Hello Class,
Welcome to English 5! This is your class blog: The Mind's Eye 3. In this forum we will discuss theory and application as it relates to Critical Thinking. We will examine not only the Mayfield text, but also every day issues that affect us and the world we live in.
In this first post, please introduce yourselves. Tell us who you are, your experiences with writing, and your hobbies. Also make sure you respond to at least one other person in the forum. Engaging in dialogue is only way a discussion forum is effective.
Thanks,
Ms. Wanzo
89 comments:
Hi Class:
As your instructor, I thought it only appropriate that I share a little about myself first. I've been an instructor at Laney College for 5 years now. I enjoy teaching here and working with the students. You all have a zest for life and your experiences and knowledge make for a great classroom experience.
My earliest writing experiences were quite interesting. Writing has always come easy to me and I realized that in the 10th grade when I wrote a paper on Othello during my lunch period in 45 minutes. I thought for sure it was going to be a poor grade but I ended up getting an A. That was my epiphany. I couldn't help but think if I wrote an essay on a Shakespeare text and did well, imagine what I could have done with more time.
Although I did well and continued to perform well writing academic papers throughout high school and college. It was not until my grad school years that I really learned how to write. Learning the nuances of writing, including how critical thinking is related, strengthened my writing immensely.
This is what I hope to impart with you all this semester.
Ms. Wanzo
testing
Hello! My name is Chhienda Mao. I am extremely excited about being enrolled in English 5 this semester. This class will able me to write critically,meaning to think outside the box.In addition, I am taking this class because it is a requirement towards my major. I look forward to enable myself to become a better writer.
Hi everybody! My name is Yilin. I've been studied at Laney for almost 2 years and this is my last semester here. Hopefully, I can transfer to UC. I enrolled this class not only to fulfill my GE requirement but also to think critically. Writing, somehow, is also a big challenge for immigrants. As an immigrant from China, I wrote short paragraphs in my country to pass the English test. The first time I was told to write a four-page essay was in my writing 6 class and I used almost whole afternoon to finish it; finally I got C for my first essay. Although it was not a satisfied grade, it was a good try for me to start writing an essay.
Well, I am looking forward to pass this class sucessfully and also want to improve my writing skills.
Hello Chienda,
Welcome to the course! Thanks for being the first to respond. What are your previous writing experiences? Have you ever written argumentative essays?
Hello Yiin,
Welcome to the course! I'm glad that you are taking this class with the hopes of transferring to a UC. If you had to identify one area in writing you have trouble with, what would it be?
Good afternoon! My name is Peggy. This is my last semester at Laney College. I would like to transfer to Cal State East Bay afterward. I am here to improve my writing skills and the ability to express my thoughts. I first learned English in my home country, Hong Kong, but I did not learn grammar until I came to the United States. I like to write; however, I have difficulty in organizing my ideas sometimes. This frustrates me all the time. In my leisure, I like to watch movies. I hope I could improve my critical thinking skills through this class and earn a good grade.
I think the trouble I have is thinking deeply. While I am writing a paper, I have several points but it is always hard for me to explore how these points affect people or how people are persuaded by these points.
hello everyone! my name is Ke Yu. I have been studied at Laney college for almost 2 two years since I graduated from Skyline High School where I began my education in America as a immigrant from China. I thought for sure that my writing experience began at Laney as a ESL student . Instructors always teach students how to write a effective essay in five paragraphs in ESL classes. I enrolled at this class not only it fits my GE requirement but also it can provide me more knowledge in writing skill, such as to write and to think critically.
Even though writing is always hard for me, I am looking forward to strengthen my writing skills in this class and pass it successfully so that I can be well prepared for UC after this semester.
Hi! My name is Meuy Saechao and I am taking this course as a requirement for my GE. I hope to transfer to a UC soon where I will be continuing my education after Laney. As for english, I am not a good or a bad writer, but I would think that I am in between. I tend to have problems with organizing my ideas when writing essays. I hope that by the end of this course I can become a better writer and gain more skills to improve my english abilities.
Hello Yilin,
This is not an uncommon problem. So relax. One thing that you may want to try and one thing that we will go over is organizing your ideas in a formal outline. This helps. Have you ever used one before?
Ms. Wanzo
Did you mean write an thesis statement before start writing? I did this in my prior writing class.
Hello Class:
My name is Hong, but for your convenience, you may call me Thomas if you want. I have lived in the United States for approximately five years. After I graduated from high school, I decided to continue exploring my academic journey by attending community college. The various courses that Laney College offers enable me to satisfy my hunger of knowledge and achieve my educational goal. I am currently applying to several UC campuses as a transfer student. My intention of taking Critical Thinking is not only to fulfill one of the required classes for transfer students, but also to become well prepared for more advanced English courses in the future.
My passion of writing was piqued from a very young age. I always enjoyed the accomplishments when I successfully described something - mood, illustration, happening, etc - onto paper. As the result, fourteen years of writing experiences only in Chinese had resulted me with an unchanged and unique writing style. The introduction that the English has brought to me as a new language, however, overthrows my traditional consciousness about how writings can mostly be. Writing in English, for me, is both an opportunity to challenge my language skill and an alternative manner to write differently. I treasure every chance whenever I can write – even for the time I do an unsatisfactory job, I would still be willing to confront my weaknesses in order to continue improving my writing skill. My objective for this course is to have a more exciting writing experience by knowing how to be a critical writer.
I personally would like to maintain various kinds of hobbies in order to enrich my extracurricular life. Surfing Internet is probably the most time-consuming hobby I have ever had. I use the Internet to entertain myself, communicate with friends, and improve my knowledge base. Additionally, I am also very keen on reading books -- especially fiction and non-fiction novels. I love the feeling when I am unconsciously taken into the stories, and become emotionally influenced while reading the texts.
That is basically who I am, what experience I have for writing, and some daily hobbies. I look forward to knowing all of you, and having a nice experience with each of you during this course.
Hong Zhu (Thomas)
I understand that learning a new language will be difficult for an immigrant, because I am also a new immigrant who have exactly the same experience as what you describe. My primary obstacle is that I usually cannot literally express my ideas very well. When I write a specific essay, what I end up having on paper is sometimes different from what I originally think about. I feel it is necessary for me to better "visualize" my ideas into appropriate words, in order to become a stronger writer. My approach to that is to keep trying, practicing and improving while we are writing again and again.
Hello everyone. My name is Fan Wu. This is my second year at Laney. My major is chemical engineering. I hope that I can transfer to UC at the end of this semester.
To be honest, writing has always been a challenge for me. After I spent almost two days on my first English 1A essay, I knew that I was definitely not an English person. I always worry about the length and grammar of the essays. That really slows my writing down. However, since I realize English or writing is a basic tool in all kinds of study, I am so eager to improve it. That is the main reason that I’d like to take this class.
I’m a sports fan. Soccer is my favorite. However, it seems not very popular here. I can barely find any soccer games on TV. Fortunately, this is 2010, the year of FIFA world cup. I can’t wait to watch this exciting game again. In addition, I also like to play with my doggy, a five-month German shepherd. She is very cute and naughty.
Hello all:
I am Rui Mai, who is trying to add this class. I have been to the United States for about four years. During these four years,it was my hardest time for learning English. However, I enjoy learning English since I have many interesting experiences of learning and writing English.
One of my experiences I try to describe was my first English writing class at Laney College. I remembered that while my English writing teacher was asking me a question, one student laugh. I thought this student was laughing at my speaking since even the teacher didn’t understand what I was talking about. Since then, I was greatly encouraged to learn English. Finally, I have gotten an A in that writing class, and I have become good a friend with this student because I found out he was laughing for some other reasons, not me.
Even though I have had a good grade in my first basic writing class, my English skills is still poor. I have to take many English classes to continue to improve my English skills which including writing and critical thinking. I think this class will help me a lot in that way. Finally, I expect that I will have a good time with you all in this class and a good grade end up the class. ^@^
Besides school, I like to play and watch basketball. If any of you want to play basketball in free time, please let me know. I would like to play with you all.
Hi everybody:
My name is Shukun Li. You also can call me Rebecca. I have been in the United States for almost 2years. As I am one of the Chinese, I found that English is difficult for us.However, we can improve our English by speaking more and writing more. I want to learn more writing skills in this class. I would like to make more new friends because I thinke sharing your thinking with each other is a wonderful thing. That's the reason I like to make friends.
I hope we can be friends and we can know each other more.
Hi,Fan.
I really understand what you said English or writing is a basic tool in all kinds of study in the United States. I remembered that I got a D in my fist Math exam at Laney College even if that exam was all about basic Math. Because of my English skill, I did not understand well the questions. Therefore, I am with you. I am really eager to improve my English too. By the way, I am a sports fan too.
I have a very similar writing experience as yours. As you know, I’m also a new immigrant. In my early years of high school, I wrote essays based on my Chinese writing style. The grammar looked weird and, sometimes, very funny. However, as I practiced more and more, I became more familiar with writing in English. I may still have some hardness with writing, but I’m learning and improving. I think that is the most important thing.
Hello! My name is Cindy Ngo and this will be my third year studying at Laney. I am taking this class to fulfill my GE requirement and to gain better writing skills. I enjoy free writing which allows me to put all my thoughts on paper. However; I tend to have trouble with organizing my ideas when writing essays. By the end of this course, I hope to improve my critical thinking and writing skills. Besides school, I am at work. When I do have free time, I enjoy watching movies and Chinese dramas online.
Hello everyone in my class. My name is Jing Cai. Same as someone in this class, this is my last semester in Laney College. I have been the United States for four years, and I have been studied at Laney for almost 2 years. Like many immigrants here, I also have difficulties in writing. To me, I know it's very hard to write in a second language for immigrants. Because of this problem, I want to improve my skills of writing in English through this English 5 class.
Hi Ms. Wanzo,
My previous writing experiences include writing a compare and contrast essay on the topic of commercial and advertisement.
From my own remembrance, I believe that I have written about three or four argumentative (persuasive) essays.
Hello, Yilin! I have the same problems as you do. Sometimes, I could think of several points; however, I could not express my points clearly. As a result, the essays are not persuasive enough to the readers. I agree with the idea from Rebecca, sharing our thoughts could help to boost up the way to think.
Hi all, My name is Jane Mwangi and this is my final semester 'oping to transfer to a four year college for my major in Fall 2010.I would like to take this opportunity to thanks Ms Wanzo as she is the one who laid foundation for writing unto me starting from 201B and here come English 5.I'm so excited to be in this class not only to fulfil my requirement but also to improve my writing and thinking critically.My hobbies are reading, travelling,making new friends and I always spare some time to run 3miles for four days a week.I'm looking forward to interact with each and everyone, working together towards our goal.Sky is the limit.Let's go.
To Fan Wu,
Yikes chemical engineering sounds so tough. I also hope to transfer after this semester like you. Which UC did you apply to?
So you have a puppy! That is totally cool, I love dogs. Does it have big paws? Does it keep getting bigger and bigger? Where do you walk him or her? I would love to get a dog sometime in the near future.
I like soccer too but mostly I LOVE rugby. Who do you like in the World Cup?
Greetings,
My name is Pink Flaherty, I live in Vallejo, I have a boyfriend named Eric and a cat named Meech.
I like to write but I don't think I am that great at it. That is why I am here, to get better at it. I am pretty impressed with Ms. Wanzo so far, I like the no nonsense approach. I like that in her third paragraph she mentions the "nuances of writing" and follows that up with how she hopes to teach us those skills. I want to learn exactly that!
My hobbies are knitting and sewing. I think I knit more than I sew. I also really like to cook! Above all that is that I love to be outdoors! This past Sunday saw me hiking in the rain in Point Reyes. Eric went with me and we hiked 6.4 miles. We saw rabbits, birds and some salamanders. Though it was supposed to rain all day, it only just sprinkled at bit at the onset of the hike.
Warm regards,
Pink
Greetings everyone,
This is my 9th year at Laney I started attending during my sophmore year of highschool and I'm currently working on an A.A in Anthropology. My husband and I love to travel and with our current careers we get to do so quite often. We have two children, our 7 yr old son Angiel and our 5 yr old daughter Kaylia.
I'm the type of person you'll find always carrying around a journal. I like writing poetry and travel logs which I post on my blog www.walkourpath.blogspot.com
I can't think of anything else but feel free to ask.
I think I agree with Rebecca's points about learning English. however, speaking and writing in English is very different from in Chinese because when we write in English we have to aware the grammar and the sentences structure. But as we speak and write more in English, we can really improve our English skills.
I had almost 16 years of writing experiences in China. I still remember the format I wrote in China--always have quotation from another famous writer but without citations. The first time I wrote an English essay, vocabulary and grammar were two barriers for me. But I always try my best even if I cannot write an A paper.
I am very glad that you responded me because I though my writing was so browing. In face, it's not easy for us to learn English well;however, as time goes on, I believe we can speak fluent English and we can write English well enough. In fact, it's take a long time for us to know each other. Anyway, I am so glad we could make friends and we could know each other more.
Greetings classmates,my name is Racquel.I have been a student at Laney for just over two years.I will be graduating in May 2010.
I experienced my first excursion into college writing twenty years ago. My essay was a disaster filled with constant verb tense shifts, grammar errors, and incomplete sentences. Needless to say, my grade reflected the limited writing experience that I had.
Fortunately, my writing has improved dramatically within the last two years because of the various writing assignments, good instructors, my husband and my own tenacity.
For example, my Psychology instructor wanted to use my writing assignments as examples to show other students of what a properly written and APA formatted document looked like. Yes, I enjoyed those A's.
There were other positive experiences with other instructors using the MLA format. Guess what? Writing no longer frightens me.
Regarding hobbies, I enjoy cooking, working out, listening to various forms of music, walking around San Franisco, and dabbling in the nether world of Myspace.
Racquel to Thomas Zhu...
Hong, I enjoyed reading your post. Clearly, you have become adept in the English language. Your writing is very eloquent.
How long did it take for you to become fluent in English, both in writing and speaking?
I look forward to reading some more of your writing!
Hi everyone. My name is Phillip Hang and this is my second semester here at Laney. I'm looking forward to expand my current writing skills, being able to use it when I transfer. The reason why I'm at Laney is because I didn't get into the college of my choice, deciding I'll be better off transferring than going to UC Santa Cruz. For my writing experience, I toke AP Literature in high school and Ms. Wanzo last semester. Writing has always being a mundane subject for me, constantly repeating the same concept each time but in a different way. My difficulty with writing comes from writer's block. I tend to over-think, which lends me to put off an assignment for another day. I hope to overcome this by the end of the course.
Hello,
my name is Charline Bissey, and i'm from Africa. I'm very excited to take the English 5 course and also to know that i'm not the only foreigner in the class. My writing need alot of work and i entend to do so this is my last semester at Laney College i will be going to East Bay or San Franisco States. I'm a little bit scare to be leaving Laney College, here is my family, the teachers, the classmates and everyone people are vey nice at Laney. I know i will enjoy this last semester and will miss everyone.
With this class i should be well prepare to open a new chapter in my life.
Hi everyone my name is Devonte. I am only in my second semester in college. I'm taking this class because its a course requirement to my GE. After another semester i hope i am able to transfer to a university or state college. Unfortunately English isn't really my subject i feel I'm better with numbers then words. In high school i was used to getting A's and B's on papers and when i took ENG 1A my papers were horrible. Hopefully i can succeed in this class to gain my lost confidence.
Hello Thomas,
Good to see you in the class. Your detailed bio provides the class a great insight into who you are. Thank you.
In your response you state, "I love the feeling when I am unconsciously taken into the stories, and become emotionally influenced while reading the texts." I understand completely your meaning here. It's the ability to suspend your ability to reason that allows you to escape in a fictional essay. Wouldn't you agree?
Who is your favorite author? What book would you recommend for your peers to read?
Ms. Wanzo
Hello Rui,
Welcome to the course! I like your persistence in learning English. It's not easy to push through when you feel others are laughing at you. I'm glad it was not true that the student was laughing. Do you follow professional basketball? If so, do you have a favorite NBA team or player?
Hello Pink,
Welcome to the course! I hope that this class provides you with what you are looking for.
I'm so excited that you and Eric hiked 6.4 miles on Sunday. In the rain! What kind of shoes do you wear in the rain when your hiking to keep from losing your grip?
Also you like to knit. We have to talk. :)
Hello All!
My name is Chanda, it's an Indian name that means "The passionate one". I am very passionate about alot of things and writing just happens to be one them. I've been at Laney since 2005. I've grown personally here at Laney and in that process I've obtained a certificate and two degrees. I'm currently completing the GE requirements to transfer. I really want to attend Holy Names to major in Sociology/Counseling and minor in Creative Writing. I have one 13 year old son who keeps me on my toes. I love to read, I can cook and I make a wonderful cheesecake. I love to watch people enjoy my food. I love a wide range of music mostly neosoul and gospel, but I listen to everything from alternative rock to classical.
Writing has always had a place in my life. Although I don't journel as much as I should currently, I have tons of journels I kept as a teenager. I love to write poems and letters. A long-term goal I have is to write a novel. I've learned that I have some organizational problems with my writing. It does not take away from my passion but it has discouraged me in my anal need to have things perfect (I'm working on that,lol). I'm here at Laney full-time and I have two part-time jobs.
I'm taking this class because it is required, but I would take it even if it wasn't. I need to work on organizing my work and getting my thoughts into words on paper without it sounding like one long sentence. I've been inspired by the pain I've experienced to write most of the poems and letters I have. I want to find my voice to be a better writer and I plan on using the tools Ms. Wanzo gives us to do that. I was registered in another class but after Ms. Wanzo expressed her passion about getting us the information we would need to be successful I was convinced that this was the class for me, but really she had me at "don't talk while I'm talking".
I'm looking forward to the post and responses from everyone. I'm sure we'll learn alot from each other. I'm very open and say things at times that people only think. It will always be done with love, respect and no shame.
PEACE!!!!!
Chanda W.
I enjoy Facebooking with my friends & family, you are welcomed to find me there, usually saying something that's funny or enlightening. You can find me under
destnd2prosper@gmail.com
Hello everyone! My name is Daniel i am looking forward to being in this class and learning how to improve my writing skills. I'm taking this class to fulfill my General Education requirements so I can transfer to a UC. I am also taking this class to improve my writing skills. I consider myself a mediocre writer, im striving to be an excellent writer and i believe this class will help me achieve that. On my free time i enjoy listening to music, skateboarding, and watching movies. I am looking forward to getting to know you all.
Daniel Melek
Hello Pink,
I have found that your hobbies are in common with mines. I really enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking around the Golden Gate Park, I absolutely adore that place.
In spite of it all, I love to be outdoors in general. Some of the places that I think is the most fascinating places on earth, is Cambodia because of the beautiful beaches during the summertime.
regards,
Chhienda
Hey everyone. My name is Johnny and this is my second semester here at Laney. My goal is to hopefully transfer to UC Davis. I am looking forward to this class and hope to improve my writing skills even more. Some of my essays in Eng1A were pretty good, but I hope I can make them even better after taking this class. Also looking forward to having fun because Ms. Wanzo seems like a funny person. My hobbies include basketball and football mostly so if you want to chat let me know!
Hello all,
my name is Pei Liang, making it easy, you may also call me "shadow" that most of my friends named me as my first impression to them was just like the word "shadow"--cool and wordless. However, in fact I am not the one like "shadow". I would like to talk or discuss with my friends about all my opinions and things happen in my life in my first language--Chinese, instead of English. Because of my poor oral English, I felt shy and scary to speak out my opinions and always kept cool of it, and this kind of situation did not change until I finished my first writing class at Laney.
That was a writing 4 class. The most interesting thing in that class was 15-minute free writing at the beginning of each class. It didn't require any formal writing format, spelling or grammar. What I had to do was just writing down how our feeling were at that moment. Angry? Happy? Or whatever else feeling you had at that moment and the reason. That was not only something like a short diary to share with myself or the others, but also a pretty good writing practice for me as a very beginning writer who was not good at oral English neither. In this kind of writing practice, I didn't feel any pressure about writing and began to love expressing myself in wiring and speaking out my ideas a little by a little.
Hi everybody, my name is Ricky. I am currently in my second semester at Laney college. I am taking English 5 because, like many of my peers, this class is a requirement for my GE. I am still not completely sure about what I what to do in life, but I am currently thiking about majoring in Economics and am hoping to transfer to UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, or UC San Diego. I recently graduated from Oakland High School, where I played on my school's football and track & field teams. I feel like I wasn't that good at either sport, but I am glad for joining and competing because the experience was priceless and because I felt that I was breaking the stereotype that Asians do not play sports. I feel like my writing ability is not yet at university level and hope that this class can help me improve on my writing ability. Right now, my fantasy is to be a rich rock star guitarist for my own fantasy band, but as I said, it is just a fantasy. I like watching and playing basketball and football. Two of my biggest hobbies are exercising and music. You can usually find me exercising at Laney's gym. Also, for anyone knows how to play music, preferably the piano and/or, better yet, the guitar, I would be grateful if you can teach me or give me a few pointers. One day, I want to make a band and play music just for fun, but I have to put a lot of work into my guitar right now.
Hello Rui,
I actually had the same unhappy experience as you mentioned. I remembered my first introduction in business class: my face turned red; my heart seemed like almost jumping out without my control; my tremble feet made me could not stand up; my stammering led my classmates laugh louder and louder...however, people who make their efforts to overcome difficulties always achieve success in result. Don't give up!
hello Sin Yee,
You said that you did not began grammar study until coming to the U.S.. Actually, after wring the first comment in this blog, I found that my grammar skill seemed like being stolen by others--about half gone. Probably I pay more attention in my oral English and chat online using informal wiring format style in my daily life. Hope that we can improve our grammar during this class!
Greetings everyone!
My name is Werdah Kaiser. This is my second year at Laney College and I hope to transfer to a UC soon. I have always loved writing, ever since experiencing it in high school.
My favorite subject to write on in high school were persuasion essays and I have carried that love to Laney College. I am taking this class to fill a requirement, but also to get the essence of critical thinking into my writing.
My hobbies include reading old literature novels; books by D.H. Lawrence, Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters tickle my fancy. I also love watching and listening to Korean dramas and music. I also love tasting Asian cuisine.
Hello everyone! My name is LeQi Li.you guys can call me Devin in the class. i am glad to be one of the student in this class. Same as some of the classmeates, this is my last semester also.And I have been studied in laney for 2 years. As a person who learns English as second language in a new envirment. I think this is very difficult to adapt it. what we can do to learn it well is use it more in our daily life!
Hi class,
My name is Jiaqi Ye. I have been studied at Laney college for almost two years since I graduated from my high school in China. As of today, I can say that I have been educated in two different countries and in two different languages. As the only English-speaker in my family, I had to help my parents with many things, such as paying the bills, filling forms and finally, renting a house. I enjoy learning foreign language because it really has a lot of fun. I did well in my perious English 1A class, and I am looking forward to do well in this class sincerely. I have experiened writing the research paper, comparison essay and argument paper in the past English classes. For critical thinking, it's my first time to explore English in this field, and I hope this class not only can fullfile the requirement of the UC transfer but also enlarge my knowledge of English.
Dear Class:
My name is Anna Davies, a Laney College student since the Spring of 2008. For the past four years, I have been employed as a part-time group fitness instructor, and a professional dog walker. I plan to graduate from Laney this May and transfer to a UC or California State University in the Fall. I am taking English 5 to become a better writer, to learn how to think critically and to fulfill my GE requirements.
My writing experience has been limited. I was introduced to argumentative style writing in the late 1990's at City College of San Francisco when I initially attended community college, but had to drop out for personal reasons. After a decade of being out of school, I lacked essay writing experience, confidence and was intimidated by English classes. This is why I waited to enroll into English classes until my final two semesters. However, after taking other classes at Laney I found myself hooked on learning, wanting to become a better reader, writer, and most of all I wanted to succeed.
I love life and enjoy many hobbies with my boyfriend, Richard, family and friends. I like to travel, cook, Karaoke, wakeboarding, hiking, playing with my dog Yoda, camping, entertaining, and going to the gym. But, my all time favorite hobby/passion is dance. I have been dancing on and off for the past 16 years (taking classes and performing) and have learned various styles such as Jazz, Modern, ballet, and Hip-Hop.
Thanks for your time. I was a bit nervous writing this blog as it's my first ever. I look forward to the learning experience Ms. Wanzo has to offer and also look forward to collaborating with everyone.
Be Well,
Anna Davies
Whats up everyone!I am San Ming Mak and this is my first year at Laney. Im currently working toward transferring to an university with San Diego being my first choice and LA being my second. My original major was forensic because of my love for science and my courage to face a dead person (which i have done before) or it might be all the CSI i previously watched. Anyways, throughout my academic career i have written a lot of essays, but i always feel like i can produce better work each time i finish an essay. I would have to say the best part to my writing is how thoughtful it can be. However, there is no doubt that grammar can be my kryptonite as some of you might have already noticed by reading what i wrote. Like many of my peers i also have a big love of sports such as football, basketball, and track which i joined during my last year of high school. Besides sports i enjoy watching movies, listening to music, and in the meantime learning to play music. There's more activities, but i can think of any more right now. However, one day i hope that i can travel around the world and visit the most beautiful places that this world has to offer. Like sports, a beautiful view gives me a feeling that is one of a kind. The feeling of true freedom where you forget everything like a big weight is lifted off your shoulders. Its hard to describe it, but its something like that. Any-who, good luck with this semester everybody. Hopefully we can all get A's
Hello, I am Qiwei. This semester is my forth semester in Laney college, also the last one. I am about to transfer in fall 2010. English is my second language and my first language is Chinese. Sofar I have taken ESL Writing 5, ESL Writing 6, and English 1A. Writing is the hardest subject to me. I believe writing is like swimming--the more you practice the better you perform. In order to improve my writing skills I am taking English 5 and English 1B in this semester. It is tough to take two writing classes at the same time but I think as long as I keep on finishing every single assignment I will be fine. I have many hobbies such as computer games, basketball, badminton.
I actually have many authors that I really admire, including Ferit Orhan Pamuk, Stephenie Meyer, among others. The book I want to recommend is called "Lord of the Flies." One of my friends suggested me to read this book. I was consequently addicted to it. The story is apparently about several children escaped to an island; however, the meaning of the story was gradually getting deeper and deeper- from pure childish to the distortion of humanity. I recommend this book to peers because I love the way how the author indirectly used the world of children to reflect to our adults' society, from a dark side point of view.
Hi Monica,
After reading your post, I got curious and decided to check out your blogs. The pictures you took were breathtaking, especially the ones with the sunset and the ocean! You are very lucky that you get to travel so often, and have been to many beautiful places. Sadly to say, the farthest I have gone away from home was to Disneyland. I really enjoyed your travel blogs. Hoping one day, I will visit some of those places. :)
To Chhienda & Ms. Wanzo
Chhienda, we should hike together! The Bay Area has been my home for years. I could show you some neat places to hike!
Ms. Wanzo,
Eric and I both hike in summer Keens. The bad thing about that is halfway through the hike both of our feet were wet. We were both wearing wool socks so our feet were still warm. Even though my shoes are really good quality I was still slipping a bit on the trail were it was really muddy. I want to go again this Sunday. Being out in nature sort of recharges me.
Hi everyone.
In response to San Ming, I find forensics interesting as well. Although I am far from a Biology/Science person, I always love watching old Sherlock Holmes episodes.
Hello Pink. I think chemical engineering is tough too. However, I love chemistry. I'd like to take the challenge :D. I applied to UC Berkeley, LA, and San Diego. How about you?
My puppy is about 40lb now and growing very fast. I think she will be a big girl. I usually walk her in a park that near my house. It is very fun to have a puppy at home. However, you need to keep an eye on them. Puppies like to bite everything. From my experience, shoes are their favorite. I have lost two pairs of shoes so far.
I like Italy in the World Cup, because of my favorite player, Del Piero. I tried to watch rugby once, but I didn't really know what was going on. :(
When fear is allowed to control our thoughts, actions, and words; it has a immobilizing affect on our daily lives. This immobilizing affect can cause us to become less civilized.
I contend that Russell is partially correct. As with any “good thing,” too much fear is harmful. If you don’t believe it, try walking in the middle of oncoming traffic. Believing in oneself is okay as long as one does not believe he or she is Martha Washington.
Critical thinking, when fully developed is an act of defiance against blind obedience and other unhealthful “comfort zones.” It is a form of delayed gratification in which a measure of discomforting fear of the unknown must be tolerated in order to achieve new levels of awareness
Apologies to all of my classmates:
I accidently posted my response to the "What is Fear?" post inside of this post. Oops.
Hi, all!
My name is Solongo. It's my second year in Laney college and I'm hoping to transfer to Cal State in fall semester. Writing is not my strongest subject. I've always been the one to stress over and procrastinate when it comes to papers. Although, I'm taking this class as a requirement,I'm really hoping to improve my writing skill as well.
Solongo to Devonte Pitre:
Hi, I've had similar experience in my 1A class, too. I always knew that I'm not writer but didn't really realize that I was horrible till I took Eng 1A. By the time semester ended, I totally lost my confidence and have been avoiding writing classes ever since. And I'm hoping to improve my writing in this class so that I can be little more confident and somewhat better when it comes to papers.
To Fan Wu,
You mentioned that your puppy is naughty. I remember when my dog was a puppy and made silly mistakes and would constantly test me. Having a dog is like having a child. You have to keep your eye on them constantly and make sure they are cared for appropriately. I found myself learning to really assert myself so that my dog doesn't learn bad habits. I actually work with a group of dogs on a daily basis. If you ever need any tips on puppy training, feel free to contact me.
Hello! My name is David Cao, this my thrid and last year at Laney College! (thank goodness..about time)My major is psychology and minoring in english. As my career goal i am still unsure of what i really want to do since the major can be so broad.
As a as far as i can remember in elementary, the only thing i wanted to do in class was to have free write session, though my writing skill were horrible i still enjoyed it because i was able to write whatever word that came to mind and it seemed a lot of fun to me...
Later on in high school English became my worst enemy because my English teacher were very harsh graders. I would receive C's or D's, and those grade sometimes just shows to myself that i wasn't really good for writing, but it didn't stop be from trying my best to to do better... Essay were never easy for me and actually, it's still not, but as long as i don't give up i believe i shall do well.
I look forward towards this spring semester and meeting/working with everyone. =]
To: Solongo
Hi Solongo! i completely understand what you go through and i still stress over all my essay and procrastinate. I also thought i was good in writing and than one day my teacher just blew me away with all her red marks everywhere. i hope this semester will end with full of good surprises. =]
Good luck!
-David C.
Hey San Ming, lets talk about football or basketball some time because those are my favorite sports too. Maybe we can even get a game going on too some time in the future.
To Werdah Kaiser
Reading is a really good hobbies. envethoug i dont like to read a book or novel,i have to say that reading it could help us with writting a essay and thinking critically, because the book includes a lot of different writing skills and ideas from different authors.so do you have any recommendation for us.
Hello, my name is joanne. I have been taking class at college since I immigranted from Hong Kong. Think backward, my teachers have required me for different types of writing. Fortunately, i would be interested about the topic, but then when I started to write the paragraph. I stuck with my pencil,many ideas came out, but no idea of how to begin. Therefore, it is such a helpful class for me to have a critical thinking, however, I hope that I will learn how to organize my paper before transferring to UC. My habit is everytime before start writing an essay, I will go online and search for a movie, to see how the director make points put across
attractive audiences' attention. I hope that this way can really help me to be a better writter and earn a good grade in this class.
Charline to Jing Cai
Hi, just like you i am an immagrant English is not my first language French is. I do relate when come to wwriting english it is kind of difficult. just like you this is my last semester at laney and will go to Cal or SF state, getting my AA in business Administration.
Hey Ricky, I graduated from Oakland High but for some reason I don't remember seeing you. Anyways do you like Taylor Swift? Maybe can play some of her songs.
Hi Everyone,
My name is Angelique Forbes and I am happy to be in English 5 at first I wasn't sure about it.I know that this is an important class for me to take in order to graduate. I have been attending Laney College for almost 2 years now and I am almost finish! I will be applying to San Francisco State.
I think that this English class will help my writing skills and also challenge me. There is nothing wrong with a challenge it's what's going to better me.I like to write about topics that intrest me. When I was in high school I would write poems about what I had experienced ,this was something I enjoyed doing. In my free time I like to shop, watch movies, and hang out with my family.
I'm also from Africa and I'ope to do well in this class. This is my last semester as you and hoping to transfer to a four year college.
Writing is a big challege as you know we are in a foreign country but without fear,I'm determined that we will make it. We are here to make our lives better.Let's put more effort and as I said in my introduction sky is the limit.
Hello class, im syreeta m. here is a little about me. im an aries, i love food and the color blu all shades. i'm currently obtaining my AA in Business Amin.. I enjoy and everything that it has to offer, i love sports baseball mostly probaly becuz i played it for 6 yrs.M y expericance with writing is that not to defeat myself before i start and mr. goldstien help me with that.
Hello fellow classmates,
My name is Martin Lara, this is my second year of college. My experiences with writing has been a bit unique because the most challenging thing for me to do is to stay focused on writing long papers. I am taking english 5 because it is a requirement for my major. I hope to improve my critical thinking skills in this class. Outside from school, I participate in the sport boxing, work, and spend time with my family and friends. If you would want to get to know me, I am friendly and open to others.
Hey David, I know what you mean about not knowing what you want to do in life; I'm in that same predicament myself. What's good is taht you already have your major and minor figured out, so I'm figuring that you at least have some sort of interest in those topics. Psychology seems like a cool major too. I'm majoring in economics, but I'm thinking about minoring in psychology if I can because psychology sounds really interesting.
To Philip:
Hey Philip, you went to Oakland High right? I think I remember you. Were you that guy with the really long hair in my calculus class? And I don't really know how to play any of Taylor Swift's songs. I don't really like her music, but I can try to play them and show you if I can and if you want. Just ask me in class about it.
To monica m.
Thank you very much for re-enforcering the fact that i can go to school and have kids and a husband, my guy we at the point were we are ready for the next step but i;ve been like no, what bout school and all that other stuff!?! and he has made great points, but it's one of those things that you have to hear it from someone else before that light goes off! smiles thank you
Hello class,
My name is Alisha Taylor. I have been attending laney for two years now. My major is Nuring and i hope to transfer to SF state. Im taking English 5 because it's required. Also, i would like to see the underline meaning of specific reading. I feel like i have amazing thoughts and things to say. I do need to better organize my writings. I hope to get from this class a better understanding of reading and critical thinking. I love writing but lets just say im not your typical writer. I look forward to the challenges i will face while taking this class. For example that 10-12 page paper lol(laughing out loud). Until next time see you in class Tuesday.
To Syreeta,
Hey girl i am an aries also. My birthday is April 4th. Are you a MArch or April one. My favorite color is purple but i love all colors. FOOD, one of my favorite things to discuss what is your favorite thing to eat? I love all food. One Of my favorite is latin food. Anyway seems like we are similar it was cool to read about you.
peace
San Ming which events did you participate in track? I also used to run track in high school. Its a good sport to be a part of and also a good workout.
to Joanne
I also like to write about intresting topics but that's not always the case we have to learn how to write about things we dont agree or intrest us.
Haha sure thing Johnny. Maybe we can play a pick up game or something. Also, i would be interested in talking to you about sports. How bout them Nets right? Not the best way to get into the record books if i am not mistaken.
Hey Martin Lara! Track is a good competitive sport and it can really be an intense workout. I only wished that i joined somewhere in my freshman or sophomore year so i had a better feel of it unlike my senior year. I mostly just worked on the shorter distances like 100m and 200m. What did you run?
Hey, guys! My name is Julie Kvalen and this is my first semester at Laney. I used to write short stories when I was younger, but have slackened over the years. However, I still like to consider myself a writer. I really enjoy English and hope this class will make me an even better writer and critical thinker. Also I hope it will help me transfer to a University in the next year or so!
This Julie Kvalen. I'm having trouble figuring out how to comment on other people's posts so here goes anyway...
This is directed towards Ke Yu:
Hey, I went to Skyline too! I'm guessing you're class of '07? Were you there all four years or did you switch high schools? I wish you the best of luck in transferring!
Hi, My name is Vernon Stewart and this is my last year at Laney. I can say that my writing experience has been very interesting for the most part. I've always been fascinated with English I found it to be my favorite subject. Even though sometimes I had some weaknesses I had to correct, but it only made a better writer. I am taking this to finish up all my english. I hope to gain a lot of knowledge from this class. Frankly, I can say that a while before I started English 1A I didn't know if I would make or even English 5. I can now see that by applying myself like my councelor told me I've brought myself this far.
Chhienda Mao it's seems like you want to get a lot out of this, as do I. I can only hope for the best for you in this class, but also in the future. How do you feel about the different types essays in english. What have you experience writing any of those.
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