One of my two favorite posts on my
blog is the mythology presentation. This section of the unit was my favorite
overall; I have always had an interest in mythology and the beliefs of other
cultures, so I found this subject particularly interesting. Our myth that we
researched was the Icarus and Daedalus, as it pertained to more recent
literature. I thought it was really intriguing to be able to see the parallels
made between current stories and myths that are ancient. Due to the fact that I
found this subject so fascinating, I am particularly proud of the outcome of
this presentation. I thought my group did an excellent job with research, and
being able to connect the story with the writings of W.H. Auden. I think that
my groups’ interest in this subject is what made it so interesting, as our
research led us to information that we had never really thought about. For
example, the Foster chapters about flight and what flight meant had never
really occurred to me. However, as we gained this knowledge, we were able to do
a much deeper analysis of the story, as opposed to remaining surface level in
analysis.
The other presentation I am proud
of is blog post three. Although it is not a very long post, I still did enjoy
the assignment, once again because it pertained to mythology. The assignment
allowed me to look into more myths and fables, which I enjoyed very much. I had
never heard of several myths or stories that I came across, which gave me the
opportunity to look further into the subject. It was fun to read through
important mythological figures and try to see who I was most like. Finding my
personality in small pieces of several mythological characters, from several
different cultures gave me a small insight into beliefs from around the world.
I’ve always found it interesting to see what other cultures believe, and how we
adapt their beliefs into our own. In this assignment I was able to do just
that, adapt several parts of other cultures into one, a single figure that
reflects me and my work ethic.
As for my participation in class, I
was never really to outspoken. It is naturally my personality to take in
information, and really process it before I ask questions. I much prefer
one-on-one conversation, which made me appear quiet in class, though I did help
my classmates out often. In the classroom, I paid close attention to what was
said and presented, and outside of class, I was able to explain concepts to
classmates outside of class. When it came to individual or partner projects, I
think I handled these much better than group projects. During these, I was able
to have more of a voice and more of an understanding than I would have in a
group; once again, because it is my personality to be more of the quiet member.
I usually did very well on individual papers, such as the timed writing we did
in class, because it did allow me to organize my thoughts and not be swayed by
other opinions or questions. I was able to focus more than I would have been
able to for group projects.
I was able to hold my ground in
group projects for the most part, though. I was not necessarily the leader by
any means; however, I did do my part and take into consideration the opinions
of others. I did struggle with this at some points, only because I was trying
to find compromise between several ideas. I think that my group was very
helpful with this though, we were all mature enough to hear each other out and
reach a consensus fairly quickly for each project in the first few units. We
all had a say or part to do in each presentation, and we held each other
accountable for each part, which allowed us to move quickly and smoothly
through each presentation. I did do my part for every project, as did everyone
else.
A couple of goals that I have for
next trimester really just pertain to the group projects and the multiple
choice quizzes. These were the two main areas I really struggled in this
trimester. I am confident enough in my writing knowledge and style, that I
think being able to translate that into a group setting will be beneficial for me,
even beyond this class. I also believe that communication with group members is
really something I need to work on; being able to communicate ideas and plans
with group mates to execute each task in a much more professional manner. Just
simply taking the time to ensure every member understands what the project
entails and what their portion of the project is, I think will really improve
our work quality. I think this goal can be achieved within the first few group
projects, as we continue to work together and get a feel for each other’s
personality and writing styles.
The other goal of what I hope to
improve in this class is my multiple choice skills. I didn’t do very well on
the multiple choice tests, which I know I can do better on. The first problem
is that I rush through them. I always find myself having plenty, perhaps too
much time left. I need to remember to slow down, and find a balance between
taking the test and keeping an eye on the clock. I can do this by taking
practice tests at home every once and a while, setting up the test environment
by setting a timer. I think this will also help me become more familiar with
the types of questions on the test. I don’t think there’s a time stamp I can
put on this goal, just that the more I practice, the more I think that the
tests will become easier. It is just a
matter of me taking responsibility and actually setting aside time to work on
them.
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