Sunday, March 27, 2011
Project Two Reflection
Now that you've wrapped up on Project Two it's come time once again for a reflection. What did you get out of the project? Was this useful to you or a waste of time? Do you feel it enhanced your development as a writer in any way? Again, do not be afraid to be honest, because negative feedback will help us improve the project for future classes. As usual, 250 word post up by Thursday night and 100 word response up by Sunday night.
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Project 2 was by far the most interesting project we’ve had throughout Comp 1 and 2. Not only do I like the idea of watching movies for/in class (which surprisingly I’ve done a lot this semester. At one point I was writing papers about movies for 3 different classes) but I also liked the whole concept of Rogerian argument. One thing I really hate about most Comp papers is that I feel I have to fake my writing. I have to side with the issue I’m on 100% and shoot down the opposing side completely. You see this on the news constantly with the media nearly always showing either liberals or conservatives from the most extreme sides of the political spectrum battling it out issue after issue. Completely one-sided arguments are accepted in our culture and they don’t seem rational to me.
ReplyDeleteRogerian argument allows for a growth of both sides’ arguments and is in my opinion much more persuasive. The opposition will never side with someone who tells them they are completely wrong and everything they stand for has no validity. I would rather take the best from both sides and resolve an issue with an open mind and I’m sure most people do to. That’s what this project allowed us to do, and it also allowed me to watch Life of Bryan. For those of you that haven’t seen it, it’s pretty golly gosh darn funny. Project 2 was definitely a lot more entertaining than another dry paper on how pathogical or ethosical a certain something or other was.
I thoroughly enjoyed Project two of Composition 2 at USF. Being able to go out and watch movies (one of my favorite hobbies) was great incentive to write a paper I could really get behind. Having my choice of movies confined to controversial movies really expanded my general taste since I tend to avoid movies that anger the general population – not because I do not enjoy those movies but because a lot of the times I am not in the mood for a movie that may or may not anger me (or those around me). Also researching the movies allowed me to gain more than a shallow insight into the overall controversy revolving around these types of movies, since I generally do not go and fully research movies as extensively as I did with this paper. My only real criticism with this project would involve the choice of movies, I understand that controversial films are a necessity but the overall selection of films that constituted a controversial film seemed a tad minute. May I propose a possible solution? In order to increase the overall pool from which to draw a controversial film maybe you could offer the option to do a longer paper on a film that elicited a particularly emotional response from the viewer/writer. By doing this the writers can develop a paper that has a lot of emotional weight since the movie of choice is most likely a film that was truly personal instead of a film that they chose from a list of suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed project two and being able to watch a really interesting documentary. What I got out of the project is that I had a chance to pick out a topic that was personal to me and a lot of other people in our country. The issue of torture controversy is a serious social conflict that affects innocent people that are suffering overseas. Also, writing about this social issue caused me to ask myself questions on what is right and what is wrong. It opened my eyes to the other opposing view of the issue. I really didn’t understand anything about rogerian arguments before this paper and writing it gave me a better understanding on this paper. It was useful because I can apply this style of argument to my other classes when writing about two views of one problem. I do think it enhanced my development as a writer because it pushed me to think outside of the box and about everyones point of view. Also, since I was really interested in the specific documentary I chose it helped me with the flow of my paper and the organization. Since it was a more serious topic I did kind of put more effort into my sentences. In reality no matter what paper or topic or style or anything I have to write about I absolutely hate it. This did help me brush up on a lot of my skills but I don’t think I will ever really get the feel for writing.
ReplyDeleteProject Two of ENC 1102 was by far my favorite writing project I have completed here at USF. When first discussing this project, I was very apprehensive. I had never heard about a Rogerian argument before. I have been so conditioned to write one-sided argumentative papers that this was totally new to me. I had never been asked to consider the both sides, without trying to diminish one or the other. With that being said, even after reviewing the components to this type of argument along with the appropriate writing style, I still felt hesitant going into the first draft. However, I definitely enjoyed watching the documentary and felt like I really understood the argument after reviewing my sources. So, I took a stab at the paper and it turns out that I had really grasped the meaning of a Rogerian argument. Now, after writing this paper and receiving constructive yet positive feedback, I feel confident that I can use this style of argument in any other class that might ask me to compare and contrast two ideas. In addition to Project Two being the most enjoyable writing assignment for me, I feel that it has enhanced my development as a writer the most out of any other project I have done. I have learned to consider all viewpoints before developing an argument, as well as maintaining a consistent tone. I have realized that is a crucial element, because you don’t want to sound too harsh when discussing the opposing side. Overall, I think Project Two is extremely beneficial to first year composition students, and I don’t think anything needs to be changed.
ReplyDelete@jalasmar
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed being able to pick our own topic that we were interested in. The list of controversial films provided a wide selection for people to choose from. Similar to you, I had never heard about rogerian arguments before this paper either. I definitely agree that it enhanced my development as a writer though too. As you mentioned, it made the writing come much easier to me, as well as creating a nice flow and organization. Usually that is the area I struggle with the most. Although I never look forward to writing papers, at least we will be well prepared if it involves developing an argument.
I thought that Project two was a fairly reasonable project for this class. Compared to the historiography project that I had to do last semester in Comp One for the second project, I liked it a lot. That one was a nightmare, and the way my professor graded was definitely no help. The assignment this time around did not seem like a huge hassle, and all you had to do was watch a controversial film and create a Rogerian argument for it. I had never done a Rogerian argument before so at first I didn’t know exactly how to set it up, and my problem was I kept wanting to prove my point instead of talking about the opposing view as much as I needed to. With the help of the handout however, and keeping my focus on talking about both sides, it wasn’t really bad at all. I think it actually was beneficial in the way that it taught me that if you are going to try to argue your point, you should always look at possible points of view and arguments from the other side as well, and make sure the opposing side knows that you realize their arguments. I did mine on Super Size Me, and the fact that it is such a popular film made it pretty easy to find opinions and sources on it. Overall, I would say that it wasn’t a bad project and not much really needs to be changed about it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey britt.. I'm glad project 2 came easy for you, and I agree that it was relatively easier and more interesting than projects past. It was difficult being impartial though. I think it's because it was our first time trying something anything like Rogerian arguement. So Super Size Me was pretty good? I've never seen it, but I definitely heard about it. That guy had to be near death after a month of BicMacs and Double Quarter Pounders. Ugh, makes me cringe. Anyways good luck the rest of the year with only one more Comp project left!!! Whoop Whoop!
ReplyDelete@brittni
ReplyDeleteI thought project 2 was reasonable as well considering writing is not my forte. The historiography project in comp 1 was kind of easy to me, but maybe because my teacher broke it down for us step by step and we had a lot of fun with it. Papers are usually a huge hassle for me but since this was on a movie it was pretty interesting. I defiantly know what you mean on not knowing what a rogerian argument I don’t think a lot of people really knew what it was. That handout was literally by my side the whole time!
From all of the project I would have to say that project two has been my favorite one in composition one and two that I have ever done. I feel that this project was a way to show us through the paper. We were able to pick a movie that we liked, but also that we had a controversial issue with. This project was by far more interesting than the project we did last semester on historiography. I actually had fun writing this paper, and it was a neat way considering it was a Rogerian Argument which I had never heard of before. Even though it was time consuming I learned a lot just writing this paper, that I did not know before about the movie I chose which was "The Passion of the Christ". Although I did not grasp the concept of the Rogerian Argument the best I feel that I did better on each draft that we did. I feel that this project made me a more versatile writer in the way that I do not just have to write a normal and standard paper, but that I am able to change things up a little. I no longer hate writing, I will say it is still not my favorite subject but I have learned to become a better writer each project we have had and I think that projects like this one of ENC1102 had helped me achieved that.
ReplyDelete@ebbarton
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. In the beginning of this project I was hesitant to write it because I had no clue what a Rogerian Argument was. Yet, after the week or two of explaining it I felt that it was a better way to write your paper. I also feel that this will come in handy for later papers that I will need to write because in most papers we compare two or three different subjects. I think that this project and even all projects before have helped the students, that no matter what we do think of them, they are fine the way they are.
I actually very much enjoyed project 2. I have to say that I have enjoyed both projects in Comp 2 more than any of the projects in Comp 1. I liked being able to express my thoughts on something that I found controversial. It was almost refreshing to put my on insight into something I felt so strongly about. I must admit though that the concept of writing a Rogerian Argument is something that I did not easily grasp. That was the hardest part of project 2 for me. I was so use to writing in a persuasive essay form that learning how to write using a Rogerian Argument was quite difficult. I have found that I am not as stressed about my Comp 2 projects, as opposed to last semester when I was freaking out during every project for Comp 1. Maybe it is because I have more interest in the Comp 2 project topics, or maybe because we have more freedom with these projects as opposed to last semester. I do not think there was anything in this project that I did not like. All be it writing a Rogerian Argument was no piece of cake, I was actually pleased with myself when I had finished my paper and realized that I had learned something new to better my writing skills. After completing project 2, I felt as if I had really accomplished something and was proud of the work I had done. Now that Project 1 and 2 are both complete, I am very interested in seeing how project 3 will pan out.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed completing project two and out of all the projects I’ve completed in Comp. 1101 and Comp. 1102, this is definitely my favorite one. What I liked most about it is the fact that we could choose a film that has caused controversy in the past. I’ve never seen “The Passion of the Christ.” until I noticed it was one of the films we could write about, and I’m very happy that I chose this film since I’ve heard nothing but great things about it. When hearing that we would have to write a Rogerian Argument based off of our movie, I was a little nervous as to what that would entail, since I’ve never heard of a Rogerian Argument before. After writing draft one, I realized how project two was actually not that difficult since we were well prepared as to what was expected from us. I wasn’t sure how beneficial this project would be until I improved my first draft and expanded more in some areas. This project taught me that when making your point about a certain issue, always make sure you consider your opponent’s side and try to understand the reasons for their position. I also learned to never use negative and inappropriate language when conversing with your opponent about the topic or else it will lead to trouble. This project has furthered my writing skills by preparing me with more styles of writing, such as writing a Rogerian Argument, that we may need again in the future.
ReplyDeleteI had mixed feelings about this project because it was a great opportunity for me to watch a highly controversial movie, and decide whether it had a positive or negative influence; but I struggled taking a side. The main problem I had was that every American who watched this movie said it was amazing, thrilling, powerful, etc... The reason for this was because an American really does not know what it is like to live in Paris, so I had a hard time finding a source that could defend my side. My main point was that although it made strong statement about the conditions of Paris, it caused more trouble than it was worth.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first paper I had written that acknowledged both sides and made a compromise between the two. This is an interesting concept, but my paper kept moving back and forth; so it became very confusing for me to make a concrete statement. Writing a paper like this one though should be incorporated into other projects because it makes you think outside the box and try to understand how the opposing side would feel about your argument. After all, the only way to make a paper better is to get rid of flaws in the argument that would weaken the writer’s argument. This type of writing is great for the reader because their side of an issue will be stated in the paper because both sides are taken into account. For Project 3, I will acknowledge the other side of the argument to make mine stronger.
Project two was a very different challenge in writing than I am used to. This project was the first time I have had to actually defend the other side and I think it was a more effective way to argue a point than many other writing assignments. Usually when I write I do not consider the other side’s point at all but it made it easier to defend my side because I had already thought about the other side’s opinion and way what they found to be reasonable arguments I did not agree with at all. I think it is very useful to argue in this manner because people might consider siding with you when you are gentle in refuting their points instead of attacking them. The hardest part of this assignment was finding articles to go with both sides of the argument. For example, for my essay on Supersize Me, it was easy to find articles talking about how the movie showed the ugly truth of fast food, but it was difficult to find articles supporting McDonald’s disagreement with the movie. I also think that while it was good that it required apathy towards the other side, I think too much of the essay was spent talking about the opposition. Overall, I thought the project was very beneficial and I learned a lot and it taught me a more effective way to argue with people who may not want to initially agree with my opinion.
ReplyDeleteProject 2 had me a little scared in the beginning. I thought it was going to be really difficult and wasn't looking forward to it at all. I came to find out that the project wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. It was actually very interesting to discover the controversies surrounding the film I chose; An Inconvenient Truth. I had also never heard of a Rogerian argument before this project so I thought it would be hard to right in that style. I actually found this type of argument to not be nearly as hard as I thought. I enjoyed looking into both sides of the debate and actually found that a paper which goes into detail on both sides can be more convincing than just a typical argument style. I don't feel like this project really enhance my writing skills as much as just showed me a new way to tackle an argument. So in summary, project 2 wasn't as bad as I originally thought.
ReplyDeleteSo far Project 2 this semester has been my favorite paper since I came to USF. The majority of the papers that I get assigned have very little to do with visual media, which I find to be most interesting. I'm not so much a fan of reading through old literature and rhetorically analyzing documents but when it comes to watching controversial films and formulating an argument, that's what I'm all about. It's not even like I was forced to watch a film that I disliked. The movie I chose was A Clockwork Orange, which is rather reputable and I've watched it a few times just out of personal interest. So basically this project just didn't seem like so much of a chore to finish. I felt like I was learning a very applicable skill because you can use Rogerian arguments to make yourself sound more credible. I also liked how this project teaches you how to avoid being biased in a discussion even when you have a strong opinion on the matter. This is a very useful tool because no one will take you seriously if all the points you make are extremely one sided. I'd say the hardest part of this project was probably choosing a film. Honestly there were several movie choices from the list that I would've liked to look into, but the high speed nature of these Comp classes urged me to stick with what I know. It seemed to have payed off too because I can't say that I'm disappointed with my grade.
ReplyDeleteThank Jesus (pun intended) project two was much more enjoyable than project one. Project two allowed me to take a different than normal stance on an argument, and also to view more than one point of view in a film. Analyzing “The Passion of the Christ” was hard for me, number one because I had never seen the film before (I never wanted to watch the film and see someone demonstrate vividly the gruesome act of Jesus’ murder on the cross), and number two because I am a Christian attempting to observe the Jewish perspective of the film and prove and disprove Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitism. I feel that this project was good for freshman students in that it was a challenge to argue against ourselves. We are so used to arguing our own opinions rarely even paying attention to the opposite argument, yet project two forces us to argue the counter-argument. As if project two caused an inner battle, as we as inexperienced students were struggling to write what we don’t believe. I enjoyed the battle, and the challenge. In fact I feel that this challenge is exactly what students need to gain experience in debating and to learn to expect the counter-argument. I would say that it would be great to replace project one with project two, yet the challenge may scare the freshman away and cause the dropout rate to increase (lol). But overall I enjoyed project two the way it was. No change necessary in my opinion. It was very interesting and contained much knowledge-ability.
ReplyDelete@brittnicoral
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed Project two! I agree entirely that it was far better than the historiography from Composition one. With the exception of the final project I did not enjoy Project one or two in Composition one, they seemed very bland to me. But that is just my personal opinion. The Rogerian argument was different, but because it was new it kept the project at least someone entertaining. Overall I have to agree with pretty much all that you said.
@kwalton11:
ReplyDeleteI actually liked this project as well. I have found that it is one of the easiest papers I have written so far this year. Though I did have trouble writing as much as I needed to for the other side, it was nice to be able to establish my ideas for both and not just argue completely for one side. I think this project was A LOT easier than the second project for ENC 1101 was, and I liked writing about a movie. The fact that I did Super Size Me also made it easier since it was easy to find good sources for it.
@S.Spear
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting that you mentioned hearing nothing but great things about this film because when I first heard about it, it was highly controversial. People would not stop talking about the gore and violence of this movie. I was at a Jewish middle school though, so a few faculty members were upset about the film. I definitely agree with you about understanding the opponent’s point of view because one must always anticipate what the other will say. That way you can write how their point works, but that it can also be improved. The concept of a rogerian argument can be carried over into Project 3.
@kwalton11
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your reflection after finishing project two. This project is also my favorite one out of all of the projects we’ve done the past two semesters. I agree that this was quite an interesting assignment because it involved discussing the controversial issues associated with our chosen movie and then writing a paper in the form of a Rogerian Argument, which I have also never heard before. I decided to use “ The Passion of the Christ,” too, to write my paper, and I’m very glad I chose that movie because I’ve heard nothing but great things about the movie.
@S.Spear – Learning new things is always for the better, and when it helps build skill that’s makes the experience even greater. I also wrote on “The Passion of the Christ”. It was my first time watching it too for this project, and I feel that it was a great choice also, but because I have heard of the controversy, yet I never really wanted to argue any of it because I felt that it was a very touchy subject for me. But im glad I chose to argue it and I overcame my fear and not only argued my side but both sides of the controversy. That was cool to me.
ReplyDelete@kcheek
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about thinking project 2 would be hard. I was kind of nervous and started to stress a little but then once it was further explained and I actually started it I felt much more comfortable with the project and more confident that I knew what I was doing and I could produce a good project. Like you, I had never done a rogerian argument before either and I thought it was going to be really hard as well. But as the project progressed I found that I actually enjoyed discussing both sides of the argument.
Project two was better than project one at least. I liked the idea of writting about a controversial movie, but ive had to write rogerian arguments before so there wasnt that much to learn from it. I dont complain though, because that made it an easy project. I experienced a dilemma while doing this project and its kinda funny. to me at least. while writing about how i acknowledged the opposite sides argument, i realized half way through the project that my opinion had changed. i no longer had the same opinion i had at the start, so it was a pain to keep trying to pursuade an audience about something that not even i found acceptable. The violence that the film the passion of the christ contained was just over the top, unacceptable, and disrespectful to christians. I began my project talking about how i understood that the audience felt this way but that it was vital to show this violence in order to give an accurate portrayal of Christ's final hours on earth. Here's the thing though. Nowhere in the bible does it explicitly describe how christ suffered during his last days on earth. So there is nothing that backs up this portrayal of Christ's suffering. it can or it cant be accurate. There's no way of telling. Therefore there was no point of even making such a movie. I regret not being able to write about what i really believed in but by the time i changed my mind it was too late to start from scratch.
ReplyDelete@kmurray
ReplyDeleteProject two was indeed more enjoyable than project 1. I think project one needs alot of work and should be improved for the future composition II students. it just wasnt clear enough. Project II still needs a bit more improvement but it is acceptable. i like that we had the freedom to choose what controversial movie to write about because that motivated me to write and Motivation is key in writing a good paper. i hope project III is even better and i hope we all do good in it.
I agree that this project was better than project pne and i bet analyzing The Passion of the Christ must have been a very hard movie to analyze from a Jewish perspective. Coming from a strong Christian family I always take my perspective on the movie and it would be very beneficial to understand the other position’s opinion on the movie and on Mel Gibson. I did not entirely love having to focus so much on the opposing argument for my movie but it seems like it would be very interesting to analyze The Passion of the Christ.
ReplyDeleteProject 2 was a very bittersweet project. I enjoyed watching a controversial film then forming my own argument about the context. Watching movies then arguing about what I didn’t understand is a secret hobby of mine. But the style of argument we were asked to do was difficult especially for me. Forming such strong views about a topic, then being asked to discuss and support the contrast of your opinion was beyond frustrating. I personally do not like the Rogerian argument style. However I did like how it took me out of my comfort zone of briefly acknowledging opposing views and taught me a few lessons about respecting opposing views. What I enjoyed the most about project 2 was actually researching the controversy. I found it extremely intriguing how what was controversial during that time period now has daily shows on the discovery channel. I chose the movie, “Freaks” which featured for the first time in cinema history real physically deformed humans. Now days there are multiple shows that feature midgets or explain the daily life of physically deformed individual. The bottom line is I strongly feel project 2 helped me develop further as a writer.
ReplyDelete@ebarton
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your thoughts and reactions to project 2. I had no idea what a Rogerian argument was either but was pretty relieved to find that the concept wasn't hard to grasp at all. You also couldn't be more right about your thoughts on being too harsh in an argument. If you seem too passionate or too wrapped up in the subject of discussion, your audience may not listen to your opinions.
Project 2 was actually extremely interesting because I had never written a Rogerian argument before in my entire life. It was a new experience, but one that will better me for my future in school. I cannot say I liked it nor disliked it because honestly, it is work all the same. I liked being able to watch and pick a movie for out topics because we have the freedom to write what we want to write about, giving me a better chance of doing better because I actually like what I am writing about. I also liked the fact that the argument was a two-sided, where you can process both sides and really know your opinion on the topic. It also gives you an idea what to look for when you are reading a Rogerian argument or any article in general. It taught me that there is always the compelling argument, and you cannot forget it just because they are putting up a good argument themselves. I feel like this paper gives us a chance to write freely, in a structured way. We get to choose what movies and what arguments in the paper, but still stay inside the rules of the project. It is a fantastic way of getting students to actually care about what they are writing, which is probably why I liked this project the most. I am always up to watch a movie, so when its actually an assignment, I definitely will enjoy it.
ReplyDelete@Sebastian
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the fact that project two was better than project one, and I agree with the liking of writing about controversial movies, but I can’t say I’ve written a rogerian argument before this class. I feel the same way though about your argument, I have that problem when I start seeing the opposing sides view of the problem. I’m glad you picked passion of the Christ, it really is a controversial film, I still haven’t seen it but planning on it soon. Well it is sad that you didn’t write what you really believed in because I always find arguments more believable when you actually believe them yourself.
Personally I loved project 2. I really learned how to honor someone’s argument even if I do 100% disagree with that they are saying and what to beat them with something. Project 2 taught us as writers how to leave space for the other argument and really put yourself in their shoes. Because part of the paper was arguing FOR the opposition instead of against them, that was difficult to fathom at first because I thought I was just going to be a big jerk the whole time but it actually turned out to be a good paper I believe I got a 87 on it? The work that came along with project 2 was not difficult at all. The hardest research I did for any project was project one for comp1. That undoubtedly assisted my research skills. It sounds weird and I may be the only person buy I really enjoy all these projects they help me put a tangible real world experience to use. And I am able to hone those skllls inside this classroom. I say leave project 2 how it is because I don’t have any complaints, just maybe choose a different film to show because NBK was pretty weird.
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