Hey everyone,
This semester has gone by so fast....It's astonishing to think that I have under two weeks left of school for this year. It has been a great freshman year and I hope the years following are just as great!
This Comp 2 project has been a blast for me. I feel like I have learned an incredible amount of information regarding biofuels and their production. The artifacts were an awesome alternative to the (in my opinion) boring research paper. Lots of these artifacts allowed us to show our creativity, while being educational as well. All that remains for me to do is to finish my portfolio and present it to the class on the day of the final.
I appreciate all the help my group and Ms. Lieske have given me, I'm sure my projects wouldn't have turned out as good if it weren't for this help. I hope all of you have a successful week of finals, and have a great summer too!
Matt
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Blog Assignment #11: Bringing it all together
Hey everyone,
Halfway through artifact 2, I started to think about how I am going to tie all of my artifacts together. I thought about what my first two artifacts represent, then I had to think about what would complete the cycle, so to speak. My first artifact represented the current biofuels, or think of it as Point A. My second artifact represented the future of biofuels, aka Point C. So I thought the logical thing for my third artifact to be would be to explain how we get from the current biofuels to the future, this would be the Point B.
It also got me thinking, how would I present all of this? I got to thinking, my presentations would work like an actual biofuel seminar or presentation in front of an audience. I came up with the idea that my artifacts together would all be a part of a realistic biofuel seminar titled "Biofuels: Today and Tomorrow". Then it hit me, my third artifact could bring the two presentations together, while being take-home materials that you would get from an actual seminar. My final presentation will follow the seminar format, I will briefly go through my two presentations, then distribute my brochures at the end.
For my portfolio, I plan on creating it digitally. The two presentations best fit the digital format, and the brochure can be easily presented in either digital or print easily. All-in-all, I am feeling confident at where I am in this point in class, and I hope that my ideas will be as good as I think they will be.
I hope everyone had a great weekend,
Matt
Halfway through artifact 2, I started to think about how I am going to tie all of my artifacts together. I thought about what my first two artifacts represent, then I had to think about what would complete the cycle, so to speak. My first artifact represented the current biofuels, or think of it as Point A. My second artifact represented the future of biofuels, aka Point C. So I thought the logical thing for my third artifact to be would be to explain how we get from the current biofuels to the future, this would be the Point B.
It also got me thinking, how would I present all of this? I got to thinking, my presentations would work like an actual biofuel seminar or presentation in front of an audience. I came up with the idea that my artifacts together would all be a part of a realistic biofuel seminar titled "Biofuels: Today and Tomorrow". Then it hit me, my third artifact could bring the two presentations together, while being take-home materials that you would get from an actual seminar. My final presentation will follow the seminar format, I will briefly go through my two presentations, then distribute my brochures at the end.
For my portfolio, I plan on creating it digitally. The two presentations best fit the digital format, and the brochure can be easily presented in either digital or print easily. All-in-all, I am feeling confident at where I am in this point in class, and I hope that my ideas will be as good as I think they will be.
I hope everyone had a great weekend,
Matt
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Blog Assignment #10: Looking past Artifact 2
Hey everyone,
This week I completed my second artifact and took a sigh of relief! I put a lot of time into my second artifact and it was really nice to see it be completed. I was also really proud of the final product of my artifact, and I was glad I learned how to create Prezis.
Now that artifact 2 is complete, I have to think about what lies ahead of me for this semester. It's amazing to think that we only have 3 weeks of classes left. What is even more amazing, or scary, is all of the work that will be accomplished in that time. I know I have several big projects and tests in nearly all of my classes. When it comes to Comp II, though, my focus will be on finishing my third artifact and then molding all my artifacts into a presentation.
I think I have settled on creating a brochure that ties information from my first two artifacts together as well as elaborates on some areas that I find important. I plan on making the additional information included in the brochure to be helpful to farmers. I want to focus on farmers because I believe they will be tasked with growing the world's energy and food in the future. I don't think I will have trouble tying my first two artifacts together, because they seem to connect very easily already.
I plan on working on my artifact immediately, so I don't get behind in any of my classes. Once I am finished with the artifact, I will combine all my artifacts into my presentation. Sounds like I got my work cut out for me....Ahh it should be a wild ride!
Hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt
This week I completed my second artifact and took a sigh of relief! I put a lot of time into my second artifact and it was really nice to see it be completed. I was also really proud of the final product of my artifact, and I was glad I learned how to create Prezis.
Now that artifact 2 is complete, I have to think about what lies ahead of me for this semester. It's amazing to think that we only have 3 weeks of classes left. What is even more amazing, or scary, is all of the work that will be accomplished in that time. I know I have several big projects and tests in nearly all of my classes. When it comes to Comp II, though, my focus will be on finishing my third artifact and then molding all my artifacts into a presentation.
I think I have settled on creating a brochure that ties information from my first two artifacts together as well as elaborates on some areas that I find important. I plan on making the additional information included in the brochure to be helpful to farmers. I want to focus on farmers because I believe they will be tasked with growing the world's energy and food in the future. I don't think I will have trouble tying my first two artifacts together, because they seem to connect very easily already.
I plan on working on my artifact immediately, so I don't get behind in any of my classes. Once I am finished with the artifact, I will combine all my artifacts into my presentation. Sounds like I got my work cut out for me....Ahh it should be a wild ride!
Hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Blog Assignment #9: Spring Break
Hey everyone,
It is Sunday March 27th, but more importantly it is the last day of spring break. These might have been the fastest 9 days of my life. It is going to be tough adjusting back into college mode. I am excited to be going back, because it means I only have 5 weeks left of school to complete until summer break! Hopefully these last weeks will be successful and fast.
My spring break was a lot of fun. I was able to hang out several times with some of my old friends, and I was able to do some serious videogame playing. Unfortunately, I got sick with a throat cold about half way through spring break. The cold gave me a rough couple of days at the latter end of my break, but I am feeling great now. The best thing about spring break was being able to relax and have a good time at home.
That being said, I was able to do a little work on my second artifact. I edited a few mistakes that I had found and I tweaked a few things about the coloring of my Prezi. I have very little left to complete on my artifact and I will be able to finish it easily tomorrow. Once that is done, I will have to start thinking about my third artifact. These last five weeks should be lots of work, but hopefully they will be rewarding too.
Hope all of you had a great spring break,
Matt
It is Sunday March 27th, but more importantly it is the last day of spring break. These might have been the fastest 9 days of my life. It is going to be tough adjusting back into college mode. I am excited to be going back, because it means I only have 5 weeks left of school to complete until summer break! Hopefully these last weeks will be successful and fast.
My spring break was a lot of fun. I was able to hang out several times with some of my old friends, and I was able to do some serious videogame playing. Unfortunately, I got sick with a throat cold about half way through spring break. The cold gave me a rough couple of days at the latter end of my break, but I am feeling great now. The best thing about spring break was being able to relax and have a good time at home.
That being said, I was able to do a little work on my second artifact. I edited a few mistakes that I had found and I tweaked a few things about the coloring of my Prezi. I have very little left to complete on my artifact and I will be able to finish it easily tomorrow. Once that is done, I will have to start thinking about my third artifact. These last five weeks should be lots of work, but hopefully they will be rewarding too.
Hope all of you had a great spring break,
Matt
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Blog Assignment #8: Artifact Presentations!
Hey everyone,
I know at the end of the semester, I have to present my artifacts to the class. I am sure for some that this will be a dreaded day on their calendar, but not for me! It is strange, but I actually really enjoy presenting what I have learned and listening to other presentations. There is almost always something new that I learn when listening to a presentation, and I hope my presentations do the same for my classmates. When I present my projects in other classes I always feel good knowing that someone in the class has learned something, or that there is a chance that I have persuaded someone to take my side on an argument. This feeling gives me a sense of accomplishment for my project. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I'm crazy for feeling this way, but to each their own I suppose.
Anyway, when it comes to actually presenting my artifacts, I think I will have no difficulties presenting my first two artifacts. The PowerPoint and Prezi lend themselves perfectly to a direct presentation for an audience. I need to have some written notes of what I will say during the presentations in order to make my presentations appear as professional as possible. I hope that my visuals in my artifacts will also be able to maintain to audience's interest during the presentation.
The only thing I am worried about is how to present my third artifact. I am currently planning on making my third artifact a pamphlet or a brochure that will teach agriculturalists on the changing world of biofuels and how they might have to change their profession along with it. Currently I plan on distributing the brochures/pamphlets to the audience and then elaborate on some of the information that is listed on it. I might rehearse this a little bit, and if it doesn't feel right I will change it.
As for my whole presentation I really have only a couple goals. The first, and most important, goal is that I get that feeling that I have educated/persuaded the audience. This feeling lets me know that I did something useful and not something that is shrugged off as irrelevant. The second goal is that I want my presentation to be professional and not done sloppily in any fashion. If I achieve both of these goals, I know that I will feel successful in my presentation.
Hope you all have a great weekend,
Matt W.
I know at the end of the semester, I have to present my artifacts to the class. I am sure for some that this will be a dreaded day on their calendar, but not for me! It is strange, but I actually really enjoy presenting what I have learned and listening to other presentations. There is almost always something new that I learn when listening to a presentation, and I hope my presentations do the same for my classmates. When I present my projects in other classes I always feel good knowing that someone in the class has learned something, or that there is a chance that I have persuaded someone to take my side on an argument. This feeling gives me a sense of accomplishment for my project. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I'm crazy for feeling this way, but to each their own I suppose.
Anyway, when it comes to actually presenting my artifacts, I think I will have no difficulties presenting my first two artifacts. The PowerPoint and Prezi lend themselves perfectly to a direct presentation for an audience. I need to have some written notes of what I will say during the presentations in order to make my presentations appear as professional as possible. I hope that my visuals in my artifacts will also be able to maintain to audience's interest during the presentation.
The only thing I am worried about is how to present my third artifact. I am currently planning on making my third artifact a pamphlet or a brochure that will teach agriculturalists on the changing world of biofuels and how they might have to change their profession along with it. Currently I plan on distributing the brochures/pamphlets to the audience and then elaborate on some of the information that is listed on it. I might rehearse this a little bit, and if it doesn't feel right I will change it.
As for my whole presentation I really have only a couple goals. The first, and most important, goal is that I get that feeling that I have educated/persuaded the audience. This feeling lets me know that I did something useful and not something that is shrugged off as irrelevant. The second goal is that I want my presentation to be professional and not done sloppily in any fashion. If I achieve both of these goals, I know that I will feel successful in my presentation.
Hope you all have a great weekend,
Matt W.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Blog Assignment #7: End of One Artifact, Beginning of Another
Hey everyone,
This week I completed my first artifact and rationale for this class! I was so proud of what I had accomplished, and I hope my future artifacts turn out just as enjoyable as this one was. It was a big relief when I finally turned it in, but I knew turning it in meant that I would have to start working heavily on my second artifact right away.
Fortunately for me, I knew that the second artifact would be due soon, so I put forth some effort while working on my first artifact to organize what I want out of my second one. I have already decided that my theme will be cellulosic ethanol/biofuels and how they will benefit us in the future. I have already gotten research for this topic, and I have already decided to use the Prezi software to make a creative presentation. The idea I had for this artifact was that the presentation would be based around the cellulose molecule and that information would be displayed in different parts of the molecule. To give you a better idea of what I my idea is, I want you to click this and imagine the Prezi taking you to different parts of that molecule and information about the fuel being displayed there.
Currently, I have already started creating my Prezi, but I really have just the framework of the presentation created. This includes the theme and some crucial pictures of the presentation. I still need to decide what information I want to include within the presentation and create the text pieces for my Prezi. Once all of that is done, I will need to revise the Prezi heavily and make sure the transitions go smoothly and ensure my information in grammatically and factually correct.
What I have ahead of me looks like a lot, but I think this artifact will progress even smoother than my first artifact. I feel that this software will make designing my presentation to be immensely enjoyable and rewarding for me. I also think that creating my rationale will be easier because I have already created my first one and kind of know the ropes. I hope that I will continue to be motivated to work hard on this project and not allow myself to get behind.
I hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt Willis
This week I completed my first artifact and rationale for this class! I was so proud of what I had accomplished, and I hope my future artifacts turn out just as enjoyable as this one was. It was a big relief when I finally turned it in, but I knew turning it in meant that I would have to start working heavily on my second artifact right away.
Fortunately for me, I knew that the second artifact would be due soon, so I put forth some effort while working on my first artifact to organize what I want out of my second one. I have already decided that my theme will be cellulosic ethanol/biofuels and how they will benefit us in the future. I have already gotten research for this topic, and I have already decided to use the Prezi software to make a creative presentation. The idea I had for this artifact was that the presentation would be based around the cellulose molecule and that information would be displayed in different parts of the molecule. To give you a better idea of what I my idea is, I want you to click this and imagine the Prezi taking you to different parts of that molecule and information about the fuel being displayed there.
Currently, I have already started creating my Prezi, but I really have just the framework of the presentation created. This includes the theme and some crucial pictures of the presentation. I still need to decide what information I want to include within the presentation and create the text pieces for my Prezi. Once all of that is done, I will need to revise the Prezi heavily and make sure the transitions go smoothly and ensure my information in grammatically and factually correct.
What I have ahead of me looks like a lot, but I think this artifact will progress even smoother than my first artifact. I feel that this software will make designing my presentation to be immensely enjoyable and rewarding for me. I also think that creating my rationale will be easier because I have already created my first one and kind of know the ropes. I hope that I will continue to be motivated to work hard on this project and not allow myself to get behind.
I hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt Willis
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Blog Assignment #6: Artifact 1's Key Ingredient
Hey everyone,
My ultimate goal with my first artifact is to convince the viewers of my PowerPoint that corn ethanol should not be expanded in production any further. In order to do this, I needed numerous pieces of information to help me accomplish this goal. Amongst all of the pieces of information I decided to put in the slideshow, one piece felt like the most convincing argument that I made. The environmental impacts were those pieces of information.
By comparing corn-based ethanol between more advanced biofuels, I was able to show the very small greenhouse gas reduction that corn ethanol provides. Deforestation, an aspect I had not considered before researching this project, proved to be a huge hindrance to corn ethanol's environmental benefits. Nitrogen pollution was in the same boat as deforestation. All of these environmental considerations contributed together to form a strong piece of evidence against corn ethanol's expansion. In the PowerPoint, I feel like my artifact's argument began to present itself with my environmental impacts section. This worked out perfectly, because it felt like I was presenting my strongest evidence right off the bat to engage in the PowerPoint.
After compiling my research, I knew that I wanted to expose corn ethanol's many bad attributes when it comes to the environment. By presenting these eye-opening statistics, I feel that this artifact accomplished this goal. In addition to this, those statistics have provided the biggest contribution in my ultimate goal of convincing the viewer to not support corn ethanol's continued expansion.
Doing this artifact has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope my other artifacts feel just the same way.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
My ultimate goal with my first artifact is to convince the viewers of my PowerPoint that corn ethanol should not be expanded in production any further. In order to do this, I needed numerous pieces of information to help me accomplish this goal. Amongst all of the pieces of information I decided to put in the slideshow, one piece felt like the most convincing argument that I made. The environmental impacts were those pieces of information.
By comparing corn-based ethanol between more advanced biofuels, I was able to show the very small greenhouse gas reduction that corn ethanol provides. Deforestation, an aspect I had not considered before researching this project, proved to be a huge hindrance to corn ethanol's environmental benefits. Nitrogen pollution was in the same boat as deforestation. All of these environmental considerations contributed together to form a strong piece of evidence against corn ethanol's expansion. In the PowerPoint, I feel like my artifact's argument began to present itself with my environmental impacts section. This worked out perfectly, because it felt like I was presenting my strongest evidence right off the bat to engage in the PowerPoint.
After compiling my research, I knew that I wanted to expose corn ethanol's many bad attributes when it comes to the environment. By presenting these eye-opening statistics, I feel that this artifact accomplished this goal. In addition to this, those statistics have provided the biggest contribution in my ultimate goal of convincing the viewer to not support corn ethanol's continued expansion.
Doing this artifact has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope my other artifacts feel just the same way.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2/22/11 Free Write In Class
After learning about my topic more, I have come to the conclusion on what my unifying connection is between my artifacts and sections of my project. That connection is my central idea/thesis, which is that corn based ethanol should not be expanded more and that cellulosic based biofuels are where our biofuel focus should be.
This connection will be presented in my artifacts in several subdivisions. First, I plan on making a PowerPoint covering the reasons why corn ethanol is not a great biofuel. Then, I plan on developing a Prezi or some other form of presentation that shows why Cellulosic biofuels are the desired biofuels of the future. Lastly, I hope to do a movie review over a movie/TV special that discusses biofuels in depth, then give my analysis and critique of it based on what I have learned about the current and future states of biofuels.
This connection will be presented in my artifacts in several subdivisions. First, I plan on making a PowerPoint covering the reasons why corn ethanol is not a great biofuel. Then, I plan on developing a Prezi or some other form of presentation that shows why Cellulosic biofuels are the desired biofuels of the future. Lastly, I hope to do a movie review over a movie/TV special that discusses biofuels in depth, then give my analysis and critique of it based on what I have learned about the current and future states of biofuels.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Blog Assignment #5: Library Experiences
Hey everyone,
This weeks trip to the library really helped me expand my knowledge of using Northwest's extensive database selection. I was able to learn several neat tricks to use, such as the "DE" function, that will be able to help me with my current research project and all future research I will be doing in my college career. It was very nice to see the sample searches that Mrs. Mardis included on the eCompanion, because those searches could give us a starting place to look for resources if we don't know where to start.
One thing that frustrates me about Northwest's databases, is the complicated jargon used in many of the articles I find on my topic. This problem is probably due to my topic being deep into a scientific territory, which would cause more advanced scientific knowledge to be required for thorough understanding of some articles. That being said, my research has gone perfectly this week, and I am proud to say I have found 8 quality sources that fit the criteria! I also hope to find more great sources when the need arises throughout the semester.
Another thing the library trip helped me with, surprisingly, was my Artifact selection. Watching the sample Prezis made me realize that I think I could make an informative presentation with that software, and I think it would be incredibly fun to use. I am thinking about doing a Prezi over cellulosic and future biofuels, because it would be a creative way of educating people on the bright future of biofuels.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
This weeks trip to the library really helped me expand my knowledge of using Northwest's extensive database selection. I was able to learn several neat tricks to use, such as the "DE" function, that will be able to help me with my current research project and all future research I will be doing in my college career. It was very nice to see the sample searches that Mrs. Mardis included on the eCompanion, because those searches could give us a starting place to look for resources if we don't know where to start.
One thing that frustrates me about Northwest's databases, is the complicated jargon used in many of the articles I find on my topic. This problem is probably due to my topic being deep into a scientific territory, which would cause more advanced scientific knowledge to be required for thorough understanding of some articles. That being said, my research has gone perfectly this week, and I am proud to say I have found 8 quality sources that fit the criteria! I also hope to find more great sources when the need arises throughout the semester.
Another thing the library trip helped me with, surprisingly, was my Artifact selection. Watching the sample Prezis made me realize that I think I could make an informative presentation with that software, and I think it would be incredibly fun to use. I am thinking about doing a Prezi over cellulosic and future biofuels, because it would be a creative way of educating people on the bright future of biofuels.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
Thursday, February 3, 2011
2/3/2011 Blog Free Write (Assignment #3)
The main struggle I have at this moment when writing my research project assignment, is actually overcoming distractions and figuring our what to do. I feel like I don't know exactly what I can work ahead on, so I sometimes have to coast from assignment to assignment. I also find it hard to make time for research and writing for this assignment amongst all the other work I have to do for my other classes.
In order to combat these distractions and studying habits, I am trying to devote a little time each day or a specific day of the week to Comp II work. In that time I can do my blog posts, research, brainstorm, and do many other activities associated with my project. This time can also be used to work ahead in case I happen to fall back into a pattern of coasting along.
The one major thing that concerns me about the future of the my project is the artifacts. I don't consider myself a creative person, so I feel like I can't rely on my creativity to produce a wonderful artifact. I am also concerned about what types of artifacts I should create, because currently I don't know exactly what types of artifacts I want to create for this class. I am hoping that once I have done more research on my project that my ideas of artifacts will solidify. Once I know what I want out of my artifacts, much of the stress surrounding the project will be lifted for me.
In order to combat these distractions and studying habits, I am trying to devote a little time each day or a specific day of the week to Comp II work. In that time I can do my blog posts, research, brainstorm, and do many other activities associated with my project. This time can also be used to work ahead in case I happen to fall back into a pattern of coasting along.
The one major thing that concerns me about the future of the my project is the artifacts. I don't consider myself a creative person, so I feel like I can't rely on my creativity to produce a wonderful artifact. I am also concerned about what types of artifacts I should create, because currently I don't know exactly what types of artifacts I want to create for this class. I am hoping that once I have done more research on my project that my ideas of artifacts will solidify. Once I know what I want out of my artifacts, much of the stress surrounding the project will be lifted for me.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Blog Assignment #4: Project Direction
Hello everyone,
When I first started out researching my biofuels topic this semester, I really had no idea what I was looking for or what I would find. The only thing I hoped to find was accurate information to teach me more about biofuel production. I feel like the overall goal of my research project, to learn more and hopefully educate others based on what I have learned, is still what I want.
That being said, I feel like my opinions on biofuels are beginning to change as well. One thing I am beginning to see is that most articles indicate that corn based biofuels are not as great as I once thought they were. In fact the goal of most governments is to get away from biofuels made with corn, and try to make biofuels from other more useless crops. The problem is, the technology for creating biofuels from these is not quite up to speed with the process used to make corn based biofuels. With this in mind, I think corn based biofuels are still necessary to meet society's demands until this technology does exist.
This research has led me to get another goal for my project, which is to find out what crops and technology will be used in creating the next generation of biofuels. From reading through a few articles, there is much potential in creating usable biofuel from such products as switchgrass, an inedible bush in Africa, and other wood-like plants. I think this goal will fit in perfectly with my project's overall goal, and I hope it could be used to teach others about the potential for biofuels from other sources.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
When I first started out researching my biofuels topic this semester, I really had no idea what I was looking for or what I would find. The only thing I hoped to find was accurate information to teach me more about biofuel production. I feel like the overall goal of my research project, to learn more and hopefully educate others based on what I have learned, is still what I want.
That being said, I feel like my opinions on biofuels are beginning to change as well. One thing I am beginning to see is that most articles indicate that corn based biofuels are not as great as I once thought they were. In fact the goal of most governments is to get away from biofuels made with corn, and try to make biofuels from other more useless crops. The problem is, the technology for creating biofuels from these is not quite up to speed with the process used to make corn based biofuels. With this in mind, I think corn based biofuels are still necessary to meet society's demands until this technology does exist.
This research has led me to get another goal for my project, which is to find out what crops and technology will be used in creating the next generation of biofuels. From reading through a few articles, there is much potential in creating usable biofuel from such products as switchgrass, an inedible bush in Africa, and other wood-like plants. I think this goal will fit in perfectly with my project's overall goal, and I hope it could be used to teach others about the potential for biofuels from other sources.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Blog Assignment #2: MLK's Letter and Project Outlook
This week, I got the privilege of reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. I was truly impressed by Dr. King's way with words and his ability to convince others. The way he used a question and answer approach would leave no doubt in any logical reader's mind that he was fighting for what was right. The letter gave me a better understanding of why so many people at the time didn't do more to achieve civil rights for everyone. Dr. King showed me clearly that the "Wait for it to happen" mentality won't accomplish anything, and that justice requires action.
After reading the letter, I looked into a timeline of what happened in the Civil Rights before and after this letter was published. It appeared that the timing of this letter was somewhat of a turning point in the Civil Rights Movenment. Before the letter there were many major events that helped end segregation such as the Montgomery bus boycott and Brown vs. Board of Education, but after the letter was released it appeared that action toward equal rights had increased significantly. Dr. King gave his I Have a Dream Speech, protests increased, and groundbreaking legislation was proposed to get equal rights. Then by July 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and segregation became outlawed. Dr. King has had one of the greatest impacts on American society and this letter can be viewed as a timeless piece of work that teaches us to stand up to injustice.
Now onto research project talk!
When it comes to my current research project, I believe there are many interesting articles and pieces of information yet to come. I would say that I have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my research, and most of the intriguing information will be found in time. I hope to find many more viewpoints regarding biofuel production as well as significant information regarding the science behind biofuels.
I want my research to lead to a project that could give those in the biofuels community an idea of what the average farmer thinks of using their products to produce these fuels. I also hope my research is able to sway the opinions of farmers on biofuel production, because it is their materials that are being used here and they should have the right to know how useful or useless biofuels really are.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
After reading the letter, I looked into a timeline of what happened in the Civil Rights before and after this letter was published. It appeared that the timing of this letter was somewhat of a turning point in the Civil Rights Movenment. Before the letter there were many major events that helped end segregation such as the Montgomery bus boycott and Brown vs. Board of Education, but after the letter was released it appeared that action toward equal rights had increased significantly. Dr. King gave his I Have a Dream Speech, protests increased, and groundbreaking legislation was proposed to get equal rights. Then by July 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and segregation became outlawed. Dr. King has had one of the greatest impacts on American society and this letter can be viewed as a timeless piece of work that teaches us to stand up to injustice.
Now onto research project talk!
When it comes to my current research project, I believe there are many interesting articles and pieces of information yet to come. I would say that I have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my research, and most of the intriguing information will be found in time. I hope to find many more viewpoints regarding biofuel production as well as significant information regarding the science behind biofuels.
I want my research to lead to a project that could give those in the biofuels community an idea of what the average farmer thinks of using their products to produce these fuels. I also hope my research is able to sway the opinions of farmers on biofuel production, because it is their materials that are being used here and they should have the right to know how useful or useless biofuels really are.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Blog Assignment #1: Why biofuels?
As my blog name and post title imply, I am strongly considering researching biofuels for this class's research project. My interest in this topic relates to my major, Agricultural Business, and my upbringing on our family farm. In the last 10 years there has been an explosive interest in ethanol and other biofuels in the popular media. Some coverage is in favor of these fuels, while other coverage finds it wasteful. Currently, I do not have enough information to decide which of these viewpoints I believe in.
That's where this project comes in!
With adequate research, I hope to find enough information to help me decide what my stance on biofuel creation is. Once I find my stance, I would then be able to effectively argue for or against biofuels, and help my fellow agriculturalists make educated decisions regarding biofuel production.
In order to create an unbiased project, I plan on looking at my topic from a multitude of perspectives. Currently I am hoping to find information that looks at biofuels from economic, scientific, conservative, and liberal viewpoints in particular. These will help me even out my small family farm perspective.
For biofuels there would be potential for several scientific artifacts. Papers or essays explaining the process in depth would help educate other readers efficiently. Powerpoint presentations would be great for this as well, because it would allow me to include visuals of the creation process. Presentations or papers could also be used to explain the economic and environmental impacts of biofuels for an audience. In addition to these, something like a Public Service Announcement could be used to quickly educate others about biofuels in a creative manner. No matter which artifact style I choose to create, I plan on including information regarding the science behind biofuels as well as their cost effectiveness in creating energy.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
That's where this project comes in!
With adequate research, I hope to find enough information to help me decide what my stance on biofuel creation is. Once I find my stance, I would then be able to effectively argue for or against biofuels, and help my fellow agriculturalists make educated decisions regarding biofuel production.
In order to create an unbiased project, I plan on looking at my topic from a multitude of perspectives. Currently I am hoping to find information that looks at biofuels from economic, scientific, conservative, and liberal viewpoints in particular. These will help me even out my small family farm perspective.
For biofuels there would be potential for several scientific artifacts. Papers or essays explaining the process in depth would help educate other readers efficiently. Powerpoint presentations would be great for this as well, because it would allow me to include visuals of the creation process. Presentations or papers could also be used to explain the economic and environmental impacts of biofuels for an audience. In addition to these, something like a Public Service Announcement could be used to quickly educate others about biofuels in a creative manner. No matter which artifact style I choose to create, I plan on including information regarding the science behind biofuels as well as their cost effectiveness in creating energy.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
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