Through our Whitman essays I have already noticed improvments in my planning and writing. For starters I actually took the time to sit down and plan! Instead of the usual sitting down and writing it out with no outline to begin with. I have learned so much during classtime on how to become a better writer and have already and will continue to applly it to my writing. I feel more confident about my writing thanks to the time taken in class to go over how to write a good paper.
Ms. Starhia I have learned sooo much already, THANK YOU! ;)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Off With A Bang!
Last night I was feeling ambitious! Knowing that I have large priorities this coming weekend I decided to start planning my rough draft for my argument essay. I've already picked my topic and did some research, so I had a general idea what I wanted to talk about. So taking Ms. Stariha's advice and turning off any electronic distractions (ex. tv, computer, phone on silent) I started brainstorming an outline.
Surprisingly it turned out quite well! After about 45 minutes of deep thought into my chosen points, I found myself with a detailed and example-backed-up outline of an essay. I was pleased. Since I'm normally a person who doesn't plan out an essay, I just kinda keep writing whatever comes to mind, an outline helped keep my thoughts focused, at least for me.
Not only do I have some stress off my shoulders, I have an excellent idea of how to write my essay, and whats in it (with no tangent bunny-trails, always a problem).
Surprisingly it turned out quite well! After about 45 minutes of deep thought into my chosen points, I found myself with a detailed and example-backed-up outline of an essay. I was pleased. Since I'm normally a person who doesn't plan out an essay, I just kinda keep writing whatever comes to mind, an outline helped keep my thoughts focused, at least for me.
Not only do I have some stress off my shoulders, I have an excellent idea of how to write my essay, and whats in it (with no tangent bunny-trails, always a problem).
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Alrighty
So here I am, blogging. I'm doing this just in case, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to by Friday, but not completely sure. Everyone else is doing it anyways so i figured just to be safe I better make a quick post, cause I dont want my first grade in the gradebook to be a zero ya know? Its never good to dig yourself a hole. Gosh I feel so cool blogging right now........ Peace!
Let's try this again, shall we?
I want to go on record that my last post was going to be killer. However, technology was not my friend that evening. The epic battle between man (or in this case, woman) and machine became more than I was able to endure. It probably didn't help that I was trying to post from my Evo and not from an actual computer. It seemed like a great idea until it failed miserably.
The other day I returned home after school to a terribly ill younger brother. He was pathetically lying on our leather sofa looking near death. Out of his weak vocal chords I heard a request. A request? For me? What could I do to save him from this illness? He wanted a taste of mango. So, being the amazingly wonderful big sister, I accepted his challenge. As many know, mangoes are a beast to peel and de-pit. Cautioning him to eat with care, I served the delicious fruit to him in a bowl that was more of a plate than a bowl. But the serving dish didn't matter. All that mattered was the fruit being served.
Out of concern, I did not want my poor sibling to eat himself to death, so I took it upon myself to consume half of his nourishment. It was well earned for the trouble peeling it caused me. Sitting on the davenport on the other side of the living room, I was deeply thinking while chewing the heaven of a fruit that I took from the plate-like bowl in front of me.
What I was thinking about is not particularly important. In a way, it is. But it does not benefit my purpose here. My mind wondering, my taste buds dancing, and my ears cowering from the terrible sound coming from the black box at the center of our living room (many might call this a "television," however I like to refer to it as "the annoyance"), my thoughts eventually stumbled upon the classes I will be persisting through this trimester. My attention was mainly brought to my future in College English.
Having just receiving my borrowed copy of 1984, I was considering opening the cover and unleashing the magic within, but the mango still rejoiced in my mouth to the point of turning my brain into a cornucopia of different ideas. Suddenly, my phone sang. A text message? O! how I rely on my phone to connect me with the world outside of my own! But, wait! An idea! My eyes wandered from the book, to my phone, back to the book, and finally to my phone again.
"THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!" my thoughts screamed at me, "but, my phone is not an iphone, so that phrase does not fit." I marveled at my idea for the next few moments, all while attempting to conjure up a phrase for my Evo and its "apps." Having absolutely no luck with the last portion, my idea was fool-proof! Pressing the power button to awaken the wizard within, my phone rose from the land of the dead.
Navigating the home screen was no problem for my nimble fingers. I pressed the icon that read "Market" in hopes that I was not to be made, indeed, a fool. My idea had to work. It just had to!
"The search bar on the top!" My mind was racing with the same thought over and over and over again. Typing with fingers twitching with excitement was more difficult that I was expecting, but I conquered it with ease.
"Do I really want to press 'enter'? Yes, I do." So I did. And with much success, it was there! Pressing download, my heart raced. Beating at what felt like a million miles a minute, I was sure the muscle would skip at least one or two.
10%. 30%. 60%. 90%. 100%! It has been downloaded! My heart leaped with joy!
But, what was the name of the app? I can't find it in the app menu. Had I forgotten possibly the most important part of the task at hand? Ah! There it is!
1984 had been downloaded to my phone with hardly a second thought.
The other day I returned home after school to a terribly ill younger brother. He was pathetically lying on our leather sofa looking near death. Out of his weak vocal chords I heard a request. A request? For me? What could I do to save him from this illness? He wanted a taste of mango. So, being the amazingly wonderful big sister, I accepted his challenge. As many know, mangoes are a beast to peel and de-pit. Cautioning him to eat with care, I served the delicious fruit to him in a bowl that was more of a plate than a bowl. But the serving dish didn't matter. All that mattered was the fruit being served.
Out of concern, I did not want my poor sibling to eat himself to death, so I took it upon myself to consume half of his nourishment. It was well earned for the trouble peeling it caused me. Sitting on the davenport on the other side of the living room, I was deeply thinking while chewing the heaven of a fruit that I took from the plate-like bowl in front of me.
What I was thinking about is not particularly important. In a way, it is. But it does not benefit my purpose here. My mind wondering, my taste buds dancing, and my ears cowering from the terrible sound coming from the black box at the center of our living room (many might call this a "television," however I like to refer to it as "the annoyance"), my thoughts eventually stumbled upon the classes I will be persisting through this trimester. My attention was mainly brought to my future in College English.
Having just receiving my borrowed copy of 1984, I was considering opening the cover and unleashing the magic within, but the mango still rejoiced in my mouth to the point of turning my brain into a cornucopia of different ideas. Suddenly, my phone sang. A text message? O! how I rely on my phone to connect me with the world outside of my own! But, wait! An idea! My eyes wandered from the book, to my phone, back to the book, and finally to my phone again.
"THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!" my thoughts screamed at me, "but, my phone is not an iphone, so that phrase does not fit." I marveled at my idea for the next few moments, all while attempting to conjure up a phrase for my Evo and its "apps." Having absolutely no luck with the last portion, my idea was fool-proof! Pressing the power button to awaken the wizard within, my phone rose from the land of the dead.
Navigating the home screen was no problem for my nimble fingers. I pressed the icon that read "Market" in hopes that I was not to be made, indeed, a fool. My idea had to work. It just had to!
"The search bar on the top!" My mind was racing with the same thought over and over and over again. Typing with fingers twitching with excitement was more difficult that I was expecting, but I conquered it with ease.
"Do I really want to press 'enter'? Yes, I do." So I did. And with much success, it was there! Pressing download, my heart raced. Beating at what felt like a million miles a minute, I was sure the muscle would skip at least one or two.
10%. 30%. 60%. 90%. 100%! It has been downloaded! My heart leaped with joy!
But, what was the name of the app? I can't find it in the app menu. Had I forgotten possibly the most important part of the task at hand? Ah! There it is!
1984 had been downloaded to my phone with hardly a second thought.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Darn you Whitman!
I just finished revising my rough draft of the Whitman essay into a better rough draft. It took me just over an hour! Luckily, I had some time to spare. I found it a little challenging to find strong reasons for why the purpose of the poem was saying that life had meaning. I used a quote from the last question before the answer, and the comparision of life to a play for my explanations. I greatly expanded from those two ideas, but that's most of my essay in a nut shell...
Is anyone else finding themselves only having two to three reasons?
Is anyone else finding themselves only having two to three reasons?
College English
I'm excited to finally take this class. It's not like a regular, have-to-do-it, kind of class. It's an elective that I find intriguing. I've been interested in English since the fourth grade, when Mrs. Ten Brink taught us different writing styles and techniques. I think the subject is fascinating. I want to expand my reading and writing skills through a more professional level type of course.
I also appriciate the maturity (or at least its supposed to be) level of the class. Also I like that we research controversial topics, and aren't afraid of really being able to say what we think (respectfully). I feel I think more like an adult, so being able to finally express things in a higher level of thinking is refreshing. I really want to do well in this class to prepare myself for my college education in the Fall of 2011, especially since I'm double majoring in Pre-Law and English Education at Ferris State. So hopefully Ms. Stariha doesn't crush my hopes and dreams too much. :)
I also appriciate the maturity (or at least its supposed to be) level of the class. Also I like that we research controversial topics, and aren't afraid of really being able to say what we think (respectfully). I feel I think more like an adult, so being able to finally express things in a higher level of thinking is refreshing. I really want to do well in this class to prepare myself for my college education in the Fall of 2011, especially since I'm double majoring in Pre-Law and English Education at Ferris State. So hopefully Ms. Stariha doesn't crush my hopes and dreams too much. :)
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