Right-ing.

Thank You.

Thank you everybody who has ever come across this blog. 

You all made me grow into what I am today. 

I cannot thank you enough.

Love,

Brock.

Knowledge #2. Can you hear me now? Good. d-_-b

“In order for you to gain experience in research reading, writing and communication, you will consider what you are passionate about in your field and begin to develop a professional identity reflecting this passion.”

That was the same question I was asked when I entered college, “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?”

In no way in hell is that an easy question to answer but throughout time and growth of your knowledge and yourself;  I believe that can help immensely to becoming more accuarte with your depiction of the yourself.

“I will learn from myself, be my own pupil; I will learn from myself the secrect of Siddhartha.” (Hesse)

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/02/deciding-what-to-do-with-your-life/

-A blog that will help put things into perspective.  If anything it good reading material for a thought provoking mind.

In my own experience I believe that it isn’t about how many A’s you got in school or your cumulative GPA.  I tend to go with the theory of it’s how much you learned and the effort you are making as a student or a person in general.  I am not hear to preach or sound repeitive but I think if you try your all then at that point there is an ability to look at your body of work and know you gave it your all. 

The best advice I ever received was to not be shy, get involved with your class, speak out, use all the resources around you and remember that life is to be fun along to go with the classwork. 

“The adventure evoked a quality of his character that he hadn’t known he possessed.”  (Campbell)

To share with you: This is the point in time where I decided to stop being shy.  I wanted to express myself through creativity and writing because in my head that’s what I knew I loved.

I wrote over top of this for Marlen’s class and came up with what you see below it.

Cornfield Paradise

As I walk into my shitty dorm, it always smells like death.

I am gasping from the scent of my roomate having sex.

Cause I’ve been awoken by choking so long that,

I use febreeze daily till the scent is gone.

The bathroom smell is hell, throw up on the wall, that’s not unheard of.

You better watch your stance, or go to a frat to dance.

Make sure not to eat Foster, or you shit your pants.

I really hate classes but, I gotta go.

I gotta quit procrastination, get off academic probation, fool !

Indiana, Pennsylvania it’s own little heaven.

The only class I’m down with,

ENGLISH 101-017!

Chorus:

Been spending most this year living in an Indiana cornfield. (x4)

Look at English class as I bust my ass.

All I do is blog, till I croack and die like a frog.

So I gotta be down with Marlen’s ways.

Too much Diane Ackerman got me counting days.

I’m an educated fool with blogs on my brain.

Word press dot com, seems to have me going insane.

I’m an IUP Freshman, set trippin’ banger.

Living the dream it is impossible to rise my anger, fool!

I’m typing papers do-or-die what can I say?

I’m eighteen now, but will I live to be a sophmore?

The way things is going, I’ll be here all four.

Tell me why don’t I, come to class high?

Maybe then I could, answer What is I…

Chrous (x4)

Hacker and the study, study and the Hacker

Page after page, makes me want to slap her.

Everbody’s studying, but half of them ain’t know.

What’s goin on in this class, improvement is what we show.

They say I gotta learn but Marlen’s here to teach me.

Nobody else understands, he’s the only one to reach me.

All this hard work and what can I say?

That I’m going to walk out of English with my first college A, fool !

-Now it’s your turn. Come out of your own shells and don’t hold back.

“Within you there is a stillness and santuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself, just as I can.  Few people have that capacity and yet everyone could have it.” (Hesse)

Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth.  New York: Anchor Books A Division of Random House, Inc., 1991

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam Books A Division of Random House, Inc., 1951

Knowledge #1. 4,213 miles away..Get Ready It’s A New Day.

Hello everybody who will be reading this..feel free to leave comments and chat because the world is about learning from your fellow human beings.  By no means are any of us omniscient you can learn from me as I can also learn from you.

“This course is designed to develop academic reading, communication and presentation skills for academic and professional contexts relating to your own field and future profession. Effective strategies for critical reading and research reporting are also included.”

To make that a success, I believe throughout my classes with Marlen and through my own self growth, that you must find who you truly are first and become comfortable within your own skin.  When you like yourself then your ideas sound more prominent and you will be able to speak your mind fluently. 

I found this list. I read through it and I think it hits some key elements that would be a strong base.

http://hollylisle.com/index.php/Writing-Life/ten-steps-to-finding-your-writing-voice.html

Here is what at first looks to be a simple question: What is I?

A simple retort would be saying, your name and some things about you.  Like any first day of class here in America, but that is not Marlen Harrison.  Look at in-depth and realize that you are a person, but how did you become the person you are today?  Look at it in-depth throughout the decisions you have made, your morals, beliefs and the overall journey you have been on this life thus far.  Be free when speaking your mind, open up to others and create the person in which you know you are.

I would like whoever read this to respond by explaining: 1. what your goals are for this class.   2. What is I?

What do you want out of it?  Why did you take this particular class?  How will this help you in “the real world”? Etc.

This is where I am right now in Pennsylvania!

Blog #17-I hate you wordpress.com

I hate wordpress.com because I just typed this entire blog and then as I hit publish it threw me off the website and just deleted my entire body of work for Blog #17.  I feel as though this one may not be as good in comparison but I shall try to recall my previous writings of what I had just said. Fuck wordpress.com.

My biggest fear once I got the letter over Christmas break when I received the e-mail explaining this course’s expectations was to decide a research topic that would be my focus for the entire semester.  To me that was what gave me the most anxiety and I knew it coming into the semester.  However, once I decided on my topic I fell in love with everything about it because it was much like living Literature 121 again.

My future goals for research is to get more involved within this research community.  Now, that we as students have an understanding of how this research works we can do anything again from this class.  I also want to progress my writing into some real and formatible that to others it will concern. 

My proudest moment in this course had to be when I started writing my own book in a Dr. Seuss format because I was so apprehensive to being it because I had no where to go with it but once I got started writing..I couldn’t seem to stop.  I think that also plays into what will stick with me after this class in the fact that I will be able to show off what I am good at.  To be proud of my work and how it represents a part of my own journey and creative process throughout life.

One love.

Blog #16-Reflecting on Hardwork

1.)There was a lot of assignments throughout this class but the one that seemed to help me the most was the peer-editing because I liked to see what other students in my class were doing or how they were going about their research.  

2.)Again the peer-editing reviews was also the most helpful feedback because my first partner was Norm and I told him to be brutually honest, which he was, and it really helped out my paper as a whole.  I also thought meeting with the course assisstants was helpful as well because it was a perspective of somebody who already went through this class being able to help me with their knowledge of the class. 

3.) When I first read the e-mails that told what this class was going to entail I knew the hardest part of this class form e would be to pick a topic.  The anxiety had gotten to me and I could not find a central focus of my topic.  Looking back I would have changed some things but I do love my paper the way it is now because it’s what I wanted to do.

4.) Being that my book is a rhyming story told throughout a  monomythic adventure, I think it best shows the art of a poetry.  Not a Shakespeare sonnet or epic bildungsroman but my own form of poetry and I like it.

Abstract. “..and ain’t shit changed but the amount of horses in my motor when I switch lanes.”

• Goes in the beginning of the paper. 
• Length=A paragraph.
• Written in past tense.
• It can contain citations. 
• 3 Things that must go in Abstract:
• 1. Thesis Statement or Research Question.
• 2. Methods
• 3. Some idea of Conclusion.
• Label it “Abstract: “

autoethnographical case study research.

Blog #15-Constructive Criticism “Honestly bro, this paper is fucking horrible.”

Remember this classes title is: “Research Writing: Telling Stories”

So, with that thought in mind..here is a story for you kids.

After reading my group members papers it really did help me out.   Not only with the fact that nobody in the English language understands the useage of commas and yes, that includes myself.  (I am actually going to look that up one day on how to use commas properly.)  Also, I liked doing this peer-editing because I feel like everybody is in a nervous wreck about how far along we are supposed to be in our papers.  After reading other students papers I feel better and more comfortable in my own writing because I could compare and contrast with other people and it sparked ideas in my mind conversely sparked, “Oh..I am NOT going to do that..”  So, it’s a win;  win situation.  I feel as though it also makes each one of us want to step up our own shit after seeing how good other people’s papers were as well.  It was a good exercise through and through because it showed us many different perspectives at this one research paper.   Damn, I love life.

I love you all.

Sincerely,

Brock Andrew Kawana

Blog #14-Results, Discussions, Conclusions.

Results #1

• The results need to be meaningful and have a correlation to your thesis for the reader to properly understand things.
• In the Results the reasearcher needs to provide a statement of the results.
• The researcher also should make an instance to point out the most related material exemplified in the results area.
• Remember not to continuously repeat data throughout your results method.  If the reader hears it once I am sure they will understand it the same as fifty times.
• The way in which the research presents the material must  be as clear as possible so the reader can grasp the information and clearly understand it without always questioning.

“Writing up Research: Results”. Language Center.  2003. Asian Institute of Technology. 29 March 2010. <http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21RES.HTM>

Results #2

This article was much different than the first because it actually showed a result of data found about doing various distracting activities while driving in a car..  The way they presented this information was unique because it was clearly visible as to what they are talking about.  However, they showed their data with (% of Subjects) & (% of driving time).  They did however differently from the first article in that they did not round up their data but went to the exact percentage.  Also what was shown on their paper analysis was how they found this data, the coding of the data, the analysis itself of the information and the data limitations.

“Outline of Results, Methodology and Data Limitations” 2009. North Carolina University. 28 March. 2010. <http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/safety_info/distracted_drowsy/distracted_drivers_phase2_outline.cfm>

Discussions #1

• The function of the discussion is to discuss what was already known about your topic in which you are doing research on. 
• The discussion will always connect to the research question in the beginning of the paper in the introduction.
• When using discussions in our research we must find our voice to communicate with the reader thus it will help us provide more of  a relationship with them so they too can understand what the hell we are talking about.
• Orgainzation is key in this process.  It must all correlate back to our research question and the research involved.  We should not be jumping around all will-nilly but in a concise organized fashion.

“The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper”. 29 March 2010.<http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html#discussion>

Discussions #2

• The discussion section is where the researcher must generalize what they have learned throughout their research.
• The researcher must also refer back to their introduction when talking about their discussions.
• This positive correlation between the introduction and discussion gives the paper a more concise and organized feel of the data being provided.
• The researcher must also remember that most the time the discussion part is written in PRESENT TENSE.

“Online Guide to Writing and Research” 2010. University of Maryland. Effective Writing Center. <http://www.umuc.edu/ewc/onlineguide/chapter4/chapter4-13.shtml>

Conclusions #1

• The Introduction and Conclusion are the framework around the central body of work.
• The conclusion is much like the introduction in being a bridge into the paper but the conlcusion lets the reader ease out of the work and back into their daily lives.
• It is the researchers chance to get the last word in about the pertaining subject.
• The reasearcher should treat the conclusion as a gift to the reader.  It is the fireworks in the paper.  The finally KA-BOOM!
• In the article, they stated that a helpful hint in writing the conclusion is to play the “so what” game.  I thought this was a really cool concept in that it proves to be helpful with the writing by making you get more and more facts to back your shit up.
• The researcher should NOT introduce a new theme in the conclusion or the corny “in conclusion” lines. Fuck em’.

“Conclusions.” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 29 Mar. 2010.<http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/conclusions.html>.

Conclusions #2

• The conclusion is the finale to the paper being presented. So, make it that way.
• The author of the paper must go out with a bang because if the reader has read this far they are obviously interested and you have to leave on a good note.
• You can restate your theis, make sure it isn’t the first time stating, from your introduction.  This makes the reader see your point in the objective being desired.

“Writing a Conclusion” CRLS Research Guide. 2009. Holly Samuels 2004. <http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/18_Writing_Conclusion.asp>

Blog #13-This is why people become addicted to drugs/alcohol.

After combining my 3 areas of my intended research it was both a positive and a negative.  It showed me how far we really are in this process of writing.  However, it also showed how much I need to edit.  I can’t stand to read some of my own work and that annoys me.  I understand the aspect of “shitty first drafts” but I don’t want to have a “shitty paper” for that will just piss me off.  So, what I need to do now that I have found a central focus of the monomythic stages throughout life in everyday occurences;  I want to edit all three of my stages in this paper.  It is going to take a lot of work but it is because of me that they are like this.  Also, I like the Peer-Edit Review with the partners because it let me see how another person reads my work.  What made it even better was when I handed Norman my paper I asked him to be as honest as possible and when I got my paper back; I saw that he was with no holding back.  I think having other people read our work is what helps the most because it brings you off your platform of “you are not the shit” so it is good for us in that regard.  I will go from here as the monomythic journey does it self.  It is time for me to step up and start doing more and more reading and just be more organized all together.  I figured since I cannot draw that I will still do my creative piece but do it with film instead of drawing..  I think this ads the same affect but just puts it into a story even more through the film.

Blog #12-Hey! Hey! Can I ask you? Wait..Where are you going? GET BACK HERE!! I HAVE A SURVEY FOR YOU!

My research subjects will be my friends and/or the students in the Literature 121 class because they are more involved within the topic in which I am discussing.  I figured they could fill it out nicely.  I must inform them first and clearly of what I would like them to respond to.

I will find them when I go into course assisst.  I think the entire class would be sufficient and I know not all will be done properly but I hope I could get a couple of truthful ones that will help throughhout my research.  I would also like their names to not be on it that way they can either be truthful or honest and if they do lie and just fuck with me I won’t hold a bias because I won’t know who it was.  However, I feel this way people are more open to talking, like post-secrect.

I want to know if there are any limitations?  If I can literally ask anything.  How much do I have to inform the participant?  What if they don’t even care and just do it to the complete honesty?  What if they  want their name on it and I don’t, is there a conflict of interests?  I will have to do research on these topics to get more involved with these aspects of learning.