Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Reflection: Prep for Final
Directions: in 200 words or less, describe one aspect of the semester (the blogs, the quizzes, group exercises, pre-writing, writing a particular paper, etc.) that helped you the most in understanding how to write better compositions. Your most significant moment during the semester could be as simple as what you learned from speaking to one of your classmates or to the professor. You will use this blog as a jumping off point for the final. You can print out and bring your blog response with you to class on the day of the final. The blog response is due before class on May 7th, and is worth 10 points.
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Throughout the semester I would have to say the most effective aspect I have learned is free writing. There have been many times where I was trying to figure out how to word something or where to go next with my writing. In moments like that I would just open my note book up and start writing with an Idea in my head of where I wanted my writing to go. Through this process I would get out the nonsense that may have been blocking my process. I may have written profanity or even ranted. Eventually the words start flowing and the ideas would come out. I always know what I am thinking and want to say but have a hard time getting those thoughts down onto paper. Through the free writing process I have found a new way to stop wasting time thinking about how to say something and get the words out. Free writing has been very beneficial for me through the semester.
ReplyDeleteThe part of this class that I found most helpful was the first diagnostic essay we did about the shitty first draft. The approach that author took to writing helped me on all the papers we did. Before I sat down to write a paper i wouldn't know what to say, eventually I would just have to write something down and fix it later. I realized the first rough draft doesn't need to be perfect, what's important was just getting something down on paper. That was the approach to all the papers I had to write. Knowing that others writers do the same thing and struggle with the beginning of a paper is a big confidence booster and helps to not worry as much. I've learned to just relax and not think too hard.
ReplyDeleteI never was the type to really re-read my work. I would look at what I had written, and if it seemed the part I went with it. I never was the type to have any one revise my work either, let alone revise it myself. One of the most important things I learned in English composition is always revise your work. And after you’ve revised it, revise it again. If you get another perspective on a revised, revised then you get a second perspective. This second perspective can change the way you interpret what you’ve written. I’ve learned this, and it definitely has changed the way that I write papers. Now, not only am I proof reading things that I have written, but I’m getting a second pair of eyes on it as well. I understand the benefit of revising now. It makes what you write more concise, and more clear to the audience your trying to reach. You also will begin to understand what you have written. Anyone can write a bunch of words on a paper, but an experienced writer can write a bunch of words on paper and make them make perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the semester I have learned quite a few of my bad writing habits - namely that of using too many unnecessary commas and not organizing/perfecting my ideas - through outlining/drafting/finalizing the main papers. Although I initially rejected outlines because of their simplicity, I found that they saved me from continuously rewriting my rough drafts and ultimately saved me a lot of time. The narrow structure of an outline prevented my inner editor from immediately dismissing new ideas and help me to set up a paper in its early stages without having to move too much around. I struggled in the beginning of the semester because of my disinterest in the assigned material and this hampered my ability to write. However, through reading LBH/Inquiry, I discovered that free-writing any and all ideas either on paper or on a computer with its screen turned off allowed for better ideas since my mind was not able to force finalized, polished thoughts/sentences.
ReplyDeleteThe most effective thing I learned this semester was how to write a particular type of argument and use it to relate to me audience. For instance the Letter from Birmingham Jail that Martin Luther King Wrote had a lot of logos in it. This was astonishing to me because when I first read it I took it as MLK was only trying to prove a point by showing the clergymen that on multiple instances they and their followers have caused pain onto the black community, I believed this was somewhat of a well-articulated letter stating his anger and disappointment. But through learning the types of arguments I see that he was trying to relate to them and was also leaning a lot on emotion to get his point across. Nevertheless I learned how to better get my audience’s attention to prove a point of even just state facts
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started college I was nervous and a little scared especially about having to take a college level English class. Through the semester I have learned tons of new things but the one thing I found most beneficial to me was 50 first drafts. While this process may seem time consuming I find it to be very beneficial . Writing my first paper was a challenge but after the 50 first draft was introduced to me the process became easier. All I had to do was write freely not thinking about any grammar errors , when I was was done go back and revise it take away everything that was not important. This process made everything easier .
ReplyDeleteWhat helped me most throughout this class was not the actual papers themselves -- it was the writing process we were taught. I've written plenty of papers in my time, but I've always been afraid of showing any of my works to others. I'm not sure whether this was a fear of criticism or of being humbled. Either way, it was helpful to me to not only be encouraged towards having others read my works, but to also be required at least once to do so. That one time helped me to gradually let even people other than those in the writing center read what I had written, but more importantly, it helped me to gain confidence in my writings. It taught me that it was okay, good even, to get another perspective on my writings. Having been homeschooled, it didn’t typically occur to me to let someone else read my compositions. But only yesterday, I had a friend do just that, and it was incredibly helpful. A fresh pair of eyes can have a better suggestion than your own, as was shown by my friend’s multiple comments in red on the document. I’m no longer concerned so much with being humiliated, but instead with having a good, solid paper to offer.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may see, odd, one aspect of the class that I really thought to be effective were the quizzes we had to take at the beginning of most classes. Even though they were kind of a pain, it meant that I had to stay on task every night if I wanted to receive the points. I loved having that extra work that would push me to try harder and pay more attention. I must say those quizzes were generally pretty detailed, meaning I couldn't always just skim through the pages. With actually having to read thoroughly, I learned how to pay attention to detail and absorb what the Inquiry book or Little Brown Hand book was trying to teach me.
ReplyDeleteWell, what helped me the most was the LBJ paper, or more generally speaking, the process in which to write a paper contructively and with good formatting. The LBJ paper just helped me implement it successfully into my paper, it helped me to write in the desired format. I had to write his use of pathos and ethos, and this allowed me two branch out two ideas into my paper. I wrote a nicely done thesis, thanks to your in class workshop, wich I think was a great idea and is actually one of the many things you did to help for me to become a better writer. My thesis worked out nicely, and it helped me to use it as a guide to write the rest of my paper to match it, as well as write a conclusion to readdress it. This paper basically allowed me to write in a well ordered and solid manner. It helped me to undestand that the thesis is the backbone of your paper. And the things that helped me write this paper was your in class thesis workshop, your help in my emails, your example papers on D2L, and the examples and readings you provided in the LBH.
ReplyDeleteDuring the duration of the year my understanding of each paper grew. So many aspects of the writing process and peer reviewing really aided me to success with each paper. Initially I was still a little wishy washy on even the concept of a thesis but through Ms. Taylor's direction I was able to produce solid thesis each and every time which helped build my confidence in my writing as well. The piece of writing that I was most confident about this semester was my Anzaldua. This paper was super difficult for me to grasp the concept of butafter days of contimplating a thesis I finally got a firm hold on it and was able to put together a paper worthy of a good grade. Due to the Anzaldua paper I felt more confident writing the papers that proceeded and even more confident for the next level of writing!
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