Janet Atwell and Rhetoric Reclaimed

Three days a week I tutor literacy to kindergarten through third graders. Most of the students that are taken into the SPARK program are grade levels behind their classmates in reading and writing. At the school I’ve been placed it is even more difficult because English is a second language. There are a handful of students, however, who have no issues with the reading, yet, when they are done and you start to discuss what they just read they give you this blank stare, because they haven’t the slightest clue. Comprehension is just as important, if not arguably more so, than being able to spit out all the words on the page. As I read through the first two chapters of Rhetoric Reclaimed, looked over the focus points for the required notes, I had that same blank stare. Comprehend I did not.

In chapter three there are two sections of the text that did stand out and make sense. One discussed a “liberal education” and the other “geometry.” What made these two sections stick was that the terminology used I was already familiar with. They either reflected my own thoughts and understanding (liberal education) or had been used repeatedly before, throughout several years of classes, so that it had become common knowledge (geometry). The rest of the text was new. Even with definitions often within the chapter, and a dictionary or computer to help clarify, the constant use, manipulations, and slight variances made the experience a bit overwhelming.

No matter how often I reread a paragraph or section, or how slowly, or even aloud the information hasn’t quite decoded itself yet. It will take time, just as understanding geometry had.

What I did take away for the text, very simply, is that techne is art, or craft. Its origins is much broader of a definition then we currently associate it with, but that is to be expected when you are analyzing it through the eyes of philosophers and not the laymen. Like Hauser’s rhetoric, being speech of emotion, something that is used to manipulate others, techne is a skill that can be taught, then manipulated (invent new paths) for” particular situations and purposes” (48) The text goes on to explain the various ways that techne is utilized within more specific fields such as medicine. This helps assert that art (techne) knows no bounds in which it can be used and is especially more open to interpretation than current day connotations.

Stepping away from the text and looking into the author, Janet teaches English at the University of Tennessee, and is “obnoxiously” proud of her son who is an opera singer. The text reflects her life’s work of study and teaching in English.

There isn’t one thing in particular I would like to look at, the text will start to settle and make sense as it is reread and discussed in class, however, in chapter two Atwill references Ong, I didn’t see a clarification in the foot notes, but I was just curious if it was Walter J. Ong, S.J.?

Gerard A. Hauser and Introduction to Rhetorical Theory

Introduction to Rhetorical Theory is a text book, to put it simply. If you google him you’ll come across links to Amazon, Google, Barnes and Noble, and the like, for his books. You will also find a link to his academic bio for he is a Professor of Communication at Colorado at Boulder. He may have written this book because it is his life’s work, studying communication and rhetoric. Absorbing all the knowledge he can and than spitting it out for colleagues and students to soak it in, apply it to what they already know and get just slightly closer to the Truth.



Chapter two focuses on rhetorical thinking, what it is, how it is used, and the different forms it takes when it goes beyond thought processes and moves into the sphere of oration. This chapter seems to break down the different types of oration of rhetorical thought so that in future chapters you know what is appropriate for what type of audience.

The most important thing to take from this chapter is that rhetoric is “eventful.” That it is used to argue points and come to some mutual understanding, or concession of an idea. Everything from why a particular book is held in favor, to why we should be active participants in politics. The spectrum in which rhetoric is used is never ending.

Issues had with this chapter, and I could assume the rest of the book as well, is that rhetoric, dialectic, and even discourse have meanings that overlap one another, and there are very minute difference to separate them from one another.

Rhetoric, before reading this chapter, is what I would have called the conversation between two or more politician (regarding to politics of course and not, their plans for the weekend.) It is good to know that that is rhetoric, more properly when they are on screen or radio for a laymen audience, and that in private it would be refereed to as dialectic. It is also, good to know that rhetoric is used in everyday conversation, amongst classmates, family, coworkers, and the list goes on, that it is not just relevant to one topic of particular people.

With the age of technology and a new popularity with do it yourself craft, Hauser’s discussion of rhetoric fits like a glove. Anything a person wants to do, they can just type into a search engine. If they are a novice, there are sites full of rhetoric that can be easily followed, and they‘ll pick up with experience what works and does not and can join a side in the conversation. If it is someone with considerable skill, they’ll be able to find those that can speak more technically on composting or composing or whatever their crafting heart desires.

The DIY Blog I Follow

So, like I said in my first post, this is a DIY blog by a friend. Maybe it will help some of you with being creative for an hour.

K Ziegler Design

Entry #1... AKA Intro

To start, I'll admit that I don't read to many blogs regularly. I have a few that I follow, one is a DIY blog by a friend, but even then, it has been a few months since I clicked on her link. I'll be sure to share it with class, she walks through how to make stuff step by step , and the last time we chatted she was talking about going to video. Plus, if her audience expands it might help her post more regularly.

I have two other blogs on this sight, I think my link might take you to them. One I started for an English course last spring and was hoping to transition it to a blog about books I've read. Since, I've gotten a bigger idea about the book blog so that's on the back burner until I figure out web page design. The other is about my computer building experiences, pictures included.

This particular site is super easy set up. Literally, I typed in the name of my blog, the URL I wanted and my captcha code. Picked a template and started typing. I'll rearrange stuff at a later date, mostly because it is seven am the day this is do, and I leave for class in thirty minutes.

I chose the current template because I already have the one with books, and the one called Awesome, for my other two blogs, this was plane and un-distracting, but like I mentioned before I'll probably fiddle with it sometime during the semester.

For all of my blogs I write pretty flow-of-consciousness, this is no different, though I did have the topics to be addressed in another window. Normally I don't have my "editor" read through my blogs before posting like I would any papers for class. Just let me know if that gets distracting, and I'll make sure to have another set of eyes read over things so they are coherent, and indicative of college level writing.