Murray Owen - Adhd Reflective Essay

Murray 1
Owen Murray
Instructor Haak
English 1510
16 April 2019
Reflective Essay (ADHD)
This project took a lot of preparation, research, and construction due to the very limited
amount of information there is on the actual subject that is actually able to be understood by
someone who has not been trained in breaking down medical documents. The preparation took a
lot of questions that I had to search for answers for. I questioned my brother, who has struggled
with school due to ADHD and he gave me some insight as to what his experience has been like
dealing with administrators at the high school. Witnessing his struggles were the very reason I
began my research into ADHD students. As I began my research, I found that not much has been
done in order to help these students along their path to a higher level of education. Putting
together enough research to present an actual good message. I put together a very organized and
easy-to-understand presentation that put together several different mediums in order to give off a
perfect persuasive presentation.
In order to connect my presentation to all three parts of the rhetoric triangle, I put
together three separate statements that would allow my audience to feel Logos, Ethos, and
Pathos. For my Logos example, I explained how a better educational system as a whole would
lead to a stronger economy due to the individuals who may be at risk of dropping out being
guided instead to high school graduation and maybe even on to college. My Pathos example was
the simple fact that these students deserve every bit of help that is necessary to enable them to
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graduate from high school. These students simply require a guiding hand and a style of educating
that is tailored towards their interests. My Ethos example includes credibility of my information
that was gathered from reports by some of the leading experts in ADHD research. Dr. Russell
Barkley had several reports but only one pertained to the case I was trying to build for an
educational reform. He was a very credible source to gather information from.
I conducted my argument on the basis of a lack of effort from school officials and
teachers who are responsible for the education of these students. My own family has had several
issues in planning out the education of both my brother and sister, who have learning disabilities
and are dependent on an unorthodox method of education that takes proper planning through IEP
or 504 programs. Educators need to be trained in order to better understand the behavior of
students that suffer from not only ADHD but also other learning disabilities. Another large part
of my argument is based off of the fact that we cannot allow another human being to be left
behind when it comes to education. The call to action was largely placed on the shoulders of my
audience, who are my peers but also the next generation of educators. By giving this
presentation, I hope to prove how big of an issue this is, and the issue itself will remain in their
minds as they become the ones who are responsible for educating the next generation.
My medium is a website, which has two essays and a slideshow attached in order to
convey the message, but also have photos and research to tie everything together. I also have a
video connected to the website in order to battle against my chosen counter argument. The video
is an example of how a troubled youth with ADHD just required a guiding hand and the promise
of hope in order to change his ways and graduate from a very prestigious school. All of this tied
together creates a perfect way to prove to that the issue at hand is one that deserves serious
attention in order to create a change.

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We have read several texts over the course of our class this semester, but Helen Keller’s
story of finding the proper educator was a very inspiring story of a troubled student that required
a guiding hand in order to continue to make progress. It perfectly relates to the argument that I
have constructed, due to the main point of it relating to educators needing to move on to more
unorthodox teaching methods. This story also contains a very motivational message for students
who struggle to make sense of the lessons that they are being taught. Helen Keller turned a
situation that seemed hopeless into one of the greatest success stories that has ever been told. She
continued to work hard and pursued education with a vigor that is required when facing obstacles
that can seem impossible to overcome. I want this attitude to be projected to my audience, and
for students with ADHD to be inspired by this and take charge over their own lives while
demanding to be educated.
The peer review process was very beneficial and several of the ideas for my website
came from students who looked over my work while improving upon it. They helped me to draw
connections from class, and also helped me to build my case against the counter argument.
Another students helped me to draw an emotional appeal to my argument that would create a
sense of responsibility to the issue for everyone who is presented this information. I never would
have been able to construct anywhere near as strong of an argument without the help of the my
bright-minded classmates. I enjoyed being able to interact with my peers and gain outside
opinions on my work while helping others to create the best presentation that can be given. The
peer editing process is a necessity when it comes to creating a project that reaches its maximum
potential.
In conclusion, this project took a lot of time and effort to construct in a way that both
makes sense and respects the severity of the issue itself. I wanted to create a project that
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respected the students who are faced with these problems every day. I wanted to be able to give
this presentation in front of students like my brother, so that they know that there are individuals
out there who truly care about the educations that they are receiving.

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Murray 1

Reflective Essay (ADHD)

perfect persuasive presentation.

educational reform. He was a very credible source to gather information from.

attention in order to create a change.

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