English 1010

Here’s a place where some of my better works will be published. Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Thinking Inside Stevens’ Box

“Thinking Inside Stevens’ Box“ is a response I wrote to an article by Dana Stevens entitled “Thinking Outside the Idiot Box” which was published in Slate in March of 2005. There is plenty of discussion about television’s effects on the public. Some may be in Stevens’ camp, touting, as Lisa Simpson would put it, the “endumbening” effect of television, while I, myself, feel obligated to engage the community and argue to the contrary.

My response demonstrates my ability to think critically and communicate effectively.  In this writing sample I reason effectively, using available evidence, and am aware that knowledge is dynamic and builds on new evidence and alternative perspectives. Please, feel free to peruse my points and let me know your thoughts concerning the issue.

Moderating Future Shlock

Is society slowing (or quickly, depending on who you ask) winding down to the lowest common denominator? In my article, Moderating Future Shlock, I explore what Neil Postman has to say on the topic and offer a few of my own suggestions on how to deal with the inundation of entertainment we face in our modern American society.

Fixing Faucets

Ever had to fix something? I recently had to fix a couple of shower faucets, and found that it was a beaming example of a practical application of the critical thinking activities of Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation; something we recently learned about in class. Having never before fixed a faucet it turned into a great learning opportunity which I wrote about in my article Fixing Faucets.

The Price of Paper

In The Price of Paper I take a look at the emergence of Bachelor’s degrees as the new educational norm and explore whether this makes a lick of sense.

Looking Back

Here’s a little something I put together to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned during my English course, particularly regarding critical thinking.