The first thing that I have learned this semester is the difference between summary and analysis. This was something that was very difficult for me to learn. This concept has already helped me in my current courses. I am taking a Humanities class and a Communications class that has required me to analyze a few articles. I feel like because of this class I was able to be more confident with my paper and in my work. I see that this is just the start of me using my analytical skills in my future courses and my career choice.
Another thing that I learned is how much the Little Brown Handbook has helped me with my grammar skills. My skills in this area have always been lacking, now I know that I have the resources to help me. I will be more confident in my comma placement and other punctuation in my sentencing. An annotated bibliography is also something that I have learned this semester. I have never heard of one let alone written one. It is nice to learn something new especially knowing that it is something that I will probably use again in my college career.
Some of the readings that we have been assigned has taken me out of my comfort zone. Analyzing two poems, Photograph of September 11th and Lady Lazareth, wasn’t an easy job and it tested my skills as a writer and everything that I thought I knew about writing a paper. I also had the chance to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Writing a critical analysis of these two books was another challenge that I met during the course of this class. To be honest I found myself in tears during the writing of these papers. It was hard for me, once I figures out what topic to write about, to put my papers together. This class gave me the opportunity to fine tune myself as a writer and my papers. http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/critique.htm
The thing that I liked the most about this class was the use of a blog. I enjoy blogging and the whole aspect of it. Blogging game me a connection to the rest of the class that I might not have otherwise had in an online course. It was nice to see what the other students were writing and it was even nicer to have their opinions when it came to some of my writing. The blog was a nice touch to a successful English course. Work Cited
Lady Lazareth Image: http://tragische.deviantart.com/art/Lady-Lazarus-121916831
Little Brown Handbook Image: http://starvingwritersbooks.com/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=186
Northanger Abbey Image: http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/book/northanger-abbey-by-jane-austen-2
Reflection Image: http://justglasssite.com/tag/hd-reflection
After doing some reflecting of my own and reading some of my classmates' work, such as yourself, I really do feel like I have walked away with a greater understanding and solid tools that can be utilized in the future. Analyzing and breaking down readings, especially poems, is something that I found extremely challenging too but it's a nice feeling to walk away from this with such tools. We can't grow if we do not challenge ourselves. Good luck with everything!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have read one of you blogs and now wish I would have done so earlier. We seem to have had a similar semester. I learned the most from the summary and analysis and I have great difficulty writing my essays on the books. It has been a very frustrating semester, but I'm happy that I have learned to blog and made my writing skills more professional.
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