe" commercials where girls are falling over each other to get to the boy who sprayed Axe body spray on himself. Only this commercial is aimed at men saying women will be all over them if they use this product. In reading the many texts analyzed by people I enjoyed reading the Lurid Numbers on Glossy Pages! by Katharine Q. Seelye. She is writing about the techniques magazines use to catch a reader's eye as they are walking by the newsstand. The main way magazine publishers get reader's attention is by big numbers on the front covers. We've all seen them before "53 easy workouts", "21 hair and makeup how-tos", and "65 sex positions she/he will love". I'm not gonna lie these types of magazines always catch my eye as I'm standing in line at the grocery store. That is exactly what they are meant to do. David Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health, said that smaller numbers were better for exercise tips, because readers want something manageable. Lesley Semour, the current editor of Marie Claire, says "Research shows numbers sell." Just being a consumer and looking at the magazines my friends pick out I would have to agree that yes numbers do sell.

Getting The Job

Today in my readings I found an interesting fact that the book points out. They said that readers of job application letters and resumes, may reject applications if they contain a single error if only because it's an easy way to eliminate potential candidates. This is a useful tip to know since I will be looking for a job once I graduate, which isn't too far away. In order to have a good resume or letter you must edit and proofread your paper. 

Editing is the stage when you work on the details of your paragraphs, sentences, words, and punctuation to make sure your writing is clear, precise, correct, and as effective as possible. They say the goal isn't to make your writing "perfect" but to make sure it is effective in reaching your audience or purpose. I also find this an excellent tip because everyone thinks if your paper is punctually and grammatically correct then it is perfect. Yet if you don't reach your purpose then it is ineffective. The book also says to make sure you know the meaning of every word in your writing. If I am unsure if I have used to word in the write text I always look it up and make sure it fits with the sentence, which they say is a good thing to do. Always make sure if you use words like "he" or "they" or "it", that your readers will know precisely who you are talking about. Another common mistake many people, including myself, do is use language that could be considered sexist. Like using words such as manpower and policeman when referring to people who may be women.

Next is proofreading. Proofreading is the final stage of the writing process, the point where you clean up your work to present it to your readers. I really have to get myself to try if I want to be an effective proofreader. The book says proofreading demands that you slow down your reading and examine every word and punctuation mark. This is hard for me because I don't like to read slow and take the time to study each word.

My Writing

Today for my reading an interesting statement the book made caught my eye. It said, "The best advice on assessing is don't." They go on to explain that when writing we need to let the words flow without worrying if what your writing is right or wrong. When writing for others the book tells me to assess me writing in 2 stages. First consider how well it meets the needs of my particular rhetorical situation, then studying the text itself to check its focus, argument, and organization. You always need to know the purpose of your writing, the audience, the genre, the stance, and the design. Always make sure your readers can understand your argument and what you are talking about in your writing.  In this text they say that writing is like practicing a sport or playing an instrument, it takes time to get it right. Once you have looked through your own paper with a critical eye and had some peer reviews we must now start to revise our draft. Donald Murray says writers need to read, reread, and reread, standing back and perusing the entire text for problems. After reading all the ways I can edit my narrative with the help of myself and my peers I think now it will be easier to find the flaws in my story.