Here is my final reflective questions about my essays, blogs, and overall thoughts about this class.
This I Believe: Writing Process
Sabatino: Can you describe the scene(s) where you wrote the This I Believe (TIB) essay. Be descriptive. Is this sustainabl
Christina: I wrote the essay while sitting on my bed in the afternoon. I was surrounded by papers of drafts and other assignments. The music of Lorde was playing in the background.
Sabatino: You wrote a blog post about six strategies to become a better writer. Have you used those strategies when blogging and writing the TIB essay? Please discuss which of these strategies helped you the most when you wrote your TIB essay?
Christina: I have tried most of the strategies I discussed. The strategy I used while writing the essay was finding a quiet space away from everyone so I could focus better. This seems to be the best for me.
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the TIB essay (freewrite, list, found poem, etc.). What helped you the most?
Christina: I made a list of things that I felt could be incooperated in the essay. Then I did some freewriting off of that list.
Sabatino: How has the blog impacted your writing process?
Christina: The blog has made me view my writing differently because it is not just me reading it.
Sabatino: Please share your thoughts about the revision techniques we've used in this course (peer review, show and tell, five senses, found poem, etc.)
Christina: Peer review I enjoy most because of the feedback you can get from someone "outside".
Sabatino: What specific revisions have you made to your TIB essay?
Christina: I have reorganized some sentences and reworded some sentences that seemed to be fillers.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIB essay?
Christina: I will definitely be using peer review and the five senses.
Sabatino: We have used a farming metaphor to conceptualize a sustainable writing process. What metaphor would you use to illustrate your writing process thus far?
Christina: Jenga is my process because I build and use different techniques to get to a final draft.
This I Believe: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your belief statement (word-for-word)?
Christina: Home is where the heart is.
Sabatino: Do you think your belief statement grabs the audience’s attention? Why?
Christina: Yes, because everyone can relate in some way.
Sabatino: What is your scene?
Christina: Springfield, MO at my parents house.
Sabatino: How does your scene illustrate your belief?
Christina: It shows that no matter where I am, my heart is always with my family.
Sabatino: What questions do you have for me about your TIB essay?
Christina: Is it still draggy or does it make you want more details?
This I Wonder: Writing Process
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the This I Wonder (TIW) essay (freewrite, list, presentation, etc.). What helped you the most? What did you struggle with the most? What specific revisions have you made? Please include a discussion about assignment-related blog posts.
Christina: Freewrite and presentation helped the best. I struggled with being open about myself. I found a better title and symbol that I could mention throughout to catch the reader.
Sabatino: How has your process been similar to your This I Believe process? How has the process been different?
Christina: Similar process worked for me again but added the presentation which helped because of feedback and I could hear things that needed changed.
Sabatino: In what ways have our course readings impacted the way have written your TIW essay?
Christina: They give me different ideas about how to word what I want to say that isn't boring.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIW essay?
Christina: Try to fit in more dialogue not just my thoughts through that time.
This I Wonder: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your understanding of showing and telling writing? How does your essay incorporate both?
Christina: I show where I am and what I'm going through and I tell the background that got me there.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your TIW opening scene? Why did you choose to open your essay with this scene?
Christina: The bathroom of my apartment in Horsham, PA. I opened there because that is where my TIW moment took place and my life changed.
Sabatino: What is the major decision you had to make in your TIW essay?
Christina: Whether or not to have a baby was the decision.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) the scene where you put your decision into action?
Christina: The bathroom and then curled up on my couch while I tell my boyfriend.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your "I wonder" moments in the essay? Which social systems influenced your decision?
Christina: I wondered if I could actually keep the baby while I was still young and looking into a career or if I should abort or give it up for adoption. Society and what people might think of me if they found out and how I was raised influenced me.
This I Argue: Writing Process
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing process, including generative techniques, research, and revision.
Christina: Research was the most used and watching the documentary over and over again. I took lots of notes and generated my own ideas.
This I Argue: Writing Product
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing product, including purpose, genre, and areas that need revision.
Christina: The purpose was to help people understand what food deserts are and how it affects so many negatively.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Please discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Christina: It took some time but I actually enjoyed it. I am debating about keeping it just for my own outlet and maybe use it for my next english class.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Christina: I believe it is organized but I'm sure I could still make some tweeks.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site? How have you revised your identity?
Christina: A strong mother who loves and does everything for her family.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Christina: The blog is organized and easy to navigate if nothing else. It has been a wonderful experience and one that I probably would never have done myself.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Christina: I was scared and nervous in the beginning but now I enjoy it and like that people can comment which helps me consider my audience.
Questions for Final Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Christina: I have enjoyed this experience and hope to have another class like it. Have I improved my writing skills in your opinion or just learned how to BS through it? How did you get the idea to add blogging to the curriculum?
This I Believe: Writing Process
Sabatino: Can you describe the scene(s) where you wrote the This I Believe (TIB) essay. Be descriptive. Is this sustainabl
Christina: I wrote the essay while sitting on my bed in the afternoon. I was surrounded by papers of drafts and other assignments. The music of Lorde was playing in the background.
Sabatino: You wrote a blog post about six strategies to become a better writer. Have you used those strategies when blogging and writing the TIB essay? Please discuss which of these strategies helped you the most when you wrote your TIB essay?
Christina: I have tried most of the strategies I discussed. The strategy I used while writing the essay was finding a quiet space away from everyone so I could focus better. This seems to be the best for me.
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the TIB essay (freewrite, list, found poem, etc.). What helped you the most?
Christina: I made a list of things that I felt could be incooperated in the essay. Then I did some freewriting off of that list.
Sabatino: How has the blog impacted your writing process?
Christina: The blog has made me view my writing differently because it is not just me reading it.
Sabatino: Please share your thoughts about the revision techniques we've used in this course (peer review, show and tell, five senses, found poem, etc.)
Christina: Peer review I enjoy most because of the feedback you can get from someone "outside".
Sabatino: What specific revisions have you made to your TIB essay?
Christina: I have reorganized some sentences and reworded some sentences that seemed to be fillers.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIB essay?
Christina: I will definitely be using peer review and the five senses.
Sabatino: We have used a farming metaphor to conceptualize a sustainable writing process. What metaphor would you use to illustrate your writing process thus far?
Christina: Jenga is my process because I build and use different techniques to get to a final draft.
This I Believe: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your belief statement (word-for-word)?
Christina: Home is where the heart is.
Sabatino: Do you think your belief statement grabs the audience’s attention? Why?
Christina: Yes, because everyone can relate in some way.
Sabatino: What is your scene?
Christina: Springfield, MO at my parents house.
Sabatino: How does your scene illustrate your belief?
Christina: It shows that no matter where I am, my heart is always with my family.
Sabatino: What questions do you have for me about your TIB essay?
Christina: Is it still draggy or does it make you want more details?
This I Wonder: Writing Process
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the This I Wonder (TIW) essay (freewrite, list, presentation, etc.). What helped you the most? What did you struggle with the most? What specific revisions have you made? Please include a discussion about assignment-related blog posts.
Christina: Freewrite and presentation helped the best. I struggled with being open about myself. I found a better title and symbol that I could mention throughout to catch the reader.
Sabatino: How has your process been similar to your This I Believe process? How has the process been different?
Christina: Similar process worked for me again but added the presentation which helped because of feedback and I could hear things that needed changed.
Sabatino: In what ways have our course readings impacted the way have written your TIW essay?
Christina: They give me different ideas about how to word what I want to say that isn't boring.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIW essay?
Christina: Try to fit in more dialogue not just my thoughts through that time.
This I Wonder: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your understanding of showing and telling writing? How does your essay incorporate both?
Christina: I show where I am and what I'm going through and I tell the background that got me there.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your TIW opening scene? Why did you choose to open your essay with this scene?
Christina: The bathroom of my apartment in Horsham, PA. I opened there because that is where my TIW moment took place and my life changed.
Sabatino: What is the major decision you had to make in your TIW essay?
Christina: Whether or not to have a baby was the decision.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) the scene where you put your decision into action?
Christina: The bathroom and then curled up on my couch while I tell my boyfriend.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your "I wonder" moments in the essay? Which social systems influenced your decision?
Christina: I wondered if I could actually keep the baby while I was still young and looking into a career or if I should abort or give it up for adoption. Society and what people might think of me if they found out and how I was raised influenced me.
This I Argue: Writing Process
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing process, including generative techniques, research, and revision.
Christina: Research was the most used and watching the documentary over and over again. I took lots of notes and generated my own ideas.
This I Argue: Writing Product
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing product, including purpose, genre, and areas that need revision.
Christina: The purpose was to help people understand what food deserts are and how it affects so many negatively.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Please discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Christina: It took some time but I actually enjoyed it. I am debating about keeping it just for my own outlet and maybe use it for my next english class.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Christina: I believe it is organized but I'm sure I could still make some tweeks.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site? How have you revised your identity?
Christina: A strong mother who loves and does everything for her family.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Christina: The blog is organized and easy to navigate if nothing else. It has been a wonderful experience and one that I probably would never have done myself.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Christina: I was scared and nervous in the beginning but now I enjoy it and like that people can comment which helps me consider my audience.
Questions for Final Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Christina: I have enjoyed this experience and hope to have another class like it. Have I improved my writing skills in your opinion or just learned how to BS through it? How did you get the idea to add blogging to the curriculum?