Class Reflection

I feel this English course has absolutely been a learning experience for me; I like to think that my writing has much improved since the beginning of this semester. I’ve learned to observe and analyze scenes and pieces of art, rhetorically analyze writing, speeches and pieces of art, and combine observance with reflection. I certainly feel that I know more about the use of writing jargon – pathos, ethos, logos, among others – and how to employ them directly into my writing. I’ve also discovered, through much discussion and debate, that multi-media IS a form of essay, and we can incorporate these forms of work into writings to enrich them. I now know exactly how to do that, by having to repeatedly include hyperlinks, videos and pictures to my writing. Previously, I had not given much thought to including multi-media into my writing; it had always been standard boring writing. However, it is clear to me now that such inclusions enhance writings and, if done correctly, make a piece more visually pleasing.

My attitude about writing has not changed drastically; I have never hated it but have never felt it was quite what I am best at either. I cannot say a love for writing has been instilled in me, but I do feel I know now how to make my writing better and that makes writing (and being finished) all the more enjoyable.

I’ve realized the importance of brainstorming and gathering ideas and details before beginning my actual writing. Details, it turns out, can make or break a piece of writing – we learning this from the very beginning in our observational/reflective writings, where I had to closely observe minute details at the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln. I will now always use the process of picking out details to make my writing as descriptive as possible, as I know this is very important. The process of brainstorming, listing and taking notes as the first step is very beneficial to me, I am then able to gather my thoughts and organize what I am trying to say. Peer-reviewing with other students has also become an important part of my writing process. Though I’ve done it before, I think making it mandatory that our classmates reviewed our work was very helpful. They know exactly what to look for since they have the same assignments, so are better able to give ideas that will be helpful. I often have people outside the classroom critique papers as well, but have found that when a classmate does it they offer better suggestions simply because they know the material and what I should be focusing on. I have been able to heavily revise my papers because of classmates’ suggestions. In addition to classmates, conferencing with professors or tutors is very valuable to me, because who knows better what they are looking for than themselves? After conferencing, I feel I know exactly what I can do to make my writing fit what the professor is looking for, which may vary from professor to professor.

“Good writing” is a pretty difficult concept to grasp – one person might think a work is great while another looks at the same work and considers it trash. I think we can always strive to make our writing better, and this is what is done through peer reviews, revision, and exercises such as “cubing.” Improving my writing is why these practices have been so valuable to me. In evaluating the writing of others, I am able to look for those same things that I strive to improve in my own writing. I think it is always helpful to get different perspectives on writing, so you can enrich works. Writing is a tool I feel will be important to me not only in the classroom, but in the world throughout my life.

Outdated, Blemished, but Reliable

The scent of freshly brewed coffee has long been a constant in the mornings of my rural home. This inviting aroma fills the house; one would think a coffee bean grinding business were in operation. Instead, the scent stems from a single Bunn coffee maker that sits in the corner of the kitchen.

The coffee maker may look long outdated. No thermal walls surround the carafe. The worn handle has no padding for sensitive fingers, no alarm beeps the minute the brewing has finished. Instead, plastic exterior walls stained with coffee house an equally stained glass carafe. This classic Bunn maker, however, has proved to continue to produce top quality coffee for years.
Every morning, that coffee pot is filled with black, no-nonsense coffee, no matter how many cups my mother has already went through. As a young child, when I wanted “coffee,” my mother would pour a small amount of coffee into a cup and then, upon my request, load it up with milk and sugar. As I aged, the amount of coffee became more and the amount of milk and sugar less.

My mother showed me how to place a coffee filter inside the funnel and what ratios of coffee to water to use; though still the pot always seemed to be full and I needn’t worry about brewing it myself. Upon mornings before school, the coffee pot became a source of motivation and optimism: “At least I can rely on my coffee!”

The coffee maker has suffered cracks to the exterior, multiple coffee and water stains, and damage to the warmer as a result of a hurried exit of the house without double-checking the maker. Still, it is as reliable as the day it made its first cup of coffee, long before I myself was enjoying its product.