ENG1121 Sec402 Spring2020

Kebeon Jackson Eng 1121 Portfolio

Final

Kebeon Jackson

Professor S. Schmerler

Eng. 1121 Sec. 402

5/19/2020

 

 

My English 1121 Journey

Table of Contents:

Unit 1 Journey:

• Inner/ Outer Dialogue
• My reflection of Unit 1

 

Unit 2 Journey:

• Diary Excerpts
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid Reflection
• Unit 2 Reflection
• John Cage’s 4:33

Unit 3 Journey:

• Learning from Each Other: Affinity, and Inquiry
• Skill investigation of others and joint learning
• Reflection

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 1 Journey

 

Inner/Outer Dialogue

1/24/2020

So, I am here on the train attempting to write in transit for this inner/ outer dialogue assignment. Luckily, I got a seat on the train and the car fairly crowded usually there would be a wave of passengers crowding the platform and rushing into the train. Across from where I was seated was this beige colored guy and his lady. The reason I thought it was his lady is because of how tightly he was tucked next to her on the car seats, he also used his butt to push against her indicating that she should slide over to the end of the seat. “Ping Pong” the train doors close and it’s time to begin my long journey home to Jamaica    Queens. For a moment I could tell he felt a little awkward because of a language barrier, from what it seems some of the lady’s family members were seated next to me and they were all engaged in heavy conversation. I tried to pick out a few words from what I heard and concluded that they were speaking Italian. From his body language, showing an uninterested desire to engage and a facial expression showing confusion I could tell he wasn’t familiar with the language. She would occasionally stop to speak with him, and they would converse in English, I think she knew he felt awkward and wanted to help him feel some sort of inclusion.

1/28/2020

Again, as I wait patiently in the cold terminal for the arrival of the “F” train, I prepare my mind for this long journey ahead. After waiting for ten minutes the train finally arrives and of course, the car in crowded this has started to become a normality. I stood in the car awaiting my chance to get a seat at one of the next stops, in this instance I took some time to observe my surroundings anticipating that when I got a seat i will have some content to write about. From what I observed most of the passengers were coupled up, “PING PONG” the car doors shut and off we go chugging down the tracks. Everyone is being so affectionate tonight; it must be the cold weather or the fact that Valentine’s Day is swiftly approaching. Who knows what it is, but PDA (Public Display of Affection) seems to be the thing tonight. As the train approaches the 34^th and Herald Square terminal, majority of the passengers prepare to depart the car. This must have been god answering my prayers because I was tired as hell and I did not want to stand for the remainder of my journey home. It had already been twenty minutes and I still had about an hour left on the train before my stop. I finally sat down and out came my notebook and pen, as I observe the passengers leaving the train and the ones coming onto the train it seems to be a fair trade, meaning the same number of passengers entered the train as the amount that departed. I observed some Mexican guys covered in concrete dust; they must have been on a construction site. They seemed to be familiar with each other and thus a conversation sparked, probably they all work on the same site. From the little knowledge in had in Spanish I tried to decipher their conversation, lets seem what I picked up from watching all these episodes of Narcos. Unfortunately, the only this I could translate was “cervasa” which means beer. I guess after a hard day of work a beer would be a great way to end the day.

 

 

 

 

 

My Reflection

One of my major struggles in English was that my wording was very simple. I would use words that are more general in meaning than words that would be more specifically catered to what I was demonstrating in my writing. A word like “show” which has a very broad and general meaning can be view in many different contexts according to the reader. So, I started to use words like “Depict” and “Demonstrate” which have more specific meanings and will allow the reader to properly visualize the exact purpose of the reading. This also show ones understanding of vocabulary and the meaning of words that can give a sentence direct meaning. I also struggled with repetition of pronouns and an overuse of conjunctions, often completing paragraphs with numerous run-on sentences which could be fixed by proper punctuation. My ideas were not properly organized so often my paragraphs lacked coherency and appear to be jumping back and forth.

After being guided by my professors and receiving feedback for compositions, my writing has enhanced immensely. I have observed a drastic change in my writing, and I feel more confident to compose an essay or research paper. Knowing that I have a better understanding of sentence structure, punctuation, subject/verb agreement and articles creates a feeling of fulfillment. There have been many successes, I am now more fluent in writing compositions, my wording and sentence structure are more coherent with my ideas and paragraph organization. The compositions sound more sophisticated which allows my readers to visualize exactly what I am saying without misconstruing ideas. I have always loved writing compositions, and for a while it became less enjoyable because it felt like more of a task. I have found renewed love for writing and I enjoy picking up a pen and paper or just typing on the computer. Words flow like they never have before and ideas are more transparent.

I have found a new love for English because of how my professors have innovated the way they communicate and interact with students. My English professor last semester for Eng. 1101, Professor Cipriani used games like “Kahoots” and programs like “Toolwire” to help with vocabulary building, use of articles, subject/verb agreement and punctuation. These games made class more exciting and enjoyable, in turn, I was able to retain the information better and also participate more in class. It was always great to get feedback about completed essays, to see what areas one can improve on. She also implemented sessions where students would analyze each other’s work, give their personal feedback and also produce a recommended grade based on their personal understanding in accordance to the grading rubric. My English 1121 class is somewhat similar. Professor Schmerler is a very engaging and animated person. She displaces information with words and movements, almost painting a graphic picture of exactly what she is saying. Some assignments in Professor Schmerler’s class are quite similar to that of Professor Cipriani. In both classes I had to write an introductory essay and also log events in a weekly journal. The things that differ though is that Professor Schmerler created an assignment that allows one to write outside of their comfort zone. It was called “Inner/Outer dialogue”, and I was now writing about my daily experiences while in transit to whatever destination I was headed. I started to observe my surroundings a lot more and started to notice new things about the people and places I travel to on a daily basis. This type of assignment was very fascinating to me because of how open my eyes were to my surroundings and also because we had to share each other’s experiences aloud in class. It was interesting to see how much each student’s time in transit was almost similar and it was fascinating to hear about everyone’s experiences.

I think I have learned how to articulate my sentences more, so that there is more coherency and my paragraphs have a better flow. I have gotten a little better with punctuation because at first, I had a lot of run-on sentences. Overall, I have become a better writer and I own that to the dedication of my professors to help students learn. I was surprised when professor Schmerler asked us to write while in transit, it was a new experience for me, and it got out of my comfort zone of just writing in class or writing at home. I discovered that most of the readings that we have gotten narratives and are very similar to the ‘Inner/Outer’ dialogue assignment because the author is basically talking about their own experiences. I think they help in how we format and word our own compositions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 2 Journey

Extended Diary Excerpt

03/10/2020

9:48am

I just woke up and I’m getting prepared for my math class. We are having our third exam today and I feel super confident that I can get a great score. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then wash my face and log in to take this exam.

10:30am

I am about to start my math exam. I had to download a PDF and then write out the solutions on paper so that I can demonstrate how I came up with the solution.

12:30pm

After two intense hours of brain racking mathematics, I am finally finished with my math exam. I was supposed to upload the documents to blackboard, but that task seemed quite difficult, so instead, I scanned all the documents and emailed them to my math professor.

2:15pm

Now it is time for my microbiology class, I a bit excited every time class is in session because I learn so much about the microscopic wonders of the world. Who would have thought that learning about bacteria and fungi would be so exciting? My next favorite thing about the class is that we get to conduct experiments. But since the outbreak of the coronavirus there will be no more trips to the lab.

03/11/2020

I think people are overestimating the severity of the virus. Some may even have the virus and not know because it presents itself like the common cold. Some may even mistake symptoms of the common cold for developing the COVID-19 virus. It’s gotten so crazy that schools are closing, and classes are being canceled. My mother being the clean freak that she is has gotten worst and I can’t even walk into my house without being grilled about washing my hands. I’m always aware of my surroundings and I try to be as clean as possible. I wash and sanitize my hand so many times I might be starting to lose melanin. I think people should really go out and seek proper information about the virus and how it is transmitted, they should also gain knowledge about the virus’s effect when it is contracted. If more people get the right information, I think less people would be in a panic about what’s actually happening.

3/20/2020

It seems the country has gone in a deeper stage of hysteria due to the rise in coronavirus cases. I witness first-hand how people are reacting to the mandatory self-quarantine. Being able to survive being inside for days, maybe weeks or months seem to be the biggest cause of ruction in the nation. I see how people who know the right information react versus persons who react to everything that is said or seen in media, whether it is social media or other mediums used to broadcast information. I work in a supermarket, actually Fairway Market in the Littleneck area and for the past three days work has been extremely overwhelming. I have been working longer shifts just to help contain the huge amount of traffic in the supermarket. I have seen people being extremely inconsiderate to the fact that they are not the only ones dealing with this pandemic. The effects are nationwide and the fact people from every class need to have supplies in their home in case there is a nationwide lockdown should be considered by everyone when grocery shopping. There has been so much excessive buying that the shelves cannot stay stocked and water is becoming a scarce as gold. I feel like people should be more considerate to the fact that other people are in the same situation and also need to get supplies for their families and them.

John Cage’s “4:33”

Listening to John Cage’s composition of ‘4:33” was a very interesting experience. When professor Schmerler explained that the piece was going to be silent I did not really know what exactly to expect. I found the composition to be very hilarious but maybe that was because we were watching a video of the composition and could see the movement and antics of the composer. The composer sat, looked at the music sheet and opened the up the piano, it looked like he about to attempt to play the piano, then, he just shut the lid and sat in silence. A feeling of confusion overtook me and then a feeling laughter because of the antics he displayed. I could not help but think the that the composition had a deeper meaning. In the absence of sound is there really music? Is this a metaphor that can be applied to other things in life? These are some of the thoughts that surfaced in my mind as I gazed upon the screen. If a person does not display a certain talent or skill does it mean that they do not possess the skill or is it that they have not unlocked that potential yet? Also, I thought the metaphorical sense could apply to being different in accordance to different genres of writing or music. Is one genre superior to others? If a person’s style of writing or composing is different, does that make them less talented? My mind was boggled with these thoughts as sat there listening to 4:33.

 

 

 

 

 

Kebeon’s Reflection on Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The diary that I chose to read was “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”  This book is a classic and reading it reminded me of the old days when I used to watch the cartoon series on the television. Reading Greg’s story reminds me of things I used to see as a child going up and experiences one could never forget. Things like having that goofy friend or trying your hardest to be the cool kid and even things like awkward moments with female species. It was hilarious revisiting those moments and being able to relate to Greg’s experience.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that the format and font made it easy to read because of how big the words were and how they were spaced on the pages. It was also written as if they were real diary inserts, which made it easy to follow Greg’s life on a daily basis. the illustrations were a plus for me because it helps one’s imagination to depicts a clear picture of the events that took place in each diary insert. Reading the diary made me feel as if I was back in middle school all over again, dealing with bullies, doing pranks and annoying older brothers.

 

“The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” made me reflect on my past and realize how far I have come, and I am grateful for all the progress that I have made over the years. It inspires me to press on in journey through life and continue to strive to become the individual that I am supposed to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 2 Reflection

Unit two was just as enjoyable as unit one for me, I like that we as students get to express our creativity in writing while allowing others to witness our dad to day trials. It has been a difficult journey since the outbreak of the coronavirus and distance learning to me has not been the most ideal way of learning for myself. I really like being in classroom setting, surrounded by my peers and interacting with them and my professor. This new way of learning is very foreign to me, but my professor has created ways for us to stay in touch through all this distance. I must say that my writing has improved over these two units. Being able to paint a vivid picture in someone’s mind of what you have seen by interpreting sounds and adding time and location are certain aspects that help to nurture my writing skills. I am excited to see what wonders the new unit will bring to my writing experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 3 Journey

 

UNIT III – Learning from Each Other: Affinity, and Inquiry

 

SECTION 1: YOUR SKILL/INTEREST DURING CONFINEMENT/ WITH SOURCES

 

Welcome to Kebeon’s Skill Document

MY SKILLS/ACTIVITIES ARE…

1. Playing Soccer
2. Video Games

1.Here You will tell us a little bit about WHAT YOU ALREADY KNEW BEFORE the confinement/what your experience has been with this skill/activity.

Before confinement I really enjoyed things like taking the train to class, while trying to write diary entries. I also liked the fact of being in class and interacting with my classmates and my professor. She is a very humorous person in her own way. Some of the things I would do in the spare time I had between classes and working was playing soccer and video games; FIFA being my favorite and probably the only one I play. But more or less playing soccer is something I love doing. I have a genuine passion for the sport and a love for the competition and rivalry between each player. It’s a very physical sport that requires strength, skill, lots of concentration and a lot of athleticism. I would usually play in games on five versus five or ten versus ten. It is a sport that requires a lot of coordination between vision and movement and sometimes a little physicality between players.

 

2. Here You will tell us SOMETHING NEW you learned about it during this confinement period. If you haven’t learned anything new, then go out now and find out something(s) that you didn’t know about it before! 

One thing that I learned is that there cannot be any soccer without socializing; people need to come together to play the sport. Not being able to go out to the park for a quick game or just to socialize and have a sense of brotherhood. Another thing I have learned is that we as a people can still come together to socialize through other mediums. I have seen parties, graduations and other events done virtually and that demonstrates to me how innovative we can be as human beings and adapt to different situations. We have changed the way we entertain with live streaming on different social media platforms.

 

3. Here You Will Give credit to THE SOURCE(s) of this new information and tell us bit more about this/these sources and why you like them. Show us where we can go to find them.

This video serves as a source to give some insight on the skills, physicality, strength and determination it takes to be a soccer player. It is also displayed by the team I have been a fan of since my boyhood days:

 

A little insight into the world of Soccer

 

4: Context/Brief explanation to explain your skill/interest*

Playing soccer is like any other sport, it takes physical attributes, mental toughness, hard work and determination. These things separate good players from great players. You should also be able to enjoy every moment you step on a soccer field to play a match, whether it may be with friends or some official games. It is also a great way to stay fit due to the constant sprinting back and forth. I have been fascinated by this sport since I was young boy and the passion for the sport never dies. I get filled with excitement every time I get to lace up my cleats and step onto a soccer field.

 

 

SECTION 2: Inquiry — YOUR INVESTIGATION OF OTHERS’ SKILLS AND WHAT YOU LEARNED TOGETHER 

 

After you communicate* with your partner, this is what you will both tell us in your shared PAIR document:

How ‘s it going Farley? It seems we have been paired to do this assignment and I am really looking forward to sharing my insight on soccer and hearing about your love for baseball.

 

1.What you have in common — where you meet on common ground on a deeper level, as well

K: From a short glance of what you have written I realize that we are both sportsmen who are passionate about our craft and have a genuine love for sports.

 

F: Yes, we have much in common as sportsmen as we know about our craft and know what takes to excel at the sport.

 

K: I realize you started playing at a young age, I used to play soccer as a pass time also when I was a kid. My time would entail running around aimlessly kicking the ball, I had no sense of what exactly to do also there was no structure to my game. As I got older and continued to play, I joined a soccer academy where I was able to nurture my raw talent and play the sport in a more structured way. By learning all the rules that affect the flow of play. I also played competitively in high school winning two championships and also playing in the first and premier divisions of my country’s national league.

 

???? ask questions of each other….

K:So tell me what made you gain interest in baseball? What spark or significant moment you had that made you develop the love you have for the sport?

 

F: I gained interest from my mom when she suggested that I join an outside baseball league for the summer. I never did play in the league, but I started watching pro baseball more and more, I didn’t actually start playing until freshman year of high school. Similar to you, I didn’t know much about baseball and mostly had raw talent. It wasn’t as until I got older that I started to gain more skill and knowledge about the game.

 

F: Do you still play soccer still to this day?

 

K: Yes, I still play soccer during spring and summer when I have more free time. I have not played competitively in a long while though, I mostly play to keep myself fit and it is fun and stress relieving.

 

 

 

 

2.What new thing(s) you learned from each other

F: I learned that soccer is almost inoperable without socializing. Soccer takes people coming together and playing the game, similar to baseball and how every player literally needs one another to keep a game flowing. Soccer requires physical toughness, similar to that of baseball.

 

K: I have learned that we both have similarities in how we got introduced to our respective sports and that we both love and enjoy the competition and brotherhood formed by playing sports. You build a close knit bond with your teammates because they are the ones who protect you on the field of play, they are the ones that guide you and assist in times of help and that spills over to become a part of one’s general livelihood. I have made some of my longest and closest connections with former teammates that I have played with over the years. He did not start playing competitively until high school which was also similar to how my competitive career started.

 

3.What new thing the other person pushed you to learn about your own skill

F: Kebeon pushed me to learn why more people don’t exhibit the act of sportily brotherhood. What I mean by that is when a lot of people play baseball, they are only worried about their own performance and want to make themselves look good. Some baseball players don’t care about their teammate’s performance and won’t help them gain confidence when they have a bad game. I just want to understand why a lot of people don’t socialize more why playing this game.

 

K: Farley pushed me to realize that brotherhood in playing team sports is extremely important to have a great team performance and it also promotes a stronger bond with teammates. Playing soccer relies a lot on how well each member of the team communicates and works together.

 

 

 

4.What new perspective you gained from doing this exercise?

F: A new perspective I gained from this exercise is

 

K: From this exercise I have realized that no matter where you were raised there are people from different cultures that share the same upbringing and experiences that you have. We also share similar characteristics and the determination to strive for greatness in whatever we do.

 

Section 3a: REFLECTION ON YOUR PAIR

The peer exercise was a very interesting one, the conversation between Farley and I was a fruitful one. I felt like I got more insight on the sport of baseball due to Farley’s experience and love for the sport. I also found that we both express similar work ethics and always want to strive for the best. I think he will become an exceptional talent with his raw talent, hard work and determination.

Section 3b: OVERALL REFLECTION on this PROJECT AND GRADE

This unit has taught me that you can learn many things through interaction. You can learn how you and others have things in common and, also learn new things to add to your personal catalogue. Sometimes it may be a new skill like baking or cooking or information about a new sport which could heighten your interest. I have learned that just writing about a simple object that you possess can tell a lot about someone’s interests and personality. The class activities were always intriguing and encouraged my classmates and I to interact. My professor has great energy and was not afraid to open up about her own personal experiences during this tough time period we are in. that shows a lot of courage and character, it also made each student feel more confident to engage and interact with each other knowing our class was a safe space. Overall each activity in unit three was amazing and I would give myself a lovely A.

Final portfolio

Submitted by: Angello Licona           Course: ENG 1121 Section 402

Professor: Schmerler

Date: 5/19/2020

 

Table of Content:

-Unit 1:

Section 1: Journey to writing

Section 2: Inner Outer Assignment

Section 3: Unit One Reflection

 

-Unit 2:

Section 1: Diary Excerpts

Section 2: Diary of a Wimpy kid reflection

Section 3: Unit 2 Reflection

 

-Unit 3

Section 1: Skills

Section 2: Unit 3 Reflection

 

 

Unit 1

Section 1: I always had a hard time writing at a young age, people would say that I was a late bloomer and I would agree with them since when I remember my younger self, I would always see myself writing on a piece of paper but not writing any words because I did not know what words even looked like. As I progress through school, my writing has gotten better and it needed to so that continue to get good grades but it was a double edge sword since pushing myself to improve my writing for the sake of my grades, I saw it as only a chore and I wanted to get over with it as soon as possible so in the end I just made writing into self-torture and I thought it was going to be that way for the rest of my life. However, to truly be interested in something and make it last a long time, all you need is a simple push and that push for me was anime. People will immediately criticize you for talking about anime and try to discourage you for even watching it but I did not let those people’s words get to me because anime was a spark of creativity and thankfully I had many people who would support me and my interest. The person  who helped me the most was my high school teacher because when I told her that I watched anime and read manga, she told me that it counts as reading since I was also reading the subtitles and encouraged me to keep going which was the start for me to enjoy writing. I am not necessarily picky on which genre I watched because I watched from action to romance as long as the quality of the show was good then I would most likely watch it.

If I were to put a number on the total number of shows I’ve watched and without mentioning the number of episodes and seasons then it would be around 800 so I can say that I am aware of most of the cliché that most anime are fond of using. Thanks to the amount of shows I have watched, I can write many scenarios that are completely original like the time when last semester, I had to write a story of how bees were important to our planet and I wrote a story of how all the bugs and insects that pollinate plants went extinct and how it negatively affected the world. This world had its people dying of starvation and how the total population was in the millions and how my character was aimlessly wandering around the world for a vain attempt to see if there was a place that had a stable supply of food. None of the anime I watched had this type of scenario but because I watched their shows, I had gain my own sense of creativity and I started writing down my thoughts down on a journal or I should say diary since I write from my point of view that I won’t forget the ideas I get when I just go into a daze sometimes.

 

Section 2: The inner outer dialogue was a unique assignment that I had never done before, so it was nice to pay extra attention to my surroundings. However, after a few times it got boring because I never really change my commute to school so I noticed the same people almost everyday at the same time in the morning. This made the assignment lose a bit of its unique appearance if we needed to do it before we go to school.

 

Section 3: This unit has been enjoyable for me because the professor was someone who I can relax around and not worry about her giving us a bunch of assignments or being extremely strict with us about our grade. The amount of freedom we had for writing is what I found to be the best part because it allowed me to write what I want without the worry of being judge heavily by my classmates and if I were to give myself a grade, it would probably be around 80.

 

 

Unit 2

Section 1: March 25, 2020

6:00 am

i woke up early even though i wanted to go back to sleep, so i went to my mom’s room where she was getting ready for work and she said goodbye to me and then left.

7:00 am

i decided to take a shower much earlier than i usually do just to pass the time since i was bored.

8:00 am

my sister took the only laptop we had to do her school work so i had to wait for her to finish.

10:00 am

i noticed that my dad was going to cook ground beef for lunch so i went to the supermarket to get some pasta, where i had to wait outside in a line because only ten people can enter at a time.

3:00 pm

my sister finally finished her work to i could get started with mine which was mostly math.

4:00 pm

i took a nap for at least 4 hours since waking up early ruined my internal clock so i was mostly tired for the whole day.

8:00 pm

I noticed that my family got a new laptop so my sister and i don’t have to share and we could finish our work at the same time.

10:00 pm

everyone went to sleep but thanks to my nap, i knew i would not fall asleep again so i took out the zzzquil that i kept hidden from my family and took a little for than usual to fall asleep faster.

Section 2: the diary of a wimpy kid is a nostalgic story for me and for many people I assume since it was an extremely popular book in middle school. I remember always asking my parents to buy me the new books that came out so I can keep up on what’s going on with the main character’s life. Reading the story now makes me realize how much of a terrible person Greg Heffley is because reading it as an adult makes me see his actions that were blinded to me as a child. Greg is the type of person who cares mostly about care about himself and the artwork in the book is one example since most people other than him and his family have weird design and even exceptionally large nose. Whenever he is in a situation that gets him in trouble, he immediately blames other people for the mess or even worse put all the blame on them. Now I want nothing to do with the books since I can’t really relate to someone who in the first sentence in their first book writes that they are practically the best person they know.

Section 3: the beginning of this unit was like the last one except the fact that we were forced to stay in our homes for the most of it. Before that, it was more fun since I interacted with my classmates more often which gave me more confidence in trusting them since did not want to make any friends in this university because I just got out of highschool. My grade would be as great now since the virus basically ruin everything so the most I can give myself is a 70.

 

Unit 3

Section 1: my skills are mostly observation. What I mean by that is that I pay more attention to the things that people usually don’t care about. I am like a critic when it comes to anime or movies and all my reviews are honest and non-biased. I really enjoy picking apart small details that stood out to me and give it a grade between 1-10 to show how much I appreciate it.

Section 2: I am truly embarrassed to be writing this reflection since I allow myself to slip in my class work, I’ve done some of them yet those are not excuses I should be making right now. All I can say that I regret this quarantine because I am the type who prefer to do things in person and not in front of a screen. The grade I would give my self is at most a 60 because I really think really wanted to take advantage of this class and everything I could have learn from it.

 

 

Daniel Szocs

Course: Eng 1121, Sec 402

Professor: Sara Schmerler

Date: May 20, 2020

 

Table of Contents throughout my journey

Unit 1

Section 1: Journey to writing paper

   Section 2: Inner & Outer Assignment

Section 3: Unit 1 Reflection

Unit 2

  Section 1: Diary Excerpt 1 & 2

Section 2: Diary of a Wimpy kid reflection

Section 3: Unit 2 Reflection

Unit 3

Section 1: Your Skill

Section 2: Drawing 

Section 3: Reflection on your pair and overall

 

Unit 1:

Unit one was my favorite because I was able to experience it with my peers fact to face.

When I first got into the class I was surprised when the professor greeted us in a fashion with kindness and simplicity unlike other professors. We got greeted with a total of three questions: What is your favorite color, Who was your previous professor and What did you like or hate about your last english class. At first I thought that these questions were dumb and pointless, however I have learned that with all the lectures we have been given. It all had a certain meaning where it can not leave your mind once it is planted in. I always thought that an english class in college would teach us more tips and tricks about writing, although it came to my surprise when I figured out that the professor was teaching us new ways to interpret writing and how to make it feel humane and not autonomous. By humane and autonomous I mean that in high school every time I have an  assignment like an essay for instance, my brain would go into autopilot and fill in words until the paper had enough words and the length of the final draft was big enough to send. It will come to your surprise that it has served me in the past. This is a terrible way to explain how I did my work in the past, but if I were to explain it in any other way I would be lying.

Our Inner and Outer dialogue assignment was very weird when I first heard of it but then once I applied my thoughts onto the paper it was the first step into feeling humane when writing. I took the time observing my surroundings when I normally just ignore and get on with my day when I’m on my daily commute from hanging out with my friends to school or outside working.

I have to admit that this first assignment was done five minutes before class, but it was more effective this way because it gave me time to collect my thoughts and remember how to explain my experiences in a way where the audience can experience what Im reading outloud as if they were there next to me witnessing the many dumb things that I have observed first hand. Later on we learned to take notes on what our peers said when they shared their inner and outer dialogue experiences. In a sum this assignment was weird but effective in stretching out our minds when we are writing. It is like stretching your legs before going into a soccer match, or practicing your free throws before going into a game of basketball. All in all the inner and outer dialogue assignment was an exercise on our brains to inherit a certain style of writing that only we ourselves will be able to master which then leads to the outcome of perfecting our writing in whichever style we choose to write in.

 

Unit 2

Dear diary!

Due to this government issued “social distancing” and the rule to stay indoors, schools have shut down and many public events and even public spaces. This did not have much effect on me at first, however later on it started eating at me little by little as time went on. Many people are suffering psychologically being cramped inside with the same people in the same walls for days to pass without any knowledge of what progress there is for a solution other than precautions the government tells us that we already should know as people. My mother and brother are paranoid about anything believing whatever is being told of them without questioning it. Me however, I have found that I could mentally survive being held inside. Occupying myself with my usual habits have kept me maintained well mentally. Those habits include playing video games or watching Youtube and Netflix. I have surprised myself because I do not normally have the attention span to start a show and finish it. 

At first I thought that when the government closed down schools it was an overreaction that everyone was happy to hear about with myself included. This feeling of relief did not last very long when I first had to transition into online learning. It seemed straightforward at first but then many complications have taken over when small things such as internet problems occur here and there. Following up by emails and notifications that were either late or useless. I felt that this semester has gone downhill since the schools and colleges have been shut down. Later on I have been able to recalibrate. When the spring semester first started I can not say that I expected a global pandemic to occur because of a person in the world that ate something to make him/herself ill. I do not see this as judging but just appreciating how unfortunate things can occur from one single deed that can do such an effect on a person’s body, and how quickly the effect can spread.

It is a shame that I can not attend school in person, I really enjoyed being in this English class because of the way it is run. Not only by the professor but also by the English district or group in the college that determines how we are to work to pass a class required of us. Professor Schmerler is a very nice professor that really did prove the rumors of all college professors to be wrong. Those rumors of college professors being portrayed as heartless people that were planted in our minds in previous grades of school when they tried to prepare us for college. Have been untrue due to professor Schmerler’s style of teaching that made me feel like writing is not such a bad thing to do or like. She has made me enjoy writing and find a creative path when I write, when before I did not have a creative path to follow or appreciate once I finish my writing. 

Up to current times living in quarantine, I am stuck doing the same thing every day that can get a little annoying and less effective in distracting me from the boredom of being trapped inside the same walls every day. However it is pleasant to be able to complete work in the comfort of your own bed. That is the one positive outcome of this pandemic, I do hope that I can come back to living a normal life outside. Go outside to school then return to my job. I know that the next time  I set foot on that campus in a new class for the next semester then I will try to make more friends and be more social than I was before. It is refreshing to be able to talk to my friends during this quarantine and have someone to talk to to distract myself from the fact that I am stuck at home refrained from my outside life. Normally diaries are not what I like to write, or in a fashion of a diary, but it is soothing to let out how you feel while being trapped inside of the apartment all day. These past weeks have been nothing but a boring loop of the same thing every day as each day keeps passing by. 

This pandemic has gotten all of us under circumstances that we all have to adapt to, some who can handle it and others who wish the global pandemic to end so our normal lives can return back to normal. However I myself do not mind staying at home, however it is unpleasant to pause a certain part of my life and wait for the opportunity to be able to go on with  my normal life and go back to normal.

 

REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DIARY READING

The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a classic series of a kid who wants to survive middle school and who writes about his adventures in trying to do so while writing about how he feels and sees the world. Even if it was a childish book with a low reading level, it is effective in telling the reader how the character Greg Heffley feels about his life. When writing my diary entries I did not use the same format but the same tactic of telling a story while still including my own emotion and thoughts into it. The audience of that book was clearly meant for kids in the age of attending junior high school. It was just a story back then of kids doing what kids do in school. However now the book shows a different meaning in my eyes as I have grown up since I last read it when I was in middle school myself. I see the story as a kid who is scared of being a part of a community, only having a little first glance of what it is like to be in a community of many different people. Not only by looks but also by personality and character. I see a kid who is trying to figure out who he is and explores all bits of himself as he learns the outcomes of seeing all parts of himself. I see a kid who mentally and physically grows from not knowing who he is, into a more aware version of himself with set goals even if he is not close to completing those goals. In my eyes having goals is a good step in finding who you are mentally. The series starts off with Greg not knowing how school is going to be and to find out who he is personally.

 

REFLECTION ON UNIT II AND GRADE

Just like unit one I enjoyed Unit two, however not as much given the fact that we have to be in quarantine for our spring semester of our english class. My struggles would be the transition to the online school and adapting to them. However the one way I have overcome this obstacle by focussing and giving an extra bit of my determination to the new switch. I did enjoy writing the diary because it gave me something to do and a way to let out anything that can have me troubled in this quarantine. I also like and appreciate how simple the online transition became. It is the reason why I have enjoyed this second unit. The grade I would give myself would be just about passing with a B, for the reason that since it took time for me to adjust to this transition. I still managed to take responsibility in my work due to the issues that had been placed in front of me from internet problems to me not feeling well for over a week. I still find my way back up and do my work. I guess the improvements I can make on my final work before the portfolio is to add more detail to what I can write. This Unit in my opinion was great and would have been even better if this pandemic didn’t cause the schools to shut down.

 

Unit 3

Section 1:  My skills and activities are:

1)Drawing

2)Cooking

3)Basic Coding

 Section 1:

I pick drawing because it is the skill I feel that I am strong at, I am more confident in my skills of drawing because it is something I have done since I was little. It started as me coloring into lines up until me creating the outlines which would be my drawing. Drawing always gave me the relief of being in total control of something, I used to use it as a way to let out frustration by creating an image of how I feel. In the past I was always scared of drawing because I thought that I was not good at it or that I would mess up horribly on it. However once I got past that fear I ended up making a ton of mistakes and learned from my mistakes. I ended up improving my skills in making the shapes of my drawings, to make more consistent and precise shapes that are very complex and unique to your basic shapes such as, squares and circles and rectangles and other polygons. I want to make a future in graphic design because I feel that it is a career that I will actually enjoy doing and learning more about. It even kills two birds with one stone because the future is going online and online artwork just sounds like a dream come true to me.  

 

Section 2:

I have learned from my partners about their skills, and have learned more things than I have already known. I surprisingly was able to compare and contrast their skills and knowledge and connect it to my own. The concept of any skill in my opinion can be connected with one another especially if those skills require a form of creativity. Forexample makeup, even though is nowhere as similar to drawing, also share the same core principles. I learned from Wala that women get misunderstood when wearing makeup, and that it is a form of art that takes practice to gain very outstanding results. I personally never saw makeup as a problem for women or for anyone, I have just always stayed silent on the subject since I know very little about it. But one of my group members opened my eyes when I saw that most women do not use makeup to hide insecurities. However they use it because they can and want to which to me felt so empowering. That’s when I started seeing both similarities to having that confidence looking good based on the artwork you made on paper and pen, and the artwork people wear on their faces that can make themselves more confident than ever. In my opinion drawing is art and art is anything that you can create from scratch and be able to admire or use. Thanks to my group member Wala, she showed me that even makeup and drawing can be similar. The sources that Wala used in her writing were:  https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-things-cosmetics.

 

  My other group member, Jordy’s skill was about video games and at first I did not know how drawing and video games can be seen as art. However then I read his skills paper and related it to when he was talking about practicing to make himself better at the game he plays. Looking at this a different way I can relate to that because everyone starts from the first level before learning how to beat the game no matter what the game is. If it is makeup and drawing, the two hobbies no one would think twice to see how all three skills are similar. I used to train in a game as well when I was in highschool and I ended up getting good results when I would play with my friends. The same can be said for me with drawing as well, because I started with lines and coloring. Then went on to creating three dimensional illusions that make the artwork look real when first looked at. Jordy’s information about practice makes perfect in his skills paper is not something that can be researched like what materials make up are made from, or drawing techniques that make your artwork come out better than you had first expected it to. His main idea of practice makes perfect comes from an inner experience that is not the same as reading two articles of how to draw or do makeup. That inner experience is something that has to be gained from level one to the last level. Meaning that experience has to come from first knowing very little about the skill you are pursuing and then practicing to the point where you unlock more knowledge of said skill to the point where you become a professional. This feeling of confidence starts from learning and then it builds up when you are done learning and become an expert in your said skill. That is what I have learned from both Jordy and Wala.

Section 3:

After reading other people’s papers and about their skills, I have learned that we are all the same no matter what skill we know. No matter how different the skill is, it does not mean that the path to learning more about it is any different from one guy onto the other. I have learned myself from my experiences that drawing is only effective if you let it be effective. That means if you have the urge or will to start something then finish that said something, then you are getting the necessary distraction or self therapy of creating something that can give you positive feelings when looked at. This project overall in my opinion is very good and I had a good experience learning about the pathway that the other person took to get to the level of professionalism that they have achieved in their skill and how alike it was to my own pathway to reaching the professionalism that I have gained from my own practice and experience. In my work and effort I would give myself a C strictly on lateness of this assignment.  

In conclusion of this semester, I have had my severe ups and downs as have everyone else. Some more than others but we still went through this together. This will definitely be one of the memories I will cherish in my college experience. Waking up and joining zoom calls while I’m still in bed, and completing assignments in my room and exercising my brain so I do not go insane being stuck in the same four walls for months. It has been a bumpy ride, but throughout the ride I have learned from the mistakes of not making many friends while I was able to and will learn that no one can be alone and prevail. This english class is second to the best english class I have had in my mind, other than the english class in my senior year of high school where the teacher taught us about the amazing ideas of marxism and how the government is lying to us whilst reading George Orwell’s very own 1984 which will remain my favorite book that I have ever read even if it is one of few that I have read. This class will be the best class I have had in my college experience and will be cherished in all times to be reminded as a small milestone of when I completed my first full year of two terms of college. 

 

Final Portfolio