11/6 Class Notes

Research Question: What does the graffiti artists' composing process look like?

Step #1 create your thesis

1) Other than the overall idea, the artists' compostion is based on play by play decision-making. (series of forks in the road)

11/6 Rhetorical Activities 2 and 4 ARCS p. 283

2) Most definitely, yes. Many people, when they walk into my room, think I have cake cinnamon buns in my room. However, it is just a candle that I keep burning to ensure that my room doesn't smell stale. In this case, I do believe that this "emperical evidence" is convincing, but it doesn't make it definitely accurate. One of the major findings that support this theory is Pavlov's theory. With his dog, he would ring a bell to signify eating time. Automatically, the dog became conditioned to hearing the bell and would salivate. One day, Pavlov rang the bell and the dog began salivating, but he did not give the dog food. He rang the bell again, and the dog continued to salivate. The bell served as emperical evidence for the dog, but the evidence did not lead to the conclusion of food.

4) There are many online sites that I use for research in my other classes (Business Admin, and Poli. Sci). I never use a website that is not academically accredited. As ARCS would say on p. 281, my source would be reliable.

10/30/08 Rhetorical Activitices 1,4, & 6 (ARCS, p.263)

1) This is an example of how I would attempt to persuade fellow WVU students to participate in my fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network.

Imagine a mother and child that just got into a car accident. The mother was fine, but when she comes to, she looks over in the passenger seat and realizes that her daughter's airbag did not deploy and she is unconscious. She calls an ambulance and the two are rushed to the hospital. One of the nurses asks what insurance policy the mother has, she replies, "I don't have any. My husband left me and my daughter, and my job doesn't provide healthcare." The nurse then explains that the proper proceedures that the doctors need to perform cannot be do without the health insurance. Her daughter may have mild retardation, and minor paralisase on her left side. What is the mother to do? She can't afford the proceedures, and she doesn't have the insurance to rehabilitate her daughter back to normal health.

The audience will want to know what can be done to help the mother. They will now be able to sympathize with the cause.

4) They do indeed. The latest Old Spice "Swagger" commercials insinuate that the product defines the boundaries between geek/dqeeb/dork/nerd from hero/suave/alpha male. This plays on the hopes and fears of many males in society.

Rhetorical Activities 1 & 3 (ARCS, p. 186)

1) In today's DA(10/23/08), there is an article on whether or not Obama will make an appearence in West Virginia. As of now, Obama has no intentions of visiting the state. His campaign manager establishes this through the us of an enthymeme. Because McCain leads the recent polls, and because Biden will be in Charleston on Friday, Obama will has no intentions as of now to visit WVU. Because the article is so short, there is no use of any other proofs.

3)

Plan for analyzing the information from my interview and on-site observation

The first thing that I want to look for and get a sense of the writing process that my subject takes. Evaluating his objectives, plan of attack, and means of rhetoric all are important to understand when look at his writing as a whole. Because my research will focus primarily on the use of rhetoric and general appeal, I will consider what the subject stated in the interview, "I write as if I am verbally presenting the report/proposal/etc." This gives insight to the actual writing process (ex. word choice, sentence structure, subject ordering, paragraph structure, etc.) When looking at his writings, I want to put myself into the reader's/audience's shoes and read his work as if it were addressed to me. What are the focal points? Why should I believe and agree with him? What does he use to back up his argument? Does he establish any rhetorical tools? From there I want to start making inferences (ex. He uses ethos to reinforce X; he establishes kairos here to emphasize Y)

10/2/08 Taking this week's lectures and applying them to my project

Obviously, analyzing genres, level of details, and explanations for details are important to any facet of writing. For me, these analyses will unquestionably be applied to my own research. It is important for me to establish ethos in my reports and papers, because this will show how I have kept my project under control.

FreeWrite: Observation Process

When I observed the three girls writing, there were many generalities and common trends that occured throughout the process. For instance, each girl had a specific role in the process. One girl would pose the questions to the group and wait for a response. The other two girls would be the ones to state their opinions on the proper answers and the first girl would repeat what they would say trying to refine their words. She would then type the groups answer on the computer while reading what she typed alloud. That way, if any of the other two girls disagreed with the final thought, she could alter it. In one instance there was an answer that one of the other two girls thought could be reworded. The typist repeated what the girl said to varify and made the alterations.
What I found pertininant in this process of observation is that it is important to pay close attention to detail- not only to ask myself what the are doing, but how and why are they doing it. Most people would think "duh, of course that's how it's done," but it is easier said than done while your are actually doing it. Small details like the efficiency of specialized tasks, repeating questions, or even thinking out loud are all important to someone who plays the role of observer.

9/8 Class Notes and Responses

Stasis Theory/Questions:

A) Clarifies a rhetor's understanding an issue before composing an argument

• audiences' opinions, assumptions, values
• areas where more research can be done
• possible proofs to support argument
• effective arrangement of these proofs

Exercise:

Topic: Voting/Political Participation

Question: Should young adults participate in the politcal process?

General vs. Specific: "young adults" = a little bit of both

Theoretical vs. Practical (abstract ideas vs. action/specific activities): More Practical

What is it?

Conjecture: Is there an act to be considered?

a) "purity" of the democratic process

b) lack of political participation

Examples: Is there a lack of political participation? What causes this lack? How can this lack be changed? Are political parties targeting them?

Definition: What kind of thing or event is it? To what larger class of things does it belong? What are its parts? How are they relating?

Examples: What kind of thing is voting? To what larger class of things does voting belong?

Quality: Is it a good or a bad thing? Should it be sought or avoided? is it right or wrong? Is it honorable or dishonorable?

Comparative Quality: is it more desirable than any alternatives? Or less desirable? is it more or less right than something else? Is it more base than something else?

Examples: Is it right to vote without knowing the issues and candidates vs. not voting at all? Is it honorable to vote for a candidate whose ideas you support but you know isn't going to win? Is it more base to pay attention to the political process when there is so much negativity, or is it more base to "tune off"? Is it honorable to vote? Is it a good thing to participate in the political process? Is it better for the youth to participate in the process or should the "experianced" make the decisions?

Status Update Due 9/16

Thus far, I feel like I have a good sense of how I want to proceed with my final project. Also, I am comprehending the material that is covered in class. Sometimes I get lost trying to follow Prof. Wible's train of thought, but I usually understand the main points that he covers. Something that I was really content with was the outline laid out for the Letter of Inquiry. Hopefully that will lead to a better grade. My exploratory essay was, to my surprise, lacking, so it would be nice to cushion my loss.

Analyzing the Analysis Memo 9/9/08 Class

The Analysis Memo

-Job Description
--This gives us a look at the surface of how the writer interpreted this part of the project, and why he responds the way he does.
--This also gives us a look at the surface of his thought process on how he goes about organizing his writing.

-Audience Analysis
--This part shows how the writer perceives his audience and what they expect from a writer like him.
--By understanding how he sees his audience, a reader can see what he feels is necessary to include or exclude in his writing.

-Rhetorical Analysis
--This final part of the memo shows what the writer included in his work and what he chose to overlook or exclude. By relating this to the Audience Analysis, you can see how well the writer was able to achieve his goals of including the right information.
-- It also shows each step he took throughout the whole writing process, and how he expects his audience to interpret his work.

Tracing My Exploratory Essay

Before I even started organizing my essay, I brainstormed on questions that I really wanted to ask someone in the business or legal field about professional writing. When it came to the point that I had a handle full of questions, I began my outline of main points that I wanted to discuss and explain. I usually don't go into detail until I am writing the paper, itself, because I feel that it is the best way to capture what I think about a specific subject. As I began to type my paper, I followed the outline that I had made. It really helped me stay focused and adhere to a linear train of thought. One by one, I would address each question, and explain my reasoning for choosing that question. As I was finishing up with my conclusion, I looked back at what I had already written. Summing up my thoughts, I ended the project. I read it through a couple of times, changed a few sentences, and finally turned the paper in.

What is Kairos?

To me, Kairos can be described as a physical fight. Imagine your topic of debate or your central theme of your argument as your opponent. Kairos is that split second when your opponent drops his guard and you are able to most effectively land a blow to the body of your opponent. If you are quick on your feet and are able to quickly adapt, you will be able to catch it, because the key moment is fleeting. Kairos is basically the opportune moment to strike or jump at a main point of an argument.

Rhetorical Activities 1 and 4 pp. 63-64

1)Don LaFontaine, a famous movie trailor voice, died this past Monday. While reading about this, I decided what better person to discuss and research then the man himself. While looking for various publications, I determined that FOX News and ETOnline were the best candidates, because they both have their arms deep in celebrity personal life. Both articles claim that this is a sad time in Hollywood, and that movies won't be the same without him. After appearing in over 5,000 movies, and approximately 350,000 commercials it's hard to see why not. Both articles definitely convinced me that the issue is urgent and pertinant to my personal life. Never more will I here his distinct voice when I go to the movies or watch television. Due to the nature of the situation, neither of the two articles were disrespectful in placing related arguments or facts.

4) We as a planet are such a diverse people. People of many different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and social statuses go about our lives as we best know how to. Day in and day out, we wake up to our world and survive under the conditions we have been given or the ones we have made for ourselves- but what if the world we think we know won't always be there the next day? Every day Earth's ozone layer is deteriorating at an alarming rate. If the peoples of this world do not unify to solve this problem there will be no Earth to wake up to.

First Week Review

After the first week of lecture, I now know that the way in which a writer constructs his or her writings is not just through instinct and procedure. It takes research, and an empathetic approach from his or her audience's point of view.

What I would like to have further explained is the difference between social and individual perspective. There are certain refainments I don't grasp.

"a moment in the continuous process of communication."

Surprisingly, from my personal experience, their are many people out there that have difficulty with this task. Whether it be verbal or nonverbal communication, some people just do not grasp the concept or feel the need to grasp the concept of effective communication. In the workplace, it is pertinant to have effective communication skills. Whether it be with a fellow coworker, a superior, a subordinate, or a client, it is necessary to be able to communicate your thoughts clearly and effectively.

For a professional writer, it is even more important to be able to communicate or write effectively. A professional writer needs to be able to relay proposals, discrepencies, and other messages thoroughly, clearly, and effectively to various peoples. To do this they need to have a good understanding of the topic at hand. Second, they need to be able to send the message in the appropriate minor, whether it be through written memo or document, email, or verbally. Next they need to be able to confirm that the reciever understands the message and is able to replay with their thoughts, feelings, and knowledge.

Rhetorical Activities 2 and 4

2)Oh! Have I encountered the horrible theatrics that are simulated arguments! Back home in Charleston, almost every popular morning radio station does the same thing. They will "argue" over the daily headline news. When I say headline news, I refer to articles like "What's Britney Doing with Her Life?," or "Who is better Branjolina or the Beckhams?" How about this. Get a real life. When I say that I don't direct that to the disk jockeys, I say it to the people who call in and agh it on. The listeners are the ones who eat it up. It is my belief that if the listeners would show less interest, the less the DJ's would use this tactic in their morning performance. ESPN Sports Center is another great example. The sports casters spend their time on the air "debating and speculating" as to whether or not certain athletes will be heroes or zeros in times to come.

One key observation that I have made many times that is just a dead give-away to its theatrics is the ending of the so-called debate. At the end both parties will leave the argument open-ended. "Well I guess it's up to the viewer/listener to decide..." Another give away is the overkill of facial gestures and body mechanics used on television. People screaming and raising fists in the air over celebrities' personal lives and sports predictions are just unneeded and embarrassing.

4)The people in my community are most easily persuaded through mostly action or threats of negative results. For example, myself- at this point in my life, I feel that I have a good head on my shoulder, and I almost ALWAYS make the right decisions in life. However, I have been known to be wrong. It was only after the event had transpired that I realized that I was dreadfully wrong and the other person was right. It was then that I sucame to persuasion. Results of an action is usually what persuade people around me, too. We are a stubborn society. We believe we are all-knowing and all-forseeing.

When it comes to life choices like religion, habits, and racial toleration. They all usually are persuaded by some outside tower of knowledge; whether it be parent, sibling, close friend, or spouse. People look to others for security in their decisions, so they compare themselves to people they revere as equals or superiors. A 19-yr-old in Morgantown has at least once or twice participated in under age drinking. Why? Because everyone else does it, including his friends, and probably siblings(given the fact that they are the same age or older) as well. Immulation and immitation of peers and superiors is a common human trait and a powerful when it comes to persuasion.

Fear is also used when trying to persuade people. If a doctor tells a man/woman that he/she has 3 years to live if he/she doesn't stop smoking, then more than likely the patient will cease the habit. The threat of greenhouse gases is also another good example. Al Gore said that if the world does not alter its ways of existing, then the ozone layer will cease to exist, and harmful UV rays will eventually kill every living thing on the planet. Has has since then persuaded hundreds of millions to reduce toxic emissions. Again, this a prime example of persuasion through impending harm or fear.

An Analysis of Jack Selzer's Composing Processes

Why did Selzer want to study the composing processes of an engineer?

What Selzer wanted to do is explore to explore an unchecked, unexplored type of writing. Scholars had studied journalists, authors, and students, but no had ever looked at the people who used technical writing in their every day work life. It was important to understand technical writing, so that students who had prospects in technical fields could properly prepare for their respective fields.

What did you, the reader, find interesting/unique/surprising about his findings?

To me, I thought it was interesting that Selzer found Nelson to take such care and time to prepare his writings. This also the same kind of behavior you would expect an engineer to have with any other project he would take on. Also, once he writes it down, he rarely revises it.
Selzer observes:
"My observations and Nelson's remarkably clean
drafts showed that once Nelson writes a sentence he seldom reconsiders it.
Instead, he pushes forward with confidence so that whole drafts of proposals
and whole chapters of reports can be completed at one sitting."

Class Findings:

Nelson also would also reuse previous documents by incorporation them into new documents.

Nelson spends significant time thinking about his audience's needs, interests, knowledge

Nelson had stylistic rules that he adhered to all the time (short sentence length, topic sentence in every paragraph)

ETHOS- appeal based on credibility
LOGOS- appeal based on logic

MULTIPLE DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Taped Discussion: Nelson responded in detail to questions about his writing sessions, their focus, length conduct.
Face-toface interviews
Collected all of Nelson's documents
Selzer went to Nelson's workplace and observed him

TRIANGULATION - TRIANGULATING DATA

Types of Writing that Professional Writers use and Job Titles

When thinking about what specific types of writing that a professional writer does, many things come to mind. First off, it would depend on what type of professional writer the person is. If he/she is an author, then more than likely novels, magazines, manuals, textbooks, and other various forms of literature come to mind. These are the types of publications that the major of people would first go to in terms of professional writing. However, what about the authors' proposals to their publishing companies to get their books published? What about letters of inquiry to the people they interview? These are also certain forms of professional writing.

Other professionals besides just authors also have to write proposals, letters of inquiry, thank you letters, speeches, etc. People like contractors, real-estate agents, accountants, journalists, engineers, doctors, senators, and congressmen(and women) all have, at one time or another, needed to compose some form of professional writing. For instance, say that the mayor of Morgantown, Ron Justice, was up for re-election. To get funding and sponsors from local businesses and investors, he would need to write letters to them requesting their support. That is also a form of professional writing.

Many people use professional writing in their every day business. The list goes on and on about who could be considered a professional writer, because the status quot of their job. They are required to uphold a certain form of professionalism when dealing with their business. This is why the definitions "professional writer" and "types of professional writing" are so loose.