When looking back to and thinking about the beginning of this blog project, I remember wondering what all I would learn about. I wasn’t sure what kind of topics I would exactly cover, but as I researched for one post, I found an interconnected number of subjects that all demonstrated and discussed the effects of the Gulf oil spill on the environment.
I found that the basic knowledge of subjects, such as the food chain, breeding, migration, and so on, were extremely applicable to understanding the effects the oil had on each of these (links to articles, respectively) and the wildlife and environment. All of latter were researched by scientists to show how the oil altered and impacted specific types of wildlife on land and in the water. This showed me how important such simple concepts can be when relating them to this significant of an issue that we have been and currently are facing.
Learning about bias and how it affects the creditability and ethical appeal of a blog or article was a large part of this project. A major component of this blog was to research and present information in our posts in an unbiased fashion. I feel as though I succeeded in doing this as I sought to find creditable and reputable sites and information on my topic and its various subjects. Especially in my analysis post, along with referencing to it in my implication and theory posts, I addressed both sides of the debate of the topic and described the standpoints of the environmentalists who strongly supported environmental research in the Gulf area and waters and for law reforms versus those who feels as though the facts and reports were exaggerated, mostly due to the media’s influence. By being educated about bias, I am therefore able to recognize it when reading and writing information, which has made me a more ethical and knowledgeable blogger and student.
Even more, I realize that I am not enthusiastic or devoted to learning about politics. I find that I do not always understand the complexity of the situations and seem to become extremely confused when discussing the positions of each political party and what they advocate for. Nonetheless, I feel as though by reading other blogs that were dedicated to discovering the different stances of the parties when researching for their topic, I gained more understanding of these political aspects. Also, I examined and referenced the perspectives of both the Republican and Democratic parties in my analysis post and when looking at the Environmental Protection Agency’s involvement with the cleanup and monitoring in response to the oil in the Gulf. Altogether, I believe that I uncovered and comprehended a sense of meaning of the political ties from the discussion of the different parties through both the material in my blog, as well as by others’ blogs.
Lastly, because so much research was necessary for this blog, I have found more effective and resourceful methods in which to conduct research. I now have become skillful at using Google by knowing the best way to structure words and use keywords to find desired information. Additionally, I have found that creditable website typically provide links to other reliable websites, which is another valuable tool in gathering and researching materials.
Altogether, I feel like I have grown in my skills and abilities as both a writer and researcher throughout the course of this blog. I have gained an abundance of knowledge on the topic of the Gulf Oil Spill and how it has affected the environment in a myriad of ways. I believe that this blog has allowed and helped me develop the thought processes and research techniques that will be useful for me in the future. Although this project consumed a great deal of hard work and a great deal of time, I know that it has proved to be beneficial as I have thoroughly evaluated and analyzed an important topic while improving my techniques to become a better writer and student.
