Critical Response Journal #4

What's in a Name?

This journal entry has two parts. Address each part in your response. After reading Freakonomics chapter 6 (“Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?), answer the following:

1. According to the authors, does a child’s name matter when it comes to the child’s potential for economic success? What do their analyses reveal? What are their conclusions? State them precisely.
2. Considering your own first name (if you wish, you need not mention it in the blog post), do you agree with their findings? Does your experience validate their conclusions?
   

Critical Response Journal #3

Insider Language

After reviewing chapter 2 in Freakonomics, explain how the choice of terms a real estate agent uses to describe a particular property conveys additional information about the property and, hence, the price a potential buyer might be able to successfully offer the seller. How or where, in what other contexts, have you experienced insider terminology; for example, is there terminology specific to PickaProf? Facebook? MySpace? Ebay? craigslist? Texas A&M? Why do people use "insider" language? What value does it add to the rhetorical situation?

Critical Response Journal #2

Freakonomics Introduction

How do the authors establish ethos in the introduction? Provide evidence from the text to support your response. Are you inclined to accept their credibility? Why or why not? Please provide your own analysis and draw your own conclusions from the text; do not use reviews or articles from outside sources to develop this response (including the articles contained about the authors in the bonus material).

Introductory Post

Howdy!

I am Mrs. Raisor, your English 104 course instructor. I am writing to tell you how we will use this tool this semester and to tell you a little bit about myself.

First, about blogging--
Keep in mind that although this is a less formal means of communication, you should still use good judgment about what you put in writing (the content) and how you communicate your thoughts (style, tone, design, mechanics, etc.). I will use my blog to communicate with you information about your research paper assignments and your online critical response journal entries, but you will use your blog to communicate with me as well as with your peers. Therefore, remember that your classmates and instructor will read your blog; however, since your postings are public, anyone having internet access can read what you are posting. (You might receive comments about your postings from bloggers worldwide.)

About me--
I have been teaching English at Texas A&M University for over 20 years. While I have had the opportunity to explore other professional avenues, I have found nothing more rewarding than teaching and working with Aggies (both students and colleagues). I enjoy Aggie sports, especially baseball. In the spring I count the days until the first home baseball game. (Do you think we'll ever get to the College World Series again?)

I also enjoy other outdoor activities. For example, I jog daily (usually about 3 miles), and I love to work out in the yard (this is a big stress reliever for me). My favorite outdoor activity is wakeboarding. I use my teenage daughter's wakeboard, a Liquid Force Evolution series wakeboard, on what was once (I am not sure if it still is) the wakeboarding capitol of Texas: Lake McQueeney (if you have ever been on this lake you would be hard pressed to believe it was ever the capitol of anything. It's beautiful but very small and not really ideal for skiing).

Now for the really important stuff--
My family and my relationship with God are the things I cherish above all else. I have a wonderful, loving husband, also an Aggie, and 3 precious children who inspire me every day to be a better person. Our family is very active in all kinds of extracurricular activities, which keep me busier than I thought I'd ever be. We are all active members of Grace Bible Church, where we especially enjoy seeing how God is reaching the world through families and our GBC college students.

I am excited about the new challenges that a new semester will bring, and I look forward to working with you as your English 104 instructor.

Gig 'em and God bless,
Mrs. Raisor