March 12, 2014 Dear Connie Douglas, At this point in the semester, I feel like Ive made much

progress. My daybook continues to improve as the semester goes on. Ive learned not only to include the exercises from our textbook, but also to take notes on class discussions, and include the writings I have uploaded into the forums. It is better to do this because I have hard copies and documents on every issue we have discussed that I can turn to quickly. At this point in the semester, I feel like my efforts in compiling a daybook would be a B, or above average. The first daybook entry I would like to share was written on January 13, 2014 while watching the Socrates Video. The entry includes some of Socrates beliefs and values that relate to happiness and logical thinking. After taking notes on Socrates views, I wrote down some of my own, the two sets of opinions. I concluded that the similarities and differences amounted the same. I agree with Socrates that it is better to think logically and independently, rather than follow the crowd and conform. I also agree that it is a good strategy to find exceptions to what is considered to be common sense. What I do not agree with is his opinion that not everyones voice should be heard and listened to because their level of intelligence is too low. I disagree with this because decisions affect many different people. Although some people may not be educated in the specific area itself, they could be an expert in an area related to it. The second daybook entry I would like to share are my responses from Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. This expanded my learning

because I learned many new key terms, and came to a better understanding of Dr. Kings values, opinions, and intentions. A Rogerian argument is a way of compromising by finding common grounds. Dr. King does a marvelous job in his letter trying to compromising by not pushing to win the argument. Im sure it was difficult from refraining doing so after he was imprisoned and accused of coming into Birmingham uninvited, unwanted, and starting a disturbance. Another important factor I learned in his letter was the effectiveness of the alliteration he uses. Dr. King references the Bible, Socrates, and Jews involved in the Holocaust. It was meaningful for him to include these experiences because it compares to the treatment of blacks to other experiences in history that have been deemed unacceptable and inhumane. Towards the end of his letter, Dr. King confesses two things that have disappointed him in the duration of what was the current movement. The first was the disappointment in the white moderate. This is a group of people who are in favor of blacks gaining equal rights and acceptance. In his opinion, this group of people have sat back and done little to help the black population, even though they hold the belief they do. The other group of people he is disappointed in is the church. He accuses the church of being unsupportive of blacks. He questions the actions of the Christians, and how why they turn their back on their brethren. This personal reading helped me better understand a very famous person in history who made an impact in the world I live in today. The third journal entry I would like to share is the response to Argument as Conversation. I am familiar with writing persuasive essays and thought I had a fair understanding of how to prepare for them; however, I learned very much from the

article. Before, I was familiar with researching the pros and cons of arguments and presenting both sides in my argument. I understand that it strengthens my argument to address the points and exceptions that would be made against my own, and to prove those wrong. The biggest thing I learned from the article is to research the debates that have already occurred concerning my topic. It is important to do this because I can then reference well-known individuals that have made the same statements that I agree with and would include in my essay. It is also important to do this because some supporting facts are tired. The last thing I learned from this article were two ways of classifying research. The first is collecting research for its own sake. To me this means gathering facts and not enriching yourself with the information. The complete opposite of that, which was realizing what we can discover and learn by looking deeper into the information collected. The method you choose can have an impact on the effectiveness of your paper. The fourth and final daybook entry that I learned from was the activity we did in class that included gathering others opinions and thoughts on our lines of inquiry. This exercise helped me because it made me realize that the line of inquiry I originally had may not have been a good one to research. Many people had confusions of my specific concern, while others just did not care. This is important because there is nothing worse that writing a rhetorical analysis on something that no one has a concern for. Ultimately, this activity caused me to change my line of inquiry to obesity; something that is a major problem in not only our country, but the societies across the globe.

Although I do not speak very often in class, I am extremely engaged in what is going on whether it be a class discussion, activity, or watching a video. I enjoy hearing others opinions on subjects and comparing them to my own. This way, I get to hear all sides and points of view. This helps me the most in small group discussions. In my opinion, I would give myself a B, or above average for class participation. I have begun researching different views on my line of inquiry. I have the most obvious voices that should be reviewed but am struggling to find the lost voices that are also important. My main concern is comparing evidence of scientists from opposing sides. It will be hard to present the information: first, because I am not a scientist, therefore it is hard to understand the material myself, and secondly because I dont understand every minor detail, it is left up to one scientists word over another. Overall, I would expect my grade to be a B, or above average in the course. I have completed every assignment and worked hard on the rhetorical analysis that was assigned. At the end of the semester, however, I would like to receive an A in the course. I understand that I will have to start speaking up more in class to achieve this grade.

Sincerely, Kaley Key