JOURNAL COMPOSITION I Joeselyne Delgado Gina G.
#1. New year, New Adventures
• At the end of last year, 2016, and beginning of this year, 2017, it has not been the best
moments of my life. It was a little difficult to start this quarter without my mother, Who passed away last December 21th. However, the environment, my peers, and teacher could help me to avoid negatives thought and keep on studying this beautiful major. The first class, the teacher made an activity in order to meet the new classmates. Most of us were together in composition I, but through this dynamic, I was able to know new people and motivate me to keep up. I did like the activity; it was about to ask some personal questions to my classmate and something very interesting was, even though we were friends, I learned new things about Erika that day. I never imagined she had 8 dogs!
• Also, for this course, I have many expectations such as improving my writing skills and punctuation skills; and to expand my knowledge in the subject. I believe that I will accomplish my goals if I’m committed to it, because after all you need to work hard in order to get what you want!
#2. Punctuation and its importance
• Punctuation is a matter which not everyone gives it the importance it should, and everyone puts it wherever they feel. Points, commas, hyphens, colons, semicolons and more, have specific functions and should be used whenever is necessary. • But, why is that? Punctuation avoids confusion between the readers. If you do not use it correctly, you can change the meaning of a sentence without even noticing it. Moreover, the bad usage of punctuation makes it difficult for the readers to know what you have written. • Since I remember of composition I, our teacher, Floria, always talked about the importance of punctuation. Most of my classmates failed the course because of that.
#3. Kinds of Sentences and Its Functionality
• One thing we learned in this course was the various types of sentences there are. When we write sentences we are passing our emotions and needs to the readers. They aren´t just lines that don´t mean anything. • The English Language has four major types of sentences; they are the following: Simple Sentences, Compound Sentences, Complex Sentences and Compound- Complex Sentences. Each of them has a role that allows us to communicate better.
• Simple Sentence, as it implies, is a sentences that wants to give a simple and short message to the reader. A Compound Sentence is a bit longer; it is composed of two independent sentences and is connected by coordinating conjunctions. Complex Sentences are, as it implies, a bit more complex with quite a structured message that a writer wants to give; it is composed of an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Finally, Compound - Complex Sentences are like a combination of both a compound and a complex sentence; it is composed of two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.
• EXAMPLES • Simple Sentence: Joe waited for the train. • Compound Sentence: Joe waited for the train, but the train was late. • Complex Sentence: While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late. • Compound Complex Sentence: We decided that the movie was too violent, but our children, who like to watch scary movies, thought that we were wrong.
#4. Importance of Writing Essays
• Throughout composition I and II, I have learned why it is so important to write an essay properly. For example, you want everyone to believe what you are saying, and, how will you plan on doing it if you do not have relevant sources? They are the key to a very consistent essay. On the other hand, writing essay with reliable sources is an important aspect. Why? Because it is the way you can prove your evidences by trusted sources. For example, you need to take into consideration all sources you find regarding any subject are necessarily correct. Getting information from Wikipedia, or websites in which they do not cite where they took the information from can be a hint telling us that their work might not be actually correct, which in turn makes it suspicious.
#5.Characteristics of an essay: Thesis statement
• Since last quarter, I have been struggling with thesis statements. Sometime, I confuse it with topic sentences. However, I have had to investigate about it and I found out that a thesis statement is a claim that reflects your opinion or position regarding a specific topic. It helps the reader to get the main idea. Also, it helps the writer to clarify him or herself, and what will their stand point be on the topic. Moreover, a thesis statement gives a wrap up of the conclusion the writer has made from what he/she researched about. Nevertheless, I found out different types of thesis statements, which we have not seen in class, but I saw it so interesting.
• For example, there are three types of thesis statement which are the Analytical Thesis Statement, the Expository Thesis Statement, and the Argumentative Thesis Statement. An analytical essay analyzes a topic, and in your thesis statement you are expected state the subject and how you will break down your points. • I am so amazed and I hope I can improve myself in this area of composition.
Reference: • Synonym. (2016). What are the different types of Thesis Statements. Retrieved from http://classroom.synonym.com/
#6. Outlines and their functions
• Outlines are not very long, yet so useful. Moreover, an outline makes a clear structure before you start your essay. With that, you practically don’t need to arrange your ideas once you start writing. Additionally, an outline gives you a chance to analyze your topic more critically, as you are pointing out every concept and opinions with detail. Furthermore, outlines give the sense of order and a panoramic view of the topic, and; again, making it easier for the writer to start the essay. Another good thing of ordering your ideas is that you categorize them, from general to specific giving it a framed look.
• Finally, outlines can give you a wrap up of your essay by the brainstorming you make at the beginning containing your main ideas packed together. Creating an outline for sure will save you more time when you are writing your essay. However, I have noticed that some of my classmates make different types of outlines. I have tried to help them by showing some of my notes of the last quarter and they have found it out interesting and practical as I have.
#7. A Focus on Education
• We already started writing our first essay and I chose a topic related to education because I am studying this major to become a teacher. While investing my topic, Abolishing Exams in Costa Rican Education System, for my essay, I found out some interesting information about it. This was my first essay with some requirements that the teacher wanted us to use in the essay. For example, we saw the types of sentences, so we had to write a type of sentence minimum throughout the whole essay.
• I did like my topic because I could give my point of view about not applying exams and tests in the learning systems. There are different ways to text our abilities without needing to use papers and memory to prove our “intelligence”. • In my essay, I mentioned that the use of such archaic methods of evaluation foster superficial learning based on memorization that results in a colossal waste of time.
#8.Fellowship
• I like how the teacher checks essays and how she has given us the chance to check other essays by providing feedback to our peers. For example, if the teacher can not notice a mistake in the first check that she usually does, a classmate can and also, tells me the mistake or mistakes. I like that I can give a feedback to a classmate and be able to help him/her in her/his essay. In composition I, our teacher never gave us feedback. As we uploaded the essay, that was the final result, hoping that we did not have mistakes. By this technique, we are able to socialize, help, and improve ourselves because we have the knowledge in order to check and find out the mistakes. It has been a nice experience to work like this and have several chances to fix my essays.
#9. Persuasive Term-Paper
• In this course, we have to write 3 essays. However, each essay has its own functions and characteristics according to the type. This is going to be the second essay that we will write. It is called Term paper. It has certain attributes such as: • 1. it is up to 3000 words • 2. it is persuasive • Also, the teacher gave us some topics to write our term paper. For example: • How can technology make lesson planning easier and less time consuming? • Ways to make the Internet and public libraries safer for students. • Different children with different needs: can a common strategy be created?
• Why do students miss classes, and what do teachers think of that? • That is my topic. When I was in school, I used to miss my classes for different reasons. But with this investigation I hope to find out more reasons why some teachers skip them and how teachers react before this issue.
#10. Research paper: Neuro-education
• How do science and education have a connection between teaching, learning, and brain function in students’ learning? According to a dictionary, it refers to “An interdisciplinary field that uses neuroscience and psychology to suggest strategies for education.” Along with this definition, it is clearer to understand one of the purposes of this area in education and how it is linked with the news techniques that teachers are used to promote and sustain the learning process. Moreover, the results of studies in the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium report have noticed multiples changes in the brain that improve other aspects of cognition, attention, and learning based on early arts training.
• This is our last essay for this quarter and that is the topic. Most of us did not know about it before writing the research paper. However, as I have investigated, I have felt so curious about neuroeducation and its benefits in the learning system. The collective specialties of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and education have started an emerging field where it can help to inform education strategies and find out the different ways that students learn by what teachers want and need to know in order to achieve better results of students’ cognition. But, how will neuro-education do it? It will do it by improving and providing modern teaching methods and an effective curriculum. • I hope I can keep on growing as a person and a professional and acquiring more knowledge and skills in order to help the future generation.
Reference • Yourdictionary.com. (n.d.). Neuroeducation dictionary definition | neuroeducation defined.
[online]
Available
[Accessed 6 Apr. 2017].
at:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/neuroeducation