Blog 4
Hope Wilson
Progress Report

Monday my computer crashed. I lost approximately two thousand words. It killed my mo jo for two

days. I could not get back to my  mindset of inspirational writing. My story begin reading like a

biography. I am attempting to write a young adult book that will inspire children in poverty to

persevere. Thursday I picked up my iPad and it was back. That inspirational concept where I left off

at Sunday.  Then I had to play catch up. It was great that I was off Thursday. I wrote four thousand

words Thursday and completed my fourth book Friday. Saturday is my girlfriend 50th birthday party

and I want to attend. As promised and according to the class assignment I will continue to write until

Wednesday. I will focus on my introduction, conclusion, and my book dedication.

Good luck guys in your life journeys. Maybe I will see some of you in passing or in class.

Good luck Dr. Zamora!!!

d

Blog 3

Hope Wilson

Progress Report

My creative juices are increasingly growing and rapidly flowing. I am completing my books in 

great spirit. Writing these books has improved my spiritual being tremendously when writing. 

This assignment is exactly what my summer needs. This is a great distraction from some of 

my personal worries. Maintaining my one thousand word a day is now effortless. It has 

become a mental escape. It is equivalent to mediating for me. It has been confirmed. A 

couple of my purposes in life are definitely to become  an educator and assist children to 

achieve their purpose in life. Also to write young adult novels providing children a window 

into other children lives. Providing them with different ideologies.

Hey Guys! How is it going? Please feel free to bounce any ideas off me. I am checking my 

emails daily. I am also available to talk. My work hours are flexible.

Hope Wilson
Week 2 

Progress Report

Writing this inspirational children book has opened my creative thoughts in aspects I did not know 

exist. I am attempting to encourage children who are born into poverty and in uncompromising living 

situations. I am also making an effort to advise them of team work and the importance of sharing 

valuable information with other children in similar living conditions. I am attempting to encourage 

children to plan their escape legally with educational means. If this book inspires one child to 

persevere it will be an attribute to my legacy.

Guys I am still doing a lot of editing. This week my writing has began to flow free. Monday I 

began to write 1,000 words a day and it has been working great for me. Although I have 

not gotten use to the goal set forth. I have been meeting the 5,000 words a week. How are you guys 

doing?

Good Luck Guys!!!

Hope Wilson
Weekly Progress Report

First day of class was joy for me. I love learning and it is always a joy to 

meet people. Plus Dr. Zamora always creates a relaxing class environment.When I presented my 

word count in class I did not realize it was for all five books. My first book had consist of two 

thousand words. When I realized that I went into panic mode. I wrote for and hour 

Wednesday night which consist of one thousand words,  two hours Thursday night writing 

another thousand words in addition to editing the entire book, and three hours today which 

brought my word count to thirty five hundred. I will be writing all day Saturday until I reach my 

goal. Sunday I will be editing all of my writings again. I am constantly editing. I can not keep up with 

my thoughts. I am leaving out words and misspelling many words in the rush to reach my goal.  

Writing is fun without the pressure...:) This is definitely a challenge.

Good Luck Guys!!

The Literary, The Humanistic, The Digital: Toward a Research Agenda for Digital Literary Studies

Julia Flanders

What is Digital Humanities and What’s it Doing in English Department?

Mathew G. Kirchenbaum

Hope Wilson

         I have recently began to personally utilizing computers.I actually carry my iPad daily on most days to read and research at my leisure. Just last year I was utilizing computers for school and work related concerns only. I now feel comfortable with my learn knowledge of some applications that I now research, make purchases, and download information when needed. 

       The digital humanity has become a popular concern of many scholars concerning the English department as well as public usage. As soon as I read the first couple of lines I too googled digital humanities and my results where on wikipedia also. The definition is the digital humanities, also known as humanities computing, is a field of study, research, teaching, and invention concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities. It is methodological by nature and interdisciplinary in scope. It involves investigation, analysis, synthesis and presentation of information in electronic form. It studies how these media affect the disciplines in which they are used, and what these disciplines have to contribute to our knowledge of computing. There are constant concerns of how to reinvent and improve processes like the success of the project of the “developed and tested standards and best practices for archiving and ensuring future access to computer games, interactive fiction, and virtual communities” providing the users with better applications. Digital humanities are encouraging change in the English Department. It provides options on how to research, teach, invent, and compute. The entire methodology of investigating, analyzing and how we present information in electric form have changed. This change will provide enormous amount of access to needed information and research. Although I consider myself to be “old school” I continue to enjoy going to a physical library and holding books in my hand as I read them. I have adjusted to the internet because it has its convenient. I am engaged in progress and inspired by the technical tools that are presently available to students and willing users. Although we must consider “The recession-era push to do more with less provides motivation for both defensive, retreating shifts (such as elimination of specialized departments and increased class size) and opportunistic ones (such as the creation of online educational programs that arguably serve to expand access and increase educational opportunities even while they help reduce costs). But both shifts reduce the visibility of the individual—reduce the proportionality, we might say, of the individual to the system. This is true whether we are considering the teacher (now an intellectual focal point for an expanding set of educational relationships that might number in the hundreds or thousands per course) or the student (now a proportionally smaller participant in larger and larger classrooms or online learning communities). It is important to note that both retreat and opportunity operate in the same way here: they accept the same structural premises, namely that the individual must be placed in ever greater subordination to a system of interconnections and that the efficiency and scale of the educational operation are the primary measures of its success—a developmental direction mapped out and justified by the logic of industrial technology,” may effect the transition of technology. We must also consider how accurate our look up has to be to receive exactly what we are searching. The library system is more convenient in that aspect. Considering the World Wide Web has enormous amount of information available to the seeker who are  knowledgeable of the process of researching information. We use to know exactly what we were getting in books and in the World Wide Web I am not exactly sure.

Hope Wilson

The Activist Learner

Inquiry, Literacy, and Service to Make Learning Matter

By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Whitney Douglas, and Sara W. Fry

Foreword by Mary Beth Tinker

Afterword by Bruce Novak

      Teaching to the test was never my favorite approach to engage students in classroom assignments.

Students will talk more if they knew their voices matters “From responding with interest when

students are enthusiastic about something like the opportunity to raise a shark, to being incense about

human rights violations, to being an attentive listener to student conversation, teachers can identify

potential topics. Remember that the underlying goal of inquiry is to connect students personally to the

materials of the curriculum and then connect what is learn back to the world in a way that it can be

used,” also increasing their personal growth. When teachers and students are communicating on a

person level it makes a great learning relationship. Service learning projects also improves teachers

relationships “ In addition to having the capacity to help improve service learning projects, work as

thinking partners provides rewarding collegial connections. When challenges arise and seen

overwhelming, thinking partners serve as mentors who see possibilities and remind one another of the

greater purpose of teaching with service learning. Positive collegial connections and support help

teachers remain and thrive in the profession” which may encourage other educator to engage in the

service learning projects. The parents expectations are familiar as they are consider “another site of

resource and support, as they can reinforce and extend at home what students are learning and doing

at school,” as they enhance their relationship with their child, increase their quality time, and

encourage better work ethics.

        
        The Activist Learner concept prepares students for future endeavors and personal relationships.

Service learning will increase students concept on the laws of life as their articulation skills increases.

It will also intensify their community life as it does takes a village to raise a child. 

Principles for Practice

What is Social Action?
Jennie Fleming, Ian Boulton

     I can identify and appreciate this valuable selection. It cleared up my concept on Social Action. I had concerns with the generic term social action,” Social Action is a community development theory base on the simple premise that change is possible. The Social Action approach enables groups of all ages and circumstances to take action and to achieve their collective goals. It offers an easy-to understand, open-ended process that enables people to identify and act on issues that are important to them while a set of principles. For us at the Centre for Social Action, Social Action is a distinctive methodology and should not be confused with the generic term social action, which describes activity aimed at brings about change in society.” engaging people in the necessities of change. Encouraging people to acknowledge their situation and persevered as they interact with their environment and the community.  Life appreciation is also encouraged” Injustice and oppression are complex issues rotted in social policy, the environment, and the economy. Social Action workers understand that people may experience problems as individuals but that these difficulties can be translated into common concerns. We recognize that there are many different problems in individuals’ lives. They may feel overwhelmed and daunted by mean: they may even be responsible for them. Social Action gives people the opportunity to break free from a negative view” which is the greatest approach when encouraging someone.

      Analyzing social change is familiar. Encouraging people to share themselves and work with

others are amazing. Getting people to not focus on being judged of their bad decision instead to focus

on The Social Action Process is awesome. The process is structured and work with everyone that

allows the process to work for them. It must be rewarding for all involved “to be allowed to reach

their conclusion in their own time” which takes away all constraints. When someone life is

unbalanced and then it becomes balanced you get to appreciate the person's soul.

Hope Wilson

Online Fan Fiction, Global Identities, and Imagination

By Rebecca Black

Learning Can Be Fun

        Increasing literacy with untraditional methods is awesome! Considering the “ Theoretical 

constructs within globalization and literacy studies are used to describe the influence of new media and techniques on modern configurations of imagination, identity, communication and writings,” are encouraging amazing imagination creativity for today students. Especially for the students that speak English as their second language. This new era of students who are up to the challenge, considering they were born into the era of the globalization of media, will prove to inspiring for othere. Some of theoretical constructs can use is lessons such as; “media studies, social sciences, education, and the humanities offers rich theoretical and empirical accounts of contemporary issues related to these trans-border flows of cultural, symbolic, and material objects” are impressive. The lessons learn will prove valuable in “exploration of the role of the information technology revolution in the emergence of new social political structures such as the 'network society” (Castells, 2000) that challenge traditional economy and regional configurations of capitalism and nation-state” increasing productivity to progress into this new era of globalization. 

          Fan fiction inspires the creativity in the user. It is an amazing way to observe someone’s creativity skills. As “fans extend story lines, create new narrative threads, develop romantic relationships between characters, and focus on the lives of underdeveloped characters from various media “ motivating fun as students remain attentive. It is great for all that is involved they “ interact with youths from across the globe as they develop new linguistic and technical skills” increasing their learning momentum. 

             Youth's learning deficiencies must be acknowledged on a personal level " Critical literacy teaching begins by problematizing the culture and knowledge " usually begins with a conversation and ends with a resolution. 

       

           

Developing Students Critical Literacy: 

Exploring Identity Construction in Young Adult Fiction

By Thomas W. Bean and Karen Moni

Children need to be able to identify their problems and escape the feeling of being the only one experiencing difficult times. The” issues that are relevant to teens, including racism, pregnancy, divorce, substance abuse, family con-flicts, and political injustice, young adult novels provide a roadmap of sorts for adolescents coping with these issues in real life,” reading about it may encourage a conversation. The world is constantly evolving “ Dramatic world changes, particularly globalization of markets, challenge long-established ideologies and values related to work and family [Langhorne,2001). In a world of constant movement and flow, media images of advertising and commerce seep into our lives and strongly influence identity development” causing some children to begin a path of negative decision making. 

       Children should be encouraged to read young adult literature and have a discussion afterward. Considering the “issues of reader voice, positioning, inclusion of diverse literature, and an expanded lit- erary canon are all important elements in the mes- sages about reading and responding to literature that students take from their school experiences. For example, struggling readers are sometimes in-troduced to less inspiring readings and response tasks that minimize their voices (Agee, 2000;) their connection to young adult literature is as inspiring as other young adults giving them similar take aways.

Hope Wilson

Grounded Theory

A Critical Research Methodology

by Joyce Magnotto Neff

                                                 

                                                       Researching New Studies 

     Out with the old and in with new. In cessation to research " methods we use to generate our predictions and reach our conclusion" have come under question by Joyce Magnotto Neff. James Berlin once encouraged " shaping meditate by language and situated in concrete historical conditions" (1996, 169). He progressed to encourage " researchers to consider" production-based studies, text-based studies, and culture-as-lived activity studies," studies" situated within the institution...that sponsored the examined actives...,[studies that are] related to the ideological-the arena of language, idea, and value" (170) many years ago.

     Now Grounded Theory is being suggested in composition studies. The perception of studies has become a huge concern. It involves multiple data collection, considering what is critical, and reporting methods to provide accuracy and proof of outcomes. It sounds like methods that scientists may use to maintain data for an experiment. "Glaser and Strauss explained it 30 years ago: Joint collection, coding, and analysis of data is the underlying operation [in grounded theory]. The generation of theory, coupled with the notion of theory as process, requires that three operations be done together as much as possible. They should blur and intertwine continually, from the beginning of an investigation to its end. (1967, 43). " documenting all data collected

      My thoughts once were, research was finding as much information on a subject then collectively forming it in a book or in a form of a research paper.  Progress always encourage and inspire change. Neff concludes " As composition matures as a discipline, this state of meta-analysis seems ideal. It promise to interrogate the distinction between theory and practice that limit our current ways of understanding the complex human activities of writing and teaching writing." encouraging accountability. 

Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:
Media Education for the 21st Century
by Henry Jenkins.

   The Internet is definitely becoming the new form of communicating. Soon there will be no need to encourage your child to look a person in the eye or how to shake one's hand because most transactions will be on line communication. I am inspired to believe that people reaction to the World Wide Web depends on their age and professional development. Culturally speaking I am convinced  "activities become widespread only if the culture also support them, if they fill recurring needs at a particular historical juncture. It matters what tools are available to a culture, but it matters more what that culture chooses to do with those tools." considering their mindset.

     Technology is always evolving and " to encourage youth to develop the skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks, and self confidence needed to be full participants in contemporary culture" is a great way to expose them to new media technology. Encouraging children to venture outside of their community and challenge their social skills is significant to their personal growth. I concur with Henry Jenkins regarding " The new media literacies should be seen as social skills, as ways of interacting within a larger community, and not simply an individualized skill to be used for personal expression." inspiring participatory culture 
     

Hope Wilson
blog3
Writing in High School/Writing in College:
Research Trends and Future Directions
by Joeanne Addison and Sharon James McGee





                                                             Learned Behavior






         Is writing a learned behavior? Does it "warrant a closer look at whether the persistence of tracking is contributing to the degree to which the achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic and racial groups also persist as identified by the NAEP" as some students write the way their environment speaks. Environments are the basics of the results of the way some students write. Although some schools create a great writing plans "many students do not engage in best practice for learning how to write, calling attention to the need to find ways to encourage greater engagement among students for best practice in learning how to write"structurally according to the U.S. Department of Education. Some students manages to concord writing projects with a great grade "According to NSSE, the types of writing assignments that promote "deep learning" across the curriculum include those that focus on analysis, synthesis, and integration of ideas from various sources in ways that lead to engagement with course ideas both inside and outside of the classroom(22). But how much of the actual writing across the curriculum falls into this category? Further, how does the writing assigned prepared students for the writing beyond the academy? In large-scales studies, institutional studies, and our own research, it seems that mush of the writing assigned to the students across the curriculum does intend to promote deep learning, although very little prepares students for writing beyond the academy" resulting in a difficult transition into the workplace.

      Reading scholarly and academic sources may increase literacy and improve students writing ability and articulation. Promoting more engaging and structural behavior may be required " Like expressive assignments exploratory assignments are informal and focus on exploring ideas," encouraging students expressive behavior which may also encourage improvement in their personal growth.


How They Really Talk
Two Students' Perspective on Digital Literacy in the Writing Classroom
by Ann .M. Amicucci


       Reiterating my comments in agreement with" scholars have recognized that any given literacy practice is shaped by its social and historical context (Barton & Hamilton, 1998; Gee, 1990, Street, 2003.) because some students write like their environment. Creative writing may encourage academic writing if place in the a certain context. As an educator I will encourage "practices that will bring digital literacies into writing classroom has emphasized the potential for fostering students' critical literacy skills through the use of digitals tools" encouraging academic perspectives. I was surprised to read that students were encouraged to participate digital literacy assignments. The survey of the ' data analysis revealed several student ideal situation writing course activity within digital context."evolving some academic writing processes. Digital tool will create a more personal relationship between the educator and the student. It will invite the education into the students personal lifestyle as it makes the students aware of the "out-of school" identity.

    Academic writing announces one's identity.Young's (2004) argues perfectly "expectation in the classroom may require students to leave their out-of-school identity behind and adopt solely academic identities in their place" allowing academic growth for an easy transition into employment.

Hope Wilson
Continuation blog2
Out of Our Experience: Useful Theory
By Marian M. Mohr, Courtney Roger, Betsy Sanford,
Mary Ann Nocerino, Marion S. MacLean, and Sheila Clawson


                                                    Scholarly Research


Are we progressing or are we focusing on other research? I am inspired to believe that experience is the best teacher. I agree with the statement " As with most teachers-researchers, our theory building emerged from a complex mix of classroom experiences, collegial exchanges, reflective opportunities, and selected reading" that may inspire teaching ethics. When educators conduct research, journal, and collaborate with their colleagues regarding teaching that is considered part of their experiences. It is impressive how educators were influenced by Lawrence Stenhouse (1985). It was written "ideas led us to think about the effects of teacher research on curriculum and professional development. Our classroom observations effected our classroom curriculum. Our yearly research process was like a graduate course; our understandings based on our research were professional development for each other" which may encourage other educators to experience similar processes or research strategies.  Professional and personal development is inevitable when "research groups of critical friends" join groups and discuss their research and data.

Blog 2

By Hope Wilson

David's Charney

Empiricism Is Not A Four-Letter Word

       

                                                            Scholarly Research

        Should scholarly research be challenged for authenticity?  I agree with the Davida Charney as she shares “Our over-reliance on qualitative studies and repeated disparagement of objective methods is creating a serious imbalance in studies of technical and professional writing- and the same may be true in composition studies as a whole. The numerous socially-situated ethnographies and case studies, excellent though each may be, cannot by themselves sufficiently extended and refine our methods and our knowledge base. It is rare for the same site or even the same kind of site to be studied by multiple scholars “creating questionable studies. Watson and Cricks made a great point when their “announcement of the double -helix, the documentary record surrounding the Challenger disaster, Jack Seizer's collection of analyses of a landmark article by Gould and Lewontin. In each case, scholars have insightfully interpreted the texts and allowed some degree of comparison of methods and theories. But these scholars rarely challenged or extend other's findings." engaging people to present challenging implications.

         As writings and research of all genres evolves the methodology and its implications are changing "the research methods we employ have important consequences for the intellectual authority of our field, for the ethical, political, and intellectual value of our work, and for its potential to effect beneficial changes in the classroom and the workplace " which may change the definitions of research. Sponsors and financial support may encourage and inspire some researcher’s direction as others research regarding their passion.  I agree with Flynn when he claims " beliefs in the objectively of the scientist and the neutrality of scientific investigation serve the interests of those in positions of authority and power, usually white males, and serve to exclude those in marginalized position. 
Identification by women or by feminized fields with the sciences and social sciences, therefore, may necessitate association with discourses that ignore issues of concern to those in marginalized position and that arise out of epistemology antithetical to their needs and interests. (358)" creating some to believe the possibility of a form of injustice.
    Men of power are dictating research topics. Some scientists and researchers are researching according to their funding. Passion does not always dictate researchers topics. Researchers topics suggested by men are being considered more frequently. Feminists have been weighing in claiming " woman are disproportionately represented" exposing injustices.

Hope Wilson
Liminal Spaces and Research Identity
The construction of Introductory Composition Students as Researchers
By James P. Purdy and Joyce R. Walker


                                         Students Accumulative Research

Do we force students to research in ways that will push them out of their comfort zone? I do not agree with the text book that advocates " When students conduct academic research, in other words, the skills and strategies they bring with them to be retooled or abandoned for fear that they will pollute their academic work" I think enhancement of collective knowledge should be encouraged. The students' relationship with their accumulative academics must be factored into how they will embrace new research processes. I agree with " Maurice Kogan (2009:209), In his discussion of the relationship among academics, academic institutions, and larger social settings, offers this description of the forces that shape academic development; ,For development to be strong, it must be firmly rooted in the intellectual self-confidence of the disciplines and subject area to which academics belong. That is the context in which a sense of academic identity flourishes. In a confident academic systems, new knowledge is generated through accepted processes of discovery and testing and through following the logic of the issues being tackle" which maybe discovered by an educator on a case by case basis.

 

Cultivating the students accumulated research skills are essential to correcting their "understanding of the research identities.  Liminality, "coming from the Latin word for "threshold," is what anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep (1960-: 10-11) presents as the transitional step in rites of passage (between separation and incorporation). He asserts that "to cross the threshold," that is, to literally or figuratively pass through a liminal space, " to unite oneself with a "new world" as an educators incorporating additional research processes to enhance students accumulated knowledge may essential to a student's future research identity.

 

I am concerned with " Web sources can indeed be of "questionable legitimacy," Maimon, Peritz, and Yancey assert (2007: 207), but we find particularly troubling in these sources is that students are to leave behind rather than build on what they already know about navigating digital research spaces," which is also vital to their research identity. Academic libraries have secure and valuable research Web sites. If students get into the habit of “Positioning the library as the required starting place for academic work” it may present a more rewarding outcome.

 

Attempting to restructure a college student’s that has been born into the digital world digital research process may be difficult. Incorporating the library Web site into their already research process at some point may be structure enough. The student’s first composition research class in elementary school should be taught to use the library Web site and current research processes which should be reinforced on other research projects. I agree that “This goal can be achieved, however without forcing students to abandon the useful knowledge and skills that form their existing research identities. Students need to be able to make their own investigations into these practices and to understand the complexities and contradictions in ways that academic research practice create knowledge." and processes that are comfortable for them.

                                                     

                                                              "My Research"



By Hope Wilson
1/26


       I am in constant research of my future. I have so many plans that they are beginning to run

together. The one thing that has been consistent is becoming an educator and working in a school

environment. My research for this future plan consist of the grade level that I will feel comfortable

teaching, the school district, and how long I want to teach before considering another position in the

school system. The results of my research are to begin by being a substitute teacher for a couple of

years in various schools within my district. Then network with other substitute teachers, educators,

and school administrators. I love working with children but I also like being around adults.

      I have been researching business opportunities that I plan to engage in after I retire. My

retirement date is not set but I insist on being proactive. One of my researches  for this retirement

plan  is to decide on a profitable location for a daycare center. Where there are a direct driving route

and a demand for my service. I am also in search for a reliable business partner. Someone that can

bring business experience to the table along with jokes, and all bad jokes are acceptable lol. This

partner must have business management experience and a college degree.

      My most important research is to research the town where I want to live. My retirement home has

to be cozy and convenient. I do not want to become  depressed with my decision.  I do not want

to be too close to people or too far away. I want a ranch or a town house right outside of town. I am

researching require taxes, flood zones, crime rates, and park locations. My desire is to live within

thirty minutes of a gym, a mall, and a decent nail and hair salon lol. My plans are to immolate my

pre-retirement life style as close as possible.

       I am researching ways to enjoy my life after retirement. I refuse to become sedentary. I want to

remain active and endure profitable successes. Working in a school environment as I start a business

will keep in motion. Working with family and friends is equivalent to retirement success to me. It will

also give me a reason to remain in touch with my love ones.