Writing Reflection

photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/bio_inc/257858772/

Ideas and Content

My writing made sense most of the time, and i had an okay topic sentence. My topic sentences were sometimes off-topic. I think this was because I was confused about the topic of the essay. I explained how my quotations relate to the main idea for the Alchemist essay, but not the Julius Caesar essay because I didn’t have enough time. To improve my writing, I can ask my friends/teachers for help.

Organization

My writing had the correct essay format: introduction, 2~3 paragraphs, conclusion. But my paragraphs didn't have the correct format: topic sentence, evidence, explanation......etc. I can improve my writing's organization by making sure everything is in my writing, and it is in the correct order.

Personal Growth

My growth as a writer doesn't show in my Julius Caesar essay. This was because we only had 80 minutes to finish the Julius Caesar essay, and we had about 2~3 weeks to finish our Alchemist essay. I think my Alchemist essay is better, because I had more time to revise it, and i got help from teachers and friends.

SLR Reflection

One SLR I used while writing my essay was communicate effectively. (alchemist essay) I revised it a lot of times to check if my writing makes sense, and if i'm communicating to the reader well.

Lost Boys of Sudan Collage Reflection

Think Creatively

I used think creatively by putting on meaningful pictures. On the part where the Lost Boys lived in America, I put a phone, with speech bubbles with money and the red cross. The line is connecting Sudan to America. It shows how the people in Sudan wanted help and money from the Lost Boys in America. I also splashed red paint on the war part to show how bloody and horrible the war was. These were the creative elements on my collage.

Reason Critically
The meaningful words I used in my collage describes my understanding of the Lost Boy's situation. I used words like death, destruction and survival to show the situation of the genocide, and I used words like hope, peace and sympathy to show how the Lost Boy's thought America will be like. These words I selected highlights my understanding for the Lost Boy's situation.

Communicate Effectively

I think that my six word memoir creates awareness for the Lost Boy's plight. "Cries of despair, loss, what next?". My six word memoir shows how the Lost Boys were feeling right after the war in their village. People crying because they lost their families and friends, and they're asking what will happen next? This shows how the Lost Boys lost everything, and how they desperately need help. My six word memoir creates awareness for the Lost Boys' plight.

Live Ethically

The pictures I selected demonstrated empathy and evoked emotional response for my viewers. Most of the pictures I chose shows the struggle the Lost Boys' had for the whole journey. Pictures that show racism, war, survival and death. These pictures might encourage my viewers to do something about this problem.

Julius Caesar Essay

“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more,” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 20~21). Brutus explained that he assassinated Caesar, because he believed that Rome would benefit from his death. Filled with honor and patriotism, Brutus joined the conspiracy, supporting the assassination of his beloved Caesar for the good of Rome.

Honor was what Brutus always wanted, and he wanted Rome to love him and respect him. Honor changed made Brutus assassinate his beloved Caesar. In Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 84~88, Brutus explains how much he loves honor, “Set honor in one eye, and death i’ th’ other, And I will look on both differently; For let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death.” Brutus told Cassius that he would do anything for honor, even if it might kill him. In Act 3 Scene 2 lines 20~21, after Caesar’s assassination, Brutus explained the reason why he chose to kill Caesar. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” This shows how Brutus is willing to do anything for Rome, to be honored, even if the task is brutal and malicious. Brutus’ motivation of honor shaped him into a man who will do anything to be honored by his country.

Understanding that he is honorable, Brutus was also patriotic and thought he could control any situation. The conspirators discussed the assassination of Caesar, and every time Brutus spoke, every one agreed to him. “Cassius: What about Cicero? Brutus: O, name him not; Cassius: leave him out; Casca: Indeed he is not fit” (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 141~154). The leadership shifted from Cassius to Brutus, and Brutus controlled all the plans for the conspiracy. The people of Rome were terrified when they found out Caesar was assassinated, and Brutus tried to convince a crowd to stay on the conspirator’s side. “Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe me.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 14~15) Brutus showed the crowd that he knows he is honorable, and he expects Rome to listen to him, and to believe him. After Brutus became motivated by patriotism, he became arrogant.

Brutus changed since he started to be motivated by honor and patriotism; he became arrogant and stubborn. It made him join the conspiracy, to kill his friend who was a tyrant. Brutus didn’t achieve his goal of being honored and receiving support from Rome. Antony’s funeral speech convinced Rome to rise against the conspirators, instead of thanking them. Brutus’ goal was not worthy or noble, it is good to love honor, but not so much that he will kill someone.