Maria Kern's Cullington Analysis and Brown Reaction

Maria Kern

Dr.Greene

English 1102

20 February 2015

                               

RRR Reaction for Cheryl Brown’s Book Review on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

            My reaction to Brown’s Book Review was quite strong. I was angry for Lacks and the treatment she was given. Brown was able to portray the key elements in the book. I am happy for the medical advances that the HeLa cells contributed to; however I am sad and angry for that poor woman. It upset me as I read about how she was used and neglected. Lacks’ human rights were violated and her cells illegally stolen. Rage is the emotion I felt in reaction to this literacy piece at the injustice of Lacks’ story. I feel sadness and empathy for her family as well, because not only did they lose her, but their wishes were not adhered to nor did they receive and restitution for the contribution that her cells gave to the world. This piece evoked strong emotions within me on the matter and captured the essence of the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks .

Maria Kern

Dr.Greene

English 1102

20 February 2015
                            

RRR Analysis for Cullington’s Paper on Texting and Writing

            Cullington analyzes the debate in the paper Texting and Writing on how students have lost fundamental writing skills due to the convenience of texting or how it may be helping students with their writing skills. Textspeak is the language created by short abbreviations used in texting; a few examples are : (LOL) laugh out loud, (2) too, (AM) morning, (gr8) great, (c) see, and (dat) that.
The author supports the part of the debate that is con on that texting is not helping students with their writing skills, in that students are not as well versed in grammar “Teachers say that their students are forgetting commas, apostrophes, and even capital letters to begin sentences. Proper usage of grammar rules is necessary for writing effectively.” (91). Cullington also supports the pro side with a quote from David Crystal's book Txtng: The Gr8 Db8 that explains texting actually may help people, "sharpen their diplomatic skills...[because] it allows more time to formulate their thoughts and express them carefully" (168) Cullington then decided to conduct her own research into this controversy. First she surveyed seven high school and college students on their opinion on the matter, then questioned two high school teachers on the matter, and finally she analyzed student writing samples for textspeak. Cullington's findings on her research suggests that texting has a minimal effect on a students writing. In conclusion many experts and students have reported of no negative or positive effects on their writing due to texting. Teachers and parents are bias and should look to real evidence on this controversial debate; that texting has no effect on one's writing skills or abilities.

Precis: Paragraph 1- Maria Kern

   In Jocelyn Hazlewood Donlon’s article “’Born on the Wrong Side of the Porch’: Violating Traditions in Bastard Out of Carolina” Donlon (1998), the author defines the meaning of what a porch truly is and that it creates different types of “space” for people. Donlon supports her reasoning with social traditions, old family stories, and Dorothy Allison’s semi-autobiographical novel “Bastard Out of Carolina” (1993). Donlon explains that the porch is more than just a “place”, but a space created for safety, love, growth, joy, socializing, strength, romance, and even where one may even find a self-identity.  The open yet secluded porch created the perfect environment in order to have the safety of the public and still have some privacy intact. According to the information within this article, it is quite likely that the author wishes to educate the public on the social and personal importance of a porch and the significance it has positively and negatively.

 

Reaction: Paragraph 2  - Darrell Ransom

   This academic article provided very interesting insight into the traditional southern courtship. Having heard stories of how my grandparents and their brothers and sisters fell in love, I can agree with the porch being a place of friendship and conversation. I was tickled by some of the stories women who had their first kisses on the porch while their parents watched through the windows. Something about these stories seems so cliché as time and courting has progressed over the years. Hearing Bone’s story and her non-traditional upbringing led to her non-traditional orientation. Her story was disheartening because of the inappropriate relationship with her father and it’s repercussions on her life. Bone’s story reveals comfort as do most tradition southern family porch stories, however she was not born middle class but in poor conditions. Her bouts with domestic violence, sexual exploration, and unawareness of her sexual orientation provided a great read but a poor reality. 

 

Analytical Paragraph: Paragraph 3 - Tracey Mitchell

    To me porch is symbolical of parlors that young couples used to “court” in England.  In the Deep South many houses had porch were the family would go to escape the heat of the house during the evening hours of the day, as well as young couples using it as a place to get to know each other better. Donlon’s (1998) usage of the porch to tell the safety of the darker side of life leaves me somewhat mystified.  I cannot understand whether or not, if Bone discovers lesbianism in the safety of the porch or because of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her step-father or did she go from one abuser to another. The usage of the chain during what is depicted as a sexual experience for Bone to me does not equate has a road in to lesbianism, more like a sexual experience into Bondage Domination Submission and Mastery.  I have heard stories over the years where many women like Bone’s mother always chose the “provider” rather than their children. Stories such as these are a national outcry in society today. It was common practice back then and stories such at the “Color Purple” (Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. London: Women's Press, 1992. Print.) have been derived from the abuse of young women at the hands of men who should have known better. This story was more about the other side of life rather than the other side of the porch.  Nothing unseemly happened to Bone on the “porch” it all happened behind closed doors.  Bone’s story is a tragic one, where a young girl loses her since of identity in the abuse at the hands of her step-father. I feel that her identity is still lost and she really did not heal although she looked at the porch as her “healing place” (239). Would Bone have said the “I was already who I was going to be…, had she not be abused by her step-father? The actions of others sometimes have a way of dictating what how we shape our lives. 

Reflective Essays

Darrell Ransom 
Dr. Cantice Greene 
English 1102 
30 January 2015

Reflections on my Writing

  As a professional I am often placed in situations where I have to write various documents for not only improvements within the institution for which I work, but also to help me grow within my profession. Throughout the years I have grown as a writer as I have used constructive criticism to help improve my skills and ability to put my thoughts into my writings. Writing provides me with a better understanding of who I am through my reflections. As a professional writing has not only assisted in furthering my education, but furthering my professional life as well. Being that it has been a while since I have taken English 1101, I have decided to place great focus on the advice that I have gained throughout the years as it refers to my writing. The writing advice that has remained with me is to be clear, maximize the use of brevity, and always pre-plan my writing.

  In writing it is always important to make sure that readers understand what they are going to read and why they have read it. Learning to be clear allows for minimal confusion from the reader and makes passages easy to read. I have learned that being clear and to the point will always win. As a writer being able to write clearly means that what I am writing is easily understandable. When I write I strive to make sure that my readers do not have to guess any outcomes that they may be presented with.

  Maximizing the use of brevity makes sure that readers remain engaged with the writing and the work is easy to read. As I write I make an effort to keep readers engaged. When there is too much information on one subject that some readers may not totally be interested in the readers may become disengaged. I do my best to create writing pieces that will keep my readers not only engaged, but informed by expressing quality information minimally in length.

  Planning can save a lot of time and create patience in ways that were never thought to be possible. Planning offers writers the ability to actually think about what they are going to write, why they are writing, and how they are going to write. Pre-planned writing provides readers with a greater sense of the scope of my writing. Having a visual outline creates sure opportunities that all writing points are covered and are in correct sequence. As a professional I am consistently planning out my day, or adhering to plans that have been provided by my supervisor. Pre-planning creates an opportunity to revise and edit what is not correct in a sense.

  I look forward to learning new information about writing in English 1102. I am sure that what I learn will contribute greatly by helping me to build stronger writing skills. The advice that I have retained throughout the years has been of great assistance and I am looking forward to learning much more. The new knowledge that I will gain will only add to what I already know about being clear, exhibiting brevity, and pre-planning my writing.

Maria Kern
Dr. Greene
ENG 1102   
January 30, 2015

Reflective Essay on English 1101

      Since the time that I was young, listening to stories, sharing them, and reading them has always been a joyful experience. It was as I grew older that I was able to see my talents and options to work happily with what I am passionate about. Reaching to the top and becoming a book publisher/editor is a lifelong dream and aspiration. My English courses thus far have been informative, challenging, and helpful by using different techniques such as: Rhetorical Reading Responses, Pocket Keys, and Aplia. With a major in English and from what I have learned in my English 1101 courses I should be on the correct path to success and satisfaction. 
      Rhetorical Reading Responses (RRR) are argumentative essays on articles about an important subject. In 1101 the Connections book required for the class contained both articles and examples on how RRR’s should be done. They both were a challenge and it pushed me to become a better and more opinionated writer. Afterwards we would critique our peers on the Discussion boards in D2L, which was refreshing.
       The helpful book Pocket Keys has been said to keep it until you finish college. I have found this statement to be true. Pocket Keys is the most useful, informative, accessible, and easily understandable book to have during your college career. The book teaches and shows you how to use MLA format, paragraph structure, definitions, researching, citing, etc. It was very helpful especially when conjoined to Aplia, which was more interactive.       
       Aplia is a website on the internet that allows students to access Pocket Keys and to do tests on the website. Aplia is interactive in that it explains what the chapter is about and asks you multiple choice questions with multiple tries. So though you may not have gotten it the first time; but the third time you have mastered it. Aplia focuses on paragraph form, grammar, understanding, punctuation, and research methods amongst other things.       
      The conclusion is that though I may have just started I have gained much. I have acquired information, challenged my skills, write professionally in a business-like fashion, refreshed my basics, and learned to critically and cognitively think and to critique others. I look forward to more challenges and to see my own personal growth as a writer. My 1101 class experience was extremely helpful, informative, and inspiring. English 1101 has so far improved my path to success and shall continue to do so from now on. 

 

Tracey Mitchell  
Dr. Greene  
English Composition 1102  
24 January 2015

  In a world of emerging and ever changing technology, people still write, putting pen or pencil to paper.  There are different styles of writing and while I have not written them all I have come close. On a personal level, writing is different from writing professional and for education.  In my formative years I would write poems that would reflect my moods or what was going on my life and the world around me. I preferred this type of freestyle writing no restrictions on formatting.

  In education, secondary education teachers and professors introduce student to different styles of writing, such as; Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago Manual of Style and Council of Science Editors. While I have never to my knowledge written in the latter styles, I am familiar with the former two. Beginning with middle school you become conditioned to the MLA style of writing; until reaching higher education and some institutions require APA. While pursuing my E.D.D. in Education in Curriculum and Instruction all of my research papers were to be written in American Psychological Association style, which is very different from Modern Language Association style and business style of writing.

  I learned this when applying for my most current position. In order to move to the interview phase, I had to proofread a paragraph, I failed and I had to retake the test. The difference in how things are written based on what style the paper being written is can be vastly different. The Human Resource Manager is an English major. At work my company has its own style guide of formatting and writing. It may take me sometime to acclimate myself back to the MLA style of writing. I am hoping this class and the papers we do will assist me in improving my writing style, grammatical forming of sentences and attention to detail.