English 1102-057 Midterm Reflection Letter Due: 2/28/2014 Mrs.

Hoffman, It has been about six weeks in the semester up to this point of midterm week before spring break. In the beginning of the semester of English class, we were asked to bring a cultural object that defines who we are and how it relates to our culture. I decided to bring my Bible mainly because ever since I was little, I went to church every Sunday with my mom and my two sisters. I talked and wrote about how I was taught how important having a faith is. I then told the class as I was holding my green and gold Bible that I continue to try and live by what the Bible says even though we all walk daily with tests and temptations. As a part of the American culture, we get to choose what we believe in and I personally believe that everything is choice. I liked the fact that I could show the class a little bit about me before they actually got to know me in a sense that I really am that kind of girl that does not cuss, drink, or smoke at all. Later on, we were asked to write about the Introduction of The Curious Researcher and our past English experiences whether it involved English 1101 from last semester or my High School English classes. I specifically wrote about how my research papers in the past have had topics relating to subjects within books and outside sources. The introduction explains how students think and feel when it comes to research papers. I am a part of a peer group what you once called the girls in the back that consists of me, Jackie, Jessica, Sara, and Hanna. We work together as a team where we give our ideas and use the best answer for the question given at hand. I really like being a part of this group because I have made some really wonderful friendships from it. As far as class is concerned, I learn from

their thoughts and get a sense of understanding when we talk about a subject with one another. I feel that I contribute to the group by giving my ideas and talking for the group as the spokesperson; this helps me because I usually am not confident in talking to an audience or large group of people. I offer to the class the same as I offer to my peer group: my ideas, my thoughts, and my respect. From the discussions within class, we have talked about a lot of things that have sparked my interest. The first actual reading we had was called The Fisherman Story and we had to write a small excerpt about it in our notebook or computer. I chose to and still do write in a notebook along with all of my writing assignments and exercises except homework assignments that are to be submitted online. I wrote about this story telling how potential can make a single idea go far and beyond to reach success. I really enjoyed reading this short story because it made me realize that sometimes the simple things should be sufficient (like the Fisherman) and it is interesting to think about how different cultures view happiness; happiness as in material things or just food on the table for the family. We were also asked to ask questions about the story, come up with subjects/topics, and then categorize those topics concrete v. abstract ideas. I learned from this that topics are more physical, concrete, and limiting whereas concepts are more abstract and broader ideas. A few days later in class, we had the task of listening to an NRP clip on Friends and how it influenced the Chinese culture. We had three questions asking about the clip and were asked to answer them. I thought this clip was a good way to connect with the Chinese culture because we learned how they yearn for the average American carefree lifestyles; thats why I picked this because it has a lot to do with comparing and contrasting another country with ours. Its kind of hard to fathom on how they feel since we are so used to the freedom of choosing how we want to live, what jobs we want to work, and what religion we want to believe

in. A couple days later, we had a alcohol consumption and culture prompt. We were told to write about either our own views, our familys views, or someone elses views about the subject. I decided to talk about both me and my familys views toward alcohol consumption because I had a lot to say about it. I realized it was an important subject because my family has been affected by it through my fathers poor decisions he made many years ago. Seeing the consequences of drinking from my father shaped my views on how I do not want to pursue those kinds of actions. As for attendance, all students are allowed three absences before being counted as an unexcused absence. I personally have not missed a day since the semester started and I do not plan to unless there is an emergency or something. I am never the type of person that can just skip a class for no reason because I feel that I am missing something important if I do. I like the thought of not having to come in the last day of our exam due to having to present our inquiry projects before exam week. For all of the homework assignments given, I have taken time to answer what is needed to improve ones education and research tactics for future projects and assignments. For the very first assignment, we wrote a letter about ourselves to give a little taste of our background and experiences that have led us up to this point. I felt that it was an insightful way of telling about my life and my future goals so one could get a good idea about my character. One day for homework, we were given the assignment of responding to a Closed for Business article on how France takes the day off for all businesses on Sundays. I learned taking off Sundays were not more about religion, but more about preserving an idea of France; I mentioned how bad the economy would be with its small businesses that probably did not make enough money in the first place. I liked this because we were asked about how we once spent our Sundays and how we do now. I have always had good memories involving Church and now that I am older I

appreciate it more when I get the chance because I understand more and continue to learn about the Christian faith. As we started to learn about the importance of research, we had the assignment of writing an inquiry project memo for the pre-library visit. The memo dealt with having a working knowledge of a particular topic and then breaking down the information into having a concept, how its situated with one or more culture, and a potential question for research. My topic was the melting of glaciers and how it affects the population of Alaska; I explained my connection to the topic and the questions I had up to that point. As I have mentioned the inquiry project with the concentration of melting glaciers and its affects toward the regional populations, I have decided not to continue doing my inquiry project on that specific topic due to not being able to find sufficient and efficient information to complete the task. I have had a lot of time to focus on a topic (which I have) for inquiry but I feel that I spent too much time on one topic without experimenting with other subjects or topics. This means that I might not be as ready as wanted to commit to an idea; I know I have a time crunch but I would rather research for a topic that would be more efficient in its information than having to do a project that would end with no answers. I have learned that the research process is harder than one may think and it takes a lot of time and effort to receive the wanted results. Having insufficient information has risen the questions like what other topics should I have experimented with? How much time should I take on researching one subject? Where should I go from here? What interests should I look into? I see this inquiry project as very distinct from other research papers because we are supposed to answer the potential question with a cultures point of view and how it affects them rather than just a list of things to answer the question which most research papers involve. I could take the risk of using both articles and videos of interviews from people affected by a particular topic and using that as my culture instead of just

google searches. At this point, whatever topic I may choose I think the discoveries I make will give me a different outlook on life through other cultures and point of views. I will educate my readers through my research and passion about the topic of interest. Reading and writing are two key aspects to success in life. Both tasks can be frustrating at times which can bring forward the questions: How much time does a professional writer take to reach his main goal? What are some ways to help a writer or reader stay focused? What are some creative ways to come up with ideas for research topics? For the second part of the semester, I plan to work to the best of my ability in all assignments given. I hope to prioritize my time and set goals to reach the ultimate goal of learning about a topic through a different cultures point of view.

Thanks for your time and consideration, Jenna Huffstetler