Reflective Essay

Reflective Essay

            As we draw near to Thanksgiving, I am that much closer to completing my first Spring Semester here at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash. Over this time, which feels as though it flew by so quickly, I learned a plethora of information on various topics, from veterinary sciences to world history. Although I at times struggled with my classes, one which I felt I excelled in was that of Professor Oberlin’s English class.

English has always been a favored class of mine, as I possess an extensive vocabulary, refined writing skills, and ability over the subject in general. What with my achievements through high school in this particular subject, where I seldom ever scored beneath an A, I found myself at ease in this class, and entered into it with few fears or worries for the outcome, assured that it would be a satisfactory end. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the instructor, whose new age teaching style struck me as both innovative and risky all in the same. Although not entirely sure what it expect from Professor Oberlin’s attempt at linking students with technology, I had high hopes for what the class could achieve.

Our first task on the agenda was the assignment of joining mass social media site “Pinterest”. I found the idea compelling, though I was unsure of exactly how the site could possibly apply to an English class. I must say I was slightly disappointed at the fact that Pinterest was not revisited at any point later in the class, as I was curious of Professor Oberlin’s intentions. Instead, though, we seemed to focus more on the other website introduced for Oberlin’s new style, “Wordpress”. I enjoyed using this website, and found it to be a far more effective way of writing blog entries that could be reviewed later than other methods, such as submitting them via dropbox or even an old fashioned handwritten copy. I felt WordPress was definitely a move in the right direction, and I became so skilled at the mechanics of the site I later decided to create another WordPress blog for an assigned research project. I however found the I-Clicker, the final implementation of technology, to be a bit of a waste of money on the students’ part.

Throughout the class, I feel I have grown as a writer to a certain extent, most focally in the research department. Although I have previously completed research essays in other classes and throughout high school, none were quite as extensive as the assignments I faced in this class. By assigning the same ‘food’ related topic twice, I was forced by Professor Oberlin to dig deeper throughout a particular subject than I ever had before, and learn more and more about it. In choosing food related taboos, I discovered that the topic extended far past what I had previously believed, and I had to become an expert on many avenues in regards to this subject, from actual animal meat to eating habits that were considered taboo. I also had to gain a better grip on citing these sources, as I had little experience in this field beforehand and only a slight knowledge on how to do so.

I consider that perhaps my most favorite part of the class was the option to create a website for an assignment. Although intended as a “Debate” paper, the chance to translate this project into a website was both entertaining, and a nice break from the droll, practical paper writing nature of many other classes. In creating my WordPress blog around food taboos, I found a more casual way to translate myself to the reader, and in turn I had to become more understanding of the topic at hand so I could speak of it on that level. This was certainly a good move by Professor Oberlin.

All in all, I enjoyed this English class. I feel I have grown as a researcher, and I was given a new opportunity as a writer to present my material to the audience. I feel this class has been a success, and left me with skills I can continue to use later.