Reflective Essay Outline

By Sarah Moore

First Paragraph: What goals I set in the beginning, what I accomplished, best part of my paper/elements I’m most proud of, parts instructor will like:

Over the course of five months, I learned how to set necessary goals for writing a successful paper, such as making my support bits clearer and more distinguishable, formatting my works cited page correctly, and overall constructing a paper that was informative but still enjoyable to read. However, probably the biggest goal I accomplished was learning to write in a way that incorporated my individual style, and wasn’t completely restrictive or technical.

At the beginning of the year, one of my goals was to improve my ability in getting my point across, as well as make my arguments more concise and clear. For English as a whole, I wanted to master the technical and analytical side of writing because it was something I have always struggled with. With the help of feedback from both my professor and peers on multiple writing assignments, it gradually became easier to locate my arguments, expand on my opinions, and be direct with my conclusions. I have not fully tackled the ability to write technically, but I have discovered ways in which to combine technicality and creativity to ultimately produce work I am proud of.

Second Paragraph: Research process,: enjoy, disliked, did I find what I needed, adjustments, computer/web skills:

The most challenging paper we had to write in English 121 was the research paper, partly because of the requirements (5-7 pages, 5 sources minimum), but for me individually, picking the topic independently. Granted, one of the biggest tasks with the research paper was finding credible sources, especially on the scholarly sites that our professor recommended. The website EBSCO, had hardly articles on the topics I searched, and though I had better luck finding articles on google, the whole process was very time consuming.

Third Paragraph: Useful tips/hints about the research process, advice for other students, make research simpler, conclusion: found the class helpful:

However, after some exploring, I was able to get to my best sources from checking the reference page on articles I found on google; they often directed me to scholarly articles that hadn’t previously been listed on EBSCO. Lastly came choosing the topic, and staying content with it. I was very fortunate that personality traits, specifically introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts, had already been researched and written about, so I was able to find a variety of helpful facts and information. It wasn’t the easiest paper to write, with making sure that the credible sources coincided with my points nicely, and citing each one correctly, but I wound up very pleased with the result for my very first research paper in college.

Rubric Evaluation of Research Paper

By Sarah Moore

Re-reading my introduction, I'm not at all satisfied with the wording or general idea it's giving. I would say, based on the rubric in our syllabus, that my intro would either be a Weak (D) or Competent (C). My ideas are hard to follow based on how they're presented, and my argument is not very apparent. I really dislike my sentences, they seem really jumbled. The reason why I'm targeting my introduction is because it's one of the most important paragraphs, and since it's the very first thing my reader will see, it should be good and coherent. I think I can improve it by listing my subjects in order, using more examples, and making sure my writing flows well.

I feel like one thing that I have done well with, especially in my revision over the weekend, was adding more credible sources. There aren't necessary four in each paragraph, but there are definitely six to eight throughout, which could make my paper Strong (B). Improvements could be, however, to include more, and better connect them to my ideas.

My formatting has consistent flaws, so most likely that area is Competent (C). I have a strange habit of making all of my citations in the Works Cited page APA format, rather than the correct MLA format. There are also a few errors after I add credit to a quote I just paraphrased or quoted that I need to work on. I can hopefully bump my formatting up to a Strong (B) or Superior (A) by really studying helpful citation websites like purdue owl, or asking the help of a classmate.

Reviewing Essays In-Class:

By Sarah Moore

Three things I improved:

• I took into account the feedback my partner Nora wrote, which was rewording the awkward sentences, taking out ideas that didn't match my thesis, and adding support ideas.
• I rewrote my introduction, added more to my first body paragraph, and wrote the second body paragraph, as well as added (some scrambled) points to follow in each of my paragraphs for when I next edit it.
• I found and cited several more sources and incorporated them especially in my second body paragraph. 

Three things my partner improved on: Nora Hixson

• She added a bunch more detail to all of her paragraphs--I definitely saw an increase in size.
• At the end of each paragraph, I could tell what her points were much clearer than I could've before; I can tell she spent time on evaluating what she really wanted each paragraph to say.
• Particularly in the second body paragraph, she uses a positive amount of ethos. 

Chapter 17: Reading Response

By Sarah Moore

Personal Response: 
This chapter did a great job explaining what paraphrasing, summarizing, quoting, and synthesizing are, and simplified each term so they were easy to distinguish. I found all of it very helpful, and especially good guidelines to follow as our class begins to polish our research essays. 


Professional Response: 
In this chapter, I learned the multiple methods a writer can use to cite or quote a book in their paper. Adding quotations or research from credible studies validates any paper or argument, adds necessary support bits, and I feel is really crucial in getting a good grade. That's why this chapter was so helpful, because it breaks down all of the various ways you can use quotations, and makes it easy to apply. To summarize, paraphrasing is when you reword a person's thought, but strictly in your own words. They do not need quotation marks. Summarizing is pretty much the opposite of paraphrasing; you use your own words to explain the general purpose of the thought. Quoting does involve quotation marks, because you are using the author's exact words. And last of all, synthesizing is the combination of the three, and can be rather large as it includes several/all of your sources. 

Photo Credit: Here

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

By Sarah Moore

Ethos: Ethos is used to insight validity and plausibility to support the author's argument. Usually specialists, experts, or people the author knows are reliable are used as Ethos.

Pathos: Pathos appeals to the emotion, typically of the reader, to aid in the author's argument or debate.

Logos: Logos is when the thought or idea is logical and makes a clear and valid point. It's critical in winning any argument or debate.  

Support Bits:

Pathos:

• Introverts are more likely to become depressed than extroverts.
• People often mistake introverts for being socially anxious and uncomfortable, and therefore put less effort into getting to know them. 
• Introverted people are constantly downgraded in their jobs because individuals who are more outgoing and charismatic are more appealing. 

Ethos: 

• It's wrong to automatically assume that we must either be purely introverted or purely extroverted, when really, most people often share qualities of both. ("The Brain Of An Introvert
• Compared To That Of An Extrovert: Are They Really Different?") This is food for thought before any extrovert can claim that they are the 'better personality', when probably, they are also slightly introverted.
• An article by Vijaya Lakshmi says it's important to know each person's unique personality type in order to better prepare them for the future. ("Personality Profiling Of Introverts And Extroverts.")
• How much does the average person really know about introverts? If you're an extrovert, isn't it important to know your opposite? It's likely that the individual has at least three or four friends who are introverted, maybe even a spouse. Author Susan Cain communicates the importance of understanding introverts, and is a credible source as a published and well-known author. (Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)

Logos: 

• Often in the workforce, introverts don't fit the desired mold of a boisterous, confrontational salesman, and therefore are less preferred for jobs. ("Introverts in an Extrovert Society « Generation C Magazine.")
• Extroverts in the workplace, though they are preferred more, tend to me more dishonest and distrustful than an introvert in the workplace. Are extroverts really the right personality type to be preferred? ("Are Dishonest Extroverts More Harmful Than Dishonest Introverts? The Interaction Effects Of Honesty-Humility And Extraversion In Predicting Workplace Deviance.")
• Why are we as individuals determined to isolate one personality type from the other? The truth is we shouldn't, because we actually all carry characteristics of both introverts and extroverts. ("The Brain Of An Introvert Compared To That Of An Extrovert: Are They Really Different?")

Chapter 16 Finding and Evaluating Sources

By Sarah Moore


Personal Reaction:
If I were to sum up this chapter in one sentence, I would say its content is on the importance of using college library databases. It thoroughly goes through the steps to find your research topics, such as what keywords to enter into the search bar, how to navigate the database, etc. I found the information this chapter provided to be helpful, especially since our class will be using a lot of these libraries for our upcoming research paper. 


Professional Reaction: 
Chapter 16 is everything about library databases in a short, concise five pages. It talks about the pros of using library databases, how their information is often more reliable and helpful, versus the regular internet, which can give false information or not be filtered well. Next the chapter leads us through detailed steps of how exactly to locate information on the internet, which, in this modern day is pretty much a learned skill. However, it was still nice to review on how to enable a key word or subject search function. All-in-all, it was an enlightening chapter for those who have trouble navigating the internet, or for others simply just a review. 

Photo Credit: Google Images 

Grammer Video: They're, Their, and There

Music Credit:
"Elevator Music Part 57." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015. 

"Elevator Music Part 56." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Internet Resources

 By Sarah Moore 

Part 1:

Impression of the Site:

I searched ‘violence and videogames’ on google scholar, and came up with the site The Effect of Online Violent Video Games on Levels of Aggression. The information given on this site are a variety of things, but it all draws back to one topic: the effect of violent video games on levels of aggression. For information the site uses several graphs, includes background information on the video game industry and its impact, and has tabs on the left side listing all of the content in the article. Based on the URL, links, and the website’s look overall, it seems mostly very credible. There is definitely not a lack of information on violence and video games, the author is not brief in his writing, and he explores all the different aspect of this argument, such as results from different studies, supporting research, and the significance of the topic.

General Criteria Guidelines:

The authors are clearly named at the top of the site, underneath the articles’ title. It is written by Jack Hollingdale and Tobias Greitemeyer. The authors, when clicking on their underlined names, has a brief sentence on who they are: Jack Hollingdale attended University of Sussex in Brighton, a school of Psychology, and Tobias Greitemeyer also attended a school of psychology, the University of Innsbruck. Just by this brief information, the authors appear to be well-trained in discussing violence in video games and its correlation to aggression, as it closely relates to psychology (which they majored in). The website is funded by government organizations.

The information of the site isn’t so much to persuade as it is to inform the reader of the likelihood of violent video games increasing aggression level. They show their argument through a variety of credible models and studies, and explain in full detail the results those organizations found. References are included in helpful number links that take you to the citations. The website has a full list of citations, and are all sighted properly.

The correlation between violent video games and aggression is something that has been a concern for many years now. Ever since the video game industry skyrocketed with desirable new animations, story lines, and interactiveness, researchers began to wonder if the violence displayed is somehow harmful to the people who play them, especially for hours at a time. Does the aggression of playing a first person shooter (FPS) influence how people act in real life? “Previous research, utilising the General Aggression Model (GAM), has identified that violent video games increase levels of aggression.” (Hollingdale, Greitemeyer).

Part 2:

Evaluation: On the online database, EBSCO, I found this article that closely related to the topic of the above website: Virtually Justifiable Homicide: The Effects of Prosocial Contexts on the Link Between Violent Video Games, Aggression, and Prosocial and Hostile Cognition

When I first skimmed the content of this site, my first impression was actually a little unimpressed, because particularly in the first two pages, it only talks about the numerous studies that were taken on violence and videogames, but rarely connects them to what the topic is about. The article explains how the study was conducted in great detail, but not what the findings or results were. Those are only explained in about one or two sentences, when I feel like the results are the most important part to supporting an argument. Nonetheless, looking past all the introductory paragraphs, it is still a professional article, and the author proves he is knowledgeable in this topic by thoughtfully writing about three rather impactful studies and their findings, and a conclusion in which he answers the big question: violent video games can increase aggressive behavior.

The author referenced a GAM test that studied thoughts and behavior and the influence violent video games has on them by Greitemeyer and Osswald, 2010.

Comparison:

The information in the article was very similar to the information on the website, however it was far more technical and included studies which I sometimes couldn’t connect to the subject. The website, in my personal opinion, was easier to follow and just as intelligent as the database article. I felt the website carried its argument well without needing an abundance of studies. However, the author of the article appeared to have a little more expertise, his writing style and presentation were scholarly, and he included more research in his article compared to the authors of the website. In conclusion, I feel that both authors were well versed in the topic of violence and videogames, but expressed them in fairly different manners.

WORKS CITED:

Jack Hollingdale, Tobias Greitemeyer. Plos One. 8 Oct. 2015. Web. 07 Oct, 2015.

Seth A. Gitter, Patrick J. Ewell, Rosanna E. Guadagno, Tyler F. Stillman, Roy F. Baumeister.

“Virtually Justifiable Homicide: The Effects of Prosocial Contexts on the Link Between Violent Video Games, Aggression, and Prosocial and Hostile Cognition.” 1 Sept. 2013. EBSCO. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

Blog Review - backoftheroomblog

By Sarah Moore



For me, choosing which blog to review wasn't a random pick of the class blog list, rather, I intentionally chose the BackoftheRoomBlog. 
And if I am to be completely honest, when in need of some good examples of chapter readings or maybe just some blog inspiration, I've always gravitated towards this blog. So very happily, here is my review on the BackoftheRoomBlog. What better then to write a review on a blog that you like? 

On first glance, the appearance and structure of this blog is incredibly organized and visually pleasing, and when I tested to see how easily I could maneuver around the tabs, it was really user-friendly. Admittedly there isn't a lot of color, but I think the black and white looks more professional. It's easy to make a blog that appears messy with too many contrasting fonts and colors, (I noticed some blogs I've reviewed previously were like that) but this blog avoids that nicely. All of the English 121 assignments are included and I can tell the writers spend a good amount of time on making their posts' concise. There's just a lot of sameness and organization that makes it a great blog to follow.

What goes into a good blog are aspects such as organization, currency, quality and validity, visual appeal, author credibility, and consistency. This is what's known as the quality criteria list. I've already talked about the organization in the backoftheroomblog, but a few extra side notes would be there is a handy search bar in the top right corner, in case the 'recent posts' tab couldn't get you where you needed, and if you'd rather look at all the posts at once, you could just continuously scroll down. It's difficult to rate the currency of the posts since the subjects are only English 121 assignments, but their images are definitely current, such as memes I've seen this year on the internet. The writing is very high quality, you can tell there was a good deal of effort put into it, and the posts are very eloquent. The author gives obvious credit by labeling their individual posts as seen below the title of their blog post, or the added signature at the bottom. Image sources are included in links that go directly to the webpage. There is slight inconsistency in the amount a certain author posts versus how much the other author does, but there is definitely a blog post written at least every few days.

I think this blogs' content is really intelligent, and I enjoy reading their outlooks on the different subjects we've studied. Something that could be bothersome to certain people is the lack of color, or lack of imagery that keeps the blog lively and interesting, though they've done a great job at including an image at the end of every blog post. There is also a fairly large strip of white space to the right of their website that's a little blank, but that could be their template. Either way, I absolutely love this blog!

ukmug.pbworks.com

. 

Chapter 14: Argumentative Essays

Picture found on google images

By Sarah Moore


Personal Response: Honestly I think writing an argumentative essay is slightly intimidating because of how opinion-based the paper is, and opinions are something I struggle with conveying in the right way through writing. However, this chapter gave very insightful tips on how to use pathos, ethos, and logos, and how to write an interesting paper for the reader without being totally bias throughout. I like how it stressed to consider your argument's opposing side. Writing that is solely opinion-based and not open-minded can be pretty disappointing, so that's why I find this so helpful.

Professional Response: Chapter 14 on Argumentation talks about all the important qualities that should be in an argumentative essay, such as persuasion, validity, evidence, whether the topic is debatable, and if its opposing side can be argued as well. It also brought up a term we had just learned in class a couple weeks ago, fallacies, and how to avoid them in your argumentative essay. There were definitely a lot of key words to remember, but I think with practice argumentative essays could be pretty fun to write!

Outline of Nora Hixson's Exemplification Essay

Outline

Current Thesis: Dancers, often thought of as girls in tutus spinning around on their toes, actually have to be incredibly strong in all aspects of performing in order to be successful.

Support Bit Example #1: People underestimate the strength dancers must have in order to succeed with their passion: if it doesn't take any effort at all, then how come football players are recommended to take a ballet class? 

Support Bit  Example #2: To an ordinary audience member, technique, choreography, and elegance appear to be all a ballerina knows. But appearance can be deceitful; ever notice the calf muscles, facial expressions, and passion the dancer uses on stage? A ballerina must be strong in all areas of performing arts, such as athleticism, acting, and artistry, in order to succeed. (Think of roles such as Giselle, whose character went mad. That would've used a great deal of emotion... etc.)

Closing Statement (Thesis #2): Never underestimate the performers in pancake tutus: it takes incredible commitment, training in other arts, and true passion to do the things ballerinas can do. 

By Sarah Moore

Fallacies: Personal Attack

Personal Attack:
This fallacy means that the author is attacking another person for what they said or believe instead of attacking the idea itself. The attack is directed towards there character instead of being towards the issue or point being made.

How to Avoid: Keep your bias about the other person to yourself. Attack their opinions, not them.

Exemplification Essay: Thesis

Topic: Backpacking

Specify:
-In-tents Backpacking trip for six days.
-The way it impacted me personally (and how I believe it could impact others the same way).

Forming a Thesis sentence:
-The week of June 20th to the 25th, I embarked on one of the most life-changing trips of my life. Whether it was the cold mountain air in my lungs, being surrounded by people I grew to care for, or the reward that came with hiking 20 miles with a 45 plus pound pack on my back, it changed me, and I would recommend backpacking for anyone.

-After I came home from the six day, five night intensive backpacking trip, I was frequently asked questions like 'how was it', 'what did you do', and 'what did you learn' by family members and friends. The best response I could give was, 'you should try it for yourself.'

-It was probably one of the most physically grueling, emotionally draining, uncomfortable on-so-many-levels trips, but hands down the most raw, eye-opening, and life changing I have ever been on. When people ask about it, I tell them an intensive backpacking trip is something everyone needs to try once in their lifetime.

Working Thesis:
-It was probably one of the most physically grueling, emotionally draining, uncomfortable on-so-many-levels trips, but hands down the most raw, eye-opening, and life changing I have ever been on. When people ask about it, I tell them an intensive backpacking trip is something everyone needs to try once in their lifetime.

Just Walk on By by Brent Staples

Chapter 8: Just Walk On By 

Comprehension: 
1.Because she saw herself as a potential victim of what she thought he was, as well as a victim to the ignorant assumptions of what America thought African Americans were.
2. It was Staples realization that he had the power to change the atmosphere in the space around him.
3. Insomnia.
4. The obsession with the power to intimidate. Young, poor, and powerless men crave the control that can come with power.
5. Moved with care, stayed in the shadows, avoided nervous people, let people walk ahead of him, and whistled classical tunes.

Purpose and Audience: 
Thesis: "It was in the echo of that terrified woman's footfalls that I first began to know that unwieldy inheritance I'd come into-the ability to alter public space in ugly ways." (page 239)
2. He uses a combination of logic and emotion, and his strategy worked because it could hit you on different levels and gave the reader empathy of what Staples was experiencing.
3. He seems to assume that the audience has prejudice against African American people. He challenges that thinking with his side of the story and how it makes him feel to see people basically run away from him.
4. His intent is to hook the reader to want to know more, makes them wonder if he's dangerous, etc.

Style and Structure: 
1. Staples mentions Podhoretz to have more credibility and support. Podhoretz grew up in fear of black men, which enforces Staples' point that most Americans are prejudice. 
2. It was the best introduction, I don't see how it could've been better. 
3. Since there are twenty or more examples, all direct in what he's trying to say and making a solid point for him, there is enough support. Some examples that could be more convincing would be some studies, or statistics.
4. His order was perfect for presenting his argument, and even if the examples had been in a different order, the paper still would've been just as effective.
5. Assassin, bandit, bully, mobster, criminal, gangster, goon, gunman, hooligan, murderer, rioter, rowdy, troublemaker, delinquent, gorilla, hood, killer, punk, ruffian, gang member, hired killer, professional killer. They absolutely differ in connotation.

Journal Entry:
Nora Hixson: In my experience, there was a time when I was in the mountains with my family for Christmas break. I was injured at the time, so when my family went out to ski, I stayed in the lodge by myself. While sitting there, an older man came up to me while getting ready to ski himself, and began asking me personal questions, such as where my family was, why I wasn't skiing, and if he could see my injury (which I had told him was my knee.) He got uncomfortably close to me during his questions, but I do not know if that was just my paranoia. After reading Staples' essay, I do not think I would've reacted any differently.

Amin Halimovic: When I was traveling back from Bosnia, at the London airport my family and I were boarding the airplane. My family is Muslim and my brother had a moon and star pendent dangling from his neck. This trip we took was shortly after 9/11 happened. We were waiting in line to board the plane as we got closer and closer to enter the plane my brother was randomly pulled aside so that they could search his carry on. I feel they did this just because we are Muslim.

Sarah Holzmeister: For the last five years I have worked with violent
male offenders as being a female in a predominantly male environment there was differently stereotypes for what i could do and what i was capable of handling as a female.

Sarah Moore: I can't recall a particular experience in my life where I was blatantly afraid of a person or perceived them as dangerous, but there were certainly times when I was younger and walking the streets alone, when I'd prefer to cross the street not at the cross-walk where lone men walked. I've always had this sense of caution, unfortunately against people who may can appear more rough (?), but after reading Ben Staples' account, my perception has changed. I want to change how I view people, ordinary people walking on the streets. Most likely they're just that, ordinary people. 

Writing Workshop:
3. Staples observation is fairly accurate; we've all seen examples in our own lives that support this as well. The male upbringing comes to play when fathers teach their sons at a young age, for example when they begin grade school, to not let other children hit them, and if they do, to hit them back. What he means by the male romance statement: getting that rush from seeming more powerful by using intimidation.

Reading Response: Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Exemplification
Sarah Moore

Personal Reaction:

 I am a strong believer in conveying one's opinions, and very much like to hear the opinion's of others, but chapter 8 on exemplification brings up a crucial point: you should always have support for your argument, otherwise you just look ignorant. This chapter stresses on persuasion, adding interest (which I think is so important), and clarity, but how to do it right. Something I thought helpfully related to being able to back up your argument were the range of examples (page 210), and how it suggested there should be separate examples for each body paragraph, but not limited to just one concept. 

Professional Reaction:

Exemplification essays are not just regular essays with an introduction, body paragraph(s), and conclusion. Though it certainly has those components, it's more focused on what's in the intro, body's, and conclusion: what as in examples, illustration, and organization of it all. Though exemplification is a little more technical, it's important to be well versed in since it's a popular writing format for everyday life.  

Photo Credit: unbounce.com

Blog Review: whatever.scalzi.com

     
    It was a difficult tie between blogs lifehacker.com and whatever.scalzi.com, as they both had quality content and received high ratings from the group, but in the end whatever.scalzi.com took first place for best representing the quality criteria list used for determining a good blog. The quality criteria list are things such as credibility, posts being up to date and consistent, organization, and creativity so that the blog is visually appealing. Evidently, all of these factors were found in this whatever.scalci.com. Out of the four blogs each group member reviewed, this one was superior. 

    The author for whatever.scalzi.com, John Scalzi, is credible as a famous science fiction writer, former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and creative consult for many science fiction television shows and video games.  Because of his identity as a well-known author, the information in his blog posts are intelligent and relevant to the literature world, and he often has thoughtful insights on varying books. The blog is also organized, for example there is a small calendar on the right of Scalzi's website that shows where each post is and what day it was posted on, making it easy to navigate, and therefore user friendly. Something that the rivaling blog, lifehacker.com, lacked was the overall visual appeal and creativity. Whatever.scalzi.com has an image on nearly every post, a header image at the top of the blog which changes regularly, and Scalzi sometimes even incorporates his own photography. 

    Using the quality criteria that was developed in class, it was decided that whatever.scalzi.com was the ultimate choice from the four blogs that were reviewed. It's creativity, organization, consistency, and author credibility set it apart from the other three, and made it the favorite in the group. This blog was captivating, credible, and creative, and would definitely be worth reading.

Sarah Moore: Mini Essay Thesis

  
Topic: Video Games and Violence

More Specific: 

• How does psychology relate?
• Finding both sides of the argument; does it benefit or make people worse?
• Facts, evidence, poll statistics of video game violence causing bad behavior. 

Forming an Arguable Sentence:

• With over a thousand studies taken regarding the issue of violence in video games, has there ever been a straight answer of if they increase violence or not?
• Psychological studies found that playing violent video games does increase violent behavior, but does not increase violent thoughts. Should we be worried?
• Is it violent behavior that draws a person to the violent video game, or the violent video game that causes the violent behavior?

Working Thesis:

Is it violent behavior that draws a person to the violent video game, or the violent video game that causes the violent behavior?

Blog Ratings

Whatever.scalzi.com
     Sarah Moore gives this blog a 9, because it has everything but diverse topics. It was mostly focused on book reviews, as the author is a book author himself, there wasn't a lot of varying content.
     Sarah Holzmeister gives this blog a 7, because although it's creative and organized, it lacks variety.
     Nora Hixson gives this blog an 8, because it lacks current events.
     Amin Halimovic gives this blog an 8 because he posts very frequently and has many interesting blog posts about whatever.

Mental Floss
     Sarah Moore gives this blog a 6, because there were very current topics, but it lacked organization and easy accessibility.
      Sarah Holzmeister gives this blog a 7, because everything seems interesting and diverse, it's just hard to get to.
      Nora Hixson gives this blog a 6, because it was ridiculously hard to find specific topics to read about.
     Amin Halimovic gives this blog a 6 because even though the blog is creative and has a lot of pictures it is just hard to navigate.

Lifehacker
     Sarah Moore gives this blog an 8 because it had a little bit of everything, the topics were useful for everyday life, maybe could be a little more visually appealing but otherwise it's very good.
     Sarah Holzmeister gives this blog an 8 because of the consistence of the posting and the quality of the content. It lacks humor and doesn't pull the reader in.
     Nora Hixson gives this blog an 8 because it seemed to have current topics as well as diversity, and it seemed easy to navigate and read.
     Amin Halimovic gives this blog an 8 because the blog is organized and easy to follow, the blog posts are also very appealing to me.

Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men
     Sarah Moore gives this blog a 5 because the posts were based more on her opinions only, and the content is a little dry and hard to relate to.
     Sarah Holzmeister gives this blog a 4 because of the lack of credibility and isn't visually stimulating.
     Nora Hixson gives this blog a 5 because the content was dry and unappealing as well as mostly being just based on her views.
     Amin Halimovic gives this blog a 5 because the author does post a lot but the things she posts about do not draw my attention to her posts. It is somewhat boring to me.

Thesis statement     “The E-blurt like so many other forms of communication is about power.”

Supporting bits-  

•   I am busier then you hence I am more powerful than you.
• Hip for spelling errors more powerful for them.
• Reminding people that you’re the boss by making them work it out.

Counter Argument

1.       Legal implications for subpoenaed emails. ( not professional)

Conclusion “Which only confirms what I’ve always felt about power; the people that really understand it doesn’t say anything at all.” 

Chapter 3: Arrangement

Reading Response

By Sarah Moore

Personal Response: 

While my English textbook doesn't necessary scream, "thought-provoking and intriguing" or, "a must read", it is, in fact, a book necessary for a class such as English 121, or any English class for that matter. After completing chapter 3, I immediately thought it was a needed and hopefully highly recommended chapter to read for those wanting help organizing and even composing their essays. Though it was technical (and could be a bit dry), I liked the detail it gave to its readers. What I was first drawn to were the examples of different introductions to start an essay, such as the suggestion of using an anecdote or story. I was pleasantly surprised at this, since I love to use the creative side of writing, but didn't know how to accomplish that in something as structured as an essay. It was very useful, I particularly appreciated the lengthy list of possible transitions, and I hope to use the tips and checklists when I begin my own essays. 

Professional Response:

It had many relevant examples and recommendations on how to be meticulous in essay writing. To keep the reader engaged and practicing, the chapter provided paragraphs to be edited, such as identifying the thesis statements, or underlining well-written paragraphs, that proved very helpful. Overall it encouraged the reader to be specific, use formal outlines if being clear and concise is often difficult, and support what it is that's being written about as thoroughly as possible. A wonderful chapter to revert back to when in need of essay advice. 

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Photo by Sarah Moore, 2015

WORKS CITED
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. Boston: Bedford St. Martin's, 2001. Print.