Blog 10

After our discussion in class, we all concluded that language plays a major role in the in understanding in a survey. Specifically, we focused on the fact that this will be a survey offered to incoming freshman and graduating seniors. Since incoming freshman do not have the same knowledge in their field as a senior, it'd be difficult to have them take a survey on something filled with terms that are taught throughout your academic career. If for example I were to take this survey as a freshman, I wouldn't know what to answer because to me words such as "discourse" and "rhetoric" would be something I am not too familiar with. Therefore, attempting to take this survey without the "I don't know" option would result in lack of credibility and inconsistency. If this survey were to be reworded differently, it'd provide both freshman and seniors the terminology to be able to understand and answer accurately. Also, the questions are worded in a lengthy matter but not in a matter that give an explanation.

In surveys there are various things you can collect. First, you can collect things such as statistics and numbers that would be able to provide unbiased information about details that were not centered in before. Also, surveys can provide spaces to give feedback and ideas to utilize for upcoming innovations. For example, in this class, it was mentioned that through these surveys you gather the data and change the format of the class to accommodate student's needs to enhance their learning. Through surveys, you can collect information that would lead path to further research that perhaps may be shared anonymously. 

Researchers face many challenges when designing quantitative instruments. For example, as discussed in class, surveys lead to lack of consistency because you don't know if everyone taking them is being honest and following the proper procedure. Certain students may be too lazy and want to just circle, "strongly agree," for everything for the sake of having it done. However, they don't understand that this is a very crucial method that determines future ideas. 

Blog 9

Blog 9: With your group (one post per group) do the following:

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of each question in terms of what it allows students to communicate about the knowledge, feelings, and practices they might have with respect to each learning outcome. (for this task, you should produce some comments that account for WHAT information each question provides with respect to the learning outcome it is listed under, and some observations about how well it provides that information)
3. Note (make a list of) any information about the 5 learning outcomes that the Department might need = but that will NOT be gathered through these questions.

Student Learning Outcome #1: students will produce essays through a series of drafts that include exploratory writing or talk, as well as revisions that include addition, deletion, substitution and rearrangement.

#1: I typically revise my writing multiple times (gives students the freedom of starting all over again if needed)

#5: When I revise my first draft, I spend most of my time on issues related to purpose, audience, content, and/or organization (mentions the importance of drafting and addition/deletion and substitution)

#7: I use writing as part of my thinking and analytic processes (free writing, always necessary when drafting)

#12: When I revise my first draft, I spend most of my time on grammatical issues (addition/deletion and substitution)

#14: When I revise my writing, my revisions typically include additions, deletion, substitution, and rearrangement

#15: I typically brainstorm or do other planning activities (ex. freewriting, listing, clustering as part of the writing)

#16: Overall as a writer, I would rank myself (writing skills based on those components from SL #1)

#17: Overall as a critical reader, I would rank myself

Student Learning Outcome #2: students will identify central ideas/themes of a text through class discussion and writing.

#6: I am able to use discourse analysis to explore research questions (discourse is widely used mostly in class)

#8: I feel comfortable talking about the main ideas of a text in class discussions (participation required to engage in main idea talks and comfort)


#11: I am able to interpret the main ideas of a text (it offers students the opportunity to take apart the text and be able to further understand its content)

Student Learning Outcome #3: students will use two or more methodologies from English Studies to develop original research or creative products.

#2: I am confident in my ability to conduct primary research (research, research and more research)

#4: I able to use textual analysis to explore research questions (comparisons and first hand research)

Student Learning Outcome #4: students will demonstrate ability to give a compelling oral presentation.

#10: I am comfortable giving presentations

#13: I have given a presentations where the audience used writing to respond to my ideas

#18: Overall as a speaker, I would rank myself

Blog 8: REVISED Research Plan and 2 References for Lit. Review

Statement of Purpose

I plan to research the perspective among genders about Math, Science, and English

Detailed Statement

My research questions will be:

Has society influenced you to believe that men are better than women in Math and Science?

List of Information Needed to Gather

Before anything, I need to gather my essential supplies such as a notepad and pen to observe my subjects as well as survey. Also, I will need to prepare a survey where I will be asking about 10 subjects a brief anonymous explanation about their feelings on Math, Science, and English

Preliminary list of sources and TWO sources  to do Literature Review on

 “Gender differences in academic self-efficacy: a meta-analysis” by Chiungjung Huang

“Mathematics Self Efficacy, Ethnic Identity, Gender, and Career Interests Related to Mathematics and Science” by Virginia O’Brien, Manuel Martinez-Pons and Mary Kopal

Plan for gathering information

Who:

Students ranging from the age of 18-22 (Kean University students) wide range of majors and unknown amount of male and females

Where:

Kean University; via e-mail; student-workers

How Many Subjects:

10 students (mixed between male and females)

What methods will be used to conduct the study:

 I will have a friend distribute an e-mail survey prepared by me with a set of three questions. The three questions will be distributed to 18 students (only accepting the first 10) and will request that they are done anonymously (no name or inference of gender). Following the receipt of the surveys, I will have my friend print them anonymously where I will then conduct research based on the opinions.  

Blog 7: Formulated Research Plan

Statement of Purpose

While conducting this research I plan to discover the differences of creative writing between male and female writers in a Starbucks environment v. classroom

Detailed Statement

My research questions will be:

What affects the writer's creativity when writing in a classroom v. Starbucks?

How does the smooth jazz selection played in comparison impact the writer's creativity v. no music in a classroom?

Is there any other factors that key in to creativity besides sound and environment?

List of Information Needed to Gather

Before anything, I need to gather my essential supplies such as a notepad and pen to observe my subject. Also, I will need 

to gather a subject or topic of creativity to have my subjects writer about. 

Preliminary list of sources 

Independent Research/observation

http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19971407843.html;jsessionid=58497400A461B2A19CB07159D5861C84?gitCommit=4.13.20-5-ga6ad01a

Plan for gathering information

Who: 2 students (preferably math or science majors)

Where: Kean University; Nancy Thompson Library one in the 3rd Floor and one in the 1st Floor in Starbucks

How Many Subjects: Two subjects, male/female (non-English majors)

What methods will be used to conduct the study: Analyzing/Observing, Writing (topic chosen by myself), Reaction Interviews

Blog 6

I believe our class is a Discourse community. Just as Branick discussed in his article, there are three criteria that must be met to be a discourse community. First of all, a goal has to be in mind for a purpose. On Thursday while conducting our exercise we all had the same purpose to multitask by conducting ethnography throughout our classroom as well as participate in our class conversation. 

In terms of our Lexis or as you stated "insider" ways of meanings is that in ENG3029 we discuss things that if an outside student were to come in they wouldn't understand. For example, discourse alone I never knew before this class. Also, ethnography to me is just called observation or research, the term itself consists of 11 letters I don't usually say I will do. For example, outside of class when I'm observing a friend or anything for that matter, I don't say, I will now be conducting an ethnography on you guys or based on you. That just is part of our lexis that we understand. If anything, I feel ethnography would be a rather more common term in Bruce or the STEM building in Kean for the math and science majors.

In my opinion our class itself is indeed a larger (D)iscourse because as I stated up there, the terminology that we use in our class as well as the things we learn are unique only to us. In every way mentioned we are a Discourse, however the more selective (i.e. class, section, day, students) the more in-depth of a Discourse that we are. By being Writing majors we are considered discourse because once again, we are coherent and capable of the material that we have selected as a major in comparison to English literature. However, by being students in Kean University we are part of an even larger discourse COMMUNITY of 16,000 students who have a specific purpose of attending Kean in comparison to Rutgers or Montclair. The purpose that has bought us to Kean may be different however, we all speak Kean University language (i.e. "How do you catch the trolly by Willis?") if you ask that to a student attending Ramapo, they will give you a puzzled look. However, because there are so many of us, we can't be consider as small of Discourse as our ENG3029 Section 2 class in CAS 3rd floor. Not everyone in Kean is in that room being taught by the same professor. 

Blog 5.5: Summary of in-class notes from ethnographical exercise

The classroom is inside the CAS building, somewhat chilly on a Thursday morning at 11:50 a.m. on February 7, 2015. I was looking around the classroom and everyone did not have a good seating posture except for  Jenna who was the only person sitting in a posture that was almost perfectly. Stephanie on the other hand was seated in a very comfortable matter where she had her legs on the chair as well. When Joanna spoke, we all looked around and focused on other people's face expression. Christa was seated facing the opposite direction in comparison to all of us. Dr. C paced back and forth frequently throughout the classroom. While Jilian spoke, she stretched and Dr. C. made a joke that took a few seconds to be captured by the class. She was the first one to laugh. Jenna walked outside the room with a bag at a very fast pace. Many side conversations were taking place and Karl was sitting cornered here in the last row. While Christa was speaking of her topic she felt she did not have everyone's attention and prompted a "hello" requesting that she gets everyone's undivided attention. She spoke about bullying which many nodded and agreed was a good topic. Dana and myself had side conversation about bullying and our encounters while working with bullying projects herself, she based it off her brother and said she cried. At the end before Dr. Chandler said something many of us laughed for some reason (unthinkable of right now).

Blog 4

1. What experiences/backgrounds does someone have to have to like the joke? (Like an insider/culture)

2. If someone foreign from another country came and heard the first "joke" from shaggy dog stories, they wouldn't understand the intertextuality. After reading a shabby dog story to various of my coworkers among the majors of Math, Biology and History. I wanted to do this analysis because I felt the audience would have a different reaction according to their background and knowledge. My first

3. In the story about the Friar and florist, there wouldn't be a way to understand the punch line unless they knew the famous saying, "Only you can prevent forest fires." This has been a famous saying for our childhood from the Smoky the Bear commercial. Had this been told in Germany for example, it wouldn't be possible to understand it because there's a specific background you would need to have. There is a cultural necessity to understand that joke for example. In terms of Discourse, it is also necessary to take in consideration who the audience is and how the joke is going to affect (positive or negative) the audience.

4.Throughout the readings, I analyzed various examples that influenced the topic of the shabby dog story. 

The fact that words in shaggy dog stories have double meanings that could even prose an issue to those that aren't familiar with the meaning of shaggy dog stories. For example, let's say you told a lawyer read the one about the lawyer and the check. He/she may take it offensive, so the audience is definitely something to consider as well as the age. You wouldn't want to tell this to a 10 year old you know. First off, they wouldn't understand it and secondly, it's a little too violent for their age. A man shot a female bear who wasn't even the one who ate the lawyer's friend. "Don't trust a lawyer when he says the (Czech)oslovakian is in the male" I don't think it's appropriate to the ten year olds. Also, the pattern of grammar is something I feel that we'd (with some English background *whether major or minor*) have a better background to understand shabby dog stories than a mathematician or scientist.  I feel that due to their immense technicality they would read it plainly as in oppose to us that understand the word order because we're more trained in English than they are. The video that Karl sent us is really good too because this is very awkward humor, much like the office where as Dwight (can't remember his real name right now LOL) mentioned in the video is set up in a matter to have the audience crack up at someone else's misery that is usually used by intertextuality, which is VERY similar to shabby dog stories. 

5. After reviewing shaggy dog stories for the second time independently, I concluded a few new things I had not noticed previously. 

1. 
   
2.  
3. Specific examples of the language and other features to illustrate the points you make abou t the Dicourses, Conversations, Intertextuality, etc used in the story you are analzying
4. Discussion of any patterns you see
5. A discussion that states what your analysis about shaggy dog stories (how your analysis answers the question you asked). 

Blog 5

One possible research idea that I have to do research on is the effect of creativity with writing in different environments. For example, I would like to conduct an ethnography in both a classroom and Starbucks. In a classroom I feel students would have to conduct themselves in an academic matter. However, in Starbucks people are more relaxed and there's background music (usually jazz). In the introduction of my research essay, I would also mention both opposing sides. For example, in the Starbucks environment, there's distractions so focusing on creativity may be an issue.  I will be using  people followed by a topic that I would have subjects write about then monitor them in a classroom then in Starbucks.