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Transfer Assignment 1: Letter for Change For this assignment, you…
Transfer Assignment 1: Letter for Change For this assignment,
you will write a letter to a specific targeted audience, requesting a specific action (or set of actions) in response to a specific issue. The main goal of this assignment is to practice the genre conventions of letter writing while also applying (appropriately for the genre) the core concepts of purpose, audience, point or evidence, persuasive techniques (logic, emotion, and credibility), and language and tone. Before you begin this assignment, please make sure you review the materials in the weekly folder related to correspondence writing. Topics Choose one of the following scenarios, depending on the subject of your Academic Argument paragraph (Weeks 6 and 8). Then, follow the instructions below to complete your Transfer Assignment 1: Letter for Change. Scenario A You have read in the newspaper that, in response to the growing ubiquity of digital technology and the increasing multicultural diversity of the province’s population, the Ontario government is debating ending in public schools the teaching of “traditional” aspects of English, such as grammar, spelling and punctuation. Having recently read and reflected on this topic for your Communicating Across Contexts course, you have decided to write a letter to Ontario’s Education Minister, Stephen Lecce, outlining what you consider should be the appropriate
government policy response to the learning of English in public schools. Make sure you refer to the relevant course readings (Amin and Morrison), along with other sources you have consulted on the topic, in your letter. Scenario B You have read in the newspaper that the Ontario government is debating the abolition of ABC grading from Ontario’s public schools. Having recently read and reflected on Michael Thomsen’s article “The Case Against Grades,” you have begun to reconsider the value of academic grades, especially for younger students. Because you have thought carefully about the likely impact (positive and/or negative) on both students of different age groups and the wider society of the possible removal of the grading structure, you have decided to write a letter to the Ontario Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, stating your view on what should be the direction of government policy in this area. Make sure you refer to the relevant course reading(Thomsen), along with other sources you have consulted on the topic, in your letter.Scenario C You have read in the newspaper that the Ontario government is considering introducing a law that, on health grounds, restricts the access of minors to digital technology and social media.Having read the course texts by Sadowski and Denworth related to this subject, you have developed a clear view on what the limits (if any) of access to digital technology and social
media should be for young people of varying age groups. You have therefore decided to write a letter to the Ontario Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, stating your view on what should be the direction of government policy in this area. Make sure you refer to the relevant course readings(Sadowski and Denworth), along with other sources you have consulted on the topic, in your letter.Letter Qualities Purpose and Audience: You will be writing a letter to someone who has influence or authority over the issue or problem that you wish to address. In your letter, you should call for your audience to take clear, specific action to work toward a resolution of the problem. Format:? Please use full-block letter format to visually organize your letter. (If you’re not sure what this means, you’ll need to look at the Correspondence Powerpoint in the weekly folder).? You may invent your own sender’s address, but please use the correct professional address for your reader. (You will need to research the mailing address of the relevant government minister).? See the Sample Letter for Change provided in Week 9. Please type your letter in 12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial font, and use block formatting (i.e. single line spacing with a double line space between paragraphs). Your letter should be about 500-600 words in length. Structure and content:
Your letter should include references to (1) your research (i.e. a source from the Seneca Library catalogue) and (2) the relevant class reading (i.e. Amin/Morrison, Thomsen, orSadowski/Denworth).NB: formal (APA) citation should NOT be used as it is not appropriate for the letter genre.However, you may consider using hyperlinks within your letter to informally direct your audience to any sources that you refer to. Please follow the steps below as you develop your letter (see how these steps correspond to the Sample Letter for Change in Week 9):a. Introduce yourself and state your purpose in writing: What should your audience know about you? What situation led to your desire to write this letter? What, briefly, is the issue or problem? b. Provide background and details about the issue or problem: What information is necessary for helping your audience understand and appreciate the issue or problem?c. Propose a solution: What are you proposing or asking for? What details are necessary for helping your audience understand your proposal? d. Identify the benefits: What are the benefits of your proposal? Who will benefit? e. Minimize the resistance: What difficulties may arise in implementing your proposal? What are the opposing arguments? How could the difficulties and/or opposing arguments be effectively addressed?
for the same article that you researched and cited in your Academic Argument Paragraph is References
Betts, J. R., & Grogger, J. (2003). The impact of grading standards on student achievement, educational attainment, and entry-level earnings. Economics of Education Review, 22(4), 343. https://doi-org.libaccess.senecacollege.ca/10.1016/S0272-7757(02)00059-6
Esquivel, P., & Lee, I. (2021). GRADES DECLINE AS GAPS WIDEN AT LAUSD; A Times analysis finds Black, Latino students struggling more from the pandemic’s effects. The Los Angeles Times
and this is the topic that i picked for the Academic Argument paragraph
According to Michael Thomsen in “The Case Against Grades” (2013), the traditional grading system is more of a hindrance than a facilitator of a student’s advancement. According to Thomsen, grades have a negative impact on a student’s mental health.Research studies have found a strong correlation between grades and lower levels of self-esteem, adding to Thomsen’s argument (Esquivel and Lee, 2021). According to a poll performed by XYZ, 70% of students experienced a decrease in self-worth as a result of their grades.While some people believe that grades can be used to motivate them, this view oversimplifies the complicated relationship between motivation and self-esteem. While grades can give short-term motivation, their long-term impacts on mental health must be overlooked. Furthermore, students’ originality is hampered by the existing grading system. Thomsen claims that grades encourage uniformity and inhibit creative thought. While some may claim that grades are vital for tracking academic success, alternative assessment methods such as project-based evaluations and qualitative feedback can do so without limiting creativity. As a result, the traditional grading system not only fails to cultivate creativity, but actively works against it. In addition, The grading system exacerbates already existing social and economic inequality. Thomsen’s argument is supported by research that suggests students from underprivileged backgrounds and lacking resources face additional challenges in achieving high grades (Betts and Grooger, 2003). While others may argue that grades constitute a merit-based assessment, this approach ignores the educational system’s underlying disparities. Academic success is often the result of privilege rather than talent, prolonging rather than healing socioeconomic gaps. Overall, the case against grades is persuasive due to their negative influence on self-esteem, creativity, and the perpetuation of socioeconomic disparities. Despite claims that grades are a fair and necessary evaluation tool, the research provided underlines the need for a paradigm change in assessment methods toward more holistic approaches that encourage students’ entire growth
