Semester Reflection

Daniqua Polk

Karen Morris

Eng 1102- HH

4 May 2011

When I registered for this course, hybrid English 1102 class, I expected a course that would be fairly easy following behind my English 1101 class. I had the notation that we would just be writing various essays that we turn in online, answer a few discussion questions, and then that one big final paper at the end of the course. I was wrong indeed. What I was faced with was a class that was more technology orientated. I didn’t mind the use of technology because I felt it was an innovative way to incorporate web blogs, and articles into this course. I had never made a blog or online magazine before, and was very interested in starting one. With my initial expectations of the class, I would have to say as this course comes to an end my expectations for the class has altered. I see this course is whatever you put into it, will be the same thing you receive from it. If you take this course serious and work hard you will receive the grade to match it.

The thing I would have to say I dreaded the most in this class would have to be the seven page research paper. I knew this would be that final major essay I had to write. The assignment I was most looking forward to was the submission of wiki spaces. I used blogger last semester to create blog post and I really enjoyed it. With the use of wikispaces I found it a lot easier to keep up with the information that I would later use for my research paper.

Out of the all the essay I had to write this semester, the essay that was the hardest to me was the human interest essay we had to put a media spin on. I found it hard to change the essay into something clever, while still keeping the relevant information. The easiest essay to me was the research easy surprisingly. Being able to use the information found from our wiki postings and previous easy made the paper easy to expand on and connect everything together.

The use of a portfolio instead of an essay final was a lot easier for me. The idea of having ghost grades played a major role in me improving my writing. I felt I was strong in writing essay until I received the grades on several essay and they were just D and C- material. If those grades were permanent I would be screwed. The ghost grades just gave me an understanding of how my work was, and the comments left on the essays helped me to go back and make those key corrections to get a higher grade. The revising was a difficult process when I did look back on my essays, because sometime I had to go back and change the whole paragraph all together.

Upon the ending of this semester I feel I have made some improvements, but I’m not fully confident to go and write an article to be published. I think taking another English course would help me to strengthen my skills more, especially if it is specifically targeted on grammar and mechanics. I find grammar and mechanics as my weak point in English.

Overall, I believe the grade I deserve in this course would have to be either an 87 or 88. I did not essentially do my best work in this course and arguing an A for this course would be just cheating myself. I see that I still have room for improvements in my writing, and with my entire essay I feel I have done an average, but not exceptional job. I believe a grade of a B, B+ would reflect that.