kmoore23-blog1

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https://issuu.com/skiculturedp/docs/ski_culture_paper.docx_f9fae37d3bed45

[kmoore23-blog1]

Throughout this wonderful course (writ1133) I have come to realize that writing is a process. It requires many pieces working together to achieve a polished final product. These pieces, of course, are what I have put together in my third map. All together it is supposed to represent a what is required to “bake” a nice “pie”. I know it is a cliché, but writing requires a recipe. Effective wiring isn’t achieved with one step, or one ingredient. It requires organization, creativity, revision, voice, interpretation, purpose, and of course a whole lot of ideas. Writ 1133 has taught me that above all else you have to trust the parts.

In the past, I believed that the most essential part of writing was having a deep understanding of what you are writing, why you are writing, and who you are writing to. Reading about transfer continued to fuel this belief. Although I still stand by this statement, I have realized that it no longer completely sums up what writing is to me. Yes, it is critical to understand the writing, however knowing how to set up your ideas and execute the process is even more crucial. Have you ever sat down to write a paper with absolutely no idea where to start? We have all been there. Even if your understanding of the topic is absolute, it doesn’t stop the writer’s block from setting in. That is why we must trust the process.

The first map I ever created was an octopus with eight tentacles. Each tentacle had one key term written on it that connected straight to the head of the creature. The head had the word rhetorical situation written on it. The entirety of the map was supposed to represent effective writing. Each tentacle was labeled with either purpose, audience, knowledge, connections, genres, metaphors, voice, and research. It took multiple parts to create the big picture, the octopus. My second map was a jumbled mess of terms, numbers, and pictures. However, everything was in groups of three because at the time, I thought the theory of writing could simply be broken down into three steps. Very foolish. The steps were understanding, transfer, easier writing. My thought was that each step lead to the other. With this map, my theory of writing was understanding a concept or theory allows knowledge to be transferred. Basically, as I said before, I whole heartedly assumed that a writer just needed to understand to be successful. My third map is similar to the others because it has multiple parts to it. It is based on a measuring cup and has key terms that represent how much of it should be added to the paper. For example, I have 1/3 cup of purpose and ¼ cup of interpretations. In addition to the ingredients list which represents the process I wrote that all the ingredients together make ideas. So, inside the cup there are about 30 sticky notes with different ideas about writing written on them. In total, the ingredients (process) creates the filling (ideas) which turns into a beautiful pie (paper). Each map shows that I believe writing to be a process. Even though each map was different, it gave the same message. Writing isn’t easy, but now I can go about it confidently thanks to Dr. KT.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Week 8 Research Journal

Week 8 Research Journal

It’s the end of week 8 and the beginning of week 9 at the University of Denver. What does that mean? Well for one, finals are around the corner. Not good. However, most importantly, this is my last research journal! All research is completed, data collected, and paper written. There is still a ton of revision necessary for the paper, but man it feels good to have this beast almost concurred.

Throughout this course (Writ1133), common themes keep surfacing. Understanding, for example, has been a necessary component in this class. Of course, it is obvious that in order to achieve in any class the student must understand what is going on. However, that is not what I am referring too. As a writer or a researcher, the author must fully divulge into their topic, fully grasp the concept to successfully create a piece meant to inform an audience. While attempting to write my paper on ski culture, I researched the topic in a way I had never done before. Instead of just googling the information I needed, I went out into the world to find answers I previously thought could only be found online. Typing questions into a search engine isn’t a way to fully understand my topic. It’s very interesting how this can also be applied to classes. In order to fully grasp a course, the bare minimum just won’t cut it. Basically, what I have taken away from this writ1133 and my research paper is that nothing comes easy. I know, it’s such a cliché, but it’s true.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Transfer is a very important aspect of the learning processes. It indicates a deep understand where it can be applied to different topics or even different subjects. In the first piece about transfer we learned about how transfer takes places. The article indicated that a student must fully grasp the concept in order for transfer to occur. However, the piece also stated that it doesn’t always happen. At first, I believed that the transfer didn’t happen because the student didn’t fully understand the concept. Now, my beliefs have changed after reading the second article about transfer. In this article written by Bergman and Zepernick, they hypothesized that transfer would not occur if the student didn’t want it to. Basically, we are our own enemies. According to Bergman and Zepernick, if a student believes that what they are learning is not relevant or applicable, they will not try to grasp the concept. In turn, these students will not be able to use the concepts they were taught outside of the writing classroom. Not only is transfer important because it indicates understanding, it is also allows for better problem solving skills. As told in the article, “might be capable of teaching problem-solving skills whose real-world applications are many and varied”. If a student is willing to see beyond the writing class, the information they learn in class will greatly benefit them.

After reading both transfer pieces, my theory about writing has remained the same. Understanding is essential in all components of writing. Yes, understanding the topic, the writers’ intent, the audience, and the purpose of a piece will allow for a better piece, but it will also allow for information to stick.

All and all this year I have read many articles with roughly the same message. Writing isn’t just about putting a pen to a paper and creating words. Instead, writing is about communication, understanding, creativity, and interpretation.

My music video is Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift because my view of writing and how it works has changed throughout this year.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Week 7 Research Journal

This week I began to compile all of my primary research in order to clearly see what information I have found. With the beginning of my first complete working draft, I can now see what the compilation of my research has led to. If I were to sum up all that I have learned about ski culture it would be the following. Skiing began as a sport for thrill seekers who were willing to climb mountains in order to feel the rush of skiing down them. As technology advanced, it became a luxury recreation. As the demand for skiing increased, the prices rose making it very difficult for ski bum’s (the skiers who gave their lives to skiing) to maintain their lifestyle. Once the ski bums were pushed out, skiing gained the image of a rich, elitist society. However, there was another major shift in the culture and it has begun to regain the image of a laid-back society that wants to enjoy all the mountain has to offer. In conclusion, all of my research has led me to believe that yes there was a shift in the culture but there have always been two sides to the story. There are those who ski because they have the money and then there are those who ski because it is what they love to do.

The following information was obtained by both my primary and secondary research. My secondary research basically laid out a background for me to expand upon. It helped me see the gaps in the research and come up with a game plan for my primary research. Through my surveys, observations, and interviews, I was able to fill in the holes of my research. With my survey, I was able to deduce that now, people see skiing as both a rich man’s sport and a sport for those who love the snow. My observations led to the same conclusion as well as the interview that gave first-hand accounts of the culture.

[kmoore23-blog1]

My map begins with a phrase at the top that states understanding is the basis for all transfer in writing. After I read the article Transfer of Learning, it became clear to me that as long as a student understands the purpose of theme or theory they will be able to apply their knowledge to more than one field. Basic concepts, like always remembering to properly site a quote, become applicable. For example, once students realize the purpose behind citation is to give credit where credit is due, this can be applied outside of the writing world. In addition, in the article Threshold Concepts, the author discusses how reflection is crucial for a writer. If a writer reflected on why they did certain things, or what they were trying to achieve with their writing, in time they would be able to understand themselves as a writer and use this understanding to facilitate their writing.

In my map, I had one theme circling my head while I drew. The theme was of three if it not already obvious in my picture. Three words in the center of the page, three numbers in the equation, three objects in each one of the series, all with arrows leading to the next picture. This was done on purpose. I believe that understanding leads to transfer which leads to ease. The stormy clouds lead to rain which leads to a rainbow. Yes, my thinking was a jumbled mess, just like my map, but then again the writing process isn’t neat.

Writing steams from the writers ability to understand.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Transfer of Learning

As told in the article Transfer of Learning, “transfer of learning occurs when learning in one context enhances or undermines a related performance in another context”. As soon as I read this sentence in the article I immediately began to think about how if writers only apply themselves to one form of writing this often causes great difficulty for them if they attempt to switch genres. This occurs because they have learned a certain style or writing and only applied this style of writing. When they attempt to try something new, their go-to writing style often undermines their work. However, I also learned from the reading that transfer doesn’t always occur. In fact, there are many factors that prevent transfer. For one Thorndike conducted an experiment and found that transfer depended on “identical elements” in two performances. He stated that if the performances were not similar enough, transfer would not be expected. In addition, Scribner and Cole did research on an African tribe with an indigenous form of writing that was not taught in schools. Tribe members who knew the language were found to be no different than those who did not. In conclusion Scribner and Cole hypothesized that the mastery of reading and writing had not impact on the levels of transfer within tribe members.

Outside of school, I believe transfer happens quite often. For examples when it comes down to socializing, people are able to transfer their knowledge of communication to an acquaintance to a stranger. Or, perhaps a person can use their knowledge of a subway in New York to help them master the light rail in Denver. This occurs because the basis of the knowledge is an understanding of why something happens. If a person is able to understand the basic concepts of a certain task they will be able to apply it to a multitude of other things.

I can see myself applying the idea of thinking about the thinking process for my writing. I know that sounds a little wacky, but I believe it will help me better my writing if I can understand why I am writing a certain sentence. In addition, I believe it will help my writing tremendously if I question my thought process. By diving into my thought process, I am hoping that I will begin to understand who I am as a writer and what I am striving for.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Week 6 Research Journal

Week six research was as successful as ever. This week I created a survey on surveymonkey.com and sent out my survey on several social media sites. My goal was to get at least 65 responses and I am proud to announce that I achieved that this morning. I thought I would have a really hard time analyzing my results, but luckily, surveymonkey has an app that shows all of the responses of the survey and even gives the statistics in graphs and pie charts. What I found corresponded greatly to my secondary research. In my secondary research, I came to the conclusion that there were two sides to the ski culture. On one hand, there were those who participated in skiing as a way of life and then there were those who went in order to maintain a luxurious appearance. In my survey, one of the questions I asked had to do with whether people believed there was a stigma associated with the sport. Those who responded yes, were evenly split on if the stigma was rich and snobby, or chill and laid back. Another question I asked in my survey was if the participants believed there was a change in ski culture over the last 50 years. Again, what I found in my secondary corresponded to what was found in my primary research. The answer from the majority of those who took the survey was yes. When I followed up this question with how they believed it has changed the most common response was that it had become more expensive or exclusive. For my interview, the respondent confirmed this saying that when he used to go ski he would pack a sandwich in his backpack to eat on the mountain, however now he hardly sees anyone follow this practice.

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Threshold Concept

Threshold concept: A writer needs to be flexible with their writing in order to expand their abilities

In my past experiences as a writer, and as a person in general, I had it stuck in my head that if you were good at something you should keep at it and only it. While it is important to keep at something you are good at and enjoy, it should never be the only thing you do. Writing is a difficult subject that requires a lot of work, however it will always be more difficult to try new things when you remain sedentary. Yes, I know this doesn’t seem accurate, but think about it. When a person continues with the same routine long enough they get bored, unsatisfied, and often stuck in a rut. But, when they try something new it is a struggle. “Habituation also explains the struggle more proficient writers experience when they have practiced certain genres for years and then try to deploy their abilities in new settings” as told in Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts in Writing Studies. It is also interesting to note that this applies to more than just writing. When I was younger I only swan and played soccer. When I decided to switch to volleyball it was impossible for me to pick up the proper skill. Plus, I was only 5’2’’ so, I had a disadvantage to start with. Being flexible in your writing will allow you to be more successful in more than just one gene.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Reflection Post

To analyze our literary reviews everyone in class was placed into groups to peer edit and give helpful feedback on each other’s writing pieces. In our group, we gave constructive criticism to help each other know the areas we all needed to work on. This worked very well because we all knew how important it is to be completely honest with each other’s work and where their needs to be improvement. It isn’t helpful to have someone read a paper and just tell you “it’s so good”. Everyone in our group read someone else’s paper. This is something that I think didn’t work very well because it was difficult to hear that authors voice come through the paper without the actual author reading the paper. It was also difficult to know what the author was going for when someone else read the paper. However, it did allow the author to hear their mistakes and know where they needed to improve their papers.

 Most of the advice given in the group involved some sort of revision needed in either the synthesis of the sources or in the citations. For me specifically, knowing that my synthesis was not prominent enough was very helpful. Now, I know that I need to go back into my paper to really analyze each source to find the connections between each theme. I also need to relate each source to each other to really show that I know the ins and outs of each of my sources. Not only will I be incorporating the feedback through my revision, but I will also use the feedback for other aspects of my college life. For example, knowing what synthesis truly means will help with chemistry research papers.

 The next step for my paper is to go back and edit all the mistakes that were pointed out during the peer review session. This includes providing more synthesis within each of my sources, properly citing each source, and making sentence level revisions to polish off my piece. During the editing process, I learned that even though I have a difficult time understanding what I need to get down on paper, as long as I write something I can always go back and edit my mistakes or redo a piece. Not being afraid to fail has helped me be a more confident writer.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Week 5 Research Journal

This week I have begun to explore how I will be conducting my primary research. For this I will be asking at least 60 participants to fill out a survey, interview at least one person, and spend at least two hours observing. My goal is to find the answer to how ski culture has changed throughout the years. For the most part my secondary research has been very successful however, I want more than just secondary information for my paper.

Survey

I will most likely be creating the survey online with the help of surveymonkey.com. This survey will be distributed through social media to ensure I get at least 60 responses. For my survey, I will be asking the following questions:

1) What is your gender?

2) How old are you?

3) Do you ski?

4) How long have you been skiing?

5) What is your ethnicity?

6) Do you believe there are stigma’s associated with skiing?

7) If so, what are these stigma’s?

8) Do you believe there is a “ski culture”?

9) How would you define this culture?

10) Do believe skiing now is different than it was 50 years ago?

11) How do you believe skiing has changed?

 Observation

For my observations, I will be driving up to keystone to experience the resort life. I will also be watching a couple documentaries on ski culture.

Interview

For my interview, I will be interviewing my grandfather. My questions will focus on his experience with ski culture and how he views the change. I will also be interviewing local skiers to compare the two different perspectives.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Practice Primary Research

Practice Primary Research

For our research proposal, we decided to analyze the overall dining hall experience for first year students here at the University of Denver.  The goal was to understand how the students felt about their dining choice throughout their first year of college, while also analyzing the social aspects of the dining hall services, as well as the mood that was created due to the experience.

Method:

To research this question, we utilized interviews, surveys, and observations in order to better understand the situation as well as the topic at hand.  We started by going to the dining halls to observe our subjects, and we noted what food they got and how they interacted.  In order to get more versatility from our results, we decided to observe both Friday and Saturday as well as at different times of the day.  On Friday, we observed at 9 am, 11 am, and 5:30-7 pm.  On Saturday, we observed at 11 am and 5:30-7 pm.  By doing two separate days of observations, we were able to better understand how the dining hall experience differs on weekdays and weekends. We then proceeded by handing out surveys to understand how students felt about the dinning hall. We gave out our surveys to undergraduate students with a total of 15 surveys handed out. We focused mainly on undergraduate students because they don’t have many other options in terms of where to eat. We also conducted an interview to get more information about the dining hall experience.  By combining the above methods mentioned, we were able to collect data in which helped us to analyze the overall situation.

Results:

While analyzing our research as a whole, we found common themes as well as some contradicting ideas based on the people we observed, surveyed, and interviewed.  One common theme we came across while observing was that there was a lot of food waste from students who were eating in the dining hall.  We weren’t sure if this was due to students putting more food on their plates than they could eat, or if they just didn’t enjoy a lot of the food.  Based off the responses we got from our surveys, we assumed that a lot of the food waste was due to an overall dissatisfaction with the meals being provided.  After collecting and comparing the data we received from our surveys, we found that a majority of the subjects were far less than satisfied with the food being provided.  They described the food as “making them feel sick” and  claimed they “definitely would not recommend to a friend”.  While the results we got from our survey don’t guarantee to be the reason for the food waste, it definitely provides an explanation as to why people aren’t finishing their food.

Another connection we made between the data we collected from our surveys and what we found throughout our observations, was that a lot of people tend to enjoy and eat the same type of foods. Common foods that kept popping up throughout our surveys were pizza, pasta and salad.  All three foods are readily available at the dining hall (except for breakfast during the weekdays) and could also be the reason a lot of students claim to feel “bloated” or “constipated” after eating at the dining hall.  We found that many people felt that while there were healthy options being provided, the majority of them didn’t taste very good pr didn’t look fresh enough to consume.  While it’s true we can’t make the claim that everyone who is eating in the dining hall is eating unhealthily, it provides us a reason as to why a lot of our subjects claimed to not always feel their best after eating.  Also, during an interview with a DU undergrad, when asked what she normally eats at the dining hall, her response was “whatever doesn’t look sketchy that day.”  While this response made us laugh, it also gave us more evidence that most students don’t seem to find the food at the dining hall to be as good as originally thought.

Although we got a lot of data from observing the dining hall, we found that it was beneficial to our research to go to the dining hall multiple times a day in order to get the most accurate results.  From doing so, we noticed that breakfast during the weekdays seemed to be the most empty and least social.  We are assuming that this is due to a lot of students being in class and not having enough time to go to breakfast.  Lunch, on the other hand, was pretty busy; especially at 12 and 1, right after classes got out.  We found that dinner was the busiest and most social of the three, with a lot of students segregating themselves by sitting with a large group of girls or guys.  (Although some large groups had a mixture of the two).  Also, we found that around 11 am, or brunch on Saturday, it was also very busy and seemed to be more of a social event than just an eating event.  We are assuming this was due to not having class on the weekends and thus, no time constraints.  Furthermore, through an interview with another DU student, when asked when her favorite time to go to the dining hall was she claimed “either at dinner time throughout the week or at like 11 on the weekends as that’s when I go with all of my friends”.  This goes alongside our observations that at least for first year students, a large part of the dining hall experience seems to coincide with the social aspects of college.

While a lot of our primary research seemed to connect and support each other, we found that a lot of the secondary research did not.  When looking at the sodexo website, they claim to be a high quality dining service.  They also boasted that they got pretty good reviews and ratings, especially compared to dining hall services in colleges throughout the United States.  We’re not sure if students at DU expect more in the quality of food or if it’s because they really miss their home cooked meals.

Discussion:

The result of this research suggest that the dining hall experience is not the best. Since many people are not finishing their food and are throwing it out, it is a sign that something is wrong with the food or the student’s appetite. In the survey there was a lot of responses that talks about how they were dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of the food in the dining halls. On the DU dining website, it says “Food You Can Feel Good About: We pride ourselves in using scratch cooking techniques that features the natural flavors of the quality products we purchase”, but there are multiple responses suggesting dissatisfaction of the dining hall experience on campus. These results are significant because it shows there needs to be changes to the dining hall experience.  And while we can’t speak for everyone at DU, it seems that the majority of people don’t plan on utilizing the dining hall services as much next year.  Although it may be convenient, if sodexo wishes to continue to maximize their profits from DU students, we suggest they make some sort of change to their overall service and satisfaction.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Week 4: Research Journal

Source  #1

The Unbearable Whiteness of  Skiing

Author: Coleman,  Annie Gilbert

Ethnicity

1)  those who shovel the snow  and bus the dishes generally don’t ski, sometimes don’t speak English and  often don’t live within 50 miles of the slopes

2)  Skiing began as a way to embellish the “European Lifestyle”

3)  White Americans wanted to identify with the savior faire and glamour lifestyle  of the Europeans

Economy

1) “Residents of western  mountain towns and people who moved there to work and ski—true “ski-bums,”  some athletes, and many Europeans themselves—made up a gradually declining  segment of resort skiers who existed outside the upper class"

2) Of people visiting  resort towns to speculate—to watch upper-class and often famous people  pretend to participate in ski culture

Ski Bum

1) Were thrown out as people moved into town who could do the same jobs but for less money

Source #2

50 years of ski bumming

Author: Reifer, Susan

Ethnicity

1) So popular to ski bum that there were not jobs left for them to take. Business started giving the jobs to ethic workers who would do the same job for less money

Economy

1) A true ski bum values the hours on the slopes instead of money or possession

2) Often very poor and living on freebies or handouts. Have minimal jobs and sleep in their cars.

3) slept and cooked their meals in the trailer and bathed at the Lodge Pool house while posing as Lodge guests

Ski Bum

1) “He pursues the snow with a passion that amounts to monomania. All else is secondary”

2) Seek little more than the existential freedom to conform to their true nature

3) Skiing is a metaphor for moving through life. The idea is to remain centered yet dancing, in motion 

Source #3

China: Resorts hope skiing won’t go downhill

Publisher:Thai News Service Group mso-fare

Ethnicity

1) Did not set up slopes for Ethnic reasons—only wanted to find a sport that would attract wealthy folks and make a profit

Economy

1) b+b=s, where the “b"s stand for "bigger” and “better” and the “s” stands for “success”

2) China’s ski industry coincides with the expanding economy, and with more wealthy Chinese pursuing a healthy lifestyle and recreational holidays

Ski Bum

1) Got a degree then went to the slopes

2) Have a very small ski bum group because their slopes are centered around those who are willing to pay to ski not those who have a passion for it

[kmoore23-blog1]

Source  #1

The Unbearable Whiteness of  Skiing

Author: Coleman,  Annie Gilbert

Ethnicity 

1)  those who shovel the snow  and bus the dishes generally don’t ski, sometimes don’t speak English and  often don’t live within 50 miles of the slopes

2)  Skiing began as a way to embellish the “European Lifestyle”

3)  White Americans wanted to identify with the savior faire and glamour lifestyle  of the Europeans

Economy 

1) “Residents of western  mountain towns and people who moved there to work and ski—true “ski-bums,”  some athletes, and many Europeans themselves—made up a gradually declining  segment of resort skiers who existed outside the upper class"

2) Of people visiting  resort towns to speculate—to watch upper-class and often famous people  pretend to participate in ski culture

Ski Bum

1) Were thrown out as people moved into town who could do the same jobs but for less money 

Source #2

50 years of ski bumming

Author: Reifer, Susan

Ethnicity 

1) So popular to ski bum that there were not jobs left for them to take. Business started giving the jobs to ethic workers who would do the same job for less money 

Economy 

1) A true ski bum values the hours on the slopes instead of money or possession

2) Often very poor and living on freebies or handouts. Have minimal jobs and sleep in their cars.

3) slept and cooked their meals in the trailer and bathed at the Lodge Pool house while posing as Lodge guests

Ski Bum

1) “He pursues the snow with a passion that amounts to monomania. All else is secondary”

2) Seek little more than the existential freedom to conform to their true nature

3) Skiing is a metaphor for moving through life. The idea is to remain centered yet dancing, in motion ��

Source #3

China: Resorts hope skiing won't go downhill

Publisher:Thai News Service Group mso-fare

Ethnicity 

1) Did not set up slopes for Ethnic reasons—only wanted to find a sport that would attract wealthy folks and make a profit

Economy 

1) b+b=s, where the "b"s stand for "bigger" and "better" and the "s" stands for "success"

2) China's ski industry coincides with the expanding economy, and with more wealthy Chinese pursuing a healthy lifestyle and recreational holidays

Ski Bum 

1) Got a degree then went to the slopes

2) Have a very small ski bum group because their slopes are centered around those who are willing to pay to ski not those who have a passion for it 

[kmoore23-blog1]

Practice Run: Primary Research

Summary/Check in for our group’s primary research: We met up at halls and started by making a survey with questions regarding the dining hall and how students felt about their experience with it overall. The survey was a total of 12 questions and included both multiple choice and short answer type questions. We then proceeded to give our surveys to people we know as well as people we saw in the dining hall as we did our observations. So, for the observation part of the primary research, so far as a group we have gone to the dining hall at 9 am, 1 pm, and 5: 30 pm. We visited Halls for breakfast and lunch, and Nelson for dinner on one day, and Nagel for dinner on the next. We observed each session for about 30 minutes. We still need to do an interview for our research, although plan to do so on Sunday. We’re not sure exactly who we are going to interview, although many people have expressed their willingness to express their opinions and feelings of the dining hall. As for observations, for the times we have gone to so far has been when it’s the busiest. So, we plan on going a couple more times over the weekend at different times just to see how it compares. Also, while observing, we have noticed that a lot of people don’t finish their food and often get a lot more than they actually eat, some guys getting two whole plates of food only to eat about a quarter of it. Also, as far as breakfast lunch and dinner goes, breakfast seemed to be the emptiest while dinner time was the busiest. We still have more to observe and note although we feel as though we have a pretty good start.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Practice one: Primary Research

Summary/Check in for our group’s primary research: We met up at halls and started by making a survey with questions regarding the dining hall and how students felt about their experience with it overall. The survey was a total of 12 questions and included both multiple choice and short answer type questions. We then proceeded to give our surveys to people we know as well as people we saw in the dining hall as we did our observations. So, for the observation part of the primary research, so far as a group we have gone to the dining hall at 9 am, 1 pm, and 5: 30 pm. We visited Halls for breakfast and lunch, and Nelson for dinner on one day, and Nagel for dinner on the next. We observed each session for about 30 minutes. We still need to do an interview for our research, although plan to do so on Sunday. We’re not sure exactly who we are going to interview, although many people have expressed their willingness to express their opinions and feelings of the dining hall. As for observations, for the times we have gone to so far has been when it’s the busiest. So, we plan on going a couple more times over the weekend at different times just to see how it compares. Also, while observing, we have noticed that a lot of people don’t finish their food and often get a lot more than they actually eat, some guys getting two whole plates of food only to eat about a quarter of it. Also, as far as breakfast lunch and dinner goes, breakfast seemed to be the emptiest while dinner time was the busiest. We still have more to observe and note although we feel as though we have a pretty good start.

[kmoore23-blog1]

Threshold Concepts

After reading about threshold concepts I felt a lot better about myself and my writing ability. I used to believe that I was a crappy writer with very little insight or knack for it. However, that was probably because I was always graded on my first draft or because I was under the impression that there was only one way to write. As it turns out, “failure can be an important part of writing development” as told by the author of Threshold Concepts of Writing. So that terrible grade I received in my senior year of high school writing was just my way of saying one day I will be great at this. I mean, I hope that’s true anyway. Not only is it okay to get a paper back that needs improvement, but it is also encouraged. If a writer is unafraid to fail, they will never be able to explore all the applications of writing. As told in Threshold Concepts of Writing, there is no wrong way to write. This would have been good to know before I stressed over every paper I had to write.

The second concept that stood out to me was that “all writers have more to learn”. Some people, like myself, may believe that the reason they struggle with writing is because they just weren’t born with that skill. Well, “the ability to write is not an innate trait humans are born possessing” which sucks because that means I no longer have an excuse as to why my writing stinks. It is also somewhat of a reliever, though, because now I know that even the most pristine writers have to work hard at it. They also don’t even know everything. What a crazy concept. In my writing class I see both of these concepts at work. We are encouraged to fail and keep trying and we are not expected to get things right on the first try.