kaitlyn morrison's blog

https://morrisonkl18.wixsite.com/advocacycampaign

Inventory of my digital technologies:

A). Digital technologies I use regularly would be my Iphone, my laptop, and my Bluetooth headphones. B). I use my cell phone every day, from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. I use it to communicate with my family and friends. I also use it to check my school email. The apps I use on my phone are Snapchat, Instagram, Google, Outlook, Navy Federal, Weather, Running, and Spotify, I use my laptop for homework and for pleasure. I use Canvas, Outlook, Postview, Google, Amazon, Netflix and all Microsoft programs. I use my Bluetooth headphones for working out. I connect them to my phone and use the Spotify app for music. C). The first Iphone was released in 2007. My current version, Iphone 6, was released in 2014. The first Macbook pro was released in 2006. My current version was released in 2011. The first Bluetooth wireless headphones was released in 2008. My current version, Plantronics, was released in 2016.

Timeline:

https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/1613778

Unplugged Notes:

• Planned to start unplugged challenge at 4:00pm today (10/2)
• 3:00pm- told everyone important to me that I will talk to them tomorrow afternoon including my boyfriend (who is in Pilot school and we can only talk at certain times)
• 4:00pm- turned my phone off
• 6:30pm- went to dinner without my phone and noticed I kept reaching for my cover to check my phone.
• 7:30pm- Just got back from SRC and have nothing to do. I have no homework tonight which would be a perfect night to watch Greys Anatomy. But no digital technology for me!
• 8:10pm-I’m just sitting at my desk deciding what I should do and what I can do to pass time by.
• 8:20-9:15- Worked on some practice problems for an upcoming test.
• 9:30pm- I decided I am going to head to bed early since I have nothing else to do! Goodnight!

10/3

• 6:45am- My roommate had to wake me up since I didn’t have an alarm to wake myself up
• 7:10am- Just got back from BRC. I usually watch a little bit of Greys Anatomy before I head to breakfast before class, but no digital technology.
• 7:55am-Just got to my first class of the day without my phone. I had to speak to my professor about me not using any digital technology because he had told us to bring our phones or laptops to participate in a review game for our test Thursday. I stayed strong and just took notes with pen and paper.
• 9:15am-Just got out of class and headed to the gym. Just remembered I don’t need to bring my phone or headphones because I can’t listen to music.
• 10:15am- Just got back from the gym. It was so weird and less motivating for me to not have music when I worked out. But I survived.
• 3:20pm-Just got out of classes for the day and I am counting down the minutes until I can use my phone!
• 4:00pm- I made it! It was not as difficult as I thought. The most challenging thing for me was not being able to get ahead on my homework or not checking my emails.

Thoughts about experience:

• It was difficult to unplug, especially here at school.
• I was fine without my phone for the most part, but my laptop was the device I needed the most to access things like, canvas and outlook.
• A few people knew about this challenge beforehand, but there was a few who noticed and asked about it. Their reactions were the same, shocked and all said they wouldn’t be able to do it. My teachers who knew about it were shocked, but impressed and interested.
• This challenge definitely emphasized how much I need digital technology, like my laptop, in order to be successful in school.

Unplugged Essay:

Reconnected

It was another day in the wonderful world of VMI. Today started off just like any day here: your phone wakes you up with that dreadful sound, you go to BRC, and you go to class. Except I was anxious to get the next twenty-four hours over and done with. I told my loved ones, I was digitally disappearing for the next twenty-four hours. My isolation began at four p.m on Monday, October 2. This was the moment I feared the most. My finger struggled to hit the power off button, refusing as if it had a mind of its own. I went down to the rifle range for practice feeling like I had forgotten something. Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. I slowly walked back up to barracks realizing how beautiful the colors of the leaves were. I also realized that I have been missing out on what’s been in front of me.

It was finally time for SRC so I grabbed my cover, my gloves and left my phone. At dinner I continuously caught myself reaching for my cover. I told my roommate, “This is going to be the longest twenty-four hours of my life. How can I function without digital technology? What is there to even do?”. She replied, “Yeah, I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I think you will be able to do it. At least it’s just twenty-four hours!”. After SRC, I took what felt like the longest shower in the history of showers, well maybe not for females. It turns out that only thirty-minutes went by. Of course, tonight was one of the few nights I didn’t have any homework. My roommate asked, “Since you can’t watch Grey’s Anatomy tonight, do you want a book to read?”. I replied, “Absolutely not. I’m going to relax for a little bit and then I’m going to bed”. I decided to be productive, so I worked on some practice problems for an upcoming test I had. Once nine thirty slowly approached, I decided to call it a night.

Another early morning here at VMI and I was energized and ready to get the day started. I decided to change up my morning routine since I couldn’t use any digital technology. I went down to Crozet to eat the most delicious breakfast before I went to class. My first class of the day was Air Force ROTC. I had to speak to my instructor informing him I couldn’t participate in the test review because I couldn’t use any digital technology. I decided to go old school and write down every single test review question and answer since I couldn’t take a picture of it. By the end of that class, my hand felt lighter. I couldn’t remember the last time I had to write that much. I was so scared to miss out on important facts that I decided to write down every single thing on the slides. I rushed to my room to get changed and headed to the gym. I didn’t feel as motivated like I usually do because of the kind of music they were playing in the gym. The sound of weights pounding the floor and clanking together made it difficult to tune everything out. Without my music and headphones, I wasn’t in my own little world anymore. As soon as my headphones go in my ears everything else fades away. In those moments I don’t have to talk to anyone or think about the amount of school work I have to do. I just have to focus on the next exercise I have to perform. My headphones create another world, one that I can control and can call my own.

It was finally lunchtime and there were four more hours until I was reconnected to the world. I was so excited for my favorite Tuesday afternoon class, Yoga. The first pose we did as a class was the corpse pose. I laid on my back with my hands by my side and closed my eyes. As we laid on the cool, uncomfortable floor, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. At that moment I just stopped thinking or worrying. All I could hear was the sound of the AC and my heartbeat. Those sounds quickly faded as I drifted away from the VMI world. I felt both calm and at peace. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of me. For once, I was focused on the recovery of my body and mind. I was saturated in the moment. It wasn’t until I got back to my room and saw the clock that I realized the twenty-four hours were almost up. Now I realized I knew I could live and be happy without being glued to my digital technology. For once in a long while, I felt reconnected, but reconnected with myself. I realized I don’t dedicate enough time for myself without any distractions with just my body and mind. I have twenty million things going on every day of every week that I don’t take the time to stop and actually think. To stop and process the way I am feeling and to just decompress. Yoga made me realize how much I am missing out on myself.

Before I knew it I was done for the day. I counted down the minutes until I could contact my family and boyfriend and tell them about my unplugging experience. My mom answered the phone and said, “Hey! You made it through the twenty-four hours! How was it?”. I replied, “It was tough at first, but as time went on I realized I stopped thinking about not having my phone. When I had downtime I was kind of bored and had nothing to do. Yoga class really inspired me. This was definitely something I would recommend for everyone to try at least once”. My mom replied, “I agree. I think it will be beneficial for young people your age to disconnect for a while because everyone is always glued to their phones”. I replied, “This experience has really made me reconsider how much time I spend using digital technology, but my phone especially. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited or relieved to watch Grey’s Anatomy tonight!”. My mom replied, “Just make sure you get your homework done first! I’ll talk to you later”. My isolation sentence quickly came to an end.

The unplugged challenge made it apparent that the feeling of missing out and the feeling of being isolated does exist when you don’t have your phone. However, I realized that the only thing I was missing out on was myself. I rely so heavily on my phone for everything that I get so wrapped up in the digital world. So when I can’t use my phone I waste so much time worrying about not having or using it that I don’t spend my time worrying about things that actually matter like myself. This challenge made me realize that life is less stressful when you are not glued to digital technology. VMI takes so much from us including sleep. I also realized how much sleep I lose because of digital technology. For the future, I am going to monitor my use of digital technology. I decided that every so often I am going to digitally detox. I am going to set aside time scheduled time where I can just turn my phone off and not have to worry about the digital world. I have realized that it is necessary to set aside time for myself.  To me, it is important to find a balance with or without digital technology. Unplugging from the digital world made me realize how unplugged I really was from myself and real life. I will continue to do yoga at least twice a week in order to stay connected to myself. Reflecting on my experience, I will strive to become saturated in what life has to offer.

My mom was always so excited to go to her room to just sit at a desk in front of this big, white looking box. It was almost like she was expecting something to happen. On the desk stood a big, white square with a screen that had many wires coming out the back. Every time she would turn it on, it made this annoying sound. My only thought was, “what is my mom doing with that demon sounding robot”. Her hands placed gently on this long white rectangle, that had individual little boxes with letters on each. Each finger glided across that rectangle, making a clicking sound with every touch. Letters were appearing on the screen as if magic had something to do with it. A small, white, oval shaped object was off to the side of the rectangle. It had a cord coming out of the back, and was hooked up to the main box. She would move it around in a way that was similar to drawing a circle. Every now and then she would stop, which was always followed by a clicking noise, or noises. One day, I approached my mom, “Mom, why do you sit at the desk a lot? And what makes that annoying sound?”. She replied, “Sweetie, it’s how I talk to Papi. We email each other to talk since he can’t use a phone when he is out to sea”. I had no idea how that was possible, but all I knew, was that I wanted to be able to talk to my dad as well. Mom would take the time, every evening to sit us down in front of that big, white, bulky, annoying sounding computer, to help us send internet mail to dad. Coming through the door, after a long day of elementary school, I would speed walk, straight to my mom’s room and hop on the computer. That quickly became not only my routine, but the highlight of my days. Over time, I signed up for my very own Yahoo account, keeping track and saving every email he sent me. Today, I use my VMI email to communicate with my dad, since I am constantly checking it for school. Email has been, and still is the foundation for my communication with my dad.

My dad has been in the Navy for almost twenty-eight years now. Growing up, my dad wasn’t around as much, because he was always on a carrier, out to sea. There’s special events that happen in your life that you want your mom and dad to be around for. As much as I wanted my dad to be there, he had other obligations. Even with my dad gone, we always communicate with each other via email. It’s all we have right now. Thinking back, to the first time I emailed my dad, to now, it is amazing how much technology has changed. The first time I emailed my dad, it was on a big, boxy, white computer that had a mouse and a keyboard. Fast forward a few years, I was using a black thin desktop, to log onto my very own Yahoo account, to send my dad an email. Now, I use a portable computer that can go everywhere with me. If I don’t have my laptop with me, no problem. I can send an email with just the touch of my finger tips to my phone screen. Technology changes have improved the way I communicate with my dad tremendously. It has become so convenient, so easy, with just a touch of a button. Technology has had a huge impact on how I am able to access, read, and “write” emails to my dad.

This past summer I spent twenty days down in Alabama for field training for Air Force. On day one we had to give up all of our contrabands, including cell phones. Those twenty days were the longest and toughest days of my life. Yes, it was extremely hot and yes the food was just as bad as Crozet, but what made it difficult for me was the feeling of being isolated. The only form of communication I had with my family/ loved ones was by pen and paper. I quickly became aware of how spoiled I have become with technology, not having what I wanted when I wanted it. Patience became my friend and I had to accept the fact that I had no other choice but to wait for letters in the mail. I felt so isolated from both my family and the world. I had no clue what was going on unless it was brought up in a letter that I had received. Reflecting on field training this summer makes me realize how much I rely on my phone and how addicted I am to technology.

Throughout those twenty days at field training, I was able to get a small taste of how my dad feels, and the isolation he goes through for months at a time, sometimes even longer. Knowing what I know now, and being able to relate those feelings I had, to what my dad experiences, has changed the way I communicate with him now. The moment I returned from field training, I made sure to set a reminder on my phone to email my dad every day, to let him know what’s going on in my life. I put more time, thought, and effort into my emails, because I now know what it feels like to be isolated, and not have anyone to talk to. At times, I think about what it would be like to have my dad around like “normal dads” are. Would our relationship be better and stronger if he was around? However, I believe my relationship with my dad is stronger now, because distance makes you value things like time, a little more than you normally would. It is because of the distance, I cherish the times we spend together when he is home, those face to face moments. Yes, my dad has missed out on a lot in our lives, but at the same time, he has always made an effort to show his support and love, even though he can’t be there in person. I respect him so much more because of the sacrifice he has, and is still making, every single time he is away. I am so grateful to have a dad like him.

Technology influences our daily lives as well as our personal relationships. It is almost impossible to exist as a digital immigrant in a digital society. We are constantly using technology to communicate and evaluate information. Digital literacy is the ability to use technology to communicate information successfully. In my opinion, digital literacy is important because it is and has become our way of life. We’ve become so “addicted” to technology that we don’t know how to live without it. It is my way to communicate with my loved ones, how I am able to get school work accomplished, and how I stay up to date with what is going on in the world. On the other hand, I am guilty of using technology for unimportant things such as, updating my Facebook status, to post a new Instagram, and to look at my friends Snapchat stories. Nonetheless, I don’t those factors take away that precious time I have with my loved ones.  Living in a digital society does have its perks, but at the same time, it is affecting our daily lives preventing us to live life to its fullest. The digital life has become a part of my everyday life in order for me to communicate with my dad, however, my social media life is kept separate. Technology does have a way of influencing our lives, sometimes in ways that mean the most to you.

The Sophists were a group of orators, educators, writers, and advocates who manifested Rhetoric as a systematic study. In an oral culture, the sophists professed to teach the art of virtue (arête), or excellence. It was more than political excellence, but moral excellence which allocated the use of spoken words. They were considered a professional class rather than a school, scattered throughout Greece presenting professional rivalries. Sophists were important intellectual figures who have received a negative reputation. According to The History and Theory of Rhetoric the Sophists were considered controversial:

They taught for pay, threatening the power of aristocratic families to hog educators. The Sophists          were wanderers and people were suspicious of the “rootless individual”. The cultural relativism              clashed the Platonic ideas of universal forms and gods. They built a view of justice based on                    nomos, or social agreement. This contradicted the Greek view that truth and law should be                      derived from absolute authorities, like Gods or a King. (Herrick 35)

However, the way we think about rhetoric today is the same way the Sophists did. The Sophist’s reputation should be reconsidered by scholars because they have contributed insight in logic and rhetoric, they provided democracy, and they ascribed no central authority meaning they formed no particular movement.

The Sophists were a threat to Greek society because they influenced change. They were teachers of the art of persuasion- rhetoric. They taught more than just speechmaking, but arête, meaning virtue, excellence, and a magnitude of success. Greeks, on the other hand, dismissed the thought that arête could be taught or learned. They considered arête as a gift, something only a select few were born with. Such excellence could not be purchased from a professional teacher, especially not from a foreigner or an “outsider”. Most Sophists were foreigners, itinerants who traveled looking for work as teachers, entertainers, and speechwriters. The Athenians considered Sophistry an exotic import because all but a few Sophists were not from Athens. The Sophists observed people from all different places in their travels and concluded that people believe rather different things in different places. Cultural relativism from the Sophists furnished Greek suspicion.

They declared they could make the youth better (superior politicians and influential persons) by teaching them the art of persuasion. Their ability to persuade with clever arguments, and their desire to teach others to do the same, guided people to view the Sophists as a threat in Athens. This caused great suspicion towards the Sophists among the Athenians. Many young men in ancient Greece viewed the sophists as the key to personal success because they were able to provide some aspects of leadership and careful management. Kairos was a key concept for the sophists. It was the full context, the speaker, audience and the moment. They taught their students to understand the situation and manage it. They are now praised for their perception of the power of words and the important social role of persuasion. Even though is goes unnoticed, Rhetoric is all around us and is in everything we do. Lawyers in a court room, teachers to their students, a leader to their followers. We persuade people every day through speech, words, through techniques the sophists have taught us.

Gorgias was one of the greatest early teachers and practitioners of the art of rhetoric. He is known for the “Gorgianic style”, a way of speaking that would have a huge impact in a non-literate, oral culture. He bragged about his power of persuasion and being able to persuade anyone of anything. Gorgias was so taken with the power of language, considered it to be almost magical. Gorgias’s Encomium of Helen was an important example of Sophistic oratory, a force of language to lead. Protagoras was another great teacher who was the first to charge for his services as a teacher of political virtue. He was more concerned about developing the philosophy underlying rhetorical practices. His most famous saying is that “Man is the measure of all things; of things that are not, that they are not; of things that are, that they are”. Thus, sophistry is associated with appearances as opposed to reality. Protagoras is also known for his concept of dissoi logoi (different words), the idea that there are two contradictory sides of every issue, the method of critical questioning. This notion provided a worldview with rhetoric as its center.

The Sophists were producing change and the Greeks did not accept change. Customs and beliefs were more diverse the further away from Athens. The Sophists were interested in logic as well as the art of speech and provided us with insight in logic and rhetoric. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, was one of the major contributors to the development of Western thinking about rhetoric. He criticized the sophists for self -contradiction and shallowness of thought. Aristoteles definition of rhetoric emphasizes persuasion using the three rhetorical appeals, ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is the rhetor is perceived by the audience as credible or not. The speaker must exhibit intelligence and good sense, arête. Pathos is the rhetors way of attempting to persuade the audience by making them feel certain emotions. Logos is the rhetors way of attempting to persuade the audience by the use of arguments that they will perceive as logical.

The Sophists contradicted the Greek view of truth and law. They crafted a view of justice on a social agreement or nomos (social custom or convention; rule by agreement among the citizens). They promoted nomos as the source of law instead of law acquired from the authority of kings or natural law. They believed nomos contributed to their rejection of transcendent truth and objective reality. The sophists view of truth and thought undermined the Greek society’s moral foundations. The sophists ascribed no central authority although they had some general features in common. The sophists of ancient Greece played a role in developing the art of rhetoric, and thus in the developing democracy. They were notorious for disregarding conventional Greek ideas about moral uses of language. They insisted that a persuasive case can be made on either side of an argument, not just on the side favored by prevailing moral assumptions.

side note: still need to add citations throughout paper and need a conclusion..working on it:)

 

 

 

 

 

For my writing project I want to focus on Aristotle who is one of the major figures in Rhetoric. We have learned so much about him and his beliefs on Rhetoric but I believe that we have just scratched the surface. We have learned his definition of rhetoric and that is emphasizes persuasion using the three rhetorical appeals, Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos focuses on the speaker, using trust to show the audience their character and integrity. Reputation, Character and Credibility will impact how your audience will judge you. Pathos triggers senses and feelings, appeals to their listener’s emotions. These are your values, goals, interests and beliefs. Logos focuses on the argument using both logic and explanation, evidence and reason. These were the three elements Aristotle contributed to the argument that rhetoric is a techne. Aristotle divides oratory into three categories, Rhetorical settings. Deliberative, Epideictic, and Forensic/Judicial. He truly believed that rhetoric is something you can look at and interpret it in so many ways. It is something beautiful and unique. Maybe Aristotle wanted to believe in something bigger. He wanted for us to be a part of something that we can all connect to on a different level. Maybe Aristotle considered everyone as artists in rhetoric. Making it into something that fits me as an individual. As long as you use the specific tools to give you a concrete start and works as a guideline, you can make it anything you want it to be. Just like creating a painting. In oder for you to do that you need specific tools. A canvas, paint, paint brushes and your imagination. I think that is the way Aristotle envisioned Rhetoric. I think Aristotle is worth pursuing especially for the students of rhetoric because is it something we use on a daily basis. You can look at the recent presidential debates. Is persuasion before truth? Has Aristotle pushed us away from the truth within rhetoric by influencing us to create something we believe is right? There are so many great things that came from Aristotle’s views and beliefs, but maybe they have made a negative impact on us today. With further research about Aristotle it will give us a better understanding as to why he wanted rhetoric to be what he thought it is and what he envisioned it to be.