Final Reflection

Ashley Baustert

Megan Keaton

ENG 112-12

2 May 2013

Final Reflection

            I have learned a lot in this class. I found out that I do wait till the last minute to do anything. I now know that is something I cannot do anymore in college. I found it hard to do some assignments because I did not understand what Megan wanted from us. What helped me the most though this class and with all my essays was the daybook Do’s and Don’ts.  

            One of the papers we did in class that I liked the most was the Exploratory Proposal. I liked this one the most because I felt like I understood this one the most. I also liked how we did the workshop for this paper. It helped me really get everything I needed to do. My group told me I had everything in my paper but it was not personal enough. I took that to heart and really looked over my paper and fixed the things I needed. Also when my group told me to fix these things they did it going through the do’s and don’ts list. I thought by them going through this list it really did not hurt my feelings and helped me at the same time. I really enjoyed my group and how much they helped me.

            Another paper I enjoyed and I thought the do’s and don’ts list helped me the most was the visual analysis. This paper was hard for me to write because I understood how to look at the picture and pick out what everything was, but it was really hurt for me to write it down on paper. My group went through the list and told me how to fix it. They taught me how to take it from the picture and make it a paper. Colleen really helped me on this. She talked me through it all. I thank her for that or I would still be lost today.

            I am glad that Megan got us to do the do’s and don’ts list. I think this really helped me through the year. I will take this list and us it for the rest of my life. I really am glad we did the blogs and it made me a better writer and got me to really take what someone says and use it. I never really like what someone would say about my writing before this class. I would almost never let anyone but my teachers read my papers before this class. Now I am going to get feedback from anyone and everyone I know to make sure I have the best paper I could.

            I have learned a lot throughout the year in this class and I am really glad I stayed and come to almost all the classes. I really did not like that I missed three classes in a row for this class because I feel like I did not get the feedback I needed for the paper I sent in that week. I know now that I am not going to go out of town for that long during the year. I am glad I had a great teacher like Megan. She taught me a lot this year that I know I will use later in life. 

Self-Assessment Reflection

1. My goals for this paper were to really think about what creativity really is and why it is important.
2. I use class time to really think and get all my things together so I could just sit down and write my paper. I also got my things out on my table and highlighted the quotes I was going to use.
3. I changed a lot of what I wrote the first time to something different so that I could better myself as a writer.
4. I had a lot of help from my peers and my family. They helped me fix what i needed to fix and help me with what i was not getting.
5. I learned that i just need to sit down and write it in one sitting, not to get up and do something different and come back. It never helped.
6. The hardest part of this paper was sitting down and focusing on it. I had the trouble of not sitting here writing my paper and do other things.
7. I think that i am the proudest of the beginning and the ending of this paper. I think i really understood these parts and worked really hard on it.
8. I think my paper needs improvement in the middle because I really did not understand the meaning of the paper till I talked to my peers and family.
9. I think what I will do not is really take what I have learned and put that into my writing.

Daybook Post 1

Do's and Don't for the workshop with our groups!!!

Annotated Bibliography, Argumentiave Paper, Visual Analysis Final Drafts

Annotated Bibliography

Argumentiave Paper

Visual Anaylsis

Workshop Reflection

1. Colleen: do the tolumin paper it will make more sense for what i was thinking
Emoni: Make sure I put a work cited page.
Lucien: make it long by making sure i have all my sources in the paper.
2. Colleen helping me with the tolumin paper and how to fix the two sides.
3. I did not have anything not helpful for this paper I think everyone helped me a lot to make sure that i understood this paper like i needed.
4. I plan to take what everyone said and make sure that i have two sides and a rebuttal to make my argument better in the end. I hope after i do all this to my paper then I will have my five pages and a great paper and a good argument for my topic.

Argumentiave paper

Ashley Baustert

Ms. Megan

Eng112-12

2 May 2013

Should they keep creativity in Schools?

Recently there has been a spate of interest in creativity in schools. Should it stay or should it go? Is the question people have been asking themselves? Having creativity in schools today is a big deal. Some schools are taking out related arts and not replacing the creativity in the core classes, so the students are losing their creative side. This paper gives you different ways of keeping creativity in schools if they take out related arts. In the paper I will first tell how creativity needs to stay in schools, and then I will talk about how to keep creativity in schools if the schools system takes out related arts. After that I will give points to both sides of the argument and see how they can come to an agreement.

“Creativity is not what the students are going to school for they are going to learn.”  (Untz) As Mrs. Untz says in the quote the students are not at school for the related arts but they give the students a break and let the mind wonder. I see there Mrs. Untz is coming from by saying this but you have to think about the whole picture. By having related arts in schools it does give the students a break from their core classes but it also lets the students see that there is not just Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. Most of the students that go to school love going to art or P.E. because art lets them do what they love and P.E. gives them the activity time they might not get at home.

Most people think that creativity in schools is only in related arts, but creativity is everywhere in schools. Education systems in some areas are taking out related arts and focusing more on the core classes, by doing this the students are only getting related arts once to twice a week. Wright says “While personality is a significant influencing factor in creative individuals, it also links closely to the areas of intelligence and knowledge.” (Wright pg.8) This can mean a lot to a parent or student by telling them that personality is part of creativity. I think that with you take out related arts than there needs to be some type of creativity in the core classes. For example the teacher could have games sat out for the students to take a break from sitting at a desk all day and learn a different way.

Some games the teachers could have out would be Bingo, Simon Says, Role Play. In bingo the teacher could have a math problem on the board and the students would have to find the answer and then see if they have it on their bingo sheet. This can take a break from learning the normal way and is a creative way to get the students involved with class. Simon Says is creative because the class would have to think of what to do. One student could be “Simon” and come up with moves to the subject they are in. Role Play is also another great game. This game is a great one to use in Reading or English, because you can have the students act out what they are reading or learning about. These are just some creative games that a teacher could do if the education system did take out related arts.

 Keeter did a comic book at her school. Keeter says "These people are simply not aware of the diversity and depth of graphic novels." (Keeter n.p.) This also could be a way that the teachers let the students have some fun but at the same time they are also learning. Keeter had a comic book at the whole school made up the words to and awarded the winners with candy. I think this could be a really great idea because what kid in school does not like candy.

As Keeter and her school have a comic book contest other schools are not even acting like taking related arts out of their schools are hurting them. Most parents are not aware of what is going on in the schools with creativity and related arts. The teachers are the ones that need to make sure that there is creativity in the school other than related arts so the parents and students do not have to."Teachers who understand that creativity combines both originality and task appropriateness, are in a better position to integrate student creativity into the everyday curriculum in ways that complement, rather than compete with, academic learning." Beghetto Kaufman writes. This is a great quote because it tells the reader that if the teachers care about creativity then the students will be better off in the long run.

I think by having both related arts and creativity in the core classes are great because the student does not have to just think about creativity in related arts. When Mrs. Untz said that “Creativity is a part of schools but maybe too big of a part and taking away from what the students are there to learn.” (Untz) I do not think Untz sees that creativity is everywhere not just in related arts. Untz Says that “the education systems are doing the students a favor by giving them more time to learn the big subjects.” I can see where Untz is coming from and why I think that if related arts are taken out then the students will get more time in the core classes. I believe that creativity is more than just in the related arts it is in mind itself. What I mean by that is that you have to be creative to do almost anything in the world today.

“Thinking styles are not abilities, but how individuals use their abilities and skills to learn and solve problems.” (Wright pg.9) This quote by Wright is going back to having games in class because it is the individual’s creativity to learn their skills and solve problems. I think this is true because when you have a group of students together not all of them will think the same way. They will have a different idea on how to do something. I have always liked to do a group with people because I learn different ways I would never think about. If the group is willing to give ideas to help the student learns they will do some much better. In the book The Arts, Young Children, and Learning by Susan Wright says creativity within you. I like this a lot because this is so true about me and I know more people.

I think that the education system needs to look at this problem and think of ways like I have to keep creativity alive in schools. If they look at this and fix the problem then the students will do better in the long run. The students will look farther into the arts once they are out of school or as a hobby and be happy that the schools had a little creativity so the creative mind did not die.

Toulmin Argument Dialogue

Ashley Baustert

Ms. Keaton

Eng 112-12

16 April 2013
Scene: I was going to San Antonio, Texas to see family when I got on the airplane and I overheard some people talking about creativity in schools and if we should keep it or focus more on core classes.

Meredith: Is you seat number 20D?

Marge: Yes I am. Are you seat number 20F?

Meredith: Yes I am. How are you this fine afternoon?

Marge: I am just fine! How are you today?

Meredith: I am good ready to be in San Antonio.

Marge: Is this your home?

Meredith: Yes, I have lived here my whole life. What about yourself?

Marge: I just moved there and love it.

Meredith: That’s good. What do you do for a living?

Marge: I am a school teacher!

Meredith: That’s really cool. There is a lot of debate on if we should keep related arts and creativity in schools or take it out. Do you think that creativity in schools should stay or be taken out?

Marge: I believe that creativity in schools is a big thing in today’s world. "Teachers who understand that creativity combines both originality and task appropriateness," Beghetto and Kaufman write, "are in a better position to integrate student creativity into the everyday curriculum in ways that complements, rather than compete with, academic learning."

Meredith: I agree with you I think that creativity should stay in schools to help the students learn a little better.

Marge: Yes, I think so also.

Susan: I overheard y’all talking about creativity in schools and if it should stay or be taken out of schools. I think that creativity in schools is a good thing because individuals use their abilities and skills to learn and solve problems.

Marge: Yes I think that having the individuals use creativity to learn and solve problems is great, but do you think this will help if we take related arts out that are mostly where the students get their creativity.

Susan: I think that having related arts in schools is great because it gives the students a break from learning Math, English, Social Studies, and Science.

Kayla: Sorry I just cannot help but over listen to this because I just got done student teaching and cannot help but disagree with that last statement. I was at a small school and they were taking out related arts and focusing more on the core classes. I think that related arts is taking up too much time and not letting the students learn what they are in school to learn.

Meredith: You are wrong creativity needs to be in schools because the students need a break from learning especially the younger ones. If it is not in related arts it needs to be added into the core classes.

Kayla: I think that would be a good idea but how would they do that in the core classes.

Amy: Sorry I was listening to what everyone was saying and could there not be a way to keep creativity in schools even if they do take related arts out. I think that if they take related arts are taken out there needs to be something in place of related arts in the core classes.

Ashley: The teachers could have some games like bingo, memory, or pass the ball (you do not talk tell you have the ball and whatever your right thumb lands on you tell the class why it is important) that would bring in the creativity to help the students learn and to give them a little break from just sitting there listening to the teacher talk.

Meredith: I think this is a great idea now we can hope the teachers will do this.

Marge: Yeah I think most will if they see creativity leaving the school.

Ashley: I think that creativity is needed and should not be taken out

Kayla: I just do not think that the teachers would like this idea. It is just too much work for the teacher to do.

Susan: I think that the teachers will just add it to the class everyday work.

Meredith: Susan I think that would work great.  

Amy: Yes I think creativity in needed in schools no matter what.

Marge: Yes I think this will be great!

Kayla: Well I do not think the teachers will.

Ashley: The teachers will see that the students are losing their creativity and need it somehow either in related arts or creativity in the core classes. Either one will work just fine. I think you just do not want to do the work to keep creativity in schools.

Amy: Maybe after related arts are taken out the teachers will see this is a problem and fix it. Hope y’all have a great time in Texas. It was nice meeting and talking to everyone.

Kayla: Well have a nice trip then.

Marge: Have a good trip guys.

Ashley: See y’all later bye

Meredith: Bye! Have a nice time here in Texas.

Susan: Bye Ashley I think this is great!