Directions: think about the semester so far. Think about writing the summary and paraphrase and the paper you just wrote. Answer the following two questions:
1. What one aspect of the class do you think helped you the most?
2. What is one thing you wish you knew more about (what would help you with your next few papers?)?
Keep your response to 200 words or less. You can put your response in list form or in paragraph form. Make sure that you really think about your answers. Let me help to make your semester more meaningful to you. Due before class on Wednesday, June 18th.
Response to a classmate (only one): Ask your classmate a question that you think will help to explain his/her answer better. Due by Sunday, June 22nd, by 5pm.
One aspect of the class that has helped me quite a bit so far wasn't exactly in the class but encompassed within this class. I have always had a hard time not writing in passive voice and would get confused when confronted about it, I wasn't sure how to change it. After the summary and paraphrase, I went to talk to Miss Taylor and she helped describe passive voice and taught me how to correct it. Since then I've paid more attention to it and I feel as though I'm getting better. That being said, I would like to learn more about flow or wordiness. At times, I get ahead of myself and think quickly and end up writing wordy papers that don't flow well. I would like to learn more about how to avoid those specific problem areas.
ReplyDeletewhen you say wordiness do you mean using way too many words to say what you mean? I know I make sentences longer and more complicated than they need to be. I had a suggestion that after a break from a paper I come back and do a paraphrase of my own paper. While doing this I attempt to say whatever in the absolute shortest way possible. I haven't had much luck yet but it may help you. For instance, I could have just said "hey Evan do a paraphrase and it might help you out," instead of this long paragraph.
DeleteYour pre-write is good, what is the purpose of revision?
DeleteEvan and Zach,
DeleteI happen to know exactly what your concern is. I have the same issue most of the time. What happens to me is that I get so caught up in what I am writing and my writing can't keep up with my thoughts. It doesn't work for me but, you might want to try short hand writing (ex. abbreviations, or make your own abbreviations).
The aspect I think helped me the most was the thesis workshop. I have allot of ideas, but can not always articulate them properly. So, the thesis workshop helped me form my idea better. One thing I wish I knew more about how to write. Like I just said I have many ideas, and I believe they are usually good ideas. I just can't always get them down on paper
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to having a hard time taking my ideas and putting them onto paper in a way that clearly expresses what I'm thinking. I, personally, use the outline format. It's managed to keep me from pulling out my hair so far. Have you tried the booth blocks or web layout that she gave us?
DeleteThe thing that has helped me the most so far in class has been the teacher feedback. I honestly have come into this class thinking and believing that I would not be able to improve much. It was humbling in a nice way to get feedback about my switching tenses, from past to present without knowing it. As well as fine tuning my use of pronouns without defining them properly. Most surprising has been how difficult to write a 200-word response is. I tend to have no problems writing 600 words, but saying what I need to say in 200 words is very difficult. I would like to continue peer reviews and see more teacher review/question sessions. I also would love to see some quick writing exercises. I at one point had a class where a timed free write on a surprise subject was used to break people out of the first draft nerves. It might help some people in class who are fighting nerves on the first draft.
ReplyDeletei got to agree writing 200 words is a little more challenging then 600 or more, at least a big project will be no problem.
DeleteTeacher feedback is very useful, I agree. I would also suggest that you keep writing those long first drafts and trim a lot of fat when you are finished. Even if it seems difficult, you will probably have spectacular finished products.
DeleteAlthough, we have covered quite a few things this semester that have helped me in class, the one exercise that stands out to me is the thesis brainstorming and pre-writing workshop. I have a hard time brainstorming and coming up with ideas for what I have just read. I used my critical thinking skills to figure out what my thesis was going to be. The workshop helped me get on my feet and pointed me in the right direction as far as what my argument for the hooks essay was going to be. I wish I knew more about transitioning my paragraphs and how to not get thrown off topic easily. I tend to ramble on and on in my writings and once I am finished with my paper I look over what I have wrote and I have to eliminate things because I have found a way to get off subject.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% I have so much trouble coming up with things to say in my writing, I tend to wonder off and start free writing and ultimately start eliminating half of my work. What I think is a big help in this class are the hand outs and I like the way she's prepared and organized with our daily planner for the week.
DeleteAlso what do you think could possibly help us? because ultimately we have the same concerns.??
DeleteMarissa,
DeleteI think we have to use the extra time that Ms. Taylor has given us to turn in our papers wisely. Also, I believe the writing center may help us get on the right track.
1. The most valuable aspect of this class, for me, has been the peer review and editing combined with feedback from Ms. Taylor. I don't feel like I've been thrown to the wolves on most of our assignments, as there is always time and room in the class schedule to ask questions and get constructive criticism before turning papers in. A lot of teachers seem to adopt the "here's your book, here's the assignment, you're on your own, good luck" approach. With this being a condensed course, I expect a heavier work load, but I would probably have a mental breakdown if there was no clear direction given on the assignments. I'm extremely grateful that this class isn't like that.
ReplyDelete2. One thing I wish I knew more about would have to be the Chicago and APA formats so I could utilize them in other classes. The MLA format has been pretty easy to grasp, but none of them were taught to me in high school, so I've been on a (rough) crash course with the other two this semester. The struggle is real!
What resources do you have, or have you used, to learn what you have about Chicago and APA formats? What could help you grasp them better than just reading about them in the Little Brown Handbook, or looking at formatting examples? Also, I can't help but point out the fact that your statement about the struggle is real at the end made me laugh.
DeleteI feel the peer review was very helpful. It helped me give and receive comments on my paper to help me expand on it.
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew more about how to expand on my ideas because I have trouble writing longer papers and assignments.
Hey Corwin, what do you mean by expanding your ideas? Are you talking more about expanding on the ideas on how to structure your papers so you don't run out of things to write about or do you mean the literal ideas of the paper?
Delete1. I think the peer review and the teacher's comments helps me the most right now.
ReplyDelete2. I would like how to structure my sentences better, so that it is not as "awkward" as one of my teacher put on my paper.
How is it "Awkward "? what do you think Ms. Taylor could help with this issue?
DeleteIs this class helping me is such a bad question to ask, sure it can help but it’s not changing me anymore then switching brands of socks I wear. The LBH of little brown hand book is a god send and I am just now realizing that fact. From summaries to even a APA paper that is due in another class. The major thing that is helping is the blog, it is not just another drop box and typing as much shit as I can then fine-tuning it so it looks presentable. The blog is the students, I am having someone read this right now more than likely along with teacher, not only that I am reading other peoples posts as well. It gives me a sense of stepping into their shoes to find out more about their ideas, perspectives, and dislikes or likes. Now the major thing I don’t like and would like to see an improvement or at least a personal grip of mine. Summaries; the bane of college work, I would like to do more free writing and researched projects. I know that it will not stop so I will have to grudgingly deal with for now.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "The LBH of little brown hand book"? Also, I agree that the feedback is helpful.
Delete1. What has allowed me to grow as a writer the most has definitely been the class workshops. This is due to the fact that the workshop allows other opinions and a fresh mindset to evaluate my writing and give me unbiased answers to my questions. I think if it weren't for this I would have had a bit more difficulty with writing my thesis for the non research paper.
ReplyDelete2. What would make me most confident heading into my next few papers would definitely having the peace of mind that I know how to cite all of my sources. This especially applies to the research essay that is coming up and I feel that I really need to have a thorough grip on how to correctly do intext citations as well as my works cited page.
Drew,
DeleteDo you believe that the LBH will help you with your citations and works cited?
Hey Drew,
DeleteI agree with you, the class workshops have helped me with my writing as well. I tend to be biased when I write, when others tell me I'm sounding biased I know what I need to change within my writing. Do you have any ideas for workshops that could help your writing, specifically?
Also, citing sources is an important aspect of academic papers, it's definitely nice to feel comfortable with this.
Evan
1. I think the one-on-one conference we had with you to ask questions about our short argument helped me the most. The conference helped me to zero in on my faults in the paper and fix them before turning it in better than taking my paper to the writing center and peer revision did.
ReplyDelete2. I wish I knew more about how to clearly convey my ideas, a lot of times I feel like I get lost in them on my own and even though free-writting and the booth blocks helped me to figure out what my thoughts were and how to organize them, I feel like I have trouble getting my point across. I think somewhere along the way I confuse myself, and because I feel confused I lose my confidence.
1. One aspect of writing research papers that has always been a harsh reality to face is using the MLA formatted work cited page. I know where to find the information to copy the format but, I would like to like to be able to just put it all on paper without having to look it up.
ReplyDelete2. I think I could use more work and would like to know more about grammar and the placement of commas because this is a continuing issue I hold as I write.
Joshsua,
DeleteHave you heard of the CCR course Pikes Peak offer? I am enrolled in this class and it really helps me to understand punctuations. I feel that I have a better understanding of the placement of commas, semi-colons, apostrophes, etc.
I’m not sure I can pick out an aspect of this English class that has been particularly helpful. The in class exercises haven’t honestly helped concrete any of the ideas introduced in this class any more than the reading. I do prefer the blogger website to D2L’s discussion tab, but in general I personally miss handing in actual papers and getting them back with inked in comments. I understand the convenience of handling grading and assignments online, but I personally feel we lose out when online interaction is taken past the kind of work we do on blogger.
ReplyDeleteSomething I would like to cover more in depth would be actual literature or poetry. I know that might actually be better sought out in a different class in the English department, but I do wish we had more variety in our assigned reading. I feel like so far most of them have held similar tone, except for the “Security” article by Hunter S Thompson, and “Security” was probably the least interesting thing I have read by Thompson. I think at least the experience of studying a few poets here and there might spice up while still keeping the required reading reasonably short.
I think the semester has been great so far. Though it has been running really fast, it can be hard at times to keep up with the work in class and out with other classes giving just as much work and more. The fact that you stand up in class and explain it really well helped me most with understanding the work and assignments. The thing that could help me more with future papers, learn the little details, the special punctuation marks and why they are used where they are. I also wish I knew a bigger vocabulary then what I know now. Doing the summary and paraphrasing was great practice for learning the basics before getting into actual papers.
ReplyDelete