Entry # 9 - "Another conclusion for the essay."

Not only should both the State and local legislators commence to consider the existing problem deriving from the use of the cell phone in moving vehicles seriously, but also reflect on the necessity to harden those laws restricting the use of such phones when driving. "The problem should be a public concern and politicians should act accordingly,'' says Xoana Torrecillas of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Florencia Tovagliari from the A.C.A agrees: "This is the time for the changes to occur," she expresses, to consider and pass laws. It is now the momentum in which individual awareness should be fostered by the part of the drivers and as a result, the number of fatal accidents will be considerably reduced in the light of both the application of the necessary rules and the individuals' reflection on this serious regard.

Works Cited

Torrecillas, Xoana. ¨Cell phones and conscious driving: 2012.¨ National Conference of State Legislatures. Natl. Conf. of State Legislatures, March 2012. Web. June 23, 2012.

Tovagliari, Florencia. ¨Awareness makes the difference¨ Drivers Today. Automovil Club Argentino. 25 Sept, 2011: Print.

Entry # 8 - Peer Work - IMMIGRATION (FARES-ALVARENGA)

ISFD N 41
Language and Written Expression IV
Name of Student: Maria Andrea Fares
Mate's Name: Rodrigo Alvarenga

Paragraph One:

"Immigration: Borders Beyond Control"

International Migration has recently become one of the main concerns that now seize the attention of politicians and intellectuals across the world, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to control in the light of the economic crisis. In the case of most Western countries, most immigrants come from very poor countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, and Cuba. The United States of America is one of the Western countries that exhibited a greater concern on this regard and consequently, applied extremely hard migration laws to prevent this kind of immigration, as they manifested to be experiencing serious illegal labour claims due to the employment of illegal immigrants. In the case of the Eastern countries, most immigrants arrive from emerging countries, such as  Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. On its part, Israel is the Eastern country that offered the biggest amount of opportunities for immigrants, thus fostering the entry of potential qualified skilled workers. On the contrary case, Australia received severe condemnation worldwide last summer when a special envoy of the UN commissioner for human rights exposed the deplorable conditions in detention camps that held asylum seekers who had landed in Australia. As local economies are becoming victims of the worldwide crisis, immigration is now being seen as a threat for the governments of  many countries across the world.


Paragraph TWO:

"Immigration: Borders Beyond Control"

International Migration has recently become one of the main concerns that now seize the attention of politicians and intellectuals across the world, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to control in the light of the economic crisis. In the case of most Western countries, most immigrants come from very poor countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, and Cuba. The United States of America is one of the Western countries that exhibited a greater concern on this regard and consequently, applied extremely hard migration laws to prevent this kind of immigration. At the same time,  they manifested to be experiencing serious illegal labour claims due to the employment of illegal immigrants. In the case of the Eastern countries, most immigrants arrive from emerging countries, such as  Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. On its part, Israel is the Eastern country that offered the biggest magnitude of opportunities for immigrants, thus stimulating the arrival of potential experienced workers. On the contrary case, Australia received severe condemnation worldwide last summer when a special envoy of the UN commissioner for human rights exposed the deplorable conditions in detention camps that held asylum seekers who had landed in Australia. As local economies are becoming victims of the worldwide crisis, immigration is now being seen as a threat for the governments of  many countries across the world.

Entry # 7 - Topic Sentence - Body - Conclusion (Shared Assignment)

Assignment shared with Rodrigo Alvarenga (ISFD 41)

PARAGRAPH ONE

MY FIRST VERSION:

Teenagers in Argentina are finding it increasingly difficult to experience happiness due to the excess of consumption. Most teenagers tend to release their tension by consuming goods they do not really need. The leading consuming device these days is the mobile phone, which seems to be a truly necessary tool to keep teenagers connected to the outside world. In the second place, they adore buying electronic devices such as Mp3, Mp4, game consoles and digital cameras to take pictures to be posted on the net immediately. In the third place, they enjoy buying digital movies even though there is a trend nowadays to download such movies from the net. Finally, they sometimes like buying best sellers, but they buy them just for fashion as they first watch the movies based on such books in the cinema. As a conclusion, it has been proved that such consumption has been replacing the need for teenagers to enjoy an outdoor life and feel relaxed themselves. Consumption does not help for adolescents´ happiness and leads to their isolation.

PARAGRAPH TWO

MY MATE´S PARAGRAPH (Rodrigo Alvarenga)

Nowadays, teenagers have got a need of posting in the net whatever they do to become more popular.
Most teenagers tend to release their tension by consuming goods they do not really need. The leading consuming device these days is the mobile phone, which seems to be a truly necessary tool to keep teenagers connected to the outside world. In the second place, they adore buying electronic devices such as Mp3, Mp4, game consoles and digital cameras to take pictures to be posted on the net immediately. In the third place, they enjoy buying digital movies even though there is a trend nowadays to download such movies from the net. Finally, they sometimes like buying best sellers, but they buy them just for fashion as they first watch the movies based on such books in the cinema.
This constant posting that the teenagers do, it is the way they have to belong to the virtual world.


Metacognitive analysis:


I believe that my mate´s topic sentence does not include all the ideas developed in the body of my first paragraph. The supporting ideas within it are mainly focused on consumption and not on posting in the net.

Rodrigo´s conclusion is also based on the virtual world and not on the buying of unnecessary things such as an M3 or MP4.

As a matter of fact, I do believe that both versions differ dramatically as far as the topic or subject is concerned. My version was focused on consumption and Rodrigo´s on the virtual world.

I repeated some words for the sake of emphasis and also used pronouns to make reference to items previously mentioned and reach cohesion.

Entry # 6 - "Structured Paragraph Writing". (Fares-Alvarenga).

STRUCTURED PARAGRAPH WRITING.

Bulleted list of the most important issues.

• PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH IN ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES (Specific structure).

1. TOPIC SENTENCE: It instroduces the topic or subject. Writers should  choice an interesting topic and avoid details here.
2. BODY: It is the heart of the paragraph. It contains the supporting details (either by order of importance or chornologically). 
3. CLOSING SENTENCE: It has two functions:
1. as a reminder of the topic sentence
2. as a trigger to keep the audience thinking.

What follows is an interesting video about Structured Paragraph Writing in US Universities:

What follows is another interesting video on Structured Paragraph wiritng from Massei University:

WRITING STRUCTURED PARAGRAPHS:
There are three elements for successful paragraphs:

1. The Style
2. Correct Punctuation
3. Paragraphing: A paragraph is an expression of organized thought. Evidences understanding of the material. A good paragraph:

•  Can be narrative, persuasive, declarative, expository, etc
• Is a distinct section in a piece of writing (starts on a new line).
• Is a number of related sentences with one main idea.
• Elements:
• A distinct piece of writing (easy to identify - new line).
• Focused on the main idea.
• Well organized: COHESION (ideas clearly linked to each other).

• Qualities:
• Unity: all sentences are focused on the main idea. Point of discussion must not be changed.
• Topic Sentence:
1. Parts: 
1. Topic or subject.
2. Controlling idea (specific comment about the topic)
• Use WH-questions to generate controlling ideas (who, when, what, where, why and also how).
2. Position of Topic Sentence:
• It can be the first sentence of a paragraph, or
• It can be placed elsewhere, even at the end.

• Coherence: all sentences are clearly related to each other.
• Create logical bridged from one sentence to another:
• by repeating key words
• by using synonyms
• by using pronouns to refer to previous nouns or the topic
• by using transition words (as a result, furhtermore, etc).
• Development: the main idea is supported with sufficient details.
• Details and evidence.
• Illustrate point with examples (do not re-state it)
• Structure: TEE (topic sentence - explanation - examples or evidence)

Some paragraphs may not have a concluding sentence.
A concluding sentence helps to summarise the most important ideas.

Sources:

AlexESLvid, Parts of a Paragraph. English Academic Writing Introduction. Available at : http://academicwriting-now.blogspot.com.ar/ Retrieved May 30, 2013

Massei University, Writing Structured Paragraphs, Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w183qB0KDFg Retrieved: May 30, 2013.

Entry # 5. SHE IS A WRITER

Before referring to the assignment itself,  I consider it extremely useful to make it clear what an argument is. According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, an argument is "a reason given to support or disprove something. The use of reason to decide something or persuade someone."

Now that the concept of argument is clear, I will proceed to the assignment itself.

PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT BY EXAMPLES: 

"THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY".

Chimanda Ngozi Adichie claims that as people read, they are permanently faced with the danger of a single story, thus becoming impressionable and vulnerable in the fields of modern literature. In her early childhood in Nigeria, she received her first literature influence from English and American literature for children. Such literature encouraged her imagination but people like her did not exist at all. At the age of four, she met African books, and such literature produced a kind of mental shift in her perception of literature, as coloured people did exist in the stories this time. African literature saved her from having a single story. Later, at the age of eight, her mother told her story about a poor boy, and all Chimanda knew about him was from her mother's tongue. Poverty was her single story of him. Once she met the boy's mother, she knew that she could do certain things Chimanda did not know. Chimanda only knew a single story of the boy and his family. Yet later when she left Nigeria and established in the USA, her American roommate made assumptions about her that, of course, were extremely wrong. Her roommate only knew a single story about Nigerians. Such single story installed the question of pity in her perception of Nigerian culture as she did not know many facts about them. There existed a default position according to which there was no possibility of Africans being similar to her, of feelings more complex than pity.  Before she went to the US, Chimanda did not identify herself as an African. After that, she became conscious of her African identity. A few years ago, she visited Mexico and realised she had been extremely influence by the media coverage of Mexicans. She had only thought of them as illegal immigrants. She  only knew a single story again. All the stories she mentioned made her who she really is. It can be then summarized that single stories create stereotypes and such stereotypes are incomplete. 

"When we reject a single story,

a regain a kind of paradise".

(Chimanda Ngozi Adichie)

Sources:

Youtube, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Commonwealth lecture 2012. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vmsYJDP8g2U. Retrieved: May 15, 2013

Nairaland Forum, Chimamanda Adichie: 16 Things You Did Not Know About Her.

Available at: http://www.nairaland.com/1154513/chimamanda-adichie-16-things-did. Retrieved: May 15, 2013

For further information about the writer, please visit:http://chimamanda.com/

Entry # 4 APA CITATION RULES

What follows is a summary on the APA Citation Style from the Cornell University Library available at:

http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/apa - maincontent

APA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the American Psychological Association for documenting sources used in a research paper. APA style requires both in-text citations and a reference list. For every in-text citation there should be a full citation in the reference list and vice versa.

The examples of APA styles and formats listed on this summary include many of the most common types of sources used in academic research.

Reference Citations in Text

In APA style, in-text citations are placed within sentences and paragraphs so that it is clear what information is being quoted or paraphrased and whose information is being cited.

Examples:

Works by a single author

The last name of the author and the year of publication are inserted in the text at the appropriate point.

from theory on bounded rationality (Simon, 1945)

If the name of the author or the date appear as part of the narrative, cite only missing information in parentheses.

Simon (1945) posited that

Works by multiple authors

When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the reference occurs in the text. In parenthetical material join the names with an ampersand (&).

as has been shown (Leiter & Maslach, 1998)

In the narrative text, join the names with the word "and."

as Leiter and Maslach (1998) demonstrated

When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs.

Kahneman, Knetsch, and Thaler (1991) found

In all subsequent citations per paragraph, include only the surname of the first author followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others") and the year of publication.

Kahneman et al. (1991) found

Works by associations, corporations, government agencies, etc.

The names of groups that serve as authors (corporate authors) are usually written out each time they appear in a text reference.

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2007)

When appropriate, the names of some corporate authors are spelled out in the first reference and abbreviated in all subsequent citations. The general rule for abbreviating in this manner is to supply enough information in the text citation for a reader to locate its source in the Reference List without difficulty.

(NIMH, 2007)

Works with no author

When a work has no author, use the first two or three words of the work's title (omitting any initial articles) as your text reference, capitalizing each word. Place the title in quotation marks if it refers to an article, chapter of a book, or Web page. Italicize the title if it refers to a book, periodical, brochure, or report.

on climate change ("Climate and Weather," 1997)

Guide to Agricultural Meteorological Practices (1981)

Anonymous authors should be listed as such followed by a comma and the date.

on climate change (Anonymous, 2008)

Specific parts of a source

To cite a specific part of a source (always necessary for quotations), include the page, chapter, etc. (with appropriate abbreviations) in the in-text citation.

(Stigter & Das, 1981, p. 96)

De Waal (1996) overstated the case when he asserted that "we seem to be reaching ... from the hands of philosophers" (p. 218).

If page numbers are not included in electronic sources (such as Web-based journals), provide the paragraph number preceded by the abbreviation "para." or the heading and following paragraph.

(Mönnich & Spiering, 2008, para. 9)

Reference List

References cited in the text of a research paper must appear in a Reference List or bibliography. This list provides the information necessary to identify and retrieve each source.

• Order: Entries should be arranged in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources without authors are arranged alphabetically by title within the same list.
• Authors: Write out the last name and initials for all authors of a particular work. Use an ampersand (&) instead of the word "and" when listing multiple authors of a single work. e.g. Smith, J. D., & Jones, M.
• Titles: Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle, and any proper names that are part of a title.
• Pagination: Use the abbreviation p. or pp. to designate page numbers of articles from periodicals that do not use volume numbers, especially newspapers. These abbreviations are also used to designate pages in encyclopedia articles and chapters from edited books.
• Indentation*: The first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, and all subsequent lines are indented (5 to 7 spaces) to form a "hanging indent".
• Underlining vs. Italics*: It is appropriate to use italics instead of underlining for titles of books and journals.
•  

Two additional pieces of information should be included for works accessed online.

• Internet Address**: A stable Internet address should be included and should direct the reader as close as possible to the actual work. If the work has a digital object identifier (DOI), use this. If there is no DOI or similar handle, use a stable URL. If the URL is not stable, as is often the case with online newspapers and some subscription-based databases, use the home page of the site you retrieved the work from.
• Date: If the work is a finalized version published and dated, as in the case of a journal article, the date within the main body of the citation is enough. However, if the work is not dated and/or is subject to change, as in the case of an online encyclopedia article, include the date that you retrieved the information.

·       The APA has special formatting standards for the use of indentation and italics in manuscripts or papers that will be typeset or submitted for official publication.

Examples:

Articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers

References to periodical articles must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number (if applicable), and page numbers.

Journal article, one author, accessed online

Ku, G. (2008). Learning to de-escalate: The effects of regret in escalation of commitment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105(2), 221-232. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2007.08.002

Journal article, two authors, accessed online

Sanchez, D., & King-Toler, E. (2007). Addressing disparities consultation and outreach strategies for university settings. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(4), 286-295. doi:10.1037/1065- 9293.59.4.286

Journal article, more than two authors, accessed online

Van Vugt, M., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2008). Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some lessons from the past. American Psychologist, 63(3), 182-196. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.63.3.182

Article from an Internet-only journal

Hirtle, P. B. (2008, July-August). Copyright renewal, copyright restoration, and the difficulty of determining copyright status. D-Lib Magazine, 14(7/8). doi:10.1045/july2008-hirtle

Journal article from a subscription database (no DOI)

Colvin, G. (2008, July 21). Information worth billions. Fortune, 158(2), 73-79. Retrieved from Business Source Complete, EBSCO. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com

Magazine article, in print

Kluger, J. (2008, January 28). Why we love. Time, 171(4), 54-60.

Newspaper article, no author, in print

As prices surge, Thailand pitches OPEC-style rice cartel. (2008, May 5). The Wall Street Journal, p. A9.

Newspaper article, multiple authors, discontinuous pages, in print

Delaney, K. J., Karnitschnig, M., & Guth, R. A. (2008, May 5). Microsoft ends pursuit of Yahoo, reassesses its online options. The Wall Street Journal, pp. A1, A12.

Books

References to an entire book must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

No Author or editor, in print

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2003). Springfield, MA: Merriam- Webster.

One author, in print

Kidder, T. (1981). The soul of a new machine. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Company.

Two authors, in print

Frank, R. H., & Bernanke, B. (2007). Principles of macro-economics (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Corporate author, author as publisher, accessed online

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2000). Tasmanian year book 2000 (No. 1301.6). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/CA2568710006989... $File/13016_2000.pdf

Edited book

Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N. (Eds.). (2001). Children of color: Psychological interventions with culturally diverse youth. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dissertations

References for dissertations should include the following elements: author, date of publication, title, and institution (if you accessed the manuscript copy from the university collections). If there is a UMI number or a database accession number, include it at the end of the citation.

Dissertation, accessed online

Young, R. F. (2007). Crossing boundaries in urban ecology: Pathways to sustainable cities (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (UMI No. 327681)

Essays or chapters in edited books

References to an essay or chapter in an edited book must include the following elements: essay or chapter authors, date of publication, essay or chapter title, book editor(s), book title, essay or chapter page numbers, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

One author

Labajo, J. (2003). Body and voice: The construction of gender in flamenco. In T. Magrini (Ed.), Music and gender: perspectives from the Mediterranean (pp. 67-86). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Two editors

Hammond, K. R., & Adelman, L. (1986). Science, values, and human judgment. In H. R. Arkes & K. R. Hammond (Eds.), Judgement and decision making: An interdisciplinary reader (pp. 127-143). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Encyclopedias or dictionaries and entries in an encyclopedia

References for encyclopedias must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher. For sources accessed online, include the retrieval date as the entry may be edited over time.

Encyclopedia set or dictionary

Sadie, S., & Tyrrell, J. (Eds.). (2002). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (2nd ed., Vols. 1-29). New York, NY: Grove.

Article from an online encyclopedia

Containerization. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://search.eb.com

Encyclopedia article

Kinni, T. B. (2004). Disney, Walt (1901-1966): Founder of the Walt Disney Company. In Encyclopedia of Leadership (Vol. 1, pp. 345-349). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Research reports and papers

References to a report must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and name of publisher. If the issuing organization assigned a number (e.g., report number, contract number, or monograph number) to the report, give that number in parentheses immediately after the title. If it was accessed online, include the URL.

Government report, accessed online

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2005). Medicaid drug price comparisons: Average manufacturer price to published prices (OIG publication No. OEI-05-05- 00240). Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-05-05-00240.pdf

Government reports, GPO publisher, accessed online

Congressional Budget Office. (2008). Effects of gasoline prices on driving behavior and vehicle markets: A CBO study (CBO Publication No. 2883). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/88xx/doc8893/01-14-GasolinePrices.pdf

Technical and/or research reports, accessed online

Deming, D., & Dynarski, S. (2008). The lengthening of childhood (NBER Working Paper 14124). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from http://www.nber.org/papers/w14124

Document available on university program or department site

Victor, N. M. (2008). Gazprom: Gas giant under strain. Retrieved from Stanford University, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development Web site: http://pesd.stanford.edu/publications/gazprom_gas_giant_under_strain/

Audio-visual media

References to audio-visual media must include the following elements: name and function of the primary contributors (e.g., producer, director), date, title, the medium in brackets, location or place of production, and name of the distributor. If the medium is indicated as part of the retrieval ID, brackets are not needed.

Videocassette/DVD

Achbar, M. (Director/Producer), Abbott, J. (Director), Bakan, J. (Writer), & Simpson, B. (Producer) (2004). The corporation [DVD]. Canada: Big Picture Media Corporation.

Audio recording

Nhat Hanh, T. (Speaker). (1998). Mindful living: a collection of teachings on love, mindfulness, and meditation [Cassette Recording]. Boulder, CO: Sounds True Audio.

Motion picture

Gilbert, B. (Producer), & Higgins, C. (Screenwriter/Director). (1980). Nine to five [Motion Picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.

Television broadcast

Anderson, R., & Morgan, C. (Producers). (2008, June 20). 60 Minutes [Television broadcast]. Washington, DC: CBS News.

Television show from a series

Whedon, J. (Director/Writer). (1999, December 14). Hush [Television series episode]. In Whedon, J., Berman, G., Gallin, S., Kuzui, F., & Kuzui, K. (Executive Producers), Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros..

Music recording

Jackson, M. (1982). Beat it. On Thriller [CD]. New York, NY: Sony Music.

Undated Web site content, blogs, and data

For content that does not easily fit into categories such as journal papers, books, and reports, keep in mind the goal of a citation is to give the reader a clear path to the source material. For electronic and online materials, include stable URL or database name. Include the author, title, and date published when available. For undated materials, include the date the resource was accessed.

Blog entry

Arrington, M. (2008, August 5). The viral video guy gets $1 million in funding. Message posted to http://www.techcrunch.com

Professional Web site

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2008). Biofuels. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html

Data set from a database

Bloomberg L.P. (2008). Return on capital for Hewitt Packard 12/31/90 to 09/30/08. Retrieved Dec. 3, 2008, from Bloomberg database.

Central Statistics Office of the Republic of Botswana. (2008). Gross domestic product per capita 06/01/1994 to 06/01/2008 [statistics]. Available from CEIC Data database.

Entire Web site
When citing an entire Web site (and not a specific document on that site), no Reference List entry is required if the address for the site is cited in the text of your paper.

Witchcraft In Europe and America is a site that presents the full text of many essential works in the literature of witchcraft and demonology (http://www.witchcraft.psmedia.com/).

Sources:

 APA Citation Style. Retrieved from Cornell University Library PSEC Documentation Committee. November 2002; Revised May 2013