Tuesday, April 27, 2010

True Education


I sat down for dinner with my father the other night at Chili’s. As we ate we talked, and he complimented my blogs. He says my writing is improving, but stays honest (critical) and tells me I still need to proofread better. Such is the life of a English teacher's son.

I have noticed an improvement in my writing and I feel that the blogs have contributed to that very much. Writing creatively at least on a weekly basis has made it much easier to get started on my essays. I will even admit that I have even begun to enjoy many of the assignments; when you enjoy what you’re doing you do it even better.

I have started to love writing even more because these blogs really bring my thoughts to life. I start to get into the writing and before I know it I am past the 500 word minimum. Before I would stress much more and do a word count about every 2 minutes. Writing is less about fighting the words and meeting all the requirements. I have started writing more because it is simply interesting.

The various assignments in this class have not only improved my interest in writing but also my skill and proficiency of writing. The group projects have helped me to communicate more fluently through the written word. I am much more comfortable communicating with people online through discussion boards and emails. The group projects essentially push you or force you to figure out how to communicate through an unfamiliar medium.

What I believe to be the greatest help in writing during this class was actually reading the chapter in our Exploring Language book about writing. The tips found in that chapter have proved to be indispensable in all of my writing projects. The two essays that stood out the most to me were Richard Lederer’s “The Case for Short Words” and Linda Flower’s “Writing for an Audience.” Lederer’s essay has spurred me to be more crisp and clear in what I write. Flower’s essay has made me think about the audience more and reminded me to consider what their knowledge, experiences and situations are when I write. This essay has only added to my intense love of the concept of context.

Not only does this improvement in my writing aid me in this class, but it also enriches many other areas of my life. Undoubtedly what I have learned through all of the reading and practice will improve my writing outside of the class. As a film-maker writing is something very important to me. Being able to shape stories through language will be a major key to my success. The creative assignments, especially the blogs, contribute the most to developing my story-telling skills.

Many of the critical thinking questions in the Exploring Language textbook have helped me to think of more stories because they ask for examples from personal situations. This often helps to give me an idea to write about as an example in my blog.Then the blog comments serve as a final step where I can receive feedback on my writing allowing me to adjust my style and tailor my writing to be more audience centered. As with all true education, the combination of these many elements work together to improve me.

5 comments:

  1. Dear Ben aka Dragon Cow Productions, I have to say I agree with t you on a lot of things. There was a part of your blog that I never thought about until I read it. You know the part with the fact that our thoughts are made into and put out as ideas for everyone to read. This is probably the best thing about the writing. And now I feel that I like it even more because I learned something new, and not even from a teacher but a peer or fellow classmate. Another major thing I noticed was that you started off by mentioning the fact that your father was an English teacher. I feel for you, because when your parent or parents are seriously involved or employed in something you participate in you get extra tough criticism. I know, well mine is a little different but still, my dad is a soccer coach so I am pushed more than anybody else because he knows what should be done. But it will benefit you eventually, whether you want to admit it or not. But I am excited because this English class has helped me soo much and I really did not think that it would happen, and this fast too.

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  2. My dad actually coaches boys soccer at Hill-view middle school too... but I made it pretty clear sports is not my thing long before he started. Glad my blog was able to communicate my thoughts with you.

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  3. Hi Ben. I’m sorry you had to feel disappointment when no one commented your blog last week. I really do enjoy your blogs because of all the personal experiences you include in them. Its funny how you brought up the fact that you would do a word count every two minutes because I would do the exact same thing. I can’t relate to you on the part where you said you actually enjoy writing because I still don’t like to write. The assignments have gotten a bit easier because of the amount of writing we do in class, however, it is not something I would call fun. lol. I also like how you brought up the mode of communication in your blog. I hadn’t realized that communication was such an important part of this class. It seems obvious now; however, I didn’t notice it until after you mentioned it. My favorite quote from your blog was how you were describing the help writing gives you in other aspects of your life: “As a film-maker writing is something very important to me. Being able to shape stories through language will be a major key to my success.” I thought this quote was such a great depiction of how writing is important to you because it was filled with metaphors and imagery. Great Blog BEN!

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  4. Hey Ben,

    I agree that this class has had a positive impact on both my writing and critical thinking skills. I must admit that the Exploring Language textbook has been one of the best college textbooks I have bought. It has allowed me to sample the essays of a diverse group of authors and in doing so be exposed to different perspectives. Through reading the opinions of different authors I have gained a new appreciation for writing. Writing can allow us to express our minds and share our experiences with our readers. This is similar to the way in which we post threads to our blogs weekly.

    I also have enjoyed the peer draft review process. We often overlook mistakes when we are the authors of the work. It sometimes takes another perspective to catch the often times silly mistakes we make. Through our peer draft reviews I was able to comment on the essays of my peers. My peers were also able to comment on mine and in doing so provide me with information to make my essay better. I no longer dread having to write essays and now view it as an opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences.

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