Portfolio

ENG 368 By: Christine Kelly Due: December 6, 2013

Table of Contents
#1. Parallel Structure
[Written Reflection ENG 305]Pg. 3-4

#2. Types of Phrases

[Descriptive Piece]..Pg.5

#3. Conciseness
[Review- ENG 305]Pg.6-7

#4. Tenses
[Grammar in Context]Pg. 8-9

#5. Conciseness, Pronoun Ambiguity, Attention to tone

[Letter- ENG 305]].Pg.10-11

#6. Lengthening Sentences

[Exercise 7H]]..Pg.12

#7. Appositive Phrases, Parallel Structure

[Exercise 8F]].Pg. 13

#8. Sentence Patterns, Parallel Structures

[Assignment on Moodle]]..Pg.14

#9. Comma Placement, Sentence Variety

[Narrative Vignette]]..Pg.15

#10. Cumulative- Grammar Strategies

[Exercise 5E]].Pg.16

* _____ Shows main edits that have been made

# 1. Written Reflection- REVISION After reading My Grandfather as Teacher and Creating Relationships with Students, common themes between the two pieces illustrate the necessary qualities of a great teacher. Both pieces reveal the importance of reflection. In My Grandfather as Teacher, the author describes his grandfather as his very best teacher ever, and goes on to explain, my grandfather was like a sculptor who carved and molded my imagination. His teaching made me think, question, and reflect. Here the author is suggesting that his grandfather was a great teacher because he taught him how to reflect on what he was learning. In Creating Relationships with Students, the author shows his thought process as he reflects back on his experience in a practice teaching session. This is effective because it allows the reader to see how this teacher bettered his methods and practice by looking back and analyzing. Both pre-service teacher journals show me, as a prospective teacher, the value and self-discovery that lie in the act of reflecting. A moment of such reflection occurred for me during my first semester as a college freshman. Being away from my family and my hometown really made me reflect on my life and discover myself. The reflecting Ive done has helped me to establish my identity. I was able to realize that family is the most important aspect of my life. Being so far from home made me think about how I acted when I was home with family. As a result, I realized that I spent too much time trying to hang out with friend and too little time enjoying and spending time with my family. This is normal for most teenagers to do, but I think that this internal reflection made me a better person. By this I mean that I realized how lucky I am to have the family and support system that I do. My classes in

college have helped me to think more critically, and I feel grateful that this thought process led to a reflection on my life. Another moment of reflection occurred for me during my sophomore year of college when I was taking EDU 280. In this class, my fellow classmates and I went to NCCS and shadowed middle and high school teachers. During this experience, our teachers encouraged our involvement in their classrooms. After each week, we completed reflections about our observations in the school. Each week, I spent hours writing these reflections because I found that through my writing process, I was discovering more meaning than I ever could have thought possible. Through these reflections, I reassured myself that teaching was what I wanted to do with my life. My teachers have taught me the value of reflecting as both a student and as a teacher. Reflection shows the true value of recursive thinking in teaching. In my classroom, I want to put an emphasis on reflection in order to give students a better understanding of their own purpose in learning. REFLECTION #1 After re-reading this draft, I realized that this piece had been written before I had begun to conceptualize and apply the material I learned in grammar class. Parallel structure, wordiness, and improper use of tenses are three concepts that needed to be addressed. Parallel structure adds fluidity and balance to my reflection, while the deletion of extra words allows for less confusion on behalf of the reader. By revising this piece, I also realized that in some cases where I used the past tense, I really should have used the present perfect. Present Perfect tense is more appropriate because the feelings and events discussed are carried over into the present.

#2. Descriptive Piece Noun Phrases- ____________________ Prepositional Phrases- _________________ Adjectives- word Adjective Phrases- [ ] My bedroom is [colorful and bright.] There are posters and pictures on my wall. Under my bed, there are a million pairs of shoes; [comfortable and fancy]. My bed, across from my desk, is small, but not uncomfortable. The pillows; [fluffy and new], are clouds for my head to rest upon. My desk, [spacious and brown], gives me a lot of room to work with. Folders and notebooks are spread across the area, could use some organization. My fan cools me down from this late September heat wave. [Tall and white], it definitely helps me sleep at night. Laundry baskets, wooden dressers, and binders arent as bright as the rest of my dcor. My calendar of pictures, memories and dates, continues to remind me. My alarm clock, with the never-ending beeping and flashing blue, takes me out of my dreams. The walk- in closet behind the door holds a years worth of options. REFLECTION #2 Not only did this descriptive piece help me learn to describe objects in a creative way, but also it taught me exactly what types of devices I was using to do so. This exercise allowed me to use fragments in order to play around more stylistically with my writing. In this piece, I used many linking verbs without thinking twice. By learning what these type of verbs were called, I was able to use them more effectively in order to get my point across.

#3. Review Megan Palevich serves as a role model to all pre service teachers, especially through the creation of her eighth grade blog, Down the Digital Rabbit Hall. Palevich begins her assignment by creating a theme, Identity- who are you? By setting this theme early on, Mrs. Palevich was able to shape her assignment in a way that allows students to understand the purpose of the assignment in a technologically creative way. Through the use of her feedback, a variety of resources, and motivation through personal connection, Palevich was able to reach her teacher objectives for her assignment. These objectives include preparing students for high school along with making students better writers, thinkers, and creators of digital content. The assignment itself is very detailed and specific, letting students know exactly what Mrs. Palevich is looking for in her final exam. The assignment takes the most fundamental of elements such as character and setting, and challenges students to analyze these elements by thinking in a critical way. Critical thinking and analysis will not only help prepare students for high school, but will also help to better them as readers and writers. Each section of this assignment requires students to provide evidentiary support from the text in order to back up their claims, therefore teaching students the importance of close reading and detailed evidence. Each section gives students an approximation of how long each paragraph should be, leaving nothing for the students to be confused about. The final product created by these eighth grade student bloggers is representative of how much each student has learned. Corrines example is given as an exemplary blog and exhibits how interested students can become in an assignment that is meshed with

technology. The variety of resources used in preparing students for this final project allowed students to understand the elements that make up a story without overwhelming them. After completing this section and assignment on Alice and Wonderland, the students in Mrs. Palevichs 8th grade class have learned how to use technology to make them better readers and writers, therefore better preparing them for high school. REFLECTION #3 This piece is one I had written in my Teaching Writing to Adolescents class. When re-writing this review, I became aware of the diction I was using. When using words like basic, I could have been using words like fundamental, which better portrays the message I was trying to send to my readers. I also noticed that there were places within this review where I could have been more concise by taking out unnecessary words. These words only created extra confusion and wordiness. This was challenging for me because of all of the years spent adding extra words to my writing.

#4. Grammar in Context Present Tense- red Present Continuous- yellow Present Perfect- green Past- blue Passive Voice- purple Past Perfect- orange Past Perfect Continuous- maroon Future- pink I am in the tenth grade and it is my first year playing Varsity soccer. I am so nervous about my first home game this afternoon against South Kortright. My parents, friends, and teachers are going to be here to watch. These pre-game jitters fade away as I begin to focus on my warm up. Running around the field puts me in my comfort zone. I am ready to play. The whistle blows and we are off. There were five minutes left in the first half of the game and the score was tied 11. Amanda had taken a shot on goal but missed. Erica trapped the goalies punt and we took off down the field. We had been playing poorly up until this point. Erica had made a beautiful pass across the field, I kicked it in the back corner of the net, and the crowd erupted. Our defense held strong and South Kortright could not put another goal in the net. I had just scored the winning goal of the game. After I scored the first goal of my varsity career, Erica carried me across the field. Our team surrounded us in a huge hug and I dont think I will ever forget this moment.

Ericas mother had taken a picture of her carrying me across the field, and it is still one of my favorite pictures. While in college, I have missed being a part of a sports team. REFLECTION #4 This exercise helped to teach me the tenses by reinforcing them through use and recognition. Not only am I now able to recognize each tense, but also I am able to logically switch between them. This exercise also taught me the difference between past tense and passive voice, which is something I didnt know before taking this course. This exercise is one that I may be able to use with my future students to make them more aware of the tenses that they are using in their writing.

#5. Letter To Mr. Smith, My name is Christine Kelly. I am a resident of Wilson Hall, living on the 6th floor. I am writing because I desperately need your help resolving issues with my roommate. The problem includes a major disregard for cleanliness, theft of personal property, and action that defies the pre-signed roommate agreement. My roommates actions dont only make me uncomfortable, but also pose a risk to the livability of this room for future residents. My roommates name is Nikki Carson. There are numerous obstacles holding us back from being compatible roommates. Her side of the room is a disaster at all times and smells terrible. A horrendous odor emanates from the two month supply of garbage she has held hostage inside of her closet. The mold is building up in the closet to the point where the entire unit may need to be replaced. Also, upon coming into the room, Nikkis clothing and notebooks are all over my bed, leaving me with very little space or privacy. She proceeds to wear all of my clothing and steal my food without asking my permission. It is impossible for me to study and finish my assignments because she continues blasting the music, even when I request that she turn it down. She also goes out very often on school nights, while I go to bed. She then returns home early in the morning, turns the light on, and wakes me up. I cant truly dedicate myself to my schoolwork with this amount of unnecessary stress. I appreciate any effort you may be able to take in addressing this issue. Action is necessary for my success as a college student as well as for the reputation of your dorm building. Incoming freshman would not be interested in living in Wilson Hall if they

10

knew that this type of property damage had occurred in their room prior to their arrival. Thank you so much for your time. Sincerely, Christine Kelly Room 60 D Wilson Hall Ckelly.0130@yahoo.com (845) 901-3664

REFLECTION #5 Writing this letter in ENG 305 helped me learn to write a specific audience while allowing me to practice my newly learned grammar skills. Looking back on this piece, I can see that I could have made many of my sentences more concise and to the point. I also noticed some pronoun ambiguity that could be fixed by adding the subject to its description. Without this grammar class, I dont think I would have been able to fix these errors so easily. Knowing the terms for these errors Im making also helps me to be more conscious of structure and less likely to make these errors to begin with.

11

#6- Exercise 7H 1, To train for a half marathon, I used a twelve-week training schedule. The trick was drinking plenty of water, stretching out before and after each run, and taking care of my body to keep it in the best condition. 2. Scrubbing hard, she used the worn sponge to remove grease from the pan, cursing under her breath, hands clenched. 3. I remember going to my grandfathers funeral, sobbing into my fathers shoulder, accepting that my life would never be the same. 4. I remember holding my nephew for the first time, staring into his eyes, wondering if hell ever love me as much as I love him.

REFLECTION #6 Exercise 7H taught me how to use verbal phrases and modifiers to lengthen sentences and add variety. Before this exercise, I used to consider such sentences as either fragments or run-ons, but I now understand that these sentences can be used to a writers advantage. What I really like about this exercise is that in order to learn these strategies I was mimicking famous writers such as Tim OBrien. By mimicking Tim OBrien, I now know that practicing replicating the works of renowned writers can teach me sentence structures that will add variety to my own work.

12

#7. Exercise 8F 1. I was prepared for my new job, hair styled, makeup applied, confidence checked. 2. The vampire enters the bedroom, sniffing the air, scoping out his surroundings, thirsting for blood. 3. The cottage appeared to be uninhabited, mice scurrying across the floor, cobwebs forming in every corner, must air filling my nose. 4. The waiter brought us a hamburger, cheese melting, onion topping, mouth watering. 5. The waiter brought us a hamburger, mold building, grease leaking, fries burning. REFLECTION #7 This exercise taught me how to create absolute phrases, which is another way to lengthen and add variety to my sentences. By doing so, I also realized the importance of parallel structure in such sentences. Adding balance and repetition to sentences that contain absolute phrases makes sentences have more fluidity and cohesion. Forming parallel structure was difficult for me prior to this class, in that it was something I never really paid much attention to in my writing. As a result, professors would always correct this in my essays, but I didnt understand what I was doing wrong. Awareness of parallel structure has changed my perspective in both editing and writing.

13

#8. Moodle Assignment 1.) I know that I wanted to go out tonight, that all of my friends were, and that drinks were only two dollars. 2.) Home to me is a comfortable, cozy place where I can play with my nephew, hike mountains, and have family dinner every Sunday. 3.) My boss told me to fill the saltshakers, to light the candles, to fold the napkins and to put them on the table. 4.) Chad plays the drums all around the world, surfs in Montauk and fundraises for charity. 5.) The old bicycle, rusty and worn, made its way around the path, switched gears, and climbed the hill. 6.) Evan works hard in school, attends his honor society meetings, reads his assignments with ever-growing interest. 7.) I walked out of the door, brushed my hair out of my eyes, and ran into the tall, dark pole. 8.) Tyler was an intelligent person with a Colgate smile, big heart, and a big future ahead of him. REFLECTION #8 Similarly to the previous exercise, this assignment from our Moodle site taught me the benefits of parallel structure. Without balance in each sentence, its meaning could be compromised. This assignment helped me to practice creating parallel structure in my sentences so that I can use it in my every day writing. The Moodle assignment continued to expose me to a variety of sentence patterns that I can also use in my writing.

14

#9. Narrative Vignette As a twin, I had to learn to share much earlier than the average child. Sharing a room, our toys, and our parents was the hardest for us to deal with. One day, after I had lost my doll, I decided to claim Emilys doll as my own. Screaming and crying, she latched onto her doll with every fiber of her being. Unfortunately for her, I grabbed onto the dolls head with my tiny little fingers and vowed to never let go. Tugging with all of my might, I braced my feet and the dolls head separated from its body. Now, no one got to have the doll. REFLECTION #9 As one of the last activities of our class, this activity put numerous of my newly acquired grammar skills to work. Firstly, I paid attention to comma placement, which is something I am still working on, but is also an aspect of my writing where Ive seen great improvement. This exercise made me think about many of the comma rules and place them in the correct positions. This activity also helped me to continue using the past participle in a way that enhances my writing. Another aspect that this exercise helped me to practice was using adjective phrases. I used adjective phrases unknowingly prior to this class, and now can use them to better describe the nouns in my sentences.

15

#10. Exercise 5E During the last week of May, I drove my packed car to Montauk, NY, the very end of Long Island. By the end of this drive, I arrived at my destination, hugging my sister, who opened the back of my car and began to help unpack. I was so thankful to my sister for getting me this job as I took a tour of the beautiful establishment, which was right on the water, looking out at a different sunset each night. My managers welcomed me with hugs and introduced mea bunch of employees smiling at me as I joined their team. Bright-eyed and outgoing, they showed me the ropes while I stood taking it all in, thinking of my family, and wondering if this great opportunity in front of me might alleviate some of my homesickness.

REFLECTION #10 Exercise 5E is the most cumulative activity of the semester. This exercise shows an abundance of skills I learned in grammar class, while allowing me to be creative as well. Techniques such as fragments, dashes, and early modifiers are great additions to sentences that lengthen sentences, add variety, and add clarity. I never realized that adverb phrases were also early modifiers that give the reader a sense of time. I think that this technique is very effective and makes paragraphs a lot more cohesive. I will continue to practice many of these skills so that they can remain prominent in both my teaching and in my writing.

16