I-SEARCH

  I-Search

1. What I know?

-abortion is one of the most controversial subjects amongst politics, religion, and every day life.

-abortion was legalized for American women in 1973 based on the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case.

-this court decision was in favor Roe, deciding that all laws prohibiting abortion were a direct violation of privacy and freedom under the constitution.

-prior to the legalization of abortion in America, women resorted to back alleys and illegal clinics where the procedure was performed unsanitary using chemicals or metal tools.

-many countries still have abortion outlawed.

-In both countries that legalized and outlawed abortion, the abortion rate was the same.

-50% of the pregnancies in America are unintended or unexpected

-half of this rate results in unwanted pregnancies

2. What else I want to know?

-personal stories or interviews with women who have dealt with the situation of an unwanted pregnancy and chose abortion.

-information on countries where abortion is outlawed.

-the statistics on the amount of abortions and risk involved where it is outlawed.

-pro-life vs. pro-choice debate.

3. Where can I find more information?

-google (of course)

-the library

-women's magazines

- international news resources

-a book on Roe vs. Wade

4. Interview with Alexandra Morales, who is one of my close friends and was "hit" with an expected pregnancy.

*1.-Q: First off, what point are you currently at in your life?

   -A: I am 18 years old, I earned my G.E.D from Leto High School when I was 16, have completed a full year Hillsborough Community College, and I am happy with my status.

*2. -Q: What reasons or choices that you've made have influenced your progress and happiness in life so far? 

   -A: About a year ago, I ended up pregnant from my boyfriend of 3 years and I decided to have an abortion. This choice I made was not easy, but success in college and happiness in life both do result from this decision.

*3. -Q: What was your first reaction to discovering your pregnancy?

    -A: To be completely honest with you, I was happy for a split second. But soon this happiness faded with the thought of me being a mother and responsible for another child. I was shocked and scared. I knew I wasn't capable of being good parent.

*4. -Q: Why do you think you couldn't handle parenthood?

    -A: Simply because I still like to have fun, party, and have my own life. When one takes on the responsibility to be a mother, you have to give up your own life. I still have dreams and goals that I wouldn't be able to accomplish with a child on my side.

*5. -Q: What is your goal in life? What do you want to be when you "grow up?"

    -A: I am currently taking business classes, but I am not exactly sure what I want to for a career. I do know that it is my goal to earn a Bachelor's degree in human resources so I can be some kind of manager of a business.

*6. -Q: What was the hardest part of making you decision to go through with the abortion?

    -A: Terminating the potential life of a child that I produced was obviously a tough decision. In a way I look at it as being selfish for myself in a good way. With me opting out of motherhood, now I am able to fully dedicate myself and focus on college.

*7.- Q: Did you consider or think about adoption? Why?

    -A: I though about adoption, but then I thought if I am going carry this child for nine months and go through all the symptoms of pregnancy, then I will keep  it. Even in the case of adoption, the pregnant woman is still basically raising that child because she has to be careful and cautious of what she eats, the activities she's involved in, and it's overall uncomfortable.

*8. -Q: Do you regret your decision, wish you would have done something different, or think about your choice?

    -A: I do not regret having an abortion, I regret being irresponsible and not being on birth control. I think about my decision every day and although it's not pleasant to think that I terminated the development of my child, I know that was the best decision for me and my life.

  

5. What have I learned?

-how controversial and never ending the fight for abortion is.

-the immense and overwhelming need for legalized abortions in so many other countries.

-how American women got abortion legalized (Roe vs. Wade in 1973).

-the risk and danger involved in women inducing abortions on themselves.

-the severity of pro-life advocates in some countries (Poland and Ireland).

-half of pregnancies in the America are unintended and half of that result in unwanted pregnancy.

-mothers that go through with unwanted pregnancy do not put forth the same quality of parenting skills that mothers do with wanted pregnancy.

Reflective letter!

Throughout my experience in English Composition 1101, I have studied many novels, articles, and films and have polished up my writing skills tremendously. In studying these many forms of novels, I have broadened my own techniques and rhetoric of writing. There is so much more to writing a paper than just putting words together in context with the specific topic. Through this course I have discovered that my  writing needs to appeal and make sense to not just myself or my professor, but the wide range of audience as well. The use of formatting, tone, level of formality, and genre all need to be taken into consideration to write a successful paper. Prior to this class, I would write as if my audience knew what I was talking about and was given all the background knowledge that I had, but I now know that I must write as if they know nothing about the specific topic. I also mastered the use of the three different rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. Using these three appeals gives my audience a better understanding and grasp of the subject being written about. 

Reading and writing have so much more of an impact than just entertainment or for a grade in class. Reading is ultimately how we gain and expand our knowledge. The more a person reads, the more subjects, ideas, and practices that person is exposed to. During the lapse of this course, I discovered that reading is so much more effective when you write or reflect on in, like with our blog assignments. If one reads but doesn't summarize or reflect on the reading, they won't retain or apply any of the information just read. In doing these blogs, project one, and project two, I realized that writing involves research and knowledge, not just opinion and view point. I learned that there is a series of steps involved including research, evaluation, synthesis, organization, and application when writing.

The most important skill I gained during the course of this class was editing and revising my writing. I've realized that writing is continuous process, never complete because you can always add more detail, information are broaden the subject and theme. With this said, the papers and essays I write in college need to go through many drafts and revision before being turned in. With my participation in the writing workshops, class assignments, and discussions, I obtained many unique and in-depth methods of editing. My favorite method is done by simply reading each sentence at a time and locating the subject, verb, and object and then thinking of a more specific word or phrase for the original one. I also now know how to really critique my writing and I can notice and admit when I know it needs a lot more work and revision. With the almost everlasting load of assignments and projects in this class, my laptop and I became best friends. Literally, I have spent more time on my laptop than I have been with my boyfriend in this six weeks, revealing to me that technology and and an overflow of sources are the backbone and basis of writing. 

Along with my new found research, editing, and application techniques, I also realized the importance of the basics in writing, such as format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, and documentation. There are many different types, forms, and genres of writing and therefor all require different elements of writing. The tone and structure should follow the genre and main idea of the piece. English composition has taught me an immense amount of writing and editing techniques.

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The subject on modern society's educational system is something I am so very adamant about. The clip on YouTube.com was very enlightening and hopefully impacted teacher's tactics on education. The clip bluntly pointed out that computer skills are not just a catalyst to research and learning, but an essential element to excelling in college. The internet provides us with information from years ago, resources that we could never got a hold of without it. Google can pretty much give you a huge variety of resources to whatever topic being searched. Not only is the web a best friend to research, but also provides students a hands-on and different approach to learning. Blogs, video/audio clips, wikis, email, webcasts, and just technology in general gets students involved and interested in the material. It also allows them to practice the essential computer skills necessary for today's growing technological day in age. In my own experiences, I have found that teachers who are obsessed with the rules of no cellphones, ipods, or laptops in class get little respect and participation within the class room. The article on Ivory Tower by Marcellus Hall clearly outlines the need for technology in school, starting at younger ages. Basically adults attempting to get degrees late in their life don't stand a chance in college, due to their lack of computer skills. I believe technology is a great tool in educating students.

1. For the teachers who oppose the need  for technology in education, how can stand firm with your beliefs after seeing the difference in those educated in technology?

2. To what extent or limit should technology be used in the classroom?

3. What type of learners are the majority of students currently attending school?