Writers statement pt 2
The final project for this class has two parts, as described on the assignment sheet : the creative texts and the Writer's Statement In this peer review, we will focus on the Writer's Statement (part 2).
When you are writing your Writer's Statement, I encourage you to look at the guiding questions I provided (here) . I also suggest you complete the assignment on comprehensive reflection before completing this assignment. Then, write the best draft that you can write, using the provided guiding questions, before posting here.
You will notice that this discussion board is set up with two due dates: one for posting your draft and one for responding to your peers.
First Due Date: June 25
For this discussion board, you should attach a draft of your Writer's Statement as a .doc, .docx, or PDF. (Please do not use Pages.)
Importantly, please make sure that this is a polished draft of your Writer's Statement. For it to be polished, at a minimum, it should:
· Be organized into paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on one idea
· Include examples in each paragraph
· Be free of grammatical errors
· Organized in an order that makes sense to the reader.
· Address the three main areas required (see guiding questions)
Please note that you are not copying/pasting your draft into the discussion board reply. Instead, you are attaching a file. For instructions on how to attach a file to a discussion board on Canvas, see this webpage: How do I attach a file to a discussion reply as a student?
Second Due Date: June 27
After you submit your draft to this discussion board, you are going to give peer review feedback to at least 2 of your peers before the second due date. Since the purpose of this discussion board is for everyone to receive feedback, please first respond to people on the discussion board who do not yet have peer feedback. Part of your peer review grade includes carefully selecting classmates with very little feedback, so that everyone gets feedback.
To respond to a peer, follow these steps:
· Open your peer’s draft by clicking on the file they attached.
· Open a separate Word document and respond to the following questions/prompts, typing your responses on the Word document. Your responses should be detailed and in complete sentences. You should number your responses, but you do not need to include the questions/prompts in your response. Be sure to save your work as you go.
· If you choose to quote from your peers paper, please place their words in quotation marks so that they can clearly distinguish between your words and their own.
· After you have finished responding to the questions below, save your responses and then click “reply” to your peer’s discussion board. Attach your peer review feedback as a Microsoft Word doc or docx file or PDF.
Peer Review Questions: Remember your goal is to help them improve.
· Make one comment about whether or not the Writer's Statement covers all three areas of the prompt. Does the writer explain the rhetorical context for their creative text and how the audience purpose and genre work together? Does the writer explain the process of translating their research from previous projects to this one? Does the writer explain what they learned about research and rhetoric this semester? They don't have to address these things in that order, but each will be graded on the final Writer's Statement. If they achieve all three of these, make a comment explaining so. If you think they are missing one or more, make a comment explaining so.
· Identify at least two specific parts of the Writer's Statement that you think are very strong. Here, you might comment on the clarity of the writing, the use of specific examples, the ways in which the student describes their design choices or the rhetorical nature of and potential of research. When you identify these two parts, be detailed about why each part is strong. The purpose is to let your peer know what is working well so they can continue this as they keep working on their Writer's Statement.
· Make at least two specific suggestions for how your peer could further strengthen their Writer's Statement. Here, you might point out an area where they could be more specific or detailed or an area where they might clarify a point they are making. You could also comment on the organization of the Writer's Statement or the topic sentences. When you make these suggestions, be as specific and detailed as possible. The purpose is to let your peer know how a reader is understanding their writing and what needs to be clarified/improved for the next draft.
· Make one comment about what unifies (or could better unify) the Writer's Statement. Look at the title again, then skim over the Writer's Statement again. Does the title match the controlling idea of the Writer's Statement? Does the Writer's Statement have an idea that is threaded throughout? You might comment on what you think the main idea of the Writer's Statement is and why you think they do this well, or you might comment on one way the author could make the entire Writer's Statement work together better.
· Identify at least one aspect of your peer’s Writer's Statement that you could apply to your own Writer's Statement. Here, you might comment on the way that they describe their rhetorical situations or the detail with which they discuss the process of translating their research into other genres. In other words, what is one thing that you think your peer has done really well that you want to try to enhance in your own Writer's Statement?
Peer 1 Patrick H
In my intent for writing it would be in order to inform and ultimately persuade readers about the importance of the media and it’s role in society. Furthermore, I think that we should exercise critical thinking in determining its role in society as an institution that traditionally has had a lot of power and influence within society. I think that as an institution with such power within society that it is crucial to analyze its shortcomings and what it means for the millions of Americans that trust the media as a reliable source of information. Our literacy in being able to analyze various sources of information and decide whether or not it is worthy of trusting as accurate. This is especially difficult when analyzing trust sources of media, because traditionally they have been regarded as factually correct by the vast majority of institutions are trusted as legitimate, thus we have an inherit bias towards mass media institutions.
Levels of trust in the media according to numerous sources, have been declining for quite some time. More and more people are discontent with the media’s present-day reporting and either turning off the news or looking to an aftermarket of so-called alternative media which often showcases an opinioned spin to the current news cycle, in an attempt to share their ‘truth.’ The concern of what this means for our democracy and society is glaring, if we don’t have a reference for what should be trusted in terms of information validity, it will have real world consequences if what we are consuming for media is less than accurate. Fact-checking websites that fact-check claims made by both people and media publications have exploded since the onslaught of the 2016 election, in which the role of the media became increasingly important as then-candidate Donald Trump became notorious for attacking the media’s credibility.
One rhetorical aspect of the media that has caused controversy in regard to reporting is bias, the style of reporting often showcases biases. I think that this is especially important because It is often a left-wing bias, which causes many on the right to feel as if their style of reporting may not be ‘for them.’ This issue, in spite of its subtlety has real consequences in alienating large amounts of people on the opposing side of the pollical spectrum.
Lastly, I want to mention the relation that this is having to our crisis of information literacy. The media’s crisis in it’s creditability ultimately effects the public’s ability to analyze which sources are trustworthy and which sources shouldn’t be trusted. I think that there is now an atmosphere of criticism from some public circles against reporting on pressing issues such as climate change, race relations, and international relations. This pushback I think is an attempt to determine credible reporting on various stories.
This topic of credibility of the media I think is very important, and I seek to further my research into the topic and analyze the implications of this on society. Through it I hope to bring a sense of clarity towards my audience: the general public. We all deserve to consume accurate information from reliable and creditable sources, by being vigilant in our pursuit of the truth, we can become enlightened by our critical thinking skills.
Peer 2 Tiara C
The topic, “How Climate Change Affects Food Security”, was not only chosen because of my deep passion for the environment but because I had a desire to inform and persuade an audience about the detrimental impacts that climate change has on our food security. To effectively execute my goal, I made careful decisions on what sources to collect, rhetorical choices, and specific genres to utilize. Additionally, this project would not have been a success if it wasn’t for the information I learned throughout this semester. To begin my research, I started by collecting peer review articles. The most useful articles were https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.0701976104 https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-agriculture-and-food- supply. because they highlighted 4 specific areas in which food security was being impacted and had optimum evidence and details to support their claim. After reading those articles, I felt as if I had gathered such valuable information that I could use to educate and persuade people about the impacts of food security. I applied this information learned from my research to make two effective genres to portray my project. The work I have done this semester has shown me how powerful and intricate research is. I have learned so much valuable information, from how to properly research and how to transform that research into appropriate genres. Not only can research be used to spark new ideas and formulate new hobbies but it can be used to educate millions. For my research project, the purpose of the essay was to persuade and inform food scientists, and environmental and climate enthusiasts about the impacts that food security is facing because of climate change. I chose this genre because I wanted to inform these individuals about this crisis but in a way that would persuade them and give them sufficient evidence while being professional and formal. For my second text, I decided to be more creative and I fabricated a Youtube video to persuade and inform people interested in the preservation of the earth’s resources and life about my topic. I felt as if this genre was the most effective because it highlights the issues in a fun and creative manner. It was also more personal which appeals to the emotions of the audience and makes the information more susceptible. For both texts, I started by informing the audience what climate change and food security are, then how one
affects the other, and then I highlighted the four areas in which climate change affects food security. Lastly, I included a call to action. For example, in my first text, I organized this classification into paragraphs, and for the second text, I separated the points into slides. I felt as if this was the most effective way of organization because for the audience to completely understand the message, the information needed to be broken down into definitions and small portions of information. To establish my credibility, I utilized the MLA format for my essay, and I had a reference page in my Youtube video. I felt as if this was important because for my first text, the audience was very professional people and I needed them to see where my information was coming from so my claims were justified. Secondly, for my YouTube video, having my sources was important just in case the viewers wanted to research for themselves. When I began my research, I was not aware of the connection between writing, rhetoric, and research. However, after completing numerous assignments that have aided in this project, and finishing my research, the connection is quite clear. An assignment that helped me realize this connection was the “Texts That Changed The World” discussion. This course has taught me that to effectively research you need to decide what genre you need, and the audience and purpose the research must justify. This is all under the broad umbrella of rhetoric. In addition, it is important to recognize what rhetorical choices you are looking for in the various sources you collect. After realizing this I utilized this information to make the best decisions about my genre, purpose, and audience for my project. In addition, my rhetorical choices such as emotional appeal, and cause and effect were also chosen as a result of learning this information. I am hopeful that my research will change the world because it is both informative and persuasive. The research fabricated also appeals to audiences that have the potential of spreading the message and creating change. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity to conduct such intricate and innovative research, and I am very excited to see the fruit that it may reap.