Caitlin O'Leary
(coleary1@emich.edu)

Evolution and the Ape: Watch as The Caity Evolves
It seems that theories are extremely important. For an example, the theory of evolution. There is a one-celled organism and from that single-celled organism, all others are spawned. Through time, they have adapted to different environments and taken on different features. The theory of evolution is not much different from writing theories that I have experienced in English 424: Technical Writing. Upon entering the class, I had already evolved a little. Along with my fellow classmates, we had been in the English classroom environment for much of our lives and have adapted to it. Such features of our adaptation were speed-reading, writing formulas (such as memos, articles, stories, poems, etc.) and to critically analyze. However, evolution is a process not an event and not just features. The processes of evolution are extremely important, and the same goes with technical writing.

Technical Writing is the ability to critically analyze, process and produce documents that fit a particular situation in a context. In terms of evolution, one would not find a furry bear near the heat of the equator. It is not useful for the context. Now the rhetoric used within these documents is simply defined as the appropriate language for a desired outcome. If a bird would like to mate, he will use his mating call, and the desired female might respond in a desirable way. The bird has chosen the right way to communicate in this context, and therefore used his animal rhetoric well. The bird, however, could inappropriately use his language in this context by sending a warning caw rather than a mating-call, and the desired female would flee. The rhetoric one uses in Techinal Writing must fit the situation and context in order to obtain the intended outcome. . 

The Team Introduction Memo (TIM) and Process Documentation Memo (PDM): Learning How to Use Opposable Thumbs

Group Evolution TIM & PDM

Don't Be a Jerk. Use Teamwork.
In the TIM & PDM assignment, the English 424 class metaphorically speaking discovered that they had adapted and evolution gave them opposable thumbs. "Well it's true," one student barked at the other. "But what are we supposed to do with them now?" They immediately began to have thumb wars and discussed the many places one could put their thumbs. In fact, the thumbs were just a metaphor for the other similarities and differences that each student brought to the classroom. In the Team Introduction Memo we were assigned to write a memo about ourselves and how our skills apply to the Technical Writing classroom. I consider the following to be a few of my attributes as far as writing and teamwork is concerned is the ability to think outside the box, reflect and understand how others feel, and the ability to articulate in speech and in writing.

Reflecting on the horrors of evolution and a change of environment: TIM & PDM

The Ape Discovers Tools.
The technical writing skills just mentioned are important, because when put in the appropriate context, such as a Technical Writing classroom or being a team membor for a project, the tools that each of us possess affect our writing and the way people read our documents. The ability to see the classroom as a context in which we are writing for, and to understand the audience of the context is an amazing introduction on how writing works. To be able to see writing and how it is produced for an given context is invaluable. Because of this, my experience in English 424, has been extremely valuable.

The Brazilian vs. The Michigander: Evolving Rhetoric Scenario

Contextualizing the Creative Rhetoric Scenario

Issues of Online Tutorial Design
In the Creative Rhetoric Scenario, we were assignmed to write about a pretend conversation with a person we know. In the course of that discussion, look at and analyze the rhetoric used within the context of that relationship. Bring in English 424 and the idea of rhetoric to the person with whom we had our pretend discussion with and explain what rhetoric is and how it is being used in that given relationship.

Reflecting on the Creative Rhetoric Scenario: Putting Rhetoric in it's Place.


The point of the Creative Rhetoric Senario for me, was to finally understand what rhetoric was. I thought of rhetoric as a manipulative way that politicians lie before this class. I was correct in that thinking, but rhetoric is so much more and it's not all bad. It's really what one makes of it.

What Rhetoric Is & How the Ape Discovered This Tool to Share with a Friend
As previously explained, rhetoric is the way we choose to communicate with one another for a desired outcome. It can include a great many things, the words, tone of voice, body language, facial expressions, and all the other ways that people communicate. Having to define, discuss and point out the rhetoric that I use with my Brazilian friend, Victor helped me to understand what it was for myself. Through the process of explanation came a clear definition.

The Airbag Letter Case: Helping People to Live in Order to Evolve.

Contextualizing the Airbag Case

Writing to Scared Consumers About On/Off Switches
The assignment was to write a letter on behalf of a car dealership to consumers who wanted to have airbag on/off switches put into their car. This assignment got us to start writing within a context like we would if we were actually working for the dealership. It gave us a situation where we were speaking with consumers who were concerned for their safety, and writing in a context that cannot always meet the requests of the consumers unless the met strict regulations.

Reflecting on the Airbag Case

Not a Letter for Grandma: Adapt to a different writing context
The very first draft for this assignment looked more like a letter to grandma with a couple of bulletted points. It focussed on customer service without actually serving the customer. I wrote the normal nonsense dribble about "being concerned about customer safety" or something rather than discussing ways that I might actually be able to serve the customer. The piece changed to a memo format with headlines, bullets, instructions, etc. It was more informative for the reader, including more safety tips and facts, as well as being more professional on behalf of the company. It offered actions for the consumer to take as well as described the situation from the dealership's perspective without going into useless details.

The Context & Genre Analysis Project: I Evolved for This?

Contextualizing the Context & Genre Analysis Project

"People Notice" Adaptation in the Holiday Inn Environment.
This assignment was by far the most complex and challenging one for me. There are so many documents that I handle as a front desk clerk each shift and as far as the context in concerned, I might as well be working in a zoo. In this assignment we were asked to analyze one document and how it works or doesn't working the context. We also had to acquaint the audience with the context and the situations in which this document is used. In addtion to the aforementioned information, we had to discuss the texts withing English 424 and how we found they applied to our working environment.

In the Beginning, There was Lodging.
The context genre analysis changed many times during the course of the assignment. It began with a previous job that I had as a cafe slave and after a good chat about the odd events that occur within my current job, it seemed fitting to write about that instead. I junked the cafe material and began to struggle with filing down the processes and documentations within the "People Notice" program.


Adapting Can Be Scarey at the Holiday Inn: Are People Going to Notice This?

Writing about the hotel and the new "People Notice" program was pretty complicated for me. I feel like I haven't really had time to reflect on it. I think the parts I found most challenging are the ones that will proove to bebe the most rewarding as far as writing and analyzing is concerned. First of all, to structure something so large was extremely difficult. I wanted to make it entertaining as well as informative. I was not sure what aspects I should include or leave out. In the end, I have something I'm as equally proud of as I am confused about.