Blog #22 Research Project Transcript

This assignment of transcribing has turned out to be a little more difficult then I thought. As soon as I finish, I will post it.

Blog #21 Post Reflections Of the Short Analysis

I learned a great deal from the short analysis. At first, it was a struggle for me. I emailed Dr. Chandler several times with rough drafts. Each time I received her comments, my work became stronger and stronger. I learned how to collect data, analyze the data, look for patterns or categories, set up the data into a chart, and thoroughly explain my findings.

I have never done a research project like this before, but once I figured out what I needed to do, the rest of the paper just flowed. It was a good experience for me.

Blog #20 Repost of Intorduction & Review

I started working on this assignment, but I could not focus or concentrate. I found it difficult to get started. This is what I have so far. I need to do a lot of work on this research project. Hopefully I will be able to do it over the week and weekend.

Introduction

I interviewer: How does a person’s literacy process evolve over time? In today's day and age, children are being introduced to reading and writing early and early; at home and throughout their school years. What types of reading material or new technology will spark the interest to improve or guide a person into a lifelong love of literacy? 

Andrea: I do think that a person’s literacy process does evolve over time. As a young child I did not care about reading or writing. I found it hard to comprehend books that were forced upon me in school. For example, book reports, book reviews, or for required reading. It was not until I reached early adulthood that I began to read for leisure. Also, people today have many options for reading. The computer, iPad, Nook, Kindle Fire, etc. I did not have this technology in my early years. Does this make a difference in the way people read and write?

Frank: I have not yet begun the interview process. When I do I will fill in his remarks.

Our opinions: I will fill in this section after the interview.

Reading is the most important content area that teachers focus on in elementary school. Starting in Pre-K children are already learning how to read and write. By the end of Kindergarten, children should know how to read the "beginner" level books on their own. Throughout the years, I have noticed that elementary school children are being exposed to reading early and early. However, the means of technology has drastically altered the manner of teaching literacy in today’s society. Today's classrooms are equipped with technology, that my subject and I, were never introduced to during our years of education; elementary school through high school. SMART boards, laptops, computers, iPads,  just to mention a few, are being integrated into schools all around the world to improve and promote reading literacy.


In this essay I will write about the literacy process of my subject. I will discuss how his process has evolved over time, and what new means of technology, if any, have altered his literacy. I will do a literature review on how literacy begun, the changes throughout time, and the Twenty-first century technology that enhances reading for children and adults. I will include the works of Debra Grant, and Cynthia L. Selfe and Gail Hawisher.

Debra Grant is the author of, Literacy in American Lives. I will use this book as a reference to the changing conditions of literacy learning, and how the methods of literacy learning has changed over the years.  


Literature Review

I need to do research in this area using the books I mentioned in the introduction.

Blog #19 Introduction and Literature Review

Introduction

I interviewer: How does a persons literacy process evolve over time? In today's day and age, children are being introduced to reading and writing early and early; at home and throughout their school years. What types of reading material or new technology will spark the interest to improve or guide a person into a life long love of literacy? 

Andrea: I do think that a persons literacy process does evolve over time. As a young child I did not care about reading or writing. I found it hard to comprehend books that were forced upon me in school. For example, book reports, bbook reviews, or for required reading. It was not until I reached early adulthood that I began to read for leisure. Also, people today have many options for reading. The computer, iPad, Nook, Kindle Fire, etc. I did not have this technology in my early years. Does this make a difference in the way people read and write?

Frank: I have not yet begun the interview process. When I do I will fill in his remarks.

Our opinions: I will fill in this section after the interview.

Reading is the most important content area that teachers focus on in elementary school. Starting in Pre-K children are already learning how to read and write. By the end of Kindergarten, children should know how to read the "beginner" books on their own. Throughout the years, I have noticed that elementary school children are being exposed to reading at a very young age. However, the means of technology has drastically altered the manner of the teaching literacy. Today's classrooms are equipped with technology that my subjectt and I were never introduced to. SMART boards, laptops, computers, iPads just to mention a few, are being integrated into schools all around the world to improve and promote reading literacy.

In this essay I will write about the literacy process of my subject, Frank, and I will discuss how his literacy process has evolved over time. To begin, I will do a literature review. I will use sources from Debra Brant, Literacy in American Lives, and Selfe and Hawisher, Literate Lives in the Information Age.

Literature Review

I need to do research in this area using the books I mentioned in the introduction.

Blog #14 Draft Short Analysis

Sorry, blog 14 was deleted by accident. My blogs are out of sequence.

            I have decided to do my short analysis on Data Set 3: Shaggy Dog Stories. My main focus will be on the features of Shaggy Dog Stories: punch line and level of development. The research question is: What features of the Shaggy Dog Stories are the most important or has the most significance to the reader/audience? During my research, I hope to discover that if you do not have one feature without the other will the reader/audience be able to understand it.

            Before coming to English 3029, I had no clue of what Shaggy Dog stories were. Do not get me wrong, I have read them before, but I never knew that they had a specific name. I thought they were riddles. In class we read Data Set 3 together and I made a list of the features that are the most important: punch line and development. A punch line is defined as the climatic phrase or sentence in a joke, speech, advertisement, or humorous story that produces the desired effect. Development does not have a formal definition, in the sense of the Shaggy Dog Stories, but it is the connection that the reader/audience has to the ridiculous use of the punch line.

            I have discovered that there are codes/categories that are associated with the Shaggy Dog Stories. The codes for the punch line include: humor, jokes, play on words (mangling of the quotes), transliteration or the switching of the first letter of key names (names in the quote), punch line (end), and violence. The codes for development include: story based (beginning, middle, end), provides enough information to the reader/audience to explain the “new” version of the quote, the connection that the reader/audience has to the quote (identifies as an insider-understands and comprehends the joke), displays a visual image inside of the mind of the reader/audience, there is a conflict between the image and action, and the connection that the reader/audience has to the overall story.

            While I was conducting the study for Data Set 3in class, it was clear to me that the reader/audience (class members and me) were able to understand and comprehend the first data set. This set includes: Nate the snake story, the friars story, the panda story, the Robinson Crusoe story, and the chess players story. For Nate the snake it was a farfetched story that used transliteration and play on words. For the first quote (There was a snake named Nate) and last quote (that is was better Nate then lever) the first letter of the key nouns were switched to make the punch line funny.  I had a personal connection to this story which made it easy for me to understand the punch line. The second story, friars, was a play on words. If I did not know the saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires”, by Smokey the Bear, there was no way that I would have understood it. In this case the reader/audience needs to have a connection and understanding of the quote. The third story, the giant panda, the punch line was transposed (Giant panda, lives in China, eats shoots, and leaves).  Although the story has the panda committing an act of violence by shooting the customers inside of a restaurant, the punch line does not suggest that the panda bear does the act. However, it explains what the panda bear does in China. This story seemed to get the highest votes for the best overall story, it was my personal favorite too. Does it have something to do with violence? Are violent stories more entertaining? Since it was a fictional story, was the level of violence more entertaining?

            The fourth story, Robinson Crusoe, was a play on words. This story I had to read twice to understand the meaning of the punch line (Thank Friday!, It’s God). It is not like all of the other stories where the punch line was understood immediately. I do not know why I could not connect with this punch line because I am familiar with and have seen television programs based on Robinson Crusoe. The fifth and final story, the chess players, was a play on words. Again, if I did not know the punch line (“it’s chess nuts boasting on an open foyer”), I would not have understood it. I have a connection to this quote because it is a famous holiday song that I have heard throughout all of my years growing up.

            I have come to the conclusion that all of the features of Shaggy Dog stories must work together in order for the reader/audience to understand the punch line and development. The reader/audience has to have a personal connection, know the quote, and understand that it is a joke and humorous. The reader/audience has to understand the developmental features as well. They need to know and understand play on words, transliteration, punch line-end quote, and that it is story based (beginning, middle, end).

            My overall theory is that people enjoy reading Shaggy Dog stories. They are humorous and get people to laugh. The main features, punch line and development, are crucial to the understanding and comprehension of the quote and/or story. These features need to work hand in hand so the reader/audience can make a personal connection to them. However, there is still more research that needs to be conducted.  For instance, does the length of the story pose a problem? Will the reader/audience want to read a long passage, or do they prefer a shorter passage? Another example, does the level of violence play a role? Are people more inclined to like the violent stories over the nonviolent stories? Why? 

            I enjoyed reading and researching Data Set 3: Shaggy Dog stories. My findings suggest that the main features, punch line and development, need to work side by side for the reader/audience to understand and comprehend the quote.

Blog #18 Short Analysis

Introduction

I have decided to do my short analysis on Data Set 3: Shaggy Dog Stories. My main focus will be on the features of Shaggy Dog Stories: punch line and level of development.  Before coming to English 3029, I had no clue of what Shaggy Dog stories were. Do not get me wrong, I have read them before, but I never knew that they had a specific name and purpose.  These stories were entertaining and the manner that they were written in made them understandable to the entire class.

In class we read Data Set 3 together and we made a list of the features that are the most important: punch line and development. A punch line is defined as the climatic phrase or sentence in a joke, speech, advertisement, or humorous story that produces the desired effect. Development does not have a formal definition, in the sense of the Shaggy Dog Stories, but it is the connection that the reader/audience has to the ridiculous use of the punch line.

Research Question

My research question is: How do the features of Shaggy Dog Stories work together to make them understandable and entertaining to the reader/audience?  During my research, I hope to discover that the punch line and development will work hand in hand with one another so the reader/audience will be able to understand and enjoy the story.

Codes and Categories        

I have discovered that there are codes/categories that are associated with the Shaggy Dog Stories.

The codes for the punch line include:

· Humor

· Jokes

· Play on words (mangling of the quotes)

· Transliteration or the switching of the first letter of key names (names in the quote)

· Punch line (end)

· Transposed

· Violence (level of)

The codes for development include:

·         Story based (beginning, middle and end).

·         Provides enough information to the reader/audience to explain the “new” version of the quote.

·         The connection that the reader/audience has to the quote (identifies as an insider-understands and comprehends the joke).

·         Displays a visual image inside of the mind of the reader/audience.

·         Length (short or long)

·         The conflict between the image and action, and the connection that the reader/audience has to the overall story.

I began conducting the study for Data Set 3in class, it was clear to me that the reader/audience (class members) were able to understand and comprehend the first data set. This set includes: Nate the snake story, the friars story, the panda story, the Robinson Crusoe story, and the chess players story.  All of the stories were out loud as a class then, ranked by likeness. In the next few paragraphs I will explain how the punch line and development make the stories entertaining and understandable.

Story number one is Nate the snake. This story is a short, farfetched, funny tale. Its development is written like a story: beginning, middle and end. The first sentence: There was a snake named Nate, is a play on words; meaning that the quote is mangled. The last sentence: that is was better Nate then lever, is also a play on words, but it is written using transliteration; meaning that the first letters of the key nouns or names are switched to make the punch line funny and understandable to the reader. The class had a connection to this punch line because it relates to the saying, “It’s better late than never”.  The story is ridiculous making it entertaining. The only conflict is that a snake is just a reptile and does not work. This would be the only disconnection that the reader would have. The class ranked this story low on the scale.

Story number two is the Friars. This story is the longest out of the five. Its development is written like a story: beginning, middle and end. It is a play on words; meaning that the quote is mangled. The ending or punch line of this story is where the reader/audience is able to understand the quote, or not understand the quote. The majority of the class did not make a connection to this story because they were unfamiliar with the punch line; “only Hugh can prevent florist friars”. The original saying is by Smokey the Bear, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” The class has a disconnection to the quote making it hard to understand. The class ranked this story low on the scale.

Story number three, the Giant Panda. This story is medium in length. Its development is written like a story: begging, middle and end. The punch line is transposed; meaning that the comma placement could change the entire understanding of the quote (Giant panda, lives in China, eats shoots, and leaves).  The end or punch line was not easy to comprehend. The reader/audience had to understand the rules of grammar.  For example, look at the comma placement before and after eats shoots. This quote right now means that the panda bear is eating his bamboo shoots. On the other hand, if a comma is added in between the words eats, shoots, the meaning is changed all together. It explains that the panda bear eats and then shoots the patrons. Although the story has the panda committing an act of violence by shooting the customers inside of a restaurant, the punch line does not suggest that the panda bear does the act. The class has no connection to this story, only knowing it is about a panda bear. However, it is violent and the class said that they could imagine, in their minds, the panda bear doing this horrible act. This story is ridiculous and outrageous making it the punch line funny. The class ranked this story the highest. Why? Does it have something to do with violence? Are violent stories more entertaining? Since it was a fictional story, was the level of violence more entertaining?

Story number four is about Robinson Crusoe. It is a short story. The development of this is more of a conversation. The punch line is in the form of transliteration; meaning that the first letters of the key nouns or names are switched to make the punch line funny and understandable to the reader. The punch line is, “Thank Friday! It’s God!” The class has a connection to the quote, “Thank God! It’s Friday!”, making the punch line entertaining and understandable. However, there is a disconnection because the class is unfamiliar with who Robinson Crusoe is. The class ranked this story the second highest. 

Story number five, the Chess Players. It is the shortest story. The development is in a story format: beginning, middle and end. It is a play on words; meaning that the quote is mangled. The punch line, “It’s chess nuts boasting by an open foyer” is funny. The class is able to make the connection to the holiday song, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, making the quote entertaining and understandable. The class has a disconnection with chess. If it were not for the understanding of the holiday song, this quote would have been lost on the entire class. The class ranked this story the last.  

Ranking Chart

Ranking goes from five being the most liked to one being the least liked. Each number represents the number of students who liked the story.

Ranking	5	4	3	2	1
Nate	1	4	4	4	1
Friars	1	1	6	2	4
Panda	7	4	---	1	2
Friday	5	3	---	2	4
Chess	---	2	4	5	3

 The chart below represents the features that are used in the Shaggy Dog stories. 

Stories	Punch Line	Development	Connection to Audience (class)	Other
Nate	Play on words & Transliteration	Story (short)-beginning, middle and end.	Yes, the class can relate to the quote “Better late than never”.	Low ranking due to the ridiculousness of the story
Friars	Play on words	Story (long)-beginning, middle and end.	No, the class could not relate because they are not familiar with “Smokey the Bear”.	Age Gap, Low Ranking
Panda	Transposed	Story (long)-beginning, middle and end.	No, the class relates to panda bears and nothing else.	Highest ranking due to the ridiculousness of story and violence.
Friday	Transliteration	Story (short)-beginning, middle and end.	Yes, the class relates to the quote, “Thank God! It’s Friday!”	High ranking
Chess	Play on words	Story(short)-beginning, middle and end	No, the class did not relate to chess. Yes, the class relates to the quote, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”.	Lowest ranking

The class ranked the stories using codes and categories. This is what they came up with:

·         The actions of the characters (integrity of Nate, Hugh being violent, the panda bear being violent).

·         The connection to the punch line or quote.

·         The ridiculousness of the stories (transposed, transliteration, play on words).

·         The sequence of the story (beginning, middle, end).

·         The development of the stories (beginning, middle and end).

·         The disconnection to the   punch line or quote.

·         Length of the stories (short or long).

Hypothesis

I have come to the conclusion that the features, punch line and development, in the Shaggy Dog stories must work together in order for the reader/audience (the class) to understand and enjoy it. The data suggests that the development of the stories, long or short, and story format (beginning, middle and end) do not impact the class’s understanding and over all enjoyment of the stories. It allows the class to read the story with the anticipation of the punch line at the end. The passages are structured, organized and formatted for comprehension.

However, the features of development that have the most impact on the class are the connection or disconnection to the story, the understanding and comprehension of the new quote or version of the quote, the displaying of mental images, and the conflict or overall reaction to the story. According to the findings in the charts above, the highest ranked story is the panda bear. Although it is evident that the class has no connection at all to the story, other than going to restaurants and knowing the animal (panda bear), it was ranked the favorite. The ridiculousness of the story and the punch line make it entertaining; “Giant panda, lives in China, eats shoots and leaves.”  Then, looking at the story of Nate the snake, the class has a connection to the punch line, “that is was better Nate than lever”, but the overall ranking was low. Even though, the class did not have a connection to the panda story, the level of violence, mental images, format, reaction to the punch line are the developmental features that allows the class to find this story entertaining and comprehensible.  

The punch line is used in different features in the five stories: play on words, transliteration and transposed. These features did not impact the comprehension level of the class, but these features did impact the level of entertainment to the class. Looking at the data, in the charts above, the class did not base their decisions on which feature of the punch line is used, but the connection or disconnection to the punch line. For example, the Frairs story, the class has a disconnection to this story because they do not know the punch line from Smokey the Bear. There is an age gap that prevents the majority of the class to find the story entertaining. It has nothing to do with the feature, play on words, but to the disconnection to the punch line.    

In the story of Robinson Crusoe, the class had a connection to the punch line, “Thank Friday! It’s God!” Although, the class is not familiar with Robinson Crusoe, the connection between the class and the punch line make it entertaining and comprehensible. The class is thinking about the quote, “Thank God! It’s Friday!”. The class ranked this story the second favorite.

   

Theory

My overall theory is that people enjoy reading Shaggy Dog stories. The main features, punch line and development, are crucial to the level of entertainment and comprehension of the story. The developmental features provide enough information for the class to understand the “new” quote, the connection or disconnection the class has to the punch line, the mental images the class is able to create in their minds, and the overall reaction to the story. The features of the punch line provide the story with humor, play on words, transliteration, transposed, and level of violence to the story. They need to work hand in hand so the reader/audience (the class) can make a connection to the punch line in order to find the story entertaining and comprehensible. The connection and disconnection are the key components to the Shaggy Dog stories. If the class does not have a personal connection to the punch line, the meaning and level of entertainment and comprehension are nonexistent.   

However, there is still more research that needs to be conducted. For example, does the level of violence play a role? Are people more inclined to like the violent stories over the nonviolent stories? Why?  Does the generation gap between people interfere with the level of entertainment and comprehension? Does interest in a particular topic (chess) have an impact on the connection or disconnection of a story?