I have never been very passionate about writing and as a result, I have never really thought about the true meaning of writing. In high school, I just accepted the fact that I was not good at writing in comparison to my peers. I just assumed that good writing meant that there were no grammar or spelling errors, which is a common misconception most high school students have. Before reading Writing About Writing by Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs, my views on writing were very limited. One of the first ideas that jumped out at me as I was reading was the statement, “Writing is not just something that you do, but it is something that people study”(Wardle and Downs 7). The idea that writing is something we can actually learn more about, had never crossed my mind. As our views and perspectives on writing grow and expand, we can better understand the purpose of writing and know what good writing means.
With limited understanding of writing, I started this class with an open mind. I used this fresh start as an opportunity to try and expand my knowledge of writing and gain a deeper appreciation for writing. I have always believed that some people are just super talented at writing and Heavenly Father did not bless me with that talent. I have come to find out that maybe it is just my perspective on writing that is holding me back. Wardle and Downs suggest that, “what you believe about writing directly impacts what you do or are willing to do”(5). As I came across this quote,
Writing is one of the most important skills that I have learned throughout my years in school. I have learned that no matter how much I love or hate it, writing is a necessity; I might as well try to be good at it. Writing has been in my life for many years. There are many types of writing, educational writing and personal writing are two that I will mention in this essay. I have learned how to allow writing to help me in my daily life. When I began writing I hated it, however, I have learned the many uses of it, and it has become a huge part of my life.
In Dan Berrett’s article, “Students Come to College Thinking They’ve Mastered Writing,” the idea of freshman thinking they are or must be a refined writer is discussed. Students may think this way coming into college, but their teachers do not. While students might feel satisfied and think that they are prepared with their writing skills, professors found that these students did not necessarily meet the expected level (Berrett 1). Many students reported that they would normally write around 25 hours every week. They said that most of those hours of writing was for more formal purposes like passages to make changes in society (Berrett 1). It was found that one reason the new students might feel this way is that their assumptions about writing differed greatly from those of faculty members and their expectations. One big thing that students will not get for a while, is that good writing is not just listed as a bunch of steps one is to follow that automatically make one’s writing good. Good writing requires one to be in different mental states; it requires the understanding of how to write for different audiences and different reasons (Berrett 2). Berrett includes in the article that writing is not just universal and that in order to do very well, writers must use different forms of writing specifically for their purpose (2). It seems as though students think that, before they even take a class, they are supposed to know everything about writing; in reality, they are supposed to learn new skills and enhance others (Berrett 2). Berrett says that many believe the schools these students previously attended with their test focus might cause these feelings about writing (2). Berrett ends his article by saying that students these days do not think that informal writing actually counts as writing, and that students should practice writing for informal purposes because it can help them (2). Even if they feel like it, students are not fully prepared to write in all contexts when they arrive at college.
There are multiple reasons I am where I am today and why I’m going where I’m going. I have struggled in school ever since I can remember but without the people that I have had in my life I wouldn’t where I am today. But as I will talk about the teacher have played a huge role in the reason I am able to be where I am today.
Science Instructional Analysis and Methods class has afforded me countless learning experiences which I have taken into my intern classroom. I have several take away for this fall’s science methods course. The first being, in Methods class I learned to work in distinct groups of with peers of various levels. My peers who are experiencing classroom teaching for the first time and the graduate interns. Surprisingly, I learned from working with both of these groups. From the graduate level students, I was able to actually make a connection with the content we read about in our text and experiences I had everyday in internship. I appreciate the opportunity, as I felt safe and free to ask questions about the experiences they had in teaching science. I commend you on the way you had broken up the class groups, and afforded us to work with different groups. During this process, I feel I have started to find my voice as a professional. This opportunity allowed me to be more confident to voice my ideas to the teachers I worked with in internship, as I contribute to my PLC group.
Everyone knows what writing is to one extent or another, but we all have different definitions of how it should be done and varying degrees of seriousness about the art. We all have a process of writing, but each is unique to ourselves and our own experiences. Annie Dillard and Stephen King are two well known authors who have published many pieces, two of which describe how they view the writing process and let their readers get a peek of what goes on through their minds when they write. These two pieces are Dillard’s The Writing Life and King’s “What Writing Is.”
On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.
A learner’s ability to communicate effectively through writing to his/her target audiences is a major prerequisite for academic success. It is also a major pillar of success in one’s career across all areas of practice. Even though, writing clearly is critical to one’s academic and career success, I have not always loved writing. In fact, for a long time I despised writing. At one point, I had a feeling that my writings skills were bound to remain stagnated throughout my life. However, time has proven that I was wrong. My attitude and outlook towards virtually all genres of writing has changed positively. The various helpful methods I have been exposed to by my English teachers through different grades have helped me
A learner’s ability to communicate effectively through writing to his/her target audiences is a major prerequisite for academic success. It is also a major pillar of success in one’s career across all areas of practice. Even though, writing clearly is critical to one’s academic and career success, I have not always loved writing. In fact, for a long time I despised writing. At one point, I had a feeling that my writings skills were bound to remain stagnated throughout my life. However, time has proven that I was wrong. My attitude and outlook towards virtually all genres of writing has changed positively. The various helpful methods I
Throughout high school, I was regularly told that writing was not my strongest skill. My teachers would constantly “shoot down” my writing because it was never “good enough,” except I never understood what that truly meant. However, this class helped me realize that my writing has “potential for greatness,” but it just requires some more time, thought, and clarification.
My personal experience, as a writer, is limited only to the days it was required of me, which led to a lack of understanding of a writer’s style and a bad reputation and relationship with past English educators. I never really enjoyed writing, I but always admired reading the works of famous writers, who had the gift of self-manifestation. However, I always seemed to complete the task without any sort of passion or interest. Writing was simply a required aspect of earning a grade. I felt limited in my ability to be creative or interesting to my readers. My writing seemed to lack imagination and vitality. While I was enthralled in reading a good book, writing was an unsatisfying effort and a chore. Expressing my voice and inspiring others
We all have different outlooks on writing and the way if affects us. As an incoming college student I have many different views when it comes to writing. A couple of things I have learned as a writer; all writers have their own strengths and weaknesses, writing is a learning process, and writing can allow a person to speak freely on a subject.
Since the first time I picked up a pencil and a piece of paper I have been taught how things ought to be done. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s, check your spelling, and do not forget the period at the end of each of your sentences. Writing shows you understand how to fit together facts and bits of information, but when does the real test of knowledge finally come into play? Your writing must express you, while still managing to cover all the appropriate content. All those years ago I wish I would have had someone to teach me that writing could be enjoyable; but for me, it is just another task that must be completed (and a difficult task at that). Writing has always been challenging; a job in other words, which takes time to learn, and despite its best efforts, has attempted to push me to grow.
Through our life, ignorance is replaces by knowledge, and it is from that knowledge that we gain wisdom. Writing is an art from, one that has been developed and revised for over hundreds of years. History may teach us that we repeat are same mistakes, but that does not change the fact that life’s greatest teacher is experience, and it is experience that shapes a writing style and literacy understanding.
Since the beginning of the semester, my writing has changed and evolved to accommodate and sustain longer essays. With longer essays, there is more room for in-depth analysis. Further analyzing a topic has led me to findings that I did not know existed. As I continue to write, I uncover addition and superior methods to approach my writing to the benefit of me and therefore, my audience. Throughout the semester, I have incorporated techniques to further my narrative throughout my writing.
My whole family is very religious. Growing up we put on our best clothes and went to church every Sunday and bible study on Wednesday's. It was a huge part of our daily lives, we said our prayers every night, morning, meal, good things, and bad, we prayed a lot. For most of my adolescences I believed or was forced to believe that being an Christian Evangelist was the only way of life and everybody else in the world was going to hell. Whenever anything good happen in my life God did it; bad it was Satan himself. Around the age of 16 I began to ask questions and wonder if God was real or not, of course my family did not want to hear it and often ignored me or would say you just have to believe and have faith. If I asked what if I don't believe, would I go to hell? my family would say of course you will go to hell so just believe so you don't have to find out. The moment that was a turning point in my life was when I was 17 I had a conversation with my minister uncle. I asked him why would God send me to hell for an eternity just for having doubts? and if god created everything including Satan then God himself is evil. Well that did not sit to well with my uncle and he accused me of being possessed by demons and that I had the devils tongue. My uncle practically held me hostage, called all of my family and another preacher and held an exorcism. They had crosses, holy water and Bibles