Reflective dialogue
Antonia Peters
ENG 100
Reflective Dialogue Q&A
Due: 3/10/14
Sabatino: Can you describe the scene(s) where you wrote the This I Believe (TIB) essay. Be descriptive. Is this sustainable?
Antonia: Looking around I see books every where in sections and categories. From fiction to world travel and beyond. A number of computers on desks with heads bobbing up and down from screen to key board.
I pull the office chair up to the edge of the wooded desk ,pulled out my surface tablet and logged on. Turning Pandora music radio on to the Jill Scott station allowing the neo-soul vibe to fill me with it’s relaxing melodies through my ear buds. Cup of Joe from Wawa to keep me alert and chewing gum for concentration. The Radnor memorial library is the perfect place to write.
Sabatino: You wrote a blog post about six strategies to become a better writer. Have you used those strategies when blogging and writing the TIB essay? Please discuss which of these strategies helped you the most when you wrote your TIB essay?
Antonia: I used these writing strategies to help with my TIB essay: My first writing strategies to combat the distractions I encounter, is to get out of the house and go some where no one knows me.
I also like to listen to music, neo soul to be exact. it gets my head right.
Another one is writing things down as they come to me, whether is on an old receipt ,a napkin or some scrap paper.
Sometime I meditate, it causes such a calming effect and it helps relieve my anxiety that is a by product of my diagnosed PTSD. It also gives me prospective and insight, which helps with my writing.
Writing shitty first, second and third drafts to get some prospective is a huge help in narrowing down what to writ about.
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the TIB essay (freewrite, list, found poem, etc.). What helped you the most?
Antonia: What helped me the most with writing the TIB essay was, listening to music, neo soul to be exact. it gets my head right.
Writing shitty first, second and third drafts helped me get some prospective in narrowing down what to write about.
Getting out of the house and going to the library was also a huge help.
Sabatino: How has the blog impacted your writing process?
Antonia: The blog hard a profound impact on my writing process because it like training wheels on you first bicycle. It’s helping me get my footing as a writer.
Sabatino: Please share your thoughts about the revision techniques we've used in this course (peer review, show and tell, five senses, found poem, etc.)
Antonia: I did not really benefit from peer reviews, but a few of the areas that were beneficial to me were: show and tell, This revision technique forced me to look at how I was getting my story across to my audience where I was doing more describing or telling. The essay interview, 5Ws and H gave great perspective and helped me add depth to the characters and the scene.
Sabatino: What specific revisions have you made to your TIB essay?
Antonia: I made specific revisions in the areas of grammar. Punctuation and summarization.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIB essay?
Antonia: My plans for future revision of my TIB is to get some feed back from peers.
Sabatino: We have used a farming metaphor to conceptualize a sustainable writing process. What metaphor would you use to illustrate your writing process thus far?
Antonia: It's like looking into shattered glass and being broken in plain sight. Even though I have kept a journal for years, my writing has always been a private thing. I could jump from on thought to the next, right in my Trinidadian dialect and go from the present to the past like reading Toni Morrison's "Beloved". It scares and confuses me for the splinters in my mind to be made public. Why am I scared you ask? One word "Taboo".
This I Believe: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your belief statement (word-for-word)?
Antonia: My belief statement is : “Sticks and stones may break my bones but, words can cut like a double edged sword.”
Sabatino: Do you think your belief statement grabs the audience’s attention? Why?
Antonia: Yes I do believe it grabs the audience. Think about it, writing about the effect of words it’s self, is interesting because, each person has their own take on most words and how the are arranged to have either a positive or negative effect.
Sabatino: What is your scene?
Antonia: My scene is a brutal beating I got from my mother accompanied but words that were more hurtful than the beating.
Sabatino: How does your scene illustrate your belief?
Antonia: The scene illustrates that my belief, is a result of circumstance.
Sabatino: What questions do you have for me about your TIB essay?
Antonia: First does the grab you? If so, what does?
I would like to know as a writer and reader, were you able to follow and understand the story line?
What picture does this paint of me? Is it one over coming or dwelling on past traumatic events?
Is there any thing you will add or take away form this story to make it a better read.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Antonia: .I graduated from high school in 1994 and now I feel like I am chasing education down on a hover round going at 5 mile per hour through the L parking lot at Delaware County Community Collage.It is said that nothing happens before time, so I am going to take this leap(well partly because I have no choice) and also ,sometime you just need a swift kick in the butt, to get to where you need to be.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: Yes , I do but that is a matter of opinion. I hope the reader’s do.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site?
Antonia: To be honest am not sure , here is to hoping that, it is one of strength and resilience. Also a willingness to learn.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: Well this came with a great deal of anxiety. why? Well I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and in a nutshell you do as you are told ,speak when your spoken to and answer when called.
It is said that nothing happens before time, so I am going to take this leap(well partly because I have no choice) and also ,sometime you just need a swift kick in the butt, to get to where you need to be. If am able to get where I need to be on this site, I do think that it would be a piece of cake for any audience member.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Antonia: Initially I was petrified because, of the taboo nature of the subjects I write about. Now a great deal of that fear has subsided and has been replaced with a healthy dose of empowerment, a release of guilt and closure .
Like dancing and cooking , I would say, that I am a natural writer who needs to stop second guessing myself .
Questions for Midterm Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Antonia: Did you enjoy reading my blog? What improvements could I make in my efforts to become a better writer? Does the subjects I write about have any effect on you and could you imagine yourself in my position?
Antonia Peters
ENG 100
Reflective Dialogue Q&A
Due: 3/10/14
Sabatino: Can you describe the scene(s) where you wrote the This I Believe (TIB) essay. Be descriptive. Is this sustainable?
Antonia: Looking around I see books every where in sections and categories. From fiction to world travel and beyond. A number of computers on desks with heads bobbing up and down from screen to key board.
I pull the office chair up to the edge of the wooded desk ,pulled out my surface tablet and logged on. Turning Pandora music radio on to the Jill Scott station allowing the neo-soul vibe to fill me with it’s relaxing melodies through my ear buds. Cup of Joe from Wawa to keep me alert and chewing gum for concentration. The Radnor memorial library is the perfect place to write.
Sabatino: You wrote a blog post about six strategies to become a better writer. Have you used those strategies when blogging and writing the TIB essay? Please discuss which of these strategies helped you the most when you wrote your TIB essay?
Antonia: I used these writing strategies to help with my TIB essay: My first writing strategies to combat the distractions I encounter, is to get out of the house and go some where no one knows me.
I also like to listen to music, neo soul to be exact. it gets my head right.
Another one is writing things down as they come to me, whether is on an old receipt ,a napkin or some scrap paper.
Sometime I meditate, it causes such a calming effect and it helps relieve my anxiety that is a by product of my diagnosed PTSD. It also gives me prospective and insight, which helps with my writing.
Writing shitty first, second and third drafts to get some prospective is a huge help in narrowing down what to writ about.
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the TIB essay (freewrite, list, found poem, etc.). What helped you the most?
Antonia: What helped me the most with writing the TIB essay was, listening to music, neo soul to be exact. it gets my head right.
Writing shitty first, second and third drafts helped me get some prospective in narrowing down what to write about.
Getting out of the house and going to the library was also a huge help.
Sabatino: How has the blog impacted your writing process?
Antonia: The blog hard a profound impact on my writing process because it like training wheels on you first bicycle. It’s helping me get my footing as a writer.
Sabatino: Please share your thoughts about the revision techniques we've used in this course (peer review, show and tell, five senses, found poem, etc.)
Antonia: I did not really benefit from peer reviews, but a few of the areas that were beneficial to me were: show and tell, This revision technique forced me to look at how I was getting my story across to my audience where I was doing more describing or telling. The essay interview, 5Ws and H gave great perspective and helped me add depth to the characters and the scene.
Sabatino: What specific revisions have you made to your TIB essay?
Antonia: I made specific revisions in the areas of grammar. Punctuation and summarization.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIB essay?
Antonia: My plans for future revision of my TIB is to get some feed back from peers.
Sabatino: We have used a farming metaphor to conceptualize a sustainable writing process. What metaphor would you use to illustrate your writing process thus far?
Antonia: It's like looking into shattered glass and being broken in plain sight. Even though I have kept a journal for years, my writing has always been a private thing. I could jump from on thought to the next, right in my Trinidadian dialect and go from the present to the past like reading Toni Morrison's "Beloved". It scares and confuses me for the splinters in my mind to be made public. Why am I scared you ask? One word "Taboo".
This I Believe: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your belief statement (word-for-word)?
Antonia: My belief statement is : “Sticks and stones may break my bones but, words can cut like a double edged sword.”
Sabatino: Do you think your belief statement grabs the audience’s attention? Why?
Antonia: Yes I do believe it grabs the audience. Think about it, writing about the effect of words it’s self, is interesting because, each person has their own take on most words and how the are arranged to have either a positive or negative effect.
Sabatino: What is your scene?
Antonia: My scene is a brutal beating I got from my mother accompanied but words that were more hurtful than the beating.
Sabatino: How does your scene illustrate your belief?
Antonia: The scene illustrates that my belief, is a result of circumstance.
Sabatino: What questions do you have for me about your TIB essay?
Antonia: First does the grab you? If so, what does?
I would like to know as a writer and reader, were you able to follow and understand the story line?
What picture does this paint of me? Is it one over coming or dwelling on past traumatic events?
Is there any thing you will add or take away form this story to make it a better read.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Antonia: .I graduated from high school in 1994 and now I feel like I am chasing education down on a hover round going at 5 mile per hour through the L parking lot at Delaware County Community Collage.It is said that nothing happens before time, so I am going to take this leap(well partly because I have no choice) and also ,sometime you just need a swift kick in the butt, to get to where you need to be.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: Yes , I do but that is a matter of opinion. I hope the reader’s do.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site?
Antonia: To be honest am not sure , here is to hoping that, it is one of strength and resilience. Also a willingness to learn.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: Well this came with a great deal of anxiety. why? Well I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and in a nutshell you do as you are told ,speak when your spoken to and answer when called.
It is said that nothing happens before time, so I am going to take this leap(well partly because I have no choice) and also ,sometime you just need a swift kick in the butt, to get to where you need to be. If am able to get where I need to be on this site, I do think that it would be a piece of cake for any audience member.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Antonia: Initially I was petrified because, of the taboo nature of the subjects I write about. Now a great deal of that fear has subsided and has been replaced with a healthy dose of empowerment, a release of guilt and closure .
Like dancing and cooking , I would say, that I am a natural writer who needs to stop second guessing myself .
Questions for Midterm Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Antonia: Did you enjoy reading my blog? What improvements could I make in my efforts to become a better writer? Does the subjects I write about have any effect on you and could you imagine yourself in my position?
This I Wonder: Writing Process
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the This I Wonder (TIW) essay (freewrite, list, presentation, etc.). What helped you the most? What did you struggle with the most? What specific revisions have you made? Please include a discussion about assignment-related blog posts.
Antonia: The process I used for the This I Wonder Essay was free writing. I find the process best suits me because I can just dump it all on the paper then pick out the splinter to form a mirror of my thoughts. Narrowing to one scene proved to be my struggle. The class workshop helped me in fixing problem sentences and narrowing to one scene.
Sabatino: How has your process been similar to your This I Believe process? How has the process been different?
Antonia: The similarities in the writing process between the TIB and TIW Essays is have the first, second and third drafts. Differences are that figuring out what did and did not work for the TIW came easier after doing the TIB.
Sabatino: In what ways have our course readings impacted the way have written your TIW essay?
Antonia: The reading opened my eyes to different styles of writing and putting things in right context.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIW essay?
Antonia: I would like to add some details from a compost heap I have compiled.
This I Wonder: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your understanding of showing and telling writing? How does your essay incorporate both?
Antonia: Showing is a way of drawing your readers in by way of imagination they could see, smell and taste what the scene is about. Telling is laying out the facts on the tail end.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your TIW opening scene? Why did you choose to open your essay with this scene?
Antonia:
Antonia Antoine, please hand me your ticket and follow me to the boarding area." Said the airport attendant.
As I grabbed the small grey suitcase that sat on the terrazzo tiled floor of the Trinidad and Tobago International Airport and hugged my little sisters good bye.
I looked at my mom and without a word or gesture, I turn and walked off.
"Antonia, Antonia," My mom called out but I kept walking.
I chose this scene because it sets the scene and asks the question why? which makes you want to read on.
Sabatino: What is the major decision you had to make in your TIW essay?
Antonia: Taking a step towards my own destiny.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) the scene where you put your decision into action?
Antonia: I left Trinidad that sunny March morning, with a few outfits, two pairs of shoes, a couple of under wares, some toiletries and sixty American dollars in my pocket. When I separated myself from my family that day I did not look back, I felt liberated from their oppressive grip. Today I can truly say that I am blessed and by God's grace I survived the past sixteen year in the United States , now I am ready to live.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your "I wonder" moments in the essay? Which social systems influenced your decision?
Antonia: This I wonder? Had I not stepped out on my own WHO would I be. The right to choose your own path in life social system.
This I Argue: Writing Process
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing process, including generative techniques, research, and revision.
Antonia: I believe that this writing process limited my my creative juices (lol). It did allow space for my opinion, and the subject is a bit taboo. I was not feeling it at first but I got into it at the last minute as the anxiety flowed. The research lead to knowledge and that works for me.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Please discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Antonia: Creating and maintaining a website reminded me of Reality Comes to Call (Carolyn Chute) so many distractions and never enough time.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: yes.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site? How have you revised your identity?
Antonia: One of someone how can over come life's challenges and move forward with a smile. Growth.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: It's a lot of work but I hope I can continue. For the most part.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Antonia: Blogging is a good way to put you opinion on many subjects out there.
Questions for Final Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Antonia:Do you think I have grown as writer? What do I have to do to improve my writing skills? Do you believe that I deserve to maintain my B grade?
Sabatino: Describe your process for writing and revising the This I Wonder (TIW) essay (freewrite, list, presentation, etc.). What helped you the most? What did you struggle with the most? What specific revisions have you made? Please include a discussion about assignment-related blog posts.
Antonia: The process I used for the This I Wonder Essay was free writing. I find the process best suits me because I can just dump it all on the paper then pick out the splinter to form a mirror of my thoughts. Narrowing to one scene proved to be my struggle. The class workshop helped me in fixing problem sentences and narrowing to one scene.
Sabatino: How has your process been similar to your This I Believe process? How has the process been different?
Antonia: The similarities in the writing process between the TIB and TIW Essays is have the first, second and third drafts. Differences are that figuring out what did and did not work for the TIW came easier after doing the TIB.
Sabatino: In what ways have our course readings impacted the way have written your TIW essay?
Antonia: The reading opened my eyes to different styles of writing and putting things in right context.
Sabatino: What is your plan for future revisions to your TIW essay?
Antonia: I would like to add some details from a compost heap I have compiled.
This I Wonder: Writing Product
Sabatino: What is your understanding of showing and telling writing? How does your essay incorporate both?
Antonia: Showing is a way of drawing your readers in by way of imagination they could see, smell and taste what the scene is about. Telling is laying out the facts on the tail end.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your TIW opening scene? Why did you choose to open your essay with this scene?
Antonia:
Antonia Antoine, please hand me your ticket and follow me to the boarding area." Said the airport attendant.
As I grabbed the small grey suitcase that sat on the terrazzo tiled floor of the Trinidad and Tobago International Airport and hugged my little sisters good bye.
I looked at my mom and without a word or gesture, I turn and walked off.
"Antonia, Antonia," My mom called out but I kept walking.
I chose this scene because it sets the scene and asks the question why? which makes you want to read on.
Sabatino: What is the major decision you had to make in your TIW essay?
Antonia: Taking a step towards my own destiny.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) the scene where you put your decision into action?
Antonia: I left Trinidad that sunny March morning, with a few outfits, two pairs of shoes, a couple of under wares, some toiletries and sixty American dollars in my pocket. When I separated myself from my family that day I did not look back, I felt liberated from their oppressive grip. Today I can truly say that I am blessed and by God's grace I survived the past sixteen year in the United States , now I am ready to live.
Sabatino: Can you describe (or copy and paste) your "I wonder" moments in the essay? Which social systems influenced your decision?
Antonia: This I wonder? Had I not stepped out on my own WHO would I be. The right to choose your own path in life social system.
This I Argue: Writing Process
Sabatino: Please discuss your writing process, including generative techniques, research, and revision.
Antonia: I believe that this writing process limited my my creative juices (lol). It did allow space for my opinion, and the subject is a bit taboo. I was not feeling it at first but I got into it at the last minute as the anxiety flowed. The research lead to knowledge and that works for me.
Personal Website
Sabatino: Please discuss your experiences with creating and maintaining a website for this course?
Antonia: Creating and maintaining a website reminded me of Reality Comes to Call (Carolyn Chute) so many distractions and never enough time.
Sabatino: Do you think your site is organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: yes.
Sabatino: What type of identity have you constructed through your site? How have you revised your identity?
Antonia: One of someone how can over come life's challenges and move forward with a smile. Growth.
Personal Blog
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about creating and maintaining a blog? Is your blog organized and easy to navigate?
Antonia: It's a lot of work but I hope I can continue. For the most part.
Sabatino: What are your thoughts about blogging? Please consider the public, social network nature of a blog as well as your initial thoughts in the beginning of the semester as compared to now.
Antonia: Blogging is a good way to put you opinion on many subjects out there.
Questions for Final Conference
Sabatino: Parting comments? Questions for me?
Antonia:Do you think I have grown as writer? What do I have to do to improve my writing skills? Do you believe that I deserve to maintain my B grade?