Reflection on Open Letter Draft

In the following blog post I will reflect on my open letter draft by answering 5 questions! For my peer review I commented on both Mehruba's and Dylan's letters.

Unknown. "reflection"
http://funnyand.com/tag/reflection/ 

1. Did you demonstrate an ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer? 

Yes, absolutely. I discussed my dislike for writing, my bad habit with procrastination, as well as some skills I improved on this semester such as analysis of genre and rhetorical situations. I though about both of my strengths and weaknesses and I gave examples of each situation throughout my writing. 

2. Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned?

I focused my analysis on my experiences with procrastination along with the concept of genre and how it helps improve writing both during this class and for the future. I hyperlinked many different writing assignments throughout the text to help aid as evidence for my analysis. 

3. Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing (either quotes from your writing or rich descriptions of your writing process)? 

Yes, oops I answered this question above for number 2.

4. Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?

Yes, I explained how I wasn't effective when I made the choice to procrastinate project 2. In addition, I discussed how using genre analysis for my project 3 helped make that project successful as I considered the audience in an effective way that conveyed my argument really well. 

5. Did you use specific terms and concepts relating to writing and the writing process? 

Absolutely. Some of the terms I used included genre, time management, clustering/mindmapping, conventions, rhetorical situation and much more. 

Draft of Open Letter

In the following blog post I will present to you a draft of my open letter to the class! Please peer review in a way that is critical yet constructive. For my peer review I commented on both Mehruba's and Dylan's letters.
Here is a Link to my letter.

anonymous. "Im So Done" 14 months ago. Public Domain.

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In the following blog post I will reflect more on my writing experiences throughout my time her in english 109h.

meme generator

1. The biggest challenges I faced this semester overall was definitely getting all of the blog pre-work posts done. This semester had a lot more of the planning and process work to do than I am used to. I hd to really focus on time management, mindmapping, and research for all of my writings.

2. This semester I learned that with time management I was really successful, but I didn't prioritize my writing assignments with my other classwork. For example I planned to do all of the drawing and modeling assignments for my major and ended up finishing up my writing assignments the couple days before the deadline. I learned that once I do get to work, however, I am able to focus and get ita all done in a decent amount of time.

3. Genre is very important to understand when writing. When writing, understanding what genre your writing is in is very important as following the conventions of the genre and using rhetorical strategies that fit within the genre can make your writing more successful. With genres, it is important to not just understand the conventions, but the purpose, intended audience, and rhetorical strategies unique to each genre.

4. The skills from this course I feel I might use and/or develop further in my nest few years of college coursework are time management, researching my specific major, clustering/mindmapping, studying genre conventions, understanding rhetorical situation for a text, writing intros/conclusions, and using library databases.

5. My most effective moment from this semester in 109H has definitely when I decided to write a very visual piece for my project 3. I fully understood the genre that would cater best to my architectural audience and my writing successfully proved my understanding.

6. My least effective moment from this semester in 109H has been when I fell behind in project two. i didn't complete a couple of the blog posts and I rushed through most of them so it was harder to write that final product will less planning.

Revisiting My Writing Process

Unknown. "Architect at his drawing board" 25 May
1893. Public Domain. 

After this class, my writing process is still Sequential Composer and Procrastinator not much has changed. However, I do feel like my understanding of genre and how to write a successful article/argument has improved substantially.

I do enjoy how the peer editing process has allotted about a week of time for me to revisit my writing assignment and make changes before I turn my paper in. However, I cant see myself editing my paper on my own in the future without the help of peers and the allotted time set aside for editing. 

Having to write so many blog posts for every project helped me better understand the purpose of what I was writing. I knew what and why I had to write an assignment and the requirements were really easy for me to see. However, the daunting task of having to write so many blog posts fueled my bad procrastination habit. 

In the future I will probably remain the same type of writer when it comes to big writing assignments such as a multiple page essay or a research project for an elective. However, in employment my writing opportunities will probably be limited to letters and/or emails, so I might not be as much as a procrastinator when it comes to smaller writing tasks. I will need to learn to edit my writing assignments without the need for much help from others, but this course has taught me how to get stuff done even though there is a lot of work to do. 

Reflection on Project 3

In the following blog post I will write short answers to the nine items from Writing Public Lives.

Jankowski, Jessica. "Screenshot" 22 Nov. 2015. 

1. My final draft was different from my rough draft in that I re-worded almost all of my paragraphs to make them clearer, I added another paragraph detailing my original controversy with Zaha Hadid, and I changed my intro so they purpose of my argument seemed clearer.

2. My thesis/organization remained mostly the same.

3. These changes were made so that the purpose of my argument would seem clearer.

4. As an author, having a clearer argument and a stronger purpose makes my argument easier to understand so I have more credibility as I wrote an convincing article.

5. The audience will understand the argument I am trying to make in an easier manner.

6.7. Sentence structure was considered, and the flow of my sentences were rearranged so that everything was very simple and clear/easy to understand so that my audience wouldn't get distracted and loose interest from complicated and hard to understand wording in my sentences.

8. no

9. By reflecting on my writing it helps emphasize the points in my writing that I had to work on. I can better understand where I improved so that I can use my new knowledge in improving my future writing assignments.

Publishing Public Argument

HERE is my final public argument. In the following blog post I will answer some questions about my final public argument. 

OpenClipartVectors. Unnamed. 2013. Public Domain.

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←------------------------------------------------X----|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←--------X--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         _______ My public argument etsablishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         ____X___ My public argument proposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         _______ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

The original controversy over the Tokyo Olympic 2020 stadium only focused on why Japan was or wasn't wrong for choosing to not use architect Zaha Hadid's proposed stadium plans. My public argument brings about the topic that maybe Japan isn't to blame, but the architect herself and any architect who designs a project that blows a budget should hold blame, and therefore make an effort to not design over budget in the future. 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

                    _____ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

                    __x___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

                    _____ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

                    ___x__ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

                    _____ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

                    _____ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

                    _____ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

                    __x___ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

                    _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

                    _____ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

                    ___x__ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

                    _____ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

                    ___x__ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

                    __x___ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ___x__ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ___x_ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

                    _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    __x___ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    _____ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

                    _____ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

                    __x___ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

                    _____ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

                    __x___ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

                    ___x__ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

                    ____x_ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

In the following blog post I will reflect on my project 3 draft and peer editing process.
I peer edited Mehruba and Dylan's drafts.

GlacierNPS, "Reflection on Lake McDonald". 14 May 2012. Public Domain. 

I had comments from three of my piers on my draft, however I could only access one peer review sheet from Alyssa Bohland. She gave me very good feedback and I agree with all of it. I know that I proposed a solution to the controversy, however just like she pointed out I need to further elaborate on how the solution of budgeting can be carried out. 

I need to work on argumentation more in adding more detail and explanation to how I want my proposed solution carried out so that my argument has more weight and purpose to it. 

Overall, I feel like my draft is almost complete. I seem to have been very successful with my use of genre and audience, I just need to add a little bit more explanation and I will be done!

Draft of Public Argument

In this blog post I have a link to my draft of my public argument. I know I have some formatting issues as there are long spaces between photos. Please look to see if I have enough text and if the captions from my photos tie into the text enough or if they are distracting. Please be honest! Thank you!

LINK TO MY DRAFT

Considering Visual Elements

In the following post I will answer some questions from Writing Public Lives in order to better understand what visual elements will work best for my project three blog post argument. However, I don't have the book with me right now so this blog post will have to wait.

Project 3 Outline

In the following blog post I will outline my argument

Introduction:
For my introduction, I plan on using the technique of thinking about my situation or Kairos, I will need to move my audience to think about my issue in a specific context and by drawing on my controversy from the Tokyo 2020 stadium, I can convince my audience that planning over budget should be avoided as much as possible.
*I want my readers to consider the argument from the clients/general public's point of view; it is important to consider the magnitude of how architect's considerations can affect other people.
Body:
1. Supporting arguments for my position include:

• over budget=unhappy clients
• budget is not completely out of the responsibilities of the architect
• architects have a responsibility to manipulate materials for the best possible outcome
• public outrage over big projects over budget can cause political stir

2. Major Criticisms:

• Architects cannot control budget (they give what the client needs and cannot change contracting prices)
• architects have a responsibility to create livable art at any cost
• architects who are very popular have a design reputation to uphold
• clients are responsible for price depending on what they choose to include in the project

3. Key support and rebuttal points with tentative topic sentences:

Over budget=unhappy clients (USE UNSUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES)

• When going over budget, clients are put in a hard situation as the architect did not do his/her job to deign a plan within the set parameters. 

Budget is not completely out of the responsibilities of the architect: 

• Architects have a responsibility to provide a building plan that makes their clients happy while still designing creatively; this can be done on budget as long as careful consideration is put into the scale and materials used. 

Public outrage over big projects over budget can cause political stir: (USE CONTROVERSY EXAMPLE)

• For large scale projects such as the Tokyo 2020 olympic stadium, public outrage over the amount of money spend on a project will leave the client/government with no choice but to abandon your plans, leaving you jobless and the client unhappy. 

Unsuccessful examples:

Successful examples:

Controversy example:

Conclusion:

For my conclusion, I will focus on the future of the debate. I will mention that buildings that continue to go over budget will cause a developed loss of trust in architects/buildings. The general public, especially the general public in a shaky economy, will not want to build if they know that it will be outrageously expensive. Architecture is a gift, but it should not venture into the land of inaccessible luxury. 

Reflection:
I looked at both Mehruba's and Trey's Blog posts for their project three outline. They are both further along than me in that they have both written their rough draft and I have not, however both of their outlines didn't contain much information. Hopefully by writing out such simple outlines their ideas weren't affected negatively. I found that although I didn't finish my outline, what I have written was enough for me to gather my ideas and I am ready to start my rough draft. 

Analyzing My Genre

In the following blog post I will provide you with hyperlinks to 5 different examples of my genre  (Blog Posts loaded with visual information/pictures).

A.K.Khalifeh. "Beirut Central District Collage." 6 April 2013. Public Domain. 

Example 1 (contains a video)
Example 2 (contains a slideshow!)
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

This genre is typically set on a website or blog designed for readers that are in the architecture industry as architects are very visual people who appreciate pictures. The subject normally ranges from different design techniques to new and interesting buildings to appreciating buildings that have been around for a while. This genre serves to entertain, teach, and inform architects and designers in an easy to read and understand way, as it is leisure reading.

Visual content is a must, there is an informative tone with simple sentences and evidence is given in a visual manner rather than in a hyperlink or direct quote. Quotes from interviews are frequent, however.

The texts normally open with a sentence that summarizes what the blog post will be about, along with a picture that also encompasses what the post will discuss. There isn't really a conclusion, rather the blog posts end when all of the necessary information is presented and readers finish feeling like they are well informed and/or entertained.

Sentence structure is very simple along with paragraphs being no more than 2-3 sentences. Most sentences are actually captions for pictures that convey information. However, some blog posts go into more depth about the topic which is what I will have to do to accurately convey my argument.

Word choice is simple however there are some words that are architecture "slang" used as the audience is mostly architects and designers. The overall text balances between formal and informal, definitely not humorous or academic in any way.

Writers and readers in this genre are encouraged to spend time looking at the photographs while processing the writing in the blog post. Comment sections are left after each blog post however readers don't always choose to participate in the conversation as most blog posts aren't that controversial as they are more there for the entertainment and leisure of readers.

REFLECTION:
After reading both of Savannah's and Brandon's  Blog posts, it seems like we all understood the most important aspect to picking a genre to write in: our audience. Savannah had a more targeted audience while Brandon narrowed his audience by choosing a genre as specific as Time Magazine. Overall, I think all of our genres fit the audience we want to present our arguments to.

Considering Types

In the following blog post I will consider what type of argument from the reading (position, casual, evaluative, proposal, or refutation) I  will use for my public argument project.

o5com. "Men Arguing". 25 Aug. 2010. Public Domain.

I will be using the CAUSAL ARGUMENT
This argument will "introduce" my audience to the "causes a specific problem" which is the problem of popular/well know architects abusing their creative power and designing projects that are really over budget and/or don't fit the parameters that clients have set in place. By pointing out the problem, I will be "able to also help [my] audience understand the potential solutions to the controversy as well"
I have to make sure to use examples and refute some architect's arguments for going over budget and straying from the parameters.

Using an argument type such as Position would not work because I am trying to convince my audience that they are doing what they are doing wrong, it is not as effective to approach this topic from a pro/con perspective.

Reflection: After reading Mehruba's Considering Types and Rhetorical Action Plan Along with Savannah's Considering Types and Rhetorical Action Plan, I found it interesting how they both chose a Refutation argument, however the link between their action plans and types of connections seem to connect. Comments made on my rhetorical action plan included praises for heavily considering my audience, so I feel like I am headed in the right direction for my project, too.

My Rhetorical Action Plan

In the following post I will develop a rhetorical action plan for my public argument.

Jankowski, Jessica. "Screenshot". 3 Nov. 2015. 

Audience: Architects
They know everything about the topic however they will side against me (side with the architects) as I am arguing that Architects need to be more aware/change their ways. Evidence such as use of specific examples and lots of pictures and/or video will suit this audience best. I am encouraging my audience to take action by changing their ways and reevaluating their own work habits.

Genre:

Blog Post with PICTURES!
This genre will hopefully help persuade my audience what they are doing wrong to help fix the problem. The setting is on an architectural website online. I can use the rhetorical appeals of ethos and logos, in addition to many many photos. This type needs to be more formal conversational than informal (think business dinner) so that readers respect me yet can still relate and don't feel like I am talking down to them.
 2 Examples:

It Met uses modular panels to create flexible workspace for Buenos Aires ad agency

Gwangju Biennale Support Center / IROJE Architects & Planners

Podcast!
This genre will persuade what my audience is doing wrong to help fix the problem. The setting is an online website that streams a podcast. Podcasts are hard because they are rare in the architectural world, however lectures are popular and podcasts are very similar. This type is very informal so I don't know if it will be as convincing to my listeners. Also, podcasts leave out visual information which is the KEY to my audience-visuals. Podcast is a no go.
2 Examples:

Design Matters

ArchiSpeakPodcast

Positive Reactions:
Architects strive to fit parameters better, improve design while remaining conscious of the clients needs, improve quality of design through creative thought rather than money-hungry ideas.

Negative Rebuttals:
The belief that celebrity architects have design freedom they can use without considering budget, architects cant be creative if they fit all the constraints, bigger architecture is better.

Analyzing Purpose

For this blog post I will analyze the purpose of my argument with a coggle.

Jankowski, Jessica. "Screenshot". 31 Oct 2015. Public Domain. 

Here is also a LINK TO MY COGGLE

Analyzing Context

In the following blog post I will analyze the context of my public debate using questions from Writing Public Lives.

t-mizo. "untitled." 4 March 2013. Public Domain. 

The debate I am studying, the controversy over the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, has a core school of thought that Zaha Hadid should have had her proposal used for the Olympic stadium. In a big picture view, it can be debated that the architects are to blame for failed plans and budget crisis. However, architects believe that they try to fit the perameters of each project and it is the mismanagement of the client and outside factors such as material cost increases and contracting companies that affect the success or failure of building proposals.

It is agreed that both sides, the client and the architects, have control over what parameters should be set for the building plan. However, when a building plan needs to be scratched over something such as public outrage over the design of the building, no one is to blame but the architect. It is the architects responsibility to design within the cultural and historical aspects of the site he or she is given to work on.

In this specific controversy, Japan is facing cultural obligations as well as monetary concerns. Japan did decide to hire an architect that is from a different country, so they are to blame for the public outrage in Japan over Hadid's nationality. However, Zaha Hadid has a good point when considering that she was hired to present her own designs, and they should be considered as they could have chosen another architect.

For my argument about the issue, I will take the stand that it is the architects responsibility to fit the parameters set by the client and that Zaha Hadid had failed to present a stadium proposal that fit the parameters, it was only right to remove her from the project. The perspectives from Japan that the  project was over budget and didn't fit the cultural design aspects that they wanted to acieve will help my argument.

My argument will fail when considering Zaha Hadid's position on the argument. She did proposa a building that while expensive will last a long time and be of high quality. However, it is hard to overlook that it would be the most expensive stadium built in history. Additionally, Japan mismanaged their side of planning, so they are still in hot water.

REFLECTION:
After reading Nick and Dylan's blogs, I learned that we all have similar controversies and we have a complete understanding of the context surrounding them. I really appreciated how Nick was already thinking ahead of how he could use counterarguments in his essay to discredit one side to help his argument. Dylan kept his blog short but concise on his ideas and it was easy to follow. 

Audience and Genre

In the following blog post I will be writing about the audience and mode of engagement I should present my argument to.

Rozhkov, Dmitry. "2013 World Championships in Athletics".  10 Aug. 2013. Public Domain.

Two or three targeted groups of individual who might be an audience for my next project are architects, fans of Zaha Hadid, and athletes/individuals who are planning on competing or spectating at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The architects and fans of Zaha Hadid are affected by what she does in terms of learning about the impact she has had in Japan's politics and the possibility of her work and stadium being created. Architects are almost always interested in other architect's work. Olympic Athletes would be interested in this because if there was no stadium they couldn't compete or have the same olympic experience as if a new stadium was built successfully.

For the Architects, I would post my work on archdaily.com, dezeen.com, or any architectural blogging website as there are many that many architects browse freely. These websites would have an argument in blog format or QRG website format. However, a more formal article could be written for the Architectural Digest Magazine. For the Athletes, an article on any major website such as The Guardian would work as this subject manner isn't sporty enough for something like Sports Illustrated.

Extended Annotated Bibliography

In the following blog post you will find a link to my extended annotated bibliography containing sources that answer the questions I posted in my previous blog post "Narrowing My Focus".

LaurMG. "Frustrated man at a desk". 24 May 2011. Public Domain. 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY LINK

Narrowing My Focus

In the following blog post I will select a "handful" of the questions from my previous blog post about my controversy and I will explain why I think these questions are important to answer for my own public argument.

AlphaZeta. "Vector magnifying glass". 28 Aug. 2011. Public Domain. 

1. Last I heard, Zaha's plans were recently scratched. Has Japan selected an alternative plan/architect?

2.When will the stadium be built? In time for the 2020 olympics?

3. How will the Japanese government handle the controversy, from a political/image standpoint?

These questions seem to capture the most intriguing aspects of the controversy for me. I also know that any reader reading will want to know the answer to these questions to better feel informed or up to date about what is happening in the controversy. 

Questions About Controversy

In the following blog post I will discuss some questions regarding my controversy for project 3.

Knight Foundation. "zaha hadid". 8 April 2011. Public Domain. 

For my project 3 complex act of public speech I will be discussing the controversy happening in Tokyo,  Japan right now where the plans that Zaha Hadid Architects have put together for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been scratched due to budget and cultural concerns.

WHO
1. What other projects has Zaha Hadid worked on at this large of scale?
2. Who exactly is expected to take on the project if Zaha Hadid's plans remain scratched?
3. Is there an influence (powerful person) on the Japanese government that is causing them to change their mind about Zaha Hadid?

WHAT
1. What is the Japanese government planning to do now that they don't have plans for a stadium?
2. What, besides budget, are the other problems Japan is having with the stadium?
3. What power-move will Zaha Hadid make now that she is no longer a part of this plan? (She has power as the highest paid architect in the world).

WHEN
1. Last I heard, Zaha's plans were recently scratched. Has Japan selected an alternative plan/architect?
2. When will the stadium be built? In time for the 2020 olympics?
3. When does Japan want to select a new stadium by if they haven't already?

WHERE
1. Where in Tokyo is the stadium?
2. Where, culturally, does Tokyo want the stadium's aesthetic to be?
3. Where is Zaha Hadid from and where is her next project?

HOW
1. How is the controversy presented in Japan vs. in the United States?
2. How does the media alter the presentation of bias from either side of the controversy?
3. How will the Japanese government handle the controversy, from a political/image standpoint?

Reflection on Project 2

In the following post I will write concise answers to the questions from Writing Public Lives. It is a reflection on my project 2 analysis essay.

GlacierNPS, "Reflection on Lake McDonald". 14 May 2012. Public Domain. 

1.  I specifically revised my introduction, my conclusion, and grammar issues throughout my text.

2.  I reconsidered the organization of my introduction and conclusion so that I was focusing more on the rhetorical analysis and less on the topic of the text I was analyzing. In my conclusion I made sure it gave some more insight into my analysis and wasn't just a summary of what I had already written. 

3. These changes were led by the blog posts along with keeping in mind my audience an the purpose of the essay, analysis of rhetoric. 

4. These changes increased my credibility as an author as my analysis had a clear purpose and provided considerable insight and knowledge. 

5. By focusing on the analysis of the argument, my audience can better understand how to craft a good argument rather than just understand the topic of the argument I was analyzing. 

6. I reconsidered sentence structure and style when I did my punctuation blog posts and realized I needed a greater variety in sentence structures. 

7. In having more variety in sentences my audience can focus and understand the points I am making. 

8. When I was writing, I had to strongly consider I wan analyzing the rhetorical strategies of the argument and not just the subject of the text I was arguing. I feel like I did a good job of keeping this in mind and my analysis stayed on the right topic. 

9. The process of reflection strengthens my identity as a writer because it points out all of the points that I have improved on in the process of writing for this project. It is encouraging to reflect on the improvements yet keep in mind that I can still work to become an even better writer.

Reflection:

After reading Kyle and Mika's Reflections I have learned that we all have found ourselves diving deep into understanding what the prompt really wanted us to do. We all evolved and improved so that our analysis was an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and not just of the subject of the argument. 

Project 2 Final

This is my final rhetorical analysis for Project 2. Holla. 

thecomeupshow. "Drake performing while on tour". 11 Aug. 2011. Public Domain. 

Punctuation Part 2

In this blog post I will dive into three more punctuation chapters form the Rules For Writers textbook.

No author. 

"File:Icelandic quotation marks.svg". Public Domain. 

The Comma

The main thing I have learned is that commas are used for very specific reasons and can be abused. Besides being used for lists, commas can be used to make sentences flow better and be more easily understood. 

The Semicolon

Semicolons should be used between closely related independent clauses not joined with a coordinating junction.  I learned that semicolons are used to connect two sentences that are related. 

The Colon

Colons are used after an independent clause to direct attention to a list, an appositive, a quotation, or a summary or an explanation. Colons are rarely used.

I have learned that I am a horrible comma abuser. My comma usage can use some tuning-up. Additionally, I don't really use semicolons or colons. I have learned that by using more semi colons and colons I can improve the sentence variety in my essay. 

Revised Conclusion

This revised conclusion blog post will work a little differently because I have not written a conclusion yet. However, I have written some bullet points on what I wanted to be included in my conclusion.

M1-L3C. "ILLUSTRATION TITRE". 23 Nov. 2013. Public Domain. 

Conclusion:
Restate thesis in a new way, mention how the author used a unique format to knowing her audience (pictures)
mention how author could write freely because her opinion isn't widely popular/unpopular with anyone.

I will also attempt to utilize the technique of looking forward in my conclusion as I think people in my field will be arguing for/against stuff and utilizing rhetorical strategies in the future.

CONCLUSION:

It is important to understand how to craft a successful argument in the field of Architecture. It vital that students understand the impact the use of rhetorical strategies has on constructing an argument in the field of architecture, as a good argument shouldn't be ruined by the use of poor rhetoric. Karen Cilento felt it was necessary to provide an argument for the continued use of competitions for hiring in the architectural world, and by using rhetorical strategies such as appealing to her target audience and using specific examples to back up her argument she was able to convey her argument in a successful way. After reading her argument, readers are better informed about the positive impact architecture competitions have on the design world, and why it is important to embrace the negative side of them to reap the creative benefits they have.

This conclusion is more successful because it is an actual conclusion and not just bullet points on a page. I also tried to keep my target audience in mind and focus on the task of rhetorical analysis and not just the topic of the author's argument.

Revised Introduction

In the following blog post I will write a completely new introduction even though I don't really want to. However, writing a new introduction will improve my essay.

Frank-Jurgen, Richard. "Horasis Global China Business Meeting 2009". 9 Nov 2009. Public Domain. 

Original Introduction

Competitions have taken the architectural world by storm. The modern industry has moved on from a traditional hiring process and has now evolved into a highly competitive world where the builders/clients hold a lot of the power. Architectural competitions have positive and negative aspects, and it seems that architects can appreciate both sides of the controversy. Money, time, conceptual aspects, and worries about devaluing the profession are all considered when talking about these competitions. In the article "Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument" from the website ArchDaily, author Karen Cilento acknowledges counter arguments, appeals to values shared by her audience, and uses specific examples such as the Vietnam Memorial to convince her peers of the importance of architecture competitions and their positive impact on creativity and innovation in the workforce. Cilento successfully constructed an argument in which she appears credible; her understanding of her audience and acknowledgement of other's ideas strengthens her viewpoint into a convincing article.

New Introduction

The little known side of the architectural world revolves around competition. It has become increasingly popular for a client to host a competition to hire architects, rather than the client seeking out a specific firm for the job. Architectural competitions have positive and negative aspects appreciated by architects on both sides of the controversy. Money, time, and worries about devaluing the profession are all considered when talking about these competitions. In the article "Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument" from the website ArchDaily, author Karen Cilento acknowledges counter arguments, appeals to values shared by her audience, and uses specific examples such as the Vietnam Memorial to convince her peers of the importance of architecture competitions and their positive impact on creativity and innovation in the workforce. Cilento successfully constructed an argument in which she appears credible; her understanding of her audience and acknowledgement of other's ideas strengthens her viewpoint into a convincing article.

My new introduction is an improvement upon my old introduction because I have made my sentences more clear. Additionally, I have created a better hook by mentioning the "little known" side of architecture, which can be intriguing to readers, especially my audience of new architecture students. I also focus on what I will discuss in the body of my analysis and I convey very clearly the main idea. 

Punctuation, Part 1

In the following blog post I will discuss three topics about punctuation that I read about and gained further knowledge from Rules For Writers. The topics I chose to read about reflect areas I feel like I struggle with in my writing.

No author.

"File:Icelandic quotation marks.svg". Public Domain. 

Unnecessary Commas
What I found most helpful was the advice to not use commas to set off restrictive or mildly parenthetical elements. I find myself making this mistake. Also one should not use a comma to set off a concluding adverb clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Quotation Marks
I understand and know pretty well how and when quotation marks should be used. However, this chapter really helped me understand the correct punctuation to use according to convention. For example, colons and semicolons are placed outside of quotation marks and question marks and exclamation points are placed inside of quotation marks.

End Punctuation
This chapter was pretty straightforward, Periods should be used at the end of sentences, exclamation points should not be overused, and brackets should be used to enclose any words or phrases that I have inserted into an otherwise word-for-word quotation.

Reflection:
After reviewing my two classmates drafts I have learned that we all have a good grasp on punctuation and that none of us are really struggling with the conventions of punctuation.

Alyssa used colons and commas correctly in her opening sentence, "The medical profession for much of the ancient world consisted of broad generalizations concerning the human body: bloodletting, spells, and ancient rituals were widely accepted as antibiotics."

Ayra has used end punctuation successfully throughout her entire analysis. Here is one example where she used a period to end her sentence, "All of these strategies employed are important because the opinion Bennett has is an unpopular one."

Reflection on Project 2 Draft

In the following blog post I will reflect on my project 2 draft.

FastilyClone. "untitled". 1977. Public Domain. 

For the peer editing section of the draft, I edited Alyssa and Ayra's blogs.

• I have an identifiable thesis in my intro paragraph, I point out specific rhetorical strategies such as the use of acknowledging counter arguments, appealing to values shared by the audience, and the use of specific examples.
• My essay contains a central point and each body paragraph contains evidence and more elaboration and analysis of the three rhetorical strategies I outlined in my thesis. 
• I identified the 5 elements of the rhetorical situation however I did not directly state each one and clearly analyze them. My analysis can be more clear on the identification of each specific rhetorical element. 
• I have explored how and why each rhetorical strategy was used and I kept in mind how it would affect the author's intended audience. The author's audience was architects so for example I explored how the use of images is appealing to an architect as we have very visual minds. 
• I have direct quotes, paraphrasing, and a little bit of summary in my rhetorical analysis so my paragraphs are sufficiently filled with evidence. 
• I have not left my reader wanting more and I do not have a so what or a conclusion yet. This needs to be improved on. 

Draft of Rhetorical Analysis

Hello guys this blog post is dedicated to my Draft of my Rhetorical Analysis. Please peer edit it as truthfully as you can so I learn and make improvements!

DRAFT

thecomeupshow. "Drake at the Sound Academy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada." 11Aug. 2011. Public Domain. 

Project 2 Outline

In the following blog post I will write an outline with the help of Writing Public Lives.

When writing my rhetorical analysis, it is important to keep in mind that I am writing an analysis and not merely a summary. For my introduction, I should introduce and "focus the bulk of my writing on the text itself rather than on the general ideas about the issue that it addresses" (Minnix 122). I am analyzing why the author has crafted a successful argument, I am not analyzing the topic of that argument. My body paragraphs should focus on "one or two of the strategies" that I "feel are most essential to the persuasiveness of the text" (Minnix 124). I should try to avoid breaking each body paragraph up into each rhetorical strategy, as that doesn't lead so as successful of an essay.

OUTLINE
Thesis:

In the article "Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument" from the website ArchDaily, author Karen Cilento acknowledges counterarguments, appeals to values shared by her audience, and uses specific examples such as the Vietnam Memorial to convince her peers of the importance of architecture competitions and their positive impact on creativity and innovation in the workforce. Cilento successfully constructed an argument in which she appears credible; her understanding of her audience and acknowledgement of other's ideas strengthens her viewpoint into a convincing article.

Main Points:

• acknowledgement of counterarguments
• appeals to vales shared by her audience
• use of specific examples

Introduction:

• Background Information (Talk about architecture competitions, the pros and cons that are considered).
• Thesis

Body 1(acknowledgement of counterarguments):

• Context from Clogger

This text is a direct response to a blog post written by another author. This article is presented in a way that readers are expected to know the background of competition hiring in the architecture world.  This article was written in 2010 however architecture competitions are still thriving today, so her argument is not out of date.

• Author's credibility and background

Karen Cilento is from the greater New York City area and is an architectural designer for Marvel Architects. She is a graduate from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

• Credibility/character (author's public image)

 "they are a staple in our profession which pushes the field forward."

Body 2(appeals to values shared by the audience):

• Audience from Clogger

This article was posted on the website ArchDaily. Because of this, the intended audience is completely people involved in the architecture world as ArchDaily is a very specialized website. The author is trying to move the readers to feel a certain way, and it is understood that the readers are very familiar with the concept of architecture competitions and the controversy involved.

• cultural analysis from Clogger

The author believes that although competitions are demanding, and at times may seem unfair, they are "a staple in our profession which pushes the field forward." Key words used are competition, freeness, and idea.

• Credibility/character (uses visual arrangement)

• mention how website is strictly architectural (ArchDaily).

"in the hope that we can persuade and inspire you to keep listening to your instinctive competitive nature and keep compiling those entries."

"Hopefully, architects will not loose their motivation and will continue to see the value of the competition."

if we were purely concerned with the monetary side, few of us would be in the profession. 

Body 3(use of specific examples):

• logic from Clogger

"Without competitions to spur creativity, a young woman would have never submitted her graceful yet powerful black line…and we would be without the Vietnam Memorial"

"But, probably one of the greatest things about competitions is that they provide a way for the non-architect to relate to what we do.  Just take the competition for Ground Zero in New York."

The author uses arrangement of images/text and the use of specific examples such as the Vietnam memorial in Washington, DC as support for her argument. This establishes legitimacy and the examples help the readers agree with her argument as they can see examples of successful projects from architecture competitions.

Conclusion:

• Restate thesis in a new way, mention how the author used a unique format to knowing her audience (pictures)
• mention how author could write freely because her opinion isn't widely popular/unpopular with anyone. 

Draft Thesis Statements

In the following blog post I will have written a couple thesis statements for my rhetorical analysis. It is important that my thesis explains how the author is attempting to achieve a specific purpose while avoiding sounding like a summary, it is an analysis.

Anderson, Paul. "funny pictures - Thesis still not done, huh?". 11 April 2011. Public Domain.

Thesis 1:

In the article "Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument" from the website ArchDaily, author Karen Cilento acknowledges counterarguments, appeals to values shared by her audience, and uses specific examples such as the Vietnam Memorial to convince her peers of the importance of architecture competitions and their positive impact on creativity and innovation in the workforce. Cilento successfully constructed an argument in which she appears credible; her understanding of her audience and acknowledgement of other's ideas strengthens her viewpoint into a convincing article.

Thesis 2: 

In the article "Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument" from the website ArchDaily, author Karen Cilento uses her own experience as well as her knowledge of the values and beliefs shared by her audience to convey the importance of competitions in the architecture world. Cilento effectively conveys her viewpoint in a concise yet detailed article that appears credible and is easy to follow.

I am already leaning towards my first thesis. I think it is the most clear without being too repetitive, while having the clearest idea of how the author successfully crafted her argument. I think writing my outline will be fairly easy with this thesis because I have already listed some examples.

Reflection:

After reading both of Nick's and Jayni's thesis statements, I noticed that my thesis statement is much longer than any of theirs. However, mine followed the example in the book pretty closely so I'm not too worried. Nick can improve his thesis statement by incorporating more analysis while Jayni just needs to combine her two thesis statements to create a more well-rounded thesis. 

Analyzing My Audience

In the following blog post I will be answering questions in order to analyze the audience of my rhetorical analysis. This is important because the rhetorical situation for my rhetorical analysis is going to be vastly different than the rhetorical situation from  the text I am analyzing.

Murch, Beatrice. "Audience for Richard Stallman's Talk at Teatro Alvear". 25 Aug. 2009. Public Domain.

I am writing for new students in my discipline along with my classmates/professor. It is important to keep in mind that my audience might not have a comprehensive knowledge of architecture competitions and how they relate to jobs in that field. They can however relate some of the topics such as payment and passion to their own profession, so the controversy isn't very difficult to understand.

My controversy doesn't really induce a side to take for anyone who isn't directly involved in the architecture world. I don't expect my audience to take any extreme side on the issue as it doesn't really affect anyone not in the architecture profession. Because the article presents a good argument towards continuing to allow competitions, I believe the audience will agree. 

My audience will want to know what exactly an architecture competition is, the pros/cons involved, and the pros/cons presented by the article. Also, more importantly, the audience would want to know what the context and the author of the article is and how that could strengthen/weaken her argument.

I can relate to the audience in presenting the details of my controversy in a way that they could understand both the rhetorical situation used along with the rhetorical strategies, so they could fully understand why I think my article presented a good argument. 

By referring to what we went over in class and presenting the strategies and situation of the rhetoric in my article, my audience can understand why the argument is presented in a successful manner. Additionally, if the audience understands what my controversy is about they can further understand why the article presents a good argument.

Reflection:

After reading Carter and Kyle's blog posts, I feel confident in my understanding of my audience and i can tell that they have a good understanding, too. Carter is siding with his argument although his argument presents an unpopular opinion, so that should be very interesting. Also, Kyle understands that people in his major (engineering) respect logic, similar to how I understand that architecture majors value images and graphic information. 

Cluster of Why open architecture competitions are good for Architects, a counter argument

In this blog post I am presenting a cluster of my controversy that I will be writing my analysis on. I used the online website Coggle to create my cluster. I separated my cluster into three main categories: Cultural Analysis, Rhetorical Strategies, and Rhetorical Situation.

Jankowski, Jessica. "Screenshot" 10 Oct. 2015. 

Here is a link to my cluster on Coggle.