Month: July 2020

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Project Proposal

For my unit 3 project, I am going to create a news article that highlights both the problems and benefits of the screening process in schools. I want to show how diversity in education is essential I feel like a news article can cover all aspects that I want to address with the use of quotes, pictures, and diagrams. I have a template that I can use which will use subheadings and showcase all different aspects of the educational system and how screening is being used. To do this, I am going to use sources that I have used for my unit 2 assignment, as well as additional primary sources that focus on the students and parents personal experiences with screening. The audience that this kind of writing will appeal to most I believe is the students and the parents who have to apply to schools and will eventually be affected by the selection process . Another group that can benefit from this are school administrators and faculty. Identifying both the problems and solutions this process has, will be very helpful for these educators so they know how to deal with it in the classroom.

Ultimately, the goal of this news article is to show why diversity and inclusion in the classroom is important and what screening. can do to help. I am going to use statistics from certain schools diversity and inclusion numbers, and show how some students have been affected in a major way. This will create more awareness to the process and schools can see whether or not they would want to implement it in some way.

 

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Project Proposal, Benjamin Fisch

The tone that most of the authors use in the research writings I identified and examined for my research proposal, is a direct and straight to the point tone. Some of the texts that I reviewed in my research portfolio are extremely long. Some are even hard to read in their entirety. Also, one are very short and quick to read. The ones that were quick reads and the ones that were slow reads, both succeed in communicating an argument or delivering more research to me on neurodiversity in the work place. The authors in the research I collected are mostly very formal. Some of texts I read if not most of the texts I read, include vivid detail to help explain the points that the authors are trying to make. In the research I conducted graphics do not really play a role at all. Some of the texts that I examined on neurodiversity in the workplace included subtle images embedded in the text, but I did not feel like they were needed to illustrate a point or provide detail on the subject. The images in the text kind of just blended in with every thing else. The vocabulary of the authors texts also stood out to me as something to recognize. The writers use advanced choices of vocabulary in their texts.

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Project Proposal

After intensely researching the hardships and discrimination that those in the LGBTQ community face, I want to further focus my research on the issue at hand. This kind of gender discrimination is not experienced by the masses, it is something that can be seen in plain sight, and to learn how this underlying discrimination continues was heartbreaking. Gender identity is not necessarily a physical aspect of an individual, there is no “dress-code” or “look” to someone who identifies as LGBTQ, although there are plenty of stereotypes embellished by the media. For the purpose of my research, I want to start a conversation educating others on the daily situations LGBTQ members find themselves in time and time again. This would be a conversational piece, something casual but that is also direct and brings different questions and thoughts to mind to further continue this long awaited discussion. With this text I want to share stories from LGBTQ members, as it is through experience where us humans learn best, from our mistakes we can re-evaluate what occurred and only grow from there. I hope with this text to not only accomplishing kickstarting this chat but also sharing some intimate stories of those just screaming to be heard. Social media is huge nowadays, and I think stories from advocates for or with the LGBTQ community is who I want the information to come from, so then from this post those who strongly connect to a story can go and follow that author and become an ally with the LGBTQ community.

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Project Proposal

For my final project I will be creating a research paper that tackles the question: How common is bias in education, and does it have an effect on students learning outcomes? To do this effectively I am using sources that are vary from citations of books, journal entries (mostly from psychology related publications and education journals, and also trade journals that use the perspective of educators that are active in their profession). My goal is to help show the reader that while they may aware of racial, cultural, gender biases, to peel back the curtain and show them just how widespread this sort of behavior is.

My targeted audience consists of two main groups of people: The first would be educators and school administrators. The second would be university students (just like this class), people who are taking a course in diversity and inclusion studies. I would like this to be part of the canon of a course like this so that students can read this and want to go further with it and develop their own questions and answers about issues in diversity in education, and how it effects different populations of people.

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Discussion prompt for Week of 7/27

In this week’s discussion, you’ll focus on identifying one or more usable models for your own writing, recognizing that we can learn from and build on how others present their ideas. Much like we’ve been working with the templates in TSIS, such models can provide us with jumping-off points that will allow us to develop our own thinking.

I’ve given you a few pieces to get you started. You’ll find a folder of sample texts from different genres in the Unit 3 folder of Assigned Readings on Blackboard. Look through these to take in some of the many possibilities for what research-based writing can look like, and then browse around the web for some more examples. Locate a text that looks/works kind of like what you envision for your own project–something in that same genre (i.e. a magazine article, a memo from an HR department, a PowerPoint delivered to a professional audience, etc.). It doesn’t have to be on the same or even a related topic–you’re just looking for an example of a genre (or type of writing) that you’re going to be writing in.

For your post, once you’ve located an example, please share it with us by linking it to your post, and then talk about what you think of this text as an example of that genre–what are some of the unique or distinctive features of this type of writing? how well does this particular sample work? what do you like about it? are there ways in which you think it is less than successful? what lessons will you take from this to use in crafting your own project? (Bear in mind that we can learn both lessons in the positive–I really like how they did this, and I’m going to try to do something similar–and lessons in the negative–I don’t think they did a good job with X, so I want to make sure to do better).

Your post should be >150 words and must include an embedded link to or a picture of the sample you’re discussing. Please categorize your post as “Discussions/Homework,” and tag it with “week of 7/27,” “genre,” “unit 3,” and [your name]. Posts are due by Wednesday.

Then, for your response work this week, please read through 2 classmates’ drafts (which will be up by the end of the day on Friday). In order to ensure that everybody gets feedback, please go to the list of posts on the blog dashboard. Click “All Posts,” find the post with your draft, and then read the 2 immediately below that. In your comments (>100 words each), please highlight what you think is working well, what you’d like more explanation of, any questions that you have about the content, and any suggestions you have about how best to reach the audience this person is targeting. Your feedback is due by the end of the day Sunday, 8/2 (note this is an extension from the original due date).

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Overview of Week of 7/27

As we head into the final stretch of the course, your focus will be on developing your Unit 3 project. That will unfold through a few different steps. this week. Please read on for more about what you’ll be doing (and how, when, and why).

Make sure you take the time to review comments from me and from your classmates on the blog, as well as the feedback you received from me on your research portfolio, project proposal, and project plan. I’m looking forward to seeing how these projects take shape in the coming days.

As you’re doing that work, some things to keep in mind about genre. As we’ve been discussing (see below), genre is not simply a template, but rather a response to the demands of the subject matter/author’s purpose and the needs of the audience. (This might sound familiar–this is how Graff and Birkenstein talk about their They Say/I Say templates, as starting points for organic work, rather than as static cookie-cutter patterns. Those TSIS techniques may come in quite handy as you are working to orchestrate a complex conversation among you and your sources!)

For that reason, it’s essential that you head into this drafting work with a very clear picture of your audience and a clearly articulated objective. You have free license here to invent the parameters of your rhetorical situation, and in fact you’ll need to provide a brief statement of that situation with your draft. Tell us who you’re writing for (as precisely as possible), and explain the circumstances under which that audience will receive your text (i.e. browsing through social media, sitting at a professional conference, visiting their company’s Human Resources Department or their university’s Career Services Office, etc.).

As you see from the rubric for this project (below), your project will be evaluated based upon both content and approach–how well you work with your sources to develop and communicate your ideas AND how effectively you convey that material to your given audience within the situation you have constructed. Make sure you consult the criteria listed in the rubric as you are drafting and revising.

Content
Has clear research focus/question /2
Provides appropriately detailed examination of research focus/question /2
Provides background/examples appropriate for target readers /2
Includes discussion of/implications for workplace culture(s) /2
Utilizes and appropriately references source materials /2
Subtotal /10

 

Presentation of information
Clear visual organization of ideas/information—constructed for easy comprehension by readers in the situation you have outlined /1
Makes effective use of visuals (graphics, images, pull-quotes, white space/background, other) to enhance reader understanding and interest /1
Text is not marred by proofreading errors /1
Language is clear, engaging, and audience-appropriate /2
Subtotal /5
TOTAL:  /15

Your draft (with brief accompanying statement explaining the rhetorical situation for your text) is due by the end of the day on Friday, 7/31. Please post this to the blog. You’ll each read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ drafts by the end of the day on Saturday, and will begin revising your drafts based upon their feedback, even as you are waiting for additional feedback from me.  See this post for the particulars regarding your posts:

If you would like to talk with me about your draft-in-progress or any of your other work in the course, please email me directly, and we can communicate that way or set up a time to talk by phone. 

So here are this week’s tasks:

Reading

  • genre samples on Blackboard–check out the Genre Samples folder in the Unit 3 readings folder to see some of the various forms that researched writing can take
  • sample(s) you locate on your own of the type of text you’d like to develop–thinking about your target audience and your intended purpose, look for texts that seek to reach a similar objective

Writing

  • draft of your Unit 3 research project (post to blog as link or attachment by Friday, 7/31)
  • revision worksheet–considering and reconsidering your own draft as you await feedback from me and from your classmates (due by Sunday, 8/2)
  • discussion work as outlined in the post below:

    Discussion prompt for Week of 7/27

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Project Proposal – Dominique Van Gilst

For my unit 3 project, I have decided to research inclusion in education further in order to educate people. I think that the best audience for my project would be parents of students who are in inclusive classrooms, or are about to be in an inclusive classroom. This is because a lot of parents of children with and without disabilities worry that their children will not receive the best education possible if they are in an inclusive classroom. I think that it would also be important to include resources that parents can use to explain inclusion to their children in my presentation. This will allow the students to understand differences and acceptance before they begin their new experiences in an inclusive classroom. It would also help students who already in an inclusive classroom learn more about working together with other students. I want my audience to understand that inclusion has benefits for students with and without disabilities, and that they can be sure that their children will be getting the most they possibly can out of an inclusive education. I think that the best format for this project would be a powerpoint because it can be as if I am a teacher presenting my ideas to the parents/guardians of the students in my class. A powerpoint will be useful because I can embed videos, articles, etc. as well as write bullet points and sentences for important information.

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Project Proposal, Bryan

For my final project I’m looking to create a graphic and media news article. Similar to how magazines present the content they hold in an easy-to-read fashion, I’m wanting my media project to be ‘picked up’ and clearly layout relevant background, ongoing research, significant case-studies, and direct quotes from first-hand accounts. The main objective I’m looking to examine here is to inform audiences of a form of diversity (language/ linguistic) typically not addressed or made aware of to the public. Overall while my intent is to appeal to a ‘broad audience’, my main focus would be tailoring the project to university students and professors. I recall a former classmate’s post who was interested in researching generational diversity because she knew that upon graduation and entering the workforce, she would be exposed to a widely diverse age-population. With trends in globalization and transnational mobility continuing to increase, I find it critical for those in an academic setting to realize the impact the consequences, advantages, and skills this can have on their developing career. Similarly, sharing this information amongst colleagues and professors I think would be an effective way in encouraging discussions whether that be in a classroom, organizational meeting, or informal gathering (it also makes sense in Syracuse since we have a large international student population coming from very diverse language backgrounds). I’m happy to have found valuable sources throughout my research ranging from TEDTalks and academic studies to teacher-based web platforms. It’ll be useful in creating the visual narrative I’m looking to create.

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Project Proposal – Mike

As I hinted to in my Week of 7/20 Discussion post, I’m going to create a PowerPoint presentation about the power of consumer activism.

Having sat through countless web-conferences and meetings filled with mind-numbing PowerPoint slide decks, I feel I have a good sense of what not to do. My biggest pet peeve is when the presenter simply reads the text directly off of the slides. I could do that myself! Why am I having to sit here and listen to you read it to me? Tell me what you want me to take away from this information. Why did you think it was important to include? What do you want me to do with what you’ve shared?

To that end, I did some Google searching. Using the term “powerful powerpoint presentations”, I came across an article from SlideModel.com called “23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations”. I felt immediately vindicated when, about three paragraphs in, I saw the following sentence highlighted in bold: “The key thing to remember is your presentation is there to compliment your speech, not be the focus of it.”

With all of this in mind, what I’ll end up sharing with everyone is not only the slide deck itself, but also my speaker’s notes. As I mentioned earlier this week, my intended audience is a company or organization’s executives. The deck will be no more than ten slides and will feature graphics which support the text and vice versa. My speaker’s notes will expand on the concepts presented on the slides, include some additional details or perhaps a quote from one of my resources. This is to help add context to what I’m presenting, and to increase the likelihood that my message is being understood by my audience.

So, what do I hope to achieve with this presentation?

I’m going into this “meeting” with the intent of highlighting the changing habits of consumers, focusing on the shift away from direct involvement in the political process to engagement via their pocketbooks. Once I’ve set the scene, I’ll demonstrate examples of successful companies who are attracting and retaining customers and creating loyalty because of actions and initiatives they’ve taken to be socially and environmentally conscious. Combining the two, I’m hopeful the executives will recognize the value and potential positive return on investment to be had by taking such steps.

Thanks to the research I did in Unit 2, I have plenty of material from which to draw. The key will be picking the right ones to resonate with the audience. I have a feeling Jessica Stewart’s essay from Shopping For Change will be particularly powerful. In comparing consumer attitudes toward Wal-Mart and Target, Stewart points out that both businesses are nearly identical in how they’re run, with a few key distinctions which have affected public opinion of the two for years.

I recognize I’ve got my work cut out here. With Arsenal in the FA Cup Final next Saturday, and my birthday the following day, I’ll want to have my draft finished well before next weekend! Seems like a busy week is in store!

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Research Portfolio (Dan )

The topic that I chose to study is unconsious accent bias. I was intrigued by the a similar topic that I saw one of our classmates conducted in unit 1. Upon starting my research, I was surprised to see that there is a relatively small amount of research done into this topic compared to other types of discrimination. However, through the use of some of these tools provided in this class I as able to find some quality sources. My main method of finding these sources was through the Syracuse university library. However, I had never heard of SAGE before and was pleasantly surprised with how much it helped me. This topic is one that is meaningful to me as some of my very close friends are not natives of the United States. It was very eye opening read the stories of the discrimination and feeling of loneliness that some people experience all because of their nonnative accent. I would like to continue searching for more articles that explore some of the ways that we can mitigate this problem. I am looking forward to tying all of my research together in unit 3.

Annotation 1 ( Mirela ted talk)

Annotation 2 (PBS)

Annotation 3 (short note on accent-bias)

Annotation 4 (Accent bias_forbes)

Annotation 5 ( political skill)

Annotation 6 ( speaking with nonnative accent)

WRT 205 focusing flowchart

Rounding out the conversation

Complicating your research ( final )