31 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2017
    1. Conclusion

      Claim: By investing in communities through new businesses and innovations, the population demographic may experience a drastic change from low income residents to high income residents. This then leads to other benefits such as a lower crime rate.

      Evidence: The author uses a chart to display the distribution of income when looking at ages in the Ponce de Leon area (secondary source).

      Overall, I really enjoyed reading your BEA. I felt that it was professionally crafted with the rhetorical situation kept in mind. One addition I would suggest would be looking also at the negative aspects of of gentrification, such as the displacement of residents that resided in the area before the process of gentrification began. By doing this, it would add to your credibility by recognizing and arguing the opposing position.

      GREAT JOB!!!!!

    1. Description of Ponce City Market

      Like the last page, the current description of Ponce City Market provides strong evidence for the claim of how gentrification can improve an area in various ways. Be sure to actually state your ideas to reinforce your ideas. Think about once again addressing the questions as well.

      The pictures may also need to be cited if not personally captured.

    1. Description of Krog Street Market

      Claim: The introduction claim needs to be incorporated into this description, because it directly provides evidence for such ideas.

      Evidence: By using a highly detailed description as well as pictures, it's clear that the Krog Street Market has experienced obvious improvements. Use the questions suggested at the beginning to further emphasis how much the area has improved for the better!

    1. Demographics of Ponce de Leon Area

      Claim: Like previous pages, the claim was not explicitly stated, but the information implied a change in population over the years.

      Evidence: The chart was utilized in this case form outside sources cited both at the bottom of the page as well as within the conclusion. As I previously mentioned, I would include more about income, education, and business statistics, because I feel that this would relate better to your claim in the introduction.

    1. Demographics of Krog Street Area

      Once again, this is great evidence for your claim in the introduction.

      Claim: Your introduction claim of gentrification could really be used here to drive the point home. (The claim was implied but not stated.)

      Evidence: For evidence, secondary sources were utilized to describe the changing demographic. I would suggest to discuss in further detail the categories of income and business. These categories would provide a great deal of validity to your claim, should you include it.

      BE SURE TO CITE YOUR CHART

    1.  (“725 Ponce” 2015)

      I would personally consider putting the full citation at the bottom of each page. I feel that this would be more helpful and easier to access for your audience.

    2. History of Ponce City Market

      Wow! This is great information. You did a great job constructing the history of Ponce in a way that is easy for the reader to understand and enjoy. I also really like the vintage pictures!

      Claim: Like the previous section on the history of Krog Street Market, there is no claim physically present in this paragraph. To me, it is easily understood to be in support of the introduction claim, but you may want to explicitly state how Ponce City Market relates to the claim for the purposes of the project.

      Evidence: The evidence is taken from secondary source cited both at the bottom of the page and the conclusion. Once again, I would consider addressing the questions I suggested in the previous annotation as a way to address the claim implied.

    1. ATL, Atlanta, BEA, Built Environment, built environment analysis, downtown atl, downtown atlanta, krog street, site descriptions

      You put my tags to shame. I am making a mental note to incorporate more within my BEA. :)

    2. History of Krog Street Market

      I really enjoyed reading the history of this particular location. Surprisingly, I actually remember when this property was purchased and the media attention that followed on the local news channels.

      Claim: There wasn't a claim explicitly stated in this paragraph but the claim in the introduction was obviously implied.

      Evidence: This paragraph mainly consisted of second hand information sited in the conclusion. I personally believe that learning about the history of the market and the surrounding area adds to your authenticity and credibility.

      It maybe helpful to restate the claim and provide further evidence such as what the area looked like before versus years after the purchase. Was it run down? Also relating back to the introduction what were the crime rates before and after at this location? What was the local economy like before the recent innovations? Overall, I feel that this is a strong paragraph that could be improved through relating more to the claims in the introduction.

    1. Introduction

      I really enjoyed your introduction. I feel that discussing what a built environment is and how it came about improves the readability for your audience. Further, your introduction highlights your claims about gentrification in Atlanta! I'm excited to continue reading!

      Claim: When lower income neighborhoods experience gentrification, the population demographic undergoes drastic change (i.e. higher incomes). In turn, this may lead to positive benefits for the economy as well as the safety and happiness of residents.

      Evidence: There is no evidence in this specific paragraph, but I assume that the other pages on Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market will act as examples. Maybe give a brief introduction of both in order to provide evidence in this paragraph.

  2. Feb 2017
    1. After reading this article, I would like to ask these questions:

      Does Georgia State University neglect student’s needs for “holistic landscapes” and “student-nature interactions”? According to the reading, what negative impact could this have on student learning and achievement?

      In my opinion, I do believe that Georgia State does neglect students needs for such environments. For example, the only outdoor space with grass is located in the Commons, but only students who live in housing has access to that space. To my awareness, there are no strictly natural spaces that are provided by Georgia State to fulfill students' need for restoration in nature. Some may argue that the quad acts as such a place, because their are trees and other small plants. I tend to disagree, because the space is a man-made, concrete structure. I also feel that public parks on campus, such as Hurt and Woodruff, cannot be argued for their inclusion, because they are not strictly provided by Georgia State University and many students feel uncomfortable spending time on the property.

      According to the article, without spending time in nature students may experience "burnout" in their academic endeavors. I can personally attest to this phenomenon from my experience living on campus last semester. To be more specific, I became extremely depressed and anxious staying indoors constantly. It was only when I came home and could feel comfortable going outside to read that these symptoms were alleviated. However, I'm not sure whether this happened, because I have grown up spending time in nature. I think it would be interesting to see if someone who grew up in an urban environment experiences the same phenomenon.

      I think this idea also relates to my supplemental article, because encourages me to be more critical of the amenities Georgia State has added. For example, instead of having so many parking decks could the institution spare one so that students have a getaway from the concrete jungle of the city? (I am think more along the line of a small gated park set aside for Georgia State students.) In sum both the supplemental article as well as the main piece allowed be to be more knowledgeable on a topic that caught my attention from my experience on campus.

    2. For my supplemental text I choose to read "The College Amenities Arms Race" by Cara Newlon. More specifically, I selected this article, because the title somewhat stunned me but also resonated with my thinking.

      The article begins with a list of relatively luxurious amenities recently add to some college campuses including "free movies [theaters]", "leisure [pools] with biometric hand scanners", and "climbing [walls] to make exercise interesting". As the article mentions, this may sound like an extravagant getaway, but it is becoming increasingly more common for college campus to possess such amenities or amenities of the same nature. As one might expect, this amenities come with a hefty price tag. In fact, "costs have been on the rise" following the depression, creating an atmosphere of competition between colleges' possession of amenities. However, as Newlon states "some of this construction has been necessary", due to an increase in enrollment.

      This students are much different from the students of the past. They are a product of the amenities "arm race" and not only look for, but almost expect, such amenities to be provided. Although, these added amenities due contribute to the looming debt students face as they exit college and enter into the real world. Students, however, are willing to pay such high prices, which entices colleges to add amenities as a savvy "business decision". And so due to the encouraging business model, colleges continue to invest and compete by adding more and more amenities to catch future students' eyes.

      I feel that this article relates to the main text, because the race for luxurious amenities somewhat takes away from the importance of incorporating nature into the academic environment. On a more obvious level, the amenities must be built on land that was previously unoccupied. This means that natural space is being taken away or at the very least diminished. Furthermore, such amenities promote activities outside of nature in man-made structures. In the same regard, this also diminishes the restorative property of nature for students. Overall, the amenities take away from what nature can offer. If thinking from the perspective of the article, is the business appeal of adding such amenities worth the potential health and happiness of college students?

      Newlon, Cara. "The College Amenities Arms Race." Forbes, 31 July 2014, https://www.forbes.com/sites/caranewlon/2014/07/31/the-college-amenities-arms-race/#73afd2bd4883. Retrieved 19 February 2017.

    3. Such an approach also goes beyond advertising the aesthetic value of the campus open spaces for student recruitment purposes to recognizing the entire campus landscape as a learning space and advertising its educational value – that is emphasizes something deeper than what meets the eye.

      In closing, I feel like this statements sums up both the main piece and the supplemental article perfectly. Colleges and universities have so much potential to develop their campuses into strong learning environments. But its up to the schools to make this decision. In so many cases, I find that institutions tend to look out more for their business interest, instead of their students. I personally believe that we as consumers of education should look closer at what we are paying for. Theses "miniature cities" may seem like fun for the next four years, but are they really what you need to prepare yourself for the future. In sum, I feel like we underestimate the simpler things like natural spaces, due to the consumerism push of our culture.

    4. In these settings, human interaction can take place via three modes – indirect (experiencing nature passively even though not physically present in it), incidental (chance encounters with nature via other activities) and intentional (purposeful activity)

      The three modes somewhat surprised me, because while reading the article I constantly assumed they were referring to the last mode, which is "intentional" interaction with nature. I am somewhat critical of the other two modes (especially the first one), because of what we learned about selective attention last semester in psychology. More specifically, in our daily lives we can only focus on a few stimuli at a time the rest of the world is there but that doesn't mean that we are completely aware of it. Here is an example of what I mean:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

      Just like many people don't see the gorilla, we also don't notice every tree and plant we pass by. Do they mean at a subconscious level nature can have a positive affect on students? Otherwise, I believe that students are less aware of their natural surroundings than the author assumes.

      "Selective Attention Test." Youtube, uploaded by Daniel Simmons, 10 March 2010.

    5. We explain those concepts below as they apply to student learning and learning spaces.

      As a future teacher, learning about how nature or alternative natural spaces has been very intriguing. Of course this article was made with universities in mind, but I feel that it could also be applied to high school, middle school, and even elementary school classrooms. After all, younger students could benefit greatly from the potential of restoring "direct attention" from natural interactions. Below I have listed some ideas of how nature could be implemented in lower level programs.

      • Outdoor Recess (Being outdoor would provide students with the opportunity to give their "involuntary attention" towards things that interest them or bring them joy.)
      • Taking Nature Walks (This could act as a break to students who grow tired of sitting in chairs all day. Also, it could be used as a learning experience for subjects like Earth Science, Addition/Subtraction, or any for that matter.)
      • Reading Outdoors (This may seem like it would be like a distraction, but I have found that changing the setting can make reading more exciting. This could also make books about nature more engaging, because they are experiencing what they are reading about.)

      In sum, outdoor interaction could be beneficial to all students no matter whether they are in preschool or graduate school.

    6. Nature can be labeled as a non-human physical feature such as an individual plant or butterfly.

      When I read this sentence it automatically made me think of the balcony at Aderhold on the GSU campus. This sentence and the ideas that follow somewhat refute my criticism of GSU neglecting student's needs for a natural space, because Aderhold and the Quad do have individual plants. Although, this seems questionable that a few plants can generate the same restorative affect in students as a park or more traditional natural setting would be able to.

      All in all, I think what's truly important is that the definition of nature is subjective. More specifically, it depends on your experiences and expectations. For example, if a student moved from rural North Dakota to downtown Atlanta is would be difficult to argue the point that a few plants are to be considered nature. On the other hand, say someone moved from New York City to Atlanta. They are more likely to accept the validity of nature being represented by a few plants.

      Picture of Aderhold Balcony. Retrieved from http://studentsinthecity.gsu.edu/the-best-commuter-hang-out-spots/

    7. natural scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigorating to the whole system

      The statement above really resonated with my personal academic experiences. To be more specific, I think every college student can attest to the fact that college is extremely stressful and sometimes this stress can prevent productive, efficient behavior. In order to combat what some people may refer to as "burnout", one must find a place to clear the mind and motivate themselves to keep pushing ahead. Nature can act as that resource for many, if not all people. As Olmstead eloquently explains, nature has the power of both relaxation and motivation. Two things of which college students are in serious need of!

      For example, I especially love to complete my English assignments outside. I believe this is the case, because I have always struggled with the subject and get easily frustrated with the assignments. By completing my assignments outside, I can just take a moment to look up and understand that its okay. In the same regard, when I'm looking for inspiration I sometimes concentrate on the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind or watch the clouds overhead. By using this distraction, I begin to relax and its no time at all before a new idea pops into my mind. (Here is picture of my view while completing this assignment!)

      In summary, natural spaces set aside for students fulfill students most desperate needs for coping with the stress while also performing at their highest level. As previously discussed, this is due to nature's restorative quality.

      However, this begs the question of whether constructed places can be just as effective? For example, would sitting at a library and people watching yield the same result?

    8. By preserving and suitably integrating open spaces into the green infrastructure, universities can add value and quality to the campus environment by: forging a campus identity, creating a sense of community, curbing escalating campus density, serving social and recreational needs, providing environmental benefits, and facilitating fundraising and recruitment of both faculty and students

      This statement attests to the crucial role a natural environment plays for not only the student, but also the broader campus community. Below I have listed various ways both individual students and groups of students can utilized natural spaces to create an all around more positive college atmosphere.

      Individual Uses of the Natural Environment

      • Studying and Completing Assignments
      • Interacting with nature and breathing fresh air

        Group/Community Uses of the Natural Enviroment

      • Study Groups
      • Information Fairs (e.g. clubs, jobs)
      • Parties or other community gatherings (e.g. Freshman block party)
      • Areas for speeches or peaceful demonstrations
      • In general, a place for members of the institution to interact

      As you can see from the list of ways natural spaces could be utilized, areas set aside for this purpose could lead to greater success in both student's academic endeavors and social relationships. Additionally, these spaces also provide a space for members of the institution to come together and connect. This, in turn, creates a more inclusive atmosphere and contributes to a healthier and happier campus.

      Although, playing as the "devils advocate", college communities might also fulfill these needs through manmade amenities that boost the appeal of their school. I think that both have their advantages, but a glaring advantage of indoor spaces are available no matter the weather condition.

      Would you prefer (or be more likely to attend) an event held in a natural space or indoors?

    9. enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      Going off of my previous annotation, I think it is also important to weigh the pros and cons of having natural spaces versus other man made amenities in order to see which is more favorable to create the characteristic listed above of an ideal learning environment. Below I have included a list that many college campus may consider, using both the main text as well as my supplementary text cited in the notes page.

      Natural Spaces for Students

      • These spaces provide a restorative quality that may help prevent "burnout" and improve student's attentional levels.
      • Additionally, these spaces are less costly for both the students and the university.
      • Students can use this space as an almost getaway to study and concentrate on assignments while breathing fresh air.

      Man Made Amenities

      • As mentioned in Newlon's article these space may be appealing to students and encourage completion in the business world of universities.
      • They are provide a getaway to the stress college students may face.
      • In addition, the more amenities the more debt students will accumulate.

      Looking at this for a more personal level, I think having more natural space is better, because due to the evidence presented in the text it seems that it has only positive advantages. On the other had, other amenities definitely have their perks, but also have their drawbacks. For example, having activities such as a free movie theatre or indoor golf may act as a distraction from academics. Due to this reasoning, I believe universities and colleges alike should value natural spaces more than they do in the present.

    10. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community

      I personally feel like this is a very interesting statement, especially in light of the supplemental article by Cara Newlon ("The College Amenities Arms Race"). More specifically, colleges are evolving into almost self-sufficent communities with the added amenities becoming more common. Further, I think it is fair to think critically about whether or not the isolation that college campuses encourage is beneficial for students. For example, its common to hear people say that college was the best four years of their life and they wish they could go back. I maybe in the minority, but I've always thought this statement sounded quite funny. To be more specific, I feel that college is supposed to be a time of preparation for your future. The amenities such as indoor waterparks, spas, and steak houses create a upperclass town-like atmosphere, but set students up for an unrealistic expectation of what life will be like outside the campus. In addition, I personally believe that creating the type of community described in the supplemental article is frivolous and only tacts on unneeded expenses to college student's debts, further lessening the quality of their life outside of college. However, going back to the main texts, adding more natural spaces to create the "ideal community" may be more beneficial for both student's pockets and happiness in the future. In sum, I think it's important to consider what is needed to create an "ideal space" that is conducive to learning and achievement later on in life.

    1. although the strength of oral tradition has preserved more than we might hope.

      Oral tradition is also a part of traditional African culture, further emphasizing the importance of African culture in early African American history. (Orators pass down information/stories from generation to generation.) Another culture that has successfully used oral history as a viable method of historical preservation are the Native American civilizations. Furthermore, the oral tradition also assess the artifact’s influence on the individual and their everyday life. It also allows the historian to access a more subjective, personal perspective from the time period, instead of an objective view residing in most educational textbooks.

    2. People who held such a status could hardly be expected to have recorded a history of their own in any conventional way

      To me, this is an unfortunate example of how lesser known, but equally important, cultures can get lost in the mainstream of history. By this I mean that in educational classes we are taught about the same material over and over again that is deemed important. These events are important for the students to learn about, but it is also crucial that they are exposed to cultures outside of their "bubble". In order to make history seem more relatable and individualized we have to incorporate more stories like that of the Parting Ways community. However, unfortunately these historical sites are likely to be damaged or lost. But, by using the methods found in this document we can analyze and preserve lesser known cultures.

    3. complementary body of information

      Written records are essential to the history of mankind, and as previously stated can also be useful in filling in the holes left by personal verbal accounts. After reading this quote I brainstormed some written resources that could be useful to the historian analyzing a lost or damaged historical site. Here is the list I created: schematics, photographs with descriptions, observations, educational articles, and other public documents.

      Additionally, some questions that written records could address or help to address include the following: Who used these structures? Was the structure made to simply fulfill a basic human need of shelter or did it have a deeper purpose? Was the structure for private use or public use? How was the structure incorporated into the greater cultural environment?

    4. The open cellar hole had all of the appearances of having had a house standing over it in the not too distant past.

      One of the more obvious ways of preserving damaged structures is to use ruins to reconstruct and document the original condition of the building or artifact. Furthermore, the structural ruins can provided additional information, such as the materials used to build the structure, how they were assembled, and the relative time period. This method is essential to our knowledge of historical sites, because every structure will eventually deteriorate no matter whether it is due to a natural disaster or just the passage of time.

    5. Such a seeming conflict is not at all uncommon when dealing with informants, and the discrepancy is mentioned to illustrate - 197 - that complete agreement among all sources is rare indeed.

      This is a great example of the author establishing ethos, or his credibility. More specifically, Deetz is depicting to the reader that he cares about finding accurate sources to convey the correct information.

      Also when using oral history as a method to preserve lost or damaged historical sites it is important to keep this thought in mind. Further, the difference in the stories (due in part to personal perspectives) creates the need for more objective evidence to sort out what is accurate and what is less than accurate. One method of fulfilling this need would be written records. For example, a historian hears two stories: one that the house burned down in a fire and one that recalled the house being demolished by the owner. Which one should the historian believe? Using public records the historian can decipher which story is closer to the truth.

    6. Test excavations in the shallow depression nearby produced a sample of pottery all dating to the main period of occupation of the site, from circa 1790 through circa 1840.

      With much focus on the external structures, it is also important to consider the artifacts located within the sites. One such artifact that is common at most historical locations is pottery. More specifically pottery can be extremely helpful for determining the time period as well as revealing other historical information. For example, what material was the ceramic made out of? Was there anything painted on the surface or symbols carved out of the piece? What do they represent or mean? Other than pottery the historical artifacts could be paintings, books, ceremonial pieces, and garments.

    7. In addition to the article focused on the historical devastation after the earthquake in Italy, I also felt that the Time's article showed the importance of historical preservation, because it helps us to understand our current situation and how we got to this point. Namely, how the historical lives of African Americans contributed to the social inequality present in modern American society.

      The article begins with a discussion of how activists are participating in the political area in order to create change. For example, Black Lives Matter members arranged a meeting with the 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as questioned her at an Atlanta campaign stop concerning legislation to further their cause. As the article proceeds, the reader finds that the protesters actions had a significant impact on Secretary Clinton when she add stances such as promoting the use of body cameras on police officers, "[denouncing] mass incarceration", and "[refusing] donations from private-prison lobbyists". Further, the activists work continued to sweep the nation using various methods to address not only police brutality, but also other social issues "from gender inequality to the minimum wage to housing and education policy".

      From there, the article then discusses the "accidental" roots of the movement. More specifically, Alicia Garza tweeted “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” after the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Her friend, Patrisse Cullors, later created the hashtag that would transcend the nation. Since the creation, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained momentum through both physical demonstrations and social media resulting in "nearly 30 official chapters, including an outpost in Canada". One of the most active sites of the movement is college campuses. For example, football players at the University of Missouri boycotted the team after the system president "[failed] to address allegations of racism on campus". He was removed shortly there after.

      Although the effects of the Black Lives Movement is contested amongst various groups, there is no question that the movement has made a significant impact on American culture. In order to move forward we must first recognize where we are and how we got there. As I previously mentioned to do this we have to understand where we went wrong and how we can improve. This relates to "Parting Ways', because methods used in the reading can restore and preserve lost information about the condition of African Americans in the past. Additionally, the movement promotes the idea that black lives matter both in the past, present, and future. "Parting Ways" is an example of how historians can preserve the history of all people, no matter their race.

      Altman, Alex. "Black Lives Matter."Time, 2016. Retrieved from http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-runner-up-black-lives-matter/. Accessed 3 February 2017.

    8. In our world today, other lessons gained from thinking about artifacts might be applicable.

      The historical preservation method used in “Parting Ways” could also be applied to the artifact loss in Italy. On August 24, 2016, “a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck central Italy” taking the lives of at least 247 people (Sanchez). Along with the loss of life, the earthquake devastated “at least 293 cultural heritage assets” located within the earthquake zone, a huge loss for the Italian people and the history of mankind (Orjoux). As one might expect, the most significant damage was done to central Italy’s historic structures: Catterale di Urbino, Monastero Santa Chiara, San Guilano cathedral, Basilica Di San Franceso, Chiesa di Agostino, Benedictine of Monks of Norcia, and Amatrice’s “historic medieval walls (Orjoux).

      Due to the amount of devastation that occurred, Italy has lost significant, tangible pieces of its history, but using alternative methods, like those explained in “Parting Ways”, historians can use generalizations found in surviving artifacts to apply to the analysis of the ruins. By doing so central Italy’s individual history may be preserved instead of forgotten and incorporated into the mainstream.

      Orjoux, Alanne. “Historical Treasures Lost, Damaged in Italian Quake.” CNN, 25 August 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/europe/italy-earthquake-historic-sites-damaged/. Accessed 26 January 2017.

      Sanchez, Ray. “At Least 247 Killed in Earthquake in Central Italy.” CNN, 25 August 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/23/europe/italy-earthquake/. Accessed 26 January 2017.

    9. Again we see a strong parallel with Language

      The comparison between language and the jars is very helpful to the reader, because they are concrete examples of how people can incorporate their cultural identity into the common culture of their surroundings. This, in turn, helps the reader to understand the overall message of the piece. More specifically, that lesser-known cultures are not always as clear cut as they seem, but using the historical methods prevalent in the text, we can get a more accurate historical picture.

  3. Jan 2017
    1. A discovery made in 1978 not only calls into question the identity of the occupants of the graves

      This is an example of the nature of history. In other words, like other subjects history is constantly changing and evolving when new information comes to light. This shows the reader that history is messy. In order to create a more cohesive whole from the pieces, educated guessing and generalization may be required. Overall, history is constantly evolving and will continue to evolve as more evidence is found and better methods are instituted.

    2. Battle of Bunker Hill

      American Revolutionary War (1775) - British Victory

      Understanding the historical context of which cultures are located within is the first step of the research process. Without doing the necessary research it would be nearly impossible to get an accurate picture of historical lives. For example, imagine someone looking back on our lives in the future. What if they disregarded the importance of technology in our lives? This would lead to a great misunderstanding. As you can see, understanding the background knowledge is essential to understanding the lives of historical individuals.