Intro: 1/12/09

I am a sophomore from San Jose, California and a Secondary Education-Social Studies Major. This is a required course but I would like to come out of with a better idea of how to compose my own argument and how to respond to others' arguments better. Usually, most of the writing that I do is school related. However, I compose several e-mails a day along with of text messages. I also have been practicing writing lesson plans for my classes, which is something I am not comfortable with. I never realized how much effort goes into making a single class period run smoothly. I think my writing is solid. It is not my favorite subject, nor my best, but I think that I write well enough that my ideas are expressed and the assignment requirements are met.I know I need to work on the context of my writing and how I transition from idea to idea.

I am a member of Ft. Worth, Texas and San Jose, California. I was born in California and now go to school in Texas so it has been an experience for me adjusting to the different environment and people. There are a lot of stereotypes that come with being from California and vice verse when I tell people in California that I go to school in Texas. People in Texas think that Californians lay on the sunny beach all day while Californians think that Texans are rednecks and that everyone has a cow. Obviously, both these ideas are stereotypes but I think people would be surprised about how many people actually think this way. I think that fact that I can use where I grew up as stepping stone to where I am now is great. Each state,even each city, offers its own unique environment that have helped me to from my identity.

While I was writing this blog I did not realize that I was making an argument until I began to think about. I would say that I argue that both California and Texas offer different opportunities and that a person is shaped by where they are raised. I am simply informing people about certain differences between the states. As I was reading, I related my argument to the Rogerian argument, in which common ground is established. The choices I made including the stereotypes I mentioned demonstrate that I have heard both sides of the story. I do not think that one state is better than the other, simply different. I would say I bring a unique view of this subject, having lived in both states. In this course, I think that my political views might be argued because of the stark contrast between the red state and the blue state.

I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus.