Annotated Working Draft and Hot Spots in Microbiology

Component Assignments

1. Communication and Persuasion in Microbiology
   This post illustrates the importance of a type of translator between the scientific community and the general public.  It highlights the gap between those two audiences, and the use of the media to bridge the gap.  
2. Storytelling in Microbiology
   Tricked ya; There's not actually a link there, because for some reason I didn't know this blog post assignment existed.  I would have written about either of two topics.  One would be the difference in presentation of a story I tell my dad about what research I conduct in the lab, versus a story I tell a publishing journal about what research I conduct in the lab.  The other topic I might have written about would have been the difference in a pathetic appeal in anti-vaccine arguments and the ethical appeal in pro-vaccine arguments.
3. Microbes, Microbes, Everywhere; But Which Ones Can You See?
   This post follows the story of Van Leeuwenhoek, known as the father of microbiology, in his visual discovery of microbes.  The two main points I emphasized were that the general public did not believe his findings because of their own preconceived notions, and that the evolution of technology allowed for this discovery, as technology aids in the expansion of the field of microbiology today.
4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Microbiology
   Taking a more scientist-to-scientist approach, this post describes the framework involved in developing a hierarchy for journals that articles are submitted to.  It gives insight into how these journals are valued as credible sources, or not, which to the general public may not mean as much as it does to a scientist.

Hot Spots

1. Hotspot #1 (personal): My passion for vaccine promotion, partially based on my experiences with vaccine research and development, and very much so fueled by the vaccine debates.  I have a strong interest in how this debate arose, as well as the rhetoric involved in arguing both sides of the debate. 
2. Hotspot #2 (in microbiology): The consistent need for scientists to somehow be understood (and believed) by the general public.  Most often this happens through the news media outlets, but is there a way scientists can make research and ideas more accessible without this translator?  To eliminate the middle man would make for a more efficient line of communication if it could be done accurately and appropriately.
3. Hotspot #3 (in history): As technology develops and changes over time, there is an increased need for microbiologists to be up to date on what machinery is most effective and reliable. However, because some research topics within microbiology are so specific, a translation from scientist to scientist is needed to understand what the best equipment for non-familiar fields is if they are to understand and evaluate articles from within that field and deem them credible or relevant sources.

Annotated Working Draft and Hotspots in English Teaching

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in High School English Teaching 
 Communication is critical in all fields, but especially in teaching. I feel that an ideal learning environment would foster learning on both sides. Not only does a teacher want (and need!) to teach and persuade students, they also must effectively communicate with parents.

2. Storytelling in English Teaching  
This assignment required using an example of how storytelling wold be used in my selected career field. It is crucial for teachers to be able to retell stories effectively and efficiently. They may tell stories to make a point, to spark conversation, or to explain a concept--not to mention the obvious storytelling that occurs when teachers summarize literature. I chose to demonstrate how novel analysis would be done differently in different class levels.

3. Eras of English Teaching 
In this post, I briefly analyzed how communication and teaching methods have evolved over the course of education, specifically, that of English teaching. A major point discussed was the evolution of standardized testing, and how that has become the emphasis in public schools today.

4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Secondary English Teaching
This post shares a fictional story of a young woman, a student halfway through the English Teaching program at BYU, who wants to become a high school English teacher. This post, although fictional, accurately portrays necessary education and discusses some procedures the main character would need to go through in order to fulfill her goals.

Hot Spots
 
Hot Spot #1: Tech usage in the classroom (communication)

• Teachers often try to incorporate different forms of media into their classes. Almost all teachers use email, and sometimes videos or even song parodies will creep into lecture slides. However, teachers also have to avoid becoming too casual, or they will lose authority. Effective, credible, attention-grabbing communication (both inside and outside of the classroom) is key.

Hot Spot #2: Evolution of Educational Goals (historical angle)

• Education is constantly evolving. As it became more common for students to progress in their education, standardized educational programs became the norm. Unfortunately, this has led to a situation in which standardized tests are the focus of the curriculum. (See an essay discussing this here.)  In some ways, this is beneficial—students will get the same level of education regardless of the public school they attend. However, this has also led to an era of students who can diagram a sentence but don’t ever develop a true love of literature. Most teachers have very intense opinions on that topic.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project / Hotspots in Religious Education

Component Assignments:

1.  Communication and Persuasion in Seminary/Institute Teaching
 Thriving in the field of religious education requires effective communication with youth and a solid understanding of gospel doctrines and scriptural text.  It is advantageous for a teacher to employ rhetorical practices in his or her teaching. 

2.  Storytelling in Seminary Teaching 
 Using various rhetorical techniques to relate stories from the scriptures can help students have different experiences in learning gospel principles.  One can shape a rigid and factual story by exploring different strategies of expression. 

3.  History of Religious Education 
 The history of religious education began before man was placed on the earth.  The Ultimate and Perfect Teacher is God.  Other non-christian denominations have also developed systems of religious education strikingly similar to one used by the LDS church.

4.  Institutional Authority and Communication in Religious Education 
 This case study spotlights a particular and powerful committee in charge of hiring teachers to work in the Religion Department at BYU-Idaho.  Various questions are raised and answered about the specific requirements for working in this field and possible hurdles to leap before employment can be extended.

Hotspots:

Hotspot #1 (in the field): Connecting to the rising generation of youth in a changing world.  I hit that point when I empathized the importance of teachers using new technologies and media to capture the interest of young students.

Hotspot #2 (personal): In my case study I really brought out my own fears of knocking on the CES's door in pursuit of a job only to not have it opened to me because of varying requirements and specific department policies. 

Hotspot #3 (historical): Understanding that religious education is not a "field of interest" for some but in fact a life endeavor for all dating back to our Pre-mortal state caused me to tighten my grip on this much-wanted but elusive dream of teaching.

Annotated Working Draft and Hotspots in Written Journalism

Component Assignments

1. Communication and Persuasion in Written Journalism
   A journalist’s job is to communicate and persuade. I think it is obvious that journalists try to persuade readers with their stories, so I wanted to explore another area in which they persuade and communicate: pitching ideas to superiors.
   
2. Storytelling Written Journalism
   Journalism is storytelling. Stories vary in length, style, and arrangement based on topic. The stories are written to best explain a particular subject.
   
3. Written Journalism with the History of CivilizationJournalism has likely been around as long as news. It has seen changes, but it is currently moving through one the biggest changes ever—from print to digital.
   
4. Institutional Authority and Communication
   The SPJ has a Code of Ethics puts accuracy over speed, but with changes in medium, many journalists are publishing the info they have now and fixing it with updates later.

Hot Spots

• Hotspot #1 (in the field): Moving from print to digital. Journalists have to think about how stories will appear online. Visuals aside, the text has to be compelling and concise. Journalists have to keep digital in mind when they pitch stories.
  
• Hotspot #2 (personal): The story of pitching ideas in my journalism class for our website rather than for a newspaper.
  
• Hotspot #3 (similar, but more on history and ethics): How will this change affect the industry/business of journalism? Changes have occurred historically, but this one is arguably the largest. We have to figure out how to keep ethical standards and quality in journalism with a new business model.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project and Hot Spots in Legal Mediation

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Law
As I wrote this post I remained very broad in the field of law, not emphasizing on legal mediation. In this post I traced back the ancient roots of the legal system in Greek and Roman civilization, then relating the rule of law to the current United States legal system. In particular, I wrote about the role of a judge in both an ancient and modern courtroom, which relates to mediation.

2. Storytelling in Legal Mediation
This post describes a legal battle between NFL players and their families and the NFL itself. While the story does not give a verdict, the post explains the process a case can go through before arriving at the mediation stage. In this instance the mediation was court-mandated, but in most cases it is a mutual decision of the opposing parties.

3. Legal Mediation within the History of Civilization
While the practice of bargaining and mediating has been around since the beginning of time, in the United States the practice is still in its beginning stages. Mediation only began to be taught at law schools across America in the 1970s and 80s. Today many attorneys are hesitant to involve mediators, feeling it departs from the juris-prudence roots of our country.

4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Legal Mediation
This post recounts a story to illustrate the role of institutional authority, regulation, and communication within the legal field in regard to mediation. While the ABA does have a few useful resources to help attorneys and legal professionals facilitate as mediators, the niche remains somewhat untouched.

Hot Spots:

Hot Spot #1 (in the field/historical): Although mediation is now a part of law schools all across the nation, attorneys still hesitate to participate. This hesitation arises from several insecurities, including the heavy juris-prudence history of the US Court System (centered in courtrooms), fear of the attorneys and clients that the result will not be advantageous, or localities not having proper mediation resources available (i.e. qualified mediators).

Hot Spot #2 (personal): The law firm I work at is trying to incorporate mediation into both our practice and our website. Part of my job is to develop this content, so I am constantly doing research on how to involve mediation in our law firm.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project and Hot Spots in ESL Teaching

Component Assignments

1. Communication and Persuasion in ESLTeaching

This post explains how ESL teachers use communication in their teaching to student who usually want to learn English, as opposed to those who do not. Teachers have to adjust their teaching based on the students' speaking, comprehension, and interests.

2. Storytelling in ESL Teaching

In this post, I gave the example of a teacher telling a story of person learning and using the phrase “the apple does no fall far from the tree” to lower and higher-level English speakers. This story also illustrates the correct use of the term, giving an example of how ESL teachers teach certain phrases.

3. ESL Education in the History ofCivilization

This post outlines how ESL teaching first began back in Great Britain in the 15^th century, and how that has developed to teaching English all over the world. The British wanted to communicate with the countries with whom they were trading, so teachers were sent to teach English. Eventually, this spread to other countries, and soon the whole world.

4. Institutional Authority andCommunication in ESL Teaching

This post tells a story about a woman who is teaching in Korea, and is told about the Tesol International Association, an institution whose aim it is to ensure excellence in English language teaching to people who want to learn English. Through this story, the reader finds out what this institution is, what it does to solve problems, and what they do to present ideas that will help ESL teachers.

Hot Spots

Hotspot #1 (in the field): Teachers have to adjust their teaching based on the needs of the students. They cannot have just one set lesson for a broad range of students. Everyone is at a different level, and should therefore be taught at that level so that they can understand.

Hotspot #2 (personal): A lot of the times, ESL teaching is just seen as simply teaching English to a group of foreigners who want to learn English. You have to really connect and understand you students, their background, and even be their friend. There is a personal aspect as well as an academic one.

Hotspot #3 (authority/historical context): There has been a set curriculum in teaching English since it first started five-hundred or so years ago. This curriculum has changed over time, and now, teachers have to conform to this curriculum that their boss or another institution has created to meet the needs of the students and teachers.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project and Hot Spots in Statistical Analysis

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Statistical Analysis

   In a world where push polls are digested as often as big macs, statisticians provide a bridge between the data and the consumer. Although this role is essential, most people are turned away by the complex inner workings, causing stats to speak differently to outsiders than they do to each other.

2. Storytelling in Stats

   I attempted to use this post to demonstrate the powerful effect of wording to collect data. On the collection side of stats, something as simple as the syntax used to phrase a sentence can completely swing a large percentage of a sample.

3. History of Ripping People Off With Math
   This post focused a lot on the reasons and speeds certain fields of statistics and probabilities developed. I put a particular emphasis on how the evolution of stats was almost always caused by somebody trying to get an unfair advantage over another. 

4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Stats
   My most recent post explored the importance of technology in statistical communication. Having to rel on technology that is isn't intuitive to statisticians, many a man has been frustrated by fighting against clunky technology.
   
   Hotspots:
   
   1. Since stats are entirely dependent upon technology, those who can't use a computer will not survive very long in the field. At the same time, the technology often feels clunky and outdated. The frustrating part is that there are clearly better options available, and the old ones are there acting as barriers.
   
   
   2. Someone once said that if you want to tell a clever lie, use statistics. Misleading statistics are a common problem, and misinformation is an art that shows up everywhere from smoking and cancer to civil rights discussions. There is a need to keep the public educated toward general statistics and find a way to prevent small groups from manipulating data.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project/Hot Spots in Editing

Component Assignment:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Editing
   Editors must be able to communicate in all fields, as they are hired by just about everyone. They use both verbal and written forms to communicate with and between writers, editors, and publishers.  Persuasion is used both in helping the writer produce a rhetorically successful piece and persuading people to make changes to their work.
2. Storytelling in Editing
   I gave an example story about how an editor can work with a writer in the brainstorming process as well as creating a piece that is grammatically correct and what the publisher desires. I also explained how editors work as a liaison between the writers and publishers to produce the most successful product.
3. Editing within the History of Civilization
   In the earliest days when oral communication was the main form used, scribes were responsible for transcription and inserting grammatical elements.  Scholars have used multiple early manuscripts to compile them into one, cohesive document.  Now, with the development of printed text and technology, editing is more standardized.
4. Institutional Authority and Communication
   I discussed the Modern Language Association, an organization focused on the study of language.  Through handbooks, manuals, and annual conferences, they are able to discuss, modify, and distribute a standardized form of English, grammar, and formatting.

Hot Spots:

Hot Spot #1 (in the field):  I like the concept that editing is applicable and needed in all fields of work.  In this post, I list many things that editors have a hand in and how they have to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Hot Spot #2 (history):  I think the concept of historians compiling manuscripts to produce the most "correct" form is interesting.  For example, I talk about how all of Shakespeare's pieces were recorded and published at a later date--leaving the authenticity in the hands of gifted editors.  How does this effect the credibility of a piece?

Hot Spot #3 (authority):  English has no overarching governing organization--leaving each different field to its own rules and regulation.  Would it be a good thing to have a sanctioned law when it comes to language, such as they do in other countries (like France)?

Annotated Working Draft and Hot Spots - Social Work

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Clinical Social Work
   In this post, I compare and contrast the perspectives of therapists and patients and how those perspectives build the kairos of a therapy session over an extended period of time.  I also show how the three branches of social work connect with therapy.
   
   
2. Storytelling in Clinical Social Work
   I explain why therapists must become adept at telling people their own stories in ways that help them cope with their problems.  I include a story from a real therapist that explains why people become stuck in specific modes of thinking and how they can begin to change.
   
   
3. Philosophy:  The Bedrock of Civilization...and Modern Therapy
   I delve into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, one of the most common therapy types, which has its roots in cognitive and behavioral ways of thinking that started as parts of Greek philosophy.  I also share my History of Psychology Teacher's opinion on the moral implications of psychology's philosophical beginnings.
   
   
4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Social Work
   I delineate the function, authority and practices of the National Association of Social Workers.  I describe its mode of communication with practitioners, the standards that it holds the field to, and how the organization handles violations of professionalism.
   
   

1. Hot Spot #1 (Personal/Field): Clinical social work is uniquely focused on the welfare of individuals.  Compared to other fields, Social work is less focused on learning about people and more focused on actually helping them, which is why I picked it as a career.  For me it is about being able to step into another person's life, relieve some of their suffering, and change their lives forever.
   
   
2. Hot Spot #2 (Field): Therapy is involves the perspectives and relationship between the therapist and patient.  As I explain in "Communication and Persuasion in Social Work," understanding the kairos that both perspectives working together build over time is critical to be able to grasp the nature of therapy and the interplay between both parties.
   
   
3. Hot Spot #3 (History): Therapy gets its roots from Greek philosophy, and that heritage has consequences,  Some of those consequences have negative implications for moral issues including issues involving moral relativity and materialism, which therapists disregard at their peril.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project/Hot Spots in Marketing & Market Research

Component Assignments:

1.    Communication and Persuasion in Market Research
The most important takeaway from this initial post about market research is the power of the consumer to dictate how companies act. Another important theme is that it is up to the market research staff to engender communication and begin the conversation with the consumer, asking the right questions along the way. Without them, companies are left in the dark, and nobody benefits.

2.     Storytelling in Market Research
In this post, I used the story of the New Coke fiasco to illustrate company reliance on consumers. While it is important to have hard numbers, marketing is still an art, one in which the numbers should back up a marketer’s gut feeling about consumer wants, and not the other way around.

3.     Marketing Within the History of Civilization
Marketing has existed ever since people began to buy and sell. It is the language of trade, the passage of information from the consumer to the seller. When a consumer buys something, he imparts a little bit of his preferences in that purchase, which gives the seller the information he needs to sell better products. And with the evolution of communication has come the evolution of marketing.

4.     Institutional Authority and Communication in Marketing
In this post, the most important theme is marketing’s constancy of change. Stewardship of that change is in any and all marketers’ hands; they all have the power to improve communication with consumers and to create products that will help society.

Hotspots:

Hotspot #1 (in the field): Marketing’s sole purpose is not to push product. Marketing’s purpose is to create a dialogue with the consumer, using hard data collected by asking the right questions, and coupling that with the marketer’s gut-instinct. Marketing is communication.

Hotspot #2 (History): Marketing strategy has changed with how people communicate. With every new medium, marketers have used communication to reach consumers. This is because trade has always been a tacit conversation between merchant and consumer, even in ancient days.

Hotspot #3 (storytelling): The story of New Coke is the perfect example of how marketers get it wrong. It’s a case study in what not to do.

Annotated Working Draft of Final Project / Hot Spots in OR Nursing

1. Communication and Persuasion in My Field Communication and Persuasion in the Field of Operation Nursing
   There can be both positive and negative communication in OR Nursing. The positive persuasion is when a staff member can convince a patient to make a good medical decision. Communication is negative when it is used in the medical field to intimidate and undermine coworkers.
   
2. Storytelling in My Field Storytelling in OR Nursing This blog post gives an example story to illustrate that storytelling is the backbone of the medical field. Many medical problems are figured out through communication in the form of telling stories both orally, and in the written form as a medical history.
3. My field within the history of civilization
   Medicine Through the Millennia This blog post give a broad rang of how nursing came to be as well as going specifically into how nursing became predominately female and back. it also talks about how medicine started in the ancient times with the Greeks.
4. Institutional Authority and Communication Institutional Authority and Communication in OR Nursing JACHO is the institutions designed to create order in the health system. They do this by having constant inspections and also hold an annual conference for nurses. JACHO protocol is changed by the legislature. Hot Spots Hot spot #1- (Personal) - the importance of communication in helping persuade people to make health conscious choices. This has personal relevance because I had to do a lot of this type of persuasion in my last job as a CNA so i can truly see the importance of this. Hot spot #2- (In the Field/ history) - Nursing is a timeless and has had an influence on people since the begining of time. This History is also ongoing and is always changing the health field as of now nursing is playing a major roll in the changes in the medical field. The history of Nursing changes they way Nursing field is today. Hot spot #3 - (In the Field) - JACHO is the protector. I think this is important to include this because it encompasses all of the order keeping sectors of nursing which include keeping communication positive as well as protecting patients and having overall good health care.

Hot-spots in Economics

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Economics (link)
           Communication is key in all things. Even though economists can have largely varied opinions, if they are unable to relay the knowledge they have it is of no use. Economists all take their own approach using similar methods to try and benefit mankind to the best of their ability, even though their approach may not be the best. If we were better able to communicate our knowledge, many of the problems faced in the world today would be solved.

2. Storytelling in Economics (link)
           Economics has its own terminology that often times people are not familiar with. This causes a need for the economist to do a good job when they tell a story. They need to be able to relay important information, often presented in the form of data or a statistical analysis, so that even the most uninformed citizen can understand what is being talked about. 

3. Mercantilism (link)
           Economics has been around for a while, but it wasn't until 1776 when it really started to develop into a discipline for study. There are theories such as mercantilism that state that a nation is only as prosperous as the amount of money they have. Other theories are also existing, and most of the time those theories don't change, but the way that we approach theory and other economic situations changes often. Scarce resource allocation is a crucial part of meeting the needs of mankind.

4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Economics (link)

           The United Nations Economic and Social Counsel is one of the fundamental organizations in the field. There are things that change in the field of economics, but if they do it would have to come up in one of the meetings with this organization. One of the main things about being an economist is trying to be well informed of what is going on in the world. The ECOSOC is where all of those things going on in the world are discussed. 

Hot-spots:

1. Hotspot #1 (field): Economic models are useful but not accurate. For some reason many people believe that economists can foretell the future, or always are right with their analysis. This is not the case. They make projections, and try to understand the world around us, and they make assumptions to understand situations, but they are not always right.

2. Hotspot #2 (personal): If an economist is unable to communicate or relay the information and knowledge they have, they will make very little difference in the world. They have to be able to present things in such a way that is statistically sound, yet simple.

3. Hotspot #3 (personal): Economics is a different way of viewing the world, it's not about money. Economics is the study of allocating the scarce resources available to meet human needs. This applies to both tangible and intangible things. It is a science, which means we are continually learning things and finding new data and information to help in research.