My Reflection on English Writing

　　Writing apprehension kills creative writing ideas. Before I became a university student, I only wrote for the purpose of preparing for exams. During the second and third year in my high school life, extensive training of English writing helped me write a short essay within the time constraints. Time limits my inspirations and my thoughts limit my expressions. Due to writing apprehension and academic pressure, my writing ideas appear to be generated only for high scores. I had not gotten high scores for a period of time, and I asked my tutor for help. She told me that the grammar and the structure of my essays were almost error-free. My tutor suggested that I can add some vivid and intriguing ideas to better my compositions. Even so, writing original English essays within time limit is still hard and stressful for me.

　　As a freshman and English major, the first challenge I encountered was writing English on a personal blog. Originally, I considered this training a tough task. Nevertheless, the positive effects of writing English on blog considerably changed my mind. By cogitating about the given topics and questions, I sharpened my critical thinking skills. Moreover, I learned to communicate with my key pal in English on my blog. To my utter surprise, I felt comfortable when I wrote English with a computer. I had sufficient time to input new information and then output my organized thoughts. In the first semester of my university life, I endeavored to accomplish this blog project and gradually regained my confidence in English writing.

　　In the second semester, for me, keeping personal journals in English is a brand new challenge. Sometimes, I feel stressed as a result of the required word count. Also, lacking enchanting topics annoys me at times. However, after I overcome my writing apprehension, I increasingly enjoy the moment I keep my journals. I join various activities to gain new experiences and richness of life. I hope I will read my journals in the future. Therefore, I write down the events that impressed me most in a straightforward and amusing way. I keep maintaining this attitude of writing English journals, which motivates me to willingly record my life in English. Without writing apprehension, I perform better than before.

　　As far as I am concerned, these challenges are turning points during the process of learning English writing. Regaining confidence in English writing is well worth the efforts I put on these challenging tasks. I hope I will keep learning hard to overcome difficulties when I am writing English.

Journal 10 ( May 24 ~ 30 )

News about a physically-challenged woman

Aimee Mullins, a woman whose legs are amputated, has been a Paralympics track star. Besides, she has another vocation – model. Being a Model? Could it be true? For most of people, it is almost unbelievable that one whose legs are amputated becomes a model.

However, the report also mentions that artificial legs are multifunctional nowadays. When Mullins was a Paralympics track star, she wore special artificial legs that can help her run fast. On the other hand, when she showed up at a fashion party, she wore thin and long artificial legs to make her a bombshell (a very attractive woman) in the spotlight. Mullins’s redefinition of physical disability surprises me, too. For her, artificial legs are used not only for walking; they can be stylish fashion accessories. Just like various contact lenses and eyeglasses that make people charming, artificial legs also have the similar functions.

This news changes my stereotype of artificial legs. I cannot help but admire the change brought by the amazing technology. Just as Mullins says, “she’s at the beginning of the end of that period when people who are missing natural limbs or have some other physical issue are automatically considered disabled.” Without doubt, technology changes people’s imagination and attitude toward the physically-challenged.


Zijing Art Exhibition

This was the first time I attended art exhibition this year. I had a fantastic experience this time. My friend, Joyce and I discussed various kinds of artistic works, sharing with each other the imagination, explanations and feelings of each work. Though it took us two hours to appreciate most of the exhibits, I still enjoyed the moment that I appreciated artistic exhibits with a bosom friend’s company.

The most interesting thing when we were at the exhibition was that sometimes we had different interpretations of the exhibits. Of course, some explanations make us laugh, so we did not feel bored at all within the precious two hours.

Finding a friend who has the same interest or taste as mine is not easy. Moreover, a patient, considerate friend is usually hard to find. Joyce is very patient whenever I ask her for help or invite her to join the activities. I am so fortunate to have Joyce as my good friend. Thank you so much, Joyce. ：）

Journal 09 ( May 17 ~ 23 )

I feel that I am entirely immersed in art! I attended an art exhibition and an art lecture recently. Among a wide variety of works in the exhibition, “Installation art” and “Pottery of owls” impressed me most.

As to the art lecture, the lecturer, who is an art director of Golden Bough Theatre, showed his passion for art and his love for Taiwan. While many brands and corporations in Taiwan try hard to go international, the purpose of Golden Bough Theatre is to spread “seeds of art” throughout this island, Taiwan. The way this art director spread “seeds of art” is to share with people in Taiwan several plays performed by Golden Bough Theatre. For instance, Golden Bough Theatre was here (CCU) on tour last semester.

All plays performed by Golden Bough Theatre are expressed in Taiwanese. Certainly, the themes of plays revolve mainly with historical events in Taiwan. That is, they are local plays, which easily make a close connection between the performers and the audience. The play I watched last year was absolutely hilarious. Just as director Wang said, “Watch a play happily, and bring back happiness.” Indeed, I felt delighted and relaxed after the performance. (This is my first time to watch a live Taiwanese play.) What a fabulous play!

Most people do not stick to their dreams and give up realizing them at length. After the art lecture, I admired director Wang’s great dreams and actions. As a proverb goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” director Wang is definitely a role model for all the dream seekers. Also, there is another important concept: “Apply art to daily life.” Actually, people are always surrounded by various kinds of art, but they do not or do not want to pay attention to art.

Appreciating art is a relief for me. Art do add spices to my life. ：）


I feel a sense of happiness and satisfaction since I learn something every day recently.
Sometimes I learn something about psychology by reading inspirational books.
That is an effective way to help me grow in mental.
Also, I am grateful to people around me for helping me release my pressure lately.
Thank you so much!

Smile ：）


Picture: http://blog.roodo.com/woodland_school/archives/9738899.html


More information about Golden Bough Theatre:
http://www.goldenbough.com.tw/

Journal 08 ( May 10 ~ 16 )

May 11

Lady Nai-nai（貴婦奈奈）, a psychological counselor and a popular blog writer, came to our university to deliver a speech. The topic of her speech is “Communicating with love.” Actually, I have become a fan of her for around two years. I appreciate her articles about various themes and her straightforward writing style. Therefore, I seize the opportunity to attend this live speech, hoping to learn more from her address.

She started her speech with two thought-provoking stories: The Missing Piece and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O. What a coincidence! (These books are her favorites and mine too.) But, she interpreted these stories in a different angle. She associated the stories with “love”. For instance, from her interpretation of the stories, the process of searching for the missing piece is like that one is in search of his or her Miss Right or Mr. Right. I agree with her brilliant explanation of the stories. As she said, these two stories can be interpreted in several ways.

During her speech, she created some psychological games to interact with the audience. Through the games, the audience can find the differences of communication skills between women and men. Besides, she also recommended some great books, which may help the audience change their minds when encountering difficulties. I can’t wait to read those books. Ha~ ^^


May 13

I attended an activity held by Tzu Chi Collegiate Student Association at Chung Cheng University. People who attended this activity had vegetarian dinner.

“Go green, go vegetarian!” has become a hot slogan in recent years.

My parents have become vegetarians for over 20 years, but they do not order me to be a vegetarian. In fact, I usually have vegetarian meals at home, so sometimes I dislike the smells of meat.

The purpose of this activity reminds me of the importance of being a vegetarian. Therefore, I will try my best not to eat meat and have a healthy diet in my daily life. ：）Keep sticking to this concept of health!

Go veg! ：）





More information about 貴婦奈奈
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/abig99

Journal 07 ( May 3 ~ 9 )

May 4 (Tue)

I went to the library with Jean, one of my classmates. To collect information for our report, we searched for several kinds of picture books written and drawn by different artists. In addition to those masters’ works, we also found some books familiar, which we had read in our childhood. At that moment, we read those picture books as if we were back to our sweet childhood. We enjoyed those books so much and even borrowed many from the library. I think reading picture books can help me get rid of worries and enliven my life. Picture books are like a candy house. When I am reading those books, I am so delighted as if I taste sweets. Thus, reading picture books when I am upset is a great relief. It seems that I am captivated by picture books. Ha~



May 5 (Wed)

I haven’t seen a dance performance since last year. This Wednesday, a dance show “Speed” performed by “Horse”, a male dance group, amazed me. At the beginning of the show, a dancer rode a bike and then other dancers appeared. To my utter astonishment, dancers started to perform by “folding papers”. They were so creative that they could express efficiently and clearly by “folding papers”. That is really a brilliant idea! Besides, some exaggerative dramatic effects were added to the performance. The audience could follow the performers or the plot easily.

I think “dance” is a combination of concrete and abstract things. Concrete elements include performers’ movements, gestures, facial expressions and body language. Abstract things, on the other hand, mean something that performers want to express, which is always not easy to understand or imagine. As far as this dance show “Speed” is concerned, I appreciate the way the dancers performed, which was straightforward and hilarious at times. Finally, I think it would be better if the plot of the second part of the show is arranged vividly.



May 9 (Sun)

Mother's Day ：）




More information:

"Horse"
http://horse.org.tw/

Journal 06 ( Apr 26 ~ May 2 )

An extensive area of paddy field and pleasant climate refreshed my mind in the beginning of the trip. After passing some stations, the station crowded with people – Tainan, is the destination of this one-day cultural trip.

National Museum of Taiwan Literature
The combination of brick red and white correspond to the historical value of this museum. Gorgeous appearance, unique interior design and abundant exhibitions make the museum a hot tourist attraction.

To appreciate Taiwan literature, visitors can do it by seeing, listening and even “playing”. For instance, when I touched a certain part of the poem of buffalo, the buffalo, which is composed of words, would move. What an intriguing design!

When it comes to the development of Taiwanese culture, old TV, turntable, and so on cannot be ignored since they are symbols of an era. However, something has existed for several years… Are you familiar with this special shape?


This is a game that I usually played in my childhood.
I like this lovely design.
It adds different Taiwanese nursery rhymes to each square. Ha~ it’s so cute!











Another interesting exploration is The Exhibition of Taiwan & Japan Exlibris.
Exlibrics [Latin word] is a label identifying the owner of a book in which it is pasted.
I found those exlibris creative and they are full of artistic value.
Then, after seeing a video teaching people how to make exlibrics,
I got a chance to make a simple one. See! This is my exlibrics ↓



If I have spare time and useful tools, I hope I can make an elaborate exlibris and pasted it in my favorite book. ：）







I also visited other ancient architectures with Tina, Joyce and our private tour guide, Sandy.
We spent an agreeable day together. I considerably appreciate this ancient cultural city.
Finally, I hope I can visit other must-see scenic spots in Tainan and taste local delicacies next time.


More information:

The poem of buffalo
→ Click different parts of the buffalo,
something interesting will happen~
http://dig.nmtl.gov.tw/literature/02land/land_01.php

National Museum of Taiwan Literature
http://dig.nmtl.gov.tw/literature/index.php

A report of Exlibris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6XUQCmn1HA

The Image of the Four Seasons

This Tuesday, I attended a special concert – The Image of the Four Seasons. This is a campus & community tour (2010) of Taiwan Artists Ensemble. Two unique elements make the concert fascinating. One is that the conductor’s vivid exposition of “The Four Seasons” (composed by Antonio Vivaldi) is easy for the audience to follow and understand. In this way, the audience have deeper understanding of this great violin concerto instead of being a listener only. Through the conductor’s clear introduction, I find that the images which the composer tries to express become straightforward. The other element is that “digital art” is adopted, which adds different colors in the tour concert.

I enjoyed the pleasant moment when I listened to “The Four Seasons”. If I have an opportunity to go to such a wonderful concert, I will attend it without hesitation. ：）

Journal 05 ( Apr 5 ~ 11 )

I have read many books that teach me how to learn English well. Most of the authors share their “positive” experiences with readers. It seems that their ideas or their learning modes are perfect, but actually, putting those successful learning approaches into practice is not an easy job.

A book, written by an outstanding female supervisor, arises my curiosity and interest. When I read this book, I find that the way the author share her experience of learning English is surprisingly intriguing. Straightforward writing style and hilarious illustrations make her book captivating.

Perhaps, I tend to learn in the way that I learned when I was a high school student. Therefore, I virtually forget two key points: “passion of learning” and “learning in the simplest way”.

1. Passion of learning

The author of this book became passionate about English after she attended the university. She has full passion and she knows how to learn in an effective and efficient way. For instance, in English conversation class, she sharpened her oral skills by imitating and memorizing each sentence that the teacher said. (Remarkably similar to “parrot”~) In a nutshell, she is always well-prepared and full of passion.

2. Learning in the simplest way

Well goes a saying, “Many a little makes a mickle.” (Many small amounts accumulate to make a large amount.) If you really want to enhance your English proficiency, you should not be too eager to “swallow” extensive vocabulary, grammar or other English information in a short period of time. Sometimes, memorizing new words, correct usage and great essays on a regular basis always work. If you do not make it a rule to learn regularly, you will be lazy and then give up soon.

Before I read this book, I assumed that the more precise the content of a book is, the more useful it is. In truth, without perseverance and full patience, it is hard for common learners to acquire all the information from a thick, but not necessarily efficient book. The author suggests that we can choose the thinnest book when we learn English grammar since the thickest book does not equal the best reference.

After reading this book, I learn a lot from this book and “meet” a friend. The author is like a friend who loves English and is willing to share her successful experience selflessly with me. Thanks for her sharing.

Journal 04 ( Mar 29 ~ Apr 4 )

The topics of the lectures that I attended in recent weeks included “Language Learning”, “Novel and Cuisine” (Mar 23), and “The Combination of Poems and Songs” (Mar 24), etc. This Thursday (Apr 1), Yu Huei Liao, a renowned Taiwanese writer and professor, came to deliver a speech in the performance hall in Chung Chang University.

Professor Liao shared with the audience abundant stories in a humorous manner. I admired her well-developed speaking skills and her unique humor. When she mentioned a story, she emphasized some parts exaggeratedly, which made the audience hold their sides with laughter. However, she told one of the stories in a warm and soft tone, which moved the audience to tears.

During the lecture, I learned that the best material of writing can be collected easily in one’s life anytime and anywhere. She strongly encouraged us to write down our true feelings since she knew that students tend to make up stories when they are writing. In addition, I was impressed by the stories she recited to us. She told us that change of color, object and weather and so on in a story would imply some special or implicit meanings. And those elements of writing let readers think and feel. She said that these essential elements of writing are “the essence of literature”. Therefore, if a story is written without these elements of writing, that story will be classified as “a story” instead of “a literary work”.

My afterthought: I do not have a habit of recording daily events regularly since I usually take daily events for granted. Actually, “feeling” of those events is the most important and valuable element of writing. Also, I think I should not put great pressure on myself when I am writing. Instead, I am supposed to enjoy the moment I record my colorful life. In this way, I can express my feeling better and better my seemingly monotonous life. Let’s enjoy writing! ：）

Journal 03 ( Mar 22 ~ 28 )

I am a movie lover. When I was a senior high school student, I joined the “Movie appreciation club”. In addition, I took a course, “Movie appreciation and review” during the second year of my senior high school life. The latter is more challenging than the former. I learn to think deeply and try to express my afterthought and review about movies in class. That is a great way to learn from movies and develop my critical thinking of movies.

Even though I have seen various movies since then, it’s a pity that I never attend any film festival. Taipei Film Festival, for example, takes place every year, but I never attend that grand film festival. However, to my utter astonishment, Zijing Film Festival is held in Chung Cheng University. Except seeing movies, the main purpose of this film festival is to give “love and help” to people in need. This is quite different from other film festivals.

During this film festival, I saw five movies.

1. EX (舊愛喜歡你) ★★★★ 2010.3.18
This movie mainly talks about six couples’ love stories. They have complicated feelings and react differently when they encounter their ex-lovers. Besides, many hilarious elements are included in the movie. In a word, this is a warm but amusing comedy.

2. Mia and the Migou (米芽米咕人) ★★★★ 2010.3.21
An adventure of Mother Nature happens in this fairy tale. But the moral of this movie is to remind people of the importance of environmental protection.

I love the brand-new drawing style, the marvelous plot and the way this movie presents. The director let people be aware of a serious issue--protection of the earth by this intriguing story. That is a brilliant idea!

3. HACHI (忠犬小八) ★★★★★ 2010.3.21
This movie is based on a true story. Hachi is a Japanese Hakita dog, which is found by a professor at a train station. Every day, at a certain moment, Hachi goes to the train station and awaits its owner. Unfortunately, one day its owner passed away. Hachi is loyal and it still waits for its owner as usual on a daily basis until it died.

I was moved to tears when I watched this movie. I admire Hachi’s loyalty and the attitude towards responsibility. Hachi is so fabulous!

4. School Days with a Pig (和豬豬一起上課的日子) ★★★★★ 2010.3.22
A teacher in elementary school wants to teach students an important issue “Life” (the ability to breathe, grow, reproduce, etc. which people, animals and plants have before they die) by keeping a pig. Initially, his plan is that his students eat the pig after the pig grows up. However, his students establish friendly relationship with the pig soon and they are caught in a dilemma: eat the pig or not.

The pig in this movie is so lovely, which is beyond my imagination. Actually, “Life” is very hard to teach, define and understand. I think this movie is really thought-provoking.

5. Bangkok Traffic Love Story (我愛捷運男) ★★★★★ 2010.3.26
This is a Thai romance. A normal girl encounters an attractive young man. Some exhilarating things happen when they are dating. This movie successfully combines special transportation in Bangkok with a unique Thai funny expression. In this way, the audience can have a brief understanding of Thai culture and enjoy this love story.


Thanks to Zijing Film Festival, I have an opportunity to see several movies from different countries. Also, the purpose of “philanthropy” is positive. All in all, this is a film festival full of love and care.

Journal 02 ( Mar 15 ~ 21 )

What occurs to you when it comes to a common color “green”? Plants, frogs, or even environmental protection could be direct or indirect association with “green”. But have you heard about “Saint Patrick's Day”? “Saint Patrick's Day”, held on 17 March, is an important Irish festival. People usually wear shamrocks or clothes with shamrock-inspired designs in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Annual parades take place in some countries, like the U.S., England, Australia, etc.

On 17 March, 2010, my classmates Jane, Jean, Tina and I went to attend the activity about St. Patrick’s Day, which was hosted by one of professors in our department. Aside from understanding the introduction to this festival, we also tried on hilarious hats and took some photographs. That was really intriguing!

By the way, before I attended the activity, my understanding of Irish culture was merely its world-famous tap dance “Feet of Flames”. The dance and the background music of “Feet of Flames” are both impressive and unique. Every time I watch the videos regarding Irish tap dance, I enjoy the atmosphere and appreciate this one-of-a-kind music style.

Back to St. Patrick’s Day, I am fully interested in the symbol of this festival “shamrock”, so I search for more information about it. To my surprise, “shamrock” is the emblem of Ireland. Shamrocks occasionally have leaves with four leaflets rather than the usual three. These four-leaf shamrocks are considered “lucky”.

Last week, I was in search of my “missing piece”. Perhaps, it is time for me to look for “four-leaf shamrocks”. If I find a four-leaf shamrock, I hope I can explore various new things (books, movies, extracurricular activities, etc.) in this brand-new semester. If not, that’s okay; I will do my best to make me a lucky girl. ：）


Wish people around me good luck!


Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.



Here is a great video about history of St. Patrick’s Day.
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/videos#history-of-st-patricks-day

This is a cartoon about St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCB5QhHVJA&feature=fvst

Shamrock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock

Journal 01 ( Mar 8 ~ 14 )

To prepare for “Storytelling contest” (English listening and speaking), I read some children’s storybooks and chose the most inspiring one. I love “The Missing Piece” most. This story is written by Shel Silverstein.

“The Missing Piece” mainly talks about “imperfection” and “perfection”. An incomplete “O” was in search of its missing piece. During the process, it could stop to talk to a worm or smell a flower because it rolled slowly. In fact, that was the best time of all. Then, it encountered many difficulties and found the pieces that were not suitable for it. Finally, it became a perfect “O”, but it did not feel happier. The reason was that it lost opportunities of appreciating wonderful things around itself after it became perfect. It decided to set down the piece and learned to enjoy its “imperfect” life.

I have further thoughts after I read this seemingly simple but thought-provoking story. People tend to pursue what they lack and try hard to be perfect. Actually, I am no exception. I always think that I should be more positive and diligent. Sometimes, I am delighted when I achieve my goal. But I think that is temporary success, and I start to search for my missing piece again. Just like the story, I lose many chances to take a look at notable things and seldom enjoy the simplicity of life.

This story reminds me that “Always pursuing perfection is not the best choice in one’s life.” Why do I say so? I think “incompleteness” is the power for me to learn and live. If I am too complete or perfect, I would not know what to do next and lead an aimless life. Therefore, I am fortunate that I am imperfect, and I have opportunities to love, to appreciate and to cherish what I have already had. After all, “Happiness lies in contentment.”



Thought-provoking sayings:

“Discontent is the first step in progress.”
“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were big things.”


Extra information:

1.“The Missing Piece”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=744JBwjrlKk&feature=related

2.“The Missing Piece Meets the Big O”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmZ2jrQooE&feature=related

3. More information about Shel Silverstein
http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

Weekly Task 14 - Happy Ending

Ｑ１：How do you like the weekly writing prompts? Are they interesting or boring? Inspirational or weird? Are they related to your life? Can you suggest anything better and give some examples?

　　1) 　I enjoy this blogging activity. This project is generally “free” ( we students have to check the newest task and finish it on time instead of passive learning ), but actually, the teacher offers us an opportunity to learn various things by writing blogs and also makes us self-disciplined.

　　2) 　The designed tasks are interesting, inspirational and thought-provoking. Most of the weekly tasks are related to students; thus, I think the assigned topics make it easier for students to reflect on their thoughts. For me, those questions exercise my brain and gradually enhance my critical thinking. Although some tasks are challenging, like “strawberry generation” and “self evaluation”, I try hard to think deeply and write down meaningful reflections as possible as I can.

　　3) 　The design of two to four questions every week is appropriate. Additionally, I suggest that diversifying the subjects could be better. For instance, an international important event, a renowned figure, a new invention, a musician, an artist, etc could be subjects of tasks.


Ｑ２：Do you like the two-way online discussion with your key pal? Or do you think we should have more people (like 3~4 students) form a group blog to exchange ideas? Why or why not?

　　　One of the advantages of the two-way online discussion is that it is easier for one to contact the other and remind him or her of carrying out the tasks. On the other hand, if one always discuss with his or her partner, it would be difficult for students to see one thing from different perspectives. From my standpoint, I think a group should at most include 3 students. Too much people in a group would reduce efficiency. However, students can make a comment on any blog at will to interact with others. That is also a way to learn.


Ｑ３：Have you encountered any difficulties during the semester when using blogs to discuss with your key pal, e.g., computer problems or anything?

　　　Generally speaking, I think interacting with my key pal seldom troubles me because she tells me why she responds to me late and later, she posts her comments as soon as possible. Sometimes, we chat online, and thus we become familiar with each other. I believe that the friendship between my key pal and me will become increasingly stable.


Ｑ４：How do you like the project website? Are they friendly enough? Have we left out any important content? How do you like the layout/design?

　　　The design of the project website is creative and user-friendly. So far, I find that content is abundant and nothing is left out. Moreover, I prefer stylish and well-designed things, like the arrangement of the project website, which attracts my attention. Marvelous!


Ｑ５：What have you gained from this blog activity?
　　　
　　　I see and reflect on various topics that I have never noticed or paid attention to.

　　　In fact, I benefits considerably from this blog activity:

(1) I learn to be studious, punctual and self-disciplined.

(2) I learn to understand my key pal as well as my classmates’ opinions and thoughts on the blogs.

(3) I learn numerous new words and usage after reading others’ compositions and comments.

(4) I learn how to interact with my key pal online, maintain our friendship,and learn many from her responses and her great insight.

(5) I learn to cultivate a positive attitude toward learning English and become more confident instead of always being afraid of writing English essays.


Ｑ６：If you had an opportunity to start over, would you have done anything differently? If so, how?

　　　First, I hope I could change my learning mode into English mode as possible as I can. Furthermore, I want to apply some writing approaches or principles (e.g. point-by point method & five-paragraph essay) to my compositions to make them well-organized and easily understood.
　　　
　　　If I had an opportunity to start over, I would spend more time on word choice, grammar and originality. Also, I have to think quickly and express my ideas clearly and precisely when writing English compositions. All in all, I think my works left much to be desired and I am always willing to improve my English proficiency.　　

　　　Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my tutor and my key pal. The tutor creates a wonderful space for us to learn English by exchanging our ideas and reflections. Besides, both this long-term blogging activity and the mode of peer learning are innovative. In conclusion, I really enjoy this writing project!

Weekly Task 13 - Reflection

1. Please offer your suggestions as how we can grade your performance better.　

My suggestions:

1) Turning in the assignments on time: assessing whether one is self-disciplined and responsible.

2) Interacting with the key pal: assessing the process of sharing different opinions and perspectives with each other.

3) Whether the contents are to the point or connect to weekly topics: to make sure that students meet the teacher’s expectations—Quality is better than quantity.

4) The accuracy of word choice and English grammar: to have a good command of English is an important requirement for students who major in English.


2. Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to yourself and explain how you’ve earned it.

According to the criteria I suggested above, I give myself 8 points.

1) I make it a rule to finish the assignments and turn in them on time every week.

2) My key pal and I have a nice interaction, but sometimes we reply to each other late. I think we have already noticed this problem and we are willing to improve it.

3) In general, my composition and key pal’s responses connect to weekly topics.

Sometimes, we have deeper insight and discuss some interesting things. I love to read and express different opinions on the blog with my key pal.

4) In terms of word choice and grammar, when I am confused about some words or phrases, I immediately look them up in dictionaries to learn or review the usage. Even so, there are still many problems in my compositions. Hope teachers can point out my downside and I will rethink and revise my compositions. Thank you!


3. Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to your partner and explain how she has earned it.

According to the criteria I suggested above, I give my key pal 8 points.

She often replies to my articles in a short time. Moreover, she reads my articles and topics carefully; thus, her comments usually connect to the subjects. After reading her comments, I find some unfamiliar terms and I also see different perspectives. For me, this is a good way of learning. Great! ：）

Weekly Task 11 - Learning Activities

1. Based on your preference, what kind of classroom activity do you like most and which one do you like the least?

　　I prefer activities which are concerning “watching”. Sometimes, it is relaxing and refreshing to learn by watching related videos, movies, etc. On the other hand, I am not good at communicating with others and voicing my opinions; thus, I like “discussion” the least.

2. Can you recall some very fun activity you experienced recently in class? Please describe it.

　　Last month, Dr. Gina gave our class a task in the computer classroom: choosing a funny video and cooperating with group members to create intriguing lines which correspond to the video. Through this activity, I first learned how to operate the software “Movie Maker”. Although it is not easy to finish the task, I really enjoyed this fun activity.

3. When encountering some kind of difficult knowledge, do you have any strategies to process it?
　　
　　First, I usually try to find out my problems of learning, including my attitude toward learning and methods of learning. Then, I ask teachers and classmates for help. Moreover, some reference books help me a lot when I have difficulties understanding and absorbing new information.

4. Based on your responses to Q1, Q2, and Q3, can you tell the type of learner you are? Why?

　　Sometimes, I think I am studious. I usually spare no effort to perfect all the assignments, although the results or the scores are not necessarily good or excellent as I expect. I think I will keep improving my drawbacks and maintain a positive attitude.

Weekly Task 10 - Self Evaluation & Peer Review

1。 From 1~10 (with 10 as the highest score), how well are you two doing?
Please grade yourselves and give a suggestive score.
　
2。How and why did you two decide the score?

3。What kind of improvement are you two making in the remaining weeks of the semester?

　　My key pal and I decide to give ourselves 7.
　　The score is based on good interaction, communication styles, writing styles and different viewpoints.　

Evaluation

1. Advantages of our pair work:
　　a. Good interaction
　　b. Responding to each other’s thoughts regularly
　　c. Expressing similar or different opinions properly

2. Disadvantages of our pair work:
　　a. Times of discussion are not enough
　　b. Sometimes, we reply to each other late

　　We think we can search for related information and share it with each other on the blog. Moreover, we should notice the time limit of each task. All in all, in the long run, we should improve our writing quality as well as quantity. We believe that we will do a better job in the remaining weeks of this semester.

Weekly Task 9 - The Strawberry Generation

Weekly Task 9

1. What do you think about this stigma? 　　

　　For me, it is interesting to understand the origin and different meanings of “the strawberry generation” as time goes by from the essay. From the author’s perspective, she mentions that “the strawberry generation” not merely exists in youngster’s generation, but other generations as well. I cannot agree with her more. In my opinion, what kinds of traits some people have cannot represent the whole generation. More specifically, it is unfair for those who have characteristics that differ from the stereotype to be labeled “the strawberry generation.” Therefore, viewing someone as “the strawberry” by his or her year of birth is inappropriate.

2. Does the description match your self-identity or -realization?
　If not, offer a counter claim.

　　Frankly speaking, sometimes I am egoistic. Although I seldom consider group interest my top priority, I have no intention of damaging the interests of others. As for the aspect of material living, I don’t want to follow the trend blindly; therefore, I live a life without too much temptation. Moreover, I have seen several pieces of news regarding a hot issue: highly-educated people take jobs that require few professional skills. So far, I have no idea about this condition. Perhaps, there is something wrong with our labor market and even the whole society.

　　When it comes to the ability of resisting great pressure and frustration tolerance, I think these mental conditions vary from person to person. As for me, I usually find ways to overcome the difficulties, consider failure a stepping stone to success, seldom giving up halfway. Thus, I don’t want to be called “the strawberry generation” owing to such reasons. Last but not least, we young people should strive to redefine the meaning of our generation or “the strawberry generation” instead of being mocked or looked down on.

Weekly Task 6 - Making Mistakes

Weekly Task 6


1. How do you usually look at your mistakes?

　　I usually take my mistakes very seriously. To tell the truth, I want to be a perfectionist since I think finishing what I have to do and doing a good job are my responsibilities. Moreover, I usually feel a sense of achievement and relief after accomplishing my goals. However, there is a disadvantage of being perfect: I do not dare to try new things or what I am not good at because being afraid of making mistakes.

2. How do you define mistakes?

　　“We all make mistakes.” I think this saying is true at times, but it can be an excuse as well. As a student, it is not uncommon for me to make mistakes in my studies. Take an experience of Show-and-Tell for example. I made every effort to prepare, trying to feel comfortable on the platform since I believe “Practice makes perfect.”

　　Nevertheless, the audience found that I was nervous, lacking confidence. Actually, those comments are my drawbacks and also my mistakes. Therefore, my definition of mistakes is that I do something wrong and I do not try my best to avoid putting a foot wrong. Last but not least, a great attitude toward mistakes is that people should learn from mistakes and not be careless or absurd next time.

3. After listening to Prof. Pausch, do you still see mistakes in the same way?

　　Prof. Pausch’s speech is thought-provoking, which helps me see mistakes from another angle. A quotation from his speech is impressive: “Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us how badly we want things.” I usually feel depressed when failing to attain my objectives, but I never give up. In my opinion, if I cannot overcome difficulties, I will not have a chance to challenge myself and prove that I can succeed. To sum up, never give up whenever you encounter difficulties.

Running Race

Weekly Task 5 - Collaborative Learning

Weekly Task 5

1. Can you explain what this picture is showing about collaborative learning (or group learning)?
　　
　　This picture shows a complete process of group communication: a group should think deeply first, collect others’ deliberation; crystallize the outcome of group discussion, and make an assessment. I think a group of people can share their inner thoughts with others by effective communication. Also, people will omit irrelevant ideas or change their mind after group discussion.

2. What is your favorite part of this type of learning?
　　
　　“Learning through reflection” is my favorite part because I usually lack various ideas. Therefore, I will take others’ opinions for reference and come up with another idea by following this step.

3. What would be the part that usually bothers you when working with others?

　　“Generating multiple perspectives” is the most difficult part for me. The reason why I choose this part is that I often think about a topic in the first person. If I can do a good job on this part, it will help me see one thing in several different aspects.

4. Give an example from your personal experience and elaborate on it.

　　In the past few weeks, each group in our class was asked to write an essay and revise it twice. My learning buddy and I learned a lot from each other’s writing style and peer editing. I saw her work in the second person; thus, my perspective may differ from her notion. When I got confused about some sentences of my buddy’s composition, I tried to guess, and then ask her if my thoughts corresponded to hers. In the final part of our discussion, we pointed out the problems respectively and made a meaningful assessment as possible as we can. I am unsure that whether our process and the outcome of this communication are proper. Maybe our discussion will get better and better after accumulating abundant experiences of group talk. All in all, I consider it good to have a complete and deep talk with my buddy on this assignment.