Grace Shultis

My Writing Journey

Archives for December 2017

Writing Revision and Reflection

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“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in​ ​community”:​ ​A​ ​Rhetorical​ ​Analysis

Parker​ ​Reed​ ​wrote​ ​the​ ​article​ ​“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in community”,​ ​published​ ​in​ ​2017​ ​in​ ​​The Daily,​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​awareness​ ​to​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​University’s reACT​ ​Gallery.​ ​Using​ ​techniques​ ​such​ ​as​ ​presenting​ ​information​ ​in​ ​a​ ​logical​ ​manner,​ ​including photographs,​ ​writing​ ​in​ ​an​ ​informative​ ​tone,​ ​and​ ​citing​ ​credible​ ​sources,​ ​Reed​ ​encourages readers​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

Reed​ ​starts​ ​the​ ​article​ ​with​ ​a​ ​photograph​ ​from​ ​the​ ​kickoff​ ​event​ ​which​ ​announces​ ​the gallery’s​ ​theme:​ ​leadership.​ ​This​ ​provides​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​content​ ​an​ ​attendee​ ​will​ ​see​ ​when visiting​ ​the​ ​gallery.​ ​This​ ​also​ ​enhances​ ​the​ ​article​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​visual​ ​content​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reader.

The​ ​first​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​a​ ​general​ ​statement​ ​explaining​ ​the​ ​typical​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​a​ ​museum followed​ ​by​ ​how​ ​University​ ​Museums​ ​is​ ​approaching​ ​a​ ​new​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from the​ ​traditional​ ​viewing​ ​style​ ​of​ ​a​ ​museum​ ​and​ ​sparks​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​the​ ​content.​ ​Reed​ ​then​ ​quotes Sarah​ ​Nusser,​ ​Vice​ ​President​ ​for​ ​Research​ ​for​ ​Iowa​ ​State,​ ​increasing​ ​his​ ​credibility.​ ​Reed​ ​ends the​ ​paragraph​ ​with​ ​Nusser’s​ ​question,​ ​”How​ ​is​ ​that​ ​affecting​ ​us?”​ ​This​ ​prompts​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​to ask​ ​themselves​ ​and​ ​it​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​into​ ​the​ ​interactive​ ​portion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gallery.1

Next,​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery​ ​as​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​Nusser’s​ ​quotes​ ​to Nancy​ ​Gebhart’s​ ​quotes.​ ​Gebhart​ ​boosts​ ​Reed’s​ ​credibility​ ​as​ ​she​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Educator​ ​of​ ​Visual Literacy​ ​and​ ​Learning​ ​for​ ​University​ ​Museums.​ ​Reed​ ​also​ ​ends​ ​this​ ​paragraph​ ​with​ ​a​ ​question, “I’ll​ ​always​ ​ask​ ​them,​ ​‘What​ ​did​ ​you​ ​see​ ​that​ ​made​ ​you​ ​say​ ​that?’”​ ​This​ ​again​ ​connects​ ​to​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​interacting​ ​with​ ​the​ ​artwork.2

Reed​ ​follows​ ​this​ ​up​ ​with​ ​a​ ​photograph​ ​of​ ​a​ ​people​ ​viewing​ ​the​ ​artwork​ ​at​ ​the​ ​kickoff event​ ​on​ ​September​ ​5​th​.​ ​This​ ​leads​ ​into​ ​Reed’s​ ​personal​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​the​ ​kickoff​ ​event.​ ​This also​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​location​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gallery,​ ​Morrill​ ​Hall.​ ​Reed​ ​concedes​ ​that​ ​the​ ​gallery​ ​is​ ​still designed​ ​as​ ​a​ ​traditional​ ​museum​ ​would​ ​be​ ​with​ ​display​ ​cases​ ​but​ ​emphasises4​ ​the​ ​level​ ​of interaction​ ​by​ ​saying​ ​the​ ​gallery​ ​“encouraged​ ​attendees​ ​to​ ​voice​ ​their​ ​own​ ​opinions.”​ ​Nusser’s next​ ​quote​ ​backs​ ​this​ ​up​ ​by​ ​counting​ ​on​ ​the​ ​attendees​ ​participation.3

Now,​ ​Reed​ ​explains​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.​ ​This​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​way​ ​this​ ​display is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​typical​ ​museums.​ ​Viewers​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​post-it​ ​notes​ ​with​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​and feelings​ ​concerning​ ​the​ ​artwork.​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​this​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​the​ ​unique​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​this​ ​gallery​ ​and encourage​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​his​ ​own​ ​article.​ ​Reed​ ​also​ ​mentions​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​podium available​ ​for​ ​people​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​and​ ​how​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​scholars​ ​have​ ​commentary​ ​featured​ ​throughout the​ ​gallery.​ ​Reed​ ​defines​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​scholars​ ​to​ ​be,​ ​“any​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​student,​ ​staff​ ​and/or​ ​faculty member,”​ ​and​ ​further​ ​encourages​ ​students​ ​to​ ​interact​ ​by​ ​pointing​ ​out​ ​that​ ​“any​ ​scholar​ ​is​ ​eligible to​ ​submit​ ​their​ ​opinions​ ​on​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​art.”

The​ ​last​ ​photograph​ ​in​ ​this​ ​writing​ ​shows​ ​a​ ​man​ ​playing​ ​improvised​ ​pieces​ ​on​ ​his saxophone​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​artwork​ ​in​ ​the​ ​gallery.​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​this​ ​as​ ​a​ ​visual​ ​cue​ ​for​ ​the​ ​various ways​ ​this​ ​gallery​ ​encourages​ ​viewer​ ​participation.​ ​Reed​ ​follows​ ​the​ ​photo​ ​by​ ​quoting​ ​Aspen Pflanz,​ ​Education​ ​Intern​ ​for​ ​University​ ​Museums.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​third​ ​source,​ ​Pflanz​ ​further​ ​increases Reed’s​ ​credibility.​ ​Being​ ​the​ ​last​ ​quote,​ ​Pflanz​ ​also​ ​adds​ ​another​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view​ ​for​ ​how​ ​the gallery​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​other​ ​museums.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​the​ ​persuasive​ ​writing​ ​to​ ​the informative​ ​writing,​ ​Reed​ ​includes​ ​September’s​ ​theme​ ​with​ ​a​ ​little​ ​summary.​ ​He​ ​ends​ ​the​ ​article with​ ​two​ ​informative​ ​paragraphs.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​has​ ​the​ ​end​ ​date​ ​for​ ​the​ ​“Leadership”​ ​gallery​ ​and​ ​the galleries​ ​for​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​The​ ​second​ ​paragraph​ ​has​ ​the​ ​hours​ ​of​ ​operation​ ​and concludes​ ​with,​ ​“The​ ​event​ ​is​ ​free​ ​to​ ​attend.”​ ​This​ ​last​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​the​ ​final​ ​hook​ ​to​ ​attract students’​ ​attention​ ​and​ ​persuade​ ​them​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

Parker​ ​Reed’s​ ​article,​ ​“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in​ ​community”, sparks​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​University’s​ ​campus​ ​gallery.​ ​By​ ​presenting​ ​information​ ​in​ ​a​ ​logical manner,​ ​including​ ​photographs,​ ​writing​ ​in​ ​an​ ​informative​ ​tone,​ ​and​ ​citing​ ​credible​ ​sources,​ ​Reed informs​ ​and​ ​encourages​ ​students​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

Reflection

1Here, I would revise this last sentence: By comparing the reACT gallery to traditional museums Reed prompts the reader to reflect on their previous experiences with museums. This builds a connection between Reed and the reader. This question also serves as a transition into the interactive portion of the gallery.
2Instead of saying, “This​ ​again​ ​connects​ ​to​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​interacting​ ​with​ ​the​ ​artwork.” I have revised this paragraph to conclude as follows: This question connects the quotes back to the idea of the reACT gallery integrating the viewers. Reed also uses this as an opportunity help explain the purpose of the gallery.
3My revision here is to add on: Nusser’s quote not only builds credibility, it reinforces the idea that the reACT gallery is worth noticing. By including Nusser stating, “It isn’t a place where you come, look, say ‘That was nice’ and walk away,” Reed is able to provide logical evidence as to why readers should visit.
4emphasizes

My Best OV Components

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La La Land Visual Analysis

Oral

This work is the best course example of my oral communication because it is the only assignment where I am speaking. I started this assignment with an outline and figured that would be enough for me. Instead I ended up having to write out my script word for word and reading that off. This helped me because I was better able to organize my thoughts. I was also able to reduce my stuttering/stammering and any ‘um’s. However, this harmed me because I did not proofread and edit the script much after the rough draft.

I could have edited the script to interest and cater to the audience a bit more, but I found the video intriguing and easy to follow along with. My decision to compare an official movie poster and a fan made poster for the movie La La Land is due to the plethora of awards it received, the fan support, and my own personal interest in the movie. Once I piqued the audience’s interest, I highlighted my main points by comparing the two posters. I was a little biased and tended to favor the official movie poster over the fan made one. I think my analysis ended up being a little harsh on the fan made poster but I did my best to remain unbiased.

I did not use feedback for this assignment because I waited too long to start it. I tried not to rush and produce a sloppy video, but I did run out of time to properly edit my script. I had a friend watch through the complete video a few minutes prior to submitting it and they informed me that they felt I was a little biased in my analysis and that they disagreed with a few of my points. Had I started this project earlier, I would have taken the time to make sure my preferences were not influencing my work.

Visual

I chose this piece to represent my best visual work because I put the most thought into it. In order to capture and maintain my audience’s interest, I started with a dark, almost black, background. This allowed the components to stand out and made the bright colors appear even brighter. I also used a clean font for my title page and did not add any text within the video. To highlight my points, I added animations. I usually incorporated arrows to point out which part of the poster I was talking about. However, when I was discussing the kissing couple silhouette in the fan made poster, I drew around the outline and then animated it. I found this to be an effective way to both entertain the viewer and emphasize my point.

I also directed my audience’s attention by cropping the movie posters. When I only wanted to discuss the dancing couple in the poster, I cropped out the text and other unrelated content. This helped the viewer to focus on the part I was talking about and not get distracted by the other parts of the poster. I used the morph transition on power point which helped a lot with keeping the audience’s attention. For example, I transition from a side-by-side comparison of the movie posters to just the one poster. The transition removed the fan made poster and centered the official movie poster seamlessly.

This transition provided in power point taught me that to be good at visual communication does not always mean having an extensive knowledge of the software being used. I learned more about how to use power point during this project than previous classes in high school which required it. My ability to make a video using power point demonstrates my ability to adapt and learn the best way to communicate with the tools provided.

Special Reflection on E

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English 250 has provided me the opportunity to build a website to showcase my work. My first concern was picking an appealing design. I decided to go with a minimalistic theme to better showcase my work. It is easier on the eyes and easier to maintain. I not only had to think about the appearance of my website but also the structure. I believe my ePortfolio to be fairly user friendly. The left side of the menu has direct links to important information such as About Me and my Resume. This helps ensure the user does not get lost trying to locate the more professional elements. The right side of the menu is organized by category: Electronic, Oral, Planning, Reflections, Responses, Visual, Written, and Uncategorized. I am not entirely sure I like this layout but struggled with finding an alternative organization. I chose to leave it like this because it was the structure provided in class. An alternative method I considered was splitting it up with the labels being ‘Assignments’ and ‘In Class Work’. However, this did not seem adequate because ‘Assignments’ does not provide enough context concerning what is filed within. The quantity of menu components also provides visual balance, further encouraging my decision to maintain the provided categories.

Aside from menu layout, web composing enabled me to communicate with my audience through hyperlinks. We live in a fast paced world and maintaining a user’s attention becomes more and more difficult as technology improves. By hyperlinking my sources for my documented essay Daylight Saving Time I was able to maintain a steady flow. Without the need for in-text parenthetical citations, the reader is able to skim my content at their desired pace. Hyperlinks also make it easier for the reader to locate my sources. Instead of having to scroll down to my works cited, they can click the link and the source opens in a new tab. This is more efficient than print communication. If I were reading an entry from an encyclopedia and wanted to check the sources listed, I would need to find that book.

Producing digital content is also a quicker, cheaper, and more efficient way of reaching the desired audience. People typically use the internet to access news and other related content. This might change now that the FCC has decided to repeal net neutrality but until then social media provides most people’s news.