Reflections

Now we are at the end of the course and I have submitted the final essay. It was a wonderful experience as we built up the skills to prepare a good research paper.

My recommendations to someone who is about to write an essay would be to:

(1) prepare your outline, write all the ideas at first, i.e. as they come. They can be rearranged after.
(2) Read thoroughly all the references before starting; then
(3) Go back to your outline and insert the new ideas (like working with a canvass).
(4) Read the APA guidelines to make sure that you have a reference for all your citations. (5) Start a rough draft;
(6) Revise/edit your draft using one of the revising methods (the one I like is the paramedic).
(7) Read it out loud or have someone read it to you; it will give you a different perspective.
(8) Be kind to yourself. Don't be discouraged. Practice makes perfect!

Almost done!

We are almost done with the unit. An English class is never easy and having to write an essay was quite a challenge.

Now I feel relieved, but at the same time anxious. In an essay, I think that there is always room for improvement. I am ready to submit it? My subject was on obesity in children but specifically the role of Public Health.

I am happy that I had the opportunity to work on this subject. I had the chance to read more about it. In fact, I am now interested in any article on this subject. I feel that I have so much to learn. For my writing process, the paramedic changed my life! I am going to apply this method in my current job when I have to edit or proofread a text.

It had been difficult but still a wonderful experience.

Thought of the week

For me the blog is like writing in my personal journal. Reading the previous posts I could see the evolution/progress during the class. I could see the many activities we had and the amount of information shared.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to exchange any thought with my classmates--although I posted some comments on their blogs. This made me feel more like an islander :-)

Am I planning to continue the blog after this class? I am not too sure... I am glad I had experienced it though.

Peers Review

The experience in this unit is unique. We had to submit our essays for peers review. This is an opportunity to learn how people read us and also a good experience for us to read others' papers. After this exercise, I will definitely pay attention more on my own work.

My essay was on Obesity--Role of Public Health. I found so much information, that it would take me more than the given time to condense all that in my paper.

If at the beginning I was not too much into my subject, I am becoming passionate

When I am about to write, I need to think a lot of the subject; so practically I am doing my essay mentally. I have it in my mind constantly. When I feel I have a lot of ideas, I start writing them down (brainstorming). By putting my thoughts in writing, I found sometimes that some words have the same idea and I need to move further. While brainstorming, I also start to put an informal outlining--to put my ideas in order. Then I think of the most difficult part for me: how to start the first paragraph.

Starting letter, essays or other written assignments has always been a challenge for me; but once I start, it is easier to continue based on my outline.

I am enjoying my classes but my big challenge is to stay in the program as I am juggling with work, school, and home. Well, I guess we are all happy jugglers.

Plagiarism

For a long time plagiarism was not considered a violation. I am referring to an author of the 17Th century who literally copied some stories from authors of the Antiquity. Since books were not published as they are now, it was easy to do so. If at that time copyright was prevailing, this author would not have been well-known in the French literature.

Having said that, it is good to cite our sources. It is a way to acknowledge other people's work or idea. I don't know what I would do if my work was "stolen". I would probably let the person know but I wonder what can I do, especially if my work is not registered. The Internet is blurring the lines of "legally owned" and with the possibility to "cut and paste" we are given more tools. We might need to redefine public domain once more.

On-line classes - Another dimension

What a challenge! I thought it would be the easiest way to go but found out that I was totally wrong. On-line classes requires not only full commitment but very good time management and good planning. Well, I guess I am learning!
In addition, I am coming back to school after so many years... I have to give myself mementos to be always on track.
The good side of it is that you can be in a classroom environment when you are done with your household chores. Most of all I am making new friends and I have the impression that I am not alone as many other classmates are going through the same problems. This is so amazing. I am in another dimension, I am discovering a virtual class community.