Learning Outcomes

Notes on proofreading

Article

Basic sentence forms

Sentence Structure

Kurt Vonnegut

General Course Goals

Voting Sticker

Research Notes PT 1

Evaluation

Damian Henderson

Professor Brandon

English 111

October 22, 2012

            Over the course of a few weeks, I have developed distinct skills to become a better writer and overall communicator. I’ve become a more in tune with my ability of writing and the concept of writing history. Although I have never had a major habit of writing, since the start of English 111, I have become more open of writing more than just academic topics. English 11 has taught me to be a more open communicator through words and body language.

            My oral communication could be somewhat better than it is today. I have never been a person to express my feelings or knowledge through writing through new founded people, however, I have the ability to give criticism and feedback when asked or needed. English 111 has taught me to be more of an outspoken communicator. I must as a person become more of an outspoken person in order to become a better communicator.

            English 11 has given me a better understanding of genre and subjects dealing with the rhetorical standards of writing. My understanding of the rhetorical and appeals triangles both give me a better visual on being an author or giving feedback to one’s response. I have better knowledge of emotions that are expressed through words of writing. I also have a better knowledge of how the audience reads and feels a type of project that is produced through writing.

            My voice and tone in writing plays a heavy role on vibes that are received from my writing. I’ve learned how exactly to speak to the audience through the tone that I set off through my writing. I now use rhetorical analysis in order to find out if an argument is persuasive or if it has enough valid points to make the argument seem believable. During the rest of my course in English 111, I wish to learn more about the meaning of writing.

            During my time in English 111, I have done more writing than I am use to doing. The writing process by itself is a complicated skill to master. But I have learned to master what punctuation to use and where to use them in different situations. Using the right grammar is also key in having people take your writing seriously. I work better under pressure, in other words, I usually do my work in the last possible time. I understand that is a habit I must break in order to master the writing process.

            Having great oral communication skills with others is a requirement in being a better writer. Using verbal skill with a good tone can give off good vibes through communication. I also learned that I must have great listening skills. Listening abilities can help me during times where my writing may need a change in words or pace. While having great listening skills is great, I must also change my body language while I’m talking or listening to anybody giving or receiving feedback on my writing. I must be more willing to be more active in classroom discussions and participation. I have never been an open-minded communicator. I must be open to take criticism when needed in work that I may want to produce.

            Using digital technologies in writing can is a great way to rives and review my writing. I am a great technology user, however, there are some things dealing with writing and technology that I must learn to master. I must learn to use more written literacy, as in, looking for different types of books using the internet source. Library books are a great source of resource for writing.

            Sharing to other students via the internet is a great way to get negative or positive feedback on the writing that I produce. Sharing is a way of letting other people know how I have developed my writing skills from the past till now. Using other people as a corrector or reviewer of your work will have more of an effect on my writing skills. I find that my short time in English 111 has allowed me to develop skills to become a better writer.

Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis

“Hoover, Bush, Obama: Select company

Damian Henderson

            In an article published on 11 September 2012, the topic of discussion is the percentage of job decline in the United States. The staff writer of the Times-Dispatch argues that while President Obama has been in office the percentage of employed Americans has declined tremendously. The writer argues that the same decline and substantial government spending happened while George W. Bush and Herbert Hoover were holding office. I find this article to be very unpersuasive. President Obama has decreased the unemployment rate since he has taken office in 2008. Former presidents have put the United States deeper into debt than Obama can handle with just one term. The author states that President Obama “is only the third president in American history to see the percentage of Americans who are employed decline on his watch.” President Obama has added about 90,000 jobs for employers in about one month. The author also states that “almost four times as many people (368,000) gave up looking for work.” That means that people could be working, they have just clearly given up hope. The author happens to suspect that “things could be worse” after another term with President Obama in office. In his defense, Obama took office in the middle of an economic crisis, which means it would take more than just a little time to get America out of this deep slump former presidents have put the United States into.

            Just like those before him, the president is somewhat of a big government spender. However, since he has taken office, we have seen the slowest spending since Eisenhower. In the year of 2013, spending is scheduled to fall 1.3% under the care of President Obama.  The type of argument the author has used in this argument was logos because the author has compared the president to two previous presidents, Bush and Hoover, to having the same type of downward effect on the United States. Facts I have put into my analysis show that I do not find this article to be in anyway persuasive. The author however did not put many facts on the government spending rates which he has named in the article.