A Child Called It

My favorite book is actually an autobiography by a man named Dave Pelzer. After all the books I have read, this one seems to be my favorite. It is a heart wrenching story about Dave's childhood and the abuse he suffered by his alcoholic mother and his father. When Dave is young he refers to his mom as "Mom", but as he grows older and she becomes more and more abusive he refers to her as "Mother". David's father was his hero at first, but eventually he becomes an alocholic and sinks into depression and is no longer thought of as his hero. It is amazing to think that someone who was so abused could survive and become such a remarkable person.

Super Nintendo

A regular day in my life consists of classes, homework, and of course, playing the famous game of Super Nintendo with my best friend, Gieddles. Gieddles and I have been through countless hours of beating levels, dodging bullets and yelling at the television screen. The best trait about this game is that it's for all ages and can be enjoyed by all. Although Gieddles and I are not experts at this game, we enjoy getting together and spending hours laughing and having a good time. I would recommend this game to anyone because it is a great way to get people together.

Ghost/Spirit Paper

Thesis: Some people do not believe that ghosts and spirits are real but if they understand what ghosts are, what they do, and where they can be found, it can change how people feel about their existence.

Ethos: I can research information on experts that follow ghosts and what evidence they provide.

Pathos- Find stories on people who have had experiences with ghosts or spirits and what happened.

Logos- Find scholary sources that give information and evidence from professionals and experts that prove that ghosts really do exist.

Ghosts/Spirits Brainstorm

Paper Topic: Ghosts/Spirts

Topic: Existence
#1: Has anyone seen or heard a ghost or spirit?
#2: Is there evidence or facts that support these sightings?
#3: When were ghosts first discovered?

Topic: Communication
#1: Can a ghost talk? Will it talk back?
#2: Could a ghost physically hurt someone?
#3: What is the best way to communicate with a ghost?

Topic: People and Ghosts.
#1: Why can some people sense a presense, and others can't?
#2: Is there truth to children seeing ghosts better than adults?
#3: Can a ghost follow someone home?

Class Period on 4/12/10

Today's class period was different than normal but not any less entertaining. For our quiz we just summarized what we had read, pretty simple I'd say. Than, we listened to Jessie, Marcus, and Kenzie talked about colons and semicolons. This was very informational to me because I had not known some things that they talked about. Next, we did a fun exercise to brainstorm about ideas for our next paper and I also learned some new things about the people in the classroom. We all sat in a circle and Ryan asked us questions about different topics and ideas, and then we went around the room answering each question. I think this was a great way to keep the class engaged while getting things done, and I had a great time doing so.

Reflections on Class

On my first day of Comp 101 class, I had no idea what to expect. I was scared of being stuck with an old, boring teacher who I would learn absolutely nothing from. So because of that, I came into class not having high expectations but really only wanting to be able to say I passed at the end of the semester. Much to my surprise, it was exactly the opposite.

I came into the room not knowing a single person but noticed a younger man standing in the front. Thoughts ran through my head about whether or not he was my teacher but I soon figured out, he was. In some way I was sort of relieved so it made me feel a little better. The first couple class periods were somewhat awkward but they got easier and more fun as time went on.

Overall, this class is probably my favorite. Not only because English is one of my better subjects, but because Ryan makes things easier to learn and keep an upbeat environment in the classroom. In high school I had troubles asking for help on assignments and papers but Ryan made it clear that if I had any questions at all, he was there if I needed it. That was very important to me because sometimes I just do not understand directions and Ryan is always available.

I really enjoy this class so far and I cannot wait to see what else it has in store for me.

Writer's Memo

This memo is in regards to my reflective "What has Shaped Me" paper.

Much of what your future holds is remembering but not dwelling on the past. When you lose people in your life that mean so much to you, it's almost like you lose a part of yourself but are capable of still finding a part of yourself that you may never have had before. I lost my two best friends in a go-cart accident five years ago. It was very hard on me because I didn't know who to talk to or how to act but my family and friends were there for me every step of the way.

When it came time to write this paper, I knew it had to be something that had made a difference in my life or shaped me in some way. I had a couple different events in mind but nothing really stood out like this one. This is one of those situations that is the hardest to talk about but the easiest to remember and that is why I choose it. I wanted to be able to share my story with readers so that they are get some sort of idea about how I felt at the time.

Since my first draft, I have made quite a few revisions that I am confident have made my paper better. I made the entire paper in 12 pt. font and removed all extra white space, which was a must. Then, I took out parts of sentences that weren't needed and weren't flowing correctly. I also corrected grammatical errors and fixed words that didn't quite seem to fit. I made these revisions to better my paper. It is very easy to rush through a paper and make mistakes but by going back and reading through it a couple times, it made sense to make some changes. The revisions improved my essay by making the paper flow better and easier for the reader to read. The peer review helped me alot in my revision process. When Kaitlyn reviewed my paper, she specifically corrected errors by commenting and giving her ideas, which was very helpful.

My goal for my paper is to elimnate all errors and revise it so that when it is being read, it flows nicely from paragraph to paragraph and the reader can understand the emotion throughout the piece. What I may still need to work on is how I word sentences so that is it not too confusing or hard to understand.