Devin Holt English Composition I Monday, April 28

Table of Contents I. Overall Self-Assessment

II. Essay 1 revised III. Original copy of Revised Paper IV. One Sheet of Writing Critique

Self-Assessment My overall self-assessment for this course? Where do I begin? When I first came into this class I was not sure how I was going to react. I knew that it was going to tough course in itself, but I was not sure how tough. I have never been a huge fan of writing although I like to do it. I am like most people though, I like to write on the things that interest me most. Class discussions in themselves taught me a lot. I have always been a visual learner. If it is set in front of me I can better comprehend then it being told to me. Whenever we had class discussion I tried to pay attention best I could. I picked up a lot as I always do in class discussion. Notes were key to me. I always took notes when I saw the chance to do so. Even though I disliked taking notes I still did it. Like I said I am a visual learner. So when we discussed composition and how to structure your writings I truly had to listen. English never was my excelling point in school. That is why notes were so important to me. The readings we had every week were something I was truly not a big fan of. I constantly keep asking myself, "Why can we not choose our own topics?". I always disliked writing and reading things that did not interest me. I always so it as a lot like being told to do something you do not wanna do. How many people really wanna do that? I was so intent to just write one article one week about a topic of my choosing to show that is really could do what was being asked of myself. Do not get me wrong there truly were some good topics, but I just felt do undermined. I always felt that I could I write and express myself 1000 times better if I could have chosen the topic and related it to something that was familiar to me. I am not saying that I absolutely dreaded the thought of doing the readings and submitting the reports. There was a lot that I enjoyed reading and writing on, but some weeks I just felt out of place on the writings, because I felt I could've done so much better if I could have chosen the topic myself.

Direct instruction to me is always the best of the best in any learning standpoint. One on one with any instructor helps in everything. Being able to get face to face and really dig into a subject matter always seems to help. That really breaking it down into simplest terms makes all the difference. I have liked that getting to talk one on one. It has always helped me to better understand any and everything. Even if for five minutes. I always believed that when you have that one on one time with any student it can really help to secure a good grade. When the instructor comments on your papers I believe it to be a good thing. Some people hate that. They feel if they get a bad response the first the time they will all the way around. I on the other hand think different. I enjoy getting those few extra comments on a paper to help me better my report. Nothing like having the teacher pretty much tell you what he/she is wanting on a paper. It has always helped me. To know what I really need to focus on when finalizing my paper. This semester has been okay. I enjoyed the class and have enjoyed the people. Even though some of the topics we have discussed have not been up my ally it has been fun. I have learned so much more about English in itself. I now feel like overall as a person I can be a better writer. I can now feel comfortable writing. The strength of my writing I believe has greatly improved. Not only have I learned to be comfortable when I write, but I have also learned to just be myself. Write what you feel and do not worry about what others think about your writing. After all it is your writing.

Devin Holt Stacy Jones English Composition I Monday, February 10, 2014 How I Learned to Read and Write I began reading and writing at an early age. I believe that everyone should start out learning to read and write an early age. It is an important factor as you grow older to perform proficiently in life and be successful. As you begin reading and writing it is near impossible to just pick up a book and start reading or pick up a pencil and start writing. I barely even remember actually learning to read and write. It seems as if it just came natural, especially because I was so young. Kindergarten was the first encounter I had where I had to read and write according to specific standard. This was the first step to becoming fluent in both reading and writing. Trying to remember how I learned to read or write is hard for me. I was very young and I probably did not even realize that I was learning something that would affect my future so significantly. Thinking back, I remember I was not very good at reading, at least that is what I thought at first. I was reading my teachers comments and they all stated that I needed to concentrate and I would be fine. The more I thought about it, I did not think I was very good at either. I can remember just sitting in the class and telling myself how much I hated the parting during the day when I had to read and write, but it was something that I had to do weather I liked it or not. The reading and writing only became harder as I went through school. It became more consistant and required more.

I can remember, in second grade, figuring out the complexity of reading, such as grammar, reasoning, and most importantly pronunciation. The memory if learning how to read fluently and accurately stands out to me the most from when I was in second grade. My class was expected to take terms reading on several occasions. As we would go around the rood taking turns reading, I was always anxious to get to my turn. I always tried my best to speak loud and clear and read with accuracy. I also began learning out to write complete sentences in the second grade. I quickly became partial to the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I read it so many times I could have probably recited it. I thought it was so cool to read through that book so swiftly and fluently. It was my first book on my own and I treasured it greatly. The book had actually been read to my class the previous year, so I was familiar with it. I read the book with flawless results, which boosted my confidence level a great deal. I became very interested in Dr. Seuss books and read my fair share of them. I really enjoyed reading aloud and hearing myself. As the years went on I grew less and less fond of reading. I actually grew to where I very much disliked it. I went from teaching myself to read at home to not taking books home at all. I lost complete interest in reading and comprehension. Even though I developed a high reading level I disliked reading. In third grade, I was on a fifth grade reading level. It made me feel great, but I still disliked reading. When we would go to the school library I would have to force myself to read on family night. When I was in elementary school we used a program called, Accerlated Reader. This program required me to read books and take tests on them for points. You were expected to read and take test based on you reading level. The percentage that you made on the test determined how many points were granted. I tested in a higher reading level so it took me longer to read and

take the tests because the books were so much larger. I really strived to read and take as many test as my friends but I could not due to the fact my book was so much larger. There was not a large selection of books to choose from and I often times had to read book that I was not very interested. My test percentages and points quickly began to show this as the year went on. I eventually got discouraged and lost all interest in reading. I felt as if I was falling behind because I was taking less tests and losing interest. When I stopped reading I noticed my writing skills had also decreased. That was one thing I also picked up rather quickly. I could write complete sentences well in my early stages of writing. I never really had to practice writing at home. I did not have to practice reading much either. My name was the first thing that I learned how to write. I would assume that most people begin leaning how to write by writing his or her name. Not to say I had the prettiest had writing in the classroom, but I did fairly well. I remember sitting in my desk in first grade writing out my ABCs on the big horizontal pad. This was a daily activity for several weeks at this grade level. The pad was easy to write on and the lines were very distinct. I remember writing my capital A starting at the bottom line then, moving to the top then, back down again. I was also required to write the lower case a. I had to be careful and remember not to go past the middle line and to loop at the end. This was my very first memory and the beginning of learning out to write. As the years went on I excelled in writing. Writing complete sentences and making statements became easier as I went through school. I began to lose interest in writing just as I did reading after just a short while. I think that age and priorities had a lot to do with my loss of

interest. The older I got the less interested I got. I noticed as I stopped reading as often, my writing also began to slack. Skills that I had been taught had slipped my memory and it was not as easily as I had remembered. I made errors without realizing it and was often times unsure about why it was incorrect. My grammar was getting worse, my sentences were not complete, and I simply lost all interest. As the years went on and I got into high school reading and writing really become important. At this point I really disliked reading and writing, but I knew it was required of me to be successful. I had to almost completely relearn the basics of reading and writing. It was a lot more rules that what I had remembered. I had to put more time into my school work and pay closer attention to my reading and writing. I had a harder time comprehending my material, which made it much harder to write about. I have always been told I have been a strong writer and fluent reader. Once I got in high school writing came easy and so did reading, but only when dealing with topics that interested me. If I could maintain an interest, I could do very well. I have always been a strong reader and writer. It is very important to be that I be fluent in both of these skills. I will continue to use reading and writing as I get out of school and enter the real world. It will help me in whatever career path that I choose and enhance my communication and social skills. I am more confident when I know I am reading and writing correctly, especially when I know it is being looked at and/or graded. It is a very important skill and I am so glad that I learned how to read and write. I use it everyday and will continue to use it in the future.

Devin Holt Stacy Jones English Composition I Monday, February 10, 2014 How I Learned to Read and Write I first started to learn to read and write at an early age. I believe all start learning to read and write an early age. I believe when you first start reading and writing is not just being able to pick up a book and start reading. Picking up a pencil or pen and start writing. It didnt for me anyway. Trying to remember how I learned to read or write is hard for me. I dont know why either. Thinking back I remember I wasnt very good at reading. At least thats what I thought at first. I was reading my teachers comments and they all basically stated that I needed to concentrate and I would be fine. The more I thought about I did not think I was very good at either. I could remember just sitting in the class and telling myself, Man I hate reading and writing! Hate it!, but it was something that I had to do weather I liked it or not. I could remember in second grade very well which was when you really start picking the complexity of reading. Such as grammar, the meaning, and most important how to say them. I remember very well in the second grade class so long ago. Walk through the door and I was on the far left row closest to backpack rack. I would say about two or three desk back not real sure. We had just started to really getting into reading and writing what you could call complete statements.

I wouldnt go as far as saying first grade being true complete statements when it came to writing I had picked up my first book that I was going to read on my own. The book was Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham. Oh how I thought I was such a big guy. My first book on my own. So I told myself. We had actually read that book in the previous year, but hey I knew it made me feel pretty good at the time. I read the book with flawless results which boosted my confidence level a great deal. I knew that I had to read another. This time one that I had not previously read. A little harder, but I believed I fancied alright. As the years went on I grew less and less fond of reading. I actually grew to where I very much disliked I went from teaching myself to read at home to not taking books home at all. Even though I did develop a high reading level I just disliked to read. In third grade I was on a fifth grade reading level. Did that make me feel good that I was on a higher reading level? Well yeah! It made me feel great, but I still disliked reading. When we would go to the school library I would never really just force myself to read. You see we had a system called A.R. which meant that you would read books and then take tests on them for points, but the kicker was you had to in level that you tested in. I tested in a higher reading level so it took me longer to read and take the tests because the books were so much bigger. I really strived to read and take as many test as my friends but I could not due to the fact my book was so much bigger. I eventually got discouraged and lost all interest in reading itself. I felt that I was falling behind because I was taking less test, but I actually was not.

When I stopped reading I noticed my writing skills had also decreased. That was one thing I also picked up, and caught onto rather quickly. I could write complete sentences well in my early stages of writing. I never really had to practice writing at home. Nor did I reading, but that did not stop so to say. I would practice but not so much. I can remember the first thing I learned to write would have to be my name. As I believe that would be everybodys. Not to say I had the prettiest had writing in the classroom but I did fairly well. I remember just sitting in my desk at first grade writing out my ABCs on the big horizontal pad. You remember? The ones with the two solid lines and the one dotted in the middle. I remember writing my capital A starting at the bottom line then, moving to the top then, back down again. Then the lower case a writing it out be careful to remember not to go past the middle line and to loop at the end. As the years went on I excelled in writing. Writing complete sentences and making statements. Then I started to notice something I started to lose interest in writing just as I did reading. I think a lot had to do with the age. The older I got the less interested I got. I noticed when my reading really slacked off my writing you could see visually had taken a toll. MY grammar was getting worse, my sentences not complete, and just simple loss in interest. Later as the years went on and high school rolled around reading and writing really become important. At this point I really dislike reading and writing, but have learned all the basics on writing. I have always been told I have been a strong writer and fluent reader. Once I got in high school writing came easy and also reading on things that interested me.

I have always been a strong reader and writer and I believe the importance of them both are very high. It is something that I really did not find very fun so to say in school. It is a very important skill and I am so glad that I learned how to read and write. I use it everyday and plan to from now on.

The Best and The Worst. I would have to say my best piece of writing thus far of the semester would be, my final discussion board post. Allow me to elaborate. The reason I believe that this is my best piece of writing is because I truly feel more comfortable writing. It seemed like the more and more I wrote discussion board posts the more comfortable I had found myself to be. The weakest piece of writing is just the opposite of my first paragraph. When I first found myself enrolled in the class I was nervous about expressing my thoughts where everyone could see. So for that fact I was on edge so to say about my posts. I did not speak what was mostly on my mind, instead what I thought everyone wanted to hear. This is why I believe that my writing itself was brought down as a whole. My own ideas for improvement would be: "just express thyself as you see thyself" do not hold in thoughts because you are afraid of being judged. A lot of great minds go unseen due to the simple fact. They stay quiet. I believe you write your best work when you be yourself, and not anyone undermined what you write.