Week 11: Scenarios to Test Your Definitions Against

1)  A person has Baccalaureate degree, but they weren't content with their field of study, so they only half heartedly worked toward their degree. Also, they cheated on the final exam that they took right before getting the degree. Can they still be considered intelligent?
- The person can still be considered intelligent. They obviously stayed in college long enough to get that degree and they must have taken hard courses. Besides, if they were in a field of study that they were not content with, but still did well enough to make it to the final exam, then they are pretty intelligent. I find it hard to focus on something that I am not interested in. If I did not like what I was majoring in, I do not think I would even make it far enough to cheat on the final exam. So yes, despite their wrong doings and bad choices, they can still be considered intelligent.


2)  Bill Gates was a college drop out.  Do we consider him intelligent?  Why or why not?  How might this affect your criteria for your definition of intelligence?
- We do not know the exact reasons he dropped out of college. It could very well be because of finances. However, we still consider him intelligent, because he invented something that was useful and used all around the world. Though he is still an intelligent man, it puts a twist on my definition of intelligence. Instead of me saying that intelligence has something to do with academics in college, I should probably just stick to the power of the mind no matter what the surroundings are. College or just work.

3)  A man with a BA goes into politics and proposes going to war with another country.  He knows the war will drag out, and he knows many people will be killed during the duration of it.  Was this an intelligent decision?  Are people we admit are intelligent allowed to make unintelligent decisions from time to time?  Why or why not?  How might this affect your criteria for your definition of intelligence?
- I do not believe this was an intelligent decision, however I do not know all of the background information that could have started his thought of battling another country. Yes, intelligent people are allowed to make unintelligent decisions, but this was a decision that should not be allowed as an "oopsie". War is a very delicate subject and no matter how smart he was, politcally, intelligence also needs a bit of common sense. You must think outside of the black and white and give room for that grey area. This just helped my definition of intelligence even more, giving the example of common smarts for intelligent people.

Monday November 7, 2011 Online Class Assignment

1.       After reviewing the information about the drafting introduction on page 3, review your own intro and decide what you can do to:

a.       more clearly show what is at stake for your issue

For my introduction, I can more clearly show what is at stake when you are unhappy with your career and not only use examples that link with success.

b.      more thoroughly contextualize your issue with background information (this is helpful for both intro and conclusion)

When I revise my paper, I can pick a specific career field instead of broadening it to any. Then, I can use background information from scenarios of actual successful people in that certain career.

c.       write a few sentences for a. and b. that you will insert into your next draft.

If you are stuck in a career that makes you completely unhappy, not only will you live your life in depression, but you will lose sight of your job. What I mean is that you will not be satisifed with the outcome of whatever you do anymore. For instance, most teachers are teachers because they love it. It has nothing to do with salary, but more about their passion for the subject they are teaching to students.

2.       Review your topic sentences of your body paragraphs:

a.       Whether you are doing org. plan 1 or 2, your topic sentences should contain the criteria that you are discussing in the paragraph.  (Review bottom of page 4 and all of page 5). 

b.      If you have any main topic sentences (do at least two here) that don’t contain the criteria of your definition that you are about to discuss in your paragraph, paste the old sentence, then write the revision of it that you will change in your next draft, like this:

                                                               i.      OLD SENTENCE:   YADDA YADDA

                                                             ii.      NEW SENTENCE   YADDA YADDA now with criteria clearly stated so we know what to expect out of this paragraph

                               i.   OLD SENTENCE:  Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful.

                               ii.   NEW SENTENCE: Some people are going to disagree with my terms of being successful by saying it is all about the money and nothing else.

                               i.   OLD SENTENCE: To be satisfied with your job, you must like your career field.

                               ii.   NEW SENTENCE: If you like your career field and you enjoy being at work, then you are probably satisfied with your job.

                             

3.       Now, go through your body paragraphs and make sure that in the evidence sections of them, you are “developing” the criterion you are discussing, which means: explaining/defining each criterion for your definition.  By the end of your paper, we should be able to tell a) your definitions, b) the criteria for those definitions, and c) the definitions of those criteria. (Look at page 5, description of BP1).

a.       Find your shortest body paragraph.  This is a quick way to determine which one needs more development. 

b.      Paste it in.

c.       Then paste in a revision of it that contains more details and explanations of the criterion under discussion.

Success in the work field is based on being able to get up in the morning with a smile, being happy to start the day off at your job, getting along with your employees, being good at what you do, and forming a small connection with your boss. Without those key factors, you really just are not successful. If you go through life, as stated before, with just making a load of money and not being happy with your career, you will not think of yourself as a success. Sure, you can pretend, but deep down, there will be no form of fulfillment. 

Revised: Success in the work field is based on being able to get up in the morning with a smile, being happy to start the day off at your job, getting along with your employees, being good at what you do, and forming a small connection with your boss. Without those key factors, you really just are not successful. Making a load of money and not being happy with your career can make powerful, money wise, of course. However, will you think of yourself as a success? By that, I mean would you look at yourself and feel a sort of fulfillment? If you can not look at yourself and be satisfied with what you are doing and how you are living your life, then you might conisder yourself a failure. That is the complete opposite of success.

4.       Look over one of your rebuttal areas.  If you have one (and you should; “considering the opposition” or “other viewpoints” is on the rubric) look for a way to revise it to be more developed, if you don’t have one, make one now to add into your next draft.  Review page 6 and the ways that you 1) acknowledge opposition to your argument, 2) but prove how the opposition is not strong enough to invalidate your argument.

a.       Paste in the old and new rebuttal sections

b.      Or say that you hadn’t gotten around to that yet in your first draft and make one up now to include in your next draft.

Old Rebuttal: Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful. Success, to them, would mean making a lot of money, working extremely hard to be promoted, and making yourself known in that career field. Happiness, after-all, does not pay the bills. If you work as a small theater actress, which nothing is wrong with, you will not be making the best living for a family. You are not considered successful, then, unless you make it on the big screen and become the next Natalie Portman. But is that true? No, it is not. A small theater actress will be considered an accomplished citizen when she leaves the stage with pride after nailing a difficult scene. A local newspaper will talk about her brilliant skills and she will feel like a very important person. That, the sense of pride and achievement, is what makes you successful in your job.

New Rebuttal: Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful. Success, to them, would mean making a lot of money, working extremely hard to be promoted, and making yourself known in that career field. Happiness, after-all, does not pay the bills. If you work as a small theater actress, which nothing is wrong with, you will not be making the best living for a family. You are not considered successful, then, unless you make it on the big screen and become the next Natalie Portman. But is that true? No, it is not. A small theater actress will be considered an accomplished citizen when she leaves the stage with pride after nailing a difficult scene. A local newspaper will talk about her brilliant skills and she will feel like a very important person. That, the sense of pride and achievement, is what makes you successful in your job. Saying that being successful is all about money is like saying people with smaller income jobs are failures. However, they may get to go home every night to people they love while rich cardiologists have to stay in the operation room all hours of the night to make big money. What about their family? Is true success not about what you have done in life? Would having beautiful children and a wonderful family not be considered a success?

Discussion #10

Claim: Without being satisfied with your job, you will never be successful to yourself.

Reason: If you are unhappy with what you do you then you do not have the drive to work hard and succeed.

Warrant: Success is more personal gain than what the media broadcasts it as.

Grounds:

If you are content with your job, you can be more successful in it.

A good relationship with your boss can make work less miserable, plus you can get benefits.

If you wake up in the morning actually happy about leaving for work, your day will be much better which means that you can actually get work done.

Conditions of Rebuttal: Grounds:

Job satisfaction is not about happiness, but about money or a well-known name.

You are not considered a success by other people unless they know you and your accomplishments.

Backing:

Success is an ideal and about how you feel about your accomplishments.

Conditions of Rebuttal: backing:

Success is about what other people know about your achievements.

Discussion #9

1.) "Recognizing that central responsibility of a woman to herself, without which we remain always the Other, the defined, the object, the victim; believing that there is a unique quality of validation, affirmation, challenge, support, that one woman can offer another. Believing in the value and significance of women's experience, traditions, perceptions. Thinking of ourselves seriously, not as one of the boys, not as neuters, or androgynes, but as women." That was a very powerful point of Rich's speech that shows how women can take themselves seriously. It is a very important point and something women should carry with them for later generations. Today, I do still think there are some mild forms of sexism when it comes to females. I do think that it is still relevant today, but not as much as in the year 1978.

2.) Back in the 60s and 70s, I do agree that maybe gender, class, and race were all linked together and treated equally. However, today not so much. Race and class is discriminated agaisnt much more than gender is and that is not right. It is, though, very true. The University has made it very possible to treat every individual as an equal. I see no prejudice in UL's campus, whether that is social standings to female or male.

Discussion #8

A.) Fortunately for me, I spoke the same language at home that I did at school. There was no difference for me and I am thankful for that. However, I had a best friend who moved from Mexico when he was young and had to develop English as a second language. It was difficult, but he was brilliant and it came to him quickly. When I asked him what he spoke at home, he said that with his mother, he spoke English. But when his father or other family members called, he would go back to his Spanish speaking roots. However, we did not look down on children that spoke another language at our school. We were amused and we welcomed it and asked him to speak his first language sometimes.

B.) In the career field I have chosen, I may have to speak a small amount of other languages for certain clients. However, I am sure that my first language and the language I speak at home is sufficient for my career.

C.) I honestly do not think a certain language will make you "belong" in the career field chosen. The only reason it would, is if a client only speaks one language that you can not speak.

2A.) For the first part of this question, I will say yes. A family does change as the children grow up. Normally. When you are younger, your family seems closer and more bonded together. As you age, it just seems like everyone got bored with trying to make the family close. Secondly, you do have to sacrifice to be successful in anything. Whether it is athletics, family, or school. You do sacrifice the smallest thing, to the biggest.

2B.) The way I understand the question, I will answer this: I think you can not have intamcy with language academically. Language is supposed to be a home based fulfillment. Academics ruin it.

2C.) In the end, I believe Richard just thought it was more of a burden. I don't think he appreciated losing the sentimental values of his first language.

Discussion #7

     For Robert D. King's article titled "Should English Be The Law?", King's purpose was to inform people about America's history and ask the simple question of: Should English be the law? His attitude throughout the article was very informative and professional. He never seemed as if he was being condescending or negative about any of his thoughts. Robert King is a professor of Asian studies at University of Texas in Austin. He has written many journals already about language uses and he is very trilingual himself. He is reaching out to an audience of the general public. There was no certain people that he was writing for except maybe people who read Atlantic Monthly, where it was first published. The purpose of the audience is to question themselves if English should be the law in America. The attitude of the audience is open-minded, yet skiddish of what this article may entail. The audience, like myself, is probably worried about what the author's tone will be like throughout this piece. The audience could be very closed minded Americans who only think everyone in America should speak English. The text was a very long article, probably typed up online using Microsoft Word and you can read the article by opening up a magazine. I read the article at night in my bedroom with a very quiet and calm community.

Self Respect

1.) Well, Didion uses allusions to literature to help give us a better idea or personal evidence to link her thesis to. However, the audience she is approaching may not know or have read any of the literature she uses for examples. That makes it more alienating than helpful. When we discussed this in class, many said it was hard to get through because of examples she used. They did not understand how it tied in because of the simple fact that they have not read the book. Didion assumed that her audience would all know exactly what books she was referring to. That is not the case.

2.) At one point Didion says "... people with self-respect exhibit a certain toughness, a kind of moral nerve ..." Along with what was stated in the question about committing adultery. I think a lot of people who read this can agree to her statements. This doesn't mean they would commit the actions or portray the persona themselves, but they can agree that it is general knowledge. When Didion does say that people who commit adultery have "courage in their mistakes" and "character", I take that to mean that if they are doing it, they must think it is okay. If not, they should not be doing it.

3.) Well, to have self-respect you must learn it. I believe that is what Didion is saying. That you have the ability down deep inside of you, but must learn to bring it out and use it. That can also apply to writing skills and habit of mind. I think anyone who is a freshman in college has the ability to write correctly. The problem is disciplining yourself to do that. You have to have a certain state of mind that you can do something. Self-respect, I guess, is what I am trying to say. That fits in perfectly. You need to believe that you can write well, and you just need to develop the habit of it.