Course Reflections

Since I took a creative fiction class during winter of 2013, I decided to minor in writing. At first, I thought of taking a WRT 303 class to fulfill the minor. However, I learned more about myself and my writing style that I would have expected to. The personal statement lessons helped improved my writing and that honesty is important to convey why I want to apply for graduate schools or job opportunities.

In addition, when I wrote my short essays or in-class prompts, I felt inspired to write and explore my inner mentality. My favorite prompt was to write a short essay inspired by Joe Brainard’s piece “I Remember.” I remember a lot of things, but most importantly, my friendships with Janet and Lei. My second prompt was to write about a significant place and my high school came to mind. A part of me always wanted to share about my high school experiences and how it has an impact towards my goals and dreams.

In this class, I also enjoyed the process and thought in making my digital story project. I used a short essay on a significant place to write the script for the project. My goal in the project was to use my personal photos to depict my emotions and changes of myself throughout the video. It did take some time to make the video but I also know there were parts that I could have improved on.

The one thing that I didn’t quite like was the “requirement” to use twitter. It’s rather difficult to keep up to date with needing to use twitter because it’s not easily accessible to everyone. In my case, I rarely use twitter which makes it difficult to commit time to minor details of writing. Comparatively, it may be unfair to students who don’t have smartphones to be required to submit in tweets. Although there is a website for online-computer submission, the idea to tweet is also rather forgetful. All in all, I enjoyed the class.

Course Reflection!

I can’t believe how quickly the Fall 2014 semester has ended! It seems like only a few days ago, I was writing about why I like to write. However, now that classes have ended for this semester, I believe I have finally grasped the full impact of this class on my life. I would seriously recommend any junior or senior to take this class. As a senior who is about to graduate soon, I can say that this class was by far the most helpful and rewarding class of all at Stony Brook University. Enrolling into the class, I thought it would simply get me into a routine of writing regularly. You see, I enjoy writing, but often, I neglect that hobby during the average hectic life of a college student. At the conclusion of the semester, I am proud to say that I have of course been writing regularly, but moreover, this has been a positive support for me academically and personally.

The short essays we wrote each week gave me the opportunity to put my feelings regarding my study abroad opportunities (and other experiences) on paper. In addition, the comments from the peer reviewers constantly provided fresh perspective on my work. That enabled me to notice areas where I needed to include more self-reflection or a stronger connection with my readers. These essays were a strong foundation which led up to my personal statement. I am eternally grateful to Prof. Lucenko for helping me refine my essays. Without her help, my applications would not have been in the position they are in now.

What makes this course stand out most to me is that it incorporates multimodal techniques of learning. Blogging, Tweeting, writing/reviewing/developing essays, reading articles, creating a digital story, and compiling our hard work into an e-portfolio. I have never consumed and produced information in this manner. I will confess this was a little overwhelming (especially because I am not savvy with creating videos!), but it was a crucial experience. In the digital world we live in today, it is important to know how to use different tools.

I had made a Twitter account for a class during my freshman semester and at the end of it, I forgot about the account. However, this time, I am excited about continuing to use this social networking site (including many other skills I learned this semester) in the future. And I’ve promised myself to be more loyal to my personal blog! Thank you Prof. Lucenko for an amazing semester! 🙂

Course Reflection

Wow! I can’t believe that the semester is basically over. I feel like it just began, yet here I am cramming for finals. I took WRT 303, at the suggestion of many fellow classmates, to help me write my personal statement. What I am finishing this class with is so much more than a personal essay, one I am sure will be revised 1oo more times before I even submit it. What I am leaving with is a new perspective on how to approach writing. In the beginning it was awkward and uncomfortable writing about myself and sharing it with people that I didn’t know. As the semester progressed it was still a little uncomfortable sharing personal stories, but not like in the beginning. I also liked receiving feedback from my classmates. I found the peer review to be something that I also enjoyed spending time doing for others. I am not very good at editing my own papers or looking at what can be expanded on, so being able to offer that kind of advice and receive it was enjoyable for me.

When I first heard that I had to make a digital story I was scared. I didn’t know how to use the program on my computer and I had no clue what to make story on. As time went on and we sat through the library workshop and began brainstorming in class I was able to decide on a topic, and from there it just took off. I ended up having fun making it too! I had some of the guys from my firehouse help me find pictures from their Facebook pages (they were very excited to have their pictures in the video). I was also able to delve into part of my family’s history. Peer reviewing the digital story was also pretty cool. I enjoyed seeing people’s scripts come to life and seeing what they chose to use for media. I learned a lot in this class, more than I thought I would and I am a much more confident writer now because of it. Thank you for a great semester Professor Lucenko!!

Course Reflection

WRT 303 is the first writing class I have taken at Stony Brook. I took my first required writing class at my last college and for lack of better terms, it was kind of a joke. I wrote three short papers and I couldn’t even tell you what they were on. I never really enjoyed writing however, this course has changed my perspective. When I first saw this course load for this class, I got a little nervous. Writing a short essay every week seemed like a lot and since I never enjoyed writing it didn’t sound like something I wanted to do. However, I realized that if I wanted to be able to write a personal statement I had to stick inn this course. I am so glad that I did. All those short essays helped me with drafting the personal statement in the end. 

Without this course, I wouldn’t have known where to even begin with writing a personal statement. Writing about myself was not an easy task like I thought it would be, through all the short essays, I was eased into writing about myself. I learned how to draft and rewrite and to wait a while before going back to an essay. I learned the true mechanics of writing. I also learned about myself as a person. I was able to reach different qualities about myself that I never would have thought of.

Taking this class was also a very big shift from the classes I have taken at Stony Brook. I mostly take science courses where writing essays aren’t a part of. It was nice to not have to worry about studying material to memorize for an exam in this class. This class was about creating the material, a completely different approach compared to what I am used to. It was a nice change and sort of an outlet this semester. I learned so much from this course and would definitely recommend it.

Course Reflections

By far WRT 303 has been my favorite class of the semester. At this point, I’m getting pretty sick of many of my science classes having been taking them consistently for the past 4 years. A class that focuses on myself is very refreshing because it’s something that I’m not used to writing about. In addition the small size is a nice change because it allows all of us to get to know each other even if it’s only a little bit.

My favorite assignment of this semester was the digital story project. I was hesitant about making a video about my personal life and showing to everyone in the class because it’s quite obvious that I’m a shy person. I don’t participate in class too often and I tend to not talk to anybody in the class. I think the video project helped me realize the really important events and people in my life. I’m glad that it’s over with because I don’t like public speaking very much.

My least favorite assignments were the longer assignments not because I hated writing about the topics but because of the length. I still find it hard to write long essays about myself and I’m thankful that the personal statement for medical school is 5000 characters. Every time an assignment was due, I struggled to write the 7 pages. In addition, I found myself at mental blocks. I would lose my train of thought or I couldn’t even think of what to write next. This happens often when I have to write long essays.

Lastly I would like to thank Professor Lucenko for helping me so much. I learned a lot being in this class and I really appreciate your efforts in helping me so much. I really liked that you assigned us to write a personal statement because I wouldn’t have started writing one until the very last minute. Writing one in the class gave me a head start and I will definitely keep working on it in the next semester. WRT 303 is definitely one of the best classes I have taken at Stony Brook.

Final Course Impressions

I can’t believe an entire semester has already gone by! I really enjoyed this class, by far the best writing class I have taken. I was a bit skeptical at first when I saw just how many writing assignments we would be doing but I stuck around. The first few short essays really had me questioning why I was writing them, they did not seem to apply to the personal statement at all. When the time came to write the personal statement it all made sense. The short essays were such a valuable tool in learning how to write about your life and past events. I honestly do not think my personal state would have been half as good if I did not explore the topics of the short essays. It was a great way to approach the statement and I’m glad I wrote these pieces.

The digital story is probably the most unique project I have taken on in my college career. It really forced me to put all the skills the short essays and assignments had taught me into one piece. I actually enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the best story to tell and actually making it happen! I can see why the digital story is the pinnacle of the class and when I look back on my years at Stony Brook this will definitely be one of the things I remember.

I have never really been encouraged to write about my personal life all throughout academia which is why I really found this class as such a refreshing change of pace. In the past I never really used writing as a way to express myself but I see that changing in my future. I really did learn a lot about writing personally and even a bit about myself. It was a fun journey and I enjoyed learning more about my classmates and their writing. I will definitely recommend this class to friends!

Jonathan Harris “Today”

As I watch Jonathan Harris’s “Today” I find myself to be in awe.  How someone can be dedicated enough to take one picture everyday and share it? It also isn’t just that Harris took a picture each day, it’s how beautiful each of … Continue reading →

Digital Story Project Update

I may have a script but it’s not perfect and it still needs reworking. I’m pretty confident with the subject I want to use but at the same time, I feel as though I need some new inspiration to get the project started. I think it’s easier if I start gathering photos to use before I start speaking. I already have some music in mind to use~ I’m most likely going to use classical music from Joe Hisaishi to present the mood of how I feel. Hopefully, I can create a video project with most if not all photos capture by me. I want to create a video where it’s honestly created by my own inspiration and through the moments I’ve captured.

Here’s a possible list of photos that I know I want to include:

• Middle School Senior
• High School Senior – Maybe? I’m not sure if it’s necessary but it can also be vital to present the slow but visible changes
• College School Senior
• Dr.Seuss or Anime photo – both may be a drawn adaptation by me before I take a picture of it
• Pictures of School Tests like the Specialized High School Admission Test or the Standardized Admissions Test and or the Graduate Record Examinations
• Dr.Seuss’s book pictures (in my own drawings) or some anime photos – haven’t really decided what to use
• Finalized with some of my artistic photographs of the future possibilities
• I’ve also considered recording a video to include. . .

Harris’s “Today” & Anderson’s “The Olive Project”

Harri’s “Today” & Anderson’s “The Olive Project” are similar. Harri’s video focuses on the possibilities of the future while thinking about the past. Turning 30 sounds both exciting yet somewhat terrifying – as if he’s about to embark on a new journey based on his age. Anderson’s video focuses on the past and how its difficult to summarize the past in one short video. The overlapping of scenes represents how the past intertwined with one another and how each memory connects and build upon towards the future.

I personally like Harris’s video more than the Anderson’s video because it was more eye-pleasing and interesting to listen. In addition, Harri’s video is more inspiring towards my digital story project because there is some overlapping similarities. For my digital story project, one of the main focuses is related to the fact that I’m a senior and is about to graduate in May 2015. The idea is both terrifying and somewhat exciting. As I create the digital story and the script, I think about the past and the challenges I overcame. I also think about the changes I’ve made while I’ve gone through the challenges.

Specifically, there will always be a moment where one stops and reflect on both the past and consider the possibilities of the future. This is the fourth time where I’ve hit a bridge and embark on a new journey. The first bridge was between elementary school and middle school, then between middle school and high school, then high school and college and now, it’s college and the unknown. It’s unknown because I’ve yet to complete college but as time pass by, I’ll eventually end up holding a diploma and standing there in front of many students like me with more or less the same question: What am I going to do? Some may have already plan out the future, but I have yet to do so. . . Some may have decided to go to graduate school, but that is just another detour to the reality of work and family building.

Where will I be in the future? As positive as I am about what I want to do, the question is will I be able to do it? Will I be in the point of that life that I’m happy with? Knowingly, there will always be another bridge where I’ve yet to cross. . .

Personal Statement Revision Plans

I feel that I’m doing well in terms of bringing an important experience as to why I want to take part in the Urban Fellowship. My experience in the public schools system made me realize how I want to take part in making changes in education policies. However, that is where I am also having trouble with. One of the reasons it that I’m not connecting the two points between the two and that I should considered taking some parts of my personal statement out if its not useful. I do want to incorporate my desire to becoming a teacher, but it’s also an unnecessary detail to my personal statement.

The main message I’m trying to get through for the Urban Fellowship is how it is an important step towards taking part in the public sector and making small changes in the education system. I don’t have any questions at the moment, but my next approach to the next draft is to draw in some important things that I’ve learn from job experiences and or the news paper that I read. I should also draw in some points from my class and how that related to my internship from the past. This point can also bring a connection to how the Urban fellowship can benefit myself through a hands-on experience within the government.

Digital Story Telling (Perl) & This is how we dream (Miller)

When I read “The Aesthetics of Digital Storytelling,” I agree with her and the importance of storytelling. Since taking the personal statement class, I learned a lot about myself and how I’ve grown in the past years. When I found out that I had to create my digital story project, I was beyond excited. I’ve had past experiences in making videos but none of them were related to my personal life. Interestingly, there were also youtube videos of how people were describing their own personal life and how some of the things they did brought them into a different world.

For example, Michelle Phan’s Draw my life and Swoozie’s Life Story had inspiring ideas on their personal life. Although it’s a autobiographic storytelling rather than a specific moment and or idea, I felt that I went through a journey of their life. Each story brought details to how they became a part of a certain profession. For Michelle Phan, she found make-up as an inspiring subject idea and decided to make tutorial videos for girls and guys to learn about makeup. While Swoozie, he started drawing pictures and that inspired him to do something graphic related such as video games, making videos and even throw drawings into his video. Further looking at swoozie’s videos, it’s possible to say some of them are short digital storytellings because he has different ideas that he talk about. He even made a mini series on the subject of cheating.

Miller’s This is how we dream was honestly unusual and rather difficult to follow through. One of the reasons was there were little music while he was speaking about the importance of writing, reading and publishing. I also found myself difficult to follow due to the fact it was a video where I could pause and stop myself from continuing on. I do, however, understand his point and agree how there may be a need to have a better education system due to the environment and technology changes. Interestingly, colleges have implemented the used of clicker questions and even powerpoint presentations to show students visuals to learn and understand better.

Working on this Digital Story is definitely not as easy as I thought it would be, especially on such a time crunch… It would be just my luck to get the very first day to present my story. It’s a little frustrating to know that I could have had all of Thanksgiving break to help me complete the assignment. Also, it took a while to learn the ins and outs of iMovie which was doubly frustrating, but I think I’ve finally got it down. At this point, I am almost done with my video, but am a little disappointed by the lack of transitions and themes offered by iMovie. For certain parts of my video, I had a certain idea in mind and wasn’t able to go through with my vision because of the lack of transitions on iMovie and probably my own lack of computer knowledge, but I’ve just had to substitute in other ways. Other than me complaining, I really enjoyed going through old photo albums at home and I’m so glad I can incorporate them into my story. I hope the video will show a bit of insight into what I’ve experienced growing up and I’m excited to share my finished product.

Digital Story Update

At this point in my story, I have pretty much finalized my script and know the message I am trying to put out. I have also gathered a good majority of my photographs but I need to gather a few older photos from home when I go back for Thanksgiving break. For the most part, I know which photos I want and when I want them to show up during my script. I have started putting them into my movie, but once I get most of them in the right order, I will record my story and then fine-tune by adding in any remaining pictures/clips and adjusting the timing so that everything appears at the proper time. The last thing I will do is add in background music. I have picked out a couple of songs for some parts but am still thinking about what will sound the best in other sections of my story. This project has been a really good way of getting comfortable with writing and talking about myself and I have enjoyed going through my old photographs as I have put it together. This is my second time making a digital story, and I am definitely finding that it is much easier having done it once already because I know better how to plan it out.