english project draft and some questions

Victoria -- Week 11

When you're ready to make your posts, click on the link above, or go to INTERACTION on the left navigation bar of the course.

Let's begin by thinking about possible questions you could pursue for Project #4. Remember that the question you choose

• should be of interest to you right now • should be focused • should have some personal connection to your life • should be answer-able with the help of secondary sources (articles from print or

online newspapers, magazines, or journals)

With these guidelines in mind, open a Word document and write out responses to the following in order to work toward generating an appropriate question for Project #4.

1. Turn to pages 138-139 your Norton Field Guide. Read the sections called Start with roles in your life, Identify issues that interest you, and Frame your topic as a problem. Write out responses to EACH of those sections. Make sure each section is clearly labeled in your Word document. Identify issues that interest you: Dog training, quality of living for soldiers, proper exercise programs, becoming a PA vs a Nurse Practitioner Frame your topic as a problem: What classifies a dog as an aggressive breed? Why are soldiers the first to lose their pay when it comes time for budget cuts? Can exercise programs followed regularly increase the grades of students? Which career will pose to be more rewarding, PA or NP?

2. Think about questions related to your work in our course: Maybe you’ve developed an interest in gender and advertising based on our Project #3 work. A question you might pursue could be something like: What kinds of action are consumer and other groups taking to try to change the direction of contemporary advertising? Or maybe something you wrote about in your narrative collage for Project #1 got you thinking about areas of concern for you. Here’s an example of one student’s question, based on her narrative collage about her difficult experiences in public schools: Should I home-school my own children? Now look back over your own work in the course, and brainstorm a list of questions that might interest you for this assignment. -The benefits of joining the militarty at a young age? -The disadvantages of joining the miltarty at a young age? -Why men are viewed as surperior to women in todays society? -Is techonolgy taking over our lives and causing us not to be able to focus for long periods of time? -Are there benefits of single child families?

3. Think about questions related to current events: You could choose to research something related to current news events, but you must be able show how the question is personally relevant to you. For instance, maybe you’re a big gymnastics fan, and you became very interested in the rules changes in this year’s Olympics regarding the number of gymnasts allowed to compete in the all- around final. A question you might research could be something like: What was the history/reasoning behind the all-around gymnastics rules changes at this year’s Olympics? Now write out some questions related to current events that you might be able to pursue. Current events are a tough topic for me to expand on. I feel like right now the only thing I worry about when watching the news is ISIS. Knowing that they have a hit list of service members and their families really worries me. Especially since I am currently away on military duty. I wouldn’t want my family to fall victim to an attack because of choices I have made. I also worry about the possibly of being deployed overseas if a new war were to break out. On a less serious note I could write about the importance of social media security and how we need to be aware of what we post and do on the internet.

4. Think about questions related to a problem or issue you’re experiencing in your personal life: You could choose to research a problem or issue in your life, as long as it’s something that could be answered with the help of secondary sources (see discussion of secondary sources below). Maybe you’re experiencing problems with balancing family life and school. Your question could be something like: What resources are available to help nontraditional students succeed in college? Now write out some questions related to personal problems or issues that you might be able to pursue. -How to help my dog deal with her anxiety. Emma gets very bad separation anxiety, since I have left with the army and my family has to take care of her in

my absence she has gotten much worse. Is there training available that can help her cope? -How can I manage healthy relationships with people at home while gone on military duty?

5. Think about questions related to your own general interests or hobbies. Again, you could choose to research something related to your own general interests or hobbies, as long as your question could be answered with the help of secondary sources (see discussion of secondary sources below). Maybe you’re interested in the sport of slacklining. Your question could be something like: How did slacklining begin as a sport? Now write out some questions related to your own general interests or hobbies that you might be able to pursue. Will weight lifting improve my running abilities? What genres are the most beneficial to read form? Can I train my dog from books without assistance from a trainer?

6. Think about all the questions you generated above. Which one or two interest you most? Why? (By the beginning of next week, you'll need to decide on ONE question to pursue for Project #4.) The questions relating to the military are the ones that generate the most interest. My present day life revolves around the Army along with my future. I am really interested in learning how to form solid relationships with my loved ones now because the future with the Army will involve a lot of travel. I am also interested in how to increase my social media awareness. What things can I do to protect myself and my family further? I am also interested on learning to train my dog. Hopefully this is the last time I will have to be away from her for an extended period of time. However if I do need to be away I want to know that she will be able to handle it better. This would help both Emma and my family.

After completing the topic-generation activities for the week, post a couple of the questions you came up with -- preferably ones that you're really considering pursuing for Project #4. Explain why you're interested in those questions.

What preventative measures can military members take to protect themselves and their families from these random terrorist attacks?

-This question is something that is closely related to my very day life. I am currently working on military installations in the D.C. and Virginia areas. In the last five months I have been within miles of two attacks on these installations. Not only am I worried about the safety of myself but also of my family back in Ohio. I would hate for them to suffer an attack or be in danger because of me.

How can I maintain healthy relationships with people back home while being gone with the Army?

-This mission is one of the first of many I will embark on during my military career. If I can start to build strong foundations now hopefully it will carry over for years to come and the relationships will only continue to improve. I have been gone for five months now and I am finding it very hard to stay connected to people I used to be so close too.

Can I properly train my dog using a variety of books instead of a professional trainer?

-Two of my favorite things to do are read and spend time with my pup Emma. I think when I get home it will take us time to get reacquainted and into a normal routine. By the time I get back home it will have been over a year since I have seen my girl. Emma knows the basic commands, but I would like to train her further. In the past I did work with her in puppy classes with a trainer. I think training her by myself would us strengthen our bond again. I just worry that I will not be as consistent with her as I need to be and the training wouldn’t stick. I would like to learn the proper methods for training her.