To compare all of the three quarters I have to admit that Poetry Unit was the best unit of all. At first, I thought poetry was dull and boring because for me, it sounds you had to think really hard and reading other poems is tedious, I couldn’t understand a thing. However, poetry is not just rhyme things, having to know exact meter or sonnets. It’s not as writing in perfect sentences. They are free thought and expresses meaning in different ways. As in simile, metaphor, etc. Although I am very bad at writing essays, poetry doesn’t need perfect grammar or sentence. That’s why poetry is really fun. You can write anything and it doesn’t need full writing. In class, after we have written poetry in class, we have to stand in front of class read our poems. Also, Mr. R would read out loud on the students that have done very well. After we have finished writing poetry; we had poetry night at the end of the quarter with our poetry books. During the poetry night, some students performed their poems in front of friends and family. After we have finished this unit, we have to reflect the poetry unit in form of ESLR’s.
I felt I was a Self-Directed Learner when I wrote poems. I have accepted responsibility in my own learning. To explain this meaning in my own words, I am doing my own responsibility with my own knowledge. By proving I did this, I wrote different kinds of poems, for example sight, smell, haikus, etc. I wrote for instance, sight, you see an apple. If you are a novice for poetry, for example, you wrote on how is an apple like. You would write ?its shiny red outer layer and white inner layer’. However, poetry is asking you, how can you describe it? How does the apple remind of? How does the apple feel? Like that, it’s not if what you see is what you write. It’s what you see and try to be in an apple’s shoes. In addition, if you write an apple is shiny and red. I know it sounds lame but that’s how detailed it can be and sounds very unique. If you start an apple is shiny, does it sound boring? Because everyone’s knows that and it’s like a clich鮠To demonstrate this, I would show my poem for smell:-
Trapped
A smell of soft baby flesh,
Trapped in a breathless mirror,
Hair cold rush with jasmine flower,
Eyes clear as salt falling down his cheeks,
Shoes shine fresh water,
Clothes flashing in aroma perfume,
Powder filled his young face,
Mutters meaningful words.
My poem is not that perfect, but you could understand how it’s written. This poem is from a picture that Mr. R gives out and we had to write using the five sensors. As I wrote more and more poems, I realized I have a similarity between each poem and I was getting better at writing. Every time we wrote poems in class. Our teacher, Mr. R would check and ask us to rewrite/redo/revise/edit our poems. Also, for Self-Directed Learner, I have done a book by myself and design it in my own way. I have also illustrated pictures for each poem. If I had more time doing the book, I would have a better grade. In addition, I shouldn’t have done last minute for the book. I should have time management so I don’t need to write 10 poems in one day. Overall, for my writing of poems and creating book, I thought I was okay. If I grade myself I think I have 85%, B. However, I think I should do better at writing because I haven’t had enough time.
Most of time, we had class discussion. As in, reading in front of the class. When I was reading, I felt I was an Involved Citizen. I demonstrated responsibility in active decision-making. This means that I choose what is best for me. To show I did this, I chose a poem I should read in front of the class. Also, when we first had the introduction to poetry, we had to write a short sentence on what is poetry. Firstly, each student wrote down a sentence and they pass their paper clockwise to the next student and the next student has to create a new sentence related to the sentence. At that time, I felt I chose my best sentence and wrote it down. I have realized since I first started to write my first poetry few months ago and now. I could see big changes. I realized that my poetry is better than last time because last time, my poems were mostly clich頡nd now, not that many. I have also realized that poetry is not very straight forward. The meaning is hidden between each word. I also did draw some pictures to describe the emotions. If I haven’t done poetry before, mostly my poems would be clich鮠I am glad I knew poetry before. I thought I did Good overall. I would grade myself 90%, A. However, I need to work on certain areas, more of explaining things in an understanding way.
I thought I was an Effective Communicator by showing creative talents to convey ideas. In my own words, I showed original ability to show ideas from my view of point. For example, I drew pictures of a boy that is trapped in a mirror as I have shown the poem above in second paragraph. I also thought I was an Effective Communicator because in Teen Life I communicate in the internet and we worked on ?how drugs are related to terrorism’ and we communicated with several different countries and collaborate with the groups we are working on. In Poetry Night, I read to all the audience and I have communicated my poem to them. Without writing, there is no communication and understanding of the poem. In order to have a very strong poem, I did different kinds of things explaining poems. I realized the poems I did here and in my previous school is different. I felt that the poems in my previous school were not as thorough as now. I could see the difference between two poems from last time to now. I also need to work on my explanation is not as well though and it’s kind of hard because English is my second language. I should work on the teen life poem because I didn’t reach my explanation clearly. If I had time to rewrite, I would use that poem for my group. In general, for Effective Communicator, I thought I did Okay. I would grade myself 87.5%, B+. I need to work more on my writing poetry.
While I was writing and brainstorming poems, I felt I was a Critical Thinker. I have built meaning and understanding using prior knowledge and new information. This means that I am learning new things and discovered different things. To prove I did this, I have learned different kinds of writings and expressions. For example, rather than comparing things to animals I compare with the surroundings. I was thinking how am I going to make this poem interesting? A lot of questions came to my head and these questions made me feel I was a Critical Thinker. I did this by knowledge of doing different things in poetry. For instance, I haven’t written a poem using sonnets. If I haven’t done poetry in class, then I would think poetry is boring and hard. On the whole, I thought I did a Good. I would grade myself 93%, A-. I didn’t think I did Very Good because I feel it is little information that I have seek.
Demonstrating ability to work both independently and collaboratively is an Academic Achiever that I thought I did well while writing by myself and reading my poems out loud in the class. Demonstrating ability to work independently and collaboratively in my own words means, you can work alone and work in a group. I showed you this by working on the teen life collaboratively and writing my poems independently. Also, answering questions and vice versa. To show I did this, I worked by myself alone at home and write my own poetry at home and at school, I shared with my classmate and read out loud my poem. As I did more and more of writing and reading out loud, I felt comfortable and better than unaccustomed at first. If I have worked on not being really shy in front of class, I would do better. Overall, I thought I did not bad. By grading myself, I thought I would have 95%, A-. I would have to improve next time.
Wilfred Owen was born on March 8, 1893. He went to the University of London. In 1915, Wilfred Owen was interested of learning about World War 1 and enlisted the Artists Rifles group. After he trained in England, he became the second lieutenant. Wilfred was wounded in 1917 and went to hospital near Edinburgh. There, he met a patient that was a poet, Siegfried Sassoon. That time, Wilfred wrote some poems about the war. It was mostly about horrors of warfare. Owen was awarded Military Cross for bravery. In 1918, fourth of November, he was killed and only at the age of 25. On November 11, his parents got the news of their son. In December 1920, they collected Wilfred Owen’s poem.
