Welcome to ENG100!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Class will be cancelled the week of August 26th-30th. Class will officially begin on September 3rd.
- Please get a GMAIL ACCOUNT. Your UH email will not work. If you don't have a gmail email address, click HERE to get one! Once you have a gmail email address, email it to me at jaimie.gusman@gmail.com. I will send a blog "invite" to your gmail account. Accept the invite. Now you will be able to access the blog. I will close the blog to the public on SUNDAY SEPT 1, so please do this ASAP.
HOMEWORK: Because class will be cancelled the first week, please complete the following:
1. Familiarize yourself with the blog and syllabus.
2. Write a blog post: Write a brief essay outlining your personal goals for this course.
Your essay should be about 500 words that address the following questions: (1) What does the word "composition" signify to you?, (2) How does "composition" enter your everyday life?, (3) What are you writing strengths?, (4) What are your writing weaknesses?, and (4) What is your favorite kind of composition and why?
Do your absolute best on this first assignment. It's a great way to set goals for yourself, but also let me know your organizational skills, grammar level, understanding of sentence structure, and maturity of thought.
You will post this essay in the "comments" section of this blog post (click the "___comments" link to leave a comment - it's to the left of the pencil icon). You can copy and paste from Microsoft Word or type directly in the comments box, but know that formatting is limited. If you have any questions, please contact me or your mentor, Lisa, via email.
DUE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th at MIDNIGHT.
Pono Tokioka
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
Composition Writing: Writing in the World
27 August 2013
According to the Dictionary, composition defines “the acts of creating written works.” This term, to me, signifies the creative writing of diverse topics. It allows you to write any topics you want and be very creative. For example, if you want to talk about sports then you should expand more about it and use your creative and detailed information. I also see composition as music related. It is when the artist composes many different songs. It is very similar to my signification of this term because you can always be very creative by writing many different topics. Also, you can be free and write as many as you can think of. Composition is most likely to be writing an essay about any topic.
Composition has entered my everyday life in many ways. For example, while I am texting to a girl who I really like, I would write a long paragraph and talk about random things. Random things make you to be creative and try to hook her. Or sometimes you can write a long love letter to surprise her. Another example, I have been in the newspaper numerous of times and the reporter would ask me to write a biography about myself and my issue or success. There are many ways I have used composition in my everyday life. Sometimes it could be really fun and sometimes it doesn’t.
My writing strengths are organizing the ideas into different paragraphs. I am well-organized person and I like to keep in order of things to be very clear and understandable. I also like to use some sources and cite into my writing. It would be easier for me because I can use more facts and explain or expand it. I am not a strong writer because English wasn’t my first language and I am profoundly deaf. However, reading really helps a lot with the language and writing.
My deafness has developed the disadvantages and weaknesses. When I was growing up as a deaf person, I demanded the speech therapy sessions a lot and practice pronouncing the words 10 times harder than anyone else. My writing skills are slowing improving every year. Still yet, I have a lot of weaknesses. For example, I have hard time with grammar and think of better vocabularies. I also struggled with starting the essay like I can’t think of words that can hook the reader drastically. On the other hand, I am really looking for a lot of improvements and become the best writer as I can from your class.
Letter writing is my favorite kind of composition because I can be very free and write anything I want. I know what to talk about and I always love to surprise people especially girls with sweet, love letters. I also enjoy writing an essay about a topic that I know really well. For example, I love to play golf so I could write as many information as I know about this sport. It is really fun to educate people about a topic that you know very well and try to get them interested into it.
In conclusion, composition can be used in many different ways. It allows you to write any topics you want and be very creative. My writing strengths aren’t that great but I am looking forward to a lot of improvements. I also would love to learn how to hook the reader into my topic of writing. Writing isn’t my favorite thing to do but I do understand how important it is to communicate with everyone effectively.
So glad you figured out how to post :)
DeleteIt was really wonderful to read about your personal experience with composition, not only as a written form of communication, but also as symbolic of the process of communication. Thank you for sharing this. Your example, "I demanded the speech therapy sessions a lot and practice pronouncing the words 10 times harder than anyone else" really speaks to how the act of writing and speaking is so much more than the product. Looking forward to meeting you in class & working with your strengths and on your weaknesses! Good start!
hey you're awesome!
DeleteJennings Franciskovic
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
Composition
28 August 2013
You Should Know Me
Composition can be defined as an act of writing down thoughts to achieve a certain goal. It is a very broad subject, so trying to generalize its meaning can be very difficult. To me, composition is one of the most important aspects in cultural advancement. With composition or writing down thoughts, information and knowledge can easily be shared, documented, and preserved. This ultimately leads to a more advanced culture and society. Composition for example is the reason that most history was passed down. Without it, people would not know about some of the most important information in America and other countries. Almost every aspect of information in modern time is written down and thus composition.
So, to elaborate on that thought, composition is able to enter our everyday lives through the passing down of information and in any other forms of writing. In school, everything is written down. Instructions and class information are all written on paper. So, the base of all knowledge comes from composition. It can be seen in textbooks, handouts, websites, and any other form of writing. People are always writing in society now. People text everyday. Texting is writing down thoughts, so, in my opinion it is the most common form of composition in today’s age. Another popular time that composition is found everyday is within education systems. Almost everything done in school has composition as the major focus. Assignments are written out, information is documented, and notes are taken through writing. Composition dominates learning. So, it is easy to conclude that everybody uses composition in one way or another everyday.
I believe that my writing strengths revolve around my logic and thought processes. When I get a strong idea of what I want to say, I am able to strongly put forward my ideas. Words come easy to me. I am able to clearly express my thoughts and am able to organize them in a away that is easy to understand. When doing so, I feel that another one of my strengths is my understanding of rhetoric. So, the style of my writing is thoughtful.
My weaknesses appear when I loose my trains of thought and then to ramble on the same topic for multiple sentences that are not needed. I then tend to repeat my thoughts in different wording. I feel like these weaknesses come because I think too much on the topic and try to put all of my thoughts onto the paper.
My favorite type of composition is when I am able to reflect on a piece or when I am able to respond to a prompt. I feel like in these pieces, my strengths in writing are able to materialize. In these styles of composition, I like being able to put all of my thoughts together and to really think deeply about some sort of other composition. I like being able to respond and to reflect on complicated questions. When doing so, I feel like I am able to try and contemplate serious question and push myself to learn new things. That has to be my favorite part about composition; the ability to share, document, and preserve knowledge.
Hi Jennings,
DeleteYou have very interesting thoughts on composition and I can actually see what you identify as your strengths and weaknesses in this writing sample! It's wonderful to have that kind of self-awareness and know who you are as a writer and your personal writing process. I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation about composition, culture, and knowledge!
Best,
Jaimie
Michael Echavia
ReplyDelete28 August 2013
Ms. Gusman
Composition Writing
When I think of the word “composition” a specific meaning comes to my mind: Trying to get your point across through written words. A composition can be as short as a brief poem or even as long as novel. Regardless if the piece of writing is persuasive, informative, or creative, the author always tries to get their point across.
Composition is not limited to only written word, I believe that it also includes conversation and discussions. I have excelled in speaking in conditions that others may describe as “uncomfortable” or “frightening”. Staying composed while speaking with a baseball coach about recruiting. It was vital that I stay compose and think on the spot while I was negotiating the terms of my future not only as an athlete but as a student as well. My ability to stay calm and think and act under pressure was what graced me with the opportunity to study and earn a degree while playing in one of the most prestigious athletic conferences in the conference.
Every day I come across different forms of composition. When I wake up in the morning before I go to class, I enjoy reading the local news and world news either in the newspaper or through the Internet. While these articles do not have a complex storyline, the author gets their point across with insightful descriptions of the events that took place. Another form of composition that comes into daily life is texting. I usually text using short and “to-the-point” messages. If I send messages that are too long, the point that I am trying to get across is usually lost and everything gets confusing.
I like to write about my passions. I find it easy to write about topics that I can connect with and have prior experience about. For example, I like writing about baseball because I play baseball here at UH. Another strength in writing that I have is that I am able to be simple and understandable. I tend to stay on topic and don’t rant about irrelevant information.
Although my writing is simple and short it puts on a damper when I try to expand on a topic or creative writing. I feel as if I am not able to make my essays interesting and descriptive. My vocabulary could use help as well. It would allow me to expand on topics, leading to a better essay.
My favorite type of composition is informative essays and articles like the ones in newspapers. I took a journalism class in high school and enjoyed writing about events that happened around school. The best part of writing newspaper articles is getting to interview the people that relate to the topic.
The word “composition” is more than long novels and essays. Everything that expresses the author’s point of view is considered a composition. I am looking forward to improving my writing skills.
Hi Michael! You have a great habit of giving very specific examples - which is FANTASTIC. Sometimes that's a very difficult thing for students to do. Thank you for sharing them! I did notice you have some grammar to work on, but that's an easy fix :) I hope to learn something about baseball during our semester together, maybe in an expository essay? Good start!
DeleteMegan Iwanaga
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
ENG 100
29 August 2013
I believe that composition is an important skill that most people practice everyday while communicating with one another. Composition is putting together your own words and thoughts to form a type of story that can be comprehended by others. I would consider a story to be anything and everything from sharing your day at school with your family around the dinner table, to writing a fifteen-page research paper. To me, because composition is used so often in everyday life, it is one of the most common forms of art. Art is a form of expression, as is every sentence that you speak. Every one of your sentences shares something unique about you with others. My favorite type of composition would definitely be creative writing. I love to make up stories and characters, and I love that pretty much anything goes. In creative composition, you get to choose the theme, the style, and the overall purpose of your piece; I find it a lot easier than having to write about a topic that you were assigned.
I always have a lot on my mind and I tend to overthink pretty much everything. I think that this trait of mine, though it may sound a bit negative, will most often play to my strengths when it comes to composition because I will always have an idea to write about. However, sometimes, when I have the most bizarre questions or ideas, I hesitate to share or ask about them. I am always afraid that I am too focused on one element that I see, and I am directly missing a bigger picture that everyone else sees. I am never one to quickly share my thoughts or opinions when physically speaking with others because I feel that I do not always make sense. One could only imagine, that since I am lacking in confidence when it comes to simply saying what is on my mind, how much I struggle when it comes to getting my words on to paper. I believe that my biggest obstacle throughout this course will definitely be my lack of confidence.
Ultimately, I have two simple goals that I hope to achieve this semester. First, I would like to reach a level of confidence in which I am able to share my thoughts through written word. And second, I hope to improve my grammar and vocabulary. I am always putting commas where they shouldn’t be, and lacking them where they are most necessary. I also tend to write with informal speech patterns, which is not usually appropriate for written assignments. I had an excellent English teacher in high school, and she has helped me to significantly improve my writing skills, but I know that I still have a lot of room for improvement. I am definitely looking forward to all of the challenges that this course will present. Finally, my overall goal at this university is to earn a degree in elementary education. Attaining excellent writing skills has become important to me because when I become a teacher I will need to teach by example.
Hi Megan,
DeleteIt's really interesting to me how you discuss "composition" as "story." I think it's wonderful that your interests lie in creative writing (I myself am a creative writer!), and I hope I will get to see some of that kind of work from you during the semester. Over-thinking has its positives and negatives in composition - you can definitely use it to your advantage when it comes to composition (and your future in Elementary Education)! Looking forward to working on your confidence and overall writing skills!
ReplyDeleteMarc Vela
8/29/13
Composition is the act of combining words together to form a whole, according to the dictionary. To compose would be a way to describe what people do. For me, I compose thoughts in the classroom and on the baseball field. I am a pitcher on the baseball team here at University of Hawaii at Manoa and composition is key to success on and off the baseball field. On the field, composing is key because it is what enables me to think through and make the correct decisions while I play baseball. For example, I recognize which pitches hitters like to hit and by composing this information it allows me to throw other pitches in other locations to get the hitters out. Being composed on the field allows me to stay together as a whole instead of my mind being all over the place making me an unsuccessful pitcher. Composition in the classroom is extremely important. Having your thoughts composed allows you to completely understand a topic. Much like a grading system, the more your thoughts are composed the better you will do on tests and the better you will do in class. In everyday life composition is what enables people to have conversations. Conversations in person, through text or email, or on the phone require a person to compose their thoughts so they can answer a question or react to a statement. Composition is my way of staying in contact with everyone; everyone including students, teachers, coaches, and family. Everybody uses composition every day whether we realize it not, especially in sports.
To start, I do not have a lot of writing strengths unfortunately. But one writing strength I have is free/quick writing. Free/quick writes for me are a way to get away from normal English class curriculum such as grammar and reading novels. English is definitely not my strongest subject unfortunately so free/quick writing is a way for me to focus in English class. My writing weaknesses are writing long papers in general. Between book reports to 3 page papers come as a challenge for me because I usually run out of things to say on a topic and then I usually lose focus when I’m out of things to say and just try to finish it. Because I don’t read a lot my grammar is not the best either when I write. I’m also a bad speller for the same reason. Luckily I try to work hard in all my classes.
My favorite type of composition would have to be exposition or description. Both types of composition are interesting to me because there are so many different ways you can describe someone or something. There are so many different choice of words you can use and that there is no wrong answer because it is the writer’s opinion. The writer has the power to set the tone for whatever is being exposed. The writer can portray something as beautiful or ugly just by changing one word in the sentence.
This is a great start Marc! I really like how you use the comparison between baseball and composition to explain your thinking on the subject. We will cover all the bases, so to speak, in this class, which will hopefully make you feel more confident in your writing STRENGTHS! Looking forward to working with you!
DeleteWhen someone says the word composition, to me, I instantly think of a structure that is in a broken up into a whole bunch of little pieces that you need to put back together. Composition can be described in many ways though, throughout Art, English, or even in Science. However, either way it is all related is some sort of way. To me, it signifies a formation, a structure of life. In English though, it means putting different part of sentences together and creating a sentence structure. Once you have even a short, brief sentence, that is known as the structure and you are ready to go from there. After you have the structural part of the sentence or even the paragraph structure, you can go back in to those and start adding detail, spicing up the structure, making the structure as strong as it could be. These sentences can be put into different patterns and depending on where you put words, it can have a different meaning in different parts of the structure. Composition can be shown all around the world where ever one may go; they will always see some piece of composition. It can simply be shown while walking through an art gallery, every piece of painting or sculpture has started out with some sort of composition. Another type of composition you see in life every day is science. When you travel the world, you will go to various diverse places that have different composition. It could be the regions climate, the different types of soil, or biological compositions. Some of the writing strengths that I feel as if I possess would have to be information. I know how to fill my writing pieces with lots of informative, persuasive, details to really get the reader’s attention. It has never been a problem for my essays to be too short, most of the time I always have to slim them down. English and writing has always been one of my favorite classes to take in high school, so I am definitely looking forward to this class. Not only am I looking forward to this class just because I like the subject, but also I know that I do have some weaknesses in my writing and I am very interested in trying to improve my skills and downfalls. As one of my teachers used to say, there is always more room for improvement! With that being said, one of my weaknesses would have to be organization in my writing. Just like I said, I have all these great ideas, but when it comes to putting them into a structure, it always turns out messy and that is what I am hoping to learn most in the class. The type of composition I enjoy the most is characterization. I love writing and being able to relate to a character or be able to put lots of crazy detail into ones description. There is many more types, but that would happen to be my favorite.
ReplyDeleteYou have set some great goals and seem to have a keen sense of self-awareness regarding your strengths and weaknesses! I look forward to helping you organize, edit, and improve your overall writing skills. It's true, composition is everywhere! Being observant is the first step towards creating!
DeleteBrianna Cui
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
ENG 100
30 August 2013
The act of creating
The word composition has multiple definitions, ask a hundred people and you will get a hundred different answers. To me, composition signifies creation. Whether it be the composition of music, literature or art something is always being created. True composition has multiple elements, you can’t just paint a piece of paper red and call it art. Composition involves different mediums, feelings, and thoughts all being combined into one piece. The key part of composition is to let your mind wander and create something.
Composition enters my life daily. I often don’t recognize its presence because I am so use to it already. The most obvious time that composition enters my life is through school. When I’m writing a paper or creating a poster, I work to combine different elements into one final piece. Composition is present in my life through less noticeable ways. When I meet someone new, I carefully piece my words together to give off a certain presence. If it’s a professor I combine my words to show a polite and intriguing student. If it’s a new friend my words come together to show a fun and nice girl. Composition will always be present in my life because it helps create the person I am.
As a writer I would say my greatest strength is my ability to articulate my point. Whether it be a short story or an analysis, I find it easy to make my writing flow. I like being able to put my voice into my writing, giving it a personal touch. I have always enjoyed english because writing feels very natural to me. Whenever I write a sentence, I often end up re-wording it multiple times until it sounds right in my head. At the end of an essay, I always read it out loud because it truly bothers me if it doesn’t flow. My weakness would have to be grammar and punctuation. I focus so much on the content of my writing that I overlook things such as commas or passive voice. These mistakes can seem miniscule but in the long run they hinder the overall quality of my writing. I often forget simple rules and guidelines so I don’t notice the mistakes in my writing. It is important for me to review these rules consistently so I can see spot my own errors.
My favorite type of composition would have to be informative or persuasive essays. I like when writing has a key point to it. I’m not the most creative person so I like being able to rely on facts and information. Though it may not seem like the most interesting type of composition, I find it very interesting to add depth to a simple fact. Our words have such a huge impact, one sentence can alter a thought completely. I also enjoy writing about personal experiences or relatable experiences. I find it very therapeutic to put my feelings down because it gets them out in the open. I believe every person enjoys some form of composition, they just have to find what’s right for them.
Oh I agree! Writing can be very therapeutic, but even in personal writing, grammar has the ability to change meaning, so it's good you want to work on that! I really like what you say about composition, which indicates that composition is an art, which can be learned, but is also hard work! I am looking forward to hearing more from you!
DeleteDevin Duran
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
Composition 201
30 August 2013
“Composition”
“Composition” is the act of “composing” or “putting together” written words in an organized format. To me writing is about communication and expression. Composing written words to form any type of literature ranging from a fiction novel to an informative article. “Composition” is used and found daily in newspapers, magazines, and even social media outlets such as twitter. Besides verbal communication, composition is the most affective form of communicating. As a communications major, I view this course on composition as an outlet for me to strengthen my writing, thus improving my means of communication.
Composition is the easiest way to achieve mass communication. With today’s technology, society can log on their computers or cell phones and be constantly updated on the news around the world for that day. One can also achieve mass communication through composition by using Facebook updates and twitter posts.Even in a text message, the composition of the message affects the emotion and purpose of the message being sent. These quick and personalized messages can be used for expression, asking questions, and announcements.
In High School, I had teacher that commented that I wrote “in my blood.” It took me a day (and some discussion) to realize what he meant by that. I am a very emotion based writer. I write about my passions and beliefs, and I like doing so in a descriptive, poetic way. I truly view language arts as an art form. I see writing as a form of expression, and composition as a tool used to communicate that expression. I have the strength of communicating my opinions and beliefs but my weakness in going into detail and support in the logical sense. My hope for my enrollment in this class is that I learn how to more affectively organize my thoughts. Spelling and grammar are also not my strong points.
My two favorite forms of composition are poetry and letters. In general I am a visual person and learner, so I enjoy and appreciate how poems are able to paint a picture in my head. And I love letter writing in a “helpless romantic” sense. As a typical girl letters just are one of my favorite forms of composition. It’s a way for me to express directly to others how I feel about them. Plus I tend to have an easier time writing when it is on a topic that I have a love or passion for. Writing letters and poems come naturally to me because its personal expression and I have the freedom to convey my feelings.
I’m really looking forward to this class because english has always been one of my favorite subjects. Composition is so widely found and used. Without expression and communication found in composition it would be close to impossible to keep in touch with the world we live in today. Composition is all about communication, and with out communication we as human beings can not advance in spectrum in life.
As you can imagine, I am very happy English is one of your favorite subjects! And as a Communications major, writing is very important! I look forward to helping you reach your goals. I also love poetry and letters - there is so much we can learn from language!
DeleteJason Lum
ReplyDeleteMs.Gusman
ENG 100
31 August,2013
For my first assignment in my Composition class, I am asked what the word “composition” signifies to me. When I think about the word “composition”, the word “compose” comes to mind. When someone composes something, they are putting things together to form a composition. The only usages of the word “composition” that I immediately know of pertains to musical composers and writers. Musical composers arrange notes to compose music and writers synthesize their compositions by putting together words. This overuse of the word “composition” should not represent what it signifies to me because through the course of my work on this essay, I have reflected on its relationship and significance with me.
When I gave more thought about composition, I realize it does not merely limit itself to only works of music or literature; it can encompass many aspects of our daily lives. We are enjoying the composition of others. I mentioned how you put things together when you compose. Those “things” can apply to anything. Just a few days ago, I enjoyed Subways’ composition in the form of a sandwich composed of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Of course compositions are not strictly utilitarian as they can be a way for one to express oneself. A composition can be a person’s means of conveying their ideas. That is why people make art, write novels, score music, and make breathtaking structures.
When I think about my ability to compose writing, I can list a few problems that I may have with it. Firstly, it takes me a significant amount of time to formulate my ideas. I like to think things through and try to consider all the different approaches to the problem. I dislike timed essays for that reason. I also have difficulty writing my first paragraph. I find myself spending the most time on it as it sets the tone for the essay and outlines the ideas that will be discussed. I try to avoid following the basic structure of having a topic sentence followed by a couple of sentences and a thesis, but I sometimes find myself following that route when time is not on my side. I admire those who can write amazing essays with a solid introduction.
I prefer to read essays that are clever or try to prove a point because I enjoy being amazed. I really admire those that have fantastic ideas or ways or conveying them and those that have great command over the English language. By reading those essays, I try to learn how to better my writing skills and develop more sophisticated styles.
By working on this composition of mine, I looked into my abilities to compose as well as the types of composition I liked. I also redefined my perspective on the word “composition”. It is not merely writing works of literature and in a broader sense, it pertains to every aspect of everyday life where one exerts oneself to transform an idea to a form that can be experienced by others.
Good job - I can already see where your strengths (transitions, organization, style) are in writing, and some of your weaknesses (I sense some wordiness) and I look forward to helping you with your writing goals! I really appreciate how you identify composition not only in writing, but as part of everyday life!
DeleteMy goal for this course is to improve my writing skills in every way possible. As an aspiring leader in the Hawaiian community, I feel that it is very important to be able to compose literary pieces to express my ideas and opinions on a particular topic. Composition to me is much more than composing literary pieces, its the ability to come up with your own ideas or opinions. Composition signifies the ability to compose an original idea, piece, art, etc. Composition plays a big part in my life because as an aspiring leader in the Hawaiian community I am always trying to compose news ideas that can push the Lāhui ‘O Hawai‘i forward. I also compose my own haku mele, and ai ha‘a. Being original is something that I try to strive for. Being able to come up with your own ideas or trends shows that you are a leader. I am the type of person that likes to start my own trend because it shows who I really am, and it shows that I am not trying to be a part of a crowd. Composition can also be coming up with a Facebook Status, Instagram Photo, or even a Tweet. Compositions should be something that is unique to a specific individual. My strengths in writing is that I am able to put my ideas and thoughts on paper. I have no problem with translating what I am thinking onto a piece of paper. The struggles that I have with writing is that my grammar is not very strong and I tend to write to much and I am not able to consolidate my ideas. My favorite kind of composition is in Hawaiian music. The Hawaiian language is such a beautiful language and when composed for a certain person or event, it comes out very beautiful. Another type of composition that I like is in Hula because to me as a Kanaka Maoli being able to compose your own motions and lyrics to a hula shows your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteMy goals for this course are to better my reading and writing skills. My SAT scores show that I need some improvement in reading and writing and I am determined to be better. In high school, I didn’t challenge myself much in English class but I hope to challenge myself a lot more in this course.
ReplyDeleteThere are many different definitions of composition out there, but to me, the word composition means the combining of different parts to make up a whole. Also when I hear the word composition I think about music and math. I think about the composition of music because I was in band for four years of my life and I love music. Music can help me calm down when I am frustrated or it can pump me up before a soccer game. I think about math because it was my main strength in school and I am an accounting major. You hear composition a lot when you take math.
One example of composition entering my life is putting together my fan that is located in my dorm room. My fan came in a box and was in 8 pieces and I had to put it all together in order to have it function. Another example would be in band. I have never composed a music piece but a teacher of mine did and we played the piece in one of our concerts. The way composition enters my life the most is through texting.
I think my writing strength is that I can usually write a short essay on the spot if I am given a topic. In the eighth grade, I took a writing class. Every day of class we would start off with 15 minutes of just writing about a topic the teacher gave us. Therefore I had a really easy time with the essay writing portion of the SAT. One major writing weakness is that my writing is boring and I think readers lose interest. Also it takes me a really long time and I have a much harder time if I have to write a longer essay like several pages. For Senior Project this past year, we had to write a 6 page essay and it took me awhile to complete it. So if we have any long essays due this year, it will take me awhile to complete but I will try my best to put my best effort into it. Also if I cannot write a short essay if I have to make up the topic. I can’t ever think of a topic to write about. Books are my favorite type of composition. I love to read as long as what I am reading interests me. People always complain about reading and they think I’m weird because I enjoy it.
It's so good to hear that you like to read, which isn't weird, by the way! I look forward helping you find a writing process that works for you when it comes to longer essays - this is something that varies form person to person...it just takes practice!
DeleteWinnie Markowitz
ReplyDeleteGusman
ENG 100
3 Sept, 2013
To me the word composition means to make something. Not just using words to make a sentence but also notes to make music and a paintbrush is used to make a masterpiece. In high school I primarily used the term “composition” in a musical sense. I was expected to compose musical arrangements.
Composition is in everything I do, I can compose a sentence verbally, through symbols and through text. When anything is created, the process of composition is entered. I also believe that every time I put my own ideas or flare into a project, it includes composition. Something as simple as water molecules are composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.
I am not too sure what my writing strengths are, but I keep a journal and enjoy writing my feelings and opinions in it daily. Journaling allows me to write without the limitations that class assignments provide. Journaling allows me to also track my writing improvements. For example I can read journal entries I’ve written in the 7th grade and compare it to my writing now. My writing has definitely improved since middle school.
I have many weaknesses that I try to assess and work on. Many times I run out of material to write about, many of my compositions are minimal. For example, right now as I am writing this essay I can only write main ideas, and I slowly force myself to add more content.
My favorite type of composition is the composition of food. I love to cook and create my own type of dishes. I may not be the best cook but I like to experiment with different ingredients and to add in a little bit of me. I like the composition of food because I appreciate the new flavors that can be produced through the mixture of new spices and ingredients.
Composition can be found everywhere, in the air we breathe, food and even the messages we communicate.
Winnie - you had a very "meta" moment in this essay, which signaled to me that you are thinking about the process of writing as you are trying to produce the writing...sometimes over-thinking the process can keep you from letting your mind meander, thus creating content. You can always edit out. Sometimes it's harder to build. Looking forward to working with you!
DeleteAustin Brandon
ReplyDeleteGusman
Eng 100
3, September 2013
Composition, eight different letters put together to make an eleven letter word that can be defined as what its components create. C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N when separated, it is just a random set of vowels and consonants, but when put together there is a whole new meaning. Composition is a bunch of different variables put together to create something bigger than itself. Composition is everywhere you just have to know how it applies in everyday life not just writing.
One of the main ways composition applies in my life is through religion. The Bible, church, music, actions, it all makes up the strive to be a Godly Christian Man. Every single piece of the effect the ending outcome or persona. If you did not act as a Christian like you say you are then how can you be portrayed as one even if you do have the rest. It all goes together to create an end product.
Unfortunately, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses in writing. One of my strengths is my introductions, when given a topic, for some reason I have the ability to portray my words in a way that catches peoples attention. Because of my strength in introductions, it has become my favorite part of an essay to write. Sadly this is where my weakness comes in, I tend to focus on a good introduction then get bored and loose concentration when it comes to the rest of the essay. I have been working on my weakness but when I do not have a topic where I can go and get quotes and sources it becomes very hard.
The composition of surfing a wave is by far the most beautiful composition there is. When you see the set coming in over the horizon something kicks in and all you can think is this is my wave. As it creeps up it all depends on your paddling. Is it a left? Is it a right? Is this local going to want to fight me for going for it? You're thoughts race until the moment you take that drop and carve into that wave like it was designed for you. From pulling out to wiping out the composition of that wave just paints an awestruck image even after the fact. The Perfect Wave is The Perfect Composition.
It sounds like your most creative moments happen at the beginning of an essay - sustaining that creativity throughout the essay is definitely a good goal for Composition class!! I really like you compare (and see the beauty in) composition as it relates to a wave. Nice start.
DeleteAccording to the Webster Dictionary the term composition is defined as the way something is composed or arranged. I personally think this is an extremely broad definition, but that is partly because the word composition is an extremely broad. When most people think of composition, they probably think of a writing, but composition is found in one’s everyday life. For me everything from my surfing to my meal choice has “composition”. For example the composition of my breakfast is dependent on what I want to eat in the morning. I may be in the mood for just having a banana for breakfast, or I may be extremely hungry and go to Ihop for breakfast, and a meal from Ihop is going to have a very different composition from a meal that simply consists of a banana. For me personally when I think of composition I really think of bodyboarding, which is by far my favorite thing to do in life. Every wave I catch has a different composition. Some waves decide to barrel, where some waves simply just offer a carvable shoulder, and sadly some waves just close out. The composition of my surfing is then based on the composition of the wave. For example, if the wave is going to barrel then I most likely am just going to go for the barrel, where if the wave is going to throw a closeout section then I am most likely going to go for an air, and if the wave just provides an open shoulder then I am going to most likely going to go for a cutback reverse combo. Sorry for boring you with all this surfing terminology, but I was just trying to illustrate how the composition of my surfing relies on the composition of the wave, which then relies on the composition of the mood that I am in. If I have a bunch of energy I am going to probably going to go for a lot more tricks, where as if I am feeling lazy I am probably just going to cruse on the wave.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely say my greatest strength in writing would be my ability to think of interesting ideas to write about. My love for bodyboarding and the ocean really becomes clear in my writing. Last year in my physics class I almost brought every physics paper I wrote back to the ideas of wave mechanics and fluid tension, which is because I am able to relate to these ideas through my love for the ocean. This idea of basing what you write about on what you love really stems from the idea composition. Since my personality and interests are composed of my love for the ocean and surfing, I am able to translate that passion into what I write about. Probably my biggest weakness in writing is staying on topic, and branching into writing about my random thoughts (as you can probably tell by now). I think I have this problem because I have a lot of ideas, but it is extremely hard for me to concentrate on only one idea at a time.
Overall composition is simply just how something is arranged. Composition can literally be applied to everything in life. Personally my favorite type of composition is the composition involved in my bodyboarding. I think its amazing how every single wave has a slightly different composition, which then effects the composition of how I ride the wave.
I really admire your passion for the ocean and ocean related sports! I think it's great that this passion makes it into your writing. The movement of language has some interesting overlap with the movement of water, bodies, and those two together. I loo forward to helping you integrate those ideas into papers where the topics seem unrelated--it will be a great challenge!
DeleteTo me, composition is any instance where multiple objects or ideas are brought together to form a cohesive way of conveying a thought, idea, or emotion. I believe that composition is a way to interact with the world around us. Composition affects everything that we do in our lives, from how we dress ourselves each day to how we communicate with others, or even how we act around each other. Everything that we do is a composition of our emotions, information, and our beings. My strengths in writing are grammar and conciseness. My weaknesses in writing are my inability to expand and flesh out my writing and carrying a clear thought for long papers. My favorite compositions are musical compositions because it combines elements of stories, poems, song and emotion all into a single form.
ReplyDeleteHi Eric - I can really see this "inability to expand" in this essay! The self-awareness is commendable, and I look forward to hep you get from main ideas to more specific examples!
DeleteComposition is something that is put together. I am composed of bones, skin, organs etc. A pencil is composed of plastic or wood, with graphite. It can also be used to describe a musical piece, a visual art, a piece of writing, anything. It is more of a concept than a noun. I like to look at is as though, it's a creative insight that comes from personal genius. It stems from the mind. It has infinite outcomes, until one creates the perfect image in their head and something is made. Mistakes happen, sure, but it's not just the outcome but the process. The process of brainstorming from one's self. Their connection with their thoughts. How the brain can take multiple ideas and grasp a concept; grasp a concept that somebody else can look at, hear, or feel and understand what was being portrayed. I also believe composition can describe a way of life. It proves that different geographic areas provide for different elements of composition in a person. It gives them social norms, diet, apparel, and even the color of their skin. Different religions compose people. Religion itself has evolved and been interpreted into different compositions. I believe composition is omnipresent. Everything has been composed, but what's important to me is my composition and what has made me who I am today. My family, my friends, my teachers, my heritage, my hometown, my religion, my animals, my hair dresser, my experiences. On a daily basis I become more composed solely by living. The sun makes my skin darker, my hair lighter. My back pack makes my shoulders sore. I believe every little experience affects my composition, my whole self.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm really good at planning an essay. My teacher freshman and junior year taught me how to do that well. I'm good at thinking outside of the box. I like to give different perspectives, and I love for people to understand my thoughts. But I'm not aways good at making my point clear in essays. I need better sentence structure, and I need to broaden my vocabulary. Sometimes I repeat myself in essays too. Music is my favorite composition. I am a music lover and a frequent music festival goer, and it is by far my favorite. I love different genres and how they bring me to come into different moods. Music also causes me to visualize and relive different memories. It brings me bliss and that's why I love it so much.
I really love how you begin your essay. You have a very "personal" way of approaching your reader, which can be a really great way to connect with your audience. I do fine that you need to focus on transitioning from one idea to another :) I look forward to helping you achieve the goals you've set out for yourself!
DeleteMy father is a musician and middle school band teacher. So when asked what I think of composition, my immediate interpretation of the word relates to music. I am not simply talking about any general song or band, but about the different elements that make music what it is. Any piece of music begins with an idea, a feeling portrayed through notes, various dynamics, and lastly the instruments that make the sound we hear. I believe that all composition follows this same creative process. All writing begins with a concept, decorated with fancy (or not so fancy) words and sentences; these are the notes of writing. Furthermore, Syntax, diction, and figurative language are the crescendos, staccatos, and dynamic markings that turn a piece into something engaging. I have taken a different route from my father, and although I was once in band, I enjoy dancing much more. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had through dance was being able to teach at my dance studio back in my hometown. This gave me the opportunity to discover my passion for choreography. Choreographing is composition because it is creating something based on the choreographers thoughts and ideas. Many times the phrases I come up with follow lyrics or the mood of the melody to be a visual representation of the song. Much like music, dance encompasses so many elements such as expression and musicality. Strength and body awareness also play a huge part in successfully mastering this art. And whether I am creating a phrase of movement or writing an argumentative essay for class, I am composing a work.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of myself as a strong writer mostly because I can never successfully put my ideas on a piece of paper in a thorough essay. Sometimes I feel like too many thoughts rush incredibly fast through my mind that I can never process and interpret them. My sentences are wordy and confusing only because I want the reader to know everything I am feeling to the point where I go around in circles. And to top it all off, my spelling and grammar are nowhere near adequate. Even with my disorganized writing, I believe my greatest strength is the formation of ideas. I feel very passionate about whatever the topic is and my writing perspective definitely shows it. Through this class I hope I am able to learn the skills and techniques that I need to turn my ideas into pieces of art because my favorite compositions are ones sparked from the heart.
Raven Bellamy
ReplyDeleteMrs. Gusman
ENG 100
3 September 2013
Composition is defined as the transformation of thoughts or ideas into a written piece of work. Composition can be found in many aspects of life including music, poetry, literature, and even visual and performing art. Everyone has their own way of composing work, which adds to their own personal writing style. Composition has a presence in everyday life and is significant to what makes humans intelligent beings.
To me, composition is the way people express themselves in written word. Even in standard college type writing, a persons writing style is conveyed through the words they choose and the way they form sentences. A person’s unique composition style is especially noticeable in expressive and emotional forms of writing, because people. Composition is significant because without it, all works would be uniform and dull.
Because composition is such a broad, it can be applied to almost anything. From the way we do things routinely, to the way we run a country, composition covers all facets of daily life. For example, my morning procedure includes waking up at a certain time, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, getting dressed, and eating a granola bar. The order and way in which I do these events have certain significance and reason specific to me. On a daily basis, my own personal composition of how I do things is an expression of my personality, traits and emotions.
I like to think my writing strengths include the ability to really expand on topics and put my own thoughts into most of the work I do. In a lot of the papers I have written in the past, I tend to have a strong bias on how I feel about a certain subject. While I do tend to have a strong opinion towards topics, another strength I believe I have is willingness to stay open-minded. For example, if I am given a side in a debate paper, I am still able to write a convincing and persuasive piece and sometimes by the end of the paper, I have learned that my once biased view of a subject has changed. So in essence, my ability to see positives from both perspectives allows me to write more convincing papers.
Although I consider myself a strong writer, I have many flaws. I usually don’t have mechanical issues, but I do tend to use commas when I don’t need to. For whatever the reason, I add unnecessary commas without realizing it. Another weakness I have is forming a decent conclusion summary paragraph without too much repetition.
The type of composition I prefer the most is poetry. To me, poetry is the ultimate way of expressing emotions, from the actual words in the poem to its visual arrangement on paper. For instance, the poem “Paris; this April sunset completely utters” by E.E. Cummings, the poem describes the emotions Cummings had at his first glance of Paris, but in the second half of the poem expresses a deeper meaning as he started to see Paris for what it truly was. Not only is the poem emotionally appealing, but visually as well. He splits the poem into two halves, representing two different perspectives. Poetry can also be auditorily pleasing as well. Poetry can be pleasing to so many human senses, which is why it is my favorite form of composition.