Thoughts

Thoughts on the English 103

My final thoughts on my English 103 class are, I am smiling I made it through another semester of very hard work and the holidays are here. I have just finished my German final one of my three finals about an hour ago and now just writing my last blog for my English 103 class. I am happy that my English 103 class is over.  I have learned some from taking this class but I feel that I didn’t learn as much as I should have.  I wish that I have learned more critical thinking skill from this class. Not getting everything out of this class is completely all on me not have the time that is needed for an English class.  

I am saying goodbye to my English 103 class, I hope everyone who taken this class has developed something from all the hard work that everyone put in it. Look back to your first blog about what you want to get out of this class did everyone learn something from their list? I have developed more about writing in this blog than anywhere else. I feel that it takes me no time at all to write this blog but when writing on discussion board or a paper for this class it takes me hours, something days just get an outline done.

I will really miss having to write those blogs every week, because if it’s not a homework assignment I will never write a blog again. I know this for a fact; I am very busy and will never make the time to write in this blog again.  Not only am I saying goodbye to my English class but saying goodbye to this blog as will. I hope that everyone whom read those blogs enjoyed them. I know I have enjoyed reading other peoples blog from our class and just blogs about interesting subjects.

This being my last week of school for the year of 2010, I want to thank everyone who read and comment on blogs. And thank everyone from my English class that edited my essay, I know they put a lot of hard work in reading my essay. I truly am grateful for my group reading my essay and telling what they really think. I hope that my editing for help in some way to you too. I hope everyone who reads this from my class is happy with their final grades. I hope everyone out have happy holidays and has a great new year.

Learned

Over the last few weeks I have been working on a research paper for my English 103, the subject I had pick was Iranian Revolution. I have planned to use two specific books but when I went looking for the books at a store they were only online. It was a little last minute for me to change my paper, so I have a lot of work to redo and find different articles on the person. The peep editing one person told me my paper was like a history paper and the only other person to grade it said it was good but had a lot of grammar errors. So it’s due in two days and I don’t know what way to do.

I have learned at lot from this research paper, one I learn about the history of Iran’s religion. Two I have learn that there was split in the religion and why it happened. Three why Iran’s hate American and what they mean about the western influence on their culture. Four what happen to create harsh laws in Iran. As for my writing, I hope that I have got the MLA format correct finally. I think I have learned what the importance of rereading my essays. Always about not only trying to uses book when doing my papers, it’s okay to get article off the web, I am hoping to do this for my final draft. I also feel that I have learned what strong quotes are. I think my research paper have a really good block quote that help it stand out.

 In my essay I working on making sure I have all of the following in it: What is “X”?  This is an argument that makes some kind of claim. What is the value of “X”? This question evaluates or assesses a topic and then convinces the reader that the assessment you made is reasonable. What are the causes (or consequences) of “X”? What should (or ought or must) be done about “X”? Those are the question my teacher what answer in the essay, I will be using those question again in an essay. I think that those questions are great for working on an essay.  Right now I think my essay force more on fact and I want it to force more on the effects it had.

I have known how to write a research paper but for English research papers are very different. I hope that my research paper in the end is an English research paper and not like a history research paper. I working on it all weekend, I hope to find some really good article that talk about the effects of the Iranian Revolution on the Iran’s public. In the end I hope to get a lot of good work done this weekend. I have been reading a lot about how English research paper should be from a different website, so I hope I get a good grade on this essay.

Question for my Research Project

Ø  How is it coming along?

For my final essay in my English 103 class is a research paper, which is my favor out of the all the essays I had to write this semester. For me research papers are simpler than putting my thoughts on to paper.  It’s Friday night and I am about half way done and its due Sunday. I need a few more books to complete what I have. I am doing the research paper on The Iranian Revolution. I have broken it down into a few different parts. After the opening came I put what caused the spilt of the religion. Next was the first shah that sold oil to other countries. Fourth the bio of the leader of the Iranian Revolution and then how the Revolution all came about and what happened first. Last are the effects after the Iranian Revolution and who’s happy and who’s not.  

Ø  What do you need to do to complete it?

I need the bio of the leader of the Iranian Revolution. I want to find more information on the first Shah that started sailing oil to other countries.  I would like to find the books written by the leader of the Iranian Revolution and see how different people seen the books. I need to work on my opening and closing but I always do this last for some reason. It’s just easier for me to come up with the opening and closing if the whole paper is done.

Ø   How do you plan to accomplish this?

Tomorrow I have got a babysitter and I plan to go to a book store and read as many books about the Iranian Revolution as I can. I am bringing my computer with me to get as much of the work as I can before I have to be home. I have a clear a web of I have plan to bring all my research together. I hope it get me a good grade because I feel more comfortable doing research papers.

Ø  What areas of difficulty are you encountering?

The only area I was having problems with was finding a good place to get the bio for the Iranian Revolution leader but I have found a book at a store. I can’t a ford to buy the book but hoping to use at the store for awhile. Also I haven’t been able to find newspaper from the date it happened but I am still looking and my fingers are crossed that I will find some. I find myself during the holidays or will the last few weeks not caring about school. I just want the semester to be over. I tired of staying up all night and getting wakened up by my son at five am, I just want the semester to be over.

Ø  How might you overcome these obstacles?

I am going to the book for some time to read the book there and hope that it’s not a book that have a cover over.  I am holding my head up and I just keep telling myself that the semester is almost over. And next semester is my last. I can get a good grade and be done with my English class for a long time.

Writing Styles

Online communication sucks for me. I am not a social person; I like to keep to myself. Posting my feeling online for the world to see can be very hard and has created a lot of stress for me. But I do like writing this blog, it’s gotten very easy. Over the last few months, I have learned not to care if anyone has read my blogs or not. In my English class’s discussion board has been a great way for me to see how other people writ and helped my writ more and put more thought into my writing.

My online communication is brief and to the point. I hate trying to make my paper, blog or whatever I am writing long. I don’t like reading anything that seems like it’ll never come to an end. And I would hate to have other people read my work and feel like it goes on and on. The only time I like to use a lot of detail is when I am telling/writing a great story and in college most papers are research papers, so why make them long and not to the point ? I hope other people don’t see my work as never ending and not to the point.

Other people might see my writing style very different then I see it. I have been writing this blog for 13 weeks now and not one person outside of my class has commented on it. So to say anything about how the public see my blog/writing is very hard. But I do have some feeling about how my group sees my writing style. From their comment and peep editing, they most like see my writing as tossed together and not well throughout.  Which can be a little true, I have a hard time working on a paper for a long time and going back and rereading it. I can work on it for a few hours but if I don’t finish it in that time, I stop caring. For rereading it to make sure it reads smoothly, I just can’t do it more than once.

Lastly my writing style does change. If I like what I am writing about then I do my best to take my time, which makes my writing better then if it’s a subject I don’t care because then my writing is tossed together and not care about. For the most part everyone can pick out which one is which for the first paragraph. After most teachers have told me time and time again not to be person about research paper, lots of my papers lack a person touch now. The only time I put person touch in my writing is when I am telling a story. But those are the only times when my writing changes. I hope that one day my writing will not change and it will be great no matter what subject or if different type of writing I am work on will remain consistent.

Stop and Love What You Have

A truly great and eye opening book is Reading Lolita in Tehran. So I had to read this book my English 103 class, which I wasn’t happy to know that I had to read it and Animal Farm too.  I had read Animal Farm in high school, so I spend a lot of time reading, Reading Lolita in Tehran. At first it was hard to get into, when I got to about ten pages in I remember reading “How many people get a chance to paint the colors of their dreams?” This is when the book becomes hard to put down.

To think about great women in history that have made a name for themselves or lived out their dreams. After reading, Reading Lolita in Tehran it helped me to see the bigger pictures of dreams and how lucky I is to be an American! I don’t have to hide my dreams from the government and I post whatever I like all over the place, if I please to do so.  I can take any class I want, will almost.  Freedom with school is the greatest thing in the whole world.

 I also learned from reading, Reading Lolita in Tehran that no one can take away your knowledge. I was not push to go school and get an education. After reading this book I know what to tell my son about education. And I will never let him give up on his education; he is a boy and wouldn’t have the same problems as girl have in Iraq. But I want him to know that knowledge is power and at the end of the day you will always have your knowledge left, no matter what. Also to teach those whom are willing to learn, like in this book the author never let her will to empower women die.

In Reading Lolita in Tehran, Nafisi says “when all possibilities seem to be taken away from you, the minutest opening can become a great freedom.” I am American I know that I have and will in the further take freedom for grated, because I know that freedom is America. To see in a different world where freedom isn’t there, is hard to read about. You know that not all places around the world are great but when you are touch my a book about young people wanting it to change it, made me think of America when not everyone was equal. It makes me think, why hasn’t the rest of the world followed that every human is equal?

This book also showed me that literature is powerful but to know that girls all the way around the world feel power from just getting to read is simply beautiful. I have taken for grate getting to read whatever I want; yes I know I am an America. To think about “banned books” is crazy to me. I always think of my teacher wanting to read all the time and to think of a place where teachers tell children what books are okay or not okay to read is very crazy. I think it’s amazing to read about the Nafisi story and how she empowers those girls. I hope those girls see Nafisi as a hero and be brave to keep bring the literature to all girls.

Critical

I have been taking an English 103 class for critical thinking skills, for a few weeks now and my writing doesn’t seem to be getting in better. I took English 101 a little over a year ago and had no problems with my English essays but doing critical thinking essays, they have become nothing more than just stressful.  There are lots of different writing actives we do in this class that can be fun and not stressful but some are very hard and stressful. I remain hopeful that my writing will get to where it needs to be at.

Critical thinking is very hard compared to research papers which I am used to doing. Research papers are simple, just write down what other people have said or did but critical thinking papers are very different. When doing critical thinking one you don’t chose sides of an essay, book, report or speech, two you analyze what was said and did and three I haven’t had to use MLA Format in awhile and now I feel a little lost with the new up-dates, because most of my research papers are APA Format.

As the weeks go by my blogs are getting easier to write and I don’t think so much about putting them on the web for everyone to see.  I think this my favorite part of the class as the weeks go on.  I don’t have to think about using MLA Format or about citrating correctly.  I use the blogs to warm up my writing now and before I was just looking to make sure I have the word count. Also enjoy reading other peoples blog to see what they thought about the same type or why they did a different type then mine.

Discussion board has been getting easier for me as well. I think the discussion board is the only place where I feel like I am gaining critical thinking skills. I enjoy reading other people thought and the question they ask. I think the discussion board is a more comfortable place where I feel more open.  While read other peoples post, I feel like I am gaining different way to be critical and how to go about it.  

Worst part for me in the whole class is the group actives. Mostly because I do work a few days here and there, have a kid to take care of and go to school full-time, so I feel really bad when I am running late on posting my group answers. I also feel like I don’t take as much time going the actives as everyone else in my group does. I think that they get mad because my answers are usually half ass.   But hopefully the next group active I will be less stressed to do a great job and take my time.

I know my writing is a work in progress and it takes time to be a great writer. I just hope it gets there before the semester comes to an end. I know what I need to work, like taking my time and reread my work. If I need help understanding the assignments then ask for it. I will continue to try my hardest and work on taking my time to make sure my essays are well thought out.  

Ad Chaning Mind?

                Ad Changing Minds?

Studies have shown teenager are more likely to smoke if an adult figure in their live smokes, like their mother, father, grandparent, etc… I don’t think an ad is going to make a difference in the way a teenager see smoking.

I was a teen smoker, all my friends smoke but a few. The few that didn’t smoke had parents that didn’t smoke. I feel that teenager whom have parent or an adult in their house hold that smoke are way more likely to smoke, due to the fact that they have a way to get cigarettes. I don’t smoke today, but when I was a teenager an ad would have never made in effect on the way I seen smoking.

 Anti-smoking campaigns, like Phillip Morris’s prevention ad tells youth to “Think. Don’t Smoke.” I see this ad to be positive and have nothing but the best of attention. Being an effective ad is a whole another issues. Most teen, speaking only for my friends, older and young brothers and myself, an ad would have never made impacted on our lives. Teenagers think that they know everything and don’t want to listen to what anyone else as to say.

It’s really sad, to say that teenagers have a “whatever approach,” but most teens do. I think if they are thinking about smoking then they are going to try it. Teenager want to live their lives and trying things like smoking or drinking, which is everywhere in high school those days. The teenagers that don’t follow others are the ones who have parents that don’t do those things.

There are many anti-smoking ads those days that are pay for by the cigarette companies, may have an effect on the way that a teenager sees smoking. I just know how my friends and I thought when we were freshman in high school; we want to be “cool” and belonged to a “group.”  I never fit in to a group, I had a few close friends and never liked school, so it meant for me to skip a lot and while skipping I started smoking.

So for me, teenagers need to have positive friends and positive role moles to help them develop who they want to be.  I truly feel that teenager don’t care about an ad, most of the time they don’t care a homework or school at all. High school can be one of the hardest times in a person live and most of teenagers stop caring about reading or school work. I feel that teenagers just want to be a “cool kid” and will do anything to fit in with a group. It’s a sad reality to think that most teenagers aren’t going to see this ad as positive or see this ad as having an good side, mostly just seen as WHATEVER!