- I think my best work of the trimester was my persuasive essay. It was my best work of the trimester because I was really passionate about the topic, and I think that it was the paper that flowed and sounded the best. It also was the paper that left the most impact on readers in my opinion.
- I learned that I need to have more confidence in myself as a writer, and as a a student, I learned that I need to stop procrastinating as much as I currently do. I learned that as a person, I don’t like to write and that is important for me to pick a career path that doesn’t involve a lot of writing.
- My greatest accomplishment is maintaining an A in a college writing class since I don’t like to write. I worked really hard for the grade I received, so I am proud of myself. My greatest regret is that I didn’t do very well at my speeches. I hoped that I would improve in my public speaking, but I didn’t do as well as I hoped.
- I would tell myself that Comp is possible to get through because there were moments that I didn’t think I would ever finish my writing because I was so overwhelmed. Writing is one of my least favorite things to do so I was really dreading taking this class, but I am glad it is over and that I survived. I would tell myself that everything would turn out okay in the end and that I would still get an A in the class.
Blog Post #12
I do believe that I am becoming the person I have always wanted to be. I’ve always wanted to grow into a kind, compassionate, and hard-working person who gives her all in anything she’s involved with and believes in herself even when that may be hard to do. For most of my life, I feel like I have always been really focused on other people’s opinions and trying to please everyone around me instead of focusing on what makes me happy, but this year I have realized how important it is to be proud of your own accomplishments, no matter how big or small, and not worry about what other people think of you. One of my biggest goals in my life has always been to simply be kind to everyone around me, no matter what my feelings are towards them. As I get closer to my future, the more I realize that each and every day, I am becoming a more genuinely kind person by practicing kindness everywhere I go. It is definitely not always easy to be nice to someone, but it gets easier once you realize that a smile or compliment from you may have been the only nice gesture a person had received all week. I can honestly say that I am really proud of being a kind person, and that this is the kind of role model that I want to be for everyone who is in my life or chooses to enter my life in the future.
Blog Post #11
Last summer, I got the opportunity to watch the musical Hamilton at the Civic Center in Des Moines. Before I saw the musical, I had never listened to any of the songs, and I didn’t really know what the musical was about. On a whim, I entered the ticket lottery to try to win a chance to buy two tickets for $20 (most tickets were $100 or more) because I heard an ad on the radio. I was on a college visit when I received a text saying that I had won the Hamilton lottery! My family and I had to drive from Omaha to Des Moines so we could see it that night. I have always been a huge fan of musicals, but I never knew I could have such a great time in just three hours. Plus, our tickets were for the front row, so I got to see all the actors and actresses up close. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life so far, and I highly recommend that everyone go see it at least once, even if you are not a fan of musicals. This event was memorable for me because it was the first time I had ever gone to see a professional musical. It all seemed like a dream, so it is hard for me to forget the experience. It really was the first time that I realized how much I enjoy the arts and how talented everyone that is involved with the arts is. It was an important event to me because it taught me to be grateful and never take my good luck for granted. It was only by pure luck that my name was drawn, and I never forget how thankful I am to have been able to have that experience. The performers and staff were amazing, so it was definitely a positive experience for me. Overall, Hamilton was one of the best experiences of my entire life, and I hope I get more opportunities like this in the future!
Blog Post #10
The product I chose is a Bodyarmor Sports Drink. I would say that these are my favorite drink because I don’t like to drink pop all the time. I’m more of a juice fan, so Bodyarmor tastes really good to me. The author of the product review write about the criteria of nutrition, taste, and price. I do agree with these criteria, and I wouldn’t change anything. I think they used logos the most because they list a lot of nutrition facts and facts about price. I do agree with their overall review because I like the drink for all of these reasons too.
Blog Post #9
- Phone: I have only ever had an iPhone, but I don’t think I will ever switch to a different brand. I bought an iPhone because it is the easiest phone to use, friends and family members always talked positively about them, it seemed like the most reliable and professional company, and I liked the look of it the best out of all the other phones I looked at. I love having an iPhone, so I am happy I chose it for these reasons.
- Shampoo and Conditioner: I like using Pantene shampoo conditioner on my hair. I have tried a countless number of different shampoos on my hair, and none of them seem to work as well as Pantene. I use Pantene because it seems like a very professional and knowledgeable company, stops my hair from being dry, makes my hair soft, and smells good.
- Soap: For soap, I like to use Olay’s White Strawberry and Mint Body Wash. I use this specific body wash because it smells really good, comes from a very reliable and knowledgeable company, has a pretty color, and is extremely moisturizing.
- Cereal: My favorite cereal brand is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I really like this cereal because it is extremely sweet, makes a quick breakfast for when I’m busy, comes from a reliable company, and tastes better than a lot of other cereals I have tried in the past.
Blog Post #8
Persuasive writing is the art of trying to convince someone to take a certain issue on a point of voice, which can also mean perspective. In persuasive writing, we use the Toulmin method, which is a way to organize a paper in a way that shows that one idea is more legitimate than another. The argument must always use solid reasoning and evidence by stating facts, using examples, and quoting experts. Persuasive writing helps us create specific reasons for our opinions and provides an opportunity to research facts related to our opinions.
I found it hard to explain the Toulmin Method to a younger student because I don’t really understand it myself. I didn’t find anything confusing with my writing, but a younger student might. They may find the vocabulary a little confusing.
Blog Post #7
The Toulmin Method is needed to create a sound argument because it takes the said argument and examines its various elements. This allows us to understand the argument more fully, summarize it more accurately, and discuss its effectiveness. There are various levels to an argument, and in order for an argument to hold up, each level may be strong enough to support the rest of the levels. When there is not a method present, each level is not strong enough to support the following level, so the argument is no longer strong or persuasive.
To draw a conclusion from the paper, we go back to the responses from the different levels of the argument. The Toulmin Method allows us to decide how effective or ineffective the argument is based on the strengths and weaknesses in the different parts of the argument. In conclusion, the Toulmin Method is essential in creating a sound argument because it helps us judge its effectiveness and summarize it more accurately.
The topic I chose is whether organ donation upon death should be compulsory (required by law) or not. I believe that most people agree with voluntary organ donation, but many might not agree with organ donation required by law. This means that many people will probably be against my argument.
I will have to use a lot of logos in my paper to persuade my audience. Pathos may also be necessary to use to persuade people that the organ shortage is so severe that donation needs to become required by law after death. These two methods together will be effective in persuading my audience that organ donation is essential in so many people’s lives.
Blog Post #6
I believe that students who go to a public school should not be required to wear a uniform, so I do not agree with the prompt. School uniforms restrict students’ freedom of expression. The First Amendment of the United States guarantees that all individuals have the right to express themselves freely, so a school uniform requirement takes away this basic right of freedom. We may not realize it, but we use our clothes as a daily form of self-expression, and a uniform requirement limits this simple creativity. School uniforms also do not improve attendance, exam results, or stop bullying. At our school, I believe that school uniforms would not be an improvement as we do not have a large problem of students being bullied for the clothes they wear. It can sometimes be refreshing to hear someone compliment your new shirt or pair of shoes, but with a school uniform requirement, this will no longer happen. My final point is that implementing school uniforms is extremely expensive. Americans spend around $1 billion on school uniforms every year. Many students are barely able to afford the clothing that they already own let alone a $250 dollar uniform every year for school. Students who go to a public school should not be required to wear a uniform because they restrict students’ freedom of expression, do not stop bullying, and are extremely expensive.
Blog Post #5
In today’s society, suicide rates among all age groups are at an all time high, but suicide is most prevalent in teenagers and young adults. This is definitely a nation-wide issue that to be addressed sooner rather than later. Many students are taking their own life because they are overwhelmed with the stress and depression that comes with trying to balance school, extracurricular activities, work, family, and a social life. I know that people spend their whole lives juggling all of the things that I mentioned, but high school is an extremely developmental time in a person’s life. It often seems like these four years define your whole future, and it is no wonder that it is so overwhelming for most teenagers. This is a problem because lives are currently being destroyed because of completely preventable issues. Many high school students are too embarrassed to get help because of the stigma surrounding mental health. So many young lives could be saved if students knew how to process the different aspects of their mental health. I believe that schools across the United States should create a plan to combat mental health in their own individual schools and make it so that students know that it is okay to talk about mental issues. The amount of homework in school should also be lessened as it adds much unneeded stress in a student’s life. Suicide is a prevalent mental health problem that should be talked about in every school so that students are not afraid to ask for help.
Blog Post #4
I believe our school is in need of a student lounge for students who have to stay after school for activities. One simple solution to my problem is donation. I would ask people in the community to donate furniture, tables, desks, televisions, etc. for students to use at school. One counterargument of my proposal is that it may be too difficult to keep up, but I believe that if there are motivated and willing students involved in this project, it will be easy to maintain. There are many benefits that come with having a student lounge besides being a place for students to stay after school. A student-led lounge would create increased opportunities for volunteer hours, social interaction among students, and academic improvement through study groups. Regarding academics, a student lounge would help promote study groups, which I have personally found to help me a lot when studying for tests. Research has shown that working with your peers in a study group provides an excellent opportunity to work on ”people” skills and collaboration abilities.
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