Reflection

Throughout this course, my ability to annotate and review different writing styles has made great strides.  The assignment I gained the most knowledge from, was post 2, rewriting the news.   I revised an article that was written about a newly released convict from jail, named Dolphy Jordan.  The article drew my attention because of the program he was put in afterward in order to let Jordan slowly progress back into the city of Seattle as a normal man.  When writing an article that multiple audiences will read, finding the right words to say without showing a bias was a challenge I faced numerous times.

When deciding the audience for my article, “Back on the Streets”, I contemplated what type of people would be reading it.   The article was originally about an ex-convict, Dolphy Jordan, who had been released from prison and put in a new program to get them back on track to a better life.  Most likely, the people observing this article would be concerned parents, organizations and the majority of Seattle, so giving an optimistic perception of Jordan would be more appealing to these people.  But, he also stabbed a woman to death when he was 16, so not everyone that reads the article will agree with the author, Nicole Brodeur’s point.  Brodeur’s bias illuminates her desire to show the community that the convict has changed for the better.  As I read it, I decided that leaving out bias would broaden the audience, and draw in more diverse readers.  After completing my revision of the article, I learned that when considering the audience, I could create an impressive informative essay that appeals to a multitude of people.

The article I revised for post number 2 showed that Brodeur’s intention was to make Dolphy Jordan look like a saint.  She dwelled on the fact that Dolphy was a foster child and subject to physical abuse when he was young.  This reference to Jordan’s violent past is implicitly blaming his childhood for his violent outburst, and that it was not his fault.  While trying to figure out how I could completely take out the implied bias, and make this article strictly informative, I unknowingly realized that I was subconsciously analyzing the text.  Without any use of sympathetic or emotional words, I still had observed the author’s intention through the use of stating certain information that gave a positive interpretation of Jordan.  My intention when revising was completely different; I wanted to notify the people of Seattle, that a man was released from prison, but I wanted to emphasize the information about the program he was in, that rehabilitates ex-convicts.  An author’s intention can completely change the focus of a piece of writing.  In this case, the author wanted to let it be known that Dolphy Jordan was a “new man,” while I stressed on the PPEP program he is apart of in order to stray away from opinionated statements and not sway the reader’s outlook. The challenging obstacle of avoiding bias helped me to be a more effective reader and author by forcing me to analyze and change what I thought was unfitting.

The essays I wrote this quarter shed light on the idea of me possibly pursuing a career involving writing.  After getting a chance to compare my revised article and Brodeur’s article, I noticed that my writing skills have improved impressively.  Even though I’ve only written essays that are required for school, the many different kinds of assignments I’ve had have bettered my abilities in every aspect.  I found that my article was more appropriate to be news article in comparison to Brodeur’s, whose seemed more like a publicity stunt for the program and Dolphy Jordan both.  I’m confident that if I take what I’ve learned from just this one specific writing assignment, a career in journalism wouldn’t be something I would be quick to reject, as I would have 3 or 4 months ago.   Now that I can discern certain hidden or even obvious writing styles and techniques, I feel more self-assured in my writing than ever.  Now that I actually enjoy writing when I get to decide how I write it, I can apply what I’ve learned in class to real-life situations. 

Reviewing this article by Nicole Brodeur, gave me insight on how to approach specific texts depending on what my purpose is.  If I had read her article outside of class without the intention of revising it, I would have found it effective.  It’s effective in persuading the reader that the author’s bias is right.  Before, when I would write an essay, I would just try and put down the bare minimum required, and didn’t even consider who would be reading it, or if my opinion was the only one.  Writing my own version of her article helped me to be more analytical of one’s intentions and the audience I’m engaging with. I have achieved much in the last few months in my English class, and this article was the jumping off point of my progression into becoming a real writer. 

Post 9 Technology's Progression Through Time

    Communication is the primary connection between all organisms.  We all communicate through different means, and as time has progressed, the way of interaction has evolved.  The way we choose to collaborate with each other varies on the user’s abilities and preference.  Throughout time, humans have used talking face to face as the primary method of communication.  But as technology’s capabilities began to exponentially increase, other means were invented, such as the telegraph, telephone and the Internet.  The increasingly fast technological development of the ways we communicate has changed how people interact forever.

            The electric telegraph was the one of the first inventions used for communication over long distances.  It was created in 1837, and instantly took off.  The message was deciphered depending on the length and frequency of the clicks.  This type of electrical connection sent people’s messages almost instantly, something letters couldn’t do.  This invention brought about a revolution, by making communication between people that are both near and far away more easily accessible.  The telegraph was significant because it started connecting people over long distances, and with this new power, more trading and business could be done over larger regions .  It paved the way for inventors to keep improving methods of transmitting information through the power of electricity. 

            Only about forty years after the telegraph’s invention, the telephone was invented.  Alexander Graham Bell was in search of fixing the telegraph’s biggest problem; only one message at a time could be sent.  In 1876, the telephone was birthed with the new idea that multiple messages could be transmitted through speech. This way, instead of Morse code, the new technology allowed people to still talk to each other, even when they were far away.  It once again, improved the easiness of communicating of large The phone consisted of a set of numbers, 0-9, that were used to call someone with a designated telephone number.  With the speed of a telegraph, and the ability to hear one’s voice, the telephone was a sensation.  

            The most recent and popular way of communication is through the Internet.  Home computers were introduced in the late 1970’s, and the World Wide Web boomed in the 1990’s.  The Internet connects all computers that are hooked up to the network.  Messages and information are delivered through electrical currents that travel through the grid to the receiving end.  Throughout it’s development, the Internet has gained new ways for people to catch up.  For example, social networks, e-mail, instant messaging, Skype are all innovative and different methods of conversing online.  The Internet has nearly emulated talking with someone face to face, and people no longer need to leave their house to work or “hang out.”  Now that phones and the majority of technology we own are linked through the Internet, we are always plugged in; it has become the primary source for communication over telephones and in person encounters.  The Internet has drawn people together that would never have met otherwise, and created a new form of interaction among them. 

         Throughout history, technology has fundamentally changed the way communication has developed.  People who before had difficulties communicating are now being joined together is a new way.  As the abilities of technology improve, collaboration across the world will become more effortless and simple.

Post 8

            Communication is the connection between all organisms.  We all communicate through different means, and as time has progressed, the way of interaction has evolved.  The way we choose to collaborate with each other varies on the user’s abilities and preference.  Throughout time, humans have used talking face to face as the primary method of communication.  But as technology’s capabilities began to exponentially increase, other means were invented, such as the telegraph, telephone and the Internet.  Communication’s increasingly fast technological development has changed how people interact forever.

            The electric telegraph was the one of the first inventions used for communication over long distances.  It was created in 1837, and was composed of three parts: the key, the battery and the electromagnet.  The key consisted of two brass or copper pieces.  When they are touching, they complete the circuit, and when they are separated, the circuit is broken.  The battery was usually a jar filled with copper sulfate, and when zinc and copper electrodes are immersed in it, an electrical charge is created.  The electromagnet consisted of a coil from 50 to several hundred turns of insulated wire wrapped around an iron core, and it tugged on a piece of iron when an electrical current passed through by pushing the key.  The message was deciphered depending on the length and frequency of the clicks.  This type of electrical connection sent people’s messages almost instantly, something letters couldn’t do.  The telegraph was significant because it started connecting people over long distances.  It paved the way for inventors to keep improving methods of transmitting information through the power of electricity. 

            Only about forty years after the telegraph’s invention, the telephone was invented.  Alexander Graham Bell was in search of fixing the telegraph’s biggest problem; only one message at a time could be sent.  In 1876, the telephone was birthed with the new idea that multiple messages could be transmitted through speech.  The telephone had two main parts, the transmitter and the receiver.  The transmitter lies behind the mouthpiece of the phone, and when someone speaks into it, the sound waves strike it.  The receiver consists of a metal piece called the diaphragm and two magnets behind the earpiece.  One of them is a permanent magnet that constantly holds the diaphragm close to it, and the other one is an electromagnet that consists of a piece of iron with a coil of wire wound around it. When an electric current passes through the coil, the iron core becomes magnetized and it pulls the diaphragm away from the permanent magnet, and the results are sound waves.  This way, instead of Morse code, the new technology allowed people to still talk to each other, even when they were far away.  The phone consisted of a set of numbers, 0-9, that were used to call someone with a designated telephone number.  With the speed of a telegraph, and the ability to hear one’s voice, the telephone was a sensation.  

            The most recent and popular way of communication is through the Internet.  Home computers were introduced in the late 1970’s, and the World Wide Web boomed in the 1990’s.  The Internet connects all computers that are hooked up to the network.  Messages and information are delivered through electrical currents that travel through the grid to the receiving end.  Throughout it’s development, the Internet has gained new ways for people to catch up.  For example, social networks, e-mail, instant messaging, Skype are all innovative and different methods of conversing online.  The Internet has nearly emulated talking with someone face to face, and people no longer need to leave their house to work or “hang out.”  Now that phones and the majority of technology we own are linked through the Internet, we are always plugged in; it has become the primary source for communication over telephones and in person encounters.  The Internet has drawn people together that would never have met otherwise, and created a new form of interaction among them.

            Throughout history, technology’s means of communication have developed into a new way of being joined together.  As it has progressed, the forms of communication have slowly drawn more people closer and simplified interactions over long distances.  

Post 7

           Life poses many questions about why we’re here and how we are what we are.  An example with several very vivid stages is the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  Two insects that are so distinguishably different were once the same.  An overview of the four stages of a caterpillar’s life will shed light on the process it undergoes in the occurrence of metamorphosis.

Stage 1:

The first stage of a caterpillar’s life is the egg.  When it comes to where to lay them, the mother butterfly must find a plant that the specific species eats.  This is referred to as the host plant.  Caterpillars are extremely picky about their diet, and usually only eat one type of plant.  So, as soon as the butterfly finds an accommodating host plant for her eggs, she lays them and leaves them to defend for themselves. 

Stage 2: Birth

The next stage is the larval period, or more commonly referred to as the caterpillar.  During this period, the larva is subjected to 5 steps of molting in order to transform.  Each time the caterpillar molts, it is referred to as an instar.  Three to seven days after the eggs are laid, the larva hatch, and are in the form known as first instar.  A caterpillar’s objective is to eat, in order to grow and become a butterfly, and the process before doing so takes 2-5 weeks depending on conditions.  Varying upon the species, the larva will eat the egg’s hard shell for sustenance, or they will start eating the host plants.  The excessive eating causes the larva to become too big for it’s skin, so it grows a new one underneath the old, and then proceeds to molt out of the smaller skin.  This is referred to as the second instar.  The third instar is much like the second, with the only difference being that the caterpillar has once again increased in size.  In both these steps, the caterpillar appears to look like bird droppings in order to protect itself.  The caterpillar continues to grow, and molts again.  The insect with its new skin is referred to as a fourth instar caterpillar.  A caterpillar this far into its transformation begins to change color and has a more “smooth” appearance, like a snake.  The change in appearance facilitates the camouflage function to make it look like the host plant.  The final step, known as the fifth instar is the last time the caterpillar will molt, and is now ready to pupate and become a butterfly.

Stage 3: Transformation 

The third stage is the chrysalis; the caterpillar will mummify itself in preparation for its metamorphosis.  The caterpillar will attach itself to the base of a plant’s stem, and then proceed to spin a silk thread around itself to hold the chrysalis in place.  Meanwhile, underneath the caterpillar’s skin, the pupal shell begins to develop, and depending on the species it takes many different forms.  This is what defines what the butterfly will look like.  Once securely in place, the exoskeleton will spilt open, and expose the pupa.  The average time in the chrysalis stage is about one to two weeks, varying with the species. 

Stage 4: Rebirth

After climbing out of its old body, the final stage is complete; the caterpillar is now a butterfly.  The butterfly is still not yet ready to fly away and start its life.  The cramped conditions of the previous body cause the butterfly’s wings to be crumpled and wet when it emerges.  It will hang off a branch with its wings down, and will begin to pump fluids to the veins in its wings by flapping them.  The wings become fully straightened out through this instinctual process, and then the butterfly must wait several hours for its wings to harder.  Now, the new butterfly may spread its wings and take off. 

The sole purpose for this incredibly elaborate 5-stage process is to reproduce, to spread ones genes in distant places.  With the average lifespan of a butterfly being about two weeks, they don’t have a single second to spare!