Chapter 13 Summary

Chapter 13 discusses organizing your paper. This chapter goes over which organizing patter you should choose, how to arrange your argument and creating an outline. Having a well organized paper is important because it will help the reader anticipate or predict what will come next. There are many options you have when choosing a pattern to follow when you are organizing your paper. These are meant to help you construct your paper so your information is shown in the most effective way. Some of the patterns include, chronology, description, case/effect, pro/con, problem/solution and strength/weakness. As you can see a lot of these are comparing two categories and basing your essay off of that. The next step in organizing your essay is to arrange your argument. You can use these strategies to help arrange your argument, labeling, grouping, clustering and mapping. Lastly, you will want to create a outline. Your outline will become a map to your essay and is like a skeleton to your paper. This is where you will decide where certain things will go and will become the backbone to your paper. The reason for an outline is to help keep you organized so you don't miss any key things or repeat things. Having an organized plan to write your paper will benefit you in the long run because you have actually given thought to the construction of your paper.

Chapter 19 Summary

This chapter discusses how to design your document and presentation. This chapter has six sections where it breaks down how to design specific pieces of work. These sections consist of, designing academic essays, multimodal essays, articles, web sites, oral presentations and multimedia presentations. It is important to keep in mind how to design your document because it adds a special element to your paper. When you begin to design your document you should keep in mind what your purpose is. For example, are you informing your audience or are you trying to convince them of something. This is important because you would design your paper in a different way for both of those. Another thing to keep in mind is what are the expectations of your design. For example,  you may want to talk to your instructor to see what is required of you. Another thing you should do is look at examples. This will help you find things you want to incorporate in your paper or maybe things that you do not want to do. It will also help provide you with a model you can follow. This is an important aspect to your essay because it makes your essay visually appealing.

In-Class Lab 11/13

1. What us your topic?

 For my research project, I am looking into funding of our public school systems. This topic has been a very popular topic in the news with many initiatives trying to be passed to benefit our school systems. For example, in our state Initiative 1351 will help decrease class sizes in our state, which ranks 47th for having large classes sizes among the other states. This project will help highlight the benefits of funding for our schools and what the outcome would be and also go over where funding should come from and ideas to better budget. Questions that will be kept throughout the paper are: What would the effects be if funding was increased/decreased? What affects the funding of schools? Do cuts benefit schools or do they harm them? How would funding to schools be managed? What models could we follow to improve our school funding? What can individuals do to help improve funding? Improving our funding to public schools will benefit not only our students but also our society. 

2. What do you think about your topic?

This topic is important because the schools in the United States aren't ranked highly among schools around the world. From a competitive aspect we aren't succeeding compared to other countries school systems. The one way we can look to improve our education system is the way we fund our schools. Now, this doesn't mean we throw money at the problem and hope the problem solves itself. We have to use a strategic plan to improve our schools. The strategic plan that we can use is that schools should be our top priority to fund and place the funding in the areas where it is lacking. Improving our school systems not only will benefits now, but it will also benefit us in the future.

3. What do you know about it?

In addition to the sources collected so far, I have been looking for articles dealing with what is going on at state level to improve funding to our schools and what can be done. I also looked at more peer-reviewed articles like Education Week and Education Digest. Additionally to that, I looked at scholars articles from JSTOR on the topic of funding of public education. I also found some data about what the lack of funding does to our schools and show where the funding that is provided is used for. I would also like to find a table that shows class sizes and relate them to our state and other states surrounding us. I am hoping that I can find some of these visuals with more research done into Initiative 1351 and also find surrounding states that are taking similar action that our state is.

4. What is your claim?

The best way to save our school systems, is to understand where we are failing and to start from the beginning, while many believe that just throwing money at the problem will fix it they are mistaken, taking accountability and funding our schools properly is the right start onto a successful path.

5. What is your stance on the issue you are writing about?

I believe funding to our schools should be increased and funds go where they will benefit the students the most. My main points are background information on our schools(I), support for increasing funding to schools (II) and what the future of our schools could look like/will look like(III).

6. Which sources back you up?

A. (Background)

One such source is an article by Joshua Arocho, titled “Inhibiting Intrastate Inequalities: A Congressional Approach To Ensuring Equal Opportunity To Finance Public Education,” published 2014. This article brings up the unfairness of funding of schools throughout the states. Brings up how most of the funding that goes to schools deals with property tax and how that fluctuates the funding between states and so on. Again, brings up the clashing views of federal and state and how that affects schools. I will use this source by providing my audience with information about school funding and where the funds come from. This will allow me to give them an understanding of how that process works and how some changes may be beneficial. Another article that will provide my audience with background information is “No Child Left Behind--A Critical Analysis,” by Charles R. Ellis, published in 2007. It brings up the act that was emplaced when Bush was in office, which had a huge impact on the education system.  It looks into the involvement the federal government has had in regards to our school and most importantly the impact it has had on funding schools. I will be using this in my paper to provide information on what happens when an act like this is emplaced and what the outcomes are.

 B. (Support)

 One such source is Kathleen Knight Abowitz’s article “Achieving Public Schools,” published in 2011. This article helps provide the relationship between our government and our public school system. It describes how we as people are “customers” of our school systems. We pay taxes which support our schools and in return we should get what we want out of it. Also, details about how both systems need to work together to produce a working environment for students. I will use this source as a neutralizer, meaning that for public schools to work they need to be backed by the government and vice versa. A source that helps shed some light on a more positive aspect of budget cuts is an article by Alan Haskvitz, “The Recession And Education: Seize New Opportunities,” published in 2011. This source is very different from my other sources because it discusses the benefits the recession can have on education. It has a very unique perspective, since many believe that a lower budget means all negative it could actually have some slight positive benefits. This can help me show a brighter side to budget cuts, but also show that with these small things bigger things are being ignored. I will be using this in my paper to highlight some positive aspects from budget cuts and will help me provide a counter-argument.

C. (Future)

Chapter 18 Summary

Chapter 18 discusses how to properly design your paper. This chapter is broken into two sections, those sections discuss designing effectively and what elements of design you can use. When writing a paper it sis important to understand how you are going to design/structure your paper. To begin, you will want to design your paper in a effective way. You can start this by first understanding how the design process works. Next, you will want to keep in mind what your purpose is which will make this process easier. Keeping in mind of your audience is always crucial. Your audience is a key element of your paper. With designing your paper you don't want it to distract from what you are saying. Designing your paper is meant to help readers understand, locate information and ideas and understand the functions of the paper. Another important idea that goes along with designing your paper is to address genre conventions. Next, you will want to know what design elements you can use. These include fonts, spacing, alignment, color, shading, borders and illustrations These are important elements to keep in mind because with the design of a long essay like this your audience can and will get bored with words just printed on 13 pieces of paper. This is your chance to appeal to your audience visually.

Chapter 12 Summary

Chapter 12 discusses developing your argument. This chapter is broken into two sections, the first section discusses how to support your thesis statement and the second section shows you how to check the integrity of your argument. When writing a paper like this you need to be able to support what you are saying, being able to back up your thesis statement is key to success. This chapter breaks it down into 3 steps on how to support your thesis statement. The first step is to choose reasons why your thesis statement should be supported. This is your opportunity to build a strong case for your side of the argument. When doing this you want to keep in mind what your audience may or may not know about your topic already, how they respond and the counterarguments that will come up. The second step is to choose evidence that supports your reasons. A simple formula you can follow is that every reason you offer to support your thesis statement you need to back it up with evidence. Now, this evidence can come in an array of forms, from facts to personal observations. The last step is to decide how you are going to appeal to your audience. This is one of the most important steps because if you don't appeal to your audience your paper isn't doing what it was meant to do. Some ways to appeal to your audience is by appealing to authority, emotion, values, character and logic. By appealing to those examples you will be able to link with a audience member. The second part of this chapter discusses the integrity of your argument. You can do this by checking for fallacies that are used as distracters. They may distract the audience from actual information/proof. Also look for fallacies that are based on assumptions, misrepresentations and careless reasoning. These will do the opposite of what you are trying to do as a writer, it will bring your argument down.

Chapter 11 Summary

Chapter 11 discusses on how to develop your thesis statement. This will benefit you in writing this essay because your thesis statement is states your main point and the way you will be framing your argument. This is important because this is going to set the mood of your essay. This chapter is broken into two main parts, how to use your sources and your position statement and secondly drafting your thesis statement. When deciding what position you are going to take and what sources will benefit you is the toughest part about developing a thesis statement. When doing this you should keep in mind to constantly be reviewing. Review your position statement and your notes and make sure they suit where you are taking your paper. Another important idea to keep in mind is to consider your purpose and role as a writer. Lastly, you want reflect on your readers and focus on your position which you will have developed through looking at your notes and developing a position on your topic. The second part of this chapter deal with drafting your thesis statement. The purpose of your thesis statement is reflect on your position, notes and your writing situation. To begin your thesis statement you need to start by identifying important information, ideas, and arguments that are attached to your issue and particularly your side on on the issue. You can go about this by identifying key words/phrases your sources have in common to identify important ideas you want to discuss. While doing this you should keep in mind what type of document you are writing, for the essay we are writing you want to have a effective thesis statement that outlines what you will be discussing in your essay. You want your thesis to be focused rather than broad, when you have a broad statement few will argue with your statement because your idea has little info to go along with it. Developing your thesis statement is important because this is the first thing your audience will read and it will either keep their attention or loose it immediately.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Abowitz, Kathleen Knight. "Achieving Public Schools." Educational Theory 61.4 (2011): 467-489. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

This article explains the relationship between our government and our public school system. It describes how we as people are “customers” of our school systems. We pay taxes which support our schools and in return we should get what we want out of it. Also, details about how both systems need to work together to produce a working environment for students. I will use this source as a neutralizer, meaning that for public schools to work they need to be backed by the government and vice versa.

Arocho, Joshua. "Inhibiting Intrastate Inequalities: A Congressional Approach To Ensuring Equal Opportunity To Finance Public Education." Michigan Law Review 112.8 (2014): 1479-1505. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

Discusses the unfairness of funding of schools throughout the states. Brings up how most of the funding that goes to schools deals with property tax and how that fluctuates the funding between states and so on. Again, brings up the clashing views of federal and state and how that affects schools. I will use this source by providing my audience with information about school funding and where the funds come from. This will allow me to give them an understanding of how that process works and how some changes may be beneficial.

"Budget Woes Could Mean School Cutbacks." Education Week 28.15 (2008): 14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

With budgets being cut we can come to a safe conclusion that layoffs will occur, programs are cut, teachers lose their benefits, school days become shorter and less time is spent in the classroom. This article is explaining what cuts mean to schools and the result of them. I can use this in my paper by painting an image for my audience. Giving them an idea of what increasing cuts looks like in the classroom and what that means for schools.  (http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/12/10/15econ.h28.html)

"California Districts Used Funding Flexibility To Save Jobs." American School & University 84.11 (2012): 50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses some measures that California used to save jobs from being cut. It also talks about how students prefer teachers that use technology in the classroom compared to teachers that don’t. This article doesn’t provide me with adequate information that I need for my paper. It also doesn’t provide me with enough details dealing with their budget. Therefore, I will not be using this article as a source in my paper.

Chakrabarti, Rajashri, and Sarah Sutherland. "New Jersey's Abbott Districts: Education Finances During The Great Recession." Current Issues In Economics & Finance 19.4 (2013): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

This article targets New Jersey’s Abbott District and what occurred during our latest recession. The unique thing about the Abbott district is that it is a low income area that was receiving funding and special services before the recession hit. It goes on to compare three groups of students and the effects that occurred during the lack of funding. I can incorporate this in my paper because it gives me evidence of the effects budget cuts has on students and why this is a problem.  

Ellis, Charles R. "No Child Left Behind--A Critical Analysis." Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue 9.1/2 (2007): 221-233. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

This article discusses the No Child Left Behind Act, which has had a huge impact on our education system. It looks into the involvement the federal government has had in regards to our school and most importantly the impact it has had on funding schools. I will be using this in my paper to provide information on what happens when an act like this is emplaced and what the outcomes are.   

Franklin, Cynthia, and Calvin L. Streeter. "School Reform: Linking Public School With Human Services." Social Work 40.6 (1995): 773-782. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Discusses the link between public schooling and social services. Even though this article was published in 1995 it still has an interesting perspective on the idea of bringing the two together. It also can service as a way to discuss of past reforms and why and why not they worked or didn’t work. I will use this is in my paper to provide an understanding to what reforms were taking place and how certain ones would have benefited.

Gibson, Mark T., and Tom Bisschoff. "'Successful' Schools As Agents Of Inner City School Transformation In England." International Studies In Educational Administration (Commonwealth Council For Educational Administration & Management (CCEAM)) 42.1 (2014): 3-16. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses sponsored schools in England. These schools are different from other schools, in other words they become “Academies” and are managed by the sponsor. From what I drew from this article is these academies are similar to our charter schools. This article also follows two schools that are using the systems to describe how they work. I will use this in my paper to use as an example of other ways to fund our schools and make the decision if this would realistically work.

Green III, Preston C., Bruce D. Baker, and Joseph O. Oluwole. "Having It Both Ways: How Charter Schools Try To Obtain Funding Of Public Schools And The Autonomy Of Private Schools." Emory Law Journal 63.2 (2013): 303-337. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

This article goes into detail about Charter Schools and what they are. The authors spend a good amount discussing the legal action that has been taken for Charter schools. The difference between charter schools and public schools is that charter schools don’t have to abide by the same rules that public schools do. This raises questions because they are being funded by the state as are public schools, but don’t need to meet the same requirements. I will not be using this article in my paper. It brings up a whole new topic that I’m not investigating for my paper.

Haskvitz, Alan. "THE RECESSION AND EDUCATION: Seize New Opportunities!." Education Digest 76.5 (2011): 57-59. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses the benefits the recession can have on education. It has a very unique perspective, since many believe that a lower budget means all negative it could actually have some slight positive benefits. This can help me show a brighter side to budget cuts, but also show that with these small things bigger things are being ignored. I will be using this in my paper to highlight some positive aspects from budget cuts.

Jaekyung, Lee. "Dual Standards Of School Performance And Funding? Empirical Searches Of School Funding Adequacy In Kentucky And Maine." Education Economics 18.2 (2010): 207-228. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

This article brings up an interesting idea of how school performance and funding relate to one another. This article follows Kentucky and Maine to discuss the difference in test scores and the difference of funding. It brings up an important question, if schools should be rewarded for having a high performance rate or vice versa? I will using this in my paper to discuss other ways schools are funded and refer to this as an example.

Lytton, Michael. "Have All The Costs Of Closing A School Been Considered?" CELE Exchange. Centre For Effective Learning Environments 2011.5-8 (2011): 1-4. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses if all measures have been taken before shutting down schools. It breaks down what typically goes into closing a school. It also brings up the impacts of closing schools has on the community. I will be using this in my paper to support why schools shouldn’t be closed and bring up the support from this article.

McNeil, Michele. "Governors Make Pitch To Obama For Stimulus Money." Education Week 28.15 (2008): 14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses the cuts many infrastructure projects were facing. Unfortunately, this article is less than a page long and doesn’t provide me with adequate information on my topic. I will not be using this source for my paper. 

O'Donovan, Eamonn. "New Money And Old Challenges In The Golden State." District Administration 49.3 (2013): 72-74. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses the measure that California has taken with passing Proposition 30, which discusses how a temporary tax hike will occur to fund education. It goes into further detail on what this money will be used for to help restore in the schools. I will use this as an example of what Washington State should do and compare it to the initiative 1351 which deals with smaller class sizes in our state.  

 O'Donovan, Eamonn. "No Time For Old Tactics." District Administration 46.5 (2010): 56-57. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

This article tackles what many people believe to be the problem behind lack of funding to our schools. The author of this article brings up the fact there may be lack of communication between school management and then the labor unions. Also, with budgets being under such a close eye of the public with the recent recession also makes it a touchy situation. I will be using this in my paper to propose a solution.

REEL, Jordan, and Walter E. BLOCK. "Public Education: Who Is It For?." Scientific Journal Of Humanistic Studies 4.7 (2012): 66-72. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

This article looks at the history of our public education system and the way it was constructed. It brings up some interesting ideas of how our school systems were designed and so forth. This will be useful to help see the other ways other countries design their schools and find a difference that may be \linked to funding. I will be using this in my paper to provide a background of our education and how that is useful to us.

Roth, John Herbert. "Education Funding And The Alabama Example: Another Player On A Crowded Field." Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal 2 (2003): 739. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Alabama is the prime example in this article. This article brings up the interesting topic of students paying for extracurricular activities, which here in Washington students pay to participate in sports and so on. This article also gives an overview of public education law and the conditions of the schools/school systems. I will be using this in my paper to help show that this “Pay to Play” idea hasn’t been around for long and what the benefits of it are.

 

 

Rowe II, Ronald K. "Beyond Equality And Adequacy: Equal Protection, Tax Assessments, And The Missouri Public School Funding Dilemma." Missouri Law Review 75.3 (2010): 1037-1066. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses a fight in Missouri that occurred over funding of public education. The case was Committee for Educational Equality vs. State of Missouri, where the apparent constitution of Missouri would provide free education to students under the age of 21. This article goes into further detail in how the funding of public education was challenged and how it was seen an invalid. I will be using this in my paper to help shed some light on how this could have been done more realistically and what we could learn from this example in our education system.

Rust, Jennifer Reboul. "Investing In Integration: A Case For "Promoting Diversity" In Federal Education Funding Priorities." Loyola Law Review 59.3 (2013): 623-671. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

This article brings up another case that deals with funding of public education in Seattle. This article discusses federal funding and how one of the requirements to receive federal funding is school diversity. This is one of sixteen priorities for schools to receive federal funding.  Many see this as a problem because they see it as racial discrimination and judgment of their socioeconomic standing. I will be using this in my paper to provide understanding to what federal funding is and how the results played out in Seattle.

"School Financing In Ohio Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow: Searching For A "Thorough And Efficient" System Of Public Schools. (Cover Story)." Case Western Reserve Law Review 57.3 (2007): 671-716. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Similar to the article by Rowe, this article also deals with a case of the state Ohio vs. DeRolph (funding schools), which was a 13-year battle brought up because many believed that Ohio’s way of funding the schools was unconstitutional by the Thorough and Efficient Clause. I will be using this in my paper to help me understand more of the laws dealing with funding our public education and also as an example of what we can do.