Blog 5

I’ve always enjoyed analyzing the world around me and researching things I found to be interesting. I was fascinated by the topic of pop culture because it’s all around us, and therefore affects us everyday. Signs of Life allowed students to enhance their writing skills instead of never ending research on an unfamiliar topic. Before English 802 teachers would usually suggest I was being too “wishy washy” or supported both sides instead of displaying a clear argument. This course has definitely helped me display a stronger argument in writing.

In the first two essays I had trouble finding sources that were valid and supported my argument. In the beginning of the course I would just basically write most of my essay and then try to find sources that fit into it. I found out that this process wasn’t the best and eventually later discovered it would be extremely hard to do essays 3 and 4 with this strategy. Over time I’ve learned to make an outline of ideas I already had about a particular topic, and then research secondary sources before the writing process. In this way, finding secondary sources didn’t seem almost impossible and I could incorporate other people’s ideas instead of papers being only my opinions on things.

English 802 also helped me realize that I need to get more organized. Sometimes I would loose a secondary source and then spend a lot of time trying to relocate it. I was also very happy that Temple Library Database give you the actual MLA format for a specific source. I discovered that the Paley Library isn’t so confusing and the librarians are very helpful if I need more help later in my college years. I like how essays were divided up in workshop groups and conferences so it would give a chance to collect some insight and ideas from others to improve my work. This class contained a lot of analyzing and work, but I’m glad I took it because I feel like I have more confidence in writing

Blog 5

Writing is quintessential to communicate our ideas, thoughts or opinions in life; therefore, it is important to develop good writing abilities since an early age. Having taken this course has helped me to improve my writing skills in English as well as to learn how to use appropriately this language. Due to the fact that English is not my first language, sometimes I find it difficult to express my ideas in a coherent, cohesive and effective way. Before taking ENGL 082 I was not used to write essays in a language different to Spanish; consequently, this class meant a challenge to me. As I look back to see my initial papers, I can notice a big difference. Reading and writing in this course helped me to think and organize my compositions, enrich my vocabulary and improve in general my fluency in English. Furthermore, writing made me aware of using synonyms and forced me to stop translating into Spanish. Sometimes when trying to say something in English I wrote it as if I was saying it in Spanish, such in the case of my prepositions.

I found it useful when we had peer workshops and they gave me suggestions to correct my essays. Likewise, while reading my classmates’ papers I learned different writing tones and styles. In addition, the individual conferences were so effective when I had questions or doubts. I received a great feedback that encouraged me to correct and improve my final essays. I liked the fact we had the whole semester to keep checking and revising each of the assignments.

ENGL O82 not only gave me the tools to improve my writing, but also opened my eyes to different cultures when reading the essays in Signs of Life. I found interesting the concepts of counterculture, consumer culture, mass media and advertising. Similarly, I liked the readings regarding the outlaw hero and the hero archetype.

Finally, this course taught me diverse strategies to start a research paper. I learned how to differentiate between an academic source an a popular one. Now each time that I want to look for a credible source I consult first Temple’s library database. It is a great place to find books, magazines, journals, films, and so on. A last aspect to mention is how useful I found our book “A Pocket Style Manual.” It is a handful source to consult MLA formatting and in text citations.
Overall, having taken ENGL 082 was an enriching experience that I know will help me in future courses.

Blog 5

Blog 5

Looking back at this semester, I see that I was very optimistic about what we we're learning and how we were approaching it (through open dialogue and constant feedback). However, as the semester progressed I became increasingly more frustrated with the assignments and the class. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it's quite the contrary. It was the idea that even though class was informative, it was taking time away from work time. I feel as though I put too much thought into the papers, expecting too much to be accomplished by them. I dug myself in too deep. That's pretty much the whole shebang. I plan too much for the time allotted to me. I feel as the semester went on my writing got worse due to my push for more complex ideas and papers. If I were to take this class over (hopefully I don't have to), I would pick simpler topics, spend more time on quality than quantity, and stop forgetting these blogs and the digital dropboxes. In one respect, I wish I could have done much better, but in another respect, I don't see how I could have done better than I did. I gave this class everything I could and in some sense I'll be proud of anything I eventually get out of constantly forgetting the small procedures that have hindered my success in this class. I think this class may have temporarily diminished any desire I've had for writing but I has helped me articulate my observations more clearly, which is incredibly useful as a Fine Arts student. I think this class will inspire me to keep a journal in collaboration with my sketchbooks in a way that links the two subjects and ideas of expression together. Thinking about my in class writing assignment on the first day, that's all I really wanted out of this class.

Blog 5

Throughout this semester I have learned how to properly analyze sources and integrate evidence into my paper. I was never asked in an English class before to analyze my sources. I was always taught to just add evidence/facts and throw a citation at the end. After taking this class I have improved my writing a lot, my writing has become stronger because of knowing how to properly integrate evidence. I still find it extremely hard to start off my papers, but once I get the ball rolling it doesn’t stop. The library days helped me out the most, finding credible secondary sources was always a problem for me but the databases available here at Temple help out a lot. I learned that having scholarly sources greatly improves your papers and gives you more to work with. When writing my first two papers I realized that I have to take the revision process more seriously. At the time I had a lot to learn about writing and those papers were evident of it. I learned a lot from the workshops and conferences. My group helped me figure out what I needed to elaborate on more and where my paper didn’t make sense. From meeting with you in conferences I realized that my writing skills were not as terrible as I thought. There were areas where I needed improvement but I was heading in the right direction. My third paper showed my progress with synthesizing my sources into my paper and connecting them with my thesis. This process helped me out a lot when it came to writing my final paper. We were required to use many outside sources to back up our thesis. Without learning how to properly synthesize and integrate citations with my thesis, my paper would have been a sloppy mess of ideas thrown together with no real connection. I believe I have learned a lot from this course and will use what I have learned to better my writing for future courses.

Blog 5 Reflection

Looking back on all that I did this semester I can say confidently that I have greatly improved my writing. All those workshops I did with other students really helped me out a lot. The conferences were also a really big help for me. Looking back on some essays that I previously did in high-school and in my first semester in college I really can see an improvement. The feedback from other students and from my teacher really helped me improve. I also greatly improved my skills on gathering information. I used to have a difficult time trying to find the right quotes and info to incorporate into my essays, but because of this class I have gotten better at that since every essay demanded you to find and incorporate quotes and outside info. I have definitely gained more confidence in myself as a writer because of this course. Every assignment really helped me to improve my writing skills. The journals were also a big help for me, they were very interesting and fun to do since the questions they asked were interesting to me and made me want to learn more. I believe the Final essay is what helped me the most; it pushed my writing skills to its limit due to all the information needed to complete the assignment. That was probably one of the toughest essays I wrote since it involved so much gathering of information through outside sources. All in all this class was very fun to me. It really helped me out a lot as a writer and I still am hoping to keep improving my skills as a writer as I move on to other classes. Looking back on all those essays I did for this class I am thankful to have had people help me out and critique my work so that I could push myself harder when I wrote revised essays.

Blog 5

This year was an interesting year in developing my writing skills. Starting with English 701 was a great way illuminate that I had no idea what I was doing when I was writing. 701 helped to create a structure for my writing, but I needed more guidance to actually be able to write. I came into this course thinking that I could write like the rest of them, but from simply having my peers read my work in a workshop convinced me otherwise. I had never experienced a workshop that was aimed at improving papers. Honestly I never had edited a single paper in my past classes, so editing was a whole new topic for me. After writing my first paper and going to my first workshop, I was convinced that I didn't have to edit. I took my horrible first draft paper into my conference draft and that was the point when I realized that I needed guidance in writing. I actually took my paper back and edited it for the first time ever. When writing my second and third papers, I thought that I had mastered the concept of writing, but that is exactly what I was missing and it took me until my fourth paper to realize it. I put the most time and effort that I had ever put in any paper i've ever written. I actually researched, I actually took notes and read, and I actually had positive results. Regardless of what grade I receive on my portfolio, my fourth paper was the paper alone that opened up my eyes to writing. I realized that I am not perfect and that neither is anybody else, so revising is essential in writing a paper. I'm just very surprised that it took me until my freshman year of college to realize this. From what i've learned this year, and in this course specifically, I will use my knowledge to continue improving my writing skills. I may never be a master of writing, but I will know exactly how to be one. 

Blog 5

After reflecting back on what I have written this semester I feel like I have greatly improved since last semester. I am better at analyzing ideas and examining arguments. My word choice and flow of sentences has gotten better thanks to the significant amount of critiquing I did in every sentence I wrote. I felt as though at times my work was not as organized as it should be. I also did not feel comfortable with certain quotes I chose to place in some of my essays. I worked hard on synthesizing and sophisticating every essay for a high-educated read. The tone I chose while writing an essay pleased me and did not seem too over the top. I avoided trying to use humor in my essay because, in my personal opinion, it makes essays sound cheesy and awkward. I realized that the tough part for me when it comes to writing an essay is starting out. The introduction of any essay I write stresses me out during the process. Once I get the ball rolling, ideas come easier to me, which allows me to elaborate off other ideas that come to mind. I always intended to write as professionally as possible whenever I was given an assignment. I believe I achieved this, to an extent, but there is so much more I can work on. Awkward sentence structuring, for example, will sometimes weaken my essay. This usually happened when the wording made sense in my head, but in fact sounded weird to others. Another aspect of writing I want to work on is being able to explain and elaborate on points as much as I possibly can. Sometimes I felt like my papers were not strong enough when I had nothing more to say about a certain point I was making. Hopefully, as my years through college continue, I will master my flaws of writing to become completely satisfied with any paper I turn in.

Blog 5

I learned a great deal in this English course. I remembered the first time we wrote a paper about writing. Just a few months ago, I was writing at a very low level. Now, I've learned how to enhance my writing with varies techniques. I was also never able to cite or have a work cited page. This English course helped me a lot, not only writing but also the way I read and look at things. English 802 requires me to look at things outside the box. I was never able to do that before. I wouldn't even be able to put it into words. My reading improved significantly throughout the semester. Every week we were required to read atleast three articles and i think that helped me improve my readings. I am now more able to read with the right mind set.

Before essay 1, I had much troubles with structures and transitions. After essay 1, there were still major structures and transitions problems in my essays. Up until essay 3, my problems were getting better. Essay 4 was the real challenge. No more conferences so I had to use what I learned. In the end, I was able to revised all my drafts and finish the essay 4 with ease.

English 802 showed me how writings can be written in a more complex sophisticated way. I believe i can move on to my next courses without the worries that I will have troubles with writing. It was well worth it to be in this writing course. I believe that if someone can pass this course, then they will have no trouble writing papers later on.

Blog 5

When the semester first began, my assignment one paper lacked any real thought or structure. I came down with the flu and missed a few classes, leaving me at a disadvantage to the other students. However, prompted to redesign an area on Temple’s campus, my second essay shows significant progress in my writing. I also enjoyed writing this essay because I had the ability to be creative and express my own ideas. I took the time to truly revise this essay as well, although there is always room for improvement. With a new assignment, we had to connect the film Man on Wire to the September 11th terrorist attacks, I was quite disappointed with the outcome of this paper. Although my thesis was interesting, this essay lacked organization as well as fully supported ideas. I should have taken more time out to revise my third essay and regret not doing so. In contrast, I believe that my fourth essay turned out well. I tried my best to revise it as much as I could and consulted the “Pocket Style Manuel” as well.

Throughout the course we have learned how to perform semiotic analysis, for instance, in films or in essays. From our readings in “Signs of Life” and “Everything Bad is Good for You,” we took a look at today’s popular culture, which surrounds us all. With the help of our “Pocket Style Manuel,” we were able to properly cite our sources, format our papers in MLA, and touch up on some grammar techniques.

All in all, I think that this course taught me how to better analyze not just writings, but the world around me. For example, I am constantly witnessing people taking the “invariant right” mentioned in one of the Signs of Life essays. I also believe that it will be beneficial to me next semester when I take Mosaics I.

Blog 5

            This semester I have critiqued my writing more than I have in any previous class that required research and analysis for essay writing. My first essay for the class was initially subpar as it lacked focus and organization of ideas, which has always been my weak point. I struggled with using the sources to strengthen my paper as well as having the quotations flow with the essay and not just be shoved in some place. I quickly found out that my ennitial effort level in the course would not be satisfactory and I made an effort to prioritize with time management of my work. This what easier said than done, as I have yet to completely master the concept. However, I began to get into the habit of planning out my essays before I actually sat down and wrote them. This proved to be a useful decision as I ended up spending less and less time actually writing the essay because I had prepared a through outline in advance. I found that by spending small amounts of time in preparation for my essay, a while in advance, that I could actually spend less time on the entire essay. However, though my struggles with organization have lessened, I find that I continue to present my ideas as though I were speaking and not writing. In this aspect though, I have in a way found a style of writing that I am most comfortable with. Seeing as how the majority of the literature that I study is philosophy, I am accustomed to presenting ideas in writing in a more discursive and argumentative fashion. I found this to be most noticeable in the third essay I wrote about Man On Wire, where I took a direct stance against Petit and presented arguments and explanations for my reasoning. I would say that the third essay is the best example of how I have progressed as a writer this semester, as it demonstrates an organization of ideas as well as a clarity that lacks in the other arguments I have taken.

Blog 5

After completing the course of English 802, I think that my writing skills have significantly improved. By taking this course, I have an opportunity to due with different types of essay. Throughout the semester, the topics of essay that I am dealing with seem to interest me a lot. Unlike the class of English 701, which requires the students to read about gender norm, I find that the reading for English 802 is much more interesting since it dues with popular culture, and other matters that familiar to us. I actually enjoy the third and the last essays when I have to write a paper that talk about hero in society and video games before and now, which are my favorite topics. Overall, I think that this class has improved my skill in reading and writing paper. I am now more capable in writing my thesis statement since I know exactly what I do need to focus on and organize my idea in order to write a good essay. The fact that my first paper turned out to be not as good as I have expected, which I realized it was a good thing. Because being able to realize my mistake when writing a paper at such an early time of the semester allows me to have more time to go through a paper again, find mistakes and improve it. The lesson of the first paper has dramatically affect on the next three papers, which I spent lots more time for researching, looking for ideas, and organizing the ideas before beginning to write an essay. Overall, I think that I have enjoyed this semester, and it is a good experience for me as well as a good opportunity to prepare myself for a higher and more difficult class.

Blog 5

Throughout this semester I’ve learned and grew a lot as a writer. Before this class I wasn’t very good at writing or comprising a paper. I usually just wrote papers the night before they were due saying whatever popped into my head at the time. Throughout this course I learned to structure and plan out my papers. I never really had a problem doing research. I didn’t enjoy it but I knew how to do it. The library days helped me to use the resources that Temple’s library offers. I’ve used the databases and research tips I learned in a couple other classes this semester as well and will probably continue to use them until I graduate. Editing and grammar have always come easily to me and I kind of enjoy it but the actual writing was never a joy to me and probably never will be. But, I learned my strengths and weaknesses of my writing style and what I need to work to keep improving. I found that I needed to integrate my quotes and illustrate them much more. My first two papers were evidence of this. I took this into consideration while writing my final paper and focused on integrating and illustrating my quotes properly and I believe that it came out much better. Finally, I learned that I needed to connect the points I made throughout my paper. My first papers did not flow and were points that were randomly made.  I also worked and thought about this while writing my final paper. Hopefully, I did a better job connecting all of my points and supporting arguments. Overall I improved my writing skills and the process in which I normally went about writing papers. I learned that revision helps immensely and is probably the best way you could possibly improve your paper.

Blog 5

Overall,I think that my ability to read articles and sources and gather the information properly has greatly improved through this semester. I’ve learned that there is a strong relationship between reading and writing. I have learned a lot about how to analyze texts, summarize them, and use them in my arguments. I still however, have trouble finding amusement in the readings or essay assignments. I did enjoy some parts of Essay 4 because I was able to discuss a television show that I had an interest in. But with many of my essays I found that I was easily made bored but them. Also, when developing ideas for my essays, I found that I either would have too much to say or not enough. This would typically result in me getting off task with my writing. Once I finally enjoyed reading the secondary sources, I found it much easier to analyze them. One of my weaknesses of writing is still conclusions.This class however, has really helped me to improve my writing and my papers overall.I felt much more comfortable editing and revising my own papers than I would have in the past.I believe that my writing has improved noticeably, since the start of my freshman year and even since the start of the spring semester. I’m looking forward to Mosaics next semester because I believe it will really challenge my writing skills and I will see how I have truly developed as a reader and writer.

BLOG 5

When going into English 802 I had hoped to really enhance my writing skills to a higher level. English 701 assisted me a little bit with writing, but really was not anything that had a big impact on my writing abilities. I knew going into English 802 that my writing skills were definitely going to be put to the ultimate test, and they were. With the introduction to our first essay, and all the talk of semiotic and rhetorical analysis, I knew I was going to be in trouble since I had never really gone in depth with analyzing something, especially an advertisement. I did the essay wrong the first time around and this gave me a chance to really take a closer look at the essay to seriously improve it. The fact that I messed up the essay the first time was actually a good thing for me, because it gave me a chance to grow from my mistakes as a writer. The second essay also involved using semiotic analysis, but instead with studying a space then proposing a new idea to make it better. I also did this essay incorrectly, which was frustrating, but I just pulled it together like I did with the first essay and did it all over again. Since I had already had practice with failing at an essay and redoing it again, I had no problem going back and doing the second essay all over. Screwing up on these two essays, I think, was for the best because it allowed me to learn from my large mistakes as a writer. When the third essay came around I was expecting the worst, since I had no luck with the first two. Surprisingly I found the third essay a lot more interesting since it involved studying a movie and I love movies. I attacked this essay slowly, but surely to avoid making the simplest mistakes and it came out really good. Since I knew what it was like to rush writing an essay and have to redo it, I took my time as a writer and put my love for movies and patience on paper and it came out satisfactorily. Towards the end of English 802 I had endured all I could possibly endure with writing, so I was very ready to take on the fourth and final essay. This essay was by far the hardest since it had to be lengthy and involved difficult topics. I again took my time as a writer with this essay and carefully compiled good, scholarly sources instead of going to Google.com like I did in the beginning of the class. By having better sources and understanding of the essay, I believe I nailed it. It took a lot of time and concentration, but the result was successful. Overall I endured a lot through English 802 and it really helped to mold me as a good writer. I feel like English 701 was an introduction to English 802 and what it had to offer. Since I am done with English 802 I feel like I am ready to tackle any other essays thrown at me in the future. I just have to make sure I take my time, compile good sources, and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Blog 5

I think I have developed into a more organized writer since taking English 701 last semester. When I finished 701 I felt that I had become a decent writer after that class but was hoping 802 would help me step it up a little bit and take my writing to another level. This class definitely helped. The texts were interesting and I especially enjoyed watching the film Man On Wire. I enjoyed writing essay 2 and essay 3- I'm not really sure why- I think the material just struck me in a way that tapped into my best writing. Essay 4 was difficult because I was completely on my own to do research. I do find myself thinking about cultural symbols a little bit more semiotically than I used to- this class has helped me transform a simple observation into a powerfully written semiotic analysis that will probably help me in the future beyond college.

Blog 5

Since the start of this semester I believe my writing has improved drastically. When I look back at my first essay, I realize how much my writing has improve in such a short period of time. At the start of the spring semester I was not as confident as a writer as I'm today. Even though I did well in English 701, I still did not have the confidence of a great writer, but my confidence has gown through the roof since the start of the spring semester. During this semester I have learned so much about writing and english. During this semester I have become a better editor of my work and I have become a better reader. The two of the most important things I improved on this semester was learning how to cite sources and anaylizing reading material in my writing. Before this semester I thought I new how to cite sources properly, but in this class I was taught the correct way on how to cite sources properly. The way I have been able to relate assigned readings from the Signs Of Life book and the secondary sources from the academic search to my writing has greatly improved since the start of the semester. Overall I know that the English 802 class has helped my writing and reading greatly.

Blog 5

Over the course of the semester, our class has looked at various different writing styles and different topics to write about. During this time, I feel that I have really developed into a pretty decent writer. In high school and even into last semester's English 701 class, I hated writing. Now, I realize that I just wasn't writing about the right topics. I really enjoyed writing essay numbers two and four. I think the topic on popular culture was probably my favorite. I really enjoyed writing on topics such as popular film that i liked. My third essay is probably my worst. I had a hard time relating the movie Man on Wire to the events of 9/11 and then putting them all together with heroes. All in all, I feel this was a good course and was taught extremely well. If i could change one thing it would be remembering to do the blogs on time. 

Blog 5

When i consider a reflection of my writing for this semester i compare it to previous semesters of writing essays. It has become apart of an annual regimen for me and thousands of other students. Overall, this year in whole has been the biggest improvements for me in my essay composition. I made an obligation this semester to create legitimate literature instead of four pages of miscellaneous citations and thoughts. The readings where creative and rich. When it came to citing the Signs of Life selections there were minimal issues. Overall, the assignments where challenging but i realized a new way to write. I figured out i change my composition techniques as often as i switch prompts. I feel like i was able to accomplish a more dignified form of writing composition which creates a conversation that involves my readers. Some assignments for the semester where more interesting then others regardless of the order assigned. I felt assignment three gave me an oppurtunity to get intouch with a tangible writing source. A space to endugle myself in and write about evey inch. I have alot of faith for my final assignment this semester similar to how i felt about the paper i handed in at the end of last semester. Overall this was the most productive year for writer development for me and i will continue to gain on my experiences.

Blog 5

Beginning English 802, even as an English major was quite daunting this semester because all of English 802 was closed my first semester I had to wait. I was nervous jumping into a college level English course because of the lapse of time since my high school English class. Also I have never been really confident in my writing. The first assigned essay was difficult for me because I had so many thoughts and ideas about my advertisement, but I couldn’t completely bridge them to counterculture. It took me a while to really develop my paper according to counterculture; this included a lot of editing. Before this class I never put as much effort into the editing process and it made me realize the amount of time put into a paper really improves it. For the second essay I had an easier time developing that paper but more difficulties with research. My use of Signs of Life was limited because of the specific space I was using. This gave me perspective into doing research in general. That no source is perfect, and it takes lots of sifting through unnecessary material to find what you really need. The third essay was probably the most challenging for me. While watching the film I had developed concrete ideas in my head, but putting them to paper was extremely challenging. Here research helped me develop my thesis more than anything. Unlike the earlier two essays, my research guided my paper instead of the other way around. Finally the fourth essay was a bit overwhelming with all the requirements of sources. I gradually learned how to take information from a variety of places and mold them into my own argument. I have learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses as a writer, such as the importance of the editing process is something I should take into account more often and outside sources can guide me in developing my essay. I feel I have developed as a writer even though I had struggles within the course. Also I plan to continue developing as a writer while here at Temple .

Essay 4 Proposal

Thesis:

In the past society has looked at video games as black holes of the mind; that they can make you less smart, but one can argue that today's video games, with the advancement in technology, have become increasingly intellectually demanding.

Primary Sources:

Portal - Valve Corporation
Tetris - Nintendo