Michael Talbott
Dr. Steven Brandon
English 112 – 08PR
24 February 2012
Midterm Review
When asked to write about what we have learned thus far in Dr. Steve’s English 112 class, I thought it was going to be a difficult task. Dr. Steve’s class isn’t your conventional college course. We have no graded work so far. We have written one paper. He has a different approach to teaching than other teachers. This might lead you to believe that Dr. Steve doesn’t do a good job teaching. This is not the case Dr. Steve actually cares whether his students learn. His style of teaching has been very effective for me. He has taught us many things that you can take out of the classroom and incorporate into your life. Things such as creating a schedule to manage your time, the art of holding a conversation, taking notes during lecture, and how to use rhetoric to your benefit in interactions with others. All these add up to more valuable lessons than your run of the mill homework assignments.
The first day of class we were asked to take notes during lecture. This is something I don’t normally do. I took the suggestion and began taking notes with every lecture. By taking notes it makes you aware of what is being taught. It gets you involved in discussions and makes you feel part of class instead of being simply lectured to. Taking notes is probably one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in the class. I have not had much trouble making great grades so far in my college career. I haven’t had to try very hard. In the future with a tougher schedule taking notes will be invaluable to my success in the class. The notes I have taken in class has helped me to write this paper.
The next topic we learned was holding a conversation. I learned how to include people into conversation and ask questions to spark conversation. I also tried to be an active listener instead of thinking what I was going to say in conversation. We formed into groups and were asked to discuss the Martin Luther King Jr. writings from Birmingham jail and his famous I have a dream speech. I thought I had a good understanding of the piece before our conversation. I gained a lot of knowledge from the others in my group. Learning other people’s perspectives on a topic in conversation is another important lesson that I have learned. By having conversation in our group, I began making connections with some of my classmates. This makes class more enjoyable and could also to lead to friendship in the future.
We went on to analyzing and understanding an argument. This was going to be our first paper in the class. The best part about this was adapting the writing process to this paper. It made writing the actual paper easy. We were asked to find an opinion article on any subject that interested us. Then we formed groups to discuss our articles. I listened to other classmates opinions of my article. It helped me gain a better understanding of the topic. We were assigned the worksheet for analyzing arguments. With the worksheet, I was able to identify the major claim of the argument and each individual reason the author gave for their claim. This was the pre-writing of the writing process. We were asked to understand the appeals rhetorical triangle. This is how the author uses logos, ethos, and pathos to strengthen their argument. By understanding and analyzing my argument, it helped me understand how to make a strong argument. We then drafted, revised, and published our paper. The writing process made this paper simple to write. When you actually implement the writing process and take the time to prepare for writing it makes everything so much easier.
We were handed Ben Franklin’s autobiography and asked to read it. Franklin had a schedule he maintained that was written out for every day of the week. The class was asked to make a schedule for every day of the week. The importance of time management in a college setting is very important. To make a schedule is one thing; to keep it is something completely different. When you write a weekly schedule you can become aware of how you’re managing your time. You can see where you need improvement and make changes to become more efficient. I have learned that maintaining a schedule makes me feel better personally. Simple things such as the right amount of sleep and planning meals for certain times make your quality of life that much better. Franklin also had a list of values to live by. Something like his moral code. We were asked to consider what values were important to us. We were told to consider these values on a day to day basis. If I didn’t maintain them I was supposed to make note of it. This teaches you to uphold your values consistently. These exercises if I choose to do them are designed to make my quality of life better and to make me feel better about myself. It isn’t something I have to do for a good grade. It’s more important than grades.
In conclusion, all these lessons learned have made me a better student and person. I have learned that taking notes can be the key to success in the class room. I have learned how important it is to listen to someone rather than think of what I’m going to say in response. I have learned how to use rhetoric in conversation and how important proper conversation can be. I have learned how to make a strong argument with my words. I have learned how important managing my time and making a schedule can be. If I incorporate this knowledge into my daily life I will be successful. I think that is what Dr. Steve is trying to make me learn. I can be a better all-around person if I take advantage of the knowledge he is giving us. This hasn’t been a conventional english class and that is appreciated.
Dr. Steven Brandon
English 112 – 08PR
24 February 2012
Midterm Review
When asked to write about what we have learned thus far in Dr. Steve’s English 112 class, I thought it was going to be a difficult task. Dr. Steve’s class isn’t your conventional college course. We have no graded work so far. We have written one paper. He has a different approach to teaching than other teachers. This might lead you to believe that Dr. Steve doesn’t do a good job teaching. This is not the case Dr. Steve actually cares whether his students learn. His style of teaching has been very effective for me. He has taught us many things that you can take out of the classroom and incorporate into your life. Things such as creating a schedule to manage your time, the art of holding a conversation, taking notes during lecture, and how to use rhetoric to your benefit in interactions with others. All these add up to more valuable lessons than your run of the mill homework assignments.
The first day of class we were asked to take notes during lecture. This is something I don’t normally do. I took the suggestion and began taking notes with every lecture. By taking notes it makes you aware of what is being taught. It gets you involved in discussions and makes you feel part of class instead of being simply lectured to. Taking notes is probably one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in the class. I have not had much trouble making great grades so far in my college career. I haven’t had to try very hard. In the future with a tougher schedule taking notes will be invaluable to my success in the class. The notes I have taken in class has helped me to write this paper.
The next topic we learned was holding a conversation. I learned how to include people into conversation and ask questions to spark conversation. I also tried to be an active listener instead of thinking what I was going to say in conversation. We formed into groups and were asked to discuss the Martin Luther King Jr. writings from Birmingham jail and his famous I have a dream speech. I thought I had a good understanding of the piece before our conversation. I gained a lot of knowledge from the others in my group. Learning other people’s perspectives on a topic in conversation is another important lesson that I have learned. By having conversation in our group, I began making connections with some of my classmates. This makes class more enjoyable and could also to lead to friendship in the future.
We went on to analyzing and understanding an argument. This was going to be our first paper in the class. The best part about this was adapting the writing process to this paper. It made writing the actual paper easy. We were asked to find an opinion article on any subject that interested us. Then we formed groups to discuss our articles. I listened to other classmates opinions of my article. It helped me gain a better understanding of the topic. We were assigned the worksheet for analyzing arguments. With the worksheet, I was able to identify the major claim of the argument and each individual reason the author gave for their claim. This was the pre-writing of the writing process. We were asked to understand the appeals rhetorical triangle. This is how the author uses logos, ethos, and pathos to strengthen their argument. By understanding and analyzing my argument, it helped me understand how to make a strong argument. We then drafted, revised, and published our paper. The writing process made this paper simple to write. When you actually implement the writing process and take the time to prepare for writing it makes everything so much easier.
We were handed Ben Franklin’s autobiography and asked to read it. Franklin had a schedule he maintained that was written out for every day of the week. The class was asked to make a schedule for every day of the week. The importance of time management in a college setting is very important. To make a schedule is one thing; to keep it is something completely different. When you write a weekly schedule you can become aware of how you’re managing your time. You can see where you need improvement and make changes to become more efficient. I have learned that maintaining a schedule makes me feel better personally. Simple things such as the right amount of sleep and planning meals for certain times make your quality of life that much better. Franklin also had a list of values to live by. Something like his moral code. We were asked to consider what values were important to us. We were told to consider these values on a day to day basis. If I didn’t maintain them I was supposed to make note of it. This teaches you to uphold your values consistently. These exercises if I choose to do them are designed to make my quality of life better and to make me feel better about myself. It isn’t something I have to do for a good grade. It’s more important than grades.
In conclusion, all these lessons learned have made me a better student and person. I have learned that taking notes can be the key to success in the class room. I have learned how important it is to listen to someone rather than think of what I’m going to say in response. I have learned how to use rhetoric in conversation and how important proper conversation can be. I have learned how to make a strong argument with my words. I have learned how important managing my time and making a schedule can be. If I incorporate this knowledge into my daily life I will be successful. I think that is what Dr. Steve is trying to make me learn. I can be a better all-around person if I take advantage of the knowledge he is giving us. This hasn’t been a conventional english class and that is appreciated.
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