Beckett's American Literature Blog

  Prompt: What challenges did your group face while selecting and analyzing sources, and how did you overcome them? Be specific about how your group communicated and worked through disagreements. Prompt Response:  The most challenging part of choosing our sources was definitely deciding how we would evaluate each of them. We found it difficult to actually measure how good a source was compared to the others, which is why we did the more easy source types first (image and data). We got through this by going back to our topic and seeing how much relatable information within a source resonated with it. Summary: I did not have American Lit today due to the weird schedule. Reflection:  I think that working with other can be challenging at times as everyone thinks in their own unique ways. However, I think that by pushing through this is a great way to better understand those around you as well as how people are in general.

  Prompt:  Reflect on your research topic and identify the most compelling issue connected to it. Clearly explain what the issue is and discuss why you find it particularly interesting or important. Support your response with specific details from your research. Prompt Response:  The most compelling issue attached to my topic to me is the effects of social media on the mental health of young people. It explores how social media can create feelings of isolation for teens as well as ruin their sense of self. This is important as so many young children use social media nowadays, and if it has all of these extremely negative effects we should at least know how to mitigate them. For examples, studies show that users of Instagram have reportedly higher rates of both depression and anxiety, which also lead to increased instances of suicidal ideation. Summary: Today in class we continued to work on our research project. Reflection:  I feel that we got a sizable amount of our...

Prompt: How has completing the annotated bibliography changed or clarified your understanding of your research topic? Discuss how your sources connect to one another and how they are shaping your argument moving forward. Prompt Response:  I think that by completing the bibliography has allowed me to understand my research topic more, as I had to do more than just briefly skim the document to know exactly what it was saying. Most of my sources are for the argument that social media and or technology is bad for the youth, while the minority of them say that not enough (valid) research has been done to prove it. This is giving me ideas of how to structure my paper, as I can implement counterarguments and rebuttals to further the point I'm trying to get across. Summary: Today in class we finished our annotated bibliographies. Reflection:  I found the process of creating the bibliography to be tedious, but at the same time I understand why it was necessary. Hopefully when I have to...

  Prompt: Which part of the annotated bibliography (summary, reflection, or evaluation) was the most challenging for you, and why? Explain how that challenge helped you grow as a researcher and how it will help you when writing your research paper. Prompt Response:  I'd say the most challenging part of the annotated bibliography was the summary, as it's hard to encapsulate a very large source within three sentences. This challenge helped me grow as a researcher in the way that it got me into a rhythm of sorts, allowing me to be a more efficient writer. This will help me write my research paper much faster, which will be quite useful. Summary:  Today in class we started our annotated bibliographies. Reflection:  I got five of my ten sources completed in class today. I found it to be challenging at first as sometimes I couldn't find the right words to write my summaries.

Prompt: As you gathered sources, you were expected to find multiple perspectives on your topic. What differences did you notice between your sources? Explain how these differences helped you better understand the complexity of your issue. Prompt Response:  My issue of personal technology, social media, AI, and teen mental health had two main sides. The first was that social media and AI had a plethora of consequences that left teens addicted and depressed. The second was that social media provided an outlet for social connection and a space where like minds could come together. These two differences allowed me to realize that technology in and of itself always has positives and negatives that cannot be separated from one another. Summary: Today in class we continued working on our research sources. Reflection:  I got quite a lot done today in class having finished all of my sources. To be honest it was much easier than I thought it was going to be...  

Prompt: Think about your experience using GALILEO to find sources. How was this different from how you have searched for information in the past? Explain how using specific search strategies and evaluating sources impacted the quality of what you found. Prompt Response: Using Galileo to find sources is not very different from how I used to find sources. This is due to the fact that I find it equally difficult to find a good source that is specific enough for my research. However, I will say that Galileo offers more high quality sources than those found on Google. Using search strategies, like using key words, and evaluating my sources allowed me to specify exactly what I wanted to find, which was quite useful. Summary: Today in class we started looking for our sources and posting them in a Google drive. Reflection:  I think that researching like this is definitely more reliable but less easy and convenient when compared to Google. If quality information was not only available to ev...

  Prompt: Political cartoons often use exaggeration and symbolism to make a point, and they can also serve as important visual sources for analysis. What is being criticized in this image? What does this source suggest about the issue, and what does the cartoonist want the audience to question or reconsider? Prompt Response:  The subject that is being criticized in the image is the Trump administration's use of foreign policy to distract Americans from what is actively happening in the U.S. The source suggests that what is happening at home is more detrimental than what is happening afar while the cartoonists want the audience to reconsider the reasons behind what is happening. Summary: I am unaware of what happened today as I was on a field trip to Oakland Cemetery. Reflection:  I thought the field trip was quite fun and educational simultaneously. After the tour, we were able to free roam around the property and draw/paint whatever we wanted.

  Prompt: Think about how you have searched for information in the past compared to what you practiced today. How is creating specific search phrases different from just “Googling” a topic? Explain how this strategy will improve the quality of your research. Prompt Response:  By creating specific search phrases, you are able to find more specialized articles that fit your research goals better than more general ones with "Googling." This strategy will improve the quality of my research as I will be able to easily find sources that have exactly what I'm looking for instead of searching through many more common articles. Summary: Today in class we chose our research questions and learned about how to locate specific articles. Reflection:  I feel that while research articles are still much more reliable, "Googling" can still have its uses. For example, if you only want a general knowledge of a subject, going to sites like Wikipedia can be a great way to learn befor...

Prompt: Your research question is designed to explore a complex issue. What makes this topic difficult to answer or solve? Identify at least two different perspectives or factors related to your topic and explain why understanding multiple viewpoints is important. Prompt Response:  A topic that is difficult to answer or solve is one where there are concrete sides that think in completely opposite or polarized ways. Two different perspectives of my topic, technology, is an old person who thinks AI generated content is the future and a young person who believes AI is eliminating the need for artists and needlessly harming the planet. Understanding multiple viewpoints is important as it allows a mediator to understand both parties and have a better chance of creating a solution that satisfies them both. Summary:  Today we were split into group for our research project and did a Kahoot. Reflection:  I think that the older generations need to put more of an effort to understan...

Prompt: Reflect on your past experiences with research in school. What challenges have you faced when working independently or in a group, and how did you handle them? Explain how those experiences will influence the way you approach this current research project. Prompt Response:  Throughout my entire school experience, I've had to do many research projects and other research based papers. I'd say the most difficult part of the process is coming up with evidence for my topic as I often come up short by one and have to split one piece of evidence in two. My struggles with this will influence the upcoming project in the way that I will try to create solid evidence instead of stretching the truth. Summary: Today we did a CommonLit assignment to get us back in the swing of things. Reflection: I found the text about college was quite informative and made a lot of great points. I think it's important that you try to make the most of your college experience instead of wasting it.

  Prompt: If you could plan the perfect spring break with no limitation, money, time, or responsibilities—what would it look like? Where would you go, who would you bring, and what would you do? Prompt Response:  If I could go anywhere and do anything for spring break, I would like to go on a trip outside of the country with my friends and or family. I would probably go to a country with good food and nature, perhaps South Korea, as it is fairly welcoming towards outsiders. On this trip I'd go to a lot of trails/parks and participate in a lot of touristy activities as I've never really gotten to do that before. I hope one day this trip could become reality. Summary: We didn't have class today due to the assembly. Reflection:  I like that we have a lot of breaks spread out through the school year. I would in fact trade them for a shorter week involving four days of work and three days of relaxation/weekend.  

Prompt:  McCandless set out to live independently in the wilderness, but his death reveals the harsh reality of nature and survival. In your blog post, analyze how his desire for independence contributed to his death. Then, connect this idea to your own life by explaining a time when you wanted complete independence or control over a situation. Did things go as planned, or did you face unexpected challenges?  Prompt Response:  Chris's desire for independence is what led him to such a lonely and dangerous place in the first place, as that is what he thought would make him happy. One time when I wanted complete control over a situation was when I did a group project in third grade. I got so upset that things didn't go my way that progress was slowed dramatically. I regret making a big deal out of that, as I didn't realize that everyone is trying to make the project the best they can be, even if it's not done the same way it is in my head. Summary: Today in class we watche...