Reflective Letter
By: Nadia DeMartino
My Website
I really enjoyed using Weebly to share my projects, and I plan to keep it for the future. Having a personal website has given me the opportunity to present my creative ability in a formal way. I personally loved designing each page to my preference. I found Weebly helpful when I wanted to make my writing become more visual. I was able to use different styles of font, color, and pictures when producing a specific project. I also found that using a web page is an easy way to show readers my personality and writing style just by what I write and how I choose to design my page. I think a personal, academic website is an excellent way to illustrate my capabilities with technology and writing.
My website presents me as a scholarly writer and student. I used it as a way to demonstrate my creativity and imagination with writing. My page illustrates my ability in using technology and various techniques and research methods. I believe my web page has helped me produce final, polished work that is available for anyone to read.
The blogs were not my favorite part of this class; however, I found blogging about readings and assignments to be more useful, environment friendly, and convenient, rather than typing up a paper and printing it out to hand into the professor. The reason why I did not enjoy blogging is because I am really not into publicly sharing everything I write online. To a certain extent, it is fun sharing my writings, but blogging does not excite me in any way. Although, I must admit, blogging was helpful because it allowed me to practice writing and it was useful to sort out my thoughts and understanding.
Twitterive
The purpose of my Twitterive was to relive special moments of my relationship that my husband and I have shared at a lake. It includes two poems titled, "Our Bench" and "Serenity at the Lake," a short story titled, "His Old Love," and a photo essay titled, "Serenity at the Lake: Part 2." My multi-modal narrative captures snapshots of nature, love, confusion, laughter, and serenity; All of which I have felt as we journeyed around various areas of the lake.
I loved doing the Twitterive project and I was very satisfied with my end result. When I first started recording my observations, I was unsure of how to write about one place and the project seemed difficult. I thought it was an interesting idea to use Twitter to record my observations, but I didn’t find it much different from a pen and paper. (Possibly because I do not have internet capabilities on my phone) I did find that recording my observations, did make me more mindfully connected to the place I observed.
Over time, I began to remember my admiration for the lake, and I was able to record and pay more attention to the small details of the environment. I observed every little thing, using all of my senses and I was able to mold my observations and feelings into successful, creative writings. I believe some of my strengths during this project were portrayed best through my use of alliteration and descriptions of the lake. I believe I was able to create a powerful and rich story in my series of writings. I think a weakness of my finished project is that it does not show all of my experiences my husband and I have shared together at the lake. I could have written about some of the arguments we have had at the lake, but I chose to focus more on happier experiences.
Oral History
For my Oral History assignment, I chose to interview people who were originally born in countries outside of the United States and who were brought up speaking another language other than English. I interviewed four people from different countries, who openly shared their experiences with me. One person was from Lebanon, the second person was from the Philippines, the third person was from Kosovo, and the last person was from Liberia. Originally, my main goal of this assignment was to find how people from foreign countries learned to read in write in their native language and then English. I was interested to see who taught them how to read and write and if they could recall any stories about their elementary experience. However, my interviewees found it difficult to recall their elementary school days. Therefore, my assignment covers experiences that natives of other countries have experienced while reading, writing, and communicating in the English language and to the American society. In addition, my Oral History project observes differences of culture, principals, language, and education between the United States and other countries.
I had difficulty conducting my interviews when I had to explain my questions more in depth to my interviewees so that they could understand. I had a troubling experience as I tried to explain my questions in depth because I am not always good at elaborating. Even when I did further explain my questions or ask questions in other ways, I still did not receive the answers I was expecting. I also found that I was not great at interviewing people because I was extremely nervous. It was not until my third interview, that I finally felt comfortable with the questions I was asking, and where I discovered easier ways to explain my questions to reach a purpose to my project.
I really enjoyed conducting my interviews and I have learned about the lives and experiences of non-native speakers of the English language. I found that some of my interviewees struggled to fit in, adapt, or communicate with the American society. Most of my interviewees found their first experience in an English conversation to be difficult because they could not comprehend some of the slang and terminology Americans used. They also simply could not keep up in the fast pace conversation that Americans hold. I also learned how some countries value education while others do not. I feel I have been able to capture a true perspective on the life of non-native speakers. I also believe that my project is educational and useful to others who want to learn about the education and differences of other countries.
Collaborative Research Project
The Collaborative Research Project was more challenging to start than the other assignments this semester. I was really interested in the topic of food and the many choices I had to pick. Once my group chose a topic, the process of the research paper was very easy and enjoyable. Our research was an experiment of six days that involved each group member becoming a vegetarian. The purpose of our research was to encourage others and ourselves to participate in healthier and safer eating habits. Each of us recorded vegetarian meals eaten throughout the day and documented some difficulties we encountered while changing our traditional eating styles. Recording our eating habits was the easiest part of the entire paper, and I believe it became the most meaningful part too. Lastly, our paper identifies how our new eating practice contributes to our beliefs against the inhumane effects of the food industry.
The most difficult process of this assignment was changing my traditional eating habits to avoid meat. Since I am a natural carnivore, the process was troubling. When I saw other people eating meals that included meat, I had to convince myself that the meat could have been mistreated or unsanitary in some way. This was especially difficult for me when I was around a catered event that included Chicken Parmigiana.
I believe the product of my Collaborative Research project was a success in many ways. Even though I do not plan stay as a vegetarian, I still learned new, insightful views about my traditional eating habits. I noticed that I typically eat meat two to three times a week. Before this project, I did not realize how much meat I had eaten on a regularly basis. I found that as a consumer, I was very passive and unaware of where and under what condition from where my food came. I started to notice that many consumers, like me, have been raised to trust super markets, restaurants, and caterers to provide food that is fresh, clean, and safe. I have learned that I have been oblivious to the dangers that are associated with eating, and I plan to make smarter choices when purchasing meat. I believe my group's research project can properly inform others about food industries and the production of meat. Our project proves that it is not necessary to become a vegetarian to avoid mistreated meat. It simply informs people that eating is all about smart choices and being aware of how food is produced.
I really enjoyed using Weebly to share my projects, and I plan to keep it for the future. Having a personal website has given me the opportunity to present my creative ability in a formal way. I personally loved designing each page to my preference. I found Weebly helpful when I wanted to make my writing become more visual. I was able to use different styles of font, color, and pictures when producing a specific project. I also found that using a web page is an easy way to show readers my personality and writing style just by what I write and how I choose to design my page. I think a personal, academic website is an excellent way to illustrate my capabilities with technology and writing.
My website presents me as a scholarly writer and student. I used it as a way to demonstrate my creativity and imagination with writing. My page illustrates my ability in using technology and various techniques and research methods. I believe my web page has helped me produce final, polished work that is available for anyone to read.
The blogs were not my favorite part of this class; however, I found blogging about readings and assignments to be more useful, environment friendly, and convenient, rather than typing up a paper and printing it out to hand into the professor. The reason why I did not enjoy blogging is because I am really not into publicly sharing everything I write online. To a certain extent, it is fun sharing my writings, but blogging does not excite me in any way. Although, I must admit, blogging was helpful because it allowed me to practice writing and it was useful to sort out my thoughts and understanding.
Twitterive
The purpose of my Twitterive was to relive special moments of my relationship that my husband and I have shared at a lake. It includes two poems titled, "Our Bench" and "Serenity at the Lake," a short story titled, "His Old Love," and a photo essay titled, "Serenity at the Lake: Part 2." My multi-modal narrative captures snapshots of nature, love, confusion, laughter, and serenity; All of which I have felt as we journeyed around various areas of the lake.
I loved doing the Twitterive project and I was very satisfied with my end result. When I first started recording my observations, I was unsure of how to write about one place and the project seemed difficult. I thought it was an interesting idea to use Twitter to record my observations, but I didn’t find it much different from a pen and paper. (Possibly because I do not have internet capabilities on my phone) I did find that recording my observations, did make me more mindfully connected to the place I observed.
Over time, I began to remember my admiration for the lake, and I was able to record and pay more attention to the small details of the environment. I observed every little thing, using all of my senses and I was able to mold my observations and feelings into successful, creative writings. I believe some of my strengths during this project were portrayed best through my use of alliteration and descriptions of the lake. I believe I was able to create a powerful and rich story in my series of writings. I think a weakness of my finished project is that it does not show all of my experiences my husband and I have shared together at the lake. I could have written about some of the arguments we have had at the lake, but I chose to focus more on happier experiences.
Oral History
For my Oral History assignment, I chose to interview people who were originally born in countries outside of the United States and who were brought up speaking another language other than English. I interviewed four people from different countries, who openly shared their experiences with me. One person was from Lebanon, the second person was from the Philippines, the third person was from Kosovo, and the last person was from Liberia. Originally, my main goal of this assignment was to find how people from foreign countries learned to read in write in their native language and then English. I was interested to see who taught them how to read and write and if they could recall any stories about their elementary experience. However, my interviewees found it difficult to recall their elementary school days. Therefore, my assignment covers experiences that natives of other countries have experienced while reading, writing, and communicating in the English language and to the American society. In addition, my Oral History project observes differences of culture, principals, language, and education between the United States and other countries.
I had difficulty conducting my interviews when I had to explain my questions more in depth to my interviewees so that they could understand. I had a troubling experience as I tried to explain my questions in depth because I am not always good at elaborating. Even when I did further explain my questions or ask questions in other ways, I still did not receive the answers I was expecting. I also found that I was not great at interviewing people because I was extremely nervous. It was not until my third interview, that I finally felt comfortable with the questions I was asking, and where I discovered easier ways to explain my questions to reach a purpose to my project.
I really enjoyed conducting my interviews and I have learned about the lives and experiences of non-native speakers of the English language. I found that some of my interviewees struggled to fit in, adapt, or communicate with the American society. Most of my interviewees found their first experience in an English conversation to be difficult because they could not comprehend some of the slang and terminology Americans used. They also simply could not keep up in the fast pace conversation that Americans hold. I also learned how some countries value education while others do not. I feel I have been able to capture a true perspective on the life of non-native speakers. I also believe that my project is educational and useful to others who want to learn about the education and differences of other countries.
Collaborative Research Project
The Collaborative Research Project was more challenging to start than the other assignments this semester. I was really interested in the topic of food and the many choices I had to pick. Once my group chose a topic, the process of the research paper was very easy and enjoyable. Our research was an experiment of six days that involved each group member becoming a vegetarian. The purpose of our research was to encourage others and ourselves to participate in healthier and safer eating habits. Each of us recorded vegetarian meals eaten throughout the day and documented some difficulties we encountered while changing our traditional eating styles. Recording our eating habits was the easiest part of the entire paper, and I believe it became the most meaningful part too. Lastly, our paper identifies how our new eating practice contributes to our beliefs against the inhumane effects of the food industry.
The most difficult process of this assignment was changing my traditional eating habits to avoid meat. Since I am a natural carnivore, the process was troubling. When I saw other people eating meals that included meat, I had to convince myself that the meat could have been mistreated or unsanitary in some way. This was especially difficult for me when I was around a catered event that included Chicken Parmigiana.
I believe the product of my Collaborative Research project was a success in many ways. Even though I do not plan stay as a vegetarian, I still learned new, insightful views about my traditional eating habits. I noticed that I typically eat meat two to three times a week. Before this project, I did not realize how much meat I had eaten on a regularly basis. I found that as a consumer, I was very passive and unaware of where and under what condition from where my food came. I started to notice that many consumers, like me, have been raised to trust super markets, restaurants, and caterers to provide food that is fresh, clean, and safe. I have learned that I have been oblivious to the dangers that are associated with eating, and I plan to make smarter choices when purchasing meat. I believe my group's research project can properly inform others about food industries and the production of meat. Our project proves that it is not necessary to become a vegetarian to avoid mistreated meat. It simply informs people that eating is all about smart choices and being aware of how food is produced.