Course Reflection

From the presentation by the group who read Tortilla Flat, the connection of the Knights of the Round Table to the paisanos, as well as the connection of the wine they drank to the blood of Christ (regardless of that one being made by Professor Finnegan), were interesting to me. I would've liked to hear more on the ways in which the wine is similar to Jesus's blood. I am drawn to Arthurian mythology and stories from the Bible, so this connection appealed to me.

I feel that my skills as a writer, especially when it comes to academic research, have shown progress. I used to stare at the 15 page articles on my screen with anxiety, pretending to scan it for supporting evidence to my topic but giving up quickly. This time, I tried disciplining myself, and it paid off, as it always does. Other than that, this course empowered me with the knowledge of noun phrase appositives, logical fallacies, and verbal phrases, as well as making me more or less an expert on the three very enjoyable novels we read. Thank you for teaching this course, Professor Finnegan, and I wish you well in future quarters.

Final Thoughts

1. The jeopardy game in the last group (Maus) was a creative, enthusiastic, and entertaining way of getting the audience engaged in listening and paying close attention to the presentation.

2. I've learned to narrow down my focus on collecting quotes; I've learned to prioritize better now than at the beginning of the class. I've learned to manage my time more wisely, and I've improved my grammar skills overall. I've also learned to participate and speak aloud more in class, which used to be hard for me in the past.

topic one
i really liked the fight club group, they did a good job on how they did their presentation, they had small clips from the film. they had active effort that i really liked.

topic 2
i think this quarter was very good and i feel like i have came through a lot. i think having all the activities in class were very helpful to work on. the class was very friendly and nice. As reader i learned how to read critically and also do close reading.

Topic #1:
Something that I will take away from the presentations is how well everyone spoke. Everyone did an amazing job on talking about their part of the presentation. And I know that will help me in the future since I have to work on talking in front of other people.

Topic #2:
The process that I made this quarter was huge! I noticed how writing an outline became easier for me, writing and editing my essay went smoother than a few years back. I learned a lot of how to make an essay powerful by using quotes that supported the main point. My writing became smoother as well. I noticed that I knew what to say and how to say instead of being stuck and stare at the computer for hours. As a reader, I noticed that I've becoming aware of the small details that I would usually miss and didn't pay attention to. Overall, I've noticed that I improve a lot from the beginning of class until now.

Final Thought

1.  I remember the presentation of the group present "So Far from God." This book is about the strength of women when she has experiences many pain during life time. As I have the concern about women as an individual issue ( I am a young women), I want to take that as my lesson that no matter how hard it is, even how people mean to us, take us down, a strong woman always heads to the future and maintain her hope and belief.

2. My writing and reading skill has developed significantly. I know how to use the linking words effectively, develop the ideas for the essay, collect the quotes and information to analyze and explain the issue. While reading, I feel more and put myself in the character's shoes and sympathy to them.

Final Thoughts

Topic 1:

The Fight Club presentation was interesting, inspiring me to watch the film. I will remember the clips that they showed because it was meaningful in terms of human psychology.

Topic 2:

My writing skills have improved due to many writing assignments and helpful feedback from others and Dr. Finnegan. I also had chance to read three good books. I read faster as well.

Last Days of Class

Topic 1-

Each group was very enthusiastic, they showed a sense of urgency and a few, I thought, even came out of their shells.

Topic 2-

In my writers letter I touched on the fact that writing has always been my form of escape but even in it being so, I have not considered myself a great writer. I write run-on sentences because I speak with no punctuation. I misspell words because I have forgotten the rules of vowels, and I can not write pages and page worth of thoughtful "stuff" because my mid runs on low energy and I doubt myself with the fear to fail. I am grateful to have taken this course because I have truly exercised my knowledge.

Topic 1

Some thing that inspired me during the presentations were all the different themes that were portrayed. I was able to see that these themes were common themes that we can witness in our daily lives if we pay enough attention. In the future, I will be able to learn to make connections to themes with novels that I have already read.

Final Thoughts

Topic 1: 

Out of all of the presentation, something that I will remember in the future is the Jeopardy game. The Jeopardy game was a great way to engage the audience in the presentation. I think it was a great way to end the quarter.

Final Thoughts

1) During Drown's presentation, the way that the group member related to her own experience and how she understood the character's struggles with his abandonment from his father was really interesting and made the presentation reach a deeper more personal level, which really added to it.
2) Since the start of the quarter I feel that my understanding of perceptions has really grown and that now when analyzing a text I don't simply think from my own thoughts but from the character's that I am reading about. I have also created a better understanding of my own voice, how i wish to reach to readers so they understand my writing.

Final Thoughts

Topic 1:

An example of a group presentation that inspired me or I will remember in the future would be the people who read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. I have always loved animals but I never really take action towards protecting them, even though I am all for it. Their presentation was more personal for me because I have a pet of my own and I guess because of my views on animals.

Topic 1 and Topic 2 Response

Topic 1: A takeaway from all the presentations would be the Maus presentation since it had a jeopardy game which required a lot of effort to make. This was effective since it made the audience review what the Maus group presented.

Topic 2: Throughout this quarter, I guess I improved in my writing by analyzing quotes and finding different sources to connect with an argument. I think I also improved in terms of organization. I used to have all my ideas jumbled up across the paper. But now, I do have a general sense of organizing it well. Plus, I learned to quickly analyze excerpts.

Final Thoughts: Last day of English 1b

1) The group that did the book "We are all completely beside Ourselves" was inspiring because they took the time to find photos online of chimpanzees who are used for experiments in science. I will remember this because I have the image of a chimp being carried by a scientist ingrained in my head. I think they did a good job at showing the emotional distress that taking the chimp away from the family caused.

Topic 1: After watching the presentation on Maus, and particularly the interview with Art Spiegelman, I desire to read the complete series myself. I will remember in the future that it took him about five years to finish writing the graphic novel.

Topic 2: I've improved on my incorporating quotes into my arguments, but I still can improve on my propensity to sometimes procrastinate. We wrote a lot in this class and I believe it'll better prepare me for the next level of writing in general.

1) I enjoyed the information on the relationship between the family and the chimpanzee by the group who went over We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. It's interesting and inspiring to see a family that (mostly) treats an animal as an equal.
2) I've gotten much better at PIE paragraphs and thesis statements. I've also improved at timed writing thanks to all the practice with it in this class.

Final Thoughts

1. The unfair treatment of animals described in "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" inspired me to strive for the equal treatment of animals. They shouldn't be subject to testing and abuse just because they aren't human. I will remember this in the future and make sure to preach for the fair treatment of animals. Places like SeaWorld that treat dolphins unfairly should be shut down.

2. I've made a lot of progress in regards to my writing skills during this quarter. For one, i feel a lot more comfortable writing in a timed environment. Before the quarter began, In-class essays were something that intimated me but now i feel very comfortable taking them. My overall skills as a writing also developed and I feel like i can express my thoughts and put them on paper without getting held back or getting stuck. Writers block was something that used to negatively affect my experiences as a writer but now that rarely happens.

Topic 1: Being imaginative and having fun while making the presentations are the best ways to have a good presentation in class. Working together as a group is stressful at first, but when everyone has fun and puts their effort, making the presentation is enjoyable. Thinking out of the box with our Jeopardy template was both fun and stressful to create because we had stayed up just thinking about it. However we had many laughs during the process which made the time fly.

Topic 2: I honestly do not remember what I wrote in the writer's letter, however I feel like I have improved in both writing a thesis and using the PIE format. On top of that I have also been learned how to make a clear argument and find sources to help support that argument. Learning different reading and writing strategies has made me a better writer and mad it more fun.

Topic 2

I feel as though I've made tremendous progress throughout the course. The amount of work was more than I was used to, and it forced me to really manage my time well and critically think about my readings. I enjoyed the books that were assigned which made this course more enjoyable. The main thing I progressed in was my writing capabilities and the struggle I had with getting the idea's in my head onto paper.

Progress: An end to a great quarter

At the beginning of the quarter, my skills as a writer were feeble and peckish. That being said, over these past 12 weeks, both my reading and writing skills have grown exponentially. First we learned how to incorporate "appositives" into our academic arsenals, followed by "fallacious arguments", only to end the year armed with"verbal phrases." All I can say as both a writer and a dear student, thank you professor Finnegan, for everything!





Yours truly, BG

Final Thoughts

Topic 1:

 

Identify one example from any of the group presentations of something that inspired you or that you will remember in the future. What was it that excited you and why will you remember this?

I will always remember that chimpanzees are people too.  
 

Topic 2:

In one paragraph: reflect briefly on the progress you've made over the entire quarter, as specifically and precisely as possible. Consider what you wrote in the Writer's Letter from Week 1, and how you've progressed as a reader and writer since you wrote the Letter.

Congratulations on being nearly finished with English 1B!

I have progressed so far since the beginning of this quarter. I am now capable of conjugating verbs, organizing sentences, and speaking English fluently. This is miles ahead of what one would expect in such a short period of time (see? that was a metaphor!)

Final Thoughts

Topic 1:
The jeopardy game inspired me -  I will always remember how we played jeopardy on the second-to-last day of English 1B.  I will remember it because it was very exciting to watch people play it.

Topic 2:
I've graduated from the 5-paragraph essay format, though I still need to work on my procrastination issues and time management skills.

Final Thoughts: Last Day of English 1B

Write two thoughtful responses to the following topics in one blog post:

Topic 1:

Identify one example from any of the group presentations of something that inspired you or that you will remember in the future. What was it that excited you and why will you remember this?

Topic 2:

In one paragraph: reflect briefly on the progress you've made over the entire quarter, as specifically and precisely as possible. Consider what you wrote in the Writer's Letter from Week 1, and how you've progressed as a reader and writer since you wrote the Letter.

Congratulations on being nearly finished with English 1B!

Persepolis Film

The social upheaval in Iran during Marjane's childhood was hugely influential in shaping her as a person.  As a young child, she learned much more about how society works (or doesn't) than the average child.  She also learned to think for herself at a young age; through her father and his various revolutionary friends, she learned much about philosophy and government, and started thinking about deep issues as a child.  She also lost faith in God at a young age, showing just how powerful this period in her life was for her.

Persepolis analysis: Film vs Book

In terms of the book, Persepolis brings a particular graphic artform to the auto-biographical narrative. Satrapi illustrates in a minimalist style: black and white, commonly only six to eight panels on a page. This style is intended to project a childlike interpertation of the world since the novel follows Satrapi's own childhood. The black and white symbolizes both the past and how the Islamic revolution left Iran devoid of its rich colorful cultural history. The medium of the graphic novel is also important here because iconic representations of Islam are forbidden by the Islamic regime. The novel is, thus, a form of protest as well as art. In contrast, I felt like the movie was what a movie is expected to be, entertainment. In contrast to the book, the film tries to negate our attentiion away from the crises occurring in war-torn Iran with bits of humor-such as where Marjane's grandmother covers her eyes while the on screen dinosaur eats people alive. This instance of entertainment added to the book was NOT included in the original text, and within reason.