READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!

Only one more week of school and one week of finals until the relaxation and the warm summer sun. However as the end of the school year approaches I ask myself am I ready for Eng 104? Has my writing developed effectively and am I ready to take on the new challenges next fall? I know I can honestly say I have tried my best and worked to the best of my abilities in this course. I can notice a significant difference in my writing, and just how more easier writing is. I use to dread writing a paper, but I believe now it really is not that freighting. I have learned the right approaches to take when forming ideas; like using a clusters or a web. I have become 100% better in locating academic sources and citing them in my paper. For most of my papers, I would use Academic Search Premier, to find scholarly journals and see where those ideas take me. I have learned how to incorporate appeals into my papers such as: logos, pathos, and ethos. Even my mother who will occasionally read a paper or two of mine even expressed my growth and development in my writing skills.
With this year coming to an end, we are preparing our final portfolios for this class. These portfolios are one last look to see how our work demonstrates our best writing we have done in this course. I have chosen to do projects one, two, and three. I am trying my best to rethink, and revise my papers and ideas. Like they always say practice makes perfect!

Conjunction Junction

This week in class while reading papers out loud we focused on grammar. Grammar is the most common mistake found in papers. Grammar has always been a tough subject for me; and I still have to go back and check that each of my sentences has a subject and a predicate. A sentence must express a complete thought. A sentence could be as simple as “Dogs bark.” The noun being dogs, and the verb being bark. What I struggle the most on is commas, semicolons, and colons. I always get these confused, and some times use the wrong one. A comma connects and links the sentence. (I love English, but I hate math.) A semicolon links related independent clauses. In addition, a colon links independent clauses that define or explain each other. (My favorite class are: English, History, and Science.)

However, when it comes to grammar, no one knows it better than School House Rock! We all remember this animated musical educational short film. The topics covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics. Airing on Saturday morning children's programming on the U.S. television network ABC The series produced original episodes between 1973 and 1986 with 37 episodes. The famous “conjunction junction what’s your function” is well remembered, and the catchy tune that will never be forgotten. Just incase you need a refreshment of this song, the video is below!





- Works Cited -

BallPoint 7.2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

Revisions

Revision means to see again, revision are the idea to look carefully at all aspects of the paper. This week we have focused our time on revisions. Each class, two students were able to read aloud their papers, allowing them to see any errors they have made, and for constructive criticism. When reading aloud you hear how your paper sounds, and could catch many silly errors. Classmates then look at the writing program grading continuum, and are assigned a current topic such as: convincingly, thesis, organization, development, syntax, research, mechanic, and format. The readers get much more feedback then how we use to do revisions. Usual we would only have a short feedback from only about two or three students. This way everyone gets to really think about each other’s papers and give helpful feedback. Although this method takes so long, I really enjoy this beneficial way to revise and rethink papers.

Relaxation

This week, class was a relief and very relaxing. It is always a relief to present a project and know you have completed it to the best of your ability. In this case, but not always others, we worked as a team to get our project accomplished. Andrew Carnegie once said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” I was nice to watch the other groups present and see what they did, and how they worked through the projects with the same goal. Though we had the least amount of fans, I believe we had the one of the most interacted pages with statues, pictures, and even a video. We had a total of 71 fans. Overall I think my team and I did a great job! Below is a video that is on the Carmichael facebook fan page. This video interview a couple individuals about there thought on the smoking section, and why they enjoy it!

GIS

What is GIS? How is it useful? Before class on Monday, March 22, I asked myself these questions. The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is an included GIS lab and customary map collection found on Bracken Library’s second floor. This collection consists of a wide range of resources, including over 145,000 paper maps, GIS data, atlases and more. I had no idea GIS had so many maps and atlas. We learned how to locate, and make a map that all of us have access to. Maps could be used for papers, speeches, and especially our facebook project.

Located under our classes GIS section there are useful resources that we could use for our projects. For my project I used the “smoking location maps” (left) and “a photo of Carmiacheal and Johnson B building.” Both are photos on our page!

Also this week we had a timed writing on Friday, which was a controversy about Alaska's governor Palin, and American's animated sitcom Family Guy. (right) In this writing were to demonstrate our progression in our writing and our knowledge about logos, pathos and ethos. I really like the article, and thought it was easy to write about, and it allowed students to have different views to write about.


Furthermore, projects will be presented on Monday, and I believe my teams progress is quit well. We are following the time line and the page was created pictures are up, a video is up, and fan are being added!


--Work Cited--
GIS under Ball States Website.

Carmichael smoking section

Our group has chosen to do Carmichael smoking section for our facebook project. Our strategy for deciding upon this area is that there are a lot of smoker at Ball State University and we could get them to become a fan of our page. I myself do not smoke, but a lot of my friends and family members do. The first thing I thought to do with this project is research Ball State smoking policy. Ball State University is committed to the health and wellness of its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. On March 17, 2008, Ball State became a smoke-free campus, creating a healthier environment for living, learning, and working. Smoking is prohibited in all university buildings and outdoor campus areas except designated locations. Anyone who fails to comply with this policy may be fined $50 per occurrence.
According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year. Indiana has the fifth-highest smoking rate per capita in the United States, and smoking-related diseases cost Indiana residents more than $2 billion each year. A smoke-free campus is important for the health and vitality of the university community.
Ball State is among dozens of other colleges and universities around the country that are smoke-free. (“Smoke Free Campus”) This is one of the most common yet nicely and conveniently hidden smoking sections. I decided I wanted to observe this spot twice once during the day and get a nice look around the place, and once late at night, and observe more of the actions, and people there. On Wednesday around 4:30, I went there and took my picture. (Above) It was a nice day out and there were about eight people sitting on the picnic tables, smoking, talking, and hanging out. This area is surrounded by a brick wall, and has a few trees. While I was sitting there observing I had a conversation with a few people at the table. I ask if they enjoyed coming to this smoking section? They replied “ It’s not bad, you meet alotta people and can even bum a cig here or there.”
This project is actually a lot more fun then I attended it to be. Next week should be good, when I go to observe the nightlife!

--Works Cited--
"Smoke Free Campus". Ball State University Website. 18 Mar. 2010.

Facebook is addicting...

Facebook is everywhere! Before you go to bed, between classes, and even during classes students are on facebook and updating their pages. Facebook can be very addicting, many of my friends are always on online checking status and know the latest gossip about everyone. Before facebook, news took longer for it to get out then the news or in newspapers. Now with facebook news goes around instantly. People all around the world learn things a lot sooner, then having to wait for the news to come out. In addition, it is not just news, its all gossip, and this could lead to drama. “OMG did you see that status or that pic?” It also allows people to stay in touch with people you normally do not see. Facebook is what socially is in.

Everyone has one. Facebook is a great way to use it for academic purposes. It is a way for teachers to understand students and get on their level of learning. This could catch on if more educators see this as an effect way of learning. Facebook is a social networking site, but making it for educational purposes would be a great idea. I am excited about project four and to see how it goes.

Ted Koppel

According to the Newsweek magazine "the smartest man in television", Ted Koppel is coming to Ball State University to speak tomorrow. I actually am pretty excited to see Koppel after doing a little research about him. I enjoy public speakers, because they are unique and have a special talent. I love listening to their story, and how they did what they did. Koppel has many accomplishments such as; winning 41 Emmy Awards, 11 George Foster Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards, 10 Overseas Press Club Awards, 2 George Polk Awards and 2 Sigma Delta Chi Awards, the latter the highest honor bestowed for public service by the Society of Professional Journalists.
After reading a little bit on Koppel from The New York Times, NPR, and Faigely. My favorite piece that really left me thinking was “Breaking Point” from The Discovery Channel. It is really something how he can compared two completely different things and make people think twice about them. It does not seem right that a prisoner in California and a student at Harvard University, cost just about the same. This makes me think what is wrong with our country that we have prisons overfilling, while students are denied the education for financial reasoning. This statics really jumped out at me, “Designed to accommodate no more than 100,000 inmates, California’s prisons now hold 173,000, each at an annual cost of $43,000.” (“Koppel”). What needs to be done to change this static? How do we condense the overcrowded prisons, and why is Harvard so darn expensive?! =)

--Works Cited--

“Koppel.” T. Breaking Point. The Discovery Channel. 22 Feb. 2010.

“Waite.” C. Ted Koppel. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. 22 Feb. 2010. Web Image.

Winter Olympics

RINGED: Canada's Robert Fagan, right, leads Germany's David Speiser, Canada's Francois Boivin and Swizerland's Fabio Caduff during the men's snowboard cross quarterfinal at Cypress Mountain.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)


Everyone hears about the Olympics, but along with others, I too was not aware of many things. The Winter Olympics 2010 are being held in Vancouver, Canada from February 12-28. The sports that occur in the Winter Olympics are: alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, nordie combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboard, and speed skating. Before watching the Olympics, I had no clue what most of these sports were, and that they even existed. My Two favorite sports to watch are ice hockey and snowboarding. I enjoy watching hockey because I am a daddy’s little girl, and have watching many Blackhawks games with my father. I enjoy watching snowboarding because as of this winter it has becoming another of my many hobbies. I went snowboarding for the first time over break and had literally FALLEN in love. GO USA!

Current score of the Winter Olympics
First column are gold metals, second column silver metals, third column bronze metals and the last column total are the totals;

United States 5 3 6 14
Germany 3 4 3 10
France 2 1 4 7
Canada 2 3 1 6
Korea 3 2 0 5
Austria 1 2 2 5
Norway 1 2 2 5
Switzerland 3 0 1 4
China 2 1 1 4
Italy 0 1 3 4

--Works cited--
“Vancouver”. 18 Feb. 2010. Web.

Frog Baby

One of the most known pieces of Ball State University is Frog baby. This famous piece of art was sculpted by Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons. What is this artwork that everyone’s knows of, and why is famous? Frog Baby is a sculpture of a joyous little girl playfully holding a frog in each hand. Legend has it that Ball State students with final exams coming up, used to make a journey to the Ball State University Museum of Art to rub her nose for good luck. The statue was moved outdoors several years ago to stand in the center of a new fountain north of Bracken Library. The tradition took a more protective turn: students now make sure that Frog Baby is kept warm through this cold season and is given a scarf and hat. This is my favorite artwork on campus, and it is shown to most parents and students touring the campus. This fountain and sculpture is a great place to relax and take a break out of our hectic days and really appreciate this artwork. Sometimes I will take a special route to class just so I can pass this beautiful signature of my community, Ball State University.

S.T.A.N.D

During middle school, I was very involved in a club known as (STAND) Socially Together And Naturally Diverse. STAND works with students from diverse backgrounds to promote an appreciation of God's kingdom in its fullness. Through events, discussions, and fellowship, STAND offers opportunities for learning and celebration of the diversity in the body of Christ. Being a part of this group really showed me how people are special and different in their own ways. One project that I took part in was were schools from completely different diversities and cities came to shadow us at our school, and vise-versa. This allowed us to see the similarities and differences between the communities.

We also organized and made possible a few food drives in my school, and my community. A select few were given the opportunity to deliver the food to families in need. To see the smiles on these families face really touched my heart, and made me realizing you can make the community a better place by volunteering. This was a great club. I was so glad I was a part of this, and helped to make a difference in my community.

ISFP

Before class on Monday January 25, I was not aware of the Myers-Briggs questionnaire. The Myers-Briggs is like a personality test with an outcome of sixteen different personality types. This test is based on four pairs of interactive factors: Extravert/Introvert, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, Judgment/Perception. After the presentation by Brandon and Desiree, and taking the Insight Game, I now am aware that I am an ISFP. ISFP’s are quiet, practical, sensitive, and spontaneous. I feel that the description of an ISFP fits my personality perfectly. I am a very shy and retiring person. In class before taking the Insight Game I noticed myself being drawn to all these sides, and after taking the Insight Game, sure enough I am ISFP. Though the Insight Game is not the same as the full-length Myers-Briggs questionnaire, I believe results are very similar. The game allows you to flip through cards, and for you to pick the best one that represents your styles, and ideas. I feel a lot more aware of how different everyone is. No two people are the same. We are all like puzzle pieces unique in our different ways, yet compatible with each other, and when we all come together, is when we can create a beautiful masterpiece!

UNITY WEEK

With this being a week of Unity here at Ball State University, The Multicultural Center and the Office of Institutional Diversity sponsored a couple organizations. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr, there was a presentation held in Pruis Hall at 7:00 p.m. Reverend Joseph Lowery presents "Civil Rights: Now and Then". Rev. Joseph Lowery is a legendary leader of the American civil rights movement as co-founder, with Martin Luther King Jr., of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

I had chosen this activity to attend because I enjoy listening to talented speakers, I find them very interesting and that you always learn something new.

We were all treated to a small gift, as we walked into Pruis Hall on January 19, they were passing out water bottles at the door that said “Culture Shock. Unity Week 2010”. As I walked into the large lecture hall I was surprises to see all the people that where there. We were welcomed by an opening choir of about 28 members known as the Voices of Triumph, who sang loud and proud. We were informed that tonight occurs on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his rousing benediction to close the inauguration ceremonies for President Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American chief executive.

After a couple opening speakers Joseph Lowery finally took the stage. He was an older man, 88 years of age, and you could tell he was full of love. As he spoke he kept the interest of the crowd, and had us all laughing. Joseph Lowery is a very gifted man, who has many achievements. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) with its lifetime achievement award, which hailed him as the "dean of the civil rights movement." He has been at the heart of the civil rights movement for more than half a century. In addition to his civil rights work, Lowery was a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 45 years. Lowery continues to press for social justice on many fronts. He has made a difference in our world, and it was an honor to listen to him talk.

back into the SWING of things.

After a long, relaxing, much needed break, we are all back at school, and ready for the new spring semester. It is never easy jumping right back on schedule after such a lengthy break. It takes a little time to get back into the swing of things, and back to our routines. Not only is this a new semester, but this is also a start to a brand new year. Starting with a new slate is a perfect time for new years resolutions, and goals.

My goal for last semester was to better my writing skills, which I have seen such a difference from my first blogs, and papers to my more recent ones. This semester I plan to really focus on what comes after I am done writing my papers. Focus on really rethinking and revising my work. To really look into my paper, take it apart and see what needs to be altered to make it better. Looking back on peer feedbacks helps when thinking about how to reconsidering your ideas to make alterations to have a meaningful paper!