My learning path isn't normal?

I thought a lot about my thinking in this English class over the Thanksgiving Break. I also thought about how I could write this blog without making it seem too, focused in just one direction, and what I mean is the whole,"I was like this, now I'm like this" jazz.  So, in order to really help me get an understanding for this whole topic I looked back at what we were supposed to do, and got a really interesting idea when I looked at that and a picture I drew in class.

I know the picture is hard to see, but basically I was trying to draw what I thought my learning process was like in this English class.  At first it started with a basic decision about what to write or do for an assignment, that basically everyone had to do, at the beginning of the class. However, as the class progressed, it soon became unclear whether or not it was a clear and straight learning path, or a vague and curvy learning path. As you can see in the picture, the path of my learning starts to curve right or left, based on the decisions that I made, and the types of ways I went to complete work. I think that having sort of a curved learning path can be better too, for a subject like English.  I also think that this is much better because it helps a person make their own decisions and then work off those decisions on the next assignment that they get. This is definitely better than the kind of learning that we were shown that same day.


This next picture is the very straight forward and arduous learning path we were shown in class. I really don't like this learning path because of all the tests and prep you have to do, and it is VERY inaccurate when it comes to how one actually gets to college.  After seeing this, I wrote my own learning path shown above.

This was just my response about my learning path in English and kind of how my daybook helps me to learn and mix together ideas. Other than that my ideas and thoughts on this are a bit dried up.  So Thanks for reading my blog post! And sorry for the poor quality of the image to the left, I couldn't get it on here so I had to take a picture of it. See Ya!

Call for Papers, or Call for Progress?

When we first started working on the Call for Papers project, I had no clue what to do since I missed the day when it officially started, so I was a bit confused at the start.  My group, comprised of Kaitlyn and Idunn, really helped me understand the project better and set me on the right track.

This first image was when I first started working on our group's Call for Papers, and all I was doing was writing down all the ideas we had come up with, and seeing if they were actually good or not. I was surprised to hear that our ideas were actually interesting! I was so relieved that they were because I had no other idea at the time for something that dealt with Truth and Education. I was glad though that I was put into this topic for the Call for Papers, because it really allowed our group to get creative with what we wanted to get from the readers and writers.


This second picture is of those note cards that we did during class one day. I wanted to put these up because it kind of shows my thinking processes for one of the Call for Papers that I wrote for, which was the one called: The Force of Fiction.  With this note card activity it actually helped me organize my thinking about this Call for Papers and really get a grip on what I was going to write about, which was nice because most of the time I like to know what I'm going to write before I actually write the thing itself!

That about wraps up my reflective blog post on my process for this Call for Papers project, however, I still want to say that I think that this project is very interesting, in that Lacy is letting us, the students, compose papers on our own, and asking other students to write for them. I think that this project really requires a large amount of creativity no matter what you're writing for, and what you're asking for, since you have to think of it up either by yourself or in collaboration with your group. I know that my group and I got pretty creative when it came to our Call for Papers, and I really liked it! So thanks for reading my blog post, and until next time, see ya!

What keeps me Bee-sy...haha

When I learned we had to do a toy-hack for our make cycle 3, I really was not sure about what I was going to use for it.  At first I thought that using Legos orPlay-dough was a good idea, but soon I realized that that was not what I really wanted to do.  What I really wanted to do was make something on my own from something that I already had.  So, for some odd reason I was sitting in class last Wednesday when it hit me: I could use one of the small footballs I had to create something interesting!  So that was when my toy-hack was born; Bert the Bee was created.  I wasn't really sure how to make the soon-to-be Bert and I honestly thought it would be really complicated, but once I got my head around what to use I was set with a solid idea.

Using my crafty-crafting skills, I turned an old foam football into a lively buzzing bee.  When I was done, I just kind of sat back and thought, What was I really building for? Did I have a reason for making Bert? Well after some thought I realized something.  I made Bert to show people that it's alright to be different. Just because Bert had an extra-large stinger didn't mean that he was any less of a person, even though his fellow bees seemed to think so. The same applies to us, humans. We shouldn't be judging those who aren't perfect, and expect them to change because of our words towards them. Personally I've experienced a lot of this in my life, directed towards me mainly in my high school years, and It hurt to be told that you aren't "perfect" and that you need to change. All of this make was a great way to not only create something I wanted to, but also express myself through my work as a maker.  Other than that, I don't really have anything else to say, so until next time, see ya!

What Time is it? Reflection Time!

For this midterm assignment we had to kind of reflect on the blog posts we had already done, and sort of discover what it is that we exactly do in these. I guess a better thought would be we had to find a pattern of sorts.  So, upon reading my other blog posts I did notice that they are evolving, if that is a good term to fit it.  At first I didn't really know what to do, and was only beginning to discover the expression known as blogging. I was so lost to be honest. But now, I actually think I have an idea of how to blog! My blogs are beginning to get better, have more of a flow, and be more personal or reflective I think.

I liked this assignment for a midterm too. It let me read about myself and ponder what I was and what I am becoming in relation to my blog. I also noticed that in my blog posts that I can sometimes be a bit stiff, and by that I mean I don't really express myself, but more like, I express the assignment I was given. Noticing this made me want to change it of course. I don't want to be a robot, I want to be an alien. That's why I'm hoping that I will keep getting better about creating my blogs, and learn to be more free about expressing my own thoughts.

As far as looking at my own blog goes, That is about it! Once again I really like reflecting on myself, although I am not too sure if this is how it is done.  I'm sure there are people who are fantastic about reflecting and can see the deepest of things at a simple glance, but I'm not one of those people, but hopefully I can become one of them! Alright, that's about all I have to say, so until next time, see ya!

Reflecting on Make Cycle 2

For my second make cycle, I decided to create a three-dimensional treasure map. I created the map with paper, tape, crayons, and markers. The map represents the journey that I took to develop my internal thoughts. Each landmark and obstacle represented a certain event or subject that molded my mind to the state that it's in today. Looking back on creating my make, I realized that it had a lot to do with the one pagers that we have done over the past few weeks. I found a sort of correlation between the thought of adventure and learning. Taking a trip every now and then and learning new information to build up a new perspective is just like taking a personal journey to build up my own state of mind. Initially, I thought that the idea of creating a treasure map was a little absurd and childish, but I was comforted knowing that my idea was actually creative and interesting when my writing group and my girlfriend supported my idea. Overall, I thought that this make was very interesting and compelling and overall a fun activity to produce.

The image above is the complete treasure map that I created. As you can see, it's filled with colors and interesting figures. There's even a little booklet that explains every landmark and obstacle on the map. 

Reflective Post Numbah Twoooo

Today I'm reflecting on time spent in the Botanical Gardens, here on campus. I went to the Botanical Gardens in order to find some inspiration for my One Pager due soon, but what I found there was even better that inspirations, it was peace. The quite sounds associated with the forest, such as squirrels rummaging, the breeze flowing against the leaves, and the nice crunch of gravel beneath your feet as you slowly walk around the Gardens was music to my ears, and provided me with the natural serenity I needed for the weekend. Peace wasn't the only thing experienced when I went into the Gardens, there was much more. I, in fact, found my inspiration for my one pager by reflecting on the wonderful bounty that is the forest. It gave me a sense of nirvana being there, and it makes me want to go back again. the picture here is a map of the Botanical Gardens, and as you can see, it is quite impressive for an on campus Garden. There were many sections of wildlife there from North Carolina, and more! All in all, I would definitely suggest taking a walk into Botanical Gardens. It might be just the thing to cheer you p when you're feeling a little down.

First 1103 Reflection

So I am not very sure how to write a reflective blog, but i'll give it a try. On my first day of English 1103 I wasn't very sure what to expect, and I thought that it would be a normal vocabulary and grammar class. Boy was I wrong. This class exceeded my expectations on what creativity could be, and how it could be expressed. Just being able to kind of customize my Daybook to reflect who I am and what kind of things I like helped me feel better in class. Honestly, I'm pretty excited to see what else this class has to offer as the time goes on, especially since it is based on science!