Cultural Analysis of "Arne Duncan blasts House effort to revise No Child Left Behind"

In the blog post below, I will be analyzing one of the three articles I provided in my Evaluation of Rhetorical Situations post from our last deadline. This analysis will be done following some of the proposed tasks from Writing Public Lives.

I ended up deciding to analyze School Funding Inequality Makes Education "Separate and Unequal", Arne Duncan Says.

Cultural Keywords:

Kit, "Old Keys", 9/20/06 via Flickr.com

• Needy
• Inequality
• Republican
• Funding

THESIS: Education Secretary Arne Duncan fears that there is an incredibly evident funding inequality between privileged and needy schools, the majority of funding being dealt to more privileged districts, and feels that Republicans are pushing to only widen the gap with new policies.

The cultural key words of this article are a key point in the construction of the argument. They are the driving points that relate the general idea of the article, education funding inequality, to the modern concerns with general targeted mistreatment and political negligence toward specific groups. The term needy is used as a stand in for a broader group of minorities, disabled, and impoverished, all of which are heated topics of cultural conflict. The article as a whole is geared toward liberals, who actively oppose Republican policy and typically have strong opinions favoring the minority groups mentioned in the article. Though the use of these key words, it's easy for the author to evoke a response which generally agrees with what they are claiming. 

Evaluation of Rhetorical Situations

In the following blog post, I will be analyzing three sources regarding the state of education funding in the united states.


In this article, found through the Huffington Post, the state of education funding is analyzed through statistics and comparisons to previous conditions of education.
       
Author: There is no author provided for this article that I could find, which is moderately concerning in order to understand the credibility of the article. However, it is written for the education portion of the Huffington Post, and was likely a collaborative piece.

Audience: The audience of this article are people interested in and invested in the understanding of the condition of education funding. It is a statistic heavy article that is a little much to read and is intended for people who will power through the reading for the sake of more insight regarding school funding.

Context: This article was written in response to the dramatic cut in education funding across over half of the states. Though these cuts did not happen all at once, they were close enough to one another that they would not go unnoticed by people paying attention to the state of school funding.


In this article, also found on the Huffington Post,  the author examines Arne Duncan's feelings toward the state of education and other statistics surrounding it.

Author: The author of this article is an experienced political Huffington Post writer named Rebecca Klien. She has a multitude of political articles published by Huffington Post and a link to her professional twitter, which references other political articles. She is a credible writer and an insightful individual.

Audience: The audience of this article is likely people who are familiar with the topic of school funding, as well as who Arne Duncan is. However, she doesn't expect them to be experts based on the way that she summarizes some of the basic principles in the flawed education system argument, such as No Child Left Behind.

Context: The context of this article is that it is written as a response to one of Arne Duncan public statements regarding the state of education from his perspective on the Education Committee of the government. The article accompanies the event with multiple statistics and other situation where the debate has influenced others.


In this article, found through LexisNexis, the general debate regarding the need of education reform is presented and the funding predicament is addressed.

Author: The author of this article is Mark Karadimos, a math teacher who has been arguing for education reform since 1995. A link to his personal web sight is included. He has been teaching since 1991 and was a member of an Improvement Committee for several years, giving him extensive insight regarding education reform.

Audience: This article seems to be written for an audience who is on the same side of the author; people who find the education system undoubtably flawed. It is not written for people who are familiar with the debate and is only written to present the basic ideas of an argument, rather than the argument itself.

Context: There is little context provided for the article. As the reader, you know that the author has written on the topic before, but there is little information on why the author is writing this article in particular; there is nothing notable it is responding to.

auntneecey "money, money, money" 10/4/14 via Flickr

Developing a Research Question

In the post below I will be listing several questions regrading the English and Education discipline. These questions stem from personal interest and will hopefully lead to pressing current debates that I can further investigate.

1. What is the current status of education funding across the United States and how does it compare to other nations? Does that reflect on student performances? Should we increase funding because of these potential comparisons?
           

Bushn "Question 3" 4/4/07 via flickr

                This question (or rather string of related questions) has interested me for a long time and I am aware that it is a present issue that many people are debating about. I've been passionate about the condition of education and think that finding out the facts behind funding will help me to establish a more solid argument regarding the state of our system.

2. How should racial slurs in literature be addressed in the present day and what might people feel merit their worth?

                I was exposed to this topic by out professor when he mentioned a debate to me regarding a classic literature book (I'll be honest in saying I don't remember the book) which included consistent racial slurs toward characters and a debate that was going on in regards to removing or changing the slurs. I would like to look into this topic because I know that it is a modern debate and I think it would be fascinating to read up on either side of the argument.

3. What is the worth of modern poetry and what state is it in?

                This particular topic is close to home for me because I am very interested and passionate about poetry. I have analyzed a fair amount of classic poetry and other older movements, but I'm not sure what the current state of poetry is, nor how it will be valued in the future. This may not lead to a debate, but I am certainly curious about the topic and would love to look into finding the answer.

Reflection on Project 1

In this blog post, I will be answering several question as a reflection on my QRG assignment. 

Kiekmal "Reflection" 5/7/15 via Flickr

What challenges did you face during the Quick Reference Guide project and how did you deal with them?
                
                 I found that I had a challenge with being repetitive in my QRG. It was hard to present all of my information regarding all of the different topics without touching back on information that I had already mentioned. How I got around that was by only making a brief nodd to the previously mentioned information, without going into it in extensive detail again. I also struggled with the idea of statistics in my QRG in particular because few statistics I could find were up to date. The way that I dealt with this was by referencing the data as evidence for an argument but not an argument that could stand on its own. 

What successes did you experience on the project and how did they happen?

               
                 I had success with the number of references, quotes and evidence I used from individual sources. I linked back to other articles as often as I could and felt that really strengthened the credibility of the QRG. I didn't throw in any wordy or unnecessary quotes, but included them where they fit and I feel that they brought variety and intrigue to the QRG.  

What kinds of arguments, rhetorical strategies, design choices and writing practices did you find the most effective for your project? Why?

                Thesis statements and inclusive summaries were useful in this genre, but not in the format that I am familiar with. They were important in communicating that purpose of the QRG in an understandable way. The use of white space was a concept I wasn't familiar with but it was extremely effective for accurately presenting the QRG genre. The genre is meant to be easy to read and informative and that can't be don't if it's all just bulks of text. 

What kinds of arguments, rhetorical strategies, design choices and writing practices did you find were not effective for your project? Why?

                I found that PIE was not of much use to me in a summary QRG like this. That typical strategy is something that I'm familiar with in an argument setting and it didn't come into play very much here. It was also exceedingly wordy for a genre meant to be brief. I also found that I needed to actively avoid taking a stance on the debate in my QRG because it was meant to be informative for the audience. 

How was the writing process for this project similar to other school writing experiences you’ve had in the past?

                The peer editing of this assignment was probably the most familiar element of it. The comments from my peers were moderately similar to those I have received in the past, even though they were very particularly focused toward reading that we did for this class, they were still familiar topics. 

How was the writing process for this project different from other school writing experiences you’ve had in the past?

                The format of the QRG itself made it very different than any other school writing experience I've ever had. The speed of the assignment and the progression of it were very different than the typical draft, edit, turn in format of other writing experiences. The electronic element of the QRG writing process was also extremely different than what I'm used to. 

Would any of the skills you practiced for this project be useful in your other coursework? Why or why not?

                 The ability to write in a briefer style is certainly going to be useful in other writings we do in this class, simply because it is important to write as directly as possible and not waste a readers time with unneeded fluff in the writing. 

My QRG: Standardized Testing

The purpose of this post is to publish my completed QRG regarding Standardized Testing.

Clark Country "Scantron Photo" 11/11/08
via Flicker

Here's a link to my completed QRG

Clarity, Part 2

In the following blog post, I will be reflecting on four more topics from the Clarity chapter of Rules for Writers. After that, I will reflect on the topics as I find them in my QRG.

Ruppel, Daniela "Glasses on an Open Book" 7/9/15
via Flickr

Parallel Ideas

Once again, conjunctions play a key part in comprehensive writing and parallel structure is a perfect example of how important they are. After reading this section, I learned about the importance of presenting parallel ideas through parallel grammar structure. The importance of maintaining parallel nouns and tenses became much clearer after reading through how they should be formatted.

Needed Words

Needed words was a subject that I have a tendency to overlook in my writing. It's easy to remove a word when you know what you're writing about and you are able to follow the sentence without it. However, most readers can't keep up and it is important to realize when certain words are necessary. This includes words that make comparisons logical, complete compound structures, and misinterpretation of content. These words typically include 'that', 'a', 'an', 'the', and 'who'.

Misplaced and Dangling

I very frequently misplace modifiers either before or after their proper location. This section brought to light the importance of rereading sentences that don't quite sound right. Reading aloud can very frequently help with this issue. The importance of suggestion in a modifier was a specifically insightful portion of the section.

Variety

This particular topic was an important reminder to include some wordiness in my writing. Throughout this class, I've very actively avoided wordy sentences and tried to cut down to as little as possible. However, this has produced a nasty trend of lacking variety in my writing. I am familiar with most other topics in this section, but it did serve as a great reminder.

In my QRG:

After reading through my draft, I noticed that I had two beginning sentences of sequential paragraphs starting with "The renewal..." and "The debate..." it's noticeable that I need to add some variety and break these two sentences up from being to similar.

"For the next several years, the debate of standardized testing will certainly continue, but teachers and students are taking a stand in changing the system and making their voice known."

This sentence has a misplaced modifier, which should be moved to later in the sentence.

Identifying Basic Grammar Patterns

In the following blog post I will provide a link to my longest paragraph of my QRG which has been analyzed for grammar format and a reflection on what the activity taught me.

Rieken, Thomas "Structure pattern" 5/17/12 via Flickr

Here is a link to my longest paragraph

This activity made me realized the importance of including grammatical variety in my writing. I have a habit of using one specific sentence purpose or structure more than others and after reading through my paragraph while looking for those patterns, I saw how important it is to not abide to them. It also realized that it's enjoyable to read a paragraph that has as much variety as possible, even if it takes some effort to write. 

Paragraph Analysis

Through an exercise guided through Rules for Writers, I analyzed a copy of my QRG draft to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of my article. In the post below, I will share those new understandings.

In a copy of my QRG I analyzed several paragraphs and realized some common trends in the the strengths and weaknesses of my writing.

Strengths included:

• Regularly having a main point to lead every topic in the article. 
• Adhering to a typical style for the paragraphs. This portion, however, I noticed the trend that my paragraphs often shifted between cause and effect format or compare and contrast format. However, I don't consider this a weakness because of the fact that QRG is meant to analyze both the causes and effects of an issue, as well as the comparisons and contrasts in the differing perspectives on the matter. 

Craddock, Samantha "Strength and Weakness"
Via 123rf, Public Domain Dedication

Weaknesses included:

• The occasional slip of coherent elements in some paragraphs. Due to the briefness of some of my paragraphs, there was a certain incoherentness in my QRG that I realized was present after this activity. The nature of the genre dictates a less pressing need for transitions and fluidity, but that does not mean that they are completely gone altogether. That is something that I did not adhere to in my draft which I need to revise. 
• The development of my main points is likely the weakest portion of my QRG, not because they are not present, but because they do not contain evidence and quotes to support them and aid the reader in understanding the context of the main point. This activity made me realize some of the most predominantly lacking areas in my article. 

Reflection on Project 1 Draft

For my peer review, I looked at the QRGs of Casey and Evan. After reading through the comments that I received and giving feedbacks to my peers, I will analyze what I've gained from the experience and the new understandings I have regarding audience and context.

Audience

1. Who will be reading it?- While this QRG is written surrounding a subject in the field of english and education, the true audience is my peers and professor. They will undoubtably be reading my piece and are a reliable audience. 
2. What are their expectations and am I reaching them?-It is the expectations of my peers and professor to read a well-composed and concise QRG that demonstrates and executes the conventions of the genre accurately. At this moment, I think that I've fallen short in a couple of these areas and fully intent to extensively revise to strengthen them. 
3. How much information should I provide?-It's important that I provide enough context for this audience, who likely have little to no knowledge of the debate, for them to understand the fundamentals. However, that is the goal of the QRG and should not go on to argue or take a stance on the issue. I think I have enough context and only need more statistics and quotes to reach the right amount of information. 
4. What is the appropriate language?- The language should demonstrate a style and tone, but remain professional. It is a school setting, after all. 
5. What tone should I use?-I should be as mindful of my audience's unfamiliarity with the topic as I can without being condescending or dismissive of their lack of knowledge. I'm consistent with this throughout my draft. 

Audience

1. What are the formatting requirements and do I meet them?-I'm well aware that I fall short in several formatting requirements right now, specifically quotes, white space, and links. Images, titles, and subtitles are required and I use them appropriately. 
2. What is the content requirement and do I meet it?-It is necessary that I present both sides of a debate and that which composes either side, including people, arguments, events, and mediums in which the debate occurs. All of these I address rather well, only lacking in specific examples. 
3. Does my draft contain skill and personality?-The draft does demonstrate knowledge of the genre gained in class. It has a little bit of less prominent voice, but still demonstrates my style of writing. 
4. Have I addressed grammatical issues?-Most grammar has been addressed, but I can still review specifically for the ideas in the Clarity portion of our assignment. 

Dan, Baciu Claudiu "Check List" vir 123RF
Public Domain Dedication

Clarity, Part 1

Every writer can constantly improve their writing, and how do we do that? By reading about writing! In the post below, I will analyze four chapters found in the book Rules for Writers which address topics in writing that I feel that I could know more about and reflect on just how formative they were for my writing.

Skoic, Mladen "Out of Focus Dictionary with Hand Holding
Glasseswhich Correct Vision" via 123RF Public Domain Dedication

Mixed Constructions

As a poet, I have a tendency to often use devices such as parallelism and juxtaposition in my writing by nature. I was curious as to the actual grammatical application of of parallel ideas in standard writing. The reading was insightful in regards to:

• the need to coordinate parallel ideas with conjunctions
• the importance of tenses and expansion of phrases for detail
• remain clear throughout a parallel idea, rather than relying on the reader to make connections

Shifts

I strive to have fluid writing, and that relies heavily on accurate shifts. This section was more insightful to the ideas of avoiding bad shifts. It's focus was primarily on verb tenses and subjects; two topics which I didn't realize were important until reflecting on them. The importance of remaining clear in the subject of a sentence and the necessity of avoiding shifting between either subjects (such as from "we" to "you") or tenses ("just as I was tripping, my friend jumps to catch me" for example).

Emphasis

What surprised me about the emphasis chapter was the fact that it made me much more aware that there is a deliberate structure to the things I write that I have been conscious of. The progression of coordinating conjunctions and subordinations was one idea in particular that I always use, but am never aware of when using it. Perhaps now that I'm more aware of it, it will better my writing.

Wordy Sentences

I, like many other young writers, have the terribly habit of writing with too much of, what I call, fluff. We cushion our writing with words in hopes of looking impressive and strengthening our point. However, as the book points out, this is a terrible weakness for writing.

Reflection 

After reading through the QRGs of Casey and Evan, I noticed how frequently all four of these topics came up in all writing.

"The news outlets that have discussed this include: Business Insider, Huffington Post, and various other companies and bloggers." is a sentence taken from Evan's QRG which is demonstrative of the importance of maintaining subject in the shifts category. Evan makes an unnecessary shift from a body, "companies", to an individual, "bloggers". The sentence would have a more logical progression if he said blogs rather than bloggers to avoid the shift.

A sentence in Casey's QRG, "Meanwhile, Dr. ‘t Hooft is just a little miffed that Hawking presented this idea, because he had a really similar one a long while ago that never panned out, and so about a week after the conference he decided to publish a different idea that sort of works in a similar way to Hawking’s." is particularly demonstrative of the empty phrases pitfall in wordy sentences. Phrases like "a long while ago" and "about a week after the conference" can be shorted down for the sake of the sentence reaching its point.

Thoughts on Drafting

As we progress through our drafting and revision process, it's important to realize the process of writing for every genre and how they overlap. In the blog post below, I will be analyzing some of the advice on drafting given for an essay format and contemplate how it will translate over into the development of my QRG.

Helpful Advice from Student's Guide

Thesis: The questions posed regarding the point of a thesis and what it should achieve are helpful to the QRG genre in regards to introducing an idea you will be summarizing.

Paragraph Development: The focus of  a paragraph should not be lost in a brief QRG paragraph and I think that's an important note to make. Paragraphs should be brief, but focused.

Quotes and Citations: Quotes should be used frequently to explain or support a situation or claim, especially when presenting two sides of an argument.

Organization and Flow: Even though the QRG is a fast paced genre, it's important to maintain fluidity throughout the writing and use transitions.

Less Helpful Advice from Student's Guide

Thesis: The typical formatting of a one or two sentence thesis is too brief for the QRG genre, where you typically try to engage your reader with an informative introduction. Thesis also tend to prove a point, while the QRG is just a summary.

Bochkarev, Eugene. "Cherry Pie" via 123RF
Public Domain Dedication

PIE: While PIE is useful in paragraph formatting and the presentation of thoughts and arguments, I feel that it's not extremely applicable in the QRG genre. It is a bulky description process, when in the QRG you want to be brief, yet informative.

Quotes and Citations: Quotes should be used to make a point or bring something to light for the audience, however, an individual quote should not be the primary focus of a large portion of the QRG (unless it is the source of the conflict), which is something that tends to happen in essays.

Organization and Flow: Don't focus on making an incredibly smooth composition. It's important to have transitions, but don't overload the QRG with unnecessary fluff.

REFLECTION:

After reading through Hallye and Chelsea's Thoughts on Drafting, I saw differing perspectives, as well as similar thoughts. Hallye felt that the book only offered useful advice, which I had to respectfully disagree with because I felt it's predominantly written for an essay format and not the quick style of a QRG. Chelsea and I had a similar perspective on the usefulness of PIE in a QRG and felt that it can be too dense for the light reading organization demanded by the QRG genre.

Draft of Quick Reference Guide

For my peer-reviewers, I'm concerned that I was rambling in this QRG and failed to address some of the necessary parts of the debate. I'm lacking in quotes specifically because I was unsure where they should go, so if you see a place where a quote or statistic would make the QRG stronger (rather than simply being thrown in for the sake of a quote), please note it I am unsure of how detailed I should be in some areas, so if you feel I'm lacking in some areas, or rambling in others, don't hesitate to note that. I do want my readers to know that I plan on reformatting, including more quotes and statistics, I would just like the opinions of my peers to find the strongest places for these.

 My QRG about the standardized testing debate.

QRGs: The Genre

In the blog post below, I will be analyzing the specific conventions to the genre of the quick reference guide and its formatting. I will do so by answering several questions which are targeted to understand a basic structure of a genre.

CONVENTIONS:

Several conventions of the QRG genre include:

1. Informative and Confident Title- The title addresses the topic directly and is straightforward in establishing the purpose of the writing
2. Predictive and Focused Subtitles- The author of the QRG use focused subtitles to outline a topic and predict what the audience is wanting to know. 
3. The Use of Graphics/Statistics- Though not present in every QRG, those heavy with data must use graphics containing statistics in order to make in comprehensible and scannable. 
4. The Use of Images/Media- Images and media (such as videos and voice recordings) are used by the author to engage the readers, visualize the topic, and break up content which would otherwise be overwhelmingly dense. 
5. Hyperlinks- Links throughout the piece are used to direct the reader to other articles with more detail on a topic to create credibility through sources and provide detail that they can't describe. 

Note: Images and visuals are important tools in the QRG genre because they both provide insight and prompt an emotional response (typically) from the audience. They can also be used as evidence to arguments, such as videos and statistical graphics. 

PURPOSE: It is the goal of the QRG to inform an audience intrigued, but unfamiliar with a topic. The QRG serves to outline the base of a topic or conflict so the audience acquires a basic concept of a topic which is supported by credible evidence so they might have a solid foundation to pursue further understanding. 

These specific QRG examples are aimed at similar audiences for the same reason as I've mentioned above; inform a group who are interested in a topic of the basic foundations of the topic. All the audiences of these QRG's are interested in different topics, but are all likely curious individuals who would like to know more specifics regarding the topic.

"Research Papers for Dummies" via Amazon.com

REFLECTION:

After reading through the posts of Andrea, Bri, and Sam regarding the QRG genre I realized that I didn't utilize the examples of the QRGs we were given enough in my genre description, nor did I address nearly as many points as I should have regarding the general audience and formatting of the QRG. After reading all three of these well organized and comprehensive posts, I feel that mine really fell short in what the prompt was asking for and gave almost too much information in some areas. 

Practicing Quoting

Bellow is pictured a document I have written that has examined two opposing quotes from different sources regarding standardized testing. The sources were found from two I have already examined in my annotated bibliography, "High Stakes Testing and Students: Stopping or Perpetuating a Cycle of Failure" and "Pencils Down: More U.S. Colleges Drop Standardized Testing".

Cluster of My Controversy

For the cluster activity, I formatted my thoughts to be useful in the writing of my QRG. I formulated my thoughts as a means of organizing the key points of either side that I needed to address and did so as directly as I could.

REFLECTION:

After looking at Swati's and Bri's clusters, I found that the look of a map can really have an impact on how well it reads. I focused on formulating my map so that I may reference back to it while writing, what I noticed in both Bri's and Swati's maps was that they were fluid and understandable; less of a reference and more of an organization tool. Theirs were both much less word focused then mine was, but I don't think wither of those are bad. Again, it goes back to how we intend to use them. I did realize that I had forgotten to include media outlets for either side, so I'll add those now in case anyone was interested. For those who support standardized testing, seeing that they are high-level individuals, often express their views in public settings, debates, and speeches. Those against preform on a smaller scale, in small boycotts, district meetings, and for some of the larger names, TED talks are often an outlet for the addressing of the issue.

Annotated Bibliography in MLA Style

Below is an annotated bibliography of the six sources I have used to analyze my controversy. The annotations will be a summary of the source and its purpose, as well as the key points that I took out of the source for my topic. To conclude the annotation, I will predict how I will apply the source to my research of my controversy.

Bidwell, Allie. "Report: Standardized Testing Debate Should Focus on Local Districts."U.S. News. U.S. News, 2014. Web. 2 Sep. 2015.
                             
                              This article, found on usnews.com, was written to summarize a study released from Teach Plus and simplify the key points of the study to make it more understandable and accessible for a less exposed audience.  The article claims that the movement to reform standardized testing should focus on its application on the district level because it is a lack of coordination with the curriculum that is detrimental to the students and teachers and consumes so much time of the year because it must be specifically taught to in order to reflect positively on the students. It is this less exposed group of people that she is writing for in an effort to increase understanding of statistics related to the debate of standardized testing and use those statistics to direct focus onto the school districts rather than the government. The study this article analyzes was a poll taken by 300 teachers across 12 districts asking about the time they and their students dedicate to standardized testing and how they feel it is a benefit and detriment to the school system. Some of the key points made by this article were the ratios of time students in different grade levels were required to dedicate to standardized tests. The article also explains why the standardized tests can be either beneficial or detrimental to the teachers based on how the students preform. It is an unbiased, objective summary of the study and is a useful source in understanding the impact of standardized tests on all those involved I will likely use this source as a quote reference due to its insightful quotes and analysis of those quotes taken from the Teach Plus study. The source quotes the opinions and statistics of teaching professionals taken from the survey, which are useful in a research paper looking to see credible opinions on both sides of the debate.

Canada, Geoffrey. "Our failing schools. Enough is enough!". YouTube. TED, 8 May. 2015. Web. 3   Sep. 2015

                                This TED talk is performed by Geoffrey Canada and is a testimony to the stagnation of the school system and the fact that we have remained practicing the same bad habits for the last 50 years. It's the goal of the speech to communicate the speakers understanding of first-hand exposure to the inequality and irrational of the school. He brings fourth multiple truly insightful ideas regarding the neglect of the system toward certain groups, as well as the impracticality of standardized testing, their expenses and their applications in the classroom (to him, nonexistent). His speech is much more useful as a resource for quotes a strong opinions for the side against standardized testing. It's always useful to represent an extreme of credibility to help a reader understand the typical base principles of one side of a dispute (in this case, the expenses, impractical use, and the time consumption of the exams).

Meader, Derrick. Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. About Education, 2015. Web. 2 Sep. 2015.

                               
                                 The goal of this article is very simple and that is to inform the reader if the very fundamentals of the debate regarding standardized testing. It includes a five part description of the different topics related to the debate, such as No Child Left Behind. This source is incredibly useful for general information to offer to the reader for the sake of simple understanding of the topic. It is an objective, informative article with an understandable, easy to read format for readers, which makes it useful for me to introduce the topic to someone who has little to no exposure. I will likely use it as a reference for definitions and simplified arguments in favor and against standardized testing.   

Horn, Catherine. "High Stakes Testing and Students: Stopping or Perpetuating a Cycle of Failure?" Theory into Practice. 42.1 (2003): 30-41. JSTOR. Web. 5 Sep. 2015

                                 This journal article is written to inform a group familiar with the topic of standardized testing of very specific statistics and arguments that are both in favor and against general standardized testing. The key points of the article that I took away were the application of 21st century skills (technology, communication, etc.) and the statistics in regards to the weaknesses standardized testing has provided for the school system. The studies are too numerous for me to trace successfully, but most were conducted as polls and questionnaires to numerous districts and specific grade levels and faculty. The article finds that standardized tests have provided and continue to provide us with valuable information as to where students are struggling in specific schools and districts, as well as evaluates the fairness of applying so much pressure for students to be accountable for test that reflect the school. The article is evidently objective, which enforces its standing as something I will use in the future. I will likely use it for the sake of the statistics, because it's difficult to disagree with supported facts for one side of an argument, and even more convincing of a stance if you can prove that those statistics are either invalid or of little actual importance.

Kamenetz, Anya. "The Past, Present, and Future of High-Stakes Testing." npr.org. nprED. 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 9 Sep. 2015

                                A lengthy article which aims to address nearly every question surrounding standardized testing in an effort to clarify any and all questions of the audience. The article goes through piece by piece just what it is that composes the standardized testing debate and how people feel toward it. It is specifically the more emotional approach this article takes that makes it a useful source. I will likely use it to generate a response from my own reader to empathize with the experiences students and teachers are going through with the administering of standardized tests.

Kleeman, Sophie. "Watch an Impressive Fourth-Grader Call Out All the Problems with Standardized Testing." mic.org. Mic.News. 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 9 Sep. 2015.

                                This video and brief summary of the current standardized testing debate are intended to gain the attention of readers through the sheer impressiveness of the speaker, seeing how young she is. It is the goal of Ms. Smoot, the young fourth-grader who addressed her school board, to show just how impactful these tests are and how she, and her fellow students feel about them. Her speech makes strong arguments in reference to the irrational of testing late in the year, as well as the extreme nature and implication of the exams. The article goes on to describe some of the details which support Smoots claims and provides the audience with some general data regarding score flaws. I will likely use some of the direct quotes from Smoot to articulate just how far reaching the effects and feelings of these exams go, and enforce it with the fact that even a fourth grader can articulate the flaws in the system.

Reuters. "Pencils Down: More U.S. Colleges Drop Standardized Testing." New York Times. New York Times. 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 9 Sep. 2015.

                                This brief article is written to address the rising number of universities who are no longer requiring (or putting as high stakes into) standardized tests for admissions. The article produces a number of statistics regarding the numbers taking the exams and how well they are fairing, and provided several quotes from students and administrators regarding their feelings toward the changes. Some of the most valuable information was that surrounding the sheer magnitude of students taking the ACT and SAT. I will likely use these numbers as a way to put the vastness of standardized testing into perspective, as well as use some of the quote to demonstrate the genuine relief students feel toward the lightening of stock put into these exams.

Robinson, Ken. "Changing the Education Paradigm". YouTube. RSA animate. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. 3 Sep.  2015

                                 The goal of this speech preformed by Ken Robinson is to prompt the listener to respond to three key detrimental trends in the school system, which are the dwindling arts focus, a rise in drop-outs, and the addressing of students who lack focus. His analysis specifically of the overall unchanging approach our school system has on every student relates directly to my debate in regards to standardization. Robinson argues that we have taken the same approach to educating students without adapting to how times and technology has changed. Some of the most beneficial insight from the video for my argument is around minute 7 when Robinson addresses the standardization of the system and the fact that it does not take into account the differing strengths of students and actively dedicates its efforts to making a standard form of student from a production line. I will likely use his argument against standardized testing specifically because it addresses a study on a skill (divergent thinking) that cannot be measured on a standardized test and that is demonstrative of the fault in the system, which looks over these great skills because they are so focus on the collective group rather than the individual.

Stokes, Kyle. "Testing Revolt in Washington State Brings Feds Into Uncharted Waters." npr.org. nprED. 16 Jul. 2015. Web. 9 Sep. 2015

                                The article summarizes the recent situation in Washington state involving the mass boycotts of standardized testing, demanding at least a cutback in the "redundant" testing procedures. The article looks into who is involved with the boycott, the response from the government and public reaction to this. The key facts that I will likely use will be the governments threats of intervening, should an opt-out bill pass, as well as the economical effect the opt-out bill will have on the state.

"Test Should Be a Priority, But Not at the Expense of Other Skills." The Indianapolis Business Journal (2007) LexisNexis. Web. 4 Sept. 2015
  
                                 The goal of this brief article is to expose a group of people to a debate that they likely have little exposure to while trying to convince them of the weakness of standardized testing. The key points the author makes is the critical need for standardized testing to understand the weaknesses in students and schools. He additionally includes the important information that these exams are an imperfect method of understanding every aspect of students and exactly what a school should be accountable for teaching to. The author does not convey a bias but does posses a clear opinion on the topic, rather than an objective analysis. I will likely use this source as a brief quote reference for simple, but opinionated idea that I can then support with evidence from other sources.

sashamd "Final Exams" 4/11/06 via flickr
Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 2.0 generic

REFLECTION

After reading Isaak and Chloe's annotated bibliographies, I realized that styles really can differ. Chloe and I both did MLA format, the citation style I've been taught all throughout my education. When I ready Isaak's AMA citations, I found them incredibly different than what I ever considered typical citations. I even went on to read through more bibliographies to find an MLA format. This proved to be surprisingly harder (or I have terrible luck) than I thought and drove the point further home that there are extensive types of citation styles for all the different disciplines for so many different reasons.

Ideology in my Controversy

In the blog post below, I will be using the sources I analyzed in the previous posts to contemplate the different aspects of my controversy which compose its ideology and standpoints. This will be done with the use of multiple questions provided by Writing Public Lives, which particularly focus on the structure of the debate and what makes up either side of the argument. 

Lewisnm, Tim "No More Tests" 5/30/15 via flickr
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

The standardized testing controversy has been an ongoing debate since the late 90's. The use of standardized test was a common practice for several years before the controversy flared upon the application of the No Child Left Behind Act. As one of its policies, this act implemented the nationwide common practice of government issued standardized testing in all districts.

In this debate, the two most prominent sides that oppose one another are school district administrations and government supervisors, who support standardized testing, and students and large numbers of teachers, who oppose the use of standardized tests. There are many educationalists and teachers who are particularly outspoken about standardized testing and their position on it, specifically in the mid-west and north eastern states.

Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, is a particularly notable name in the position of standardized testing. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has a rather neutral stance on the standardized testing debate but strongly opposed No Child Left Behind and is willing to make the necessary changes to the school system to adapt it to a more modern state. Sen. Patty Murray is a particularly outspoken congresswoman for standardized testing and argues passionately that the tests are necessary for the understanding of student progress.

 (Note: most of the names previously and more can be found in this Harvard Political View article. If you're interested in the political arguments of this debate, it is an incredibly insightful resource) 

The more commonly accepted view is that against standardized testing, to varying degrees, has greater numbers then the opposition, and are mostly students and teacher unions. They hold the support of parents and general public. There is a clear power difference to the administrations and state/national government which support the tests. This group dictates funding and implementation of policy, clearly holding power over the opposition. 

Both groups value statistics and evidence of student response to tests, though how the responses are interpreted veries between the groups. Those for testing look to the statistics the test themselves provide and how it allows for the progress and change of the school system for the better of the students wherever there was a weak point. Those against testing look the the statistics of students responses and personal performances away from the test, feeling that the tests neglect too much of the students to be worth continuing in their current fashion. 

Both groups acknowledge the tests as generally beneficial, as well as how constructive they've been for the school system up to now. The groups respect each other due to this common understanding and due to the fact that the debate has no true extremes. There is always valid weak points to the testing, as well as a clear benefit. It is the debate of how to address those issues that is driving the conflict.    

The fluidity of the argument makes it difficult for many to even chose a side after hearing the opposition. It is a respectable debate in my field which has maintained my interest for over two years. The mix of logical argument along with moral obligation to students makes it a complex topic that offers extensive debate. 

Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

In the blog post below, you will be reading the analysis of two scholarly sources I found through the U of A databases pertaining to the educational debate of the benefit of standardized testing and common core compared to its detriment. The analysis will be a brief summary of the source and it's general details which can help determine credibility (such as author, its publisher and location, etc.).

Miyagisan, Matt "My books for this semester"
8/16/09via flickr
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic 

The first scholarly source I found the was a helpful resource for my topic was on the JSTOR database. This journal article, entitled "High Stakes Testing and Students: Stopping or Perpetuating a Cycle of Failure", was written in 2003 by Catherine Horn. It is intended to be an informative piece on the gains we make from standardized testing, as well as its weak points. The article is heavily composed of references, quotes, and statistics gathered from reliable professionals and studies (none of these are link directly to a sight, but all pieces of information are sighted at the end of the article).

The article is intended for an audience who is well invested in education and the testing debate, based on its complex references and terminology of the topic. The author provides insight for both sides of the debate, while remaining entirely neutral. She directly correlates the increase of standardized testing to President Bush's renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (which implemented No Child Left Behind). She concludes that the use of testing is necessary but not all encompassing and the pressures we put on students to claim accountability is far too much when the tests themselves do not represent every student's strengths.


The second scholarly source, an article entitled "Tests Should Be a Priority, But Not At Expense of Other Skills" was found on the LexisNexis database. It is a brief article with the purpose of convincing their reader of the importance of standardized tests despite their narrow focus high expenses. It is published by the Indianapolis Business Journal of June 4, 2012. This makes this source a little more up to date in comparison with my other scholarly source. The audience is meant to be intellectuals who will read an education column of this paper. It is not written for people specifically in the field, but rather people who can understand the general foundation of the topic without too much thought.

There is no author provided, which is a concern and makes it harder to judge the validity of the article itself. It's presence in a database helps to reaffirm its credibility, but it still remains a concern. It also lacks specific evidence from professionals and reliable sources, only referring back to another member of the newspaper for insight. Never the less, the article makes sound arguments and conveys a non-argumentative purpose, which eases the concern of a reader for bias. This source is the weaker of the two that I examined, but it still provided insight to the debate of standardized testing even further.

I found both sources by searching the same phrase: standardized testing. This wielded many results, most pertaining to my debate in some way or another because most articles regarding the topic weigh the cost and benefits of these tests.

Evaluation of General Sources

geralt. "Web Browsers" 3/15 via pixabay.
Public Domain Dedication Liscence 

In the blog post below, I will be analyzing two general sources found on a basic google search pertaining to the English-Education discipline, specifically common core and the debate over standardized testing, which has been an ongoing debate for the last several years. These sources are those I feel most valuable of the ones I came across and will be analyzed for their usefulness to understanding the issue and their credibility.

The first source I found to be useful to my research was found on about.com and was a 5-part summary and analysis of the current school system and different aspects that compose it, including standardized testing, common core, and No Child Left Behind . The URL of this article is a .com, which is much less credible than a .gov or .edu. This is because it is a primarily public access sight. However, it is from a credible educational web sight, which is more than a .org or .net can typically indicate, due to their accessibility to all readers and editors.

The author, Derrick Meader, is referred to by the teaching expert of about.com and is linked to multiple pieces of his writing for the sight under his name on my article. The article was updated in 2015. This is a concern in terms of reliability due to the fact that I can't find an exact date of update, but that is likely because the document is a compilation of different articles related to one another written at different times.

The article is aiming the inform the reader of the general conflict of standardized testing, it's definition. It aims to enlighten the reader of all general information that makes up the foundation of the debate, including the rise of the debate (No Child Left Behind) and the influence standardization has had on teaching principles and formatting: common core. The article does not hope to promote any idea or product, simply inform the reader of the basic foundation of the standardized testing debate and it's causes.

The piece does not contain any graphics to elaborate on the statistics or claims it presents, however, it contains countless hyperlinks to other articles from about.com that can add additional understanding to the mentioned topic that was hyperlinked (Note: if you click a hyperlink, you will not be able to return to the original article provided above; you must use the hyperlink I provided to access the specific article I used). The author takes a very objective approach to presenting the information. It is his intent to enlighten his reader to an impartial understanding of the issue regarding standardized testing. The claims made in the article can often be validated by links to other article which address the specific topic in further detail. These specific articles use more statistics and reliable details compared to this article, which is more summary focused.



The second source I found in my general google search was from usnews.com. It was a brief objective report on a study released by Teach Plus in regards to the time teachers from 12 districts dedicated to the implementation of standardized tests administered by the district. Like the previous source I found on the web, this URL is a .com, which is representative of a semi-reliable general web sight for public use. However, it is from a reliable new source which helps credit the source.

The author, Allie Bidwell, can be traced to other articles on usnews.com, most of which are related to academics and education, and her personal twitter account, which includes both professional and personal insight the her credibility. She is regularly writing about educational topics, showing that she is familiar with what she is talking about.

The article was published on February 5 of 2014, showing that it is not outdated information. The links on the page are articles directly related to the topic on usnews.com, such as other studies and analysis of similar topics. All of these links are still functioning and lead to articles all published within a year of each other and all written by Ms. Bidwell. The article provides a video from CBS about a specific Colorado school and how their cut back on standardized testing has influenced their school.

It is the goal of the article to familiarized the reader with statistics regarding the standardized testing debate in an informative, objective way. She expresses a neutral feeling toward the topic and only uses quotes that fairly represent both perspectives on the debate. However, the quotes themselves are hardly even representative of a side and only serve to provide statistics and interpretations of that data. This is not a detrimental aspect to the usefulness of the article, it only enforces the objective approach of the author.

Evaluation of Social Media Sources

geralt. "Youtube" 1/15 via pixabay.
Public domain dedication license

In the blog post below, I will be analyzing two sources pertaining to my conflict I have been researching for precious blog posts. These sources, however, were found of social media sights through the use of Storify. They will be analyzed in a similar manner of the scholarly sources (credibility, author, where the source was found, etc.). However, these sources will be analyzed as social media sources involved with my issue and will be analyzed as such.

The first source I accessed through social media is the youtube video of Ken Robinson's "Changing the Education Paradigm" (if you don't have time to watch the video, here is a transcript) animated by RSA animate. The speaker of the actual video is a credible educationalist and author of multiple education books, making the content of the source reliable. The publisher of the video, RSA animate, is a credible societal and phycological youtube channel and company dedicated to exposing the world to "life-changing new idea" in an understandable and entertaining manner. Robinson recorded the speech specifically for RSA animate without an audience. The company that posted this video to youtube is directly related to its production.

There is, unfortunately, no way to tell who subscribes to the RSA channel there is, however, related channels that add credibility to the video which include the TED talks and School life channel. The channel itself is 9 years old. These validate the video's reliability as an insightful source. The RSA channel overall frequently posts about education and societal analysis. It is not reserved specifically for education, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of videos on education as a whole. The video is not reserved specifically for youtube, as it can be found on the TED talk video archive and its actual performance and transcript can be found in the RSA archive.

"Twitter" 8/15/13 via. CBCnews.
cbc.ca 

The second source I found was a TED talk linked from the twitter account of Victoria Cane. The source is a speech by Geoffrey Canada, an education advocate and reformist, in regards to the faults of our education system, including underprivileged children and the fault in the application of standardized testing data. The video link provided by Ms. Cane leads to the TED talk channel. Much like the RSA channel, the TED channel is a reliable source for educational and societal issues. The twitter of Ms. Cane speaks well to her credibility as well. Her tweets are typically linked articles about general livelihood and news, showing that, though she may not be a professional in the field, she is still dedicated to information.

Cane was not present at the speech itself and is not indicated to be related to the field of education, however, her caption to the video indicates that she is passionate about the topic and her other tweets indicate an interest in news and public wellness (topics such as health, education, and economics). The post was made by Cane on August 25, and the video itself May 8, 2013. Both of these are good indicators to the fact that the source and its provider are reliable in terms of up to date information
. The video can be found directly on the TED talks website, as well as its transcript. The TED channel was established in 2006 and regularly updates reliable videos.

My Discipline

Qantas, Amanda "Old School Typewriter" 2013 via imgur
Public Domain Dedication License

In the blog post below, I will be elaborating on the discipline I am pursuing in school, English, and different details pertaining to the study and different aspects that compose it, such as figures, journals, and my specific relation to it.

The English discipline is, at it's roots, the study of social trends through analysis of English compositions. This is an extremely bare-bones description of this incredibly complex discipline. It is the goal of an English student to be able to analyze and interpret modern and classic English literature. This is done through the teachings of linguistics, rhetorical analysis, composition and structure, interpretation skills, research, and verbal communication and understanding. These are only some fundamental skills taught for the English discipline and like all other professions, these can be honed in on for the pursuit of specific professions.

People who study English  typically pursue professions in editing, teaching, journalism, creative writing, technical writers, marketing/advertising consultant, communications management, and publishing.

I've always loved writing since I was young. I would write stories for my mom and poems whenever I was bored. I was never a particularly avid reader and could never just sit down and read for hours on end, but I could write like that. In high school, I came to love literary and rhetorical analysis. My english teachers exposed me to more than just a short fiction story and I came to love the in depth insight every piece I read provided. I enjoyed challenging myself to understand complex ideas and see how far I could take my understanding. I've never hated writing, even when siting at a computer a three in the morning deleting the same sentence twelve times because I had writers block. I decided to pursue english as a career because I felt that it should satisfy me for the rest of my life (I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's mine). I've always loved sharing my passion for English with others and I intend to pursue a career in English education (*gasp* You want to be a teacher? Yes. I have since I was about 8). I hope to work at the college level and dream to be an education reformist that makes a difference to the american school system and its students.

Some of the biggest (and most interesting) names in English and education right now include:
           -Jim Larimore, Chief officer for the advancement of underserved learners, ACT. He is specifically involved with testing and assessment of a broader school population and is focused on creating a more personally-invested school system.
          -Leighangela Brady, Assistant superintendent for educational services, Encinitas USD, Calif. Her focus is the regulation of student and faculty stress levels in the constantly accelerating field of eduction.
          -Ken Robinson, public educationalist and author. Robinson is one of my personal inspirations in the field of education and the reform of the school system. He is, however, less prominent in the field in the last several years.

There are a vast number of education and english journals, so I'll focus specifically of english education journals (best of both worlds). The first is the journal College English, a journal produced by the Nation Council of Teachers of English. It is dedicated to the publication of student and teacher works regarding teaching, analysis, composition, theory and linguistics all related to the English discipline.

The second prominent journal in my field is English Education. Also produced by the Nation Council of Teachers of English, the purpose of this journal is to serve college teacher in the preparation of english teachers of all levels and provide insight to curriculum, teaching methods, useful tool, and constructive methodologies.

Finally, the College Composition and Communication is an independently operated journal supervised by the Nation Council of Teachers of English. It is a journal more focused on studies and research of social paradigms and their relation to the english discipline (such as LGBT, gender, and race studies). It is targeted as English professors hoping to broaden their teaching theories and methods.

The English discipline I have decided to dedicate my education to is a broad and ever-changing environment. It is the vast insight gained through the study of english that has truly won my heart and I look forward to diving head first into the english education environment in the near future.

REFLECTION:

After reading through the descriptions of my classmates Andrea and Chloe, I found out that there are some many different passions and loves around me. In college, I have only met science, business, law, and engineering students, and I've been rather intimidated. But Andrea explained that it's just something she has come to love and that made me realize that all these brilliant students are just doing what I'm doing and pursuing what they love. Chloe's post brought me even more encouragement because I found out that she is a creative writing major. Her description of her feelings toward the pursuit of her major are inspiring and uplifting. Both of them decided what to pursue in college while they were in high school, where as I have known since I was in elementary school. It was a very different feeling and I found it refreshing that they found something so recently, where as I have perused mine for so long.