Elsy's English Blog

  Prompt Response: After reviewing and scoring other AP language argument essays an important takeaway was that the evidence and commentary is absolutely necessary. Another takeaway is that the "so what?" explanation is so important that it can either "make or break" my essay. I learned that the "so what" explanation is actually extremely important since that determines how the claim, commentary and evidence connect back to the claim and why it matters. Without the "so what" explanation the context would just be information without a purpose behind it. The essay's I reviewed today all had the same things in common, a claim, commentary, and evidence. But it was the "so what?" explanations that either made the essay great or mediocre.  Summary: Today in class we reviewed many argument essays and discussed what grade we would give each essay. Reflection: After today's discussion I realized how so much of the essay's quality was...

  Prompt Response: When I do my work, I usually use the rubric as a guide to understand what the assignment is asking for.  After we reviewed the AP Lang Argument Essay rubric I learned that I can use the rubric as a roadmap by accurately including all the required information or details. I could also use the rubric to know how to structure my writing or know what the expected format is. Summary:  Today in class we continued to discuss the rubric and longed onto Writeable to talk about a prompt. Reflection:  After today's lesson I learned that the rubric for the Ap Lang Argument Essay is really useful. In the future I won't be nervous when this topic is brought up again because I'll know that the rubric is for my benefit.

  Prompt Response:  A time when I didn't understand that the teacher was looking for in a project was when I was in AP psychology. We had to make a model of a brain and label it and explain the functions of each part on a printed sheet of paper. At the time I did not understand the teacher so I looked at the rubric as a guide. The rubric made everything extremely easy to follow along and cleared my confusion. Using rubric is essentially a guide to know what teachers are looking and how to obtain a specific grade. Going back to what I learned from today's AP Lang Argument Essay Rubric I realized that the rubric is not that difficult or different from any others. It breaks down what the teachers are looking for and how to obtain my desired grade.  Summary:  We spent today's class period talking about the different sections of the rubric, what the requirements were and the requirements to get a good grade. Reflection:  When I first received the Ap Lang Argument Ess...

  Prompt Response: When I was in elementary school something that completely changed my life at the time was Covid-19. Although it wasn’t exactly the same as the tragic incident of September 11, everyone’s lives were completely changed. I remember not being able to go to school or anywhere in person, having to wear that annoying mask, and not being able to be around anyone outside of the household. Not only was my life changed but so was the entire world. I would watch the news and get sad or scared about the amount of people dying or hospitalized because of Covid. The economy also changed as many people stayed at home instead of going out to work. Looking back I am just grateful with God that all of my friends and family are okay and were not affected by Covid. Summary: Today in class we received the feedback for our own paragraphs and had the opportunity to revise our work and correct it. Reflection:  Something I learned today was that receiving the right feedback helps me g...

  Prompt Response: I remember a time when a classmate used informal language during his presentation. The material they shared was great but the language they used made their work seem less sophisticated. Even though they delivered their message, their words choice of “ gonna” or phrases like “for real though” cost them professionalism and made their presentation lack value. Looking back they could’ve made small changes like saying “going to” instead of “gonna”. This taught me that simple things like the language carry heavy weight and can completely change the outcome of the situation. Summary: Today in class we got into groups again to rotate around the room and read our classmates paragraphs while giving them feedback. Reflection:  One thing I learned was that allowing peers to review your work can reveal the flaws that one misses in their own work. In the future I will ask for feedback to see what I did good and what I could improve.

  Prompt Response:  While working in a group one idea or suggestion that improved my paragraph was when someone told me to make my sentences shorter but clearer. This changed the way I thought about the argument as I have a habit of making my sentences longer than need, and still not addressing the point as clearly as I had hoped. This suggestion helped me by allowing my argument to be more effective as I started structuring my sentences in a clearer and more concise way. Summary:  Today in class we got into groups and further discussed how we would finish our paragraphs. Reflection:  Today I learned that in order to make a good paragraph sentences need to be carefully structured and well thought to effectively deliver the message. I also learned that working in groups while listening and contributing ideas can lead to great work. In the future I will definitely use the feedback I get to improve my work.