Arts Education Images

http://www.savecommunityschools.com/blog/_archives/2009/3/16/4128180.html
This image provides a simple argument that children of all races and genders like to be involved in the arts and that the arts bring everyone together, despite differences between them.


http://www.muntu.com/arts_education/ace.html

This photo shows students actively participating in music and dance, obviously two of the most prominent forms of art. This image shows how students can actively participate and enjoy learning, which provides them with motivation to do well and continue to learn and work hard, and also learn to interact positively with each other.


http://www.madison.k12.ky.us/ms/clubs/stlp/projects/thearts/index.html

This image represents the different kinds of arts that are taught in schools. It represents music, dance, visual art, theater, and creative writing, and emphasizes the importance of providing/teaching all primary forms of art.

More EBSCO Articles

LaFee, Scott "ART SMARTS: Lessons Learned About Investing in a Well-rounded Education." Education Digest 74.1 (2008): 42-46. Corporate ResourceNet. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2009.

This article discusses the issue of funding for arts education, describing how many people believe the arts are important, but the arts are often the first classes to go when schools cut budgets. The author discusses the effects that the No Child Left Behind Act has had on arts education, limiting it as schools focus more on core academic subjects and standardized tests. He then examines the positive effects arts education have on students, using statistics to describe the positive impacts that involvement in the arts can have on students’ learning in all subjects.


Morrison, Toni "Nobel Lecture 1993." World Literature Today 68.1 (1994): 5. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2009.

This lecture does not relate directly to arts education, but can still be used to support my argument. In her lecture, Morrison discusses the importance of language and expression. This relates to arts education because it represents the importance of teaching the arts as a way for students to use language and express themselves. By not teaching arts in schools children are not being taught to live to their full potential. This is basically what Morrison says about “dead language”.


Spohn, Cydney "Teacher Perspectives on No Child Left Behind and Arts Education: A Case Study." Arts Education Policy Review 109.4 (2008): 3-12. Corporate ResourceNet. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2009.

In this case study the author investigated the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on a public school district’s arts programs. Through this case study the author proves that, even though NCLB describes the arts as a core academic subject, arts programs have suffered because of the Act’s provisions that require standardized testing in math and reading. This case study uses statistical evidence along with, as shown by the title, the opinions and perspectives of teachers in the school district being studied to describe the decrease in the arts programs due to NCLB.

Bok Essay and Response

I definitely agree with Derek Bok and Milena Ateya. While I find certain expressions rude, disrespectful, inconsiderate, racist, etc, like the incident at Harvard, I also agree that these are forms of free speech and are protected by law. I agree that the best way to solve a situation in which a person may be offending someone through their personal expression is to either ignore them or to talk to them about the issue. The right to free speech must be protected, even if the speech is offensive. Everyone has the right to hold their own opinions, views, and beliefs. I believe it may only be limited in order to protect people from physical violence, maintain public peace, and protect property. I have run into this issue many times before in my life, where people debated whether a rule or policy was appropriately used to keep order or if it limited personal freedoms, and I have seen the issue end up falling in favor of each side in different situations.

Argument Image 2

These two pictures create an argument about what a woman should look like. The first photo, the "before", shows a woman looking very plain and pale with her hair pulled back and a simple smirk on her face. The second, the "after" photo shows her wearing bright red lipstick-the product being advertised-with a smile, loose flowing hair, and a bright complexion. On the side of the image there is a tube of lipstick with water droplets that represent moisture that would accentuate lips making them appear moist and lush. This creates an argument that women are much more beautiful and attractive with this lipstick, and her expression creates the argument that this product makes women happy. This argument is very effective, considering Covergirl has convinced me to buy their products (not the lipstick, though). They create a specific appearance and have convinced women that to look like that they must buy these products.

Argument Image 1

"[Chief Master Sergeant] John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan.. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing."

This image creates an argument for the war overseas. It is effective because we see an American soldier comforting a child who was harmed by the insurgents our soldiers are fighting against. It is emotional because we see the connection between a US soldier in uniform and a child. Seeing the little girl makes us think of innocence, and that we are protecting and defending innocence, and it reinforces our views against the enemies because we see her wound on her head.

Academic Search Premier Articles

Olson, Catherine Applefeld "Note to Budget Cutters: The Arts Are Good Business." Teaching Music 17.1 (2009): 16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2009.
This source discusses the positive effect arts education can have on the economy. It presents many statistics that show how the arts stimulate the economy and improve academic success in students. It also explains how involvement in the arts helps people to develop teamwork skills and problem-solving skills that can lead to a successful career.

Chira, Susan "As Schools Trim Budgets, The Arts Lose Their Place." New York Times 03 Feb. 1993: 1. Corporate ResourceNet. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2009.
In this article the author discusses how the arts have always been considered a “frill” in education, but how it really is essential to education. She compares American arts programs to those in other countries, and relates them to academic programs. She also discusses case studies conducted in various schools around the country, which all show the positive effects of arts education on students academically, communicatively, socially, and in many other ways.

Reynolds, Nancy Walkup "Cheerleading for the art team." Arts & Activities 113.3 (1993): 58. Corporate ResourceNet. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2009.
This article discusses what teachers can do to support arts education in times of budget cuts. It discusses what art teachers can do to emphasize the importance of the arts and to include more arts outside of the classroom, such as through clubs or extra projects. It also states that art teachers must stand up for their arts and emphasize the importance of the arts on the students, especially in the ways they can help students academically. It is basically a call to action for arts teachers.

USA Today Snapshot Graph

On Mother’s Day, almost ¾ of mothers who dine at home cook the meal, whether alone or with help, proving that most mothers still follow the stereotypical female gender role of housewife.

The graph shows that women alone are drifting away from the stereotypical female role of housewife, because about 2/3 of mothers do not cook or have help from others, such as their spouse or children, when cooking a Mother’s Day meal.

According to the graph, ¾ of mothers still cook the meal on Mother’s Day, proving that most Americans do not celebrate holidays appropriately. If we did we would not make our mothers cook on the day when we are supposed to honor them.

Public Poll Questions

What do you think is the most prominent effect of arts education on students in grades k-12?
a. Improved social skills
b. Increased involvement in school
c. Higher grades/grade point average
d. Decreased attention to academics
e. None

When faced with mandatory budget cuts, what should public schools cut from their programs?
a. Teacher positions
b. Hands-On Academic experiences/equipment
c. Sports
d. Arts programs
e. Tutoring programs

Do you think arts are an essential part of a student’s education?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Don’t Know

Big Brother is watching

In today’s society there are surveillance cameras everywhere. You go to any store, school, or other public facility and chances are you are being recorded on a surveillance camera. We also cameras outside of stores that monitor parking lots, traffic, homes, and even police keep cameras in their cars.

Many people are concerned about being “watched” 24/7, but we really aren’t. Yes, we might be caught on many different cameras every day, but it’s not like people are constantly watching them. These security cameras are only really watched closely if there is suspicious activity or a crime that has been committed. True, the cameras are sometimes used in ways that are wrong, but they are more often helpful than harmful.

In the case of the YouTube video the surveillance camera used was beneficial. It allowed for everyone to see the incident with the police officer and the woman who was victimized. Without the camera the woman probably never would have gotten any justice. The camera was used in a helpful way to catch someone abusing their authority.

In other cases these cameras help catch people who commit crimes, and who, without video camera footage, probably would get away with their crimes. These cameras catch people shoplifting, breaking into homes, stores, cars, and other places, and committing traffic violations. In the long run, these cameras help reduce crime.

Surveillance cameras are not bad or too invasive in our daily lives. I would live my life the same way if cameras were not everywhere, or my life might even be worse. I don’t feel like I’m being watched or that my freedom is being compromised. If anything, I feel safer with these video cameras, and I don’t think that this country will allow surveillance cameras to become too invasive and “Big Brother”-like in our lives.

OVRC Research

When I searched on the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center I found many articles both supporting funding for the arts in and outside schools, and I found many that did not support it. The articles that supported the arts discussed how involvement in the arts helps “at-risk” students improve overall learning, cognitive development, self-esteem, and self discipline, just to name a few benefits. Those against funding of arts didn’t address the downfalls of the loss of arts education and primarily focused on the funding issue. None of the information regarding the benefits for the students really surprised me. I pretty much knew this already through personal experience.

NYT Opinion Article

When searching through the opinion articles on the New York Times website I found an article about arts in education. It discusses the issues involved with poor arts programs in schools, and it really caught my attention, because I know recently public school districts have struggled with budget cuts, so they cut arts programs. I feel that it is imperative that students have some form of arts education in order to have a well-rounded education, and I believe that involvement in the arts can help students in other classes as well as other aspects of their lives.

This relates to me because I am a musician and I came from a public school district that went through these budget cuts. Music has been so important in my life and I don’t think I would have been as successful in school without being involved in music and other arts.

I can research this topic by looking into proven benefits that the arts have had for students and how cutting arts programs in schools due to budget cuts and increased focus in core subjects, such as math and English, have actually hurt students academically and in other ways, as well as cost school districts more.

This is definitely an important topic because the conflict involving arts in schools addresses issues concerning the education of students. The education that students get today will affect our lives forever, as well as the lives around us.

Arguable Topics Activity

“Hurricanes are increasing in number and ferocity.” I would not say this is worth arguing to a college audience because as long as a time frame for measurement (they get worse each year, each decade, etc.) and evidence is presented to show ferocity (category 1-5 hurricanes) this claim can easily be proven or disproven.

“Many people die annually of cancer.” The only part of this that I see could make an argument is the word “many”. It can mean different things to different people. Other than that, the deaths due to cancer can be proven with scientific evidence.

“Fewer people would die of heart disease each year if more of them paid attention to their diets.” This could easily be argued to a college audience because it could be argued that heart disease is caused by other factors that would kill people even if they maintained healthy diets.

“Japan might have come to terms more readily in 1945 if the Allies hadn’t demanded unconditional surrender.” This could be argued because there were so many factors in WWII that could have changed various circumstances, but no one knows for sure if they would have or not because all we know for certain is what did happen and what resulted from that. Anyone could make a claim that some unique factor could have changed the outcome of the war.

“Boys would do better in school if there were more men teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms.” This is definitely arguable because I’m sure there is factual evidence that supports this in some cases, but disproves it in others. This is especially controversial because it says “boys would do better” and not “boys might do better”. It is also arguable because people could raise the question, “what is ‘better’?”

“The ever-increasing number of minorities in higher education is evidence that racial problems have just about ended in the United States.” This topic is incredibly controversial and would be a strong arguable topic because some might agree with it because they would look back into history and compare racial problems then with now in relation to education, but others would look at racial problems outside of education.

“There aren’t enough high-paying jobs for college graduates these days.” This would be a good topic to argue because people would ask, “What is enough,” “What is high-paying,” and “By saying ‘college graduates, does it include graduates with all types of degrees, such as associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, etc. or does it refer to those with only certain types of degrees?” People would also make arguments relating to individual fields of study.

“Hydrogen may never be a viable alternative to fossil fuels because it takes too much energy to change hydrogen into a useable form.” This is easily arguable because it is a prediction on a scientific development in the future. Basically any statement that makes some sort of prediction about the future can be argued because it is not known for certain.

“Only one of the first forty-three presidents of the United States was a Catholic.” This could be argued because one could question what exactly Catholicism is, whether the presidents lied because of appearance, whether this refers to religion only while they were in office, whether any of them called themselves any other religion believing it to be true, but in reality practiced a religion closer to Catholicism than anything else, etc.

“Political activists have grossly exaggerated the effects of the USA Patriot Act on free expression.” This is politics. Politics can be argued anywhere by anyone at any time. There is so much controversy in politics, including this one sentence, that it would create a very strong debate when argued to college students or any number of other groups.

Pink Think

I definitely believe "pink think" still exists today. It does not exist in the same way it did in decades past, but it has evolved over time, developing new concepts while forgetting some older ones. One of the most prominent places I see pink think is in TV commercials that advertise hair and skin care products. These commercials convince women that to be pretty they need to have perfect hair and flawless skin with no wrinkles or blemishes, and if they don't then no one, particularly men, will look at them or take them seriously. Older women are told they must use certain products in order to look younger, as if looking one's age is morally wrong. This influences society because women everywhere now worry constantly about looks and age. It is considered rude to ask a woman her age, but not a man.

I also often observe situations in which a woman is afraid to act in certain ways or be too successful because they are afraid a man might be intimidated by them. I also observe situations where men are uncomfortable being of lower rank in the workplace than women, such as a man being a secretary for a woman, or a man being a nurse and a woman being a surgeon. I don't see this near as often as I would if it were twenty years ago, but I still see it. These are just a few examples of where I see "pink think" today.

Another stereotypical behavior that I see is a concept I would call "acting black." The first time I really started to notice it, and to notice its powerful influence was in middle school. I was one of the white students in a school that was about 85% black. When I first got there I didn't think anything of color and how people related it to behavior, but over time I saw and heard about specific ways black people were supposed to act, and specific ways white people were supposed to act. I still see this today. According to the stereotype, black people are supposed to like hip hop and rap music, they are supposed to talk a certain way and dance a certain way, and there is so much more to what a black person should be. White people on the other hand are supposed to like country music and must speak and dance very proper and boring. A friend of mine was even told by a classmate that she wasn't really black because she had a poster of a pop singing group in her locker. Now I know that middle school students act like this to an extent simply because they haven't grown up enough, but I see this even in adults. If a white person can't dance, or can't say something in a way that a friend says it they say "I can't pull that off, I'm too white." I don't mean to offend anyone by writing this, but I just see it as the honest truth. I have faced much racism because I am white from people of all races, including other white people.

I also see much racism against people of different races, whether they are black, Hispanic, Asian, or any other race, from people who claim not to be racists. According to stereotypes, Asians are all really smart, Indians are good with computers, Hispanics party with really loud music, Blacks are thieves and gang members, and Whites are rednecks. In reality I have many good friends of all different races who are all very smart, are good with computers, and party with loud music, and I see thieves, gang members, and rednecks of all races. I am disgusted by these stereotypes, but they are so prominent in today's society. I don't see why these stereotypes continue on they way the do. I believe a person is who they make him/herself, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.

Definition Criteria

serious literature: When defining this term I would first examine what is meant by "serious". To one person serious literature might a work with a subject matter that would not be appropriate for all ages, while to another it might be a work that has received a Nobel Prize in literature.

hate crime: Is the action really a crime, or is it a legal expression protected by a citizen's right to expression. What makes the "crime" hateful? Is it hate because it is a passionate dislike, or is it a strong opposing opinion?

royal family: Royal because of how they are portrayed by the media, royal because of how they act, royal because of the way the public sees them, royal because of the way the rest of the world sees them...?

journalists: What exactly is the job of a journalist? Must a journalist stay neutral and unbiased? Is it important that a journalist actually does reflect his/her views?

big businesses: What is meant by big? How big is big and how does it differ from small? What exactly makes a business? Is my little cousin's lemonade stand down the street a business? There are money transactions involved...

civil disobedience: What is civil? Can setting an old abandoned building on fire be considered civil if no one is hurt physically, monetarily, etc? Is it really disobedience, or a different interpretation of the law?

religion: Do one or more gods have to be involved? Can religion be specified by disbelief as well as belief?

free speech: Is "speech" interpreted literally, as a spoken form of communication? To what extent will "free speech" be accepted before deemed illegal through other criteria?

state: Is state meant as a legally identified area that has met certain criteria and gone through specific processes? Is "state" used more freely for certain areas due to specific circumstances?

marriage: Is marriage referred to in the legal sense, as a contract between two individuals, or is it referred to as a relationship status symbolized by love and commitment between two (or more) individuals?

These are some of the criteria I would take into consideration when analyzing these various controversial terms. The definitions could vary slightly depending on the context in which the term is used.

Iraqi War

I have always been so confused about the Iraqi War. I could never take a side (whether to support it or not) because I saw benefits and downfalls in the war for both Americans and Iraqis. After entering this course and reading from the milblog and the letter the soldier wrote to his mother (from the patriot readings) I am still not able to choose a side, but it has really opened my eyes to the feelings of the soldiers. I was really touched when reading these posts and the letter because for the first time I really began to understand how proud the soldiers are to be serving their country, and that are doing what they feel is right. I am so proud of our soldiers and I have the utmost respect and admiration for them.

Patriotism

There is a difference between true patriotism and blind patriotism. When defining patriotism most people would say it is loyalty to one's country no matter what. It means supporting one's nation in war and supporting the nation's authority figures and policies. This is blind patriotism. It is a threat to democracy and isn't really patriotism. This is what we call "going with the flow." True patriotism means keeping one's nation's best interests at heart. True patriots are often called unpatriotic by the vast majority of the country, at least until the country undergoes a massive change. For example, many saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as unpatriotic for a long time because he challenged American laws and customs. Today, however he is celebrated throughout the country for his strong fight to uphold America's promises of liberty and equality for all. He was doing what he felt was best for America and its people. That is true patriotism. Patriotism can be different for different people. To one person patriotism might be supporting the war against terrorism, not because they support whatever America does, but because they feel that the war is in America's best interest and they believe it is right. To another person patriotism might be fighting against the war because they don't believe it helps America or its interests. Being a patriot does not mean one cannot support other countries and people from them. It's actually quite the contrary. If an American supports Indonesia or an Indonesian person in some way, as long as it does not hurt America, it can reflect well on America as a country because it shows that Americans can be good people and think of people besides just themselves. In short, it makes us look good. Patriotism can be interpreted in so many different ways. It just depends on how it is interpreted that shows us the difference between blind patriotism and true patriotism.

Britney Essay

I read the essay by Nisey Williams entitled Why I Hate Britney Spears. Overall I would give this essay the grade of an A, maybe A-. I felt that she represented her argument well. She had a good combination of personal opinions, statistical evidence, and research-based information. She included quotes from many different sources, including well known talk shows, news stations, newspapers, and some various websites. She even included an example of the experience one of her coworkers has had in trying to find appropriate clothing for her tween daughter. She also represents arguments that people might make against her argument, explores it, and effectively proves that argument wrong. Her writing style held my interest as a reader. The structure of her essay made it easy to follow, and she never strayed from her topic. She had a clear topic and thesis statement, and repeatedly related her essay directly to what she said in her thesis statement.

The only thing I found that I would argue was Williams’ statement that parents couldn’t find clothes for their children that didn’t show too much skin. I know that to be false. I see young girls with nice looking clothes that fully cover their bodies, and whenever I shop for clothes I see the clothes in the girls section that, while it definitely follows specific trends, and sometimes the skirts tend to be shorter than I think they should be for girls that age (or any age), overall finding clothes for tween girls that do now show excessive amounts of skin is not too difficult.

Musicals and Football

I would say I know a decent amount about musicals. For a musical to be good there is a lot of criteria it should meet. First, it must meet criteria for a good stage play. It must have an interesting plot with at least a few small twists and turns in it. It must, however, be easy to follow. Characters should be well developed, so that the audience can get to know them. The actors involved should also have a good understanding of the characters they are playing and those they are working with, and they should fit the overall image of the character. For example, a thin girl cannot play Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, and someone with a neat and tidy boy-next-door, or big and burly appearance cannot play Sweeney Todd. Makeup can only do so much. Also, things like stage settings, lighting, and overall stage appearance must be appropriate and easily maneuverable for the actors and for changes of scenes.

Musicals must also meet criteria specific, of course, to musicals alone. The actors must have a reasonable musical ability. Not all people who sing in musicals must be amazing musicians with opera voices, but they must be pleasant to listen to (not tone deaf) and the voice must match the character. For example, Elphaba from Wicked must have the most powerful voice because she is the most powerful and influential character. Glinda, on the other hand, must be able to manipulate her voice to fit the character of a shallow, popular teenage girl, then later the good and supportive friend of the outcast, then “Glinda the Good Witch” with a much more powerful voice. Overall, an actor/singer in a musical must be able to manipulate their voice well in order to fit the character and the setting. They must also have good coordination in order to dance, sing, and act all at the same time. A musical must have a wide variety of song types. A memorable musical has songs with catchy tunes that anyone can sing along to. I constantly find myself singing songs from Hairspray, Hello Dolly!, and countless other musicals. They also, however, need to have songs that are powerful and intense more so than catchy, such as in Wicked or The Lion King. This leaves the audience with a sense of the “wow factor.” It keeps them coming back wanting more.

I don’t, however know much about NFL quarterbacks. To go about finding reasonable criteria for evaluating them my first resource would probably be my dad and his friends. Though they don’t have any real credibility in that area, I would get a sense of their opinions first, so I could get a basic idea, and so that I could understand the area from the perspective of the “average man” who likes college and professional football. Of course, I wouldn’t just leave it at that. I would first do some research to get a decent understanding of football and what the quarterback does. I do understand the basics now just from watching college football, particularly Ohio State (go Bucks!), but I would want to do some research to get a better understanding of all that a quarterback is responsible for. I would then to the ESPN website and listen to and read some interviews and articles by sports reporters in order to get a better understanding from someone who really knows what they are talking about.

Analysis of Bigfoot Website

I chose to analyze the Bigfoot website. My first reaction to the home page of the website was that it was very busy and overwhelming. There were a lot of graphics-pictures, videos, charts, maps, etc. I wasn’t quite sure where to start when looking around the site. The only real text was all the way at the bottom, which I didn’t even see for a while, because all the graphic links attracted my attention.

The way the color was used was somewhat appealing. Dark colors helped fit the Bigfoot topic because it contributes to the sense of the mysterious and unknown. At times, however, I felt that the dark colors with bright text made it somewhat difficult to read.

Once I started exploring the different pages on the website, I found it a little less overwhelming. Separate pages were organized better. There was more informational text, and fewer “in your face” graphics. Charts were used to keep information organized. I did, however, click to go to several pages that were no longer there. The people in charge of the website should make sure they update things like that regularly. It might make the overall appearance a little less overwhelming.

Overall I felt that the website was okay, but not great. The front page was too overwhelming. There wasn’t a good balance of text and graphics. The other pages of the website, however, were more organized, and they varied in design somewhat. The overall color theme was appropriate for the subject matter, but I believe some better choices could have been made when setting the colors.

Pulitzer Prize Photograph

"After placing a flower beside her son's head, a sobbing Cyndie drops to the floor on April 25, as her best friend, Kelly Whysong, left, and another friend, Nick Rocha, comfort her. Derek is too weak to acknowledge his mother's presence as she keeps a 24-hour vigil by his bed."

As the caption above explains, this mother breaks down sobbing as she keeps watch over her dying son. This photo is one in a sequence by 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner Renee C. Byer. It depicts the struggle this single mother goes through as she watches her youngest son lose his battle with cancer. Throughout the sequence of photographs you see times when she appeared to be enjoying herself as she celebrated with her son the life he had left. Other times you see her trying desperately to maintain her composure for the sake of her son, and times like this you see her completely break down. This photograph portrays the struggle parents face when raising children, and the helplessness a parent feels when their child is sick and they cannot do anything to help. This sequence of photographs hit very close to home for me. Though I haven’t felt the pain of losing a child, I have lost loved ones to cancer. I have seen the effects chemotherapy and radiation have on the body, and I know what it feels like to sit and watch someone fight cancer, and not be able to help them. The use of black and white photography, rather than color, emphasizes the struggle the mother faces. The loss of color in the photo emphasizes the loss of hope, the loss of life.

Creating a Wiki

http://lmirvin.pbworks.com/

I feel that wikis could have some potential, but with websites such as Facebook and MySpace, along with all the blogs that are in existence, I don't see much need for wikis. To be honest, I didn't see much point in making a wiki. I don't mean to offend, and if I do I'm sorry, but to me creating this wiki just seemed like a waste of my time. If someone wants to get to know me they can talk to me personally, or look at my facebook. A person can get to know me through facebook as well as, if not better than by checking out my wiki. I feel like my time could have been better spent, considering I have 9 classes this semester. I do know, however, that these assignments are not assigned for no reason, so I just need to get over my irritation and do the work.

Fallacies in Argument

The political blog I chose to follow was Wonkette.com. It seemed to have a wide range of political topics. I wasreally surprised at the posts I read. I couldn't believe the number of fallaciesused by those who posted.

The first post that caught my eye was "World's Least-Enthused Heckler Still Manages to Ruin Toledo Candidate's Speech." The main fallacies I saw in this post were the use of an Ad Hominem argument and what I think may be a "straw man" attack. The topic is about a heckler that ruined a political cadidate's speech, but the writer started attacking the candidate himself, rather than talking bout the heckler. I'm not sure if that falls into "straw man" or not. I do know for sure, though, that the writer used an Ad Hominem argument against the candidate. He made comments on the candidate's youthful appearance, talking about him running for "high school president," rather than mayor, to weaken the candidate and his credibility.

The next post that caught my attention was "The Republican Inappropriate Behaviors Olympic Ceremony." The author of this post used faulty analogy to make her points. By exaggerating the situation through analogy, she shows a strong negative attitude toward those she was writing about.

Another post, "Spanky Cumsack Resigns from California State Assembly," uses a fallacy that I can't quite identify. California legislator Mike Duvall resigned from the assembly due to inappropriate comments he made. He admitted his mistake and resigned, yet the writer still wrote out against him, making stupid comments about him and insulting him. I'm not sure what type of fallacy this would be considered. Straw man? Non sequiter? Maybe even dogmatism? Probably a combination of all of them.

One more argument that stood out to me was "Dick Cheney Purchases Building, For Torture, On College Campus." The writer of this post is guilty of the fallacy of making a non sequiter argument. The post examines the issue of Dick Cheney donating money to build a new center for international students at the University of Wyoming. The author writes about the building being a building of torture, because it is for international students, and because Dick Cheney supports the Iraq war and "harsh interrogation techniques." It doesn't make sense logically. Even if does support torture and does not like foreigners, donating money for a center for international students, while questionable, does not make the donation and the development of the new center a bad thing.

While examining these posts for fallacies in the various arguments, I really began to realize how significant they are, and how often they are used. I always knew people used these techniques in arguments, but I never really paid attention to them before. This has really opened my eyes to the importance and significance of fallacies in argument.

Milblog Revisited

The very first blog post I read on the milblog was incredibly touching, and very depressing, to me. It was posted by a registered nurse working in a civilian military hospital. She first wrote about September 11 and how she feels like most people have forgotten about the attacks. She wrote about the lack of events held in memory of the attacks, and how each year the number of events becomes fewer and fewer. I was just thinking about that a few days ago. I think it is terrible that the memory of 9/11 keeps fading in the minds of so many people, and it must hurt tremendously for those who lost loved ones or were involved in the attacks to know that so many people are forgetting the real significance of that day.


After her comments about 9/11 she wrote about a soldier who was discharged and allowed to return home to spend the remaining few months of his life with his family and friends. He was dying of cancer and there was nothing that anyone could do except make him comfortable. I know from experience what it is like to have loved ones with cancer, and what it is like to lose loved ones to cancer. I cannot imagin, however, what it must have been like for his family to worry about him losing his life fighting at war, then learning that he survived war only to die of cancer.

Then she wrote about a soldier who was dying and whose organs were to be donated upon his death. Some of hte doctors involved only seemed to think of him as an organ, not as a human being or a soldier who fought fr his country. I understand the importance of organ transplantation, but I was appalled at the lack of sensitivity and respect for the soldier and his loved ones.

She also commented about how many soldiers she has seen lie in bed unable to wake from a coma, and the struggle that families must go through when this happens to a member of their family. I can't imagine being in this nurse's position, seeing soldiers in those situations. She must have a lot of strength and a lot of loved ones around her to keep her strong.

Website vs. Print/Live Oral Presentation

For this assignment I used the website for this online class and eLearning in general.
I don’t really frequent any websites other than Yahoo and my.ipfw for email and eLearning, and Facebook to keep in touch with friends.

Why is a Web site-a digital presentation-the best way to present this material?
By presenting class material online, it is easy for the students to access. All class materials are located in one place (except the textbook), so class materials are constantly organized. Students don’t have to worry about losing papers or getting them mixed up with those from other classes.

What advantages over a print text or a live oral/multimedia presentation does the Web site have?
Presenting class information online has several advantages over a live presentation-classroom. Students can “go to class” at any time, rather than having a set classroom time. They don’t have to get up early in the morning, or try and schedule other things, such as a job, around it. It also helps students who get bored in regular classes. They can’t exactly fall asleep in class if it’s online. It gives students much more freedom.

What would you have to do to “translate” the argument(s) of this site into print or live oral format?
Information such as the syllabus would just be handed out at the beginning of the semester. Other things, however, such as the assignments we do and the blogs we post would probably end up being class discussions. The “lectures” we watch would be taught by the teacher, so the students would be listening and taking notes.

What might be gained, or lost, in the process?
By turning the internet class into a regular class in a classroom, I personally think I would be more comfortable with the work. All assignments would be handed to me or told to me, so I would have a clear understanding of what exactly I am supposed to do. By having class online I get confused easily, because all assignments for each week are not all under the assignments tab. I have to go searching to make sure I find exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I also feel that if I were part of an oral discussion in class everyone would be more involved in discussions than in blogs. In a blog I just reply to make sure I am participating, but as soon as I write my posts I get offline. In class I cannot leave until class is over so if I say something in the discussion I don’t leave, I stay and listen to the rest of it, and maybe comment more.

Women in Advertising Video

What signpost language and other guides to listening can you detect?
In the YouTube video about women in advertising, the woman giving the presentation guided her listeners through structure and organization in her argument. She started speaking about advertising in general, then transitioned into the portrayal of women in advertising. Each subtopic of her argument transitioned into the next so that her presentation flowed easily, and was very easy for her listeners to follow.

How well are any visuals integrated into the presentation?
The speaker provided visuals-charts, clips from commercials, images, etc.-to guide her listeners and emphasize her point. Her use of charts gave her listeners a visual to pair with the statistics she listed, such as the increase of money spent on advertising and the increase of eating disorders among teens. She used clips from commercials to emphasize her points. For example, she showed many clips in a row of commercials that showed women showing off their bottoms and their breasts to sell a variety of different products-from beer, to condoms, to fishing line. She also highlighted and zoomed in on quotations from them to emphasize the message.

What aspects of the speaker’s tone, dress, eye contact, and movement affect you understanding and appreciation (or lack of it)?
Throughout her presentation, the speaker had a very calm, confident tone, and I could tell she was passionate about her subject. She dressed appropriately, professional but comfortable (at least she looked comfortable). Her movement reflected her feeling of comfort in front of her audience, and held their attention. All these factors contributed to what I felt was a strong presentation. It held my attention, and I found it very interesting.

What’s most memorable about the presentation, and why?
For me, the most memorable part of the presentation was when the speaker showed images of women advertising products for hair and skin, and other beauty products. She was explaining how advertisements set the model for perfection, stating that they had no blemishes or wrinkles, and no pores. These ads use digital touchups to make the women look flawless. In reality, they don’t look like that, but the ads try to convince consumers that they must buy their products and look flawless. These ads set an unreachable model for beauty.

I found this video to be very effective. It opened my eyes to how much advertising is in the world today. I knew advertising was everywhere, but I was still shocked to hear that in twenty years the amount of money spent on advertising increased by $160 billion. I was also surprised to hear that the average American will spend 3 years of their life just watching television commercials. That’s only one form of advertising. We also see an average of 3000 ads per day. Just while writing this I count ten advertisements that I see from where I am sitting.

This presentation also really emphasized the importance of the issues and problems with today’s advertising. They not only sell products, but, as the speaker stated, they sell values, ideas, images, and concepts of life, love, sex, happiness, and normalcy. These ads convince us that certain looks or feelings are normal, when in reality they are lies and exaggerations. The women we see on commercials advertising skincare products don’t really have skin that flawless. They are wearing tons of makeup and their skin has been digitally touched up. Many of the women we see on television are uncommonly thin, but ads convince us that is normal. All of the images of perfect women shown in ads cause other women to feel guilty that they are not that perfect. This has led to an increase in eating disorders. The increase of sex and sexuality in ads has led to an increase in teen pregnancies. I really felt that the speaker ended the presentation very effectively by expressing how important it is to change the attitudes in society that emphasize perfection, and to live “freely chosen lives.”

Reflection on Milblog

Reading the various posts on the milblog regarding Afghanistan, Iraq, and the soldiers was very interesting. I enjoyed reading about our soldiers and what they are doing overseas from the soldiers themselves, rather than from the news. I always hear news reporters speaking of the soldiers and the war, but none of it really interests me because the people who are reporting are not in the situations that our soldiers are in.

I was really glad to hear of one soldier’s account of his experience in Iraq. It was really encouraging to hear that real progress is being made, and it gave me hope that our soldiers will be back home soon. I was upset, however, to hear of several soldiers’ stories regarding Afghanistan, and the Afghan soldiers. It was disappointing to hear of such little effort coming from them. They didn’t seem to be motivated to work or fight, even though American soldiers are working hard to help them and their country.

Pitfalls of the Read-Write Web

The articles that discussed the pitfalls of the read-write web bring up a very serious issue. Websites such as Facebook and Myspace can be dangerous for someone who was never taught how to protect him/herself online. These websites make it very easy for online predators to prey on ignorant children and teens. They also give children and teens the opportunity to spread information, photos, videos, etc. that could be very harmful. I was always taught not to share important information, and to be very careful online, but many children are not taught the importance of watching what they say and do online.

However, these types of websites can be good. People can stay in better contact with each other. For example, I am able to keep in contact with many of my friends who are going to college in different states through Facebook. People can also share photos and videos with each other easily, and people can show a completely different personality online that they would be afraid to show in person.

Websites such as these are neither good nor bad. People, particularly children and teens, simply need to learn how to use them safely and effectively, whether they learn from their parents, a presentation at school, or a website. This is why the second article is so helpful. It helps people to learn effective ways to maintain a blog.

Sosnoski Reading

The Sosnoski reading was somewhat interesting to me. It really emphasized how much our world is becoming more and more dependent on technology, and how much less effort is being put into work. I agree with the author’s point that when reading out of a book one tends to feel the need to read every word, but when reading from a website or online article, or anything else on the computer, one tends to skim simply for the desired information. I disagree, however, with the author’s opinion that those who author articles, essays, etc. online do not receive proper credit for what they wrote. I have used online sources for information for research papers in high school, and have always sited the author, and I know other students, as well as people who are writing papers, essay, and books, site (or are supposed to, at least) their resources, including the ones they found online. I will agree, however, that writing that is posted online does not receive the literary merit that books often do. One often hears of bestselling books and authors receiving the Nobel Prize in literature, but one never hears of anyone receiving awards or special recognition for things published online. This reading really made me think about technology and how we use it.