Evaluation

I believe that I have learned a great deal during the past couple of months in English 112. We have had interesting discussions on a variety of important topics including oral communication, rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, reading, and writing processes, and digital technologies. In addition, we also covered many important people that had a significant influence on the world, and, in particular, on the English language. These people include Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Franklin, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Kurt Vonnegut.

When addressing others, I have learned that even the slightest movements and body language can make a big difference. For example, one’s stance is very meaningful. I have learned that I should not have any distractions in front of me like a book or crossed arms because these are signs that I may not be fully engaged in the conversation, and I could be closing myself to the person with whom I am speaking. An example is found on this link. Also, the way one stands or sits indicates whether the topic or the person is of interest. While talking with another person, it is important to be attentive and completely engaged in the conversation. An example is found on this link. Interacting in the conversation can be accomplished by repeating what was said and by turning the statement into a question. For example, if a person states, “I’ve been reading The Hunger Games,” one can respond with the question, “You’ve been reading The Hunger Games? I’ve heard about that new movie, but I don’t know anything about it. What’s the storyline?” By asking this type of follow up question the speaker is given an affirmation that the topic is of interest, and the conversation can be continued. This is also called mirroring. The focus of one’s gaze is also important. It should always be on the other person in order to indicate attention and involvement. Being a good listener and giving the other party a chance to speak are fundamental to a meaningful discussion.

           

I have also learned about conversation goals, which include: 1. Better understanding of: the topic, the people around you, and the world you share, 2. Being honest and open, but also balanced, 3. Enjoying oneself, and 4. Practicing skills. In addition, I learned the rules of the art of conversation consisting of give and take, actively listen to what others are saying, and think about what lessons can be learned, mirroring or paraphrasing what the person said, literal level, and emotional level, and lastly, be calm and confident. My notes on this topic are on this link.

            

My oral communication skills were put into action last month when my family and I traveled to Arizona for a family reunion. When addressing the elders I made sure that my stance was respectful. I did not cross my arms like I normally do when speaking in an informal setting, and I actively listened to what they were saying. While talking to my cousins, I kept my attention on them so they would know that I was interested in what they were saying. I also tried not to get ahead of the conversation and think about what I was going to say next. Rather, I actually focused and listened to what was being said. I believe that oral communication plays a significant role on our everyday life; it is something one should learn and know. Oral communication is one of the things I have learned that I am sure I will take with me to the future.

            

In class, we also reviewed the writing process. The writing process consists of six parts. First is pre-writing which is the discovery and organization of a paper. Drafting follows. After drafting comes the revision stage. This part is when some information is added or deleted. Next comes proofreading or editing. Next is publishing which is also called delivery. The final stage is reviewing which completes the cycle. We also learned that good writing is writing that helps to meet an agenda with one’s intended audience. This goal brings us to the topic of the rhetoric triangle. The rhetoric triangle recommends that an author craft his or her message with specific goals in mind and an agenda that will meet the audience’s expectations and needs. In this paper, for example, I am the author. My goal is to write an outstanding evaluation of myself to get an A in English 112. The message that I am trying to convey in this evaluation has to prove that I have learned something in this class. My audience is my professor, who expects me to provide enough evidence that will express how much I’ve learned in his class.

            

We also covered the appeals triangle which includes ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos deals with one’s reputation, credibility, trust and identification. An author needs a good ethos to ensure to his or her reader that what the author is saying is true and competent. Logos deals with logic and facts. The effect of logos is that it evokes a cognitive and rational response. Pathos deals with persuasion by using one’s emotions. In order to communicate successfully, a rhetorician must know who his audience is, the purpose of the message, and which types of appeals to use.

I know my audience with this essay is my English professor. The purpose of this essay is to explain what I have learned in English 112 and to prove why I deserve a high mark. This essay is mostly logos driven because I am stating the facts that are discussed in class to prove that I deserve to get an A. Ethos is also important in writing essays, especially research papers. The author needs to state his source to gain credibility from the audience. Pathos is usually used in advertisements to persuade people to buy a product being advertised using an emotional appeal.

Rhetorical knowledge is where we learned to analyze and link claims to tasks, formats, and genres. We also learned how to conduct effective research in order to achieve particular rhetorical purposes. An example of this is the argument analysis we were assigned to write; this link will show you my argument analysis. Lastly, we learned to deliver academic texts properly in print, digital, visual, or oral modes. Understanding the rhetoric triangle, recognizing the appeals triangle, learning how to research effectively, properly delivering texts in many ways without losing credibility, and meeting the audience’s expectations are just some of the few things I have learned in English 112.

            

We also studied how to gain perspective from others. I learned that it is important to listen to the opinions of others and to be open-minded about the issues around us. When we were in groups, my group discussed being open-minded towards different religious beliefs. We learned that we have many different opinions on this subject, but we respected everyone’s individual ideas and accepted their beliefs. Of course, not everyone agreed with each other, but we did not argue about what we believed. By taking this approach we practiced gaining perspective from others and put into action what we had learned in class. This concept can also be called, “critical thinking” which is learning to gain a new perspective that is not currently held.

            

What are the beliefs that are involved with gaining a perspective from someone else? 1. One must have a vested interest in gaining the perspective of others, 2. The opinions of others are rational, and 3. Others have some additional knowledge to be shared. We know that people make irrational decisions at times, so it is up to us to decide if they are wrong. You will find my notes on this topic on this link.

            

We also learned that there are two methods to understand text: Analysis and Synthesis. Analysis is the practice of breaking the text into parts or features to understand its meaning. Synthesis is bringing together parts of the text into a whole to understand its meaning. You will find my notes on this topic on this link.

            

We read the works of Martin Luther King, Benjamin Franklin, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Kurt Vonnegut. After reading Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream and Letter from a Birmingham Jail, we analyzed his argument. We provided certain claims from the speech and the letter, we gave five reasons for the chosen statement, we took quotes for evidence, and we decided which appeal was used and how cogent they were. We also gave comments on other important aspects, such as fallacies, counterargument, audience, purpose, and structure. Finally, we decided on the persuasiveness of the overall argument, which became the thesis of the analysis paper. This assignment is found on this link.

We also read Project for Moral Perfection from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. I learned that Franklin wrote in his autobiography thirteen virtues to manage and use his time wisely. These virtues include temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. He then made a little book with the days of the week and these thirteen virtues and marked the virtues that he failed to follow during the day. After learning about Benjamin Franklin, the class was assigned to list eight virtues that we would like to improve. My lists of virtues are frugality, confidence, peace, patience, humility, happiness, respect, and forgiveness. Like Franklin, I found it hard to follow these virtues. I learned that practicing all of these virtues does not take a month, but years. The two-paragraph paper we were asked to write, entitled “Managing Virtues”, is found on this link. Franklin also constructed a schedule, called “Scheme of Employment”, to express the twenty-four hours of his ordinary day. My schedule crafted based on this exercise is found on this link. We read about Jean Jacques Rousseau and his opinion towards the social contract which is the relationship between the people and their government. We also covered How to Write with Style by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut gave us specific steps to write with style. He began by instructing the author to select a subject that was important and had personal meaning. He then told cautioned us not to ramble. Kurt Vonnegut also said to keep it simple and have the guts to cut. He then continued by telling the author to be individual and write what is meant to be stated. Lastly, he reminded the writer to pity the readers.      

We’ve learned about digital technology by using Google Docs, blogger, and bubbl.us. Digital technology turned out to be a beneficial approach when it comes to communicating with each other, and going over any previous assignments anywhere you are.

Google Docs is a website we use in class when taking notes. One can make files, which are just like word documents, that you can save online. Google Docs also include presentations comparable to PowerPoint, which comprises all the features that customary PowerPoint software has. Google Docs contains spreadsheets, forms, drawings, and tables. Documents is what we utilized in class the most, like how it was used to draft this evaluation. We also revised, reviewed, and edited using Google Docs. Evidence of using Google Docs is found on this link.

Blogger is another type of digital technology that we used in English 112. Blogger is where texts are submitted after being revised and edited it in Google Docs. Blogger is a significant web tool because it includes a comment box that enables us to communicate with each other. This allows each user to evaluate and express their opinions towards ones writing. It is also an easy way for the professor to check if we submitted our work on time. The good part about Blogger and Google Docs is that they are both powered by Google, which means one only needs to sign up for Google to have access on both websites. Bubbl.us is a website where one can make online outlines. An example is found on this link.

In this class, we also learned how to distinguish between bad and good digital sources. People can just post anything online, therefore, a researcher must know when a website is reliable and valid. I learned that when doing research, a blog source is not a valid informant because it is biased. People posting in blogs usually put in their own opinions, rather than stating facts. In order to be sure that a digital source is reliable, one needs to look into the author’s credentials, when the article was posted, and its resources.

Learning about Google Docs, understanding blogger, discovering bubbl.us, and distinguishing between good and bad digital sources are some of the most useful things we learned in English 112. We discovered various applications, using electronic environments, to draft, revise, review, edit, and submit texts. We were able to familiarize ourselves in the utilization of retrieved online data, and to publish texts in both print and electronic forms.

     

By stating all of the ideas that I have learned in class and citing specific examples of how I have applied them in my everyday life I believe that I deserve an A in the class.