Considering Genre

Jarmoluk, Michael "Library Book Reading Computers" 10/15/2014 via Pixabay 

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What genre are you going to commit to for Project 1? Why?

I am choosing the Quick Reference Guide for my first project since I think it'll best represent my topic due to its long, ongoing history. I feel as though the Quick Reference is best used when the author is unbiased and is meant to inform the audience, and this type of presentation will suit a controversy with lots of events and little progress very well.

What genre conventions from your chosen genre are you planning on developing during next week's Production phase? What do you plan to do with the genre conventions that will help you accomplish the purpose of the project most effectively?

I think I'm mostly going to focus on organizing all the information I have gathered and can gather next week into some sort of organized format in which I will write the Quick Reference Guide. I'm thinking right now I'm either going to organize it chronologically by the time the events took place, or into two big parts, using the perspectives of advocates and reformers as my basis for my parts. I think these are my two best convention strategies right now, but everything is up in the air if I think of another way to organize all of these events.

How are you feeling about Project 1 going in to the Production phase? What challenges do you anticipate next week as you create content for the project?

Compared to doing a project like this in high school I feel incredibly prepared and dangerously comfortable. If this were a year ago, I still wouldn't haven't even touched the project yet. Comparing my old experiences to how much research and knowledge on the topic I have now, I feel a level of preparedness; a level that puts me at unease since starting this early on a project is a new experience to me. I feel as though next week I a going to have trouble motivating myself that the work I'm doing is adequate. I tend to be a perfectionist (a troubling characteristic that conflicts with my pride as a procrastinator), so I feel as the biggest hurdle I need to overcome is a sense of pride the work I'm going to do next week.

Cluster of Stakeholders

Linforth, Pete "Bubbles Sea Fantasy Water"12/31/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Distribution License

My Math Wars Cluster is organized to show the perspectives of two sides: why the current system is adequate, and how the controversy surrounding the whole issue has been affecting mathematics education as a whole. The reason why I didn't choose two different sides is because there aren't any clear sides besides those who support the existing system and those who want the current system revoked; the whole issue is broader than just a black and white issue since there is no potential alternative curriculum in the making. I focused on specific events for my cluster since the Math Wars have been an ongoing issue for years at a time.

Evaluation of General Sources

Robert DeLaRosa "Accounting Calculator Math" 6/24/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Distribution License

My topic is an ongoing even called the "Math Wars". This refers to the present controversy on whether or not the current way of teaching and educating students from elementary to high school math is adequate or not. Many scholars say that our current system, called "New Math" is more than good enough, while others say otherwise.

Inside Higher Education
Specific Article: Casualty of the Math Wars

URL: The following link has a .com domain, which is a little bit shaky, but Inside Higher Education is a news source that solely reports on the happenings in education. This is a credible source because the link is an official credible newspaper article; one that specializes in this topic.

Author: The author is an editor by the name of Scott Jaschik. Jaschik is one of the three founders of the news website the article is on, Inside Higher Education. Considering the author's background, its safe to assume that his qualifications are more than necessary to make this source credible.

Last Updated: While the news is updated on a daily basis, the article in particular that talk about my event was written October 15, 2012. Unfortunately, Inside Higher Education doesn't seem to have any other articles or connections about the Math Wars (my topic), but it is referenced in other articles.

Purpose: Since this source is a news website, it is meant to inform its audience about certain events. The article remains as unbiased as possible while only giving quotes and facts about the specific subject at hand (in this case, the perspective of a teacher who challenges current math policies).

Graphics: There is a picture of the teacher who is being challenged, but other than this, there are no graphics.

Position on Subject: Since this is a newspaper article, the author makes his perspective as least opinionated as possible. I looked up this specific story that Inside Higher Education reported on, and it appears to be true, so we can assume that its credibility is still intact and remains unbiased. Lastly, since the website is an official newspaper, the profits of this article will go to the newspaper itself so it can fund itself (rightfully so).

Links: There are links to the teacher's journals that she had previously written and accounts to the events that transpired. There are also various quotes from interviews and the individuals involved with references to where these statements were taking from. Although there are no links, with a little effort, the sources for this paper can be found.

Slate
Specific Article: What's Wrong with Math Education in the U.S.?

URL: As with the previous source, the source has a .com domain, but it comes from a news website called Slate. Since this a news website, we usually can safely say that this is a credible source, but this appears on the opinion column of Slate. This may take away from its credibility.

Author: There are two authors. The first author is Alon Amit, a PhD in Mathematics. The author's qualifications make this source credible, even if the article is technically an opinion article.He even states his credentials in the article.  The second is a lawyer by the name of Neil Aggarwel. Although he states he is a lawyer, in his writings, he explains how he was a middle-school math teacher and has experience with this subject first-hand. This is enough to make the lawyer are credible source as well.

Last Updated: Once again, the newspaper is updated daily, but the article was written on a specific date : February 25, 2014. No links are given on the page.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of first-hand experiences with the controversy at hand, in this case its the Math Wars. I imagine that the authors want to persuade the reader that their opinions and perspectives are important enough to change sides on the subject.

Graphics: There are no important graphics given.

Position on Subject: Both pieces seem to be biased. Since the writings are about first-hand experiences, the authors want the reader to take their stories into perspective and possible use this information to change or strengthen their opinion on the Math Wars. We can't prove their stories to be true however, but putting their backgrounds into perspective, we can say that the authors aren't lying.

Links: The authors don't go into further detail with additional stories since these are their personal experiences. I wish that they did include some sort of link more information, since their writings basically tell the same story, and it would be great to learn more of this perspective.

Reddit and What I Found There

Phillips, Kevin "Vote Comment Submit" 10/31/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Distribution License

Unlike Twitter, I am well versed in Reddit, but I never really used Reddit solely for educational purposes (I usually go on Reddit to look up cute pet photos and internet memes at one in the morning on a weekday night and I can't fall asleep). Either way, I looked up two controversies in the math subreddit.

What kinds of things do people in the Reddit forums seem to be arguing about, debating, disagreeing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? 

Much like twitter, the posts that I found on Reddit didn't have many conflicts, but many exchanges of information instead. Nearly all of the posts I found the math subreddit are interesting bits of mathematical news and information, and there were nearly no posts about certain controversies that seemed of a higher importance. Some examples of these types of posts include an NFL player being accepted into the Math PhD program at MIT, a guide on how to use mathematics to win popular games, a derivation of Schrodiger's Equation, and other links of the same caliber. The math subreddit seems more suited to an information sharing site, much like how twitter was set up.

In your opinion, what are the two most interesting debates/disagreements you found in the Reddit forums? 

I did manage to find disagreements within the math community on Reddit, but not as articles. Disagreements and exchanges happen within the comments of each post, since every mathematician has their own perspective on how numbers are supposed to work with the world as a whole.

A New Proof of Euclid's Theorem and the comments

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Euclid's Theorem is a proof to the idea that there are infinite prime numbers that exist (meaning that certain properties of number can continue on until infinity). The article is another proof written by a mathematician by the name of Filip Saidak, sued as another way of explaining this characteristic. In this case, people in the comment section are debating with one another whether this proof better explains the phenomenon of infinite prime numbers of not. The two sides that seemed to form were that Euclid's timeless explanation was more simple and intricate, while the other side sees Saidak's explanation as a better way to explain why this characteristic. I found this argument interesting because both sides respect both theorem as correct, but are instead debating which definition is the best for explaining the situation as a whole.

Conway's Soldiers solved... with infinite moves and the comments

Conway's Soldiers, also known as Peg Solitaire, is a board game in which there is a board filled with pegs, and each turn you may only move one peg at a time, up to two spaces in any direction. A peg my only move if it jumps over another peg. The objective  is to get a peg as far up the board as possible.

This article refers to a theory that if an infinitely large peg solitaire board exists in all directions, there is a surefire way to reach row 5 with these pegs in least amount of turns. Details aside, the algorithm looks very solid, much like how certain algorithms exist on How to Solve a Rubik's Cube. The people in the comment section, however, are very torn about this explanation. Many people believe that this is not the most efficient way to move the pegs forward. An example a comment point out is a potential misuse of induction, a way to prove that every move can be precisely followed by the next in this context, since the formula starts from the end result and works back to the beginning (a big no no in math). Of course, other people say otherwise, talking about other concepts in which this concept can be used.

Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening in the Reddit forums? Were the people in those forums talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing?

Considering the experience I had with Twitter, this time I was not surprised to see the same type of atmosphere in Reddit. People were more interested in sharing their opinions on math rather than arguing about them. The thing about math is that a majority of the concepts can only be explained in the abstract, meaning that the cannot seemingly exist, but if they did, mathematicians would be correct in their characteristics and properties. As with many human beings, I think it would be a tad difficult to argue about something that doesn't exist, so that's why I think that the community is so easy come, easy go when it comes to the posts on Reddit. They came to learn about math, not to argue, a very different atmosphere then what I predicted to see before I started researching.

Evaluation for News Magazine Stories

Hovland, Steinar "Newspaper Stocks Stock Pen" 12/11/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Distribution License

For my evaluations, I looked at Newsweek and TIME

The Maths Behind the Simpsons' Women

What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about?

The article uses the Simpson's character Lisa Simpson as the example role model for inspiring female students in the fields of mathematics and sciences. Recently, a mathematician by the name of Maryam Mirzakhami was the first female in history to receive the Fields Award, the highest award given to mathematicians, for her work in researching symmetry in nature. The Fields Award has been around for nearly a century, so why is Mirzakhami the first female to win such an honor after such a large gap in time. The article goes into detail on how studies have shown that between the beginning of college until their third-year, the percentage of women who are interested in pursuing a career in research drops from 70% to 39%. So, why are these numbers so low, and why are women struggling to close the gender gap in the fields of science? Most studies say its the gender stereotype of a research in the field of science is a man. In fact, a Columbia University studied showed that companies were twice as likely to hire a man over a woman in the sciences field.

Who is the most sympathetic character in the story?

This is an easy choice: the women trying to overcome the gender gap in the fields of science and mathematics. The sheer fact that they, statistically, have to work harder a create a better application for a company than a male just to get equal standing in a job is absolute horrible. In a society whose pride is based off of equality, I find it hypocritical to break such ethics because of stereotypes. The article uses Lisa Simpson as a representation of women scholars and how important she is to the community as a whole (the comparison of the Simpson's character is really quite striking in all truth). The article states that we don't know Lisa's opinion on the gender gap, but I think that everyone can imply what the girl thinks about such a concept.

Who is the least sympathetic character in the story?

The article mostly focuses on how women are struggling to both maintain dedication to their field of study and their employment, but I think that the thing that holds these people behind isn't really a specific character. I think that big business as a whole is grouping women researchers as inferior to male ones; I think that's wrong on so many levels. I understand that businesses don't like to take chances and they may see women as potential for a lower gross output of progress and discovery, but the fact that they group human beings in such a way is what makes them despicable. Don't judge a book by its cover, especially when you automatically rule out the lower half of a bookshelf because it looks inferior to the books towering over the lower shelves. Big businesses are being unreasonable.

The New Math Strikes Back

What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about?

The teaching concept known as "new math" has been the common core curriculum for schools in the United States for over half a century. "New math" is, as the article states: "a commitment to connecting different areas of mathematics under a unifying set of principles, an emphasis on conceptual understanding and foundational laws, and a focus on problem-solving ability". Basically, it teaches students more about how to calculate something instead of teaching them the conceptual idea of mathematics. Over the years, many people have argued between whether these components of mathematical understanding are the core of the most efficient way of teaching the subject to students, yet no one else has come up with an alternative to new math, so the principles stay alive to this day. Furthermore, the textbooks and resources used for teaching this new math are become antiques, and people are starting to believe that new math is becoming too old-fashioned for a society becoming so reliant and advanced in respect to technology.

Who is the most sympathetic character in the story?

The most sympathetic character in this argument are the people who believe that new math is still a viable way to teach high school students the subjects. I feel the most sympathy with this party since they tried their best in creating a system that will work universally for all students in the country. It may not be the most impressive system considering a decline in test scores, but overall the mathematics community is still alive and kicking even after the 50 years that this system has been running.

Who is the least sympathetic character in the story?

Those who opposed the policies seem a little bit hypocritical in respect to the subject as a whole. These people oppose new math to its core, but have yet to find an alternative to this style of teaching. I believe that these people aren't really being any help to the community until they find an alternative to new math, so that their arguments may actually have some backbone to them rather than just being heckling.

Twitter and What I Found There

ClkerFreeVectorImages "Bluebird Bird Animal Blue Wildlife" 6/14/2014 via Pixabay

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As an 19 year-old teenager, I feel a little bit special when I say that this is my first one-on-one encounter with twitter. Furthermore, I feel a little more special since my first twitter experience is an educational one. Currently, I am a math major, so I found two twitter feeds about math that were interesting.

What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in these Twitter feeds.

From what I saw, I can narrow down a majority of the content I found on twitter into three categories: news, education, and resources. Mathematical news tweets are usually links that go to articles that discuss recently solved problems, proven theories, and controversies with discoveries and laws that have been previously proven. Probably the most interesting thing about the news category is that current events don't seem to have a lasting impact on the community; sometimes discoveries will be announced one day only to be found false the next, while other discoveries take years to find false. Mathematical education tweets are what you'd expect of an informative twitter feed. The feed includes articles and blogs about certain study tips and helpful shortcuts that can be useful for struggling students. Most of the content I found in this category seemed more geared to the high school level, usually involving tips about algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Lastly, mathematical resources are usually links our discoveries that are meant to both hep and inform those looking for more clarification on the subject as a whole. Examples of this include websites like this three dimensional grapher or this matrix calculator.

In your opinion, what are the two most interesting conversations or stories you found in the Twitter feeds? Hyperlink us to the two different Twitter feeds and explain why you found those conversations interesting.

Math Tourist

Math Tourist is a twitter feed that mostly focuses on the happenings and applications of the mathematics in real life. One of the more interesting articles how I found posted was this one. This article explains the application of math and  patterns within something as abstract as art. Numbers and patterns are cold and straight-forward; however, seeing prevalent such concepts were in art was surprising. Furthermore, the idea of symmetry was explicitly stated numerous times. Symmetry is implicitly present in nature in things like plants, animals, and even ourselves (do you want an asymmetrical body?), but in the concept of curves in art seems a little bit of a stretch. These curves described in the article are what make this art beautiful though, patterned curves through the definitions of trigonometric principles and symmetrical shape are what give flowers their beauty, landscapes their expression, humans our individuality.

Mathematics Professor 

The Mathematics Professor is the twitter feed of a mathematics professor (mathematicians are the greatest in the creative department). He usually posts interesting resources and books that can be useful to college and graduate students, but sometimes he posts interesting links such as this one. The webpage is a massive list that defines a single unique property for almost all numbers from 0 to 9999. As stated, not every number is included, but there are a lot of numbers on this page (so many, in fact, I couldn't think of an efficient way for my laptop to count them all without creating an excel file so big my hard drive would explode. I found this article to be interesting because I'm a massive sucker for lists. Each number in this list has some sort of significance, and since there are so many of them, I can't help but feel the importance of the numerical system as a whole. Every number seems to important, and since math relates to so much in real life, I can't help but fell in importance of every little thing in the same context.

Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening on Twitter? Were the people in these feeds talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

Considering how twitter is mainly used for its social applications, I was very surprised on how much I found on twitter in such a little amount of time. There were many twitter feeds that showed an insane amount of dedication to informing the public about how their passion about math can be universally seen, and how math relates to the world. Similarly, I found math professors and associations discussing and sharing their opinions about the specifics of the subject. If anything, I expect there to be a lot of controversies considering how differently people look at the subject and its theories, but instead I found people usually respecting the opinions of others, regardless if they agree with them or not. A great example comes for the Mathematics Professor, who states in one of his tweets asks his audience: "Is there anyone who you disagree with 100% of the time but admire due to their intelligence and morality? For me its G. K. Chesteron.". This type of respect is what keeps the controversies in the subject of mathematics at a constant lull. Lastly, I was genuinely surprised by the spectrum in which the twitter feeds discussed math. From the connection math had to certain patterns that can be used in art to the online tools used to help struggling students, to the current news about all things in the subject, the twitter feeds covered a complete overview. Twitter was quite the culture shock for the stereotype I had set in my head.

Evaluation of New York Times Stories

Stachowiak, Kai "Newspaper Paper Newsprint" 9/24/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Distribution License

Being tasked with the assignment to write reports on any two articles from arguably one of the most important newspapers in modern America, I decided to choose two topics that seemed irreplaceable to modern society: hoverboards and parrots.

M.T.A. Bans Hoverboards on Public Transit System

1: There are two "characters" in this scenario (they are actually groups of people): the M.T.A., or Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and people who use hoverboards. The M.T,A. is definitely the "main character" in this article, considering that they are the harbinger for this new addition to the list of places where hoverboard technology is banned (University of Arizona was recently added to this list). From this article, we only see the issue from the perspective of the M.T.A., who only see hoverboards as a potential health hazard to the other passengers of the transit. The only issue with this article is that the perspective of the M.T.A. is the only "center" of the story. No insight on how people who use hoverboards feel is given in the article.

2: This story takes place in New York City, the place where the M.T.A. is situated. Specifically, the trains, buses, and subways in New York City are our setting of choice, considering these are the spots where hoverboards have been banned. The main conflict that provoked the M.T.A. to create the ban against hoverboards was how these devices could pose a threat to the passengers if their batteries malfunction, so removes these devices from the setting and the problem is solved, right? Well, the final results of this ban have yet to be seen since the rule has been enforced very recently, but time may cause these settings to change drastically. Who knows, we may see people revolting against the ban by being the Rosa Parks of hoverboards and roll up onto the subway on their swagmobile.

3: There is an obvious disagreement between the M.T.A. and the people who would ride their hoverboards to buses, trains, and subways. This argument is present, but is not mentioned in the article, but rather assumed. The article mentions that the M.T.A is starting an ad-campaign that intends to discourage the use of hoverboards on public transportation. The M.T.A. is creating this campaign since their pride is on the line if the ban is challenged; they intend to defend their name. There is no outcry against the ban so far, but the introduction of a public ad-campaign may brew up some sort of disagreement from the hoverboard enthusiasts of the world.

What Does a Parrot Know about PTSD?

1: Much like the previous article, this paper has two "main characters", represented by two different species: abandoned parrots and war veterans. What's fascinating about these two groups is how similar they are to each when it comes to their individual outlook on the world (even more so considering that the article gives a very good argument on why animals like parrots can have an outlook on their surrounding society). Much like how veterans are traumatized by their experiences from the terrors of war, scientists state that abandoned parrots are traumatized not only by their isolation from the intrinsic characteristic of being in a flock, but also being isolated from all contact of life. These feelings of abandonment are what build the bond between the veterans and birds in the article.

2: The veterans and parrots come together at Serenity Park, a quasi-therapy house that doubles as a housing for abandoned parrots. Serenity Park is quite a niche facility, but it serves a single, important role in the story since it's the place where the mutualistic relationship between PTSD victims and abandoned parrots can take place. It can be argued that Serenity Park is so important to the PTSD victims and the birds that their lives would feel empty without it; the park is the only string of hope left in the veterans. Serenity Park is just that important to these people and the animals it houses.

3: There is no debate occurring between any of the characters; however, the characters involved are the remnants of previous encounters from the worst kind of hatred and oppression the world has to offer. The article is stating the aftermath of such occurrences, and how people and animals alike cope with their existences after their wounds from time and anguish keep on bleeding. I believe it can be argued that the only conflict in the article is the fight for the will to survive; perseverance and selfless desires for their comrades compel both humans and animals alike to keep moving forward against the tides and storms that life brings.

Course Projects

Preface: I'm nervous since I haven't done anything like this before. Basically, if I feel like I don't do a good job on the projects, this ill be my world:

Gelentsky, Bela "Earth World Globe All Space" 3/24/2015 Public Domain Distribution

What are you most confused by or nervous about in regards to the four major projects?

I'm actually worried the most about how relate my field to the projects. The mathematics field is absolutely massive. There are mathematicians that work in all branches of science, economics and just math in general. I feel as though I'm going to have trouble choosing the "right" topic that I can be completely satisfied with

What are you most interested in or excited by in regards to the four major projects?

I'm excited for the degree of freedom I'm going to get when it comes to producing the final project. I feel as though I'll be more interested in actually doing the assignment rather than dreading it because of rules and guidelines.

Based on your understanding of the major projects, what are the elements of this course that you have to plan ahead for? 

I have to choose what topic to do way in advance. Choosing what topic and what genre to do will probably require the most amount of time, especially for how broad my major is. Finding discoveries won't be the problem, but finding something that I feel will be perfect for one of the genres will be difficult.

How will the coursework described in the four project assignment sheets challenge your time management skills this semester?

Some of the genres are definitely going to require working ahead of the last minute. Take Project 2, the Rhetorical Investigation for example. Everyone in the class is going to need at least two primary sources for their project, and getting interviews with a professor, a graduate student, or a professional is going to take more than a couple of minutes. Planning is required, and I'm scared for that considering how much of a procrastinator I am.

How has your past English coursework in high school or college prepared you for the challenges of this course? What skills will you bring into the course with you?

My high school experience didn't prepare me much for independent research and projects, but it did help me hone my writing and presentation skills so that I can make a good independent project. I've never done a project such as the ones I'm going to do in this class, but I do believe that I have the tools and skills necessary to make such a project possible.

Do you have any questions about the four major projects that haven't been answered by the assignment sheets? What do you still want to know?

I feel as though the assignments are thoroughly covered in the documents on D2L, so I believe that all of my questions and possible questions are already answered on D2L.

Reflection

I commented on Brady's and Sofia's blogs

From what I saw from the posts and comments, a lot of the folks in the class seem just as uneasy about some of the projects as I am (of course, we don't hate the ideas, we're actually looking forward to them, just a little nervous). I'm a little relieved that I'm not the solo party member of this nervousness when I look at the syllabus, but there are definitely some people who can't wait to dive into the thick of the projects. Power to the brave!

Investigating Genres

1: What purpose does this genre usually serve?

The Quick Reference Guide is the SparkNotes of human events. More than a summary, less than a primary source, the Quick Reference Guide is one of the quickest and effective ways of understanding an idea of past, current, or possible human events.

ClkerFreeVectorImages "Pen Write Author Ink" 8/26/2013 via Pixabay Public Domain Dedication

From the examples presented on D2L, it seems as though the Quick Reference Guide is meant to inform the reader about the facts and events of a certain topic in an organized fashion (usually in chronological order). Furthermore, the Quick Reference Guide is supposed to be unbiased, hence 'reference'. Compare it to the reference section of a library. The books in the reference section are meant to inform, such as the dictionary. Such is the same for the Quick Reference Guide.

2: Where, how, or in what context do readers usually find this genre?

These guides are actually some of the most common forms of content available. Newspaper columns, science magazine articles, even graphs and pictures that show information clearly. There is a myriad of content spanning the electrical ocean of information known as the internet.

3: Who is the typical audience for this genre?

The "typical audience" does not exist for something like the Quick Reference Guide, since it can cover a theoretical infinite number of topics. The audience is all based on what is being said in each article. People interested in the sciences will read posts about space travel and advances in medical achievements, while people interested in video games will read about the statistics of the latest consoles, and histories of cultures of certain games. This comparison can be applied to the endless sea of topics that the Quick Reference Guide can cover.

4: What are some of the key features or characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?

The most important thing about the Quick Reference Guide is that is remains unbiased. As stated before, the key word in its title is "reference", meaning that it should stay as a source of information, rather than an opinion. If opinion is mistaken as fact, the conjectures taken away by the audience will not be the standalone facts and statistics typical of the Quick reference Guide.

5: Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.

The Quick Reference Guide is meant to inform the audience with the bare bones required information in order to understand the thin veneer that covers the entirety of a certain topic.

Reflection

I read Ben's and Ryan's posts.

The main thing that I saw between what my classmates have written and my style of writing is curious to say the least. Every student had the same topic of discussion, but each one seemed to have their own way or style of presenting it, just by a style of writing or perspective on the topic at hand. I guess such a thing is similar to how people have different personalities, traits, and character.

My Writing Process

I'm gonna be honest, the idea of writing this blog shakes my being to the core. For as long as I can remember, I've been a man whose strengths revolved around mathematics and science. Writing has always been tough for me, especially when I was asked to write about my feelings or emotions or something similar. I always answered to the call of duty, however, and gave my all in every writing assignment, anxiously waiting for the day when I graduated from school and never had to write another blasted paper as a mathematics major in college. So here I am in college writing another blasted paper as a mathematics major, but I still will give these assignments my everything.

    McGuire, Ryan "Hat Fashion Style Happy Man 01/09/2015 via Pixabay Public Domain Dedication

Word of advice: I'm kinda a scatterbrain (hence the strange man staring  through the computer screen), so please don't mind the strange logic leaps and reasoning below)

1: What type of writer to you consider yourself to be?

Every since I can remember, every paper I've ever turned in has been last minute. It's not that I'm extremely lazy nor careless like my fellow procrastinators of the world; I like the challenge. Nothing is more satisfying than racing against the clock, and I take pride in whizzing through my assignments like a speed demon. This may sound like the worst excuse for being a procrastinator, but I'm here to assure you that my adrenaline fueled writing style is the only way for me to feel truly inspired. I procrastinate for entirely selfish reasons, and I apologize to all my previous and current teachers that must deal with my self-centered ways.

2: Does your writing include several of the above approaches? If so, which ones?

In addition to being a procrastinator, I'm a "heavy reviser". I say "heavy reviser" in quotes since I usually only write one final draft for all of my papers, so it's technically impossible to be a reviser if I don't write more than one draft. Instead of writing several drafts, I often take each paper I write one sentence at a time. I usually construct several sentences that could possibly follow-up on the previous sentence. After constructing, I usually pick the one I'm mostly satisfied with and add in details from my other sentences that I feel should still be incorporated. Rinse and  repeat. Eventually, I'll end up with a paper at 11:58 pm on a Sunday night.

3: Does your writing process seem to be successful? What are strengths and weaknesses in your approach?

I've had several calls (all of which just fuel my unhealthy ego), but I've never failed to turn in a "bad paper". All of my English grades over the past decade have been exceptional. Furthermore, I've passed both of the AP English exams, which I feel is a decent accomplishment. There is one absolutely huge weakness my writing style: my mother. My mother used to be a newspaper editor in college, and is the stereotypical bossy Asian mother. Don't get the wrong idea I love her to death, but I hate her for how much she wants to edit my papers and add in her own style of writing into it. My mother is a FAR better writer than I am, and whenever she edits my papers they come out better than my original draft, but as a rebellious teenager, I don't want my mother to touch my work.

4: Do you think it would be beneficial for you to try a different approach?

I think it would be healthy to try a different approach, but I don't know if the final product would turn out better. Either way, I think it would be at least interesting to see how different my paper would be. If I had to guess, I think that the language, grammar, and vocabulary would be flawless, but the overall feeling of the paper would be uninspired.