Reflection From Group Discussion

Though there was not a huge difference in thoughts about This is Water by David Foster Wallace, there were definitely a few key takeaways from the group discussion. We came to the conclusion that DWF’s main goal was to show that empathy not only makes the world a better place but also that empathy can be as simple as realizing that others may also be having a hard day. He also proves that your perspective on life also plays a huge role in your happiness. These two points go hand-in-hand, as a positive and empathetic perspective on life will lead to us being more happy and also those around us more happy as well. 

There was little the group disagreed with but the idea that this essay would not work for a different group of people is true. Though the underlying themes of empathy and perspective can be related to any part of life, the format would most likely not work to a different group of people. DWF does a great job catering to his audience, but in doing that ,makes his speech less relatable to others in different scenarios.  

Though this particular speech may not “work” for a different group of people the underlying themes are always true no matter what. The speech in my opinion is very impressive and a very strong speech. 

The Empathy Diaries Questions #5

Critical Reading

#1 

Conversation is the focal point of Turkle’s essay. She states that conversation is not just two people talking but it is much deeper than that. Conversations is not just about talking either, it also about listening, both to those they are talking to, but also listening to themselves. In this way we allow for ourselves to be vulnerable and open, when this happens the conversation is more than just two people talking it is now a connection. Turkle goes on to showing evidence for her claim as when she has asked others to tell her about their most important conversations, all the answers revolved around both parties in the conversation becoming vulnerable. 

#2

Early into the essay, Turkle tells of a time where she was contacted by the dean of a middle school in upstate New York to discuss the “disturbance in their student’s friendship patterns”. Turkel proves that more time spent online in a “simulation” will only prepare kids for more online “simulation(s)”, where face-to-face conversations and interactions will prepare kids for future in-person interactions. With the lack of in-person interactions, these children lost the practice in “learning to make eye contact, to listen, and to attend to others”. Personally I do not think that anyone under the age of 13 should have a phone. I think this is so early on in your life that who you are should be shaped by the in person interactions you have not by the online interactions. Also this is the time of your life to just be a kid and have fun and not have to worry so taking up that time with phones, social media and etc, I think, is a shame.  

Exploring Content  

#2 

Empathy, defined by Google, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. I think this image fits with how Turkel uses empathy. Empathy does not have to be a big thing but in most cases like the picture are small acts of love that put yourself in the shoes of others. Like the picture this act can be as small as just being a shoulder to lean on. And I think this is what Turkel is saying. In the story of the Holbrooke School, the children were lacking empathy due to their phone use and if continued those empathetic feelings may not develop. This idea is terrifying, having a generation of people who lack empathy, because when we are able to be empathetic the world is a much happier and loving place. 

This is Water Annotations #6

English Questions for 10/27/2021 #9

Crit Thinking

1. Abe was a fan of the attention he was receiving so he continued his style.Abe hated the way all the guys looked the same and wore similar clothes and his unique fashion sense allowed him to stand out amongst the rest. It was his way of showing his identity. This is why it was worth it for Abe, he found a way to express his identity. 

Assignments for Writing

1. Identity can be expressed through almost any way imaginable. Through his narrative, Chabon proves this by showing Abe expressing his identity through his clothes and his unique style. It was not simply a liking to nice clothes but a way for Abe to be himself. Through being himself, he connects to a new community of people as well as himself, leading him to becoming a fashion designer.  

3. Through Chabon’s work, he shows that the definition of being a man has changed over the years. I think that Chabon  would agree that being a man in 2021 is completely different then what was thought 30, 20, even just 10 years ago. Personally the definition of a man is different from person to person. “Being a man” is seen in so many different ways that there truly is not one definition the the phase, I think a much better phase would simply be, “being a person”. Having this gender bent phase is outdated, we should instead focus on simply being better people, not better men or better women. 

Learning outcomes

1. English 110 has taught me to approach writing as a recursive process that requires substantial revision of drafts for content, organization, and clarity (global revision), as well as editing and proofreading. As someone who had previously despised anything to do with writing and reading, I can now say the importance of this learning outcome. This learning outcome has taught me much more than just an approach to writing but it has also taught me that writing is more of a fun puzzle that you slowly piece together. The best part about this puzzle is when you solve it and put it together, seeing your masterpiece. This has given me a better understanding and love for the writing process and it because of what I learned in English 110. Thank you for reading, Learning outcome #1. 
2. Before English 110 I would not state my own opinion and integrate it into my papers. I would also fail at successfully integrating others’ ideas into my paper and it would feel all over the place and thrown together. But this course has taught me that giving my own opinion in my work is not only a great idea but also it makes the writing much more fluid as what you are saying can’t be wrong because it is what you think. This also makes it easier to integrate others’ ideas and summaries making your writing much cleaner and intensive. This is shown through my essays. Thank you for reading, LEarning Outcomes #2. 
3.  In high school I never read the writings that was assigned to me critically, and I definitely did not actively read. I did know the basics of highlighting words I did not know but I would not properly analyse the readings. I believe this lead to my dislike for english as I would not look deep into the readings and only saw them at face value which was a lot of words that school was forcing me to read. But in English 110 I have learned to employ techniques of active reading, critical reading, and informal reading response for inquiry, learning, and thinking. In the readings we were assigned I employed these techniques and found myself asking questions after every paragraph, and wanting to continue to read more. For the first time in my life I wanted to read. I did not just take the readings at face value. I would analyse the writing and think to myself, “what does the author mean here” and “what is the point of this point they are making?” For example, While reading Micheal Chabon’s, “My Son the Fashion Prince”, I critically analysed the reading and found myself really loving Micheal and his son’s story. I saw the stroy as not just a story of his and his son’s trip to the Paris Fashion Week, but as a story of Micheal’s son finding his identity. Going deeper into the readings made me love the material and I honestly don’t know if this would have happened without English 110. Thank you for reading, Learning Outcome #3.
4. At the end of English 110 us students should be able to critique their own and others’ work by emphasizing global revision early in the writing process and local revision later in the process. I rarely would critique mine or others’ work. The most I would do in high school is fix small grammar mistakes, but I would not critique the thoughts and ideas that the writer has. This year I have now learned the importance of this skill. I now believe that peer review is the best way to start an essay. Having others read your work is always important as getting others’ perspectives increases the quality of your work. And this also goes the other way around. When you critique your work and others critique your work as well, you can find yourself rethinking your writing for the better as you now may have new ideas. When I first heard that in English class others would be critiquing our work, I was terrified. I thought I was not a good writer and others would judge me for my writing, but this is not any further from the truth. Having others critique my work allowed for me to further my writing and make a much better essay, one that I am now very proud of. These critiques helped me to create a better flowing essay. Thank you for reading, Leading Outcome #4.
5.  As shown through my three essays for English 110(shown in the “significant writing project” tab in the eportfolio), I have documented work using correct MLA format and conventions. My work shows correct headings, page numbers, quotations from websites, books, essays and other forms of writing, as well as a works cited page at the end of my papers. My MLA conventions have gotten more precise and accurate with each major writing assignment. This progression of my skills in using correct MLA format has improved with each major writing assignment. But I have not always been this way. When I used to write my essays I would commonly mess up the title by writing the date in the incorrect format, I would always forget to add the page numbers, and I would especially incorrectly use quotations, or even sometimes not use quotations at all. This would make my writings unorganized and because of the incorrect use of quotations, I would be flagged for plagiarism. The date and title not being in the correct MLA format would start off my essay very bad and the reader would be put off instantly. But after my first semester at UNE, I am much better at using the correct format because of English 110. I am now much more confident in my formatting and though I still make small mistakes here and there, I am much more consistent, and ultimately a better writer because of it.i Thank you for reading, Leading Outcome #5 .

6. I have definitely completed Learning Outcome #6. In English 110 I have a much more defined controlled sentence-level error(grammar, punctuation, and spelling). I am not the best speller, and definitely did not win any spelling bees, but after this class I am much better at spelling. Spelling has always been a struggle of mine, from words like definity that always end up as definetly and gorgeous that end up as gorgoues to even simple words such as acceptable. But I am now a much more capable writer due to my advances in these categories. English 110 taught me to slow down and reread the sentences I write and after I did this, I saw that the common spelling mistakes that would previously make were now gone. Thank you for reading, Learning Outcome #6.