Blog 24 - Course Reflection

Course Evaluation/Reflection


Questions:
What did you learn in this course?
I learned a lot in this class. I learned how to make a point by telling a story rather than lecturing about what I want to say.

About the form of CNF?
there can be different structures in cnf essays and sections and they are in story form.

What did you learn about how to write CNF?
to not be completely blunt about what your saying, allow the reader to figure out and understand what your focus is while telling it in a story form or object form. You can use a person, object, theme, really anything to get across a point and I think that is very interesting.

About where to publish/find publishing venues for your creative writing?
You gave a lot of great options listed on your blog for venues and I was very happy with the one I chose to do my presentation on. I learned how to chose the right venue for the essays we wrote in regards to theme, length, atmosphere, ect.

Did you change anything /try anything different in your writing process? Please describe.
Yes. I changed my writing by not giving away my main idea so easily. I learned to get my point across without being so blunt about it.

Which class assignments/class experiences helped you learn whatever you learned?
revising essays

What do you wish the course spent more time on?
finding/reading more CNF essays

What do you wish we'd spent less time on?
nothing

2. Structure of course/assignments

Questions:

Right pace/schedule?
I thought the pace was very good and I was able to handle all assigments easily.

Coherence of material?
Very relevant material. Reading the essays by other people really helped me to learn how to write mine.

Workload => Too much, too little, just right? What would you change?
The essays were a lot to work on, but they were very helpful.

Cover material appropriate to course goals?
Yes.

Enough feedback for grades?
Very good feedback for grades and it was helpful to understand.

3. Provisions for feedback/grades

Questions:

Which form of feedback was most helpful?
feedback in written/email form for blogs and essays

Which did you enjoy most?
learning how to write effective essays and reading CNF essays

Any which you felt was unproductive?>
no

What would you do more of?
reading more cnf stories, maybe chose one that we find on our own

What would you do less of?
I don't think I would have done less of anything.

Did you feel the grading system was fair?
yes

Did the grades/grading system contribute to learning?
yes

4. General response
Is there anything you could tell me that would help me teach a better/more engaging course?

Anything you want to say about your experience of the course?

I really feel that this course was great. I enjoy doing assigments through a blog rather than having to print out everything. I feel that you give a lot of good and useful feedback that really helps. I feel like I definitely learned a lot of writing CNF essays and any kind of essays for that matter. I think my writing has changed and will grow from this experience. Also, I learned about great venues that could be very useful to send work to, as well as read stories about teaching experiences from that certain venue.

Blog 23: revised Essay 3

As the Seasons Change

Frozen snow covers my windshield wipers preventing them from moving. My tires are parked on top of an icy patch of emptiness, part of a section on the street, and the rims are filled with old dirty snow. There is a light mist of snow on the hood, windows, and trunk, appearing like sprinkled sugar over a silver countertop. My two snow scrapers, an extra pair of gloves, and an extra pair of snow boots lay quietly in the back seat, but I cannot retrieve them because my two doors are frozen shut. Icicles are trapped between the openings, as they hang down sharply, resembling blades. A layer of ice sits on top of the door handles, forcing them to gleam from the reflection of the sun.

I attempt turning the key into the slot, but that is ineffective. I pull on the handles, of both doors, strongly, but subtly in hopes of doing no damage to anything. I have no luck. I stomp up the stairs, leaving a trail of icy water, and wake up my dad for help. I am going to be late to school, again. My dad heats up some water in a coffee maker and pours it on the openings and the handles of both doors. The steam flows up in the air, like smoke, as the hot water hits the rugged shimmering pieces of glass and metal. The doors open and I immediately put the heat on. There is no significant smell, just cold air and my perfume. My black mats are not shiny. They are dirty and lifeless. They are tired of being stepped on with hard, cold snow boots. They want to be refreshed. My glittering, curvy, silver Marilyn gets me to school.

**

The last remains of the snow have melted and it’s time for a good wash and some cleaning. The scrapers, gloves, and snow boots are extinct, at least for now, and have been replaced with a light sweater, an extra cloth purse, and some text books for school. My sweater and purse are folded neatly in the trunk. My text books are thrown around in the back seat on top of grey blanket, which is also neatly folded in the center and matches the inside material of the seats. They are waiting for the last day of school. There is a purple tree with yellow flowers on it, hanging from my rearview mirror, releasing a floral scent.

My windows are moist from the previous rain and the slight damp cold that only occurs in the morning. My tires are parked on top of a few pink flower petals that lay scattered in the street. My black mats are damp, but regaining life. They are no longer topped with hard, cold snow boots, but with light Converses and colorful flats. My windows are slightly open, letting in a gentle breeze and the smell of rain. The radio is on medium, playing some song on the radio. I am on my way to somewhere enjoyable. My glittering, curvy, silver Marilyn gets me to the park, thankfully.

Jay and Diesel are in the car with me. I am driving Marilyn as usual and Jay is comfortably sitting in the passenger’s seat, one foot resting on the dashboard, which makes my skin crawl, but I am too content with the change in weather to be anything less than happy. Diesel is strapped in his dog harness, but still finds ways to move around, unraveling the grey blanket causing it to look messy. His wet nose smears the back window with dampness as he gazes at the people walking and barking at other dogs passing by. He can’t wait to jump out of Marilyn and roam around the park.

**

The rain has slowly faded away and the sun is usually always shining, even in the morning. The light from the sun shines on Marilyn, causing her to look beautiful and new. The silver looks like platinum. The windows glisten during the day and the tires are sparkling. The inside is automatically warm. An orange hangs from my rearview mirror, and a yellow smiley face hangs from the tuner of the radio, releasing an orange vanilla aroma throughout the whole. The back seat consists of several pairs of flip flops, two beach towels, and sun tan lotion. A pair of white sunglasses lay in a section behind the cup holders, whenever they are not on my face. There is no need for a sweater because the heat that is given to Marilyn from the enormously large sun keeps me warm enough, even with the windows open.

My windows are completely down and I can feel the warm subtle breeze that only occurs every so often, but I don’t mind and neither does Marilyn. My ipod is plugged in to the radio, playing on shuffle, loud and clear, so everyone outside can hear it too. It smells like sunshine and my Beach perfume. The inside of the trunk smells like chlorine. My black mats are happy. The rubber is dry and comforted. They are no longer stepped on at all, but tip toed upon with merely weightless flip flops, and sometimes just bare feet. I am singing and on my way to swim with friends. My glittering, curvy, silver Marilyn gets me to the pool, amazingly.

Jay, Ariana, and Noel are in the car with me. Jay is once again sitting in the passenger’s seat, but with no feet resting on the dashboard this time. Ariana and Noel are in the backseats looking out the two windows. As Marilyn slowly stops at a red light, I bump the music louder and we all begin singing the lyrics to the song playing on my ipod. We talk and laugh about last summer’s trips to the pool and our ear to ear smiles cause Marilyn to look happy, shinning like the bright face of baby.

**

The leaves are beginning to fall and Marilyn is unfortunately covered in bird droppings. The windows are covered with wet orange leaves and some are stuck between my windshield wipers. This is all seeming a little too familiar to me. There is a pumpkin hanging in my rearview mirror and a Yankees shirt lying on top of the back seat, reflecting through the back window. It smells like cinnamon, but I don’t know why. My tires are parked on top of wet leaves that have lost their color and some pieces of branches. A towel, black pair of flip flops, and a dirty chlorine filled bed sheet remain in the trunk after the last endless days and nights that once occupied my time.

My black mats are recovering from the fulfilling sunshine days and warm nights consisting of long talks and singing. They are happily tired, but prepared. An air freshener and a tub of bubble gum occupy the space of my cup holders. The heat is on for approximately two minutes and then the windows are put down, as I turn the knobs, without any automatic assistance, letting in the air that is soon to be cold and distant. My glittering, curvy, silver Marilyn gets me to school, once again.

It is just Marilyn and I now. We are on our way to school and I am reminiscing about the summer and anticipating next summer’s fun. I look out the window of Marilyn and say to me, “Here we go again.”

**

Although the seasons change, the cycle must always continue. The leaves will change colors, fall, become nonexistent, change into flowers, and turn into leaves once again. Another year has passed, four seasons have gone, but they will come again.

Summer is still Marilyn’s and my favorite season and I will continue to have some event to go to on Christmas and New Year’s. It is the little changes throughout a year that show the growth and prosperity of a person once they look back on several years of their lives. The changes in weather, the different holidays, the person who helps you open your car door when it’s frozen, the people you are with when the days are endless, and the rides to school are all part of the little changes that occur in a year. Even the seasons must change, but they will return. It is the reflection of many past falls, winters, springs, and summers that we will recognize all of the growth and change, but my favorite season will always be summer.