This I believe Curriculum

The 2.e benchmark directly applies to the This I Believe Essay simply because while writing this paper we will be using peer editing as well as electronic tools to revise and edit our work. As well as evaluate our own paper and reflecting upon it. There is not a number/letter combo on this one, but we will be exhibiting skillful use of language, or trying to at least, use a varied and accurate, extensive vocabulary. We will also be incorporating the 2.f benchmark within our papers. We will be doing so by doing extensive planing and organizing to make the writing much easier to actually do. A well planned paper does not take up too much time at all, its just a matter of getting all your idea's well organized, then basically copying it into a paper with some "glue" sentences tying them all together. 3.a will be coming into play as well, in the way that we will attempt to use correct grammatical choices as well as correct punctuation that controls the patterns of words and sentences. We will be using all of these benchmarks within our essay's, it should be interesting.

Introduction

I expect to take quite a few things away from this class. Such as the ability to enhance my writing and create better papers. To actually have fun with writer rather than dread it as I always do now. I expect to have a nice portfolio with plenty of stuff in it to look back upon and see how I have progressed over the year. I would also like to be able to write some stuff that I would enjoy writing rather than just getting a topic and having to write a paper on it.

Some skills I would like to learn might include the ability to look forward to writing rather than not wanting to get around to it at all. I also would like to have to skill to just want to write something on my own rather than being told to write. I wouldn't mind keeping like a journal of my everyday life or something, but as of now I don't have the initiative to do so. I would also like to improve my word chose as well as grammar. I would love to be able to write a very interesting story or paper with words that flow and sound great together.

I have a few strengths in English work, key word there is a few. I feel I am very good at integrating big words that are very fun to use in papers and even in every day speaking. I also feel I am fairly good at ranting about nothing. However I can't create something out of nothing, by that I mean I have to have a topic to rant about, I can't just throw something off the top of my head and go with it. I'm also pretty strong in the whole spelling department, I tend to be able to sound a word out and either spell it correctly the first time or come very close to nailing it the first try. I like to think I'm pretty good at relating to other people's stories and tales as well. One task that was given to me that I was very proud of was a presentation with a written paper on a subject of my choice. I choose the Grateful Dead, including their music, how they came about, as well as their following and philosophies. Now in the traditional high school I went to, there wasn't a whole lot of kids who even know about the Dead and what they did for thousands of people. I thought I just nailed it, by the end of my presentation everyone was just a little baffled, and I got a very good score on the written paper I turned in.

I do have plenty of weaknesses however. Within the English category I am not very good at reading and paying attention to what I read. By that I mean I usually have to read the same few paragraphs a couple of times for me to fully remember everything that I read. If I don't I tend to get a few pages further and completely forget everything I had just read. It's really annoying and is one of the reason's that I am not a fan of reading at all. I tend to write papers that are a little choppy and don't have much flow to them, wouldn't mind changing that either. I also have some trouble's really getting into assignments given to me. The majority of the time I am not very enthusiastic about writing and reading assignments given to me unless it is my choice on what to read, or write. For example one of the only books I ever finished was Where The Red Fern Grows, and this was all the way back in elementary school. I mean seriously, that is the only book I ever really got into and wanted to read. The other books I was forced to read was like Chinese water torture to me.