Final Blog Post -#6

1. At a first glance it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what I learned in English class. I know that I have become a better writer. I like the finished product of my writing more than I used to. I think that I can write with more of a purpose now. I have learned how to communicate a point more effectively than I used to. I also know how to communicate that point without simply telling about it. I understand that telling something is much less engaging to a reader than description and imagery. I have noticed that throughout this semester I am better at incorporating emotion into my writing and making readers feel that emotion. I especially learned how to do this in my memoir. I read my memoir over and over again because I wanted to get it right. It was the first time I had ever shared that whole story with anyone and I felt responsible for communicating my emotions through my writing. I wanted the reader to truly understand how I dealt with the issue and my thoughts about it but at the same time not over-dramatize. In the memoir I learned how to better show instead of tell with my writing. I also learned to take different perspectives through my writing and see the story from different angles. I experimented with different openings and closings. I learned to use anecdotes and flashbacks to add character to my story. I learned that the intro can change the whole tone of the story. While writing and revising my memoir, I also realized that the conclusion changes the mood of the story a lot because it is the last impression that the reader is left with.
Through my ad analysis I learned to break down the entire ad to understand why it was designed that way. By breaking down and examining each piece I was able to see what the company was trying to communicate to the readers through the wording, colors, and layout of the ad. This type of analysis can transfer over into different types of learning as well. I think that I learned a valuable skill when interpreting different types of writing. I struggled a little bit with the movie review. I tend to think narrowly sometimes so I tried to use the skills I learned through the ad analysis to help me break down the movie so I could review it without bias.
I admit that I was nervous in the beginning of the year when Ms. Squillante stressed the importance of Arts in our class as well as English. I have never been someone that is drawn to art. However, after our trip to the museum I am comfortable saying that there are certain pieces and presentations of Art I can enjoy. I liked many of the paintings and sculptures in the museum. My favorite ones were the ones that made me think. I liked the paintings that made me ask myself, “How did they come up with this?” and “what were their inspirations?". I liked the abstract paintings the most because of the contrast of colors. I also just liked the unique designs and originality of each piece. I know I have progressed in my opinions towards Art. I am more open-minded towards it and have realized that I cannot group all Art together.
My favorite part of the class may have been when we listened to and discussed the NPR podcast about Penn State. The different perspectives they presented were very eye-opening. I also thought it was interesting listening to other student's opinions about what they may have left out in the hour long podcast even though overall, I thought the piece was well balanced. This helped me to learn that a reader/listener can develop an opinion about a piece very early on and when presenting to an audience very emotionally connected to the subject. it is important to come off as unbiased to earn their complete attention throughout the piece.


2. Blog Comments for Alexandra Schaefer (aschaefer)
http://ericafromamerica007.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-journal-1.html#comment-form
http://saf5288.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-journal-1-journey-of-blogging.html#comment-form
http://lightingtechie15.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-blog.html#comment-form


3. I completed my STREs!