Thursday, December 3, 2015

Differences Between Essays #2 and #3

First of all, the two essays have different genres: #2 was an analysis while #3 was a persuasive essay. Despite this, my basic method of writing these essays remained the same. First, I would decide what I wanted to talk about and in what order. Then I would research the subject to find facts to back my statements up.
                However, I did notice a few differences. For example: my analysis essay had pictures while my persuasive did not. I added pictures of the ads I was analyzing so the reader could see what I was talking about and make their own decisions about the text. I didn’t think such images were necessary for my persuasive essay and searched for graphs instead. Unfortunately I didn’t find the right graph. I learned that I personally find it more difficult to find data charts and other graph than to find interesting ads.

                I also found that was a difference of time placement between the essays. My analysis was on how competition leads to technological advancement by studying ads from camera companies. Because of this, I had to choose ads from the 1800’s, 1900’s, and the 2000’s. On the other hand, my persuasive essay’s cause was to keep the arts in schools. Since this is a current problem, all of my sources were within 10 years of today. 

Persuasive Essay (Final Draft)

Keep Art in School
                Currently, schools all over America are faced with the challenge that inadequate funding presents. When there is not enough money to go around, things have to be cut. When things have to be cut, the arts are usually the first thing to go. But we need art. Art is an important part of the educational system and should remain to be a part of the school curriculum.  It is crucial for developing a child’s brain, helps students do better in school and helps students find their passion and future career. We need art to remain in schools for the student’s development and there are ways to do so.
Art tends to be categorized a hobby and nothing more than a distraction. People who believe this underestimate how much of an impact art has on the general welfare of a student academically and personally. In 2009, “Edutopia” released an article that studied the effects of art in a school system.  They found that “[involvement] in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.” An article written by the Dana Foundation wrote that studies presented at the 2009 neuroeducation summit indicate that practicing the arts such as dance, music, theater, and drawing, increase the brain’s ability to ability to retain attention and improve cognition.
Herbert Kohl, an Oxford and Harvard alumni and author, participated in a book collaboration called Muses Go to School.  In his section he described roles that art would play in education. Those roles include, “[providing] focused discipline and self-discipline through involvement with personal and group activities with high standards taught by devoted teachers [and] integrated personal and academic development and substantial motivation for becoming literate” (xix). Part of a compilation made by the Katy Independent School District added a study that explained that, “…those in the arts curriculum were far superior in creative thinking, self-concept, problem-solving, self-expression, risk-taking, and cooperation than those who were [not].” There are also other studies that show signs of art reducing the rate of high school drop-outs. For example: a study of public schools in New York revealed that “schools with the lowest access [to the arts] also had the highest dropout rates (Onlinecollages.net).” All of these articles agree that art assists in the development of the child’s brain, strengthens values and generates social and academic strengths.
Still, some people may argue that this isn’t good enough. It is a common opinion that studying art won’t get you a well-paying career and we should focus on science and math instead.  This opinion has managed to imprint itself on school curriculum across America. This becomes obvious as subjects like math and science become more and more dominant and the arts fade away. I have to disagree with this opinion. First of all, there are hundreds of careers in artistic field. They range from cake decorator, to art therapist, to animator/filmmaker. Being a designer alone can lead you to the possibility of different work experiences from designing clotheslines, to museum exhibits, to interior decorator or web designer.
Second, we should focus on the arts just as much as subjects like math and science. In fact, some of the highest paying careers require both technological and artistic skill. Multimedia artists and animators have an average salary of $79,000 (Atkisson).  Some of the skills required include a portfolio to show evidence of skill and ability to use computer programs to generate mediums of artwork. Video game designing requires skills from a variety of academic categories. They need to have strong communication, creative writing, theater, management, computer programming, software design and artistic design skills. The average salary pay of a game designer is approximately $71,000 (Atkisson). Architects need to have the ability to problem solve complicated situations creatively and logically. This is an ability that can be developed as a youth through practice of the arts (as mentioned above). Architects need to be able to communicate visually. They do this by using their drawing ability as well as using their knowledge of spatial relationships and visual orientation. They also need a high level math ability in order to calculate accurate distances. The average salary that an architect receives is about $70,000. All of the careers mentioned above had an estimated projected growth of about 15% (Atkisson).
Becoming an architect, a video game designer, a multimedia artist, animator and many other careers command skills from different areas of learning. If we do not have artistic classes as well as math, science and English, then we are robbing students of skills that would allow them to achieve greatness. We would be taking away the opportunity for students to try a variety of new activities and find the one thing they are passionate about.
The biggest advisory to the arts today is funding. How do schools pay for the costumes and props? How can they pay for the clay, pencils and paint? How can they afford to purchase sheet music and repair instruments? Some people suggest that schools should distribute the money they have more evenly amongst the utilities, classrooms, and extra-curricular activities. This suggestion may work for higher funded schools that simply need to adjust their budget, but what do you do if there just isn’t enough money to go around? Solving this problem is even more difficult for low-income schools but there are answers.
When budgets become tight, schools could always apply for grants. Unfortunately, grants can be a gamble. Schools would have to apply for a grant each year. So, if a school receives a grant and makes big plans for the next year, there is always the chance that the next grant could fall through. If that method doesn’t work, then it becomes time for schools to take matters into their own hands and make their own money. This means to keep a steady flow of well-organized profiting fundraisers. Popular fundraisers include bake sales, seasonal carnivals, vending sales at sports games, gift wrapping stations, school wide flea market, and flower sales (White). Art itself can be used for fundraisers. In my younger brother’s fifth grade class, they sell cards, calendars and cook books. On the back of each product is a picture designed by one of the students.  Another idea could be that older, more experienced artists could donate an original artwork to sell at an auctions or raffles hosted at the school.
            The arts are key to having a good schooling experience. There are many modes of art so a student can find the one that is right for him or her. The arts also increase the student’s ability to learn. Music strengthens memory, drawing increases problem solving skills and theater develops social abilities. Working on art can allow students to interact with classmates to create new ideas. Children are the future and these new ideas can become something that changes the world. Having the arts in a school is hard, but I know that it’s worth it.


                 
Citations
"Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best." Edutopia. Ed. Fran Smith. 28 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

Kohl, Herbert R. "Preface: The Necessity of Art in Public Education." The Muses Go to School: Inspiring Stories about the Importance of Arts in Education. New York: New :, 2012

Posner, Michael, and Brenda Patoine. "Cerebrum." How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition. The Dana Foundation, 14 Sept. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Bryant, Bob. "The Importance of Fine Arts Education." Katy Independence School District Fine Arts Division. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Atkisson, Valerie. "8 Creative Jobs That Pay Over 60K." ArtBistro. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

White, Kate. "50 Successful School Fundraising Ideas." SignUpGenius. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.


"10 Studies on the Importance of Art in Education." OnlineColleges.net. 6 Sept. 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. 

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Analysis on Elf's Essay

1.       Claim
Elf’s clearly states her claim of “Humans are the cause of “global warming” (Anthropogenic Climate Change is the preferred term used in her essay) and should be responsible to solve the problem” in the beginning paragraph.
2&3. What support does the author offer for the claim?
She explains how humans are the cause and gives a call to action to the audience to do something about it.  She gives information from nsidc.org, the UK Met Office, and a presentation done by Paul Loubre who has a Phd in oceanography and geology. All of her sources are relevant, up to date, and reliable.
4. How are counterarguments presented?
Doubts others have made on the subject are acknowledged and respectfully refuted with a multitude of information. Although, her answerer tend to be targeted towards a general audience.
5. How does the writer address the reader?

Elf presents her beliefs to the reader in a polite manner so that like-minded people can sympathize. She makes sure to give plenty of scientific and personal background information on the subject and to use inclusive language.   

Analysis of Jacob Kirsch's Essay

1.       Claim
Jacob’s claim is that the ban placed against gay, bisexual and transgender men being allowed to donate blood is outdated and discriminatory and should be uplifted. His stance was made clearly at the beginning paragraph, on the last sentence.
2.       What support does the author offer for the claim?
Jacob’s reasoning are: technology has made improvements on how to detect HIV positive blood, it disrupts equality and the ban decreases the amount of donors who can give the life-saving blood. He supports his clams by giving examples, presenting graphs and citing information from credible sources such as GMHC.org and the FDA forum. His reasoning is plausible and strongly supports his case.
3.       How evenhandedly does the writer present the issues?
Jacob acknowledges counterarguments to his claims while respectfully presenting evidence that refutes them. His provided information is well used in supporting his claims.
4.       What sources does the writer use?
Jacob has used information from credible sources such as, the National Gay Blood Drive website, Article from the Huffington post, The Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the FDA donor history Questionnaire. All of his sources are relevant and up to date.
5.       How does the writer address the reader?

Jacob presents his beliefs to the reader in a polite manner so that like-minded people can sympathize. He makes sure to give plenty of background information and to use inclusive language.   

Persuasive Essay (Second Draft)


Keep Art in School

                Currently, schools all over America are faced with the challenge that inadequate funding presents. When there is not enough money to go around, things have to be cut. And when things have to be cut, the arts are usually the first thing to go. But we need art. Art is an important part of the educational system and should remain to be a part of the school curriculum.  It is crucial for developing a child’s brain, helps students do better in school and helps students find their passion and future career. We need art to remain in schools for the student’s development and there are ways to do so.

Art tends to be categorized a hobby and nothing more than a distraction. People who believe this underestimate how much of an impact art has on the general welfare of a student academically and personally. In 2009, “Edutopia” released an article that studied the effects of art in a school system.  They found that “[involvement] in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.” An article written by the Dana Foundation wrote that studies presented at the 2009 neuroeducation summit indicate that practicing the arts such as dance, music, theater, and drawing, increase the brain’s ability to ability to retain attention and improve cognition.

Herbert Kohl, an Oxford and Harvard alumni and author, participated in a book collaboration called Muses Go to School.  In his section he described roles that art would play in education. Those roles include, “[providing] focused discipline and self-discipline through involvement with personal and group activities with high standards taught by devoted teachers [and] integrated personal and academic development and substantial motivation for becoming literate” (xix). Part of a compilation made by the Katy Independent School District added a study that explained that, “…those in the arts curriculum were far superior in creative thinking, self-concept, problem-solving, self-expression, risk-taking, and cooperation than those who were [not].” There are also other studies that show signs of art reducing the rate of high school drop-outs. For example: a study of public schools in New York revealed that “schools with the lowest access [to the arts] also had the highest dropout rates (Onlinecollages.net).”

All of these articles agree that art assists in the development of the child’s brain, strengthens values and generates social and academic strengths. Still, some people may argue that this isn’t good enough. It is a common opinion that studying art won’t get you a well-paying career and we should focus on science and math instead.  This opinion has managed to imprint itself on school curriculum across America. This becomes obvious as subjects like math and science become more and more dominant and the arts fade away. I have to disagree with this opinion. First of all, there are hundreds of careers in artistic field. They range from cake decorator, to art therapist, to animator/filmmaker. Being a designer alone can lead you to the possibility of different work experiences from designing clotheslines, to museum exhibits, to interior decorator or web designer.

Second, we shouldn’t focus entirely on math and science or the arts. In fact, some of the highest paying careers require both technological and artistic skill. Multimedia artists and animators have an average salary of $79,000 (Atkisson).  Some of the skills required include a portfolio to show evidence of skill and ability to use computer programs to generate mediums of artwork. Video game designing requires skills from a variety of academic categories. They need to have strong communication, creative writing, theater, management, computer programming, software design and artistic design skills. The average salary pay of a game designer is approximately $71,000 (Atkisson). Architects need to have the ability to problem solve complicated situations creatively and logically. This is an ability that can be developed as a youth through practice of the arts (as mentioned above). Architects need to be able to communicate visually. They do this by using their drawing ability as well as using their knowledge of spatial relationships and visual orientation. They also need a high level math ability in order to calculate accurate distances. The average salary that an architect receives is about $70,000. All of the careers mentioned above had an estimated projected growth of about 15% (Atkisson).

Becoming an architect, a video game designer, a multimedia artist, animator and many other careers command skills from different areas of learning. If we do not have artistic classes as well as math, science and English, then we are robbing students of skills that would allow them to achieve greatness. We would be taking away the opportunity for students to try a variety of new activities and find the one thing they are passionate about.

The biggest advisory to the arts today is funding. How do schools pay for the costumes and props? How can they pay for the clay, pencils and paint? How can they afford to purchase sheet music and repair instruments? Solving this problem is even more difficult for low-income schools but there are answers.

When budgets become tight, schools could always apply for grants. Unfortunately, grants can be a gamble. Schools would have to apply for a grant each year. So, if a school receives a grant and makes big plans for the next year, there is always the chance that the next grant could fall through. If that method doesn’t work, then it becomes time for schools to take matters into their own hands and make their own money. This means to keep a steady flow of well-organized profiting fundraisers. Popular fundraisers include bake sales, seasonal carnivals, vending sales at sports games, gift wrapping stations, school wide flea market, and flower sales (White). Art itself can be used for fundraisers. In my younger brother’s fifth grade class, they sell cards, calendars and cook books. On the back of each product is a picture designed by one of the students.  Another idea could be that older, more experienced artists could donate an original artwork to sell at an auctions or raffles hosted at the school.

            The arts are key to having a good schooling experience. There are many modes of art so a student can find the one that is right for him or her. The arts also increase the student’s ability to learn. Music strengthens memory, drawing increases problem solving skills and theater develops social abilities. Working on art can allow students to interact with classmates to create new ideas. Children are the future and these new ideas can become something that changes the world. Having the arts in a school is hard, but I know that it’s worth it.

 

 

                 

Citations

"Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best." Edutopia. Ed. Fran Smith. 28 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.


Kohl, Herbert R. "Preface: The Necessity of Art in Public Education." The Muses Go to School: Inspiring Stories about the Importance of Arts in Education. New York: New :, 2012

 
Posner, Michael, and Brenda Patoine. "Cerebrum." How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition. The Dana Foundation, 14 Sept. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.


Bryant, Bob. "The Importance of Fine Arts Education." Katy Independence School District Fine Arts Division. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

 
Atkisson, Valerie. "8 Creative Jobs That Pay Over 60K." ArtBistro. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.


White, Kate. "50 Successful School Fundraising Ideas." SignUpGenius. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

 
"10 Studies on the Importance of Art in Education." OnlineColleges.net. 6 Sept. 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

In Class Lab 11-19-2015 (Comparing Writings)

Comparing Spriggs’ essay with our homework analysis.

All of our short stories involved picture examples, as well as Spriggs’ essay.
They also all involve logos.
At the beginning all of our short stories and Spriggs’ essay talk about their position and what they will later on talk about in the paper.
Our short stories provide a small part that includes background information.
They involve good reasons with evidence that helps support their claims.
Some of the short stories included opposing views on the situation, whereas some did not.
All included an authoritative tone in the short stories/essay.

All of our stories and Spriggs’ essay appeal to the intended audiences.

Developing My Arguement


1.      I want to prove that the arts are an important part of education and should continue to be an option to students.

2.      This is targeted towards fellow students and teachers and anyone else who cares about education.

3.     I believe that my audience care deeply about the future generation. Because of this I will discuss the effects an educational system without art classes can affect the student in the future and during the school year.

4.      I will present myself as a student who is knowledgeable in her subject. The audience should believe me because I will cite information from trustworthy sources as well as use personal experiences.

5.       Art classes can relieve stress from a student & without art classes; children will lack experience and skill to get them certain careers.
6.       There is no future in a student taking art classes or majors.
7.       My rebuttal would be to present a percentage of careers that involve the arts. I might even include a focus on high paying jobs.
8.       Another counter argument to my position is that art would be a distraction and cannot improve the student academically.

9.       There are research that shows art can reduce stress and improve the brain's memory.
10. Art classes can help improve the student's lifestyle and achieve great things academically. Children are the future. When they grow up, they will be able to benefit society by creating works that inspire, designing faster cars and sturdier buildings or by finding a new way to do things that can revolutionize the world.