Final TOW- Letter to the future of APELC

To the future of APELC,

Welcome to a class of ups and downs, of happy and sad, of ridiculously eye opening readings. Now that I am groomed and honed from the past year, I am able to impart wisdom unto you. Your year is bound to be interesting and this is what I wish I'd been told/things to look out for.

      1.  You are not a bad writer

Just because someone is going to help you improve, does not mean that you aren’t good at writing. The entirety of the year gives you tools that can help you clarify and better your essays. The potential grade- shock on the summer essay may sting, but if you look back at it at the end of the year, you will completely agree with it. Don't let your ego get in the way of improving your writing, and don't forget: you are not a terrible writer but you are not perfect.

2. People have different tastes

Throughout the course of the year, different people will read and grade your papers and projects. At the end of the day, the only opinion that truly matters is your own. While you are learning you should take advice, but don’t forget to question it if you don’t understand.

           3. Take advantage of the readings

I have shaped my views and opinions of the world throughout the course of this year. When you are exposed to Plato, This is Water, and Thoreau; it exposes you to different ways of thinking.  Being a good thinker leads to being a good writer, which leads to a good AP and report card score (if that’s important to you). Plus, it’s not in every class where you get to wear a toga to school and debate intelligently about philosophy.

4.   Ask for help from Yost or Pronko-> two teachers = double the ideas

If you’re down or troubled and need some love and care and nothing, nothing is going right, the best thing you can do is try and adjust your approach to what you are doing. APELC is special because there are two teachers who have different ways of thinking. One of their methods is bound to work for you. Don’t be afraid to ask both for assistance if you feel stuck, or to talk to me. Any student who went through this course had to figure some stuff out, and we love to talk about how we did it. So ask. That first line was Carole King, by the way.

Much love,

Chloe Becker

TOW 28

My TOWS from September into March have become completely different in focus, style, and approach. In August, prior to entering the course, my TOWs were simple observations. They took tons of time and required much thought. I attempted to match the fanciful words on my rhetorical strategy list with patterns I found in the texts. There was little to no analysis of the effects of the devices used and as I reread my words, I had no recollection of what some of my "analyzed" rhetorical devices did. Moving through the year, I focused more on  the strategies' effects. I still was spending a lot of time trying to figure it all out, it didn't come easily yet. However by the end of the year, completing a TOW took little time and the piece I would create was much better than anything I'd had written in September. Eventually, I even moved away from rhetorical analysis and used TOWs to practice writing argumentatively.

Given my newfound comfort level and ease with rhetorical analysis, it feels like a mastered skill. Of course, there is always room for improvement. But the ability to closely read a piece of work and determine what the author wants us to know; how they get us to know it, is something I feel very comfortable with.

What is not entirely sufficient isn't exactly a traditional TOW. When I began working with the argument unit, and was finding it difficult to finagle my approach to success, I used a couple of TOWs to hone my skills. The argumentative side of writing isn't necessarily a huge issue for me, but comes with less comfort.

The TOW assignments helped me become proficient in rhetorical analysis. By midyear, I was learning less from each article I analyzed as I had found my groove and didn't need to work as much at the skill. Once the assignment was amended so I could work on something I was struggling with (argumentation), I began benefiting from the assignment again. The TOWs achieve their purpose, especially towards the beginning of the year, as they give time for you to practice the new techniques. My rhetorical essays and ways of thinking were improved due to the early TOWs, and my argumentation improved by the end.

TOW 26 (written)

In 1905 Henry Adams wrote, The Education of Henry Adams. This eventually won a Pulitzer Prize and an excerpt titled, "A Law of Acceleration" was printed in the Best American Essays of the Century. This essay captures the idea of progress through time and what the future may hold as seen by the past. I struggled through this read a little bit. It is heavier than previous texts and organized in a strange way. The first time I read through all I really was able to catch was Adam's purpose in writing it, to convince that motion continues and America accelerates in growth. After some research I discovered Henry Adams is the descendant of 2 United States presidents and that contributes to creating a broad audience for his work. He is looking to motivate the educated "New American".
Adams applies rhetorical strategies to support his argument. Extended metaphor is the most prominent technique. The Law of acceleration states, "The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force." In simple terms, the more force applied the greater the acceleration. This idea is applied to Adams' observation of coal-output growth, and the growth of his nation overall. By using an extended metaphor is keeps a consistent thread for the entire piece and allows the reader to piece all Adam's ideas.
Adams establishes ethos by being who he is. Like how the Language of Composition explained that a king has built in ethos, Adam's does as well with his familial connections.  But Adams also appeals to ethos when he explains his ideas in scientific fact. Many believe that science and fact are equal, so by taking a scientific approach, his thoughts appear to be fact. 

TOW 26- Why We Need Geography (Written/Argument)

To what extent do you agree with the main argument?

In Gil Grosvenor's "Why We Need Geography", he argues geography is an essential component of most issues and jobs. He believes the subject should infiltrate more schools and deserves , at least, "one tenth the amount of money history has." Providing many excellent points, Grosvenor's assertions are hard to disagree with, and geoliteracy should be emphasized in schooling as well as in international issues.

As a student of public schooling, I'm embarrassed by my own limited knowledge in geography. In my history class, my lack of knowledge of locations has impeded on successful understanding of some important events (where was the land bridge again?). While this is on a small scale, Grosvenor is able to connect geoliteracy with skillfullness in a multitude of jobs. It helps bankers decide the best loans to give, helps workers in real estate understand the patterns of the industry, and even farmers grow the best crops. While some students see geographical knowledge as a waste of time, given that Google is always there to direct you, the fact is that where things are has a huge effect on what they are. Especially in world wide problems.

When discussing geography in current events, Grosvenor focuses on the Obama administration's "what should we do in Afghanistan" poll. He sees it as good in concept, but because of the nation geographical illiteracy, ineffective. The nation was split half way in opposing decisions because many do not fully comprehend the issue.  Grosvenor argues that because the majority of Americans do not know about where Afghanistan is, and what exists there, they are unable to properly make a decision. Grosvenor believes the foundation of most misunderstanding is the lack of geographical knowledge. Despite his expertise, this is difficult to prove. Perhaps the way to find out is to do what he says, and better equip today's students with geographical understanding.

Tow 25- Getting Started (Visual)

Today, April 12th 2015, Hilary Clinton announced her anticipated candidacy for the presidential election of 2016. As someone who everyone knew was going to run, the video that was released works to excite the American public as well as subtly give a clue as to the kind of politician Clinton is.

In order to effectively convey a basic premise of her ambitions, Clinton uses a specific arrangement and repetition of examples of people "getting ready to..." and

The arrangement of the video is effective for achieving its purpose. The audience does not even see Clinton until the final moments. Instead, a variety of families are explaining what they are embarking on, families of different ages and ethnicities. Before viewing the candidate, viewers are likely to identify with somebody in the video. By forming this connection with the audience, the announcement is well perceived by many.

Not only are the people in the video diverse in what they look like, but what they are saying are shaping the stances Clinton hopes to deliver. When you leave the video, you know Clinton is in support of: gay marriage, successful businesses, support of senior citizens, strong education and aiding the job industry.  And she didn't say a thing about it.

TOW #22 - 'Foxcatcher" A quietly devastating drama

This review of a heavily nominated film is able to capture the essence of the movie as well as voice some criticisms in a subtle fashion through its arrangement. The piece begins with a look into the history that the film is based upon. While perhaps giving away some spoilers (only to those unfamiliar with the true event) this opens the article to those who have not seen the movie and are looking for some insight. 

Directly following the historical background is a paragraph dedicated to praising the director, Bennett Miller. As someone who has seen the movie, the review's author Ty Burr beautifully describing how Foxcatcher "could have made a three-ring circus of this story, pushing the weirdness and driving home his points about the evil, idle rich. Instead, “Foxcatcher” is measured and mournful sometimes to a fault." Burr is able to describe what you should expect going into the theater to see this movie, as it isn't action filled but rather tediously developed and possibly uncomfortable.  

Following praise of the director is praise of the actors. Truly a film that is victorious because of its well-developed characters, Burr is able to emphasize the quality of the three male leads while continuing to explain a  little more about the plot of the movie itself. 

The review concludes with a repeated stance on the overall movie as "terribly sad". Which trust me, it was. Once again Burr peers at what some other critics say this time about the movie being a little far from the actuality of the event, but in his last effort to defend the film, explains why it may not matter. 

TOW #19- Why Children's Theater Matters (Written)

Why Children's theater matters is a transcript of a speech given by Lyn Gardner. The audience is stated to be those in attendance that the Unicorn Theater in London. Her speech followed that acceptance of an award for outstanding contribution to children's arts. Gardner develops an effective argument for more recognition needed to the performances done for children. She has excellent arrangement as she begins by establishing ethos through her analogy, explaining why this issue needs change, developing the issue in a greater context, and finally point-blankly stating how she believes theater should be viewed.

While clearly being viewed as one with upstanding credibility, given she was being recognized for it, Gardner still begins by giving reason for her opinion to be valued. She casually reflects into some of her past work, but in the field of children's novels. She equates the questioning of why children's books are seen as less to why theater is seen as less. This analogy is effective as it is not too far from the actual ideas Gardner plans to propose and easy to connect to. Even if you do not like theater, nearly every child of the parents in her audience is in love with a book, making it simple to establish a connection between her ideas and the audience.

Following suit, Gardner explains why there should be change. She defends art as a whole, but keeps her focus on why it is beneficial for children. She does not diminish the other forms of theater, but explains how even Shakespeare teaches us to cherish art for young people. She continues to explain why art should be fostered in schools, providing examples of when misconceptions arose of math and science being of far more importance. The entire body of her speech works to spark a new thought, or a different perspective, for her audience, and is effective in her overall goal of arguing that children's theater matters.

Gardner ends her speech with a simple two sentence paragraph that articulates what she has implicitly argued the entire speech. She takes the broad ideas she has developed and comes back to her original, pointed thought. By the end of her speech, Gardner develops a provocative argument that works to leave the audience questioning and pondering how children's theater is viewed.