CRT201 - Week 9 - Final Project - Analyzing Research Information

Week 9: Final Project - Analyzing Research Information

I submitted this as multiple papers so I've included the contents combined. Also, due to the WIU copyright gestapo I stripped out the part that is their words and replaced with "XXXXX". As I've mentioned before I'm not interested in getting into a fair use argument with them since per our discussions we disagree.

Article Reference Information: Sheehan, M. (2002). Dancing with Monica: Personal perceptions of a home-school mom. Roeper Review, 24(4). Retrieved January 1, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	Provide a biographical account of home schooling through the middle school years, and the benefits as well as struggles of such an endeavor.
XXXXX	The traditional educational system was unable to address her child’s needs during the transformational middle school years. Home school allowed her daughter to pursue her special interests. Home school provided a forum where education could be fun again.
XXXXX	This source is very credible. The author is highly educated, and provides a very scholarly insight into home schooling. Furthermore, the author applies common metrics of scholarly success to her personal experience. Finally, the author shares both the good and bad experiences, which definitely gives the reader the impression that they are getting the whole picture.
XXXXX	While this is a scholarly paper the author takes a more relaxed tone. In addition to that the author uses a very energetic, and fun, narrative style when conveying the personal experiences. This has a subtle, but powerful, effect on the reader to draw them in; as well as making the examples more personal and acceptable.
XXXXX	The author did a very good job of removing bias and faulty reasoning from a personal experience. The author accomplished this by applying well accepted metrics of scholarly, and personal, achievement to the personal situation.
XXXXX	The author’s arguments are valid, and hold to the proper argumentative form. The arguments are also good, and the author makes an excellent case for home schooling to overcome specific child obstacles. Finally, the author’s arguments are strong because it is both reasonable to believe that a child would have difficulties during their middle school years; and that a traditional education system would not be able to address them, while a home school system could.
XXXXX	While this was a personal experience the author focused on the factual elements of that experience which could be analyzed with set metrics.

Article Reference Information: Jones, P. & Gloeckner, G. (2004). First year college performance: A study of home school graduates and traditional school graduates. The Journal of College Admission, 183, 17-21. Retrieved January 1, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	The purpose of this article was to assess first year college performance of home school students vs. their traditional school counterparts.
XXXXX	Home school students do slightly better on college entrance exams than their traditional school counterparts. The home school students SAT and ACT scores accurately predicted the first year college performance. Home school students tended to take more credit hours than their traditional school counterparts, indicative of superior preparedness.
XXXXX	This is a very credible source. Both authors are very knowledgeable, and have extensive experience in this field. Furthermore, the research clearly confirms the authors’ conclusion.
XXXXX	The authors refrain from using rhetorical devices in the presentation of their data, its analysis, and their conclusion. This resulted in a very credible feel for the paper.
XXXXX	The data, and its analysis, seemed to favor the traditional educational system. This was done by only analyzing college bound students. While this certainly applied to both home school and traditional school there should be a higher percentage of college bound students in the home school system. This was not mentioned in the article even though it would have a potential bearing on the analysis.
XXXXX	The arguments are valid. Furthermore the research provides ample evidence to support the authors’ conclusion, making the argument very good. Finally, the it is reasonable to conclude that the home school student would do very well in their first year at college due to their effectively private education up to that point; which makes for a very strong argument.
XXXXX	There were no non-factual issues. The authors simply presented their data on student performance and then interpreted it for the conclusion.

Article Reference Information: Aron, J. (2004). Letter to the editor. The Journal of College Admission, 185, 4. Retrieved February 27, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	The author highlights the inherent structure, and purpose, of home school leads to better students and adults.
XXXXX	The “meritocratic” system of a traditional school “rewards achievement for achievement’s sake.” Home school students tend to be self motivated The learning in home school is better retained.
XXXXX	The author has the expertise and credentials to offer valuable insight into the home school system. Furthermore, the offers very compelling reasons that home school students bring a unique, and superior, mindset to a college campus.
XXXXX	The author uses negative language, dysphemisms, against the traditional educational system. This was very subtle and had the effect of vilifying the “meritocratic” system seen within the traditional educational system, as well as garner support for his position.
XXXXX	The author is definitely biased against the traditional education environment and its system of “rewarding achievement for achievement’s sake.” The reasoning behind his arguments is sound.
XXXXX	The author’s arguments are valid in support of the home school educational system. Furthermore, the author cites many examples in support of his position that home school students are better equipped for college and life, and thus the arguments are good. Finally, it is reasonable to assume that the traditional educational system does encourage a “meritocratic” system of education which would not encourage students to pursue their “passions and interests,” which makes for a very strong argument.
XXXXX	The author does make a value judgment that home school students are more successful because they get to play a part in determining what success means for them. The author does present a very logical rationale on why this is better, and how it leads to more successful and well adjusted adults.

Article Reference Information: Medlin, R. G. (2000). Home schooling and the question of socialization. Peabody Journal of Education, 17(1/2), 107-124. Retrieved January 1, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	Investigate whether home school students get proper socialization to prepare them for adult life.
XXXXX	92% of public school superintendents thought that home school students did not get proper socialization. Home school students are not socially isolated because their parents make it a priority to get them out with other children. Home school students typically have fewer behavior problems.
XXXXX	This source is very credible. The author has both the education and expertise to provide a scholarly analysis of this issue. Furthermore, the paper itself references lots of statistics that make it even more credible.
XXXXX	The author frequently uses very strong, and negative, language when addressing home school and socialization. It could normally turn the reader off, even though he has frequently chosen other sources to quote for the negative statements. It also makes the author look very inconsistent when he has something positive to say about home schooling. The paper would have been better served if he had omitted the strong lnegative language.
XXXXX	The author gives the appearance of being biased against home schools and that they get enough socialization. On the other hand the author does provide a more balanced look at the issue and presents good aspects to the socialization, and ultimately concludes that there are some positive aspects but more research is needed.
XXXXX	The author’s arguments are valid, and all premises support the conclusion. Furthermore, the author provides ample reputable data to support the conclusion, making all the arguments good. Finally, the conclusion is reasonable. The author went to great lengths to demonstrate the positive aspects of home school socialization that might otherwise be counter intuitive.
XXXXX	The author sticks strictly to fact based information and fact based analysis. The author has avoided all moral, legal, and aesthetic reasoning.

Article Reference Information: Romanowski, M. H. (2001). Common arguments about the strengths and limitations of home schooling. Clearing House, 75(2). Retrieved January 1, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	The author investigates the strengths and limitations of home schooling to address if it is a viable alternative to a traditional education.
XXXXX	Home schools do not have large classes and are therefore able to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of the students Home school has the advantage of being able to use everyday events as teachable moments. Home schooling does not have a rigid schedule that would require that students stop what they are doing to move onto a required next topic regardless of what they are doing.
XXXXX	This source is very credible. First, the author has the necessary credentials to make an informed analysis. Secondly, the author takes a very thorough and balanced look at the two types of education which also gives the paper a lot of credibility.
XXXXX	The author minimizes the use of rhetorical devices to present a very scholarly, unbiased overview. The author does, at times, use dysphemisms to remove any controversial nature to the point. This all serves to give the paper, and the author, a lot of credibility.
XXXXX	The author went to great lengths to remove any bias from his paper, and his reasoning. Furthermore, all of his arguments were well thought, and well researched, without any faulty reasoning.
XXXXX	The author’s arguments are valid in that the premises flow into the conclusion. All of the author’s arguments are strong, and supported by many facts and researched items, in support of the conclusion. Finally, the arguments are strong and it is reasonable to accept the author’s conclusion that home schooling does provide an acceptable alternative means of education in certain circumstances.
XXXXX	The author made great efforts to only use factual based points in support of his conclusion. There was some discussion by the author of why people seek to home school their children, and one of those reasons were moral, but the author did not evaluate their validity, nor did it play into his conclusion.

Article Reference Information: Staelhe, D. (2000). Taking a different path a mother’s reflections on homeschooling. Roeper Review, 22(4), 270-271. Retrieved January 1, 2005, from EBSCOhost database

XXXXX	The author’s focus of discussing that traditional school will not meet a gifted child’s needs, and that home school will meet their educational needs.
XXXXX	Traditional schools ignore giftedness, and just try to mix them in with normal students. Traditional education leads to boredom and apathy in gifted students. Traditional school is unable to develop a gifted child’s unique interests and abilities outside of the curriculum.
XXXXX	The source is very credible. The author has the credentials necessary to make a scholarly assessment, and draws from her personal experience as a home school educator.
XXXXX	The author uses strong language while condemning the failures of the traditional educational system. This serves as a distraction away from her main premise of the benefits of home schooling for gifted children. It also gives the impression that she is unfairly biased against the traditional education system.
XXXXX	The author presents home school as a “magic pill” for gifted children that will fix all of the woes of the traditional educational system. This appeared to be based more on her personal experience rather than large studies. Furthermore, she makes a logical error of applying a single case as a global truth.
XXXXX	The author’s arguments about the strengths of home schooling are valid. The author’s arguments about the strengths of home schooling are also good, and she uses lots of examples in support of her position. Finally, the arguments are strong because, both by her examples and by normal reasoning, it is realistic to expect that gifted children would have special educational needs that cannot be addressed well in a traditional educational system.
XXXXX	There are no moral, legal, or aesthetic arguments, or reasoning, made by the author. While the author did draw from a lot of experience she gained as the educator of her gifted children; she tried very hard to stick with fact based examples of their performance, and growth, in the home school system.

Article Reference Information: Kang, M. (2005, March 13). Refusing to take the TAKS. The Dallas Morning News, p. 6P.

XXXXX	The author’s premise is that mandatory standardized testing, specifically TAKS, is detrimental to the educational system.
XXXXX	· TAKS serves to turn students into easy to understand numbers · Standardized testing becomes the focus of the education, and not encouraging a child’s natural curiosity. · Standardized testing forces the educational system into “teaching facts” rather than understanding the topic.
XXXXX	This is not a scholarly source. It is credible, as it is used, for a personal account of the damaging effects of standardized testing.
XXXXX	The author uses a lot of euphemisms in support of her position. She also proceeds to use a lot of dysphemisms when addressing the opposing viewpoint. The author’s rhetoric is too overt, and serves to create a less receptive atmosphere to her point.
XXXXX	The entire article is biased, as the author refuses to entertain the notion of any redeeming aspect to standardized testing. Furthermore, she concludes with being a martyr for those who oppose standardized testing by refusing to take them with the result being no high school diploma.
XXXXX	The argument is valid in that it adheres to the proper form. The argument is marginally good in that the author does provide means to support her conclusion, but the points are not real strong. The argument is marginally strong, and is weak in that it did not address some of the major points for taking standardized tests.
XXXXX	The non-factual issue of a child’s curiosity is addressed, but was addressed from the author’s personal experience. The author did address this in a reasonably logical manner, and it was reasonable to accept that issue.