Krista's Thoughts At Midterm

Three important concepts I've learned thus far:

1.) I've learned that there's a lot more to story-writing than meets the eye. The plot, style, symbol, setting, theme, and point of view are all very important in a story and don't just come naturally to people - it takes real time and effort to create a good work. Plot, style, symbol, setting, theme, and point of view are also not always obvious. One must think 'outside of the box' to try and capture what a writer is trying to relay. In addition, knowing about an author and their background helps greatly in understanding those key elements more in depth.

2.) I've learned that poetry is a lot more than rhyming and pleasing the ears. Depending on the poetry type it - for the most part - is very structured. Various poetry types are written for different things. Little things we may not notice, like how many stressed or unstressed syllables are in a line, help make a poem what it is. Whether it's a quatrain, haiku, or elegy, it also takes a lot of work and is a lot more strict in writing than we think. It can even incorporate all of the elements above, just like a story. Poems don't have to be about love or deep feelings, either. They can be about pretty much anything and everything, and are endless in their possibilities. I have also found they can be quite enjoyable, relaxing, and relieve stress.

3.) I have also learned that the world wide web is a lot more vast and useful than one would think. Having up-to-date technological skills really helps with keeping up with the modern world and widening one's intellect. There is virtually (no pun intended) no wall between people when discussing things online and it really helps get to know people and be known. There are so many fascinating things that can be learned by others and on the internet it's just a click away. Learning, discussing, and viewing things online is a medium in which many things can be learned that a classroom setting cannot always provide.

Three activities I liked/disliked:

1.) I really liked how the professor did class activities and assignments with the rest of the class. It made me feel like the professor felt she was going to be learning along with us and that she was an equal, not just an authority or overseer.

2.) I disliked how the class did not discuss the literature more with the professor (especially because we had so much of it). I enjoyed all of the activities and discussion we did in class, just not the time frame we had. The activities always seemed rush and weren't completed (or done to the best of our ability) and the literature was not always understood or analyzed enough with the group.

3.) I really enjoyed the blogging, video-viewing, and overall online portion of the class. It was much easier being able to state one's opinion and get to know others through blogging, and the videos really helped bring the literature and lessons to life. It also helped increase my technological skills and add a different, refreshing side to the course.

Three sentences representing how I felt about what I learned:

1.) I feel that my eyes were opened significantly into the world of English through the various stories and poems we read, giving me a deeper look into all of the vastly different kinds of literature out there.

2.) I feel that all of the reading and blogging we've done has really helped improve my writing and thinking about literature by broadening my interests, abilities, and imagination.

3.) I feel that what I have learned so far in this course is really going to help me in my future English courses and will stick with me.



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