RJA #15: Reflection

I have learned a great deal in this class to be honest. I think most importantly is how to do proper research and where exactly to look for pertinent information for a topic. Internet research has become a huge part of basic research done today and therefore can become overwhelming in its own right, due to the enormity of data out there. It helps to know which databases exist and for what purpose, be it scholarly, a wiki, news sites and published material, including books and journals. It's amazing the breadth of information is out there, but it's also a student beware situation though because not all sources are reliable or accurate.

In terms of writing a paper it takes a huge effort to organize all the data into an understandable and coherent thought process. Pulling information from various sources and tying them all together is one of the hardest parts in all. As always these days it is also mandatory to cite and give credit where credit is due and to know the difference between common knowledge and not common. Also knowing how to trim a paper down in scope of the topic is very tricky from what I have encountered. I really enjoyed this class and learning more on a subject I would not have otherwise gone out and done research like I did on was really fun. Overall I found this class mind opening and useful in the sense I will obviously be using these skills in the future abundantly.

Write at least one paragraph about what you learned in this class this semester–about your topic as well as about the research and writing processes–and how you will be able to use it in future classes and your professional and personal life.

RJA #14b: Application Project References

APA Style Reference Sources:

Maryansk, J. (Actor). Robin, M. (Narrator). (2008). The World According to Monsanto [Motion picture]. USA: Image & Compagnie Productions.

Smith, J. (2007). Seeds For The Future (pp. 1-139). Collingwood, Australia: CSRIO Publishing.

Government Accountability Office. (2008, November). Genetically Engineered Crops: Agencies Are Proposing Changes to Improve Oversight, but Could Take Additional Steps to Enhance Coordination and Monitoring. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0960.pdf

Caruso, D. (2007, April 8). How to Confine the Plants of the Future? The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/business/yourmoney/08frame.html

Kelland, K. (2010, April 26). Scientists Find New Way to Help Crops Fight Pests. USA Today. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-03-17-Biotech17_cv_N.htm?csp=usat.me

RJA #14a: Application Project Progress Report

For the Application project I picked writing a letter to a family member to discuss a perspective of the topic from the farmers point of view. The family member that I am writing to is my grandmother, who used to work on the farm. This is a good member to use because I can compare and contrast the old way of farming with the modern way now in use.

So far for the application project I have just started putting together the letter I am writing. It is not finished all the way but the gist of the letter is complete. In the letter I have told my grandma about all the new and fancy technology that is use these days and how it makes life so much easier. This makes the letter informational and also seem like it's actually a real letter that would be written.

To finish off the the application project I have a few more things to do. First of all I have to finish out the letter and make sure it flows and is coherent. Second I need to include some of the information from my sources so that it has some proven facts to back up the claims to my grandma with whom I am writing too. That should be about it though in finishing up the project.