Final Assessment

            The course learning goals that I have made the most progress in are supporting my thesis, and effective consideration of my role as a writer.

I had some difficulty supporting my thesis. At first, I wasn’t fully developing my ideas that support it. In my blog post 4, EH 101 Spring2012: Writing---Anywhere?,  I didn’t give enough details, For example, I didn’t write fully explain the different types of applications I use to write anywhere.  I left my readers wanting to know more. I took heed to the feedback and corrected it in Blog Post 5, EH 101 Spring2012: How The Enviroment Effect My Writing, by elaborating on every subject and/or idea I included in my writing. In my DS 106 assignment, EH 101 Spring2012: Deserted Island,  I explained  my reason for picking the assignment, what the assignment is about, and why I will need each item I chose.

At one point, I wasn’t effectively taking consideration of my role as the writer. I was not making sure my writing flowed well together. In Blog Post 5, EH 101 Spring2012: How The Enviroment Effect My Writing,  I should have used transitional words when I elaborated from one subject to another , so my post wouldn’t seem jumpy. I corrected this problem in Blog Post 6, EH 101 Spring2012: My Problem With Research Papers, by using transitional word to go from one point to another. Also, I continued to improve on supporting my thesis by elaborating on each idea.

I will continue to progress my writing. I will work on including a concluding paragraph in all my writings. I know with the improvements I have made so far and the improvements I will make in the future, I will definitely become the great writer I want to be.

Deserted Island

 Below are pictures of the 3 things I will bring with me to stay on a deserted island for week. I would bring a tent because I most definitely will need shelter from the weather, bugs, and predators. The tent will provide shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. If it gets cold at night, the tent will help hold in heat. The tent will ,also, help keep bugs and animals out. I will bring water purify tablets, so I will be able to stay hydrated. It is convenient.  The ocean is a, obvious, constant supply of water, and the tablets will purify it. I will bring a machete because it will be great for helping me catch food. It also will help me to clear a pathway for when I travel around the island. The machete will be a good weapon for me to use to protect myself.

 I enjoyed this assignment.  It was hard to narrow down the three things I would bring with me to a deserted island. I’m the type the of person that , if I’m going out of town for only 2 days, would bring , at least, six outfits with me for just in case purposes and variety.

ESSAY?! NOOO!!

         True or false easy, multiple choice a piece of cake, matching cool, and then I notice there’s an essay part at the end of the test that throws me a curve ball. Have this ever happened to you?  If not, aren’t you lucky. Anyhow, back to my story. I was feeling great about the test, until the essay part. When did my professor sneak in this part? I became tense and lost my focus. For reason, I couldn’t put my answer to the essay question into words. I knew what the topic was, but I couldn’t find the right words to define it. All I could do was give examples. My mind went blank. This had never happened to me before. I don’t know if it was the fact the essay question was unexpected, but I froze. I was extremely disappointed in myself. I am usually at essays.

            Even though I was disappointed in myself and thought I didn’t do a good job on the essay question, the next class I got my test back and there it was; A big, fat “A”.  I got an “A”?  Really?  Well, it turns out that I gave so many examples that the definition ending up being in one of them. I got all the points for my essay. I did great on the rest of the test. I was happy. I’m still happy. 

WRITING MY THOUGHTS OUT

            Sometimes, I can’t find the words to say, out loud, how I feel or what I think. This has led me to notice that it is easier and better for me to write down what I think and feel first, than to say it and things get left out, my thoughts are incomplete, and/or don’t make sense. My words and thoughts come to me easier when I write it down. Writing my thoughts out helps me develop my ideas, organize my thoughts, and communicate more effectively.

            When I write my thoughts down, my ideas began to develop and become more complete. I am able to brain storm and focus more on what I want to say. Seeing my thoughts on paper helps me not to forget anything. I choose the ideas I want to develop and began to organize my thoughts.

            Now that it’s time to organize my thoughts, I have to structure them so that it runs fluently together without any snags. If I don’t organize my thoughts, everything will be all over the place and won’t make me sense. This is why I place my thoughts in order from one step to another or by importance. It creates a better effect that way.

            Since I have developed my thoughts, and organized them, I will, now, be able to communicate more effectively.  How, you make ask? Well, now I absolutely know what I want to say and how I’m going to say it. Everything is complete and ready to be presented.

            Writing your thoughts down will help you to develop into a better writer. It really helps me. It’s great practice. I will continue to write my thoughts down.

MAYA ANGELOU

From the first time I heard a poem by Maya Angelou to now, I have been intrigued by Angelou’s writings. She is truly a gifted writer. Her poems can tell a story like no other. They are filled with her pain, happiness, strengths, weaknesses, sacrifices, vulnerabilities, sass, humor, honesty, and growth she has experienced and developed throughout her life. She knows who she is and is not afraid to show it.

I gain wisdom and empowerment as a black woman when reading her poems. For example, her poem “Still I Rise” gives empowerment because she’s pretty much saying no matter what you are trying to do or have done you will not keep her down. She will persevere. She’s proud of who she is. She even shows cockiness by saying

“Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.”

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/still-i-rise/

            Maya Angelous’s poem “ Phenomenal Woman” encourages women everywhere to have confidence in themselves and to be proud of who they are. She says

“Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me.” Her sassiness and humor in this poem really caught my attention. She exposed her ego without being outrages. “I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me.” http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/phenomenal-woman/      Maya Angelou is my favorite writer. I will always read her poems. Maybe, one day I will be able to write almost as well as her. She inspires me as a writer and woman. I encourage everyone to read her poems. They will be enlightened and pleased with what they read.

My Problem With Research Papers

    I am really dreading this 10-12 page research paper that I will have to start soon. I love to write but research papers bore me. . I have to come with a topic, thesis statement, construct the body of the paper, conclusion, and a bibliography. The research part isn’t bad, but implementing all the research into one long paper is a problem for me

            Finding a topic that’s relevant to the class has been hard for me. I have been unable to find a topic that I feel I will be able to write a 10-12 page paper on. Nothing has captured my attention. Some of the topics have been too broad. I have been skimming through my criminology book. Hopefully, something catches my eye.

            Once I find a topic to write about, the thesis statement will be easy. It’s the guideline and pre-summary to what my paper is going to be about.

            After my thesis statement, I have to construct the body of my paper. This is the difficult part. The information from my research has to balance the paper out. I can’t ramble on or be repetitive. I have to have enough information about my topic that I can use to write at least ten pages. I hate long length papers. If I can completely address a topic in less than ten pages, then I feel I shouldn’t have to write 10 pages.

            After I have successfully constructed the body of my paper, the conclusion has to be written. This is easy. I love this part because I know I am done with most of the research paper.

            The bibliography is what I really, really dislike because of the different styles such as MLA or APA. Sources  has to be written a certain way. For instance, newspapers, books, webpages, and etc. are all cites differently. It gives me a headache. Research papers are not my friend!

How The Enviroment Effect My Writing

          Rain, sunshine, freezing, warm, and snow are different environmental happenings that effect my writing. Certain weather brings out the best in me and in my writings.

            When it rains, I have notice, I seem to write about love and relationships. It’s something about the rain that bring out the more gentle and vulnerable side of me. I don’t know what it is. Maybe, it’s the way the rain isolates me to my house. It could be the way the rain takes all my energy somehow and makes me want to do nothing but snuggle up with that special someone.

            Sunshine seems to always put a smile on my face. It amazes me how it can be cold outside and the sun is shining as bright as it would on a hot July day. The sunshine encourages me. I tend to write about things I have overcome because it reminds me of how strong I am.

            You will think that by me being from Saint Louis, Missouri that I would be used to freezing weather conditions; well I’m not. I can’t get use to that, especially that wind chill weather that makes me feel like I went out in the cold naked but I have on sweat pants, long sleeve shirt, coat and thermals. These days I always write about what I would be doing if it wasn’t so cold outside, and how I hope I don’t get sick if I’m forced to go out in it.

            There’s nothing like a warm day! These days I’m really hard to find. I’m not in one place too long. Shopping is at the top of my list. Yes, I am a shopaholic! The girlies and I meet up and have so much. I tend to just write what I did on warm days, after I get home.

            On snow days, my writings are about random things. I just relax and unwind. The snow doesn’t have a big impact on my writings as the types of days.

Writing---Anywhere?

             Non-stop, up and down, loopy loop, and spiral is the kind of roller coaster ride I have been on for the past two weeks. Since I started blogging for this class, I also have started back writing on my free time. It couldn’t have happen at a better time. Putting all my thoughts and feelings on paper has deducted a lot of stress. As busy as I have been, I have made time for writing. I have been constantly on the go. No matter where I go, I have been able to write. Saving my writings in my text messages, emails, or just using the classic pencil and pen have given me the ability to write everywhere. I love technology for giving me this convenience. Taking the time to write is making me a better writer. My imagination has been running wild. Writing in different places has really helped me to notice how different environments affect my writing. I am going to continue to write on my free time.

What Makes Me Write The Things I Do?

            Meeting me, one might assume that I am a very quiet person. It will tickle my friends to hear someone call me that. I am not a quiet person, but what I am is an observer. When meeting people for the first time, I observe their behavior and listen close to the things they say. In my earlier years, my grandmother told me, “If a person shows you who they are, believe them. Comparing their actions to the things they say let you know, exactly, what they are about”.  This saying has been very beneficial for me. By taking heed to what my grandmother told me, I have become pretty good at describing the things I see and what’s happening. I like to use similes and metaphors as my paint brush in my writings, so the reader can imagine the place, time, and what is going on.  When I was younger, I had a journal that I wrote down everything I observed. The things I observed made me really realize how funny and interesting people are. I believe this is what made me want to go into the field of Forensic Investigations.

             Writing has been my therapy for a while. It is my time to express everything I feel without interruptions. I was a bit of a hot head when I was a teenager, so getting everything I felt out of my system was crucial.  I didn’t only write expressively when I was mad or sad. I wrote about me being happy, just alright, and so-so. My writings are humorous when I’m upset. I think it is humorous because I just say anything that comes to my mind. My writing isn’t always stories about how I feel, and why I feel a certain way. They are sometimes poetry about things, random things. In seventh grade, I wrote an alliteration poem about snakes. The poem was published in a national Who’s Who book. I was surprised because I didn’t think the poem was as good as my other poems. I have, also, won awards for a few short stories I have written.

Unfortunately, I don’t write, nearly, as much as I use to. I haven’t lost my desire to write, but I am not as passionate about it. Every now and then, I might write about my thoughts and day, but I seldom write recreationally. Hopefully, my passion for writing returns. Someday in the future, I might take a shot at writing a children’s book.

THE GUTS TO CUT?

            The rule outlined by Vonnegut " How to Write with Style" that will be hardest for me to follow is rule 4, "Have the Guts To Cut". I have noticed that I tend to go over board in details. I sometimes write as if my reader is not the brightest crayon in the box. I describe things in the same way more than once. I have been working on that. One descriptive sentence is enough , in most cases, for me to get my point across, but I dislike cutting my sentences from my writings. I feel like it messes up the overall thought and message of it. I enjoy writing, and everything I write should be read.

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