My Third Quarter Reflection

Jennifer Tabasco 11-2
English III
Mr. Fiorini
March 30, 2009

My Own “Blogging” Experience

1. Has blogging been valuable to you as a student, thinker, reader, and writer?
Yes, I do believe that blogging has been valuable to me as a student, thinker, reader, and a writer. As a student, I think that blogging is another writing technique that students can use to compose their writings, and it’s also a writing system where students can freely express their personal opinions and beliefs. I enjoy the blogging web because I can have the ability to say whatever is on my mind in relation to certain scenarios. Blogging is like an outlet for me to say whatever comes to my mind first, and I really admire having that ability to do that for an English class. As a thinker, I can read many of my classmate’s other blogs, and I can think about their own personal statements. Sometimes, when I read my classmate’s blogs, there are ideas that I come across where I haven’t even thought of, and their thoughts allow me to think in a different mindset, I their mindset. As a reader, I also can have the ability to read my classmate’s blogs, and their blogs strengthen my reading skills because there are so many different writing styles that people use depending on the writer. I enjoy reading when it’s not boring or too long; the reading has to make complete sense, and it has to have some supporting detail behind it to make the reading interesting. Finally, as a writer, many creative ideas are constantly being formulated through the blogging, and my writing has also become strengthened through this writing technique. If I want to make any immediate changes to my writing, I can just go on the blogging website, and I can fix the errors that need correcting. I’ve also become a lot stronger with expressing my opinions because I support my opinions with a lot of detail for readers to fully understand what it is that I’m trying to say.

2. How do you feel about doing and continuing to do this kind of work?
In my perspective, I enjoy doing this type of writing skill. Usually, for any English class, you would have to physically hand in papers, and then you would have peer editing in the classroom. But, as for this English class, everything that’s written is in electronic form, so you don’t have to worry about anything being lost on certain occasions. If someone forgot to save their writing, well that’s a whole other different story. The peer editing comes through the comments that other people make about each other’s writing, and I think that this commenting technique is so much more helpful than actually editing paper’s freehand because the writer receives feedback from readers who can actually make suggestions to improve the writer’s paper. I would really like to continue doing this type of work because why would you want to print out papers every week when you can just post it on your blog? Money, time, and the printer’s ink are all being recycled and saved here just by posting it on the blog each week. I really hope that for the rest of this year and for senior year, we will continue to do this type of writing work because blogging makes everyone’s lives a whole lot easier just by posting their writings online.

3. Is this work different from other experiences that you have had in English classes?
Yes, absolutely, this work is different from other experiences that I have had in English classes. For both ninth and tenth grade classes, we would have to do peer editing along with typing and printing out our papers for Mrs. Triolo to read and grade. Right now, I’m taking an English Composition 101 College Course for Community College of Philadelphia on Mondays and Wednesdays, and our teacher also makes up print out and hand in our papers for grading. For this English class, we don’t even need to worry and stress out on all of that. All we have to do is just check the blog each night to keep up with the work that we might have missed or have not done yet, and then once our work is completed, we can post it to our own blogs. I love having the ability to go online and checking our blogs because it reassures me that I have all of my work complete and posted instead of going into class the next day and wasting a whole entire period on peer editing each other’s papers. This writing technique also makes the weeks go by pretty quickly because once the writing for this week closes, then the writing for the next week begins on a whole new topic. In addition to this writing work, I think that writing on our blogs allows us as writers to become more proficient with what we write because writing should be about expressing one’s inner most thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Writing can be about anything that we can say, and our opinions should matter when we write them in our papers for grading.

4. What suggestions do you have for me as a teacher who uses blogging in his English classes?
Well, I don’t think that I really have any suggestions for you on the blogging situation, Mr. Fiorini. Just one thing, this is just my personal opinion: I think that for each upcoming week, you should have a little post about what’s happening for this week’s class so all of your students can read and be prepared for the following class. As a student, this schedule technique helps me a lot because I love knowing ahead of time what’s exactly going to happen for the upcoming week’s class. Maybe that would be too much for you to do since I know that you have grading and other priorities in your life, but that was just one of my suggestions that I was recommending for you. In addition to that one suggestion, at the beginning of the year, I enjoyed how you gave a tutorial lesson on how to use the Google Groups, but since you switched over to Blogger, maybe for the incoming new Juniors, you should give a tutorial lesson for them on how to use Blogger. Through all of your major posts, you seem to really love what you write, and it seems to me that you know exactly what you want to say for any of your posts. The pictures on certain blogs also make the posts come to life so there’s a sense of imagery through those blogs. Other than that, your teaching on blogging is doing extremely well, and I hope that you can continue through with it for the next year.

5. Looking forward, do you have suggestions for how you want to be graded on this writing?
Looking forward, I think that our writings should be graded on if it everything makes sense and if there’s enough clarity in the writing. I mean, if there’s just a bunch of words with not enough supporting detail on a post, then you should question the writer on what exactly they were trying to say based on that post. I’m always worried about if my posts are too long sometimes, so I don’t think that maximum or minimum length should even matter while grading the posts. As for the grammar, punctuation, and spelling, that obviously has something to do with it since this is an English class, and I know that some English teachers (not you) are very strict when it comes to hardcore English editing. I don’t think that everything should be based on all of that English stuff; the grading should all be about if it makes enough sense and if the writing is clear enough to make perfect sense. Opinions are for everyone to have, and no one should be entirely graded on their opinion either. I mean, the opinion has to make some logical sense, but there shouldn’t be a right or wrong answer when it comes to stating opinions on certain situations. In addition to this, I believe that the grading system that you have now is fine with me, but as for some other people, they might have some suggestions that might make it better for them or for the whole entire class.

The Great Gatsby Post

Jennifer Tabasco 11-2
English III
Mr. Fiorini
March 23, 2009

Reflection of The Great Gatsby

After reading the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I think that this novel was written rather well because not only was the book written from a different decade, but because it also opened my eyes on appreciating what you have in life and not worrying about the past so much. Yes, the past does affect who one is today, but the past is there for a reason: to stay in the past because it’s already happened in one’s life. My favorite character in this novel would probably be Nick because he stuck by Mr. Gatsby through his death, and he stayed true to himself who he was coming from the Midwest and then moving to New York City.
“The purpose of a work of fiction is to appeal to the lingering after-effects in the reader’s mind as differing from, say, the purpose of oratory or philosophy which respectively leave people in a fighting or thoughtful mood.” –Letter, June 1, 1934, to Ernest Hemingway. This direct quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald appeals to the novel, The Great Gatsby, because F. Scott Fitzgerald leaves so many unanswered questions at the end of his novel. I still don’t understand as to why Chapter 10 ended the way that it did with the death of James Gatz, also known as Jay Gatsby. When I first read this quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it really made me think of reasons as to why certain authors end their novels the way that they do. Most authors leave unanswered questions for their readers to interpret themselves because everybody has their own opinions on certain novels whether they liked or disliked them. This technique of ending novels by letting the reader “hang on a hook” allows them to really analyze and think about everything that happened during the course of the novel, and it gives them the chance to think about what they might have done in those certain situations. After I’m finished reading a novel, I usually ponder on what I would have done in certain scenarios and how I could apply this interpretation to my life today because when I’m dealing with a real life situation, I tend to analyze it way too much, and I begin to doubt myself because of my thoughts and feelings. As for a novel, I don’t really doubt myself because I know that those thoughts are mine only, and not everyone has the same thoughts and feelings as I do.
“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.” –Letter (undated) to his daughter, Frances. Also taken from F. Scott Fitzgerald, this direct quote instantly made me think of Daisy Buchanan. I’m not really sure as to why this quote made me think of Daisy, but I think that throughout the course of the novel, I think that Daisy was careful of who she was seen with and what she was doing because I think that she knew what was going to happen in the end when it came to choosing between Tom and Gatsby. I think that Fitzgerald based the character of Daisy around this quote because Daisy was a beautiful girl who knew what she wanted to do and when it was necessary to do whatever she wanted. At first, I really wanted Daisy to end up picking Gatsby because she waited for him while he went into the army during World War I, but as I read on, I felt content with her choice of picking Tom Buchanan because I knew that deep down in his heart, Tom really did love Daisy for who she was. If Daisy were a real person, I would ask her questions such as “Why did you pick Tom over Gatsby?” “Why did you lead Gatsby on into thinking that he was the one for you?” “Will Gatsby still remain apart of your life even though you didn’t choose to be with him?” “Will Pammy ever find out about your romantic life before you met her father?” These questions are just some that I would have loved to ask Daisy if she were alive today. To end this paragraph on Daisy Buchanan, I think that Daisy did attend James Gatz’s funeral even though F. Scott Fitzgerald didn’t directly mention it; I think that this action was implied for the reader to think about on their own. Why wouldn’t she want to go to Gatsby’s funeral? I mean, she was in love with Gatsby for five long years, or so I thought that she was. Daisy attending Gatsby’s funeral would show a sign of respect and care because this action would prove that she really trusted Gatsby, and that at some point in her life, she really did love him for him.
In conclusion, I think that The Great Gatsby really teaches about real life situations and how people during the 1920s were affected by them. I just wish that F. Scott Fitzgerald would have left out the alcohol situation, but the time period had a lot to do with the image of alcohol and flappers. I’m content with the way that the novel was written with so many diverse characters that all impacted on each other. Fitzgerald’s novel was sort of like a “1920s soap opera” that left the reader wanting more and more. This novel is also kind of like watching your favorite show on TV and then something dramatic happens at the tail end of the episode. You, as the viewer, would probably want to pull out your hair because you don’t want to wait until next week to see what happens in next week’s episode. This comparison was how I felt about The Great Gatsby. I think that there should be a sequel made for this novel because I would really be interested in seeing how all of the characters lives changed since the death of their friend, James Gatz. To end this essay on a happy note, I enjoyed reading this novel, and I really hope a sequel can possibly be made in the near future.

The Great Gatsby - Journal Page - Chapter 2

Jennifer Tabasco 11-2
English III
Mr. Fiorini
March 13, 2009

Chapter 2 - The Great Gatsby - Journal Entry

My Notes And Comments For Chapter 2: PP. 23-38
• Valley of ashes? (An abandoned poorer section of New York, I thought that Fitzgerald was referring to a cemetery for some odd reason.)
• Doctor T.J. Eckleburg- Billboard Nick passes by while going over the drawbridge.
• Nick and Tom travel to New York one afternoon on a train so Nick can meet Tom’s mistress.
• Nick met Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson.
• George B. Wilson- Husband of Myrtle Wilson, In charge of the car repair shop Tom takes Nick to. His shop repairs bought and sold cars.
• The secret affairs between Tom and Myrtle- Daisy and George have no clue about this affair.
• Myrtle’s sister’s name is Catherine.
• Myrtle called her sister and her friends to drink whiskey at her house, basically a party with a lot of people.
• The McKee’s- Myrtle’s neighbors, below Myrtle’s apartment floor.
• Mr. Chester McKee- a photographer.
• Mr. Gatsby’s name keeps coming up in this story! (Catherine told Nick that she was at a party in West Egg at Gatsby’s house a month ago.)
• Kaiser Wilhelm? (PP. 32) Gatsby’s his cousin/nephew? Supposedly, that’s who everybody says Gatsby obtained his money from.
• Catherine- Told Nick that Tom and Myrtle both can’t stand living with the person they’re married to.
• Daisy- Not Catholic? Catherine said that she was (Liar), but Nick, the narrator, points out that she’s not Catholic since Nick and Daisy are second cousins.
• Mrs. McKee- Supposedly George Wilson was interested in her in the past before he met Myrtle.
• Tom hit Myrtle in the nose for repeatedly saying Daisy’s name over and over. (I thought that men weren’t allowed to hit women during this time.)
• Mr. McKee invited Nick out for lunch anywhere at anytime. (I think that this is kind of a random but sincere gesture from Mr. McKee since we didn’t really see Mr. McKee and Nick interact a lot during this specific Chapter.)
• Was this novel’s setting intentionally set before or after prohibition? I’m really curious to figure this question out.

Vocabulary Words: Yes, I included Vocabulary Words in my Journal Entry because for most of these words, I had absolutely no clue as to what they even meant.
• Transcendent - (PP. 23) – Exceeding usual limits, superlative, supreme, incomparable.
• Contiguous - (PP. 24) – In contact; touching; near or next.
• Anaemic – (PP. 25) – Relating to anemia or suffering from anemia; lacking vigor or energy.
• Crepe-de-Chine - (PP. 25) – A light, soft, silk or synthetic fabric with minute irregularities of surface; A silk crepe used for dresses and blouses.
• Muslin – (PP. 27) – A strong, plain-woven cotton cloth.
• Proprietary – (PP. 30) – Belonging to a proprietor, as under a patent, trademark, or copyright.
• Ectoplasm – (PP. 30) – The outer portion of the cytoplasm of a cell; An immaterial substance, especially the transparent physical presence of a ghost or a spirit.
• Hauteur – (PP. 30) – Disdainful pride, haughtiness.

William S. Merwin

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/for-the-anniversary-of-my-death/

(The Website Link For William S. Merwin's Poem, For The Anniversary of My Death.)

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-you-go-away/
(The Website Link Also For William S. Merwin's Poem, When You Go Away.)

Jennifer Tabasco 11-2
English III
Mr. Fiorini
March 9, 2009

William Stanley Merwin

The poet that I chose to talk about is William Stanley Merwin. William Stanley Merwin’s two poems, For the Anniversary of My Death and When You Go Away, are the two poems that I decided to discuss from this contemporary author.
William Stanley Merwin’s life began when he was born in New York City. Merwin grew up looking out over the Hudson to the Towers of New York. Merwin attended Princeton University, where he got a post-grad in romance languages. Shortly after, Merwin hit Europe, traveling to France, Spain, and England. Most of his early writing was done in Europe, before Merwin turned to his roots and started writing with American themes. William Stanley Merwin currently lives and works in Hawaii. All of this biographical information has definitely impacted the two works that I read by this writer because his writing really has a sense of “Americanism” to it just by the way it flows and the certain language that he uses just in these two poems.
Merwin’s most recent poetry has consisted of topics such as the beauty of life, love, and nature. In William Merwin’s poem, For the Anniversary of My Death, he talks about how each day that passes by him, he’s not really sure as to when his death will occur. There’s no real sense of any specific type of structure in this poem; there aren’t any punctuation marks, there are just a couple of divided statements that seem to make the poem unique. After William Merwin dies, he won’t longer find himself lost in his life because then he’ll know what is happening to him. I think that this poem serves as somewhat of an obituary to people who have lost loved ones in their lives, and this poem can serve as one way to remember those loved ones. As opposed to the other poem, When You Go Away, William Merwin talks about how much pain and torture that he experiences when this certain person goes away. He uses a lot of metaphors to make the poem more effective in the way that it flows. I suspect that this person may be a girlfriend, a certain family member, or maybe a son or daughter that he might have had. Once again, this poem has no punctuation marks; this poem has divided statements in each line. I think that if punctuation marks were placed in this poem, I think that the poem wouldn’t flow as easily without the punctuation marks. I really enjoy the way that this certain poem flows easily like the waves of an ocean. This poem really brings the reader into the author’s mind while reading the whole poem together.
Throughout these two poems, there are a couple of ideas about the works of William Stanley Merwin that make them distinctly American. The two experiences that Merwin talks about, death and agony, can relate to his American work because these are just two similar experiences that all people, not just Americans, can relate to in some way. Another idea that makes William Merwin’s poems distinctly American is that throughout these two poems, there aren’t any punctuation marks, only small statements. Yes, I’m positive that other world authors don’t use punctuation marks, but these works are vastly different in that his statements are much longer in length. One final idea that makes this writer’s work distinctly American is that he writes his poem starting with five stanzas. Then, he writes the second part in seven or eight stanzas, creating a longer poem towards the ending. If I could, I would definitely read another poem done by William Stanley Merwin, not only because he’s an American, but because of how his poems are formed and how they all flow so easily when read aloud.
William Stanley Merwin is an American author who writes so wonderfully based on possible experiences that he might have lived through during his lifetime. I admire his creativity by using metaphors to express how much pain he experiences when this certain person goes away, and I also admire the way that he writes about the anniversary of his death even though he’s uncertain as to when that day will ever come. His poems are really unique, and they really stand out from all of the other poems that I read so far in my lifetime. The variety of his poems brought me closer to his sense of writing, and after reading only two works, I’m glad that I chose the author that I did.