Dear Portfolio Committee,
Thank you for giving your time to review my English portfolio. English is my favorite subject; I have always had patience, and motivation towards thinking and writing. Throughout the years, my writing strategies have really improved from brainstorming tips to organizing tricks. I have learned how to put my undivided attention towards a prompt to focus on a main message and an incredible storyline with evidence to back it up. While I have always looked forward to English class in high school, going into college I was slightly nervous. I enjoy and have a passion for writing, but that didn’t always deliver a great writer’s piece. Sometimes I found it difficult to connect with a prompt, and sometimes didn’t even know where to start. By asking and taking advice from professors and professionals, I was able to clarify what direction my brainstorming should take. It’s exciting to see my improvements through essays I have written over time and knowing the strategies has improved my writing greatly.
The first essay I chose for my portfolio was the first essay we submitted in English 11. This essay was a memoir about the tools I was taught to use that impacted my life. This essay meant the most to me because I connected with the prompt on a personal level. I enjoyed reading it, and revising it because I miss being younger, and “the good old days” but I was happy to write about something that made me incredibly happy, which I will remember for the rest of my life. Those tools helped form me to be the person I am today, and I had the upmost sincerity writing the essay. Brainstorming about which tools to pick was easy for me because I know which tools were useful to my family, myself, and the next generation. Explaining the tools and writing the essay was an exciting task because of how personal, genuine, and real the content is. With that being said, I feel as though this is my strongest piece of the semester.
The second essay I added to my portfolio is my annotated bibliography, Use of Robots in Search and Rescue Operations (SARO). I favor this essay because of the opinion topic of the paper, and the message it conveys. The main message centers around why robots are beneficial to law enforcement and officials, and how they are there to help. This essay required detailed research and effort to construct and defend the topic and main message. The evolution of this essay began with brainstorming the benefits to robots being used in search and rescue missions. Then I started listing all the reasons as to why robots would benefit search and rescue missions and finding sources and evidence to back it up. Once I found my information, I tied it together in organized paragraphs, while understanding why the structure of those paragraphs were important.
The third essay that will be included in my portfolio is my response to Amanda Sharkey’s article. This essay is one where revision was desperately needed. After revising and reviewing, I decided to incorporate this essay into my portfolio for one main reason. The main reason I chose this essay is because it helped me learned how to understand feedback from peers and my professor better while editing. Sometimes writers look past grammar, punctuation, ect when they can be more organized and that’s the mistake I made. I truly felt as though I have improved my revision skills for this semester, with the help of feedback from not only the professor, but my peers. Before this class and essay, I needed more direction towards editing and knowing why something needed to change in another opinion. Now, I am more confident in understanding how to improve a sentence from high school writing, to college writing.
English 11 was an exceptional course, giving me more knowledge to further my education in writing. With the course being an introduction to college writing, it excites me to know what the other English courses have awaiting. I am fortunate enough to have had such a great experience in this course and look forward to strengthening my writing skills course-by-course. My passion for writing continues, and because of this course, it will continue to grow. The skills that have been strengthened will be there for me to use in other writing courses, while the skills I am still working on, know which direction to take.
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Treasure Memoir (Essay 1)
Relationships in my family have been strong for generations and continue to be as stable, reliable, and as trustworthy as they can be. One relationship I have looked up to my entire life, is my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother. They were high school sweethearts, who got married at seventeen years old, and twenty-two years later had six children. After a fast thirty-seven years of marriage, my great grandfather passed away, leaving my great grandmother widowed with five children, and barely an income. My great grandmother had no choice but to provide for her children, with the knowledge she gained from her father as a child, and husband as a wife. My great grandmother was alive until I was 15 years old and passed away at the old age of 98. She passed along valuable information verbally but wasn’t strong enough to physically show us how to use it. If my family hadn’t known my great grandmother, we wouldn’t have the knowledge we do today. The tools provided to my relatives are fortunately able to be passed down, which separates ours, from ones at a store. That later allowed my grandmother to teach me everything she had learned from her mother and which allows me to potentially pass it onto my children, nieces and nephews.
On a cloudy, warm Sunday morning after breakfast, my grandmother said she had something she wanted to show and teach me how to use. As I am walking down the musty basement stairs, I’m wondering what could possibly be down there that she would want to show me. She pulls out an old, massive, black case and proudly told me to open it. Opening the case to find a heavy, elastic launching weapon, left me confused. While my petite, grandmother had an extensive smile across her face, I frowned and asked, “Why are you teaching me to use a bow-an-arrow when the boys are supposed to use them?” She laughed harder than I had ever seen her laugh. She replied “Honey what would we do if there were no men on the planet? How would we survive? We would do it ourselves.” She picked up that clunky bow-an-arrow and said, “My mother taught me how to use it, and I’m going to teach you.” Injuring an animal was not her goal, the goal was to make it quick, and to come home with something. The bow was half of my Grandmother’s size, yet she held it high with such pride, and stability. She was a natural pro whose eyes didn’t leave the target once, her practice made perfect, and I admired that. Being introduced to this device at age eight and being defeated by its numerous times was discouraging. By the time I was twelve, I felt as though I has been using it my entire life.
A fishing rod was much easier to use. While being a knowledgeable hunter, she wasn’t fond of fishing. Fishing wasn’t as interesting to her, but it was still a way to provide. “If you cannot find food in the woods, you have to look elsewhere” was something she used to say every time she went fishing. When I first looked at the strange, skinny pole, with an organized thread of string at the base of it, and a small hook, I knew my great gramma had something new in store for me. A few casts into the salty smelling ocean, and I had caught my first fish. It was small, not a keeper, but it was a moment I will never forget. My grandmother was nothing but proud of me, and sarcastically said, “Now the fun part.” I got excited only to find out, we must take the hook out, and return the fish to his home. Trying to get a hold of the slippery, little body was difficult, but nothing in comparison to taking the hook out.
I was given an item that had small pincers, and long jaws to make my life easier. They allowed me to get a tight, comfortable grip on the hook, which made it easy, and quick to remove the sharp, pointy piece. Not many fishermen do this, but my grandmother explained to me how to use the pliers to apply slight pressure on the fish’s wound, which stopped the bleeding and gave her hope for the fish to continue its life. The pliers were also used to cut the line, if it was somehow damaged, or stuck. Although this was never advised by the intelligent woman who I looked up too, but if a fish was ever to bend the fishing rod, the pliers could gently reshape it. After the fishing trip, the pliers were cleaned and put back into her tool box, to wait for the next job. After catching another bigger fish and taking it home with us, I wondered what to do with it.
A knife was something that I always thought was dangerous. My grandmother clarified that it is only dangerous if you aren’t careful with it, or if you misuse it. To not waste the animal’s life that was taken, you must gut it correctly and quickly. To do so, you must have a sharp, sleek, strong blade with a durable handle. A knife is not only used to obtain meat from an animal, but to prepare the food as well. She had eggplants, cucumbers, carrots, squash, and green beans planted in her garden, which also needed the knives attention. They weren’t going to cook themselves.
My nephew was the most eager to learn how to use a bow-an-arrow. He caught on a little to quickly, and was able to teach his cousin, Emma. She was a bit intimidated by it, which is why she took a bit longer to get the hang of it. Lucas was more patient, and open to learning. Out of the entire lesson, he taught me how to use sights for the bow. Sights are very similar to a scope, but they allow you to be steadier, and aim for the target a lot easier. After learning how to attach the sight, he barely missed the target. Spending time with my nieces and nephews, and teaching them what I had learned, is exactly what my great grandparents would have wanted.
After discovering why my grandmother found those tools to be essential to life, it opened my eyes to a whole new world. A world where grocery stores weren’t easily accessible, and money earned was barely enough to live. Her mother used the money she worked for to keep shelter and used her natural skills to bring dinner home every night and prepare it. My great grandmother wanted the family’s future to be secure, knowledgeable and protected no matter what life must bring. I appreciate the skills, and knowledge that I’ve acquired from the tools that were introduced to me at a young age. At the age I am now, I would do anything to walk down those crooked, rugged, basement stairs again just to find the treasures that laid below the kitchen floor.
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Use of Robots in Search and Rescue Operations (Essay 3)
Robots used in the past are becoming more advanced, now being designed stronger, faster, lasting longer than before. Varieties of robots range from on land, to air born, to rescuing under the water. Each type of robot used in search and rescue missions are created to handle specific jobs related to their given talents and continue to save lives in search and rescue operations every day. All three robots listed play an essential role in saving victims of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other unfortunate tragedies.
Land rescue robots, also known as unmanned ground vehicle, have been around for many years and are only improving day by day. Their design allows these terrestrial robots to maneuver reliably. No human present or onboard is needed to control the robot. They are created to withstand debris, get back up when knocked off balance, able to squeeze into tight spaces, and even pull heavy objects off a focal point. The author of Disaster Robotics explains how robots are needed for “for all phases of a disaster, from prevention to response and recovery” (Murphy) and can be useful in many more ways than thought of.
While UGV’S assist those dealing with disasters on land, there are some situations that can’t be taken care of as quickly as others, without a birds-eye view. Drones are known as UAV’S and are extremely advanced flying robots that can oversee disaster scenes that human teams are unable to get to immediately. The flying camera with audio activated speakers can pick up sound waves and use the infrared camera to locate the victim by body heat and notify proper authorities. Some drones can lift a certain weight of wreckage to retrieve a survivor, which allows the robot to get a head start on the rescue process, and start separating the debris. UAV’S are as vital to search and rescue missions as land rescue, and maritime robots
Maritime robots are useful for searching in underwater debris, mapping out dangerous locations that need careful attention, and analyzing weak underwater infrastructure. These intricate waterproof robots are also made to recognize pollution along with other harmful materials or garbage in the water. The machines are designed to safely remove people out of harmful situations and eliminate requirements that are normally given to the personal staff. For the robot to with stand harsh conditions they “need independent power and sensors for specific environments. It may be cut off from its human operator when communication signals are patchy.” (Feuilherade) For the robot to function separately and by itself, it needs to be trained and programed correctly to make its own correct decisions.
All robots are beneficial to rescue and search operation, and no one is better than the other. They all contribute the equivalent amount of help, and rescuing during a disaster, while operating separately. This allows them to do their individual jobs correctly, without interruption. Information shows how valuable robotics are to search and rescue operations and I look forward to seeing how they advance soon. Without them, some disasters would be very time consuming and unfortunate.
Annotated Bibliography
Faggella, Daniel. “11 Robotic Applications for Search and Rescue.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 Nov. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/11-robotic-applications-for-search-and-rescue_us_5a173c9ae4b0bf1467a845c4.
The Huffington Post is a credible source that has been reporting news for many years. This specific source gives statistics from the UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction), which explains how natural disasters have taken the lives of numerous people, and robots were there to help, when humans were unable to risk the lives of other taskforce members. The article gives information on where the SAR (search and rescue) Robots where needed, and why and explains how robots have already done an incredible job saving lives efficiently. They are prepared and built to “map” out destinations unable to be reached by SAR Teams. According the CRASAR, another credible association, robots have been shown to preform nine times better than human teams on their own, which leaves more room to explore robotic technology.
Feuilherade, Peter. “Over and Underwater Too.” Robots to the Rescue! | Robohub, Velocity Farm, www.robohub.org/robots-to-the-rescue/ .
RoboHub is an organization used to report knowledge and information on robotics and provides information on maritime robots further down in the article. Robots are not just needed on land, but they are also needed to sort through boat wreckage, tsunamis that affect towns/cities, and other water-related disasters. The maritime robots can also scan the water for polluted areas, and blocked canals, along with swimmers who are stranded and forms into a flotation device. Maritime Robots, as reported by RoboHub are beneficial to everyone, and in most scenarios as well.
“How Robots Are Changing Search and Rescue.” BBC, BBC, 12 June 2014, www.bbc.com/future/story/20140612-robots-to-the-rescue.
This source gives a brief explanation how in the past, robots have been used to make “the invisible, visible.” The author of this source explains how small robots can be used to see things the human eye cannot see, such as people who are confined/trapped in small spaces and need urgent attention. BBC Future is a British Broadcasting Corporation held accountable to report local news and is currently the largest broadcasting corporation in the world. Therefore, the source is credible and relates back to my topic accurately.
Lab, Zarrouk. “Rising STAR, a Miniature Highly Reconfigurable Robot.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=71&v=XI_aepVAuxY.
The video shown above is a phenomenal example of what search and rescue robots are built to do and what sticky situations it can get itself out of. Robots big, and small are essential in the operations to search and rescue for victims, and this video explains why the small robots are vital. This robot is designed to maneuver over rough surfaces, adjust itself when necessary, and fit into small crevices that normal humans couldn’t fit their hand in. The video gives a great physical picture as to how a tiny robot can largely impact the survival of a human being.
Nosowitz, Dan. “Meet Japan’s Earthquake Search-and-Rescue Robots.” Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2011, www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-03/six-robots-could-shape-future-earthquake-search-and-rescue#page-2.
Dan Nosowitz created this article to address a specific robot used in SAR Operations in Japan, and the robot is known as RoboCue. This intricately designed robot was made to identify victims at a disaster scene, and safely remove them from harms way. The article explains how the Tokyo Fire Department’s rescue robot is capable of such, and how it became capable to do the heroic things it does. The robot was originally created to reach survivors in an explosion but work for natural disasters as well. The source is a scientific journal used to report daily discoveries, and other scientific news, and has hundreds of subscribers. The information given through this source relates back to 2011, when Japan endured a natural disaster, but the RoboCue is very modern, and the technology is up to date. It is a trustworthy, reliable machine designed to save human lives.
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Essay 2
In “Should We Welcome Robot Teachers?”, Amanda J.C Sharkey addresses the benefits and concerns that teachers, parents, and children may encounter while including robots into their daily lives. Sharkey explains why there seems to be more concerns than benefits in having a robot take over a teacher’s role, or act as a friend.
Some concerns that are mentioned include the student’s privacy, the robot being unreliable, misrepresentation, and the control over human interaction.
Privacy is something that is vital in a school setting, and it is the teacher’s job to reassure the child, or parent, that they are protected in every way. The author clarifies her statement about privacy, stating “…information picked up by the robot’s sensors that enabled the identification of the person being monitored could be directly transmitted to human monitors, even though that person might consider themselves to be alone and unobserved.” Along side privacy, misrepresenting a real human being is also a large concern among robot teachers. Robots don’t have the ability to make a genuine connection with someone, unlike a human. The author explains that it becomes worrisome when a child is depending on the robot and prefers it over another child or adult, because they are limiting their social interaction skills to technology.
The responsibility of the robot is questioned, regarding the discipline and instruction of children. Sharkey allows me to understand small robots have been proven to increase knowledge in toddlers by a small percentage, but I don’t feel as though children as young as 4 should be introduced to such strong technology. Children who can understand the concept of what a robot is, are old enough to be familiar with one. The author goes into detail on a few robot scenarios brought to students, to conduct studies on how they react. The scenarios are broken into 4 pieces; 1. Robot as a Classroom Teacher, 2. Robot as Companion and Peer, 3. Robot as Care-eliciting Companion, and the last scenario, Telepresence Robot Teacher. The author summarizes the scenarios by saying “The ensuing discussion of the ethical issues raised by robot teachers will be made more specific by basing it on a set of four representative scenarios. These scenarios are identified on the basis of the classroom contexts exemplified in the studies described above…”. The studies are vital to understanding the different levels of companionship and authority.
Benefits to having a robotic teacher can be identified later on in the future Sharkey explains, and questions if they will truly be beneficial. If they are proven to not be beneficial, the robotic teacher raises more concern than benefits. Those benefits include allowing humans to be available for more intriguing jobs, children proving that learning is easier/better with a non-human instructor, and the economic factor of a technology taking over human jobs, for financial reasoning. Sharkey states, “Their use as a cost-cutting measure should still be viewed with suspicion, and they do give rise to concerns about privacy and sharing of information, but nonetheless they could usefully supplement regular classroom teaching in some circumstances.” That explains few of the benefits, aren’t always considered benefits. More benefits could arise in the future, but where we are today, there still are more concerns.
The author’s purpose for the educational industry such as school districts, teachers, and parents, seems to be how to approach robotic relationships and to explain how they can personally affect you. A robotic teacher cannot replace a human teacher without error, cannot expect the students to adjust to it properly, and cannot force a child to succeed, when he/she isn’t getting individual, customized help. This implies that there are more reasons to be careful and alert about welcoming robot teachers, or companions than there are reasons to be inviting them with open arms and having no doubts about their capabilities.