English 2100
CheckpointII-Reflection
PowerStandards5|7
ForCheckpointII,IwillbedelvingintoPowerStandard5bythoroughlyevaluatingmy performanceontheNorseMythologyProjectandmysubmissionformyAtomicHabitsand GrowthBlog.Additionally,Iwillreflectonthediscussions thathavetakenplaceinclass,which Iconsidertobeoneofthemostvaluableaspectsofthecourse.Furthermore,inaccordancewith LearningStandard7,itiscrucialformetobeabletoaccuratelyassessmyprogressthroughout thiscourseandreflectonthewaysinwhichIhavedevelopednotonlyasastudentbutalsoasan individual.Bydoingso,Ihopetogainadeeperunderstandingofmystrengthsandweaknesses andidentifyareasforimprovementinordertocontinuegrowingandexpandingmyknowledge andskills.
InregardtomyNorseMythologyProject,IfeelasthoughIdidnotpresentsomethingof valuethatwasuptothestandardsoftheclass.Toelaborate,Ifeelasthoughouractual presentationwasactedandperformedwellhowever-uponreadingthecommentsandcriticisms ofMs.Fusaroandmyfellowpeers,IhavecometorealizeIseverelylackedintheaspectofthe writingprocess,addingnothingof“true”valuetothestoryofGerdandFreywewereaskedto transform.Asstatedearlier,ourgroup, the Dogs of Diogenes,wasassignedthestoryofGerdand Freytoreform.WefeltasthoughtheoriginalstoryofGerdandFreywasaboutmaterial happinessversusemotionalhappiness;atensionbetweentwodifferentmodesofexistence.Frey isareveredleader,whoisdefiedbyhispossessions.Hehaseverythinghewants,orcouldever want,yetdespitehismaterialwealthandpower,hefeelsunfulfilledandincomplete.Gerd,onthe otherhand,isagiantessassociatedwiththeearthandnature.Sheisnotdefinedbymaterial wealthorprosperity,butbyherconnectiontothenaturalworld.Thisisobviouslyacommentary onthehumancondition,withGerdactingasasymbolfora“solution”-thatemotional connectionthatallhumanslongfor.However,ironically,Gerdwasagainportrayedasanother symbolorobjectforFrey,ratherthananactualpersonwithautonomyoremotion.Thislackof personificationforGerdisacommoncriticismofthestory,asitreduceshertoanothermere objectofdesireforFrey,andourgrouphadcometothesameconsensus.Wewishedtogiveher propercharacterizationandarc,makingheramaincharacter.Butthat’swherethegoodideas end.Whatourgroupdecidedtodowaslookateverythingthroughanihilisticlens,aimingto makeallthecharacters2-dimensionalandcomicallyflawed.Wewishedtoshowthefoolishness ofmaterialismaswellasthewholeideaofstrivingforthe“solution”tothehumancondition. Butwhatweactuallydidwasdetractfromthewholemeaningentirely,essentiallycreatinga satiricalparody.Inthefuture,Iwishtoavoidthismistakeandaddsubstancetoallformsofmy
writing,because,intheend,wedidcreateourowntwistoftheclassicNorsetale,butultimately failedtohaveanymeaningfultransformation.
However,Ifeelasthoughthe physical aspectofourpresentationwassatisfactory.Each personplayedtheirrolenearlyperfectlyandIfeltasthoughthepersonificationthatwe attemptedtoshowofeachcharactershonethroughwithouractions.Personally,Ienjoyed playingFreyandfeltlikeIplayedhimthebestIcould.Additionally,ThroughmytimeinSING andastheLieutenantGovernorofStatenIslandKeyClub,Ilearnedavarietyofmentalchecks andthingstokeepawareofwhenpresenting.Cheatingouttowardthecrowd,usingappropriate gestures,andhavinggoodposturewereallthingsIkeptinmind.However,Icouldn'tmakedirect eyecontactwiththemduetothefactIwasreadingoffascript(5A).WhilstIstillstutterand speaktoofast,Itriedmybesttoslowmyselfdownandannunciatemywords,andatthevery least,projectmyvoiceevenifIendedupincomprehensible (5E)(5B).Furthermore,weallmade surethatinourscript,everyNordicwordandnamehadaphoneticspellinginEnglish,tomake sureitwaspronouncedproperly-forexample,wehadwritten “Skirnir (SK-ER-NER)”,every timehisnameappearedtomakesureeverymemberpronouncedhisnameproperly (5G).Ifeltas thoughtheinteractionswithothergroupmembersweregreat,andweeffectivelyusedallour resources:usinglights,theSmartBoard,nametags,andtheentiretyoftheclassroomtoour advantage(5F).Overall,everyonein the Dogs of Diogenes didanexcellentjobplayingtherole theywereassignedandmakingthepresentationenjoyableattheveryminimum.
Thediscussionsinclasshavebeenandwillcontinuetobemyfavoritepartoftheclass. GavinandIsometimesevendiscussourreadingsfromthenightpriortogetheronourwalkto class,whichhelpsmesometimestobetterunderstandthematerial.Inclass,thetopicswecover arealwaysintriguingandcreateniceconversations.Ilovetheback-and-forththatweencounter, andhowpeoplearen'tafraidtospeaktheirmindsorcreatediscourse.WhenIspeak,Ioften struggletobundlemythoughtandwordstogetherintoacoherentpackage,buttrymybestto keepinmindMs.Fusaro’sreminder-I’mtalkingtotheclass,nother.Ihavetotalkslowly,and lookateveryoneintheroomwhenspeaking(5C).Mostimportant,iswhenothersarespeaking. Listeningisoftenmuchharderthanspeaking.Ioftenfinditdifficulttofullysoakinaresponse fromapeerandprepareaproperresponse,butIstill,trytoremainrespectfulandvigilantwhile tryingtoprocesswhattheotherpersonjustsaid(5H).
Uponreflectingonmyblogwork,ImustsaythatIfeltextremelysatisfiedandproudof theeffortIputintobothofmyblogs.ThetopicsIcoveredwerenotonlysignificanttomeand theblogsthemselveswerealsogrammaticallycorrect.My firstblogwasonSocio-Political Consciousness,andIfeltthatmypersonalvoicewasmorepresentthaninmysecondblog.In myfirstblog,IwroteaboutissuesthatIdeeplycareabout,touchedabitonmycultureand explainedwhyIholdtheviewsthatIdo.Ifoundittobeameaningfulexperiencetosharemy personalbeliefs,ideas,andthefuture.MymostrecentblogwasonthetopicofAtomicHabits
andGrowth,touchinguponmyunhealthyprocrastinationhabits,whichwasironicallysubmitted late.Incomparisontomyfirstblog,Ifeltlessofaconnectiontothework,andfeltthatinthe end,itsounded“whiny”.Iwentintomypoorworkethic,butfoundnomeaningfulreasonfor touchinguponthattopicfortheAtomicHabitsandGrowthBlog,andwouldhaveratherchosen adifferenttopicotherthanmyprocrastination.
Inconclusion,reflectingonmyperformanceinPowerStandard5,Iamabletoidentify bothmystrengthsandweaknesses.AlthoughIwaspleasedwiththephysicalaspectofmyNorse MythologyProjectpresentation,IrecognizethatIfailedtoaddmeaningfulsubstancetothe story.Movingforward,Iaimtoimprovemywritingprocessandaddvaluetoallformsofmy writing.Additionally,thediscussionsinclasshavebeenahighlightofthecourse,providingme withtheopportunitytoengageinintriguingconversationsanddevelopmylisteningand speakingskills.Finally,whileIfeltproudofmyblogwork,Iacknowledgetheneedtoensure thatmypersonalvoiceispresentinallfuturewriting,andtochoosetopicsthatresonatewithme andalignwiththethemeofthework.Throughcontinuedreflectionandevaluation,Iam confidentthatIwillbeabletocontinuegrowingandexpandingmyknowledgeandskills.