Swales Model HW

The future of the writing process is a very important subject to many people. After all, we want our future to be better than us, right? We want our kids and our grand kids to be better writers than we are today. It is important to know what the most beneficial way to improve the writing process. Do computers help increase the writing process? This is the question that I am examining. Many generalize that it doesn’t help the writing process because the writing process starts with pen and paper. There is more to writing than just using pen and paper because what you are actually writing is part of the writing process as well. Computers have made research today much easier and help children write faster and more efficiently. Students can use their sources on the internet to enforce what they are writing. Also, researchers have found that there is more motivation from students to write when using computers, therefore enhancing the amount of writing and the writing process. These are just some of the many arguments that can be made in the computers defense. Experiments, surveys, observations, and much more have been conducted by researchers to find the answer to this intriguing question. The truth is that nobody has found the correct answer yet. The main problem in the research is that nobody that has educational power has done anything about the research found. As far as the actual research goes, many issues can occur that could cause the information to become invalid. For example, you would need to observe students that have about the same IQ if you are comparing if the computer helps the writing process or if it doesn’t. The purpose of my essay is to inform readers about what has been found on this topic and what still needs to be done in order for actions to be made. I located many case studies previously conducted by researchers doing different experiments to help find the answer to this question. By the end of this essay, you should be informed about what has been found about computers and how they affect children’s writing process, and what can still be done. I will first inform you of what has previously been found on this topic, and then share my research with you of a few case studies I found including both sides of the argument, and finally I will end my essay with concluding all the information I shared and express my feelings once again on this topic. I hope to inform more people about my research and what can still be done to make changes happen.

Test on Chapter 7 and 8

When comparing a fact to a definition, I consider my argument to be both a fact and a definition. My reasoning for this is due to several causes. Lunsford explains that in order for an argument to be a fact, it has to contain some key features. These key features include things such as describing a situation that leads you to raise questions, and making a claim that addresses the status of the facts. My argument is that children’s writing skills are actually improved by computers. In order for this argument to be a fact, I have to have evidence that supports my claim. This is exactly what I have done with my argument paper. When looking at what makes an argument a definition, Lunsford explains that definitions come in many forms, such as formal, operational, and by example. If an argument is a definition, you format a claim and then you come up with a reason as to why this is so. I am doing this with my argument, because I have claimed that computers increase children’s writing skills and I am proving evidence as to why I believe it improves them. Also, I pointed out the opposing views to my argument, which makes it a definitional argument. Selber uses a definition for his argument on computer literacy. He expresses why computer technologies in the classrooms are not a good idea because too few teachers are trained to teach students how to learn using this technology. This is a perfect example of a definitional argument because Selber is using a claim involving a question of definition. Also, Selber considers alternate views and counterarguments. For example, Selber says that others seem to think that, “computers level the playing field.” He addresses this idea and explains that there will never be equality with computers because people such as women, and the poor, are not able to be connected to networks computers and have are less likely to be able to have access to a computer. In the article by Malcolm X, he explains why learning to read helped him become free while he was in prison. Malcolm read the dictionary and copied it by himself to teach himself how to read. He expresses that something as simple as reading made him feel free, and in his essay he explains the events that made him want to study and read. Malcolm claimed that after he learned to read, his mind was taken out of the fact that he was in prison and focused on how to make himself a better reader. In a factual argument, a claim can be presented as a hypothesis. I believe that this is what makes Malcolm X’s article a factual argument. He is making a claim that learning to read made him a free man, which is his hypothesis, and then he explains why he felt like a free man after he learned to read. In addition, arguments of fact often involve a story. This is another reason why Malcolm’s article is an argument of fact. In conclusion, my argument about computer technology in the classroom involves both an argument of fact and definition. I make a claim and provide evidence to support it, which makes my argument a fact, and I also consider the opposing views, which makes my argument a definition as well.

Reflection on Research

When I sit back and look at all the research I have done for Core 2 and for my argument, it is interesting to compare the authors to another and see what I think is valid and what isn't. With how technology is today, anyone can post information on the internet, so you have to be careful who you chose information from.
When comparing the different authors, you can tell who has valuable sources and who doesn't. For example, one of the sites I found had no references, while the next one I found had a reference from the superintendent of schools where he conducted his research. Many of the authors I have seen so far have been leaning towards the idea that computers in the classrooms does in fact increase children's writing skills. I have seen very few authors say that it doesn't increase their writing skills. Although, every author I used for my research has addressed the opposing argument, which makes their evidence and claims more valid.
I personally do not have any concerns with the research I used. I made sure I used scholarly sources such as Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. It is hard to find an article that isn't scholarly with good references on any of those sites. In the beginning, I did have a little trouble because I used one non-scholarly source, but once I realized that the information couldn't be trusted, I immediately took that part out of my research. I have good faith that the research that I found is valid and can be used to better my argument.