Course Outcome Inquiry Question

How did your reflection and meta-cognitive awareness evolve over the course of this class?

Throughout this class, I feel my reflective skills and meta-cognitive awareness improved greatly. Before taking this class, I never really reflected on the writing I turned in. It was almost always one or two drafts with little changes made between the two that I would turn in. While in this class, I forced to write multiple drafts, and found the comments I received from peer review very helpful in improving and changing parts of my draft papers. It is by writing the writer’s reflection that I got to evaluate how writing the paper went, as well as what I took away from writing it. Doing this helped me write future papers, as I learned what worked for me, and what I should be thinking about as I write the paper. As far as my meta-cognitive awareness, I feel that has improved a great deal. When this class first started, I had never worked with logos, ethos, and pathos, so right away my awareness of their roles in an argument increased. As the class progressed, I began to notice these concepts in almost every piece of news, advertisement, etc. It really connected to the title of our textbook, Everything’s an Argument. I also became more aware of how I could connect these principals to the web text I was analyzing for the Inquiries, as well as their effects on their the intended audience. I really noticed this when I was looking back at my research blogs. I was able to determine why the article was relevant to my web text, while also analyzing what it would add to my paper, as well as how that would effect the audience. My meta-cognitive awareness and reflection skills have grown greatly over the past six weeks, and I’m hopeful that they will continue to develop as I grow as a writer.

Response to “Composition as a Write of Passage”

 I really enjoyed "Composition as a Write of Passage". I thought it dealt with what many students often think about required courses, such as "Why do I need this", "I'll never use this again", or "This is a waste of time." Unlike these students, I expected to take a way a lot from this class, and learn to better develop my writing. I also saw merit in a required composition course for first year students, because whatever our future professions, we’re going to have to communicate through writing. The author does a good job of explaining how First Year Composition classes prepare a student for future academic writing, as well as future professional writing. While the author notes the differences between the two, it still remains a point that skills learned in these courses can be applied to a variety of situations, and are very helpful in all types of writing. As the author described how a student used the skills he learned in FYC when writing a research proposal: purpose, audience, and process, I thought about how I now think about these components when writing either an Inquiry or Writer’s Reflection in this class. I plan on incorporating an emphasis on these components in my reflection paper, as I have learned the importance they have in shaping a paper and allowing the reader to fully understand what I am trying to communicate.

Inquiry Four Final and Writer's Reflection

                                                                          ***

Brittany Anderson

Professor Cummings

English 111

July 28, 2012

Inquiries Three and Four Writer’s Reflection

When I found out we would be completing both Inquiry Three and Inquiry Four at the same time, I was a little intimidated. It had taken a lot of time and energy to produce one inquiry at a time, and I could not fathom two! After reading through the rubrics, I understood why the two Inquiries were combined; they are really extensions of one another. It would not be two papers as I expected, but rather one research paper and a multimodal representation of that paper.

I really enjoyed writing the research paper. Because I chose a topic that was interesting to me, it did not feel like work looking up article to support my argument and use in my paper. I also liked using the research blogs. At first, I honestly didn’t think they would help me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the research blogs help me, they have convinced me to use them for every research paper I write from now on. The blogs made supporting my argument in my paper much easier, as I had already done the work finding relevant quotes and information. I simply needed to find a good place for the information, and word it accordingly. I also made a point of explaining why the information I was researching was important, and how it supported my argument. This was really important to include in my paper, and it was nice to already have it written down. The blogs also helped when creating my works cited page. All the citations were in MLA format already, so all that needed to be done was alphabetize them. The blogs came in handy again when creating Inquiry Four.

Inquiry Four has been one of my favorite Inquires to date. I loved being able to put the research I had accumulated and argument I had constructed into images. It was also enlightening to learn the correct way to construct effective PowerPoint presentations, as I learned areas I had been doing wrong for a while. I tried to use as minimal text when constructing each slide, lending more attention to the images I chose for each slide.

Much like how charities chose specific images for specific purposes, I took great consideration into the images I selected for each slide. In my research, I found that one of the most important aspects of a successful charity was an emotional connection. Charities often achieve this through emotional images or video. Many of the slides are screenshots I took from the Kony 2012 video, a great example of an appeal to emotions in my opinion. I also wanted to incorporate images from the Kony video specifically, as it served as the basis for my inquiry into what makes a successful charity, as well as every other Inquiry I have written. On the sixth slide, I used a still from the Kony video showing children huddled together trying to avoid abduction in the night. The image also captured one of the children’s narrations of the situation in the video. I chose to include this image in a series of what emotional images get the attention of viewers. Fear is an emotion that everyone has experienced in their lives, and because it is so relatable, I would imagine most audience members to be able to identify with the children and see the need to help stop the source of the fear. For another slide, I wanted to incorporate information from research. I found an image that corresponded with the information, that negative framing results in more donations, and created a slide depicting that research. I made sure to cite the information I had also used in my paper in my presentation.

I structured my presentation with three background variations. Each slide was either black or white with text and/or an image, or an image was used as a background. I also only used three different font colors: white, black, and red. I used the red font to emphasize important points in longer text, or to draw attention to a particular phrase. I also only used one animation, fade in/out, throughout the whole presentation. This achieved my goal of making the presentation visually stimulating, while not distracting to the viewer. All these techniques for more effective presentations were things I learned from online lectures such as, “Death by PowerPoint”, “Effective PowerPoint Presenting”, and other lectures from that day.

Overall, the process of remediating my paper into a presentation was not as bad as I expected. My presentation follows almost the same path as my paper, and was actually enjoyable to create. I had never worked with the Google presentation software, and I now prefer it to PowerPoint. It also made explaining rhetorical theory in my paper easier, because I had to demonstrate them in my presentation. In hindsight, I would definitely have written my Inquiry Three paper before starting to construct the presentation, but it all worked out fine in the end.

Peer review proved once again how useful it is while revising Inquiry Three. I got a lot of good feedback about how to better establish my argument, as well as how strengthen my thesis. I did this by incorporating the importance of emotional appeals into my thesis. It was a point I kept making in my rough drat, but not clearly states in the beginning. I also got sidetracked with all the information, and sometimes forgot to give my input as well. I made it a point to add why I felt the research as important to my argument, as well as why I did or didn’t disagree with it. I really learned about the benefits making an argument multimodal, as well how to do more effectively while writing these Inquiries. I felt that it added dimension to my paper, and made me more confident in my research paper writing abilities.

CCM Writer's Reflections

The “Facebook for Disney Princesses” writer’s reflection was a really good example of a thorough writer’s reflection. I liked how the author stated in her first paragraph the types of rhetorical appeals she used, and then provided examples of each type of appeal. She also examines the slides she chose to include, and does a good job of not only explaining why she chose/made them, but how they connected her point that Disney princesses make good role models to todays young girls. She is able to tie aspects of the princesses’ Facebook profiles to how women have evolved and progressed over generations, and how they have become more relatable to young women. I also like how the author incorporated herself into her paper. It showed me another, direct way to connect and interact with my audience in my paper. I also liked how she ended her reflection with an overview of the experience in general.

The “Make Sure You Know” writer’s reflection was also a good example of a writer’s reflection. Unlike the “Facebook for Disney Princesses”, the author doesn’t directly state what rhetorical techniques she uses, but it is clear that there is an emotional appeal, as she made the website after her friend chose to enlist in the army. I think it is also something our class can relate to, as Miami’s summer reading book “Shade it Black” was about a soldier’s experience serving in Iraq and the stresses of returning home. Even if audience members don’t have a friend joining the military or have read the book, it is a topic that can be adapted to fit a variety of situations. The author does a good job of explaining what topics she chose to cover on her website, and explaining why that information would be useful to someone considering joining the military.

Slides to Paragraphs

Slides to turn into paragraphs:
#1

A major decision a charity must make is how they are going to frame their campaign to attract the attention of potential donors to their charity. Charities need to choose whether they are going to frame their charity with a glass half-full of glass half-empty approach. Researchers Chun-Tuan Chang and Yu-Kang Lee provide good examples of the differences between the two in their notes. They describe the difference as, "positively framed messages (e.g., 'With your help, an unfortunate child can have an opportunity for a bright future') or negatively framed ones (e.g., 'Without your help, an unfortunate child will remain living in the dark')", with both forms of framing having the same goal of a donation. Their research found that "framing a charitable message negatively leads to higher persuasion than framing it positively.” This makes sense to me, as it would seem that a message showing a person with no hope and no support not getting better until people donate would encourage people to help more than a message filled with people who appear to benefiting from donors. The study also mentions the importance of a story, by saying, “a vivid story could elicit higher advertising persuasion in a framed message.” This aligned with the charity video that inspired this inquiry, the Kony 2012 campaign by Invisible children. One of the reasons the video was so successful in reaching millions of people was it focused on the stories of individuals that were affected by the warlord Joseph Kony, as well as the story of the organization behind it as they tries to bring attention to him. I think framing is a huge component in determining the success of a charity campaign, as it sets the tone for how audiences are going to interpret it. How the campaign is presented is indicative of the type of person that will be drawn to support the campaign.



#2:

Just as it is important to choose how promote a charity campaign, it is equally important where you promote a charity campaign. In today's society, social media and networking sites are used by countless people all over the world. We are more connected than we have ever been before. Charities are starting to utilize this connection by turning to social media to promote their organizations. One charity, the World Wildlife Fund, used Facebook to market their animal adoption program during the holiday season. In an article by writer Holly Hall, she describes the influence social media sites like Facebook can have on a charity campaign by explaining, “Now people who "like" an animal in the catalog or who adopt a species by making a donation can alert their Facebook friends, leave a note about their experience in supporting a species, and send electronic cards to those in whose honor they have donated.” This sharing feature is intended to get friends of the initial donor to donate to the organization as well. The shift towards digital marketing also ensures that people from varying countries can become involved in an organization, even if they do not live in the area the organization operates in. By adapting to a more tech-savvy generation, charities are ensuring that they not only stay relevant in social media users' lives, but also allowing their campaigns to reach many more people.

When remediating my slides to text, I elaborated on what was already on the slides. When I was constructing the slides, I tried to use minimal words to explain my point, but in a research paper, you don't want to use minimal text! So using the slides as a template, I added a more in-depth explanation of the information on the slide, as well as incorporating more information I found in my research. An example would be explaining the World Wildlife Fund's use of Facebook to promote their campaign when sown the slide about social media in charity. In hindsight, I wish I would have written my rough draft of Inquiry Three before making my rough draft of Inquiry Four, as I think it would be easier to turn a paper into a presentation rather than the other way around. However, my research blogs helped me think about what paragraphs would be in my paper, and that allowed me to make a good rough draft of my presentation.

Possible Introductions

Introduction # 1:

Audience: Charity Campaigns

Purpose: Explain what makes a charity campaign successful/persuasive

In order to reach the maximum amount of people in the quickest way possible, image selection is crucial. By showing the general public an image of what your campaign is trying to do and who your campaign is trying to help, you are making a first impression on a potential donor. You want the person to connect emotionally with the image you select, and you want to get them interested in learning more about your organization. Organizations need to analyze these image selections carefully, as they must not accidentally portray those receiving the aid as dependent and damaged, or portray the organization as ignorant to the situation they are trying to help by not having representatives from the people they are trying to help involved. It is a decision of how the campaign is framed and how it is marketed that will determine what makes a successful charity.

Introduction # 2

Audience: Young adults involved in or interested in supporting a charity

Purpose: Emphasize the need to examine the charity, as well as understand the advertising that enticed them to join.

Have you ever wanted to influence the life of someone else? Have you ever been moved by a heart-wrenching situation, and vowed to help fix it? Have you ever donated your time or money to an organization vowing to accomplish these goals? What about these pleas for help and promises to fix them grabbed your attention? It is specific images and other types of media that are chosen for these campaigns, created intentionally to connect with you on an emotional level. These images are presented to you in either a glass half empty or a glass half full approach. How the campaign is framed will target emotions of optimism that you can help someone suffering, or pessimism that the suffering will continue unless people join and help. With today’s technology and widespread use of social media, campaigns are reaching more people and are adapting the modes in which they are presented. 

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 8

"8 Tips to Design a Charity Website." Web Design Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/8-tips-to-design-a-charity-website/

I like this article because it simply states eight ideas for creating a more effective charity website. I feel that technology is going to become, if it is not already, a huge part of charity’s marketing and medium for reaching audiences. Because of this, I feel it would be important to include this information in my paper. I really like the tip about keeping in touch with donators. By emphasizing an interaction between the organization and member, it keeps the goal of the organization at the forefront, and makes it more likely that the donator will continue to be involved. I feel like a lot of the tips made on website can be backed up by information I have gathered from previous sources, as well as applied to other information to explain why something was or was not effective for the charity. I also feel like I can use some of the tactics and ideas from the website to help construct a better web-text that goes along with this inquiry.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 7

 Chang, Chun-Tuan, and Yu-Kang Lee. "All Charity Advertisements Are Not Created Equal: Influences of Message Framing, Vividness Valence, and Number Size Framing." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. <www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_58.pdf>.

I like this article because it shows the outcome of using both positive and negative messaging in charities can influence the outcome if they are framed correctly. Some of the findings in the studies conducted show that when “applying framing in the charitable promotion business, the results show that framing a charitable message negatively leads to higher persuasion than framing it positively.” This aligns well with the Kony 2012 video, as a majority of the video is focused on footage of children suffering at the hands of an evil warlord. The study also mentions the importance of a story, by saying, “a vivid story could elicit higher advertising persuasion in a framed message.” The importance of a story for a charity to tell their potential supporters is a feature that could aid in a charity’s success. The author also mentions, “identifiable victims communicated in a story may stimulate a more powerful response than do those of neutral description.” This again aligns nicely with the Kony video, as the video depicted specific victims and told their story to audiences. I think that by including this information in my paper, I can better define techniques and actions that have brought charities success.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 6

“Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary Incentives in Behaving Prosocially”

Dan Ariely, Anat Bracha and Stephan Meier

The American Economic Review , Vol. 99, No. 1 (Mar., 2009), pp. 544-555

This article examines the reasons what influences people to donate to charity. I really like this article because it directly relates to my topic, and provides evidence, experiments, and opinions that I can add throughout my paper to support other evidence I found in previous research. The article experiments with the idea that people want to portray themselves in the best light possible, or prosocially, as the author names it. The author sets of experiments surrounding three different factors: intrinsic, extrinsic, and image motivation. Intrinsic motivation is “the value of giving per se, represented by private preferences others’ well-being, such as pure altruism or other forms of prosocial preferences. Extrinsic motivation is “any material reward or benefit associated with giving, such as thank-you gestures and tax breaks.” Image motivation “refers to an individual’s tendency to be motivated partly by others’ perceptions. Image motivation therefore captures the rule of opinion in utility, i.e., the desire to be liked and respected by others and by one’s self.” I feel like I can incorporate the experiment the author did to prove these motivations, as well as the motivations themselves, to explain why people donate to charity.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 5

Cowen, Tyler. "ECONOMIC SCENE; Investing in Good Deeds Without Checking the Prospectus." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 June 2006. Web. 20 July 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/business/15scene.html?_r=1>.

I like this article because it talks about one of the biggest criticisms of charitable organizations I have found throughout my research: people don’t really know what they are giving to. I think this would work well in my paper, because I plan to discuss what makes a charity successful, as well as educate my readers on ways in which they can be more educated and informed philanthropists. The author does a really good job of examining the motives of why a majority of people gives to a campaign. He explains this as, “many donors seek a sense of affiliation and wish to be a part of large and successful organizations — the "winning team," so to speak.” This is another similarity with the Kony video criticism I found in previous research. Critics said that people threw money at the campaign without fully understanding the problem or organization, and as a result could have done more harm than good. This is similar to another piece of research I found about how charity can negatively affect people, and I feel that including this research into my paper would tie in nicely with the other research. The author also offers insight as to why people need understand the campaign they are donating to, as for it to be a success, it need constant support from the donator. The author says, “If donors do not abandon failing causes, those efforts will continue. Perhaps the content of donor pride needs to change. Rather than taking pride only in their generosity, donors should also take pride in their willingness to confront unpleasant news.” This also ties in with the Kony criticism, as critics say that many people failed to continually support the campaign when the creators, Invisible Children, came under scrutiny.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 4

Hall, Holly. "Wildlife Fund Turns To Facebook To Promote Holiday Catalog." Chronicle Of Philanthropy 23.4 (2010): 3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 July 2012.

This article discusses the decision of the charity World Wildlife Fund to use Facebook as way of promoting their campaign to adopt animals. The organization talks about how they have a large fan base on Facebook, and they hoped that by integrating a feature that allowed people to share with their friends the animal they just adopted would encourage more people to get involved with the organization. They also launched their campaign during the holidays, to market their idea that friends and relative should adopt animals in family and friend’s names as a gift. I thought this was a good example of kairos, and these rhetorical techniques are something I plan on discussing in my paper. The campaign also takes place primarily on a social media site, intending for the audience to be the users of that site. I think that the digital marketing campaign contributed to this charity’s success, and can be a good example of a digital approach of philanthropy. The article also brings up the influence that friends on Facebook could be a big influence on anyone who reads about the donating to the World Wildlife Fund by explaining, “Now people who "like" an animal in the catalog or who adopt a species by making a donation can alert their Facebook friends, leave a note about their experience in supporting a species, and send electronic cards to those in whose honor they have donated.” This creation of interaction between Facebook friends could “help the charity reach large numbers of donors' friends online--and spark new donations from some of the 500 million people around the world who now use Facebook.” I really like this article because it focuses on the topic of social media’s influence in charity campaigns, the same type of influence seen in the Kony video that serves as the basis for this paper. I plan on using this article as an example of how charity campaign are interacting with and reaching out to new members.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 3

Anslow Matthew, . "Foreign aid and moral vision." http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2012/05/14/3502266.htm. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jul 2012.

This article dealt directly with the topic of the “white man’s burden” and its effects on providing aid, just applied in a different context. Like previous texts I found, I could apply it meet my chosen topic. The author of this article gives good explanations for why it is important to give aid to those who are suffering, and how it does not stem from an attitude of superiority. The author states, “In terms of the morality of foreign aid, we are not so much obligated to give aid because it is a virtuous act in and of itself, but because it is simply wrong to live in a civilization in which some are systematically subjugated for the benefit of others.” This quote explains the author’s opinion about the reasons why it is wrong to leave impoverished countries to suffer, and serves as an introduction to his later reasoning about why people are obligated to help, but not because the motive is to assert superiority. When talking about the inequality of countries around the world and how some countries evolved over history that included crimes such as slavery and colonialism, the author mentions, “The privileged of today are quick to point out that they had nothing to do with these crimes and that they should not be held to account for the sins of their forefathers. And right they are! But if they cannot inherit their ancestors' sins, then why can they inherit the fruits of those sins, the huge economic superiority prevailing at the end of the colonial period?” The author uses this as the basis for his reasoning that those in a position to help should do so because it is ethically sound. He states the claim by saying “affluent countries, partly through the global institutional order they impose, bear a great causal and moral responsibility for the massive global persistence of severe poverty. Citizens of these countries thus have not merely a positive duty to assist innocent persons mired in life-threatening poverty, but also a more stringent negative duty to work politically and personally toward ceasing, or compensating for, their contribution to this ongoing catastrophe."

I agree with a lot of what the author has to say about motives for providing aid to those who need it, and can use some of the quotes form this article in my paper as support for this reasoning. It was also through a link in this article that I found the name of a prolific writer in this subject, and was able to locate some of his works through the Miami Library. I plan on using these resources as another research source.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 2

CBD Burt, K Strongman. "USE OF IMAGES IN CHARITY ADVERTISING: IMPROVING DONATIONS AND COMPLIANCE RATES." http://www.usq.edu.au/extrafiles/business/journals/HRMJournal/InternationalArticles/Volume 8/Burt Vol 8 no 8.pdf.. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jul 2012.

This study published in The International Journal of Organizational Behavior investigates what images are most effective in raising revenue for a charity. This is more in-depth information on a topic I want to cover in my Inquiry Three paper about what makes a successful charity campaign, and what drives people to become active in a charity. I love some of the author’s observations on the donation process as a whole. When describing this process, he says, “Gifts are made with no tangible reward. Donating does not involve an impersonal exchange, but is usually predicated on the seeking of a reaction to a serious human condition. This immediately makes donation a personal matter involving emotions and value judgments” (1). I thought this was an insightful summary about the process of donating to an organization, and also something I could tie to rhetoric with the emphasis on pathos. The prevalence of pathos in the Kony video as the main rhetorical appeal is consistent with what the author is describing, and something I think is integral in a charity campaign’s success. This article goes on to present experiments the author conducted to determine the most effective images for a charity campaign, and how the sample groups responded to them. I want to incorporate the study and its results in my paper, as it adds evidence and background to the success of the Kony video.

CCM Readings

In the three CCM essays assigned for today, there were a variety of arguments with differing structures. One that stood out to me in particular was “Internet Filters Hinder Student Research.” In the writer’s reflection, the author mentions how they ended up switching sides of the argument, and I have had a similar experience while researching sources for Inquiry Three. While I haven’t switched sides, I have been exposed to new viewpoints that have made me rethink my topic in a different light. I think this is beneficial, as it allows me a better understanding of the entire issue at hand, not just what I had initially focused on.

The way the essay was structured with explanations behind the arguments of the opposition and the author’s assessments about the situation is something I plan on incorporating in my paper. The author also raises a good point when she mentions the differing definitions of what is “harmful” to minors. “…there is a difference between the meanings of “ harmful” when it comes to different grade levels” is how she states the importance of the use of definitions in an argument. This was something I have seen in the begging chapters of Everything’s An Argument, as well as in today’s readings on page 256. I feel like this is relevant in almost every argument, as the way one side defines something can be very different from the other side’s definition, thus creating a less effective argument. This article also does a good job of using the Toulmin model for argument, as its claim that Internet filters are negatively effecting student research is debatable. The author combines her opinions on the matter with quotes form experts and other articles on the topic, providing evidence for their thoughts and arguments.

All of the essays in the CCM did a really good job of presenting their arguments in a way that was easy to follow and understand. For my paper, I am currently thinking how to arrange the information I am gathering in a way that the reader can follow easily and understand why the argument is significant. These essays are good examples of how to accomplish this.

Inquiry Three: Research Blog 1

Doddington, K., R. S. P. Jones, and B. Y. Miller. "Are Attitudes To People With Learning Disabilities Negatively Influenced By Charity Advertising? An Experimental Analysis." Disability & Society 9.2 (1994): 207-222. Education Research Complete. Web. 16 July 2012.

This article focuses on how images used in charity campaigns impact the attitudes towards the people they portray. While this article focuses on people with learning disabilities, a lot of what the author talks about can be applied to my topic. The author uses deductive reasoning to support her claims, by stating “…those who are constantly being portrayed as damaged and dependent and having to feel grateful for help and donations are going to be unhappy with the situation.” Using this logic, she is implying that because a study conducted found a group dealing with the mentally disabled unhappy with the way the disabled were portrayed; all charities must then have a negative effect on the groups they are trying to help. While I don’t personally agree with this reasoning, I definitely agree with her thoughts that charities need to be more conscious about what images they chose to present in a campaign to the public, as well as even consult with member of the group they are representing to further avoid problems. I also like this article because it ties into my other research about the Kony video. Some of the main criticism about the video was about how not enough people from the affected regions in Africa were present to give their input, and that the images only perpetuated the “white savior complex.” The author does a great job explain this when saying “… a positive move in the right direction would be to consult with the very people the charities aim to represent; in this way charities could move from being organizations who are concerned mainly with the money in the collection tin towards being concerned with the promotion of positive attitudes towards those they represent…” I think that by reading this article, I can better elaborate on my topic on whether the “white savior complex” is the reason for charities successes, and what else contributes to a campaign’s success.

Argument Article Revision

http://cheratomo.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/in-response-to-anti-kony-2012-and-the-white-mans-burden/

         Now that I have a better grasp on analyzing logos, I feel I can better dissect the blog in terms of Toulmin logic. The blogger’s claim in the post is that the Kony 2012 video was not constructed because of the “White Man’s Burden”, but of a mutual need to help those who are struggling, fits the section in Everything’s an Argument about a claim being debatable. This claim also echoes the text by coming from a personal experience. The author is sharing her reaction to the criticism surrounding the Kony campaign, and explaining how her thoughts on the matter and personal experiences can add to the credibility of her arguments. The author also employs warrants. An example would be her claim that the Kony video was a success. Her reasons are that the video met Invisible Children’s goal of spreading awareness and getting others involved. Since Invisible Children met that goal, disputes about their finances, though important, are not the determining factor in their campaign’s success. The author also does a good job of presenting arguments those against her claim would make, and dispelling them in a convincing manner beneficial to her initial claim. I’m glad we took the time to learn about how to better analyze logos, as well as argument structure in general, because it has given me ideas about how to better present my arguments in the Inquiries.

Academic Integrity vs. Plagiarism

To me, academic integrity is being the most honest student you can be. Being honest with teachers, while taking exams, and when presenting your ideas. Academic integrity is holding yourself to high standards pertaining to your education.  Plagiarism is taking (knowingly or unknowingly) someone else's work or ideas and and presenting them as your own. While it is sometimes tempting to just copy and paste something from another source into your paper, plagiarizing doesn't allow you to learn anything from the assignment. You end up hurting yourself. I really liked the definition the first student in the Academic Integrity video gave, about academic integrity being about doing the right thing even when the teacher isn't looking. There wasn't really anything in the second video I had not already been taught by other teachers. I think this is because plagiarism is such a big problem with such huge consequences, so it was the focus of my previous teachers to inform us about it. I have cut and pasted parts of documents in papers, but I always put quotes around the sections and gave credit. To avoid plagiarism, I make citations as I go so as to not omit credit for a quote or idea I find while researching.

Argument Article

http://cheratomo.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/in-response-to-anti-kony-2012-and-the-white-mans-burden/

 I found this blog while doing some research about what I might use for Inquiry Three. Something I kept seeing on different blogs analyzing the Kony 2012 video was how the “White Man’s Burden”, or the belief that white people have an obligation to help those who they deem less civilized, was a tactic used by Invisible Children to get support for their campaign. This was argued in many blogs, but this author’s argument as to why this is not a response to the “White Savior Complex” follows logical reasoning rather than pessimistic criticism. “This movement is about how we are all people, and we care for all other people, and how no people should be forced to live in fear or suffer.

It is born out of compassion, not out of superiority. It is born out of power with, not power over” is how the author summarizes Kony 2012. She goes on to turn the argument made by other blogs that Invisible Children employed a racist technique to gain support into an argument that to think that the “White Man’s Burden” is being used is, in fact, racist. Her use of logos  reveals that applying a term used in the imperialism seen in the 19^th century has no place in modern charity campaigns.

Backpacks vs. Briefcases and Better Homes and Bloggers Connections

There are various connections between "Backpacks vs. Briefcases" and "Better Homes and Bloggers". "Backpacks vs. Briefcases is about rhetorical analysis and how it is present in our everyday lives. The author explains that we encounter rhetoric in many situations in our lives, even when we don’t recognize it. In the example with seeing the professor for the first time and trying to determine what kind of teacher she will be based on the student’s first impression, the author describes a rhetorical process that takes place quickly and is not premeditated. The student did not plan to evaluate the teacher, nor does the student pause to think about each aspect of rhetoric and how it applies to the teacher. It’s the use of what the author calls a “mental database that you can draw on to make conclusions about what a person’s looks tell you about their personality.” Better Homes and Bloggers is more of an application of the rhetorical process than an observation. It provides a real life example of how rhetoric is present in digital media. With so many blogs on a variety of subjects, some viewers feel negative after reading these blogs about other’s lives, as they compare them to their own. It is in these situations that rhetorical analysis can provide insight as to why some readers feel this way. If a blog author is trying to make their blog stand out from the crowd, they may present themselves as well informed and successful in everything they post. This can make the average reader feel negatively, as they think this is all that occurs in someone else’s life.

The author’s point in “Backpacks vs. Briefcases” about how “our saturation in media and its images is one of the reasons why learning to do rhetorical analysis is so important” really stuck out to me. It is important to understand the principals of rhetoric and their effects on our daily lives in order to be an effective consumer. In “Better Homes and Bloggers”, what stands out to me is how rhetoric can both grow and alienate an audience. By focusing on the choice between “authenticity and aspiration”, the writer will either make or break a connection with her audience.

Overall, I think the essays in the CCM relate more to “Better Homes and Bloggers”, as they are more personal examples of rhetoric. However, some moments in the essays depict what we see in “Backpacks vs. Briefcases”. In the CCM essay “An Analysis of Student-Written Articles on Diversity”, the essay is as the title implies, more analytical. The essay does a good job of explaining the different rhetorical techniques and how they impact an audience.

After reading these articles, I know I will need to be more aware of the audience for my topic, as well as analyze specific moments.

Inquiry Two: Web Text

For the Inquiry Two assignment, I am choosing to focus on the same topic I used for Inquiry One, the Kony 2012 video. Rather than writing about how the video as a whole influenced me, I would be focusing on a few moments in the video where Invisible Children’s appeals demonstrated a variety of rhetorical arguments and how they were successful. I am choosing this text because I think it is valuable to learn from this organization’s success in influencing so many people using the rhetorical appeals we have learned. Some of the moments I know I will be focusing on are in the beginning of the video. In the first scene, video of the earth from space plays as the narrator speaks of how the world we live in today has changed, and how social media has extended our means of communicating with people all over the world. I thought this was a great introduction, as it is both visually appealing and the words are something everyone can relate to. This shaping of the world as a foundation for instant communication is integral for Invisible Children’s campaign and draws upon the already populated social media community for support in their efforts. Some of the next images include the clicking of a share button followed by two people hugging. I thought as I watched this, are they equating sharing by social media to actual physical interaction? What effect does this have on their audience? On me? It’s images and situations like these I plan on examining, and I look forward to exploring how Invisible Children’s campaign became such a success through examination through a rhetorical lens.

Inquiry One: Writer's Reflection

When sitting down trying to begin this paper, I realized I did not know where to start. After accepting the fact that rhetoric is everywhere in out daily lives and everything can be argument, it was intimidating to begin to sift through all these examples and make them into one coherent paper! I chose my topic because it was a clear example to me of a time where I was persuaded, and I felt that I could apply the principals of rhetoric to it.

Not entirely sure where to begin, I started with what was most familiar to me, my narrative about my first encounter with the video. During the revision process when reading over my paper, I remembered a comment about how the end of my paper strayed from the original narrative seen in the beginning. I therefore decided to add the final paragraph so readers could see the conclusion of my experience with the video and its lasting impact on me. I know that as a reader, I would be disappointed if something I had read did not have a conclusion of sorts, so I learned from this and will make it a point to ensure that my narrative stays strong throughout the entire essay. I also learned to pick a few moments from the video to analyze, as it can be easier to stray from a detailed narrative if there isn’t a clear focus.  I tried to explain the impact of the different types of rhetoric the filmmakers used on me, the viewer, and the rest of their audience. By adding examples such as “Watching them in the video showing footage from their trips to effected areas, of their speeches at assemblies, and of some of the children who suffered, portrayed Invisible Children as a trustworthy informant and is a good example of ethos” I hoped to demonstrate what the film was showing to persuade viewers. I wanted to be able to explain why their campaign was so successful in term of rhetoric.

I learned a lot from doing this assignment, and just rhetoric. I learned to really value the process of peer revision and reflection in writing. I was definitely a writer who previously hated peer revision and would write one copy of something and make little to no changes. I am also now more aware of the rhetoric present in my life, and how it can be applied to really anything and everything.

Inquiry One Revision

This is the conclusion of my paper. Some of the comments I received mentioned a deviation from the narrative towards the end, so I am revising my conclusion to incorporate more of a narrative as well as show how the story comes full circle.
 

            This video was produced to get an organization’s goal to end the evil doings of Joseph Kony viewed by as many people as possible. Their dialogue in the film was informative, yet conversational. The organization can also be considered an example of ethos, as its creators appear trustworthy to its intended audience and appear competent in what they are reporting. I feel Invisible Children was successful with its campaign because they launched their video in a time where videos could be shared quickly and social media sites were a large part of many people's lives. I also feel Invisible Children was successful with their campaign because they established a relationship with their intended audience through the use of personal pronouns ("We can change this..., You can help..., etc.) You felt that you were being specifically addressed to help change the lives of people in need. Their uses of different principals of rhetoric allowed them to become a viral movement that got many people, myself included, who would have otherwise been unaware of the issue involved, and can serve as a model for other organizations on how to bring more attention to their causes. I also learned the power of emotional appeal, or pathos, form their use of rhetoric. If you get enough people to care about something, you can bring about change and awareness on a large scale.

 Revised: 

            I think Invisible Children did an excellent job getting me and millions of others to watch their video.  Their dialogue in the film was informative, yet conversational. "Right now, there are more people on Facebook then there were on the planet 200 years ago" is one the first things said by the narrator that really captured my interest and made me want to continue to hear what he was talking about. He goes on to explain that we live in a time where social media and technology allow us to connect with people and share moments and interests in a matter of seconds. This emphasis on how these connections are changing the way the world works made me see that they really understood their audience. By utilizing social media and the available technology, they were able to capitalize on the "kairos" moment. Watching them in the video showing footage from their trips to effected areas, of their speeches at assemblies, and of some of the children who suffered, portrayed Invisible Children as a trustworthy informant and is a good example of ethos.  I also feel Invisible Children was successful with their campaign because they established a relationship with their intended audience through the use of personal pronouns ("We can change this..., You can help..., etc.) You felt that you were being specifically addressed to help change the lives of people in need. The combination of various appeals to their audience played an integral role in their success. I think by combining a strong, emotional appeal with an opportune moment gave them perfect conditions for their message to reach many people. 
          After closing my computer, I lay there thinking about what I had just watched. I was heartbroken, but also inspired. Invisible Children had brought to my attention a horrible situation, but convinced me that there were things I could do to help. I learned the power of emotional appeal, or pathos, form their use of rhetoric. If you get enough people to care about something, you can bring about change and awareness on a large scale.

Peer Review Reflection

I have definitely never been a fan of peer review. I was never really comfortable with other people reading and critiquing my writing. However, I really enjoyed this peer review. I received a lot of good recommendations on how to improve my paper, many of which I don't think I would have come up with on my own. The comments I gave to others were generally about incorporating analysis of the different types of rhetoric throughout the paper, as opposed to just at the end. This was something I had struggled with as well, and changed between my zero draft and rough draft. I also found myself asking for specific examples of moments that occurred in others' narratives. This was something that was asked of me in my paper as well, so I will be adding more specific examples into my paper. In the lectures and reading on peer review, it was stressed to remember that you as the reader are here to help the writer better their paper, not judge or correct. I thought this was extremely important, as no one wants to feel that their work is being attacked and judged. I think this is why I was never a fan of peer review previously. It was also mentioned that praise should be equal to criticism. I think this is important as it lets the writer know what is really good about their paper and what the reader found interesting. I also like that critiques are supposed to be positive. People are more likely to listen to your suggestions if they come off as helpful and constructive rather than demanding or condescending.
I love seeing the different approaches all of us took with this assignment. All of these varying situations have us buying, watching, and reading different things and influencing us in different ways, but they all share one thing in common: the use of rhetoric. It was interesting to see how people interpreted rhetoric and which aspects of rhetoric they focused on. As we progress to a final draft of our papers, I think we need to focus on refining what we have written, adding specific and detailed moments to our narratives, and incorporating analysis throughout the paper. As far as making our analysis better, I think we should continue to apply the different types of rhetoric to our writing by using the information we get from the readings (chapters 2-4 in Everything is an Argument) and further explain why these types of rhetoric are applicable.  

Inquiry One Topic

I was lying in bed on March 5, 2012 checking Facebook before I fell asleep when I saw multiple friends share a video and a message to watch it. I clicked on the video, and for the next thirty minutes was informed of atrocities and civil war happening in northern and central Africa. The goal of the non-profit organization, Invisible Children, was to make Ugandan rebel and leader of a guerrilla army, Joseph Kony, "famous." The film states that by making Kony a recognized name, they would be able to draw attention to his heinous crimes against innocent people and children. Already a member of a similar organization with similar goals of rehabilitating war-effected children and human trafficking, I was no less appalled at what I was seeing. Watching the speakers ask for help and describing the tortures they endured from the rebel army was heart wrenching, and made me want to do more. This emotional appeal from the charity is a great example of pathos. The organization can also be considered an example of ethos, as it appears trustworthy to its intended audience (teens to mid-twenties) and appears competent in what they are reporting.

The video went viral. It has been viewed millions of times by people all over the world. It has inspired bills, petitions, and demonstrations of all types. It appears that the video had achieved its goal: making Kony notorious. Everyone, especially younger people, were talking about and getting involved with an issue that had not been relevant to them a day earlier. Invisible Children maintained an active relationship with their now large audience through various social media sites. They encouraged them to continue spreading the word not only to friends and family, but also to politicians, celebrities, and other people with influence. I feel Invisible Children was successful with its campaign because they launched their video in a time where videos could be shared quickly and social media sites were a large part of many people's lives. This utilization of kairos allowed them to spread their message quickly and reach more people across the world. I also feel Invisible Children was successful with their campaign because they established a relationship with their intended audience through the use of personal pronouns ("We can change this..., You can help..., etc.) Their uses of different principals of rhetoric allowed them to become a viral movement that got many people, myself included, and others who would have otherwise been unaware of the issue involved, and can serve as a model for other organizations on how to bring more attention to their causes. I also learned the power of emotional appeal, or pathos, form their use of rhetoric. If you get enough people to care about something, you can bring about change and awareness on a large scale. 

Intro to Rhetoric

If you had asked me to define rhetoric before beginning this class, I would not have been able to give you an answer. Luckily, after watching the videos posted on the class page and reading the first chapter in Everything's an Argument, I feel I have a basic idea of rhetoric an it's applications in our daily lives. I would define rhetoric as a means of presenting a point in a convincing, well-expressed, and effective way. It was definitely insightful to begin to view everything as an argument, and examine how everyday actions and items can be used to form or support an argument. On pages 22 and 26 of the textbook, the excerpts on differing definitions and their effects on the goals of the differing parties is incredibly important to keep in mind when forming and supporting an argument. We as a consumer, voter, etc. need to be aware of where our information is coming from and whether or not it is reported as it has actually occurred. When I came across the sections on Pathos, Ethos, and Logos, I realized that rhetoric wasn't as foreign to me as I had previously thought. I had been constructing arguments that followed these models since I was a child. It was also interesting to me that Aristotle's findings from so long ago are extremely applicable in today's society. I also began mentally examining the different tones of different publications after reading page 30 in Everything is an Argument. I don't often come across publications where the author uses alienating personal pronouns, but am now more aware of their presence and the effects they could have on a reader who does not fit in the intended audience. A term I found useful about rhetoric came from the video Introduction to Rhetoric when the narrator talked about Kairos, the right or opportune moment.  This term to me is essential to forming a strong and relevant argument. By presenting an argument in the correct situation, you are giving the argument the best chance to succeed as opposed to allowing it to falter in less ideal circumstances.