Logical Fallacies In High School

The decision to go back to school after twenty years was easy. Getting enrolled in school and moving forward with the decision was exciting and frightening at the same time. Growing up, I always knew enough about proper writing techniques to get through my English writing classes with good grades. I often helped others with their English homework and report writing throughout my middle and high school years. Growing up with my grandmother, she was one to always correct us in our conversations on proper English. The big one she would correct us on was, “she and I “or “them and I”, she was a strict one when it came to putting yourself last when asking or telling someone something that included you. When I took the assessment for getting enrolled

into college, I thought to myself “I am fairly good at writing, I shouldn’t need any extra classes there,” however, I was wrong. I have learned a lot about myself and my writing skills. I believe I deserve an A in Introduction to College Writing because while in class I have learned the following three things. I have learned about Logical Fallacies, the difference between primary and secondary sources and how to set up an APA formatted document.
Just about everyone who can read, speak or those who watch television know, have heard or used some type of logical fallacy.

Without knowing what they are people use them, are exposed to them, and hear them every day. I, myself did not know what logical fallacies were until this class, although after learning about them knew what they were all along. There is many types of logical fallacies out there. Some types are: The Ad Hominem-which is essentially a name calling type of argument where one choses to pick at the person involved rather than the argument itself, An Appeal to Authority- which is having someone well known or famous advocate for something so others with buy it or test it, and An Appeal to Emotion- where someone or something pulls at ones emotions whether it be sad, happy or angry to get the person(s) to do what they want or need them to do. I never knew these types of “arguments or pleas for help” had an actual name being Logical Fallacies, until this

class.
While in school, I did plenty of reports on different subjects for English and History classes. Mostly we were taught to use the sources at the school for our reports. We went to the library and computer labs to look up information and do our reports. All along I never gave thought to if I was using a primary source or a secondary source, it was just sources. Looking back I would say that all of my reports throughout high school were based on secondary sources being encyclopedias, history books and a small amount of various websites. When I got into college, I learned that everything my grandmother and husband’s grandmother had told us about “the old days,” was primary sources due to the fact that they had experienced those times themselves and were part of that time. Now I understand the difference between primary and secondary sources.
I have never completed an essay in an APA formatted document. I did not even know what they were or how to get to them on the computer, until this class. I hand wrote the step by step process for properly formatting this type of essay in my notebook for easy reference. I know now there is thirty one steps to getting it ready if you don’t have word 2013 on your computer and thirty steps if you do. I learned from my Professor, while going into the Nursing program, I will use this type of formatted document for the many papers that I write while in school. Although I still do not know the entire step by step process to start my APA formatted essay, I believe by the time I am done with school it will be second nature to me.
I know that I will have a lot of writing in my future classes for my degree.

I am glad I had to take this class as I believe it has improved my writing in my current profession as an EMT and in my job as a CNA at the hospital. It also helps me to encourage my kids to do well and correctly write in their classes. This class has taught me more than I thought it would about all aspects of writing and reminded me of things I knew but had forgotten after being out of school for so long. With working with nurses and other professionals, I know that most of the writing or charting that is done for patients is brief and concise, so this and other writing classes will help me to do well in that profession. Taking what I have learned in this class alone, I believe will help me to be very successful in every aspect of my career choices. I believe I deserve an A in this

class.