Reading Response #8

Summary:

     In the article "Intertextuality and the Discourse Community" by James Porter, the concepts of plagiarism and originality are given a deeper outlook and challenged by Porter's own thoughts and beliefs. Porter uses the Declaration of Independence to shape his ideas. He argues about how Jefferson is considered the author of the Declaration and that it is thought of as completely original, when truthfully, Jefferson retrieved ideas from other theorists and people of his time in order to create the Declaration. Also, Congress made many changes to the Declaration and revised it. Porter also discusses discourse communities, which by his definition is "a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated" (91).  He claims how only certain things are appropriate and acceptable within these communities when it comes to a text.
   
      Porter's article is similar to past articles we have read because it outlines common conceptions and misconceptions in writing and talks about constructs, which has been a large part of this class. Plagiarism is a construct we have talked about before, and is one of the main topics of Porter's article.



Pre-reading:

• Write a paragraph on what, in your mind, the difference between an author and a writer is. When would you choose the first term to describe the person/people behind a text, and when would you choose the second?

           In my mind, an author is someone who tells some kind of story, and a writer is someone who uses the written language and words to construct some type of meaning in a text. To describe the person/people behind a text, I would choose author in situations where the person writing is trying to make some kind of argument or tell a story. I would choose writer in mostly all situations. An author is also a writer. No matter what the text, whoever constructed the words is the writer.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

4. Prior to reading Porter's article, I assumed that writing should be evaluated through more of an opinionated stance. Also, considering how my writing has been evaluated in the past, I assumed that it should be looked at for grammatical correctness.

5. Porter's own work reflects his ideas pretty well. He uses others' ideas and cites examples from other works to portray the message he is trying to get across to readers. Porter is still using his own words, but he is also gathering information from others to form his writing into a new context and make a slightly different meaning of it.



Applying and Exploring Ideas:

2. If I were to rewrite the plagiarism policy, I would make it so that students would be allowed to use others' ideas to form their own ideas, as long as they give credit to those who's sources they use and cite specific sources. This is similar to the current plagiarism policies, but the policy I have written would allow more freedom and breathing room.



Meta Moment:

     Anyone can become a true "writer." Porter's study has not really changed the way I have always seen writers and writing. I consider myself a writer, and as a writer I know that there are many different angles and processes to it. It has a lot of meanings. It isn't necessarily someone who just sits down to get ideas into print. It is much deeper than that.



My thoughts:

     I really enjoyed the subject of this article. I liked Porter's discussion on the Declaration of Independence and the research he did. He did a good job of providing examples to support his argument. I personally agreed with what he had to say. I think that at least some plagiarism is unavoidable. The English language is used very widely. It is impossible to not use the same words as someone else in something at some point in time. Our own personal thoughts and ideas throughout our lives have arisen because of a past thought or idea. I believe that as long as someone still uses their own words and doesn't copy a text completely and make it look like their own writing, as well as provide citations and credit, it should not be considered plagiarism. It should be okay for someone to use past ideas and texts to construct their own thoughts. If we agree on something someone has said and it provokes something in us, of course we are going to use it as a means of explaining why we agree with it and believe the same thing. It is simply not possible to construct 100% original ideas and words, because they have without a doubt been used at some point in time before us.
     On another note, I got a little bit confused when he began to talk about discourse communities and his section titled, "The Pedagogy of Intertextuality." I didn't exactly understand what he was trying to say or how it associated with his ideas about plagiarism and originality within a text.

Reading Response #7

Summary:

     In Peter Elbow's article, "Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries," Elbow discusses the importance of voice in writing and all of the misconceptions about it. Voice is a reflection of our personal selves. However, some skeptics have believed that voice can be used by skillful people to trick others to think they are a certain way, when really they are not. Elbow tries to point out his belief that one approach should not be used; you should pay attention to voice, but on the contrary, also "push away" voice. Elbow tries to get the audience to understand that voice--not only spoken, but written--should be heard. 
     This article compares to past articles we have read because of its strong focus on rhetoric and student writing. The majority, if not all, of the articles we read have been based on academic writing and trying to give college students a better grasp on writing skills and concepts. Elbow's article is no different. He wants students to get hold of the concept of voice and use it in a positive way, as well as a contrasting point of view.



Pre-reading:

2. Teachers from my past have seemed to outlaw the use of writing "I" to make a paper as impersonal and as "factual" as possible. My writings would be much different if I were able to use "I." They would  be much more personal. I feel like my writings would be better because I would really be able to put myself into the paper and give it more meaning, instead of it simply being about facts and the "truth." Using first person would certainly be a different approach, but I personally think it would be a better approach. I could use my own experience and thoughts to add to the paper and make it much more interesting.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

1. I define "voice" as bringing personality into writing and expressing yourself through words, even through completely different perspectives. For example, you could write about almost anything, and still have a voice. You are still expressing a somewhat personal side of yourself, even if it is unintentional. Elbow seems to have various definitions for voice. He delves far into the term and analyzes the different meanings it could have. The way I define voice is certainly similar to one of the ways he views voice, but he views it in many other ways as well.

3. When Elbow is discussing his own writing as well as the larger conversation on voice, he seems to begin contrasting his previous ideas about voice. However, as he says in his article, it is important to pay attention to voice, while also expressing a contrasting view. He discusses his own writing and metaphors and shows what he disagrees on.




Applying and Exploring Ideas:

1. Sincerity: a single voice that gives meaning and personality to a piece of writing and is an expression/reflection of oneself
    Resonance: an addition to a piece of writing that gives it a little extra "something" and makes it more special and more enjoyable

2. When you listen to a passage rather than read it silently, you get a better understanding of it. Whoever is reading the passage can give it that certain tone or voice that makes you really listen and take in its meaning. Reading silently can make it hard to understand a passage because it is hard to associate each word with a voice. It has a sort of monotone, which makes an especially long piece drag on, and lose its meaning. I think that longer, more complicated pieces should be listened to so that a tone can be established.




Meta Moment:

     It's initially hard to understand Elbow's contrasting views on voice while he has a disagreement when it comes to compromise. However, when he says, "it's a method of letting each side lose as little as possible," (50) his point makes a little more sense.
     When contrasting views on voice, it is important to allow a lot of breathing room. A compromise doesn't allow much breathing room at all. Compromising is a means of excusing two different sides for what they are. It's like saying "it's okay" that two opposite views are "this" or "that" way, without really explaining or analyzing it further. Contrasting should give each side reasons as to why it is viewed that way and leave more room for agreement/disagreement. Each side should be seen as a sort of "truth." Not literally, but metaphorically. It should be viewed as the "winning" side, in a sense. If you expressed two different views, and then began to compromise on those views, both sides would lose a lot of their resonance and meaning. Conflict is actually crucial.


My thoughts:

     I thought that the article was well-written. I liked the subject matter, but it was kind of hard to really "get into it" because of the length. It seemed to go on and on about the same thing, and the point Elbow was trying to make came about quite slowly. He tends to jump around between different ideas and concepts, which confused me. It wasn't always easy to understand what he wanted to get across to readers. However, I liked the times when he used music and musical terms as metaphors and ways to describe voice.

Reading Response #6

Summary:

     In the piece "Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer" by Carol Berkenkotter, she begins by talking about Donald Murray and reliving a memory of seeing him write. Berkenkotter states how she came to realize that all writers have a unique process of writing, and that their settings are all different and should be paid close attention to. She begins a research study with Murray as her subject. Berkenkotter's purpose is to learn more about the planning and revising of professional, skilled writers. She describes her results and discusses Murray's own thoughts, writings, and troubles with his writings. She brings up the concept of "reconceiving" that Murray made, which is a collaboration between planning and revising.
     In "Response of a Laboratory Rat--or, Being Protocoled" by Donald Murray, he uses a numbering system to organize his thoughts and ideas. He talks about typically the same ideas that Berkenkotter expressed, only in his own words and perspective (since it is coming from himself). He describes and relives his moments with Carol Berkenkotter as the writer and researcher who was observing him, and also motivating him.



Pre-reading:

•      Consider whether you have any writing rituals. For example, do you have to have a cup of coffee while you write? Do you need to write on paper before typing? Do you have to take a nap or clean the house?

              I don't really have any specific writing rituals. Usually, all I need is inspiration and I can type for the longest time, going on and on. I also need a relaxing place to write. It doesn't have to be completely quiet, though, because I can zone out and really focus on my writing.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

1. To me, it seemed that Murray had a lot of difficulty at times with his writing processes. It sounded very complicated. There were many different parts to the process and required a lot of time and effort. In my writing processes, I don't think nearly as much or plan and revise as much as Murray does or as Berkenkotter describes. I didn't realize that it required so much planning and revising.

5. Berkenkotter refers to Murray as "the writer" because that is exactly what he is. He is the writer that she is studying and using as part of her research study on cognitive writing processes. Murray refers to Berkenkotter as "the researcher" because she is conducting this specific research. Using their names wouldn't have the same effect on the audience as "writer" and "researcher" do. Using those terms allows the audience to get a strong sense on the roles Berkenkotter and Murray are playing and the purpose of the research study itself.



Meta Moment:

     From the Berkenkotter and Murray readings, I learned that is important to put a lot of time and effort into the writing process and deeply think about. I can improve my writing and write more effectively if I use these concepts and spend time planning, and then revising afterward.



My thoughts:

     I thought it was strange yet interesting that this work was basically two pieces of writing in one. It was definitely a unique method. I think it worked well, though, considering how Berkenkotter's "main character" in her article was Murray himself, and it was then followed by Murray's own piece. Her discussion of Murray's processes and his thoughts and ideas helped me to understand Murray's writing a little bit better. However, as far as Berkenkotter's article goes, it was kind of difficult to understand. It seemed to jump around a lot between her own thoughts and then Murray's writing and the concepts of planning and revising. It was unclear to me exactly what point she was trying to get across to the audience. I enjoyed reading Murray's piece because he explained his thoughts exactly and organized it well. It was easy to read and understand.
     These articles compare to past articles we have read because the purpose is to inform the audience and help teach more complicated writing skills to improve writing and research.

Reading Response #5 (Berger)

Summary:

      In "Ways of Seeing" written by John Berger, he beings by making a point that men are seen in forms of power, while women are surveyed by the way they look and how they act. He says that men look at women and then decide how they will be treated, and women express the way they want others to treat them. When Berger starts to discuss nudity in the form of European art, he expresses the differences between "naked" and "nude." He claims that being naked is simply being oneself, and "naked" must be seen as an object to become a nude. He believes that nudity is put on display for others to see and enjoy, while "nakedness reveals itself." Berger talks about how the spectators-owners of the paintings were assumed to be males who were viewing the scenes themselves, meaning to please themselves and show what they wanted to see. Women's bodies would face them instead of others in the painting so they could get their own view of it. He argues that women are designed to "flatter" the spectators, which are assumed to be "ideal" men, and that this hasn't changed between then and now.



Pre-reading:

• Imagine that you are going to draw a picture of a woman. Which way would she be facing and why? Is she the only object in the picture? What kind of scene do you put her in? Is she naked or nude?

          If I were to draw a picture of a woman, she would be facing forward so that someone viewing it would see her face and her expression, possibly to get a better idea of her personality and emotions. I would draw her in a scene where she would be somewhere with friends or a group of people. She would be fully clothed because I don't think it is acceptable for her to be otherwise, especially in a public setting.

• Find two images of women--one from classical art and one from a magazine or advertisement--and discuss the similarities and differences in how the women in each image are presented.

          http://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/images/Birth_of_Venus.gif

          http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8qE4svMhgX-3pcrKv_BJmddmYhGank742WREZm2h9rlLDNyZEOA          

           These two images have distinct similarities and differences. In the classic image, the woman is nude and seems to be portrayed in kind of a sexual way, just as the second image of Selena Gomez. In the second image, her personality is hardly shown because the focus is on her look. The images are different because Selena is clothed, whereas in the first image the woman is not.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

1. I think that artists of these paintings did know what they were doing when they created the paintings. I don't think that they understood the whole concept of it--I don't think that it was a "big deal" to most people back then, as it was seen as an art form--but most of them had a clear purpose to please themselves and show what they enjoyed seeing. I think that Berger would agree with me. He states himself that the spectators painted the women the way they wanted to view them, instead of how they actually appeared or would appear in the scene they were depicting.

2. Images of posed women are everywhere. They're in magazines, on TV, and all over the media in general. You rarely see complete nudity in publicity and the media, but they are similar to the paintings Berger discusses because the majority of them have a solid purpose of showing sexuality and to be pleasing to others, males specifically. That is something that has stayed the same. Some images, however, serve other purposes. They could be showing off a specific piece of clothing, a hairstyle, etc. Some are just meant to show true beauty. I think that today, people still view women in similar ways. However, women have definitely gained a lot of independence and have much more say in the way they are portrayed.


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

2. Berger's ideas of the relationship between spectator and subject in the paintings can be applied to those between author and reader, or main character and reader, because a text is there to represent a certain ideal or give away certain information about a person or thing. We take into consideration every detail about a character in a text, or about what an author is trying to tell us. We have to try to understand it and take it all into account. An author's ideas or main character affect us directly in some way, and have an effect in how we perceive the rest of the text.

3. I believe that in modern day images of women, women are positioned because they are meant to be viewed a certain way, such as the European paintings. Magazines, for example, have photo shoots in order to get the "right shot" of the subject. The photographer wants a certain look and positions the subject until he or she gets the image that they want to be portrayed in their magazine.


Meta Moment:

     I think that this article discussing the similarities and differences between nudes, nakedness, spectator, viewer, art, and advertisement can really help in terms of writing. Berger's article showed that two extremely similar terms can have different meanings and be perceived differently. Specifically, for example, an author can write a piece for his or her own "pleasure" or for an entire audience, or maybe even both.



My thoughts:

     I thought Berger's article was interesting. It made me reconsider general assumptions and how women were seen back then, and how they are seen today. I wonder, however, why Berger chose this topic and why he seems so intrigued by it. I want to know what sparked his interest in the history of European nude oil paintings and gender roles.

Reading Response #4 (McCloud)

Summary:

     In Scott McCloud's piece, "Vocabulary of Comics," he uses comics and icons to represent the idea that we see less detailed images as better representations of ourselves and other things, rather than through more detailed images. A less detailed image can have much more meaning. A simplified drawing of a face as just a circle with two dots and a line is hard to be seen as anything other than a face. It can represent anyone's face. McCloud also expresses the idea that we see faces in many things, like inanimate objects, that don't even represent faces or have meaning other than their purposes. He says that we identify well with cartoons because we can "become" the cartoon and see similarities between it and ourselves.


Pre-reading:

• Look around the room you are in (or the outdoor space around you, etc.) Where do you see patterns resembling human faces in inanimate objects? How similar or dissimilar are those things to actual faces? Can you look at them without seeing a face? Why or why not?

          In my dorm room, I have many pictures hanging up and two large posters. Each of these do represent actual humans and are perfectly similar. They are photographs of an actual being. I also have a few stuffed animals that have some facial features similar to those of a human. With the photographs, it is impossible to look at them and not see the human faces that they so clearly show, because that is exactly what they represent. They show a point in time and a particular moment with particular people.

• Consider why some children use stick figures when drawing pictures of themselves. Is it possible that stick figures show the development of a child in relation to his own self-awareness?

          I believe that children use stick figures to draw themselves not only because it is easier, but also because they are very simple-minded. They don't pay attention to detail the way teenagers and adults do. They like the simplest of things and unintentionally try to show the important parts of them in their drawings. They want to show that the rest of the body doesn't matter. I believe that even though they don't really think deeply about this matter, they know that people are equal. All they need to show for the body are necks, arms, and legs. They realize that everyone is alike in having those things. Their personalities are shown a little better by the faces of themselves that they draw and any other things that they add into the picture.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

2. McCloud uses the comic book format to convey his ideas to the readers because he wants the readers to really think about his concepts and see them firsthand. In using the comic format, he is telling us what he wants us to know, while giving us images to not only show what he is saying, but to make us stop and look at each image and test out his theories. If he had written his piece without images and only through words, it would be much harder for readers to understand what he was trying to convey. Words would only give the reader some insight into what kind of images McCloud is showing/discussing. 

3. If the narrator looked more realistic, readers would be more preoccupied with him as the messenger. A more realistic cartoon would keep the reader entranced more in what the narrator looks like and with trying to identify him as a person, rather than with what the narrator is saying. Cartoons are blank slates that we fill with our own identity because they leave much up to the imagination. Simplistic cartoons let us make our own interpretation and put our own experiences and thoughts into making the characters more identifiable. 

Applying and Exploring Ideas:

2. McCloud says that we are more likely to see ourselves in simple, cartoonish images because we see the "main idea" of the image and know that what it is showing is true of ourselves. For example, a face made up of simply a circle with two dots for eyes and a line for a mouth will help us see ourselves more because we know we have those features. In a more realistic image, we look at every detail and try to associate it with our already-known image of ourselves. We try to differentiate between each feature and we pick more at the details. A simpler image can have much more meaning. 

3. I think that some adults grow out of watching cartoons because they believe it is childish. They become used to the idea of reality and that everything should be show the exact way we see it. Even though we do see cartoons or icons daily, many adults have this notion that it is what it is, and that's the way it has to be.

My thoughts:

     I thought this piece was very fun and interesting, as well as informative. I loved the use of comics and cartoons to express McCloud's idea. It was a very effective method. It would have been much harder to understand his ideas if it was written word for word with no graphics. 

     This piece compares to the other pieces we have read because it is persuading readers through argument and conversation.

Research Tools Summary

How to Find a Book:

     This video describes the process of finding a book by using the ALICE online catalog. You must simply search your topic or a word relating to your topic. To narrow your results, you should search multiple keywords and separate them with "and." You can then choose a book and see whether or not it is available for checkout. Once you see it is available, you must write down the call number, or send it as a text message to your phone. Then you can look under "location" and see what floor of Alden Library the book is on. Click on the link, and it will direct you to where you need to go to find the book. When you go back to the previous page, you can click on other search topics similar to your own to find more books and information. Once you go to the library to find your book, go to the correct floor and follow the signs and your call number to figure out where your book will be. When you find your book, you can also find that there are many other books in the same area that are similar to the topic of the book you picked out. You can then check out whatever books you find at the fourth floor or second floor desks. You must make sure you have your student ID with you.


ArticlesPlus-Finding Scholarship:

     In ArticlesPlus you can search any keywords in order to find specific articles about what you are looking for. After searching a few words, you can refine your results by choosing more specific article types, such as scholarly articles. You can choose an article that is in PDF form and decide to print it, email it, or save it. If an article is not in PDF form, you can click on the link. It will take you to a page with a citation at the top and that will tell you if full text is available from somewhere else.



How to get a book from OhioLINK:

     You can request books from OhioLINK, which is a way to get books that for whatever reason are not available at Ohio University. You can look for a specific book by clicking on the "search Ohio" link to find if there are any copies in Ohio. You can then request one of the books and then enter Ohio University as the school you are from. After that, you log in with your Ohio ID and password. You can choose a location to pick up your book in about three business days. When your book has arrived, you will receive an email.

Topic Proposal for Project #1

It seems that some people think writing (academically, research, etc.) does not require any emotion or personal thought. I believe that no matter what a person is writing, it is a clear reflection of who they are as a person and what they believe and value. Unless a person is forced to write about something, they write about things that have some kind of effect on them emotionally, logically, or even socially.