The Human impact of test-Driven writing in Florida’s public schools.
Presented at Nova Southeastern University’s Crossroads Student Humanities Conference, April 2025.
Seminar paper: Causes and effects of test-driven writing in Florida’s public schools.
Abstract: Learning and practicing a range of writing genres and styles is essential for students, not only for critical thinking and academic learning but also for personal development and social skills. It is also beneficial for teachers of writing to be active writers, both in their own classrooms and in communities of writers. However, students in Florida’s public schools must undergo a proliferation of state-mandated standardized, high-stakes testing in English Language Arts. The style and content of those tests, a strong focus on test preparation in the classroom, and the narrow focus of Florida’s Department of Education’ prescribed writing curriculum, from kindergarten to 12th grade, have limited student exposure to and engagement with a writing praxis engaging all four writing philosophies for addressed audiences which would support personal and academic learning gains (Fulkerson, 1979; Ede & Lunsford, 1984; Emig, 1977). This narrow focus has also impacted teachers as writers, limiting time and scope to develop their own writing praxis. Keywords: Florida public schools, Murray, Emig, Ede and Lunsford, Chen et al, Anderson et al, FAST testing, BEST standards, English Language Arts, standardized curriculum.
Above: Slideshow presentation, adapted for the theme of the conference: Responsibility and Reconciliation.
Below: Multimodal manifesto, advocating for expressivist writing in the classroom.
How do the language and effects of book ban legislation and policies in the USA and Florida shape student identity?
Abstract: Book bans and challenges have exploded across America in recent years. Not only is access to books as freedom of expression is an essential American right central to the Constitution, but additionally, the banning of books is a form of rhetoric that implicitly guides and shapes culture, concepts of what is acceptable, and limits exposure to diverse voices and experiences. This review will consider current literature, case law, and statutes to examine the research question: How does the language of book bans affect student identity and well-being in Florida? The research articles, and my own interests, cover both instructional and non-instructional materials in classrooms and media centers at public elementary, middle, and high schools.
Firstly, I will summarize the current Supreme Court legislation around book banning as well as the intentions and effects of this case law. Secondly, I will compare and contrast the themes of the articles around book banning which include concerns over cultural annihilation, students' access to diverse voices, the necessity of discomfort for growth, and the effects of self-censorship. Finally, I will review the language of the 2021 Florida legislation which is creating divisiveness in communities and criminalization of educators and school librarians.
"Fight the Patriarchy": A Rhetorical Analysis of Dissent Through the Homepage of a Personal Finance Influencer
Introduction: It’s both common knowledge and well-documented that women still earn less than men, almost 1/5 less in 2024, of what men earn (Center, 2025), and, as a gender group, they have been less likely to invest, creating a double financial disadvantage (Invest, 2024). A cursory Google search reveals a proliferation of female Gen Z personal finance influencers (Female Finance Influencers, 2025). The majority of these Gen Z financial influencers use names with more traditional feminist connotations: Money Honey Rachel, the cute rhyme problematically connotes a honey trap, sweetness, and kindergarten poetry; Mixed Up Money permeates a damaging stereotype of women as financially confused and challenged, confirmed again by the Budget Jones’ Diary’s allusion to the Bridget Jones franchise as the title character is permanently, adorably hapless; and The Broke Generation conveys a sense of static helplessness (Brighty-Potts, 2023). By contrast, personal finance personality, influencer, and multimillionaire Tori Dunlap, a woman in her early 30s who made her first $100k by the age of 25, reaches past these tropes to create a rhetoric that challenges established gender norms. This analysis will explore Dunlap as an agent (Burke, 2000) in presenting herself as a dissenter in the female financial influencer sphere, demonstrated through the rhetorical use of her portraits in her website and used by other financial websites, standing out in sharp contrast to the softer images of other female financial influencers, like those listed as ones to follow in 2024 by the website Credit Soup (Monroe, 2024). It will also consider Dunlap’s homepage on her website with reference to her social media platforms, in the context of Burke’s agency, demonstrating how she uses the combination of colors, font, and trademarked slogans as rhetorical strategies to expose gender-specific cultural sensitivities.