Reflection

Reflection is a major factor in "developing self-awareness" to improve services provided to everyone around me, this is to develop my own understanding in realising the good and bad made previously. Moving forward with a better understanding, as well as rectifying the mistake whilst recognizing the good points, (Horton-Deutsch and Sherwood, 2008).

This semester I learned a lot about writing in English 151. It has been a roller coaster ride with these essays for me this semester. I learned step by step how to write a good essay and how to have your readers be engaged in what you’re trying to tell them. Each essay I did has taught me something valuable I can take to the next level of English. I feel as if as the semester went by I did not take my writing that seriously and that reflected in my grades I received in each essay. It made me a better student and writer and it will reflect next semester. In this essay, I will reflect on what I learned throughout this semester that you should apply in your writing when you begin English 151.

Islam has a religion that is known in the United States as a “terroristic religion”, but according to Reflections, written by Gai Eaton, it is not a religion that some people think it is. It is impossible for Islam to be a terroristic religion because it is a religion based on finding peace, God loves beauty, and it is a religion of love and knowledge. The religion of Islam can not focus on anger at outside targets because they practice love, five pillars, and give to those less fortunate. The religion of Islam is based on peace. “Islam – the very word implies ‘peace’ – aims at a state of equilibrium in society and with men himself” (Reflections, page 15).

This reflection is divided into two parts: the importance of critical reflection and an evaluation of self. The first part will be drawing upon through the appropriate literature, and there are four points to prove the importance of critical reflection in personal development. It will be expounded and distinguish Reflection in action and Reflection on action. Then, the theory of Single and double loop learning will be introduced. Moreover, the reflection also includes the difficulties and challenges. In the second part, it will be reflected my own personal style or capabilities through MBTI Personality Test, because of there are two different styles for me, and through the comparison it will be proof which one is the best one. After

Reflections no longer hold truth when encased by a mirror. There is darkness behind the glass that seeps into people’s subconscious. As it lingers inside them, it does not let up on its firm grasp on the victim. This demonstrates how society’s views can have a negative effect on an individual. Outside pressure can become an overbearing force that is placed on individuals. People should not try to capsize a stable boat when there is nothing wrong with it. People are too focused on what makes them different from society, and how that is a negative thing. However, being unique is what makes them beautiful. Comparing murky pond water and a crystal clear mirror allows people to see the distortions in themselves and how everything is not surface deep.

The inspiration for Chantal and I’s praxis paper was from Carl Leggo’s article, “Pedagogy of the heart”. As I read Leggo’s ruminations between his prose story and his poetic expression I realized his article read like a praxis paper. When thinking about how to conceptualize this paper Chantal and I were bogged down by ‘in the box’ thinking until we were lamenting on Leggo’s method of narration and expression. I could not help but feel happy when I read Leggo’s article, it was free, honest, and creative, I could literally read the passion of his pedagogy in every word. Leggo would write a portion of his story and what he learned in his prose portion but expressed and connected his next prose with a

What is your chosen artifact? Include a link to or a picture of the artifact.

In class so far we have went over skills such as critical thinking, critical reading, inclusive language, paragraph development, summarizing, and rhetorical analysis. The purpose and application of critical thinking involves looking at both sides of an argument and properly evaluating which one you think is best. Critical thinking as well as critical reading go hand-in-hand. Inclusive language was brought to the forefront in order for us to recognize and apply to our writings that for example, women and men can both be nurses, women and men can both be apart of the police force and that “policeman” is not correct in cases as well as the word “nurse” just being referred to as a woman. For paragraph development we learned what goes into a paragraph in certain papers, for example, in our argumentative essay papers for Cornerstone each paragraph should build on a specific portion of our thesis statements. Summarizing simply revolves around the root of the word, summary. Summarize the topic at hand non-subjectively while pulling out the main key-points and main ideas. Rhetorical analysis came after summarizing and it is similar to summarizing, however, in a rhetorical analysis you include way less summary and more subjectivity as you are imposing your thoughts on certain things (tone, arguments, perspectives, etc.) on the reading you are writing your rhetorical analysis on. Personally for me, I have already learned these skills and I am just honing them for the college level. In

Throughout this semester of English 49 the students were instructed to write an array of essays: Whole Process Essay (WPE), Revised Argumentative Essay (RAE), Unrevised Timed Essay (UTE). The essays each required a different writing technique. The WPE focused on personal experience and basic writing composition. The RAE was an argumentative essay about whether or not Schools should be reformed and how. The UTE focused on the student's ability to write under time constraints while still writing at a college level. While writing these essays I was able to reflect on my own writing to identify my weaknesses and strengths, find improvement throughout the course, and determine areas I needed to focus on.

Over the past few weeks, I have noticed growth in awareness and understanding towards becoming a culturally responsive teacher. This includes me learning more about the many aspects and influences on what makes a teacher truly culturally responsive and developing on the knowledge that I already had.

After looking back at some of the papers I have written throughout my four years at Mississippi State, I can honestly say the transformation of my writing skills has left me baffled at some of my earlier works that I hardly recognize. As the level of my classes increased, each teacher taught me a new skill that helped my writing improve, whether it be my thesis, transitional sentences, or how to properly break down a quote and explain it to a reader. Each small improvement resulted in a grand-scale remodel. From Comp. 1 to Critical Writing and Research and 4000 level classes, everything has drastically improved, especially my analyzation skills. More than just analyzation, the five essays I have chosen for my portfolio focus on how the cultural ideology the author was exposed to influenced his or her writings. My earlier papers attempt to address the point I am trying to make, but lack of thorough analyzation, along with grammatical errors, combined with simple sentences, it is safe to say that the point was vaguely made with little evidence to support it. However, in my later papers I may spend an entire paragraph analyzing a single quote. This change is due to the development of my micro and macro reading skills paired with my advancement in analyzing different types of literature.

Throughout this semester in Composition 1, I believe my writing skills have improved drastically. During the semester I have met the five goals of the semester course. Also, I have learned about how I write and how to improve my writing to get ready for college.

My writing had a transition through the semester and it was because of what I learned in this class. My writing process took a turn as well however, it took time and at times I had a hard time identifying things like the subject and key action. Many times I just had to word vomit onto my paper because that way I could sort my ideas afterwards. The discussion helped me identify when and where I put my character and key action because I used to think I could play around and put it anywhere I’d like because at the end it was my paper. However, I learned that concision is important because if the reader gets confused they might not be interested in reading anymore. Other people including peers, professors, and tutors at the writing center helped me identify where I needed change whether it meant grammar or structure. At, the start of the semester the Beginning Statue prompt made me feel very comfortable. However, throughout the semester I noticed that there was even more to learn and that I could implement different methods to better my writing.

Most of the writing curriculum I've taken and completed was through the community college. As I entered Northern Arizona University my assignments mainly involved working with multiple choice quizzes or working with numbers. On occasion the writing material involve to write short paragraphs. Recently within the last year I am now starting to write essay papers again. To name just a few of my past writing courses that I've taken are Lost tribes and buried cities, humankind emerging, Introduction to Ethnic Studies , Introduction to public administration, and now this current course Public Sector Communication Strategies. For the lonest time I've tried to achieve a degree in Business. I envisioned myself running a business or owning one some day. Now those visions have changed a bit. Recently this spring I made the decision to change my field of major. I've decided to finish my degree in Public Administration. I have no regrets since I have always served for my community however, I've realized several of the courses I'm required to take involve learning more about our government, the history and analyze in writing what I've read and learned in my own words. It's been quite the experience, and I feel as if I have to start fresh and reiterate what I've memorized in grade school. For instance, learning how to write an essay paper, discussing the topics, and grabbing the readers attention are just a few examples. There is a saying, when you haven't practiced doing

I used to think I was invincible and that nothing could harm me. Now that I look back to when I was younger I can’t believe how incredibly wrong I was. Everyone would always tell me that you couldn’t fool around in college and no one would be there to hold your hand throughout the process. I decided not to listen to them and I would just do my own thing. During the two years that I was enrolled in Moorpark, I would skip class and hang out with my friends. Doing this didn’t just affect me; it also affected my parents and hurt them. My life revolved around having fun and being a carefree teenager. I thought time would stop and everything I did wouldn’t cause me any harm. I’d get these moments sometimes where I’d stop and be disappointed in myself but I wouldn’t fix my problems or even try to. Focusing more on my social life led me to put school on the backburner and concentrate on my new job that I started. Work became demanding. With all of the hours and responsibilities that I had, I never thought of going back to school. I ended up becoming a manager in a department store, and this took up the majority of my time. I had only finished about a year of school. I’d keep telling myself that I would go back next semester. This was a reoccurring thought in my head. At this point in my life I was 20, I worked and then I started a new relationship. This also consumed much of my time. This new relationship brought