Over the course of this trimester, I feel like I have really improved on a lot of my english skills. I feel much more comfortable analyzing a piece of literature than I did prior to day one of AP Literature and Composition, and although there is still a lot that I can work on next trimester, I am happy with my participation and work done in this class.
One particular assignment I am especially proud of is the summer reading creative project. I would describe myself as very creative, so when I got the idea for my project, the ideas kept coming. I wasn't a huge fan of the Man Booker Prize book I chose, but when I really analyzed it piece by piece, I learned the reasons for why the author wrote things that I originally did not like. One of my strengths is music, so I was glad that in this project I was able to incorporate that into my presentation. I am proud of my presentation--using a water demonstration to visually symbolize transformation of the book--and of my explanation. I really thought through each aspect of my presentation, so I did a good job of explaining exactly why I did what I did. I had a hard time putting into words what exactly the essence of my book was, so that part was a bit lacking. I could visualize this essence in my presentation, but it was hard to say it rather than show it.
Another assignment I am proud of is Hamlet Blog Post Number Two. I enjoy assignments like these because I like to make connections between literature and media--it makes the literature more relatable. It took me quite a bit of time to think of a good movie-to-play connection. Just like the creative assignment, once I thought of which movie I was going to use, I came up with connections very quickly. I found lots of good parallels between the movie characters and the play characters, and did not have any trouble including quotations in my post. In drawing these connections I learned a lot about the characters' perspectives of each other because I began to think about the play in a more modern light. I did not incorporate a lot of quotes from the movie, so a weakness in this assignment was comparing and contrasting movie quotes to play quotes.
I consider myself to have a commendable work ethic. Throughout this trimester, there have not been any assignments with which I did not put my full effort into. I have generally liked the assignments in this class, and I want my work to reflect my strengths, not my weaknesses. In group settings I am a leader. For example, at the beginning of the trimester when we had a series of 'mini' group presentations, I tended to take all of the ideas we had and combine them into one big idea. I also created, and spent a lot of time on the google documents and power points in preparation for the presentations. During the American Drama Video Project, I acted in the video, as well as created and edited it. I made sure that everyone in the group was satisfied with the editing before posting, and I did my best to incorporate their opinions. In addition to the video aspect, I worked on the script, and the synopsis sheet, so I believe I play a large role in group settings.
In terms of class, I am also self-motivated to participate. I took notes during all of the mini presentations, and I am actively engaged in the conversations we have. I strive to get the most out of class that I can so that I can understand the material when I am on my own, whether it be homework, or tests. Individually, I am equally self-motivated. I do not get behind in the reading, because there is a possibility that we could be tested on what we read, and I want to do well. The day before a test (for example, our first real test) I like to compile all of the notes taken on that unit and re-write/re-word them in a way that makes sense for me to study from. I feel confident that my involvement and participation this trimester has played a significant part in creating success in my grade.
There is no doubt that I have expanded and improved on many of my skills since the first week of the trimester. In re-visiting Blog Post Number Two, our first practice test reflection, it is really interesting to see how I felt 12 weeks ago. I still have a ways to go (which is why this class is two trimesters), but I am more and more confident with every assignment. The four main difficulties I had with the AP multiple choice test during week one were: staying engaged with the text, prior knowledge of literature, time limits, and literary techniques. I can honestly say that right now at the end of the trimester these four things are not nearly as big of a problem as they may have seemed then.
After completing the final exam AP multiple choice test, these difficulties are mostly in the past. Over these three months, I have realized that I do, in fact, have prior knowledge of literature. I have taken Honors English since freshman year, and we have read a lot of books. For some reason, I did not think of In Cold Blood, or The Great Gatsby to be literature that could be cited on the AP exam. I thought that literature meant Shakespeare, and T.S. Eliot--poetry, not novels. This was the real mistake. I had no issue with the time limit during the final exam, nor did I have trouble staying engaged. I think these two go hand-in-hand. The more engaged I am in the text, the easier it is to answer the questions, which takes lots of time off of the test. I have learned a variety of literary techniques this trimester as well, most of them about poetry. I am infinitely better at reading and analyzing poetry, and catching their subtle meanings.
In looking over my blog portfolio, I have accomplished much more than I thought. I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and I have certainly widened my knowledge. Again, I am happy with my work this trimester, and hope to achieve the same level of participation and success next trimester.
No comments:
Post a Comment