Course Reflection
This semester of English was very challenging but full of learning. Our class read books such as The Great Gatsby and The Glass Castle. I really enjoyed reading The Glass Castle and participating in the Socratic seminar our class held. The course was filled with a lot of analysis and critical thinking on pieces of text. My writing skills have especially improved from the many free-writes we did and from one-on-one help from my teacher, Ms. Dott. American literature has new meanings to me after studying topics such as The American Dream, American Trailblazers, and Transcendentalism. Although this was one of the most difficult and demanding classes I've taken, I am glad that I took it because I enjoy a good challenge and have improved in so many fields pertaining to the English language. Below are some of my pieces of work from this course.
This semester of English was very challenging but full of learning. Our class read books such as The Great Gatsby and The Glass Castle. I really enjoyed reading The Glass Castle and participating in the Socratic seminar our class held. The course was filled with a lot of analysis and critical thinking on pieces of text. My writing skills have especially improved from the many free-writes we did and from one-on-one help from my teacher, Ms. Dott. American literature has new meanings to me after studying topics such as The American Dream, American Trailblazers, and Transcendentalism. Although this was one of the most difficult and demanding classes I've taken, I am glad that I took it because I enjoy a good challenge and have improved in so many fields pertaining to the English language. Below are some of my pieces of work from this course.
Near the beginning of this course, I teamed up with classmates Isaiah, Paulose, and Kevin to create a podcast on the American Dream. To make this podcast, the other group members and I individually interviewed people about their thoughts on the American Dream and whether or not it was still alive. We then created a script discussing the American Dream using facts and quotes from our interviews. Before recording ourselves for the final product, we integrated our few favorite interviews into the podcast. Through this assignment I gained a much stronger understanding of The American Dream today, and I improved my communication and teamwork skills. If I were to do this assignment again, I would change the music and spend more time polishing the podcast to make it sound more smooth.
For the visual analysis essay, first I had to choose a visual artifact to analyze. In my case, I chose a picture that persuaded its audience to stop smoking and brought awareness to the problem of tobacco smoke in the world. It was interesting to analyze the visual artifact because it contained symbolism, a metaphor, and a statistic. I learned that it is possible to break down a picture and analyze it it many ways, even the smallest details. My ability to recognize symbolism and metaphor improved as well. If I did this assignment again, I would approach it with a completely open mind so that I could retrieve even more information from the visual artifact.
My Narrative Essay
I wrote a narrative essay this semester pertaining to a soccer championship game that I played in when I was thirteen years old. I chose this subject for my narrative because my team won a well-deserved championship when the odds were not in our favor. I scored two goals, and without those crucial goals we would have lost the game. A lesson I learned from that game was that you cannot focus on the sidelines and you must ignore distractions to succeed. Working hard as a team and doing your best until the end will guide you away from loss and disappointment. This assignment helped me improve my grammar, and I also learned that writing an essay can actually be enjoyable. If I were to do this assignment again, I would spend more time brainstorming stories about myself, and I would maybe choose a different topic.
I wrote a narrative essay this semester pertaining to a soccer championship game that I played in when I was thirteen years old. I chose this subject for my narrative because my team won a well-deserved championship when the odds were not in our favor. I scored two goals, and without those crucial goals we would have lost the game. A lesson I learned from that game was that you cannot focus on the sidelines and you must ignore distractions to succeed. Working hard as a team and doing your best until the end will guide you away from loss and disappointment. This assignment helped me improve my grammar, and I also learned that writing an essay can actually be enjoyable. If I were to do this assignment again, I would spend more time brainstorming stories about myself, and I would maybe choose a different topic.
The topic for the strong answer format writing assignment was "How does one achieve his or her goal?" For the strong answer format, a thesis is needed, and evidence is necessary to back up that thesis. I claimed that in order to achieve your goal you must be determined and prepared for obstacles that come your way. I used Jackie Robinson as an example because he achieved his goal through determination and overcoming obstacles. From this assignment I learned that using evidence and real life examples helps support a claim in writing. If I were to do this writing again, I would include an additional example of someone who was determined to reach their goal and achieved it in the end.
For this free write assignment, the questions asked were "Do you enjoy reading The Glass Castle" and "If you were to ask Jeanette Walls (the author) one question, what would it be?" Before I started reading the book, I hated reading and did not look forward to this. But once I got going and got engaged in the text, I really liked it. For my answer to the second question, I wrote that I would ask Jeanette whether she wishes she could have been raised differently. From this assignment, I learned that reading can actually be exciting and enjoyable if you find the right book for you. If I were to do this free write over, I would probably want to ask Jeanette what she would do while writing the book if she forgot a memory from her childhood.
This was a very interesting subject for a free write. My assignment was to think of reasons why cheating is OK and write them down. Although cheating is very unethical, can harm others, and leads to bad habits, I was able to come up with a couple reasons why cheating is justifiable. I wrote that cheating is a different way to get out of a tough situation. It is an easier way out, benefits yourself, and does not directly harm others. I learned from this writing that there are always reasons and support for both sides of an argument and it is best to be understanding of both viewpoints. If I had to do this free write again, I would maybe say that for some people cheating has saved them and without it they would not be where they are today.
Analysis of Writing
I have many strengths when it comes to my writing. I am good at portraying images and feelings vividly to my audience. Building complex sentences comes naturally to me, and forming strong diction along with it is one of my strengths. I have no trouble when it comes to spelling; tell me almost any word and I can spell it! Still, I also have my weaknesses. I sometimes have trouble with comma and semi-colon placement, but I have been improving in this. Being completely focused on my writing is an absolute must because if my mind strays, my writing skills are hindered. Another weakness I have is sometimes I have trouble finding evidence to support my claim. I have areas where I have improved over this course. My grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure have improved significantly. I have noticed that my writing has become more creative. I can now see my writing as work of art, not just a bunch of words piled together. I personally see that as a great improvement. I have goals for next year as well. I hope to improve my brainstorming for writing ideas so that I can make my work more interesting and engaging. I want to learn new vocabulary to create diverse diction in my writing. For my grammar, I have a goal to make fewer mistakes in sentence building, and I want to improve my punctuation placement.
I have many strengths when it comes to my writing. I am good at portraying images and feelings vividly to my audience. Building complex sentences comes naturally to me, and forming strong diction along with it is one of my strengths. I have no trouble when it comes to spelling; tell me almost any word and I can spell it! Still, I also have my weaknesses. I sometimes have trouble with comma and semi-colon placement, but I have been improving in this. Being completely focused on my writing is an absolute must because if my mind strays, my writing skills are hindered. Another weakness I have is sometimes I have trouble finding evidence to support my claim. I have areas where I have improved over this course. My grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure have improved significantly. I have noticed that my writing has become more creative. I can now see my writing as work of art, not just a bunch of words piled together. I personally see that as a great improvement. I have goals for next year as well. I hope to improve my brainstorming for writing ideas so that I can make my work more interesting and engaging. I want to learn new vocabulary to create diverse diction in my writing. For my grammar, I have a goal to make fewer mistakes in sentence building, and I want to improve my punctuation placement.