*Disclaimer: This story is entirely made up for the purpose of an English assignment.

   What have you gained from the writing assignments you have done throughout the semester? Which assignments did you find most effective and entertaining? Why? Focus on the major papers, mini-blog assignments, free writes, and readings.

The logical fallacies blog assignment taught me to step back and acknowledge other people’s opinions instead of forcing mine. It reminded me that all people are entitled to our own opinion and our own beliefs as long as we do not impose them on others. Maus 1 and 2 reminded me of the incredible strength of the human spirit.

I found the free write assignments to be the most entertaining and effective. As someone who hates to write, I can genuinely say that I enjoyed the free writes- some days I even looked forward to them. As a college student, I have to write long, boring research papers involving things and people I don’t care about. The free writes were a breath of fresh air. The lack of a minimum word count allowed me to be concise. I concerned myself with quality rather than quantity.  

·       Over the course of the semester, do you feel that your writing has improved? Why or why not? Explain.

 I feel that my writing has improved because I now think of my audience as I write. Thanks to the audience blog assignment, I now know how to write to a variety of different audiences. I feel a strange sense of power in my ability to do so. 

·       Do you feel that you have a better understanding of rhetoric and its importance to writing, visual representation, reading, etc.? Explain.

 I would say that I have a much better understanding of rhetoric and its importance to writing, visual representation, and reading. Before this class, I did not know the meaning of the word, and now I know the power it holds. The assignment in which we analyzed “The Rhetorical Situation”  by Llyod Bitzer was very helpful in understanding rhetorical situation. The assignment in which I analyzed literary devices in Maya Angelou’s poem helped me understand the power in rhetoric. 

·       What have you learned about yourself as a writer?  Were there any assignments that helped shape your own view as a writer and an individual?

The seven-minute stream of consciousness free write assignment taught me that I have the ability to put my feelings into words effectively. I have learned that the process of writing about personal things can be both emotional and therapeutic for me. I have learned that sometimes the rawest form of my thoughts and emotions expresses what I am feeling the best. As someone with ADHD, my mind is constantly juggling a thousand different thoughts. Prioritizing, blocking, and organizing these thoughts is extremely tiring. I have learned that I very much enjoy writing unedited streams of consciousness because my mind no longer needs to pump its breaks. I have also learned that writing my stream of consciousness helps me understand the inner workings of my brain as well as my writing process. 

Ellie Hood 

2 May 2020

Dear president Daniele C. Struppa, 

It is evident that your commitment to students’ success is immense. This is precisely why I am excited to propose the installation of one or more indoor plants in each Chapman University classroom. Recently, researchers have begun to ask themselves: Does the presence of living plants in classrooms have a positive impact on students’ academic performance? They have begun to explore the effects of the presence of indoor plants in school environments. Their research has found that the presence of plants in classrooms leads to an increase in student satisfaction with faculty, student preference, comfort, friendliness, attendance, good behavior, performance, mood, energy, and confidence. 

The main objective of The Impact of Interior Plants in University Classrooms on Student Course Performance and on Student Perceptions of the Course and Instructor Doxey, Waliczek, & Zajicek, (2009), was to investigate the impact plants have in a university classroom setting on course performance and students’ perceptions of the course and instructor. This study consisted of three sets of two classes each and 385 students. To see if plants really do impact students’ performance as well as their perception of the course and instructor, the experimental group had tropical plants present in their classroom. In the control group, no plants were present in their classroom. Comparisons of overall course and instructor evaluation scores of treatment and control groups had statistically significant differences. An extremely statistically significant difference in participants’ self reported scores revealed that the group of students who attended class in the room where plants were present learned more than the group of students who attended class in the room where plants were not present. Additionally, a statistically significant difference in participants’ self reported scores revealed that the group of students who attended class in the room where plants were present rated their instructor to be more enthusiastic and organized than did the group of students who attended class in the room where plants were not present. In summary, the addition of plants to classrooms increases student’s satisfaction with their professors, leading them to view professors as more enthusiastic and organized. The outcomes of this study suggest that if plants were to be placed in Chapman University classrooms, students’ satisfaction with their professors would increase, leading to greater faculty ratings, resulting in a higher ranking university satisfaction rating. 

Research conducted prior to Influence of Limitedly Visible Leafy Indoor Plants on the Psychology, Behavior, and Health of Students at a Junior High School in Taiwan (Han, 2009) found that natural elements such as plants increase mood, aid recovery from mental fatigue, and improve both behavior and health (Faber Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan, 2001; Hartig, Mang, & Evans, 1991; Kaplan, 1995; Wells, 2000, as cited in Han, 2009). In this particular study (Han, 2009), two groups of students in identical classrooms, with the exception of six indoor plants in the back of the room, were surveyed once every two weeks. The students in the classroom with the indoor plants showed an immediate shift towards stronger feelings of preference, comfort, and friendliness than did the students in the control group where no plants were present. The students in the classroom where plants were present reported having fewer sick days and fewer records of punishment as the result of poor behavior, than did those in the control group where no plants were present. There was not a correlation between the classroom and student academic performance, however this could be due to the short duration of the experiment or the quality of the teachers. In summary, although students’ academic performance did not experience a statistically significant increase during this particular, short-term study the presence of plants in the classroom resulted in other positive unforeseen outcomes. The presence of plants in the classroom led students to experience an increase in the strength of feelings of preference, comfort, and friendliness, as well as a decrease in the occurrences of sick days and records of punishment. The outcomes of this study suggest that if plants were to be placed in Chapman University classrooms, not only would students’ feelings of preference, comfort, and friendliness increase, but students’ attendance and behavior would increase due to the decrease in student sick days and misbehavior. Both of these could result in a greater retention rate for Chapman University. 

The purpose of this study, Effects of an indoor plant on creative task performance and mood (Shibata & Suzuki, 2004) was to investigate the influence of an indoor plant placed in a room on University Students’ performance in an association task, as well as on their mood. In this study, three conditions in which participants were tested. In the first room, there stood a magazine stand, in the second, a plant, and in the third, no object was present. Shibata & Suzuki (2004) found that differences in task performance were primarily affected by the object placed in the room. The results concluded that participants performed better when they felt more active and confident, and when the object in the room was perceived as calm and not distracting. The magazine stand was seen as more distracting and less calming than the plant. In the no object condition, participants rated themselves as being less confident and less energized than in the other two conditions. Female participants performed much better when there was a plant in the room, than when there was a magazine stand. There was no difference in performance between the magazine stand and the no object condition. Shibata & Suzuki (2004) suggest that the presence of a plant in the room was more suitable for the association task used in this study than the presence of a magazine stand or nothing at all. Compatibility is important to have between an environment and its function for the restorative effect of said environment (S. Kaplan, 1983, 2001; Korpela & Hartig, 1996; Korpela, Hartig, Kaiser & Fuhrer, 2001; Hartig, Kaiser & Bowler, 2001; Laumann et al., 2001, as cited in Shibata & Suzuki, 2004). In summary, students perform better when an object is present in the classroom which makes them feel active and confident, and when the object in the room is perceived as calm and not distracting. These results (Shibata & Suzuki, 2004) suggest that plants are calming, undistracting, and help make students feel confident and energized. The outcomes of this study suggest that if plants were to be placed in Chapman University classrooms, female students’ level of performance and male students’ moods would significantly increase. Additionally, if plants were to be placed in Chapman University classrooms, students would feel more calm, confident, and energized. 

Thank you, president Daniele C. Struppa for taking the time to read this letter. I hope you take into consideration the information written above so that Chapman University may continue to grow and excel as an innovative institution for the many students like myself who call this place their home.

Respectfully, 

Ellie Hood

Sources: 

Doxey, J. S., Waliczek, T. M., & Zajicek, J. M. (2009). The Impact of Interior Plants in 

University Classrooms on Student Course Performance and on Student Perceptions of the Course and Instructor. HortScience, 44(2), 384–391. doi: 10.21273/hortsci.44.2.384

Han, K.-T. (2008). Influence of Limitedly Visible Leafy Indoor Plants on the Psychology, 

Behavior, and Health of Students at a Junior High School in Taiwan. Environment and 

Behavior, 41(5), 658–692. doi: 10.1177/0013916508314476

LoofandTimmy. (2019, October 12). Loof and Timmy GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY. Retrieved 

from https://giphy.com/gifs/plant-plants-cute-trex-WPtzVOKMymmZrJv8fO

Shibata, S., & Suzuki, N. (2004). Effects of an indoor plant on creative task performance and mood. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45(5), 373–381.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ellie Hood 

1984 Blog Post 

Orwell’s vision of the telescreen which invades his home has become a reality- but only slightly. By no means does smart home technology such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa serve the same purpose as a telescreen. Orwell was correct in his prediction of the development of a smart home technology. However, the accuracy of his prediction ends there. One inaccuracy is that Orwell predicts that the telescreen will be required by the government to be present in every household. Smart home technology that exists today is entirely optional. Another inaccuracy is that smart home technology will be constantly monitored by members of the government with the purpose of keeping people from doing anything that expresses free will. The government does not constantly monitor our every move in our houses. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, smart homes encourage free thought- as opposed to the telescreen which punishes people for it. 

If my devices were constantly watching me and listening to me, I wouldn’t change my behavior at all, because I have nothing to hide. I know that the government has access to basically all of my data but that doesn’t concern me one bit. Now, if I were a criminal I would worry, but I’m not, so I really don’t care. What I’m worried about is my cyber security. I’m afraid of hackers stealing my money and my identity- not the government listening to me screaming Taylor Swift songs at the top of my lungs, watching me do my homework for 10 hours a day, or monitoring my excessive Postmates orders from Orange Sushi. 

In all honesty I’m glad that we are slightly monitored, it makes me feel safer. As I mentioned before, I am not a criminal so I have nothing to worry about. However, for those who commit terrorist acts, theft, murder, etc. I am glad that technology monitoring can stop them before they commit violent acts or hold them accountable for such. 

I absolutely would give up my privacy for the security and safety of our country. As I mentioned before, the government will not punish citizens for doing things that are legal and do not pose a threat to the health and safety of others. As long as your actions do not harm others or yourself the government has no reason to punish you. I believe we should be monitored by the government in public settings to ensure our country’s safety, to protect against murders and terrorist acts such as the Boston Marathon, but not in the privacy of our own homes.

Ellie Hood 

Disability Services Handout for Workshop 

• Introduce yourself (name, year, major)
  • Ellie 
  • Junior 
  • Strategic and Corporate Communication Major & Psychology minor 
• Today I’m going to tell you a little bit about the Disability Services department. I will tell you what it is, how it works, tell you about some services they offer, provide examples of accommodations, and tell you how Disability Services helps me.  

• Disability Services (proposed Diverse Ability Services) 
  • What is it?
    • Disability Services provides accommodations and support to students who have diagnosed learning and/or physical ‘disabilities’.  
  • How does it work? 
    • 1st: Evaluation:
      • Disability Services receives and evaluates documentation provided by students to verify disabilities
    • 2nd: Consultation:
      • Consults with students about appropriate individualized accommodations based upon documentation
  • Services: 
    • Serves as an advocate for students with faculty or administrators
    • Arranges for and/or refers students to auxiliary aids such as interpreters, readers for exams, assistive technology, textbooks in an alternate format, etc. 
    • Training for assistive technology
    • Conducts informational and training programs regarding services to persons with disabilities for the faculty and staff
    • Maintains access to multiple databases to provide textbooks in an alternate format
  • Examples of Accommodations 
    • Coordination of special arrangements to meet individual test-taking needs 
      • Extra time, Distraction-reduced testing environment, etc. 
    • Volunteer peer notetakers
    • Permission to use a voice recorder in lecture classes
    • Sign language interpretation
    • Real-Time Captioning Services
    • Alternative tables and chairs in the classroom
      • Front row, wheelchair accessible, etc.
    • Facilitation of obtaining books in alternate formats
      • Audiobooks, brail, etc.
  • How it helped me in a number of ways 
    • Taught me to self-advocate 
      • Accommodations 
        • Meeting with Head of Disability Services 
      • Communicate with professors 
        • Send accommodation letter at the beginning of the semester 
        • In-person explanation of why I have my accommodations 
    • Taught me how to manage my time  
      • Schedule quizzes and tests in testing rooms
    • Taught me to build confidence 
      • Advocate on campus for students with learning differences

https://ehoodpe.wixsite.com/mysite

Ellie Hood

2 March 2020

My Internal Battle 

When I was seven, my teacher told me that I was stupid. When I was seven, I believed her. Before her, I enjoyed books. Before her, I read Two Minute Mysteries and Geronimo Stilton until the covers began to peel. After her, my confidence was stripped away, like the covers on my favorite books. I have realized that I am not horrible at reading and writing, as she had led me to believe, but rather a different learner than most other students. Because of her, to this day I am still fighting my own battle with literature. While it may feel like a dead-end, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel because later teachers like Mrs. Cardillo have allowed me to see it.

In second grade, I struggled to recall details from books and memorize the twenty vocabulary terms assigned each week. My teacher berated me in front of the whole class. She told me I was less intelligent than my peers and my friends. I figured that if I was never going to be as good at reading and writing as everyone else, then why should I even try to enjoy it? This led me to eschew literature altogether. I read books and wrote papers solely because I had to, never seeking it out like the rest of my family. While my sister always seemed to have her nose in a book and her head in the clouds, my head remained lifted and my feet planted firmly on the ground. My parents tried to bribe me with money, food, and gifts but nothing worked. The contempt I learned when I was seven years old became so visceral that to this day I still feel nauseous when I write. 

While I disliked most books, as time went on, I read a few that made me see novels in a new light. The Indian in the Cupboard was the first book to make me realize it is possible for me to enjoy reading. The use of imagery was like nothing I had ever read before. I wanted to read it again, immediately after I had finished it. Ingo was the first book to make me lose track of time. The writing made me feel as if I was right there, beside the characters. I could practically smell the ocean, feel the sand between my toes, and the wind in my hair. I felt as if I was a bystander written into the story. Pride and Prejudice was the first book to make me realize I was intelligent enough to comprehend classic novels. In summary, fiction made me realize that books don’t hate me and that I don’t have to hate them.  

Mrs. Cardillo assigned imagery-filled books like The Great Gatsby and The Book Thief. She taught me to read actively and encouraged me to think critically and express my thoughts in Harkness discussions. Eager to learn, I met with her after school most days. She critiqued my writing and answered my questions. She taught me not to fear writing. 

Over the last fourteen years, I have realized that I am not horrible at reading and writing, as my second-grade teacher had led me to believe, but rather a different learner than most other students. I am still fighting what feels like an uphill battle to embrace literature that I now know I can win. When I was seven, I believed I was stupid, but that was then.