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Notebook 1 (5f) |
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Take a moment to put yourself into the shoes of an 18 year old high school student just about to graduate. You've suffered long and hard to get to this day! Emotions are high as you squeeze your classmates in a warm embrace. The auditorium is full of chatter before the ceremony finally begins. After many heart-felt words have been shared, you grab your cap and chuck that bad boy into the air as hard as you can. "I DID IT!" you think as everyone around you cheers and throws their caps as well.
After the high of being a high school graduate wears off, you set off to find an occupation that can get you through your first years in college. You decide to be a full time student, part time worker to narrow down your options before making a decision. Some of your friends are going to the same college, so why not try and get into the same job as well? This only helps to make your choice very obvious in the end. So, pen in hand, you fill out the application and submit it in eagerly!
With that hectic storm out of the way for now, all you can do now is wait until you get a message saying you've been hired. Putting on some sweet tunes, you stare longingly at the ceiling hoping that both you and your friends end up getting the positions you wanted. Days go by before finally receiving your answer and. . .
DENIED? Wait, you can't be denied! All of the requirements for the job are easily within your abilities, how can this be? Calling up your friends, you see that only on of your group actually was accepted into the job. With heavy hearts, you wish the friend good luck before job hunting again.
It's no use, whatever you do you can't escape the impending doom of college tuition over your head as the deadlines draw nearer with no source of income in sight. After trying countless jobs, it seems they are all avoiding you like the plague. Suddenly your mind swims with all these thoughts and you feel as if your falling! The world spins and you are plunged into free fall and are stuck flailing like a upside-down turtle.
Your mind jumps to a possible future if this keeps up: homelessness. NO! No, no, no, anything but that! You don't want to end up like those people squatting outside of supermarkets and abandoned malls just trying to keep warm. With a sick feeling, the truth slaps you in the face.
With this new perspective, you snap out of your tizzy band stand up quickly. "I refuse to be a victim of unemployment!" You say sternly to your wall. You run outside and do a back-flip, sealing the deal you made with yourself about finding a job soon. New found confidence rushes through you as you stick the landing and give a little shout of giddiness. You found a new path to go down, now seize it quickly before it's too late.
Notebook 2 (1e)
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Ethics. Described by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a set of moral issues or aspects (such as rightness)." Everyone has their own ethics and their own definitions of what they perceive as right or wrong. I'll use an example.
I was raised with a good work ethic, enforced upon me by both working parents. In layman's terms this means I was taught to value things like reliability, dedication, productivity, sense of responsibility, respectfulness and determination to name a few attributes. Many of these traits had to be taught to me, or learned through first-hand experience. Your work ethic determine the chance that you will be hired by a future employer, so I learned young how to work and collaborate with those in higher standing than me. As an active citizen, and for a working society to work, you need to have this work ethic to keep the world around you moving and working as it should be. With the rising class of workers feeling as they are entitled to more, the ethic suffers.
Same thing goes for moral ethics. I've seen many a peer with the worst attitude toward teachers. There is no respect and they feel as if their agenda is more important than that of the entire class. It aggravates me to no end when the teacher or instructor has to stop multiple times because three students in the back think that what they ate for lunch is more important than the State test review. With this lack of regard for others, many times when faced with a real world situation such as a job opportunity, they lose it because of this disrespect for the work environment.
From what I saw at work/school, I changed my ways quickly to model the opposite of what my peers were doing. I do my best to remain polite and make sure that I am giving all my attention to those I am speaking to. Adults notice this and have put me in charge of projects or certain areas because I show that I can handle it. Many times when this happens, the other person was more qualified on paper, but in person they were absolute garbage at the task. It's important to remember that no matter how many certifications or degrees you have, it really comes down to in-life interactions. Sure, you can be a genius with a Nobel Prize, but if you're a rude and disrespectful then kiss your chances goodbye. I follow the Golden Rule with my interactions, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." -Luke 6:31.
SOURCES
“Ethic.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic.
I was raised with a good work ethic, enforced upon me by both working parents. In layman's terms this means I was taught to value things like reliability, dedication, productivity, sense of responsibility, respectfulness and determination to name a few attributes. Many of these traits had to be taught to me, or learned through first-hand experience. Your work ethic determine the chance that you will be hired by a future employer, so I learned young how to work and collaborate with those in higher standing than me. As an active citizen, and for a working society to work, you need to have this work ethic to keep the world around you moving and working as it should be. With the rising class of workers feeling as they are entitled to more, the ethic suffers.
Same thing goes for moral ethics. I've seen many a peer with the worst attitude toward teachers. There is no respect and they feel as if their agenda is more important than that of the entire class. It aggravates me to no end when the teacher or instructor has to stop multiple times because three students in the back think that what they ate for lunch is more important than the State test review. With this lack of regard for others, many times when faced with a real world situation such as a job opportunity, they lose it because of this disrespect for the work environment.
From what I saw at work/school, I changed my ways quickly to model the opposite of what my peers were doing. I do my best to remain polite and make sure that I am giving all my attention to those I am speaking to. Adults notice this and have put me in charge of projects or certain areas because I show that I can handle it. Many times when this happens, the other person was more qualified on paper, but in person they were absolute garbage at the task. It's important to remember that no matter how many certifications or degrees you have, it really comes down to in-life interactions. Sure, you can be a genius with a Nobel Prize, but if you're a rude and disrespectful then kiss your chances goodbye. I follow the Golden Rule with my interactions, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." -Luke 6:31.
SOURCES
“Ethic.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic.
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Notebook 3 (8c) |
The article is short, straight-to-the-point, and cover’s the burning questions about unemployment in Utah. I appreciate the feedback that has been given from owners/workers that can share how the unemployment is a matter that truly affects people. More of your audience will be engaged if there are real life example. The language is simple so a wide range of readers can read this article and understand it. Another item that caught my eye was the use of picture, almost like a photo essay but more complex. While there may only be one image in the article, it stood out from the writing and while I read, my eye was naturally drawn to the image. This also adds even more personality to the issue being addressed. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s is a good use to grab the reader's attention and I want to implement this as well whenever I can.
As an example of this, I took this chunk of text from my flash memior . . .
Many restaurants need morning/evening shifts filled by new workers and I can't do that. Those who can work, do, right after graduating. Sadly, college calls them away and new help is needed. Family businesses cover the hole with family; but what of the industrial supercharged establishments? Walmart, Target, Best Buy? Lower wage jobs are all high schoolers can get, as per lack of education. These position suffer, and so do we.
. . . and turned it into this:
Restaurants need morning and evening shifts filled, which can not be done by a student attending high school full time. For the recent graduate, these open spots are ripe for the taking. Eventually though, college demands full attention and the occupations are open once again. While family businesses cover these occupational holes, bigger stores such as Walmart or Best Buy face the issue at a grander scale. The positions, or lack thereof, cause the entire system to suffer which leaves teenagers out to dry.
Sources
“What Utah's 3.1 Percent Unemployment Rate Really Means.” KSL.com, www.ksl.com/article/46399045/what-utahs-31-percent-unemployment-rate-really-means
As an example of this, I took this chunk of text from my flash memior . . .
Many restaurants need morning/evening shifts filled by new workers and I can't do that. Those who can work, do, right after graduating. Sadly, college calls them away and new help is needed. Family businesses cover the hole with family; but what of the industrial supercharged establishments? Walmart, Target, Best Buy? Lower wage jobs are all high schoolers can get, as per lack of education. These position suffer, and so do we.
. . . and turned it into this:
Restaurants need morning and evening shifts filled, which can not be done by a student attending high school full time. For the recent graduate, these open spots are ripe for the taking. Eventually though, college demands full attention and the occupations are open once again. While family businesses cover these occupational holes, bigger stores such as Walmart or Best Buy face the issue at a grander scale. The positions, or lack thereof, cause the entire system to suffer which leaves teenagers out to dry.
Sources
“What Utah's 3.1 Percent Unemployment Rate Really Means.” KSL.com, www.ksl.com/article/46399045/what-utahs-31-percent-unemployment-rate-really-means
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Notebook 4 (2i) |
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I sat at the LDS Employment Resource Services building at 7166 So. Redwood Rd. It was cold, so I sat in my car for a good hour trying to not look like a creeper. Being situated next to a Desert Industries Thrift Store, a lot of the traffic was coming from my left side. All walks of life passed by: elderly couples, rambunctious teenagers, preschoolers in pigtails, all with the intent to find something to bring home. In front of me, a polar-opposite crowd passed by me. Men and women who seemed to radiate exhaustion, with tired faces and slow steps.
As if the world rested on his shoulders, a middle-aged Hispanic man walked to the door with slow, long strides. The wind tousled the little hair he had on his head, a shiver went through him as if he were not there. Next a woman with a small child in her grasp hurried out from the cold into the warmth of the building. The little one in her arms looked at me with messy hair as if they had just woken up. Blurry eyes met mine before they vanished into the resource center's embrace. My car swayed side to side from the small gusts of wind that swept through the parking lot. The snow began to fall slowly, almost as if someone was pinching small groups of flakes down on the Earth. Cars pass by to the back of the building to donate their wares.
A thought comes to me: "How many of this shoppers occupy both establishments?" A similarity I see between the two groups are the same well-worn look. Middle-class as some would say. A feeling of bitter-sweetness fills my chest as I feel my heart reach out for all of these families walking in and out before my eyes. Each one has a story, but most will never be glanced upon. This was eye opening, and I enjoyed people watching with a purpose.
As if the world rested on his shoulders, a middle-aged Hispanic man walked to the door with slow, long strides. The wind tousled the little hair he had on his head, a shiver went through him as if he were not there. Next a woman with a small child in her grasp hurried out from the cold into the warmth of the building. The little one in her arms looked at me with messy hair as if they had just woken up. Blurry eyes met mine before they vanished into the resource center's embrace. My car swayed side to side from the small gusts of wind that swept through the parking lot. The snow began to fall slowly, almost as if someone was pinching small groups of flakes down on the Earth. Cars pass by to the back of the building to donate their wares.
A thought comes to me: "How many of this shoppers occupy both establishments?" A similarity I see between the two groups are the same well-worn look. Middle-class as some would say. A feeling of bitter-sweetness fills my chest as I feel my heart reach out for all of these families walking in and out before my eyes. Each one has a story, but most will never be glanced upon. This was eye opening, and I enjoyed people watching with a purpose.
Notebook 5 (2k) |
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On worldmapper.org, maps are shown with certain areas enlarged to show the relationship of an area having more of a social issue occurring there.
As a first reaction to both maps, I thought they looked really silly because the enlarged countries. For statistic-wise, I was surprised at how small North America is in comparison to China. You would think that China would have plenty of jobs seeing as a large amount of products are produced within China. One big difference between these two maps is that there seems to be a bigger amount of Youth that are unemployed in China, while there are more older people unemployed in the United States. After looking at these maps, it is easy to feel humbled after seeing how the rest of the world is struggling with unemployment. This also shows how Utah is not alone in our issue of unemployment. One thing that would be good to consider is how places like North America with a significantly smaller amount of unemployed persons has more people complaining about it. Sure, there may be the occasional report about third world countries in need for jobs, but because of the privilege the first world countries have we can spread our displeasure easier. If we have this kind of coverage, why isn't it being used to help those in need rather than just complaining?
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Notebook 6 (2e) |
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What I Know About Unemployment
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What I Don't Know About Unemployment
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Possible sources
- Pettinger, Tejvan. “Policies for Reducing Unemployment.” Economics Help, www.economicshelp.org/blog/3881/economics/policies-for-reducing-unemployment/.
- “U.S. Unemployment Rate by Age 1990-2018 | Timeline.” Statista, Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/217882/us-unemployment-rate-by-age/.
- Ayres, Crystal. “11 Pros and Cons of Welfare.” Vittana.org, vittana.org/11-pros-and-cons-of-welfare.
- “Employment and Homelessness.” National Coalition for the Homeless, www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/employment.html.
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Notebook 7 (2f) |
With my current piece I'm writing, my main strategy is writing down my feelings on the subject first, then looking up the resources to back it up. Some other writing strategies I could use are:
With a narrative effect mixed with informative writing, there are a lot of areas that could end up blotchy because the two styles are trying to mixed. A way to fix this is identify what areas mix well for example: information that could be easily visualized would mix well with narrative effect because you can go into further depth with the ideas. Approaching the writing with the visualization in mind first can help with a lot of the detailed information and help that shine. On the contrary, you can lose a bit of the credibility in your piece by making it to flashy with writing. Writing the main body may be easier because you don't have to worry about fitting it to the introduction paragraph.
- Finding the resources about the subject first, then going and writing down the actual meat of the writing.
- Writing the main body first, then switching and writing the beginning thesis and the ending afterwards.
- Visualizing the piece and how it will impact the intended audience.
- Identifying different avenues for your topic to branch off into is a great way to add information into your writing.
With a narrative effect mixed with informative writing, there are a lot of areas that could end up blotchy because the two styles are trying to mixed. A way to fix this is identify what areas mix well for example: information that could be easily visualized would mix well with narrative effect because you can go into further depth with the ideas. Approaching the writing with the visualization in mind first can help with a lot of the detailed information and help that shine. On the contrary, you can lose a bit of the credibility in your piece by making it to flashy with writing. Writing the main body may be easier because you don't have to worry about fitting it to the introduction paragraph.
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Notebook 8 (5l) |
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Key Terms involved with "Unemployment"
- Labor Force: A number of the total amount of people employed and unemployed within a particular field of skill or geographical region
- Unemployment Rate: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed
- Layoff: The discharge of workers from a business, typically with temporary workers but not limited to
- Job Search: The process by which workers find their occupation based on their given skills and tastes
- Discouraged Workers: Individuals who have the desire to work, but have no motivation to continue searching because of past experiences with their jobs
- Union: An association of workers that bargain with employers to change wages, benefits, and working conditions in a work place
- Strike: An organized withdrawal from a firm or workplace, typically by a union, to emphasis a point the employees are trying to get across to their employers
Notebook 9 (9b) |
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Critique has been an issue of mine within my life and I wanted to figure out how to actually give and receive it. Design lab is the website I found and I highly recommend checking out this article for your self. I'll summarize the most important points I found:
Also, saying "Thanks, but no thanks" is OK. You don't have to accept all criticism.
- Good critique is not just about finding faults. When critique is done well, it:
- Identifies the strengths of the work
- Helps to improve the weaknesses of the work
- Helps our professional development
- Enhances mutual trust and collaboration
- Helps entire professions like design to advance and grow
- Good critique uses questions to raise awareness of a problem and invites a response
- A strategy for overcoming the defensive instinct in critique is to explain your reasoning, rather than become defensive
- Hear them out. Avoid interrupting or contradicting the critique — the other person has taken time to engage with your work and they deserve your patience and respect.
- Listen attentively. Take critical points on board and consider them with an open mind. If you need to absorb the feedback for a while, let them know you’ll get back to them later.
- Explain, but don’t be defensive. Defending is adversarial, and can shut down further discussion. Explaining is neutral, and can lead to further discussion and better mutual understanding.
- Take time to reflect. Reflect before deciding what feedback needs acting on and what doesn’t. It will also take time to see the right way forward in terms of changes to your work.
- Iterate and seek further critique. Implement changes you decide upon in a new version, and seek further feedback if necessary.
Also, saying "Thanks, but no thanks" is OK. You don't have to accept all criticism.
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Notebook 10 (3f) |
The blue skies overhead hold sparse clouds, showing the sun in all its glory. Heat from the sun bakes the desert beneath it. The bed shakes from the weight of all the belongings inside of it. A passing truck has all the windows down, letting cool air flow through freely. An air freshener sways from the wind, twirling and dancing like a ballerina on a wire. The radio plays chill summer tunes and fills the cab with a relaxing atmosphere. The three in the car all sit side-by-side, relishing in each others company. A little baby boy reaches for the air freshener, giggling when it barely grazes his fingertips. His mother looks down at him, then up to her husband and laughs. In return, her husband grabs and squeezes her hand; firm and warm. They share a look of excited nervousness before turning their attention on the wide stretch of sand before them. They still had a long way to go.
Sirens blare in the far distance, but fade as soon as they had come. The wind rustles makeshift homes while the inhabitants try to sleep inside. Frost covers the outside of tents, tarps, and wood planks. Some huddle closer for warmth, but others remain alone on the concrete. In an hours time, some of these souls will go out into the world searching. For what? They don't even know anymore. At one time a job may have been priority, but now it's begging for some mere pennies for a chance at food. The others have given up completely. Maybe they prefer the nomadic way of surviving in a big city, but most are just so tired from being disappointed they don't want to try anymore. But for now it's only cold. Hopefully the weather lets up soon.
The first paragraph can be a change to the interview I did with my dad on what it was like moving. The second paragraph is a perspective from a homeless camp. Both scenarios show what it's like not knowing what was lying ahead, but are polar opposites at the same time. Both could help convey the interesting way of life you take on when you encounter a state of unemployment.
Sirens blare in the far distance, but fade as soon as they had come. The wind rustles makeshift homes while the inhabitants try to sleep inside. Frost covers the outside of tents, tarps, and wood planks. Some huddle closer for warmth, but others remain alone on the concrete. In an hours time, some of these souls will go out into the world searching. For what? They don't even know anymore. At one time a job may have been priority, but now it's begging for some mere pennies for a chance at food. The others have given up completely. Maybe they prefer the nomadic way of surviving in a big city, but most are just so tired from being disappointed they don't want to try anymore. But for now it's only cold. Hopefully the weather lets up soon.
The first paragraph can be a change to the interview I did with my dad on what it was like moving. The second paragraph is a perspective from a homeless camp. Both scenarios show what it's like not knowing what was lying ahead, but are polar opposites at the same time. Both could help convey the interesting way of life you take on when you encounter a state of unemployment.
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Notebook 11 (7e) |
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Ernest Boyer asserts;
Increasingly, the campus is being viewed as a place where students get credentialed and the faculty get tenured, while the overall work of the [college] does not seem particularly relevant to the nation's most pressing civic, social, economic, and moral problems. [Campuses should] be viewed by both students and professors not as isolated islands, but as staging grounds for action ("The Scholarship of Engagement." The Journal of Public Service and Outreach, 1996)
In response to Boyer, I have to disagree with him on the idea that campuses are only places to get credentials. Many movements come from the student body at colleges and universities. In fact, a college campus is one of the most resource heavy environments that is loaded with young adults ready to act. Anything could persuade this group of untapped potential into a great cause if you can harness it. I have seen a group of about fifteen young college guys all clean up an entire pavilion just because my friend and I "looked like [we] needed help." this is a small example of what I simple persons actions can trigger. As long as you have a purpose and a probable cause, you can persuade almost anybody to help support it, even if you don't verbally say anything.
Increasingly, the campus is being viewed as a place where students get credentialed and the faculty get tenured, while the overall work of the [college] does not seem particularly relevant to the nation's most pressing civic, social, economic, and moral problems. [Campuses should] be viewed by both students and professors not as isolated islands, but as staging grounds for action ("The Scholarship of Engagement." The Journal of Public Service and Outreach, 1996)
In response to Boyer, I have to disagree with him on the idea that campuses are only places to get credentials. Many movements come from the student body at colleges and universities. In fact, a college campus is one of the most resource heavy environments that is loaded with young adults ready to act. Anything could persuade this group of untapped potential into a great cause if you can harness it. I have seen a group of about fifteen young college guys all clean up an entire pavilion just because my friend and I "looked like [we] needed help." this is a small example of what I simple persons actions can trigger. As long as you have a purpose and a probable cause, you can persuade almost anybody to help support it, even if you don't verbally say anything.
Overview
While all of the notebooks were eye opening in some way, I would have to say Notebooks 1e and 9b really stuck out to me.
Notebook 1e was the one that we had to describe our ethics and how they have molded who we are. I had to dive deeper on this writing prompt because trying to figure out one’s ethics is a tough question. Luckily enough, I had been raised on having good ethics and using them to not only benefit me but to also benefit those around me.
Notebook 9b had us choose a specific issue in writing we were struggling with and made us find a way to fix it. My issue was taking and receiving critique better because I had been struggling with it for a while. Thankfully, the website Design Lab helped me find some great tips that have changed the way I write. On thing I learned was not to take everything so literally. Sometimes the critic loses the meaning of their critique through wordplay, so it’s better to take things with a grain of salt. I also learned not to shun everything away. Not everybody is out to attack your piece and most people are trying to help out with your writing.
The most fun I’ve had with the Notebooks would have to be 2e, figuring out what I do know and don’t know about unemployment. I was put to the challenge to see if I really knew my stuff or not. Luckily, there were many available resources to answer what I hadn’t discovered about my topic.
My favorite Notebook had to be 5f, the photo essay. I had a blast coming up with a story that would fit well with the images available on Google. Humor is a great way to get message to stick with someone, so I tried to create a little funny tale about what unemployment is like for a high school graduate.
I might retry 2f, which is what your writing strategies are. I have developed a lot over the course of this semester and have updated how I begin writing and getting going on a project.
Of the three new tools I have received from the Notebook, these stand out the most.
1. How to take and give critique
2. Not worrying about writing thesis to conclusion, it can be jumbled
3. Experimenting is perfectly fine and may even bring better end results
Notebook 1e was the one that we had to describe our ethics and how they have molded who we are. I had to dive deeper on this writing prompt because trying to figure out one’s ethics is a tough question. Luckily enough, I had been raised on having good ethics and using them to not only benefit me but to also benefit those around me.
Notebook 9b had us choose a specific issue in writing we were struggling with and made us find a way to fix it. My issue was taking and receiving critique better because I had been struggling with it for a while. Thankfully, the website Design Lab helped me find some great tips that have changed the way I write. On thing I learned was not to take everything so literally. Sometimes the critic loses the meaning of their critique through wordplay, so it’s better to take things with a grain of salt. I also learned not to shun everything away. Not everybody is out to attack your piece and most people are trying to help out with your writing.
The most fun I’ve had with the Notebooks would have to be 2e, figuring out what I do know and don’t know about unemployment. I was put to the challenge to see if I really knew my stuff or not. Luckily, there were many available resources to answer what I hadn’t discovered about my topic.
My favorite Notebook had to be 5f, the photo essay. I had a blast coming up with a story that would fit well with the images available on Google. Humor is a great way to get message to stick with someone, so I tried to create a little funny tale about what unemployment is like for a high school graduate.
I might retry 2f, which is what your writing strategies are. I have developed a lot over the course of this semester and have updated how I begin writing and getting going on a project.
Of the three new tools I have received from the Notebook, these stand out the most.
1. How to take and give critique
2. Not worrying about writing thesis to conclusion, it can be jumbled
3. Experimenting is perfectly fine and may even bring better end results