Author Archives: Tiffany Flores

What revisions would I make to other unit projects?

For other unit projects I would probably completely rewrite them, as I said in my reflective letter I had trouble understanding how to properly write the topics in unit 3 and 4. I struggled to write a proper version of these projects so I would go back and look at the examples again and maybe watch some YouTube videos on how to properly write about these topics.

Revised Unit 3 Project/The changes I made

Natural Science Revised Draft

For this revision I just fixed my conclusion and tried to connect it with the data that was found and the beginning paragraph. My original essay was not really connected, I brought up a theory and tested it but never talked about the theory in my conclusion. I attempted to connect that theory in my conclusion, I feel as if it overall made the paper make more sense.

Unit 2: Humanities review, informal/social media criticism, academic criticism

Humanities Review

90 day fiancé: Before the 90 days is a “spinoff” of 90 day fiancé. Before the 90 days showcases couples meeting their partners for the first time (usually an American with a foreign partner trying to move back to the states) before they start the marriage visa process. When they file for the marriage visa they have 90 days to get married or their partner will be deported. Me and my girlfriend have currently been binge watching this show and it brings us a lot of joy but there are also some major flaws with the show. The editing is one of the biggest flaws, things are cut to look a certain way (usually to make things look worse than they actually are). While the editing can be bad to the point where it ruins your perception of how the couples actually are, there are moments where the editing is so bad that it’s comical (such as a misplaced face of judgement when their partner says something odd). Another flaw with the show is the glorification of toxic couples, the couple with the most drama is shown the most and it seems like the show tries to set up situations that are bound to start an argument. The show doesn’t make it a point that couples shouldn’t function like the way some of them do, they just leave everything up for interpretation. The final flaw is the fact that TLC tries to make the foreigners seem like they’re only in it for money or a visa, while those can be factors in deciding if you want to marry someone doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. If you were living in a third world country obviously having a partner who can provide for you is gonna be your top priority, it’s not fair to hold them to the same standards as someone who was born and raised in America. Although the show isn’t perfect it is extremely entertaining, watching the arguments these couples go through and the secrets they keep from each other makes the show extremely addicting. I would recommend anyone who’s interested to watch the show to go ahead and watch it but keep in mind it’s not perfect.

Informal/Social media criticism

My critic of American Murder: The Family Next Door a thread

Netflix just recently released a documentary about Chris Watts, the man who murdered his wife and kids to presumably to pursue another life with his side chick.

My problem with this documentary is the fact that nothing is certain, the motive is uncertain, the argument Chris had with his wife is uncertain, even the side chick was an extremely rushed story for it being the supposed reason Chris murdered his family.

In the documentary Chris is seen texting someone while cops are searching the home, we are able to see his wifes texts BUT WE NEVER SEE WHO CHRIS WAS TEXTING. WHY????

It would be so much better if they were able to get a statement from Chris or even the wife’s friends, since you know they were standing right next to Chris A MURDERER.

This documentary felt extremely lazy since most of what was shown is all available on Youtube uncut… Not to mention how they didn’t even provide an update on how Chris is doing in prison. It added no new information towards the case which was extremely disappointing.

Academic Criticism

American Murder: The Family Next Door is a documentary on Netflix released on September 30th 2020. The documentary follows the story of the now convicted murderer Chris Watts. Chris Watts is from Colorado living with his pregnant wife Shannan and two daughters. Chris ended up murdering his family presumably to start a new life with his girlfriend, which he was cheating on his wife with. While the story is upsetting, the documentary doesn’t do the story justice.

In the documentary many parts are left out, such as his motive. The documentary hints at the fact that him cheating on his wife had something to do with him murdering his entire family but it is never confirmed by Chris or his parents themselves. This documentary focuses on texts between Chris and Shannan but they never bring in any outside perspectives on the situation. Friends or families opinions could’ve easily been added but they weren’t. For example, Shannan’s friends came to their house worrying about Shannan going missing. Then Chris the murderer shows up on the crime scene to allow law enforcement into his home. A brief interview could’ve been conducted on the friends to really capture what was going through their minds at the time.

This documentary could’ve tied up the loose ends and endless questions people had when this case first came out to the public but instead they recycled already public information and cut out key information. If this documentary was a multi-part series going into depth about everything it would’ve went a long way. For those who already know the case the documentary is essentially useless.

 

Unit 1: 3 News Articles

French Bulldogs: The Best Dog Breed on this Planet

French Bulldogs are hands down the cutest dogs that exist. Their scrunchy face will be sure to to brighten your day. But what makes them the greatest dog on this planet?

  1. They are extremely funny: Who would want a dog who doesn’t make them laugh from the stupid things they do? My own French Bulldog makes the funniest noises, she sounds like a gremlin half the time but I’m always entertained.
  2. They have no problems with small spaces: This is perfect for apartment living, they’re a small dog but they’re also very strong! A perfect combo if you ask me.
  3. French Bulldogs love people: You need a dog who is friendly with other people. How else would you have family and friends over? My French Bulldog gets so excited whenever she sees another person, even if they’re a stranger!
  4. They don’t need a lot of exercise: A lot of other dogs require so much exercise! Sometimes you just need a dog who will enjoy sitting on the couch with you and not need a walk every hour.
  5. They have a big personality: Sometimes they can be really full of energy and start running all over the house but in other moments they just want to sleep all day. They have a wide range of moods that will keep you on your toes!

Everything wrong with French Bulldogs

If you want a dog, don’t consider getting a French Bulldog. They are one of the worst breeds to have if you are a first time dog owner. French Bulldogs come with a lot of health issues due to their nose being squished as apposed to their noses being on a snout. Due to their flat faces they struggle to breathe, leading to many respiratory diseases experts say. Even the color of your French Bulldog can indicate how many health issues they can possibly come with (White and Blue are one of the worst ones you can own). Another reason French Bulldogs are not the ideal dog is because of their behavioral issues, if you have a 9-5 forget about owning a French Bulldog. French Bulldogs experience separation anxiety more than any other breed. Which can lead to them destroying the house and peeing/pooping all over the floors, or in the most extreme cases health issues can be developed from the separation anxiety. The last reason why French Bulldogs are one of the worst dog breeds you can own is their behavioral issues. French Bulldogs have to be one of the most stubborn dogs you could own. If you are walking your French Bulldog and decide that they don’t wanna walk anymore they will refuse to walk, and trust me trying to pull 25-30 pounds of deadweight is way heavier than you think it is. Not to mention how French Bulldogs destroy things on purpose for fun, they know it’s bad however they do it to get a reaction out of you.

French Bulldogs: Pros and Cons

French Bulldogs have their pros and cons much like every other dog breed. It’s up to the owner to figure out what they will or will not tolerate. It should be noted that not every dog breed exhibits each pro and con that people mention however it is very common for your selected breed to act that way.

Pros:

Low maintenance: French Bulldogs have a short coat, meaning bath time only needs to occur once a month and since their coat is so short the drying process doesn’t take more than 5 minutes. They rarely need to get their hair trimmed so that is also a positive.

They love to cuddle: Since French Bulldogs are so clingy it’s no secret that they love cuddling. If you want a pet to cuddle with you on the couch or at night in bed, French Bulldogs are perfect for that.

They’re Smart: You should have no issues teaching your French Bulldog a few tricks, they are really fast learners and will listen to you most of the time.

Good Around Kids: French Bulldogs are really gentle around kids, so if you have kids or are planning to have kids a French Bulldog will be perfect for them.

Cons:

They’re expensive: Due to the high demand, these dogs can be priced anywhere from $4000-$10,000 depending on their color. If you are on a budget you will not be able to afford a French Bulldog.

They’re Stubborn: Some days your French Bulldog will listen and other days they will completely  tune you out and not listen to your commands. If you want a dog who is really obedient French Bulldogs are not for you.

They Fart: Due to their highly sensitive digestive system they are prone to farting way more than any other dog breed. They really do stink, so if you would prefer that your dog doesn’t fart then a French Bulldog is not right for you.

Prone to Separation Anxiety: As stated before French Bulldogs are very clingy, this leads to them being prone to Separation Anxiety. If you aren’t gonna be home a lot then a French Bulldog might not be the right fit for you.

Unit 4 Reflection

  1. I feel like I learned how to create a more professional scientific article but I’m still unsure about it
  2. I didn’t really know anything about this unit
  3. I’m still struggling with how to write a scientific article
  4. I was proud of my field notes
  5. I would probably make it more detailed
  6. my engagement would probably be a 5/10
  7. I don’t feel like I was successful in this unit, I’ve just been giving up in this class honestly
  8. I wanna leave behind my laziness and lack of effort when it comes to certain assignments
  9. My favorite unit was humanities criticism because I feel like I understood that unit the most and I feel like I did the best in it
  10. I feel as if this class was perfect and you don’t need to change much for next semester.

Unit 3 Reflection

  1. I feel as if I already knew a lot about this topic so I didn’t really learn anything new
  2. I already had a basic understanding on how to write a scientific paper
  3. I feel like I learned everything you intended on me learning
  4. My final project could’ve been stronger I wasn’t happy with the formatting
  5. Change the formatting to make it feel more like a scientific paper
  6. I would rate myself a 10/10 I feel like this unit was the unit that I was most engaged
  7. I did the same things I did in the last unit
  8. I don’t feel as if I need to do anything differently
  9. This class would be better if there were more examples for our weekly projects
  10. This unit was on the same level as the last unit
  11. I would like to further explore how to write better scientific papers, in terms of formatting
  12. I would like to know about the final project

Unit 2 Reflection

  1. I learned how to write an academic piece of humanities criticism, which I feel will be useful for me in the future
  2. I didn’t really know anything before this unit, most of it was new information for me
  3. I feel like I learned everything I need to know about this topic
  4. I feel like my final project was pretty decent in being an academic piece of criticism, at first it was hard since I had no idea what to criticize but after that it was very easy for me to do.
  5. I would definitely go more in depth with what I was writing, at-least make it a full page
  6. I feel as if I was fully engaged in this unit, I struggled to be engaged with the last unit so I feel like I definitely improved in my engagement.
  7. I checked the course website every Monday and planned what I was gonna do for the week which was extremely helpful
  8. I don’t feel as if I need to change anything for the next unit
  9. Maybe more examples would help with understanding the topic better
  10. I think you made the structure perfect for this unit
  11. I feel like this unit was way better, structure wise
  12. I feel like I wanna explore more of academic criticism so I could be better at writing it.

Unit 1 Reflection

  1. In this unit I feel like I learned about the language journalists use when using political bias, I obviously knew about political biases but I feel like I know a lot more about them and now when I read articles I’m able to distinguish the biases better than before.
  2. As I said in number 1 I learned how to distinguish political biases better than before.
  3. I feel like this Unit covered everything about news writing, I don’t feel like there was something that could’ve been added.
  4. I think my final project really shows bias really well, I’m proud that I was able to execute it really well.
  5. If I were to revise my final project I would definitely add more sources, I have French Bulldogs so I did everything from my own experiences instead of looking for actual sources.
  6. I would give myself a solid 5/10, last week I really wasn’t too focused on this class but this week I would say that I am more engaged than I was before.
  7. Last semester I had you as my professor and when we first switched over to online learning I was able to just check the course site on Friday and get everything done, however I learned quickly that this semester I couldn’t do the same thing so instead I started checking the course site right when you posted it and then planned out what I would do first.
  8. For the next unit I’m gonna keep on top of this course website because for this unit I wasn’t checking as much as I should have.
  9. I feel like everything was perfect, I don’t feel like anything else could have been added.
  10. I feel like making the YouTube videos explaining what we were gonna do for the week really helped and made things easier to understand
  11. Definitely political biases, I know I keep saying that but I feel like it was the most important topic for my day to day life.