Reflection of the course

I wish I would have learned more from taking this class.  I think I could have learned more if I was in a class room environment.  I had many distractions while doing the English 102 course online.  Like I have said on other blogs sometimes I had to do my homework very late at night and by the time I got to doing my homework I was exhausted from my one year old and seven year old.  Before, I started the courses I thought I would have support from my husband but that did not happen all the time.  He works so when he would get home he was also tired. 
    The readings were very different than what I am used to reading.  The first story that we read Bartelby the Scrivener was very difficult for me.  I had a really hard time getting into the story and understanding the story.  I honestly had to read the story three times to try to get it and after reading it the third time I don't even thing I understood it.  I did enjoy White Noise.  I like reading mysteries and about haunting. So this was very different for me. 
    I have to admit I'm not sure if I met any of the learning outcomes for this class. If I were in a class room setting I probably would have met a few of the leaning outcomes.  I did learn about blogging :)  
    The writing has been different.  In other classes that I have taken I would have to pick my own subject to write about.  So having to choose different topics to write about through the teacher was great.  I really enjoyed writing "A Modest Proposal" essay.  Even though I didn't do a terrific job on the essay I enjoyed writing it.
  The challenges for this class have been trying to write essays better, video blogs have been difficult because I hate being in front of a camera.  I am not sure if this class will help me in the future.  I plan to go into Phlebotomy so I don't think I will be writing many essays for that type of work.

 http://distancelearn.about.com/od/distancelearning101/tp/Online-Student-Success.htm

   

Blog Post #13 Technology

When I decided to take courses through Yavapai college I thought online would benefit me more than being in a classroom.  Wow this was probably wrong.  It has been very difficult for me to take the English 102 course online.  I always had to do my work when my kids and husband were sleeping and sometimes the 1 year old would not go to bed until 11pm.  When I would try do work during the day my one year old would always want to be on my lap banging on my computer or due to him playing with our IPhone's he thinks that everything is touch screen so he would try to touch my computer screen. I love my baby but he always wanted to be near me seeing what I was doing.  Also reading White Noise was difficult I would literally start reading at either 10pm or 11pm and read until 2am.  Also, Blackboard would not always cooperate and for some reason internet connection is not the best in Clarkdale, Arizona. It would always freeze and boot me out.  I'm thinking that being in a class room I would have had more peace and would have been able to focus more on my assignments. When I was younger and was taking courses in the year 2000, I was seriously ADHD I could not sit still in the class room and my stomach would start growling.  So due to that I had a hard time sitting in a classroom, now that has changed, I should have taken the course in a classroom setting.

When we had to do our first video blog I was so nervous! First of all, I dislike speaking in front of people. Second, I'm not a very interesting person so what am I going to say in my video and third, ever since I got bells palsy I can not stand being in a photograph or being on video.  So that was really hard. Once, I did the video blog it was not that bad, I actually had fun with it.  I would kick everyone out of the bedroom even my husband.  The first few times I would start talking and then just start laughing because I sound ridiculous but after a few takes I got it.  I also enjoy just typing everything as well.  I would have done a video blog tonight but somebody hid my mouse to my main computer and that is the only computer that has a video camera on it. I turned the house upside down trying to find the computer mouse and came up with nothing. 

I am looking into taking more courses at Yavapai. I would like to try more classes in a classroom environment but that is hard when you have little ones and in August there is going to be another little one on the way.  So I may just stick to online courses and when the kids are older start taking the classes in a classroom.


This class has made me enjoy blogging so I just might keep blogging about everyday life and I really want to start crafting again so I will use this to show off my work.  I may even continue doing the video blogs as well.

My link today is blogging etiquette: http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/computertechnology/blogging-rules-and-etiquette.html



 

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/blogging-idol-2-send-your-application-now/

Reflection on Revision

Oh my goodness, that is all I have to say about essay #3! I am sweating buckets. I have finally finished and I am hoping that it is good. I am one who does revisions.  You should see my notebook I have scribbled and torn out pages, started all over you name it I did it for this essay.  I had my husband and brother read over it and they both tried their hardest to help me correct a few things.  I must say it has been hard to do this essay especially with my computer giving me major problems, not being able to log into blackboard.  It is hard when you have children I can't just drop everything and run to the college library especially when my one year old has yet another ear infection, no one wants to babysit him while I go do my research at the college. Thank God for helpful sisters she loaned me her laptop and I was able to log into the college website although it did freeze up on me a few times.  I don't understand people who do not do revisions.  I would be so lost if I did a paper and had no input from anyone.  I was always taught since junior high how important revisions are. I must say this essay was hard being the last one.  Finishing the book was a challenge I would be up til 2am reading catching my self nod away.  The book was not my cup of tea, it wasn't the most horrible book but it was a bit weird and confusing.  I was taken back when Babette admitted sleeping with "Mr. Gray" to get the Dylar medication.  That was a shocker. Other than that I must say I am glad that this essay is done and over with.  I am praying that I did a good job, it's not easy having to research with a one year old on your lap. But, I did it.

There were so many times when I just wanted to give up.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&docid=0GujRyiCUyoJhM&tbnid=WLzpCk_HL1jQKM:&ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quoteswave.com%2Fpicture-quotes%2F81666&ei=Y7d0Udj7KO_oiwKV_YH4DA&bvm=bv.45512109,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNFDI-7vapnkNmctwyqmFlBw4EVneQ&ust=1366689982424706

Tentative Thesis Paragraph

I know we have had several weeks to work on this but I am still stuck and have no idea what I want to write about.  I am definitely going with Option #1 A literary motif, which one I have no idea.  I find the Supermarket theme interesting but then I also am interested in writing about the fear of death.  Fear of death is mentioned in the book several times.  I think I find this interesting because I am like the characters I also fear death.  I want this paper to be a lot better than my other two essays.  I actually lost sleep last night because I kept running thesis paragraphs in my head and unfortunately I still have no idea how I want to start my theses paragraph.  Sorry classmates. I will definitely post my theses paragraph hopefully I can figure out what I want to write about and post it on my blog tomorrow. 

Yeah this is how I feel!

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbje3hcHFV-oYBMyLFfbZ36bpVPV0_zA1XAtULCcVNUA3cmr4Ha1g7uYHhHQ-XugeZ5tSW4b03JOpneu4z7YxIwjzXDDCCiDmtN_N1PVj5FEjQjsZ8QqtPE_ivUL4izoqDodGfPwzIBqA/s1600/cartoon.jpg

Link: An article from Psychology Today; How to overcome your Fear of Death, maybe Jack and Babbette should have read this.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/200910/overcoming-the-fear-death

Summary and Response to a Critical Article

Closing The Loop: White Noise

                                                                       Tom LeClair

Delillo, Don. White Noise, Text And Criticism. New York, NY: Penguin Group USA, 1998. Print.

    LeClair, compares several of DeLillo's literature to one another stating that each story has the same meaning, fear of death.  In several of Delillo's literature the settings are normally in a small town, domestic life, an atmosphere polluted by electrical media. In "White Noise" television is seen by Jack as a simplistic threat and Jack concludes that television can cause fears and secret desires. LeClair also introduces Jack and Babette's children in the article.  The children are more willing to face threats vs. their parents.  One child reads over medical books to become more familiar with toxins.  The children and parents watch television every Friday night together.  At one point Jack is concerned because he starts to enjoy watching disasters on television.  

    I find the characters in this book very interesting.  I would like to be further in the book so reading this article kind of ruined the book for me.  Oh well I still am going to read every page.  A little disappointed with myself, I have not been reading every day like I should. I started off good but have come to a stop.  I hope I have summarized this okay.  My internet connection has not been the greatest and keeps freezing on me so this is the second time I am trying to post this so hopefully it works!

White Noise

Mid-Term Check In

  My biggest challenge in this class has been writing the essays.  When you have been out of school for so long you kind of loose it.  Another challenge is having time to study, with two kids especially being one years old it is difficult.  I'm not going to lie there have been times where I am in tears because I don't think that I can do it. My biggest success is actually being able to complete my assignments.
 
  The readings in the class have been interesting.  I must say I definitely enjoyed Jonathan Swift more than the first story that we had to read.  I am excited to finally read out of the White Noise.  I am going to start that tomorrow. 

  Literary Analysis is much different than what we did in English 101.  I took that class ages ago so all I remember from that class is learning the basics, taking a typing test and we actually got to pick our topics vs. having to read literature and analyzing what we have read.

  My goals for the second half is to do better than the first half.  I hope to find a schedule so therefore I am not doing homework at mid night. I did not think that it would be this hard but for me it has been a challenge.  Especially this past week being sick, pregnant, and having a one year old and seven year old that need your attention it's been hard.  So my plan is to have a schedule.  I thought this would be a piece of cake since I am a stay at home mom I thought I would have plenty of time for school.  Reality being a stay at home mom is harder than any job that I have had.  Plus the day goes by super fast.  Saying all that I am hoping to better my writing skills and I plan to accomplish finishing the class with a good grade.