Counterintuitive Spring 2023

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

In the beginning of the semester I was told that we needed to write many rough drafts before submitting our final paper in. This taught me that if we think our paper is done, it’s most likely not. There’s much more improving that can be done. It helps me become a better writer and be able to submit the best work I have. It also helps me develop my writing skills. An example would be my visual rhetoric. I originally wrote my visual rhetoric on a commercial about texting and driving and I also didn’t do very well. I didn’t follow the instructions completely. Then, we wrote the visual rewrite where I also had many mistakes that i wouldn’t have caught without professor Hodges comments/feedback. After receiving the feedback, I fixed my errors and resubmitted it. And finally when I was about to put it into my portfolio, I made more changes to it because I reread my work and noticed a few things I needed to fix. This allowed me to submit in my best work possible because I have made revisions to my rough drafts and improved from my original copy. I’m sure if I had more time, I could catch more mistakes and fix them but, usually I need time to catch mistakes. If I submitted in just my original copy with all the mistakes and errors, I would fail that assignment. If i write a paper and then wait a day, I will have more revisions to make then I would while writing it. I need to give my brain a break first.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

I am the type of person who has to have the last say. I usually try and throw myself into conversations even if I know very little about the topic. I try to be the last word and I always try to be right and if I’m not right, I pretend I am. Usually in class, we have discussions in which we can talk about specific topics. Most of the times we discuss something we are about to read for homework and we are able to turn that into a conversation with the class. Sometimes we have debates and we might not agree with  what someone else has to say or their ideas. Usually we work it out though because the professor tells us what’s right and wrong. But he allows us to express our ideas first. One example that really sticks out for me was the one class when we had 4 cards and we were given a  fact, “Each card has a number on one side and a letter on the other.” A thesis, “Every card that has a vowel on one side has an even number on its opposite side.” And a rebuttal, “Which card or cards must you turn over in order to test whether or not the Thesis is true?” This really got  the class thinking and I personally felt it truly engaged the class with it’s mystery. We all had different arguments on which cards to flip over and then we would explain our reasoning but in the end, Professor Hodges explained the answer and why it was right. I felt this was a very interesting class that day.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

When we have debates in class, I put into consideration what others have to say. Occasionally I will use what someone else has to say to back up what I want to say. Most of the times there is a reason professor Hodges has us debate about certain things in class, it’s so it gets us thinking in a different way. I also took into consideration things that the professor had to say. For example when he told us to write more than one rough draft. That is only going to benefit ourselves and our writing and make us better at it. There was reason behind what he had to say, we just had to understand the purpose of it.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

By constantly rewriting our papers, I am always looking it over for mistakes and adding something new to it. Something to better my work and be able to have a paper worth submitting in. This allows me to meet the expectations of the professor and it allows me to evaluate myself and my work. By writing some of these papers throughout the class, it allowed me to express how I felt about a certain topic while also providing evidence from other articles about the topic. Some articles I read helped support my ideas on something specific. For example, the visual rhetoric allowed me to express what I felt was going on in the commercial. I was able to make my own predictions in what I was watching. It was based around my interpretation of the commercial and my ideas.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

As a continuation of everything else I’ve been writing about, by rewriting my papers this allows me to also fix any errors I had along with improve my ideas and make sure that they are complex enough. But on top of that, be able to still express myself freely. As far as my citation goes, easybib allows me to correctly cite my work and give credit to the authors of the articles i read. Along with hyper linking the title of the article to my work cited which I just discovered how to do. That not only makes it easier for Professor Hodges to find my article, but it helps me as well find my articles if I ever needed to go back to them.  I feel as though up until this point I have most of everything complete with some things that need improving. Not all my work is a masterpiece but i’m trying to make it as close to one as possible.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

When I first stepped into the classroom, Professors Hodges made us take a piece of paper and rip it up. I thought this was unusual and assumed this man was senile, but as it turns out it symbolized something, it symbolized that as a writer we need to write our essays and not be done with them. Each essay we wrote was just the beginning of getting our thoughts onto paper but then completely rewriting it several times to make sure it was the best damn thing that we could write. If requested, Professors Hodges would give us feedback, and while he did not hold back it allowed me to open my mind and understand what he is saying to actually improve my writing. I was able to take one idea and then expand on it in all different directions. Each rough draft got better and better until there was nothing left to be done on it.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities.

I always hated going into things without prior knowledge. I tend to believe that I’m able to have a conversation about anything and know at least something about it, but this year that stopped. Ive always been the kid to have something to say and know little on the subject and its gotten me through life until now. When I walked into this classroom it would seem that my entire mind went blank and I understood nothing. I didnt like conversing with my classmates at first for fear of being wrong or knowing nothing, but after awhile I was able to warm up with the classmates and get their perspectives on certain issues. Also Professor Hodges made sure that we were able to back up any of our citations with core facts and not just random words.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

I’ve always known that when a person is writing a paper to write it in the perspective of the person that is intended to read it. One would not write a paper about quantum physics and expect a seven year old to read it. I was able to take this semester to work on sharpening these skills and making sure I was writing for those that would read my papers. I learned what words to use that made it harder to read but not making it impossible for some readers. I spent time researching things so that my reader knew it was not opinionated but supported by cold hard facts.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

I began this semester by barely using any facts in my papers, I did not want to flood my audience with facts nor did I have enough to support any side that I would take in my papers. I learned to use words to create certain environments and used facts to make sure my readers understood that it was not simply just a random person talking about something they knew nothing about.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation.

Throughout the course I have been learning to cite sources correctly in order to avoid plagiarizing. When quoting a fact from a source I made sure that it was quoted correctly and not just thrown into the essay. I also learned how to hyperlink sites in my works, like in my Definition Rewrite, so that if a person was curious about my source, the webpage was located right where the fact is.  

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Over the course of the semester I have spent countless hours rewriting. Professor Hodges made it very clear to us in the beginning of the semester that to create the best possible writing, we must provide several drafts. Every assignment that was assigned had two parts to it. There was an initial draft where I was able to put all my thoughts out of the line and come up with a concept. After that, Professor Hodges would provide feedback and help us to elaborate on certain concepts to improve our writing. After taking his feedback into to consideration, I would rewrite the assignment and submit it a second time. After the second draft, Professor Hodges would provide any extra feedback if requested. This was actually very helpful because I was able to expand my original ideas while incorporating the changes he suggested. His feedback was especially helpful because he was able to point out mistakes that I wasn’t able to see. Even after the first revision, he and I were able to work together to make my assignment better. A great example of his feedback being applied to my work was in Visual Rhetoric Assignment. After Professor Hodges commented on my writing I was able to directly address the problems he noted. Since he gave me specific aspects to change, I was able to do so without confusion.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

I am not quiet. My entire life I have been loud and outspoken but throughout the course of the semester I have been working to improve on that. I have a tendency to speak my mind and in the past it has gotten me into trouble. Mostly because I wasn’t knowledgeable about what I was speaking about. However, this semester with Professor Hodges we spent a lot of time reading about different things and then spent time talking about them. Professor Hodges made sure that we were well versed in the readings before we spoke about them to ensure we had an educated discussion. We were able to converse with our classmates and gain their perspectives. It was helpful to understand how my classmates felt about certain things and for them to explain why they thought the way they did. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and expand our mindset.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

When writing a paper it is especially important to take note of who your audience is. It is important to appeal to your audience so they continue reading. With audience in mind, it is also critical that it written to the level of those who intend to read it. Well researched college writing will appeal to college students. I’ve also spent time working towards writing with a purpose. Instead of writing to receive a grade, I have been able to engage in my topic and write with the intention of educating my audience. I spent extra time researching my topic so that my audience receives only accurate and relevant information. Since Professor Hodges required the Bibliography Assignment, I spent more time than I normally would finding supportive and accurate information.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Since the course began I have improved in my ability to explain ideas to my audience.  To achieve this goal it is helpful to use good sources. If you are able to cite good sources that accurately portray your subject matter, it is beneficial to your writing. I make sure to include all evidence I find within my writing because it is better supported and better researched. I have been spending more time making sure that all information provided is thoroughly detailed so it can paint a mental picture for the reader.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

Throughout the course I have been especially careful to make sure that all citations are done correctly. If I quote or cite a source I make sure that I give credit to the author or mention the article it came from. All the writing done has been my own because plagiarism inhibits a students ability to grow and enhance their understanding of the topic. In this class I learned how to include a hyperlink at the bottom of the screen so that the reader is able to easily access the online sources provided.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

I very much appreciate that this class embraces the concept of rewriting work to continuously buff out kinks and constantly make papers all around better. Normally, I’m not a total fan of this practice, as I consider myself a “one and done” type of person. However, when it comes to assignments and essays, fixing to get a better grade and find more satisfaction is always something I can get behind. Additionally, the feedback that is provided by Professor Hodges is always an asset, as it never fails to miss an error or potential site of improvement. The most notable example of this comes with my Visual Rewrite, which I have worked extensively on to make it the best it can be. This meant multiple comments of feedback back and forth, and multiple changes in the content. In the end though, I feel that I’ve been able to utilize the opportunities to rewrite to produce a very effective result.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

Most of the assignments presented in class demanded that multiple sources be used in order to formulate an argument. With this, I learned that every source has its own viewpoint and needs to be treated as such. Nothing is truly neutral. In the Rebuttal Exercise, I had to analyze multiple sources and their opinions on ag-gag laws and effectively refute each one of them, forcing me to learn exactly what they’re saying. Furthermore, in my Proposal +5 and +10, I had to round up ten sources that aided me in my argument of points in my essay. Through research, I was able to determine which sources were effective, those were generally news articles, and also which ones were not.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

Throughout my time in Comp II, I have worked hard to provide the best analyses possible on either the work of others or my own writing. In all rewrite assignments, whether they specifically be the causal, definition, or rebuttal papers, I have taken time to reread everything I have written and take the feedback provided into consideration to produce to most competent rewrite possible.

I knew what was expected of each assignment, and I tried my hardest to accomplish physically the vision that I had for each of my works. Every assignment was based on counterintuitivity, and thus that was the primary focus and goal of each paper. If the reader understands what I’m writing about, then mission success.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

In order to produce an effective argument in my research paper, it was essential to locate evidence and support for my argument. But locating sources was only the first step of many to achieve the full value of Core IV. After finding them, it was necessary to analyze them in depth to see what they really meant. This can be seen in my summaries assignment clearly, where I was able to focus all my energy in doing this. And after analyzing the sources, it was up to me to expand on what I was given in order to produce opinions of my own and unique material.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

Never, throughout any of my assignments, did I fail to give credit where due and plagiarize work. My work cited always includes adequate credit; this is true for all of my essays. This first became an “issue” in the Stone Money assignment, when there were multiple articles and outside sources in question. Whether it be Friedman’s essay or the multiple NPR broadcasts, all had to be properly cited in accordance with their usage in my work.