Reflection

Part One

1. Memoir - My Trip to the Boston Red Sox Baseball Game
What I was trying to figure out: I was trying to figure out all the senses that I had at the game. I was also contemplating whether or not that I should add more excitement to my piece; stretch the truth a little bit.
Main Idea: The main idea was going to the baseball game and the experiences I had at it.
Descriptions: What I did in this piece was to try and use action words, participles, and absolutes.
What I Learned: I learned that an essay is much better when you paint a vivid picture with your words.
2. Scarlet Letter Essay
What I was trying to figure out: I was trying to figure out how to use an attention getting device and a thesis statement correctly.
Main Idea: The main idea of this essay was to explain how mankind always has to find a scapegoat in society.
Descriptions: Some new descriptions I used in this piece were the use of taking the exact text from the book and quoting it in my essay.
What I Learned: I learned that thesis statements are not always easy to do, but that using quotes makes your piece more trustable.
3. Crucible Essay
What I was trying to figure out: I was trying to figure out how to make a comparison and contrasting essay.
Main Idea: The main idea was of this essay was to tell how Giles Corey could be compared to a computer.
Descriptions: The descriptions I used in this piece was the brainstorming that I did in comparing a computer to Giles.
What I Learned: I learned that in order to be a writer, there will be some highs and some lows. This essay was not one of my better works. It will go down as a low.
4. Transcendentalist Essay
What I was trying to figure out: I was trying to figure out how to use my own experiences to feel how Emerson and Thoreau felt.
Main Idea: The main idea was to compare your experience in the woods with Emerson and Thoreau's experience in nature.
Descriptions: The new writing work that I learned about was how to write on a fresh mind. I found it easier to write about something after you have spent some time in the breezy outdoors.
What I Learned: I learned that writing is better when you are subtle and complete.
Three Things I Have Learned about Writing from this Class
1. You need an AGD at the beginning of your piece to catch a reader.
2. When you use participles, absolutes, and action words, your piece is better.
3. There need to be transition sentences to get from one paragraph to another.

Part Two

Revisions
1. The revisions that I needed to make in my memoir were to organize my paper better, and learn to use the "paintings" more often in future papers.
2. When looking back at my Scarlet Letter Essay, I realized that I didn't really have a good thesis statement, so I had to change that part.
3. The big mistakes I made in the Crucible Essay were that I talked too much about what my character could be compared to and less about my character. I also did not have a strong ending.
4. The Transcendentalist Essay was probably my best. It could have been made better if I had not used as much sarcasm in my essay, because I think Mrs. Turner took my sarcasm as seriousness.

Part Three

Classmates
1. I thought Hank's blog was good because he had good usage of his quotations. He also used big words that made the writing sound more professional.
2. Chris Gross also had a good blog because of the way he used the five senses to describe things in his story.
3. One thing I learned from David was how to make good use of the AGD's. I thought that was something he did very well.