English blog

Going into a college level english class I was a little nervous, however I was mostly excited. Throughout high school, english was always my go-to class because writing has always been a happy place for me. I was very confident coming into this class, but I was also eager to learn new ways to improve my writing habits so I could challenge myself to enhance the way I write. Over the course of this class I have learned so much more than I expected, including how to write an efficient, clear thesis statement and be critical with my writing because there is almost always something that can be fixed or improved.

My first piece of writing in my portfolio is my ethnography essay. This essay had very a unique guideline to follow which I enjoyed very much. For my essay I was able to observe how my Nana goes about living her everyday life and how her habits make her the person she is today. While writing the rough draft I struggled with expanding on my details, however after going back and reading my essay I realized there were many crucial details being forgotten. After I added the missing details, my Nana’s small habits were embellished and they became a very important part of the essay. Another thing I had trouble on was putting everything in chronological order. My rough draft appeared to be messy because I was adding random details in where they shouldn’t have been. However, after I fixed the order things were in, my essay made much more sense and it was easier to read than before.This writing piece not only improved my abilities of going into detail when writing an essay, but I was also able to realize how important the small details are and how much they can improve the main point of my essay. This opened my mind to a different way of writing and using small details to the best of my abilities.

My second piece of writing being presented in my portfolio is called “My Dream Come True.” This was a challenge for me because before I entered this class, embellishing on small details was never a strong portion in my writing. This essay helped me to come out of my comfort zone which had positive benefits as a writer because it forced me to expand what I already knew about writing and what I was capable of doing. When I handed in my rough draft I was able to reflect on how I wrote it and it was not strong.I had a very hard time focusing on the main point of my essay and I was going into detail about things that had nothing to do with my memoir. After reflecting on my mistakes, I was able to expand my writing and add many details not only using imagery, but also emotions about what was being written. After I applied those changes my essay was much smoother than before, and it sounded stronger as well.

My third piece of writing in my portfolio is called “Distracted Parents” which is my second essay. This piece was the most challenging for me because I had to find reliable  sources for my argument which I normally struggle with. After doing a lot of research I was able to find strong articles that had statistics and evidence supporting my claim which made me entire essay sound clear and more confident. This piece of writing goes into detail about how electronics are having a negative impact on the way children are being raised, and how they are distracting parents from the attention being needed by their children. This piece required a lot of strong research skills so the argument being presented had strong evidence  to lean back on. After I fixed my mistakes and found more reliable sources to back up my claim, my essay improved dramatically and I was very pleased with what I wrote.

Overall, I am confident to say that I have improved as a writer and I am a much powerful writer than I was from when I entered this course. I not only learned to add imagery, but also how to find credible, strong sources when writing an argumentative paper. I also learned how to be critical about my own writing, and I am now able to find errors that could be fixed in my writing to become a more cohesive essay. I feel as though I am prepared for the next english course I will be taking, and I am excited to apply my writing skills I obtained from this course.

The Life Of a 90 Year Old Nana

I have the opportunity to live with my ninety year old nana, Betty, who I love very much. About ten years ago when I lived in Plymouth she lived right across the street from me, my brother, and my mom. She was very independent when she lived alone, even after her husband passed away which was about fifteen years ago. Her declining health issues has caused her to no longer live alone. In all of my nana’s ninety years she has experienced a lot of changes and this one may be her most challenging one yet because she is losing her independence.

Betty is five feet six inches and she is is on the heavy-set side. In the morning when she wakes up, Betty uses her walker to bring herself to the stairs and after she makes her way down the stairs, she has a second walker waiting for her. In the kitchen, she brings herself to her special corner on the counter where she keeps all of her cookies, individual pies, scones, and her bran muffins. She always starts her mornings by having two cups of coffee to go with her bran muffin which she insists is essential to her diet.

My nana has many special places in the house, but her favorite one is in the sitting room. She has her favorite chair that she always sits on where she crochetes and reads. On her kindle she always plays solitaire. When she is not in her chair, my cat Izzy will jump in it as soon as she gets the chance. It is always a competition between them of who will get to it first. She always wears several beaded bracelets and she is never without her watch. Since she had to move out of her own house four years ago, she does not have a lot of her own things anymore. Therefore, the few things that she values mainly consist of photographs, blankets that she made, and jewelry.

In my nana’s room she surrounds herself with old photographs because it brings back precious memories for her and it helps my home feel like her home as well. She misses her husband a lot so looking at the pictures brings back joyful, happy memories. I can tell that even though it is sad, she has so much love and care for them. Betty has been knitting and crocheting blankets for years and she has made at least one for every member of the family. She generally chooses school colors or people’s favorite colors. She will crochete for hours and she designs her blankets with zig-zag patterns. Before her arthritis worsened, she used to make people blankets everyday. She has given me so many blankets as gifts and I love receiving them because it makes her so happy to give them away.

Her bedroom is upstairs and she uses a double railing to help her up the stairwell where her second walker awaits her. In her bedroom, there is a bar on the bed to assist her with standing and sitting down easily and there are many old pictures that surrounds her with memories.

Although it has been difficult to give up her own home and move in with us, there are some positive situations that have occured for her, one being her social connections. Betty attends the Council on Aging once a week to play bingo, she attends church suppers the first Friday of every month, and she gets out to the grocery store with her daughter. Betty does not have any friends because they have all passed away. However, she does have a sister, Margaret, who is ninety-nine years old and they talk everyday on the phone.

Technology has had an influence on her, even at her age. She uses a kindle to email which she happens to call texting. She also has a facebook page but not to post anything, just so she can see pictures of the family. However, sometimes she gets confused and hits the wrong buttons and will repost an odd picture or send them to her relatives. Her use of technology is part of her daily schedule along with crocheting, watching tv, (usually Judge Judy or The Price is Right), and a daily nap is an essential part of her day.

Life for my Nana has changed dramatically and she feels as though she has lost her independence. She gets frustrated because she needs to be taken care of, but she also feels blessed to have a home to live in with family because she gets to see her grandchildren. There are many activities in this house with people coming in and out all the time. She has no past regrets, she feels she has had a good life and her future dream is to reach one-hundred years old.

A Dream Come True

“Come over here! We will give you a tour. Oh my gosh im SO EXCITED!” I will never forget how great it was to hear that come out of my brand new brother and sister’s mouth. I have had multiple houses growing up because my parents are split and I have never had one that felt like home… but this time it was different. My biggest dream as a child was about to come true and i could not believe it… I finally got to have a sister!

When we pulled into the quiet mattapoisett house that was somehow all of a sudden my house, I was a little unsure about the situation. It seemed cozy with the off-white porch in the front; in fact the two little rocking chairs were a nice touch. The house was a bright yellow color and my two new siblings were falling out of the doorway fighting about who would get to show me and my older brother Zach around the house first. The minute I stepped out of the car I was overwhelmed with excitement. TWO new siblings! How often can someone say that? As I stepped up onto the off-white porch steps and into the house my step sister, Alex, gave me a huge hug and dragged me inside. I quickly took my shoes off and we both ran into the kitchen. It was beautiful! The kitchen had white tile floors with little square patterns that were black. All around the walls of the kitchen were cabinets that were chestnut and they were built into the wall and a black fridge that was covered in magnets from ski trips. Off to the side of the kitchen was a cute dining room table that was covered in all of Alex’s Soccer gear. I did not know what to think or where to tour next. The living room was connected to the kitchen and it was very cute. There was a tan couch that covered one wall and it was across from the TV. Alex and Jacob had Spongebob playing on it and there was a small juice stain on the white rug. On the closet door there was a basketball hoop hanging from it with two mini basketballs on the floor waiting to be played with. As Alex and jacob brought me and Zach upstairs, all I could think of was how awesome it was that I was given the privilege of having a sister. When I was younger I always wanted to have a sister and now I finally do!

As we all made our way up the last couple steps upstairs Alex pulled me into our room and I was in shock. It was a little girl’s dream room. As I looked around our room I noticed the pink and purple walls. I was so happy it was ours! When I turned to my right I discovered our chestnut closet that had a side for her stuff and a side for my stuff. Her side was filled with American Girl Doll clothes, Bratz dolls, and a bag filled with barbie dolls. I was so ecstatic! I was filled with happiness and did not stop smiling the rest of the day. We had so much in common and we got along right away it really was a dream come true. Our rug was green and it was covered with all of her toys she had ready to play with. My bed was on the left side of the room and hers was on the right. We both had nightstand to the sides of our beds and it looked amazing. My comforter was a light purple color and it had pink flowers and hearts in a pattern on it and my pillows matched. Alex’s comforter was pink with purple swirls all over it and her pillows were white with little blue squares on them. Her nightstand had a picture of her and her friend Alexis on it and her favorite stuffed animal named Aku. She loved nothing more than that stuffed animal dog. I could not think of a moment in my life that I have ever been happier. Even though I was only seven and it was a little hectic moving, the fact that I had a new built in best friend was indescribable. Alex is still my best friend to this day and I am so happy to be able to call her my sister.

Distracted Parents

In “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting,” Erika Christakis argues that parents are becoming so obsessed with their phones which is distracting them from their children. It is easy to get distracted with a noise, or a buzz, however that diversion becomes a huge issue when it begins to interfere with the emotional and cognitive bond between a child and the parent. When parents get distracted while trying to watch a toddler, it can be a very dangerous game. Children are unpredictable and often like to run off, and if you are preoccupied with what is happening on your phone it is easy and much more likely for an accident to happen.

Phones and tablets distract people extremely easily with everyday things which include driving, walking, or even watching your child when you go out. When parents stop focusing on the child’s safety and are more worried about notifications on their phone, it then puts the children in harm’s way and many horrible accidents are open to happening if the child is not being watched. Many people give young children a hard time for playing with electronics at such a young age, but it is the parents that need to be talked to. The reason why children have a tablet or know how to use one is most likely because their parents allow them to use it.  Christakis stated that “more than screen-obsessed young children, we should be concerned about tuned-out parents.” In the beginning of 2010 researchers in Boston watched 55 families in a restaurant to see what the family interacted with more, electronics or the children. As it turns out, 40 out of the 55 parents were so tuned into their phone, that when the children begged for attention, the parents neglected everything they were saying. The more often parents get distracted with notifications or conversations happening on their phone, the more often accidents are going to happen.

Another point Christakis makes in her article is how when parents spend most of their time on a screen, the children are more likely to as well. Studies show that “the average age of onset of “regular” screen use has gone from four years to just four months.” Children should have a chance to be kids, and have an endless imagination instead of being occupied on a screen at as little as less than a year old. Children should be playing outside and exploring fun possibilities with their friends and also learning how to socialize with people face-to-face rather than screen-to-screen. The more parents that become “screen obsessed” the more negative impacts it has on children.

I agree with what the author is expressing and the numerous examples that the author has given causes me to see how big of a problem this is. Time spent on devices is time not spent socializing with other people. Parents have more time with their children today but the quality has decreased because they are physically there, however emotionally they are somewhat detached because their focus is on their phone. Distracted parents are slow to see what the child needs and can then make a negative impact on the children’s cognitive development. The importance of conversation is key so strong language skills for children and if their parents are barely talking to them or paying attention to them, that has a bad impact on the child’s social patterns and abilities.

I can relate to this issue as a gymnastics coach, I can see parents from the viewing window and instead of watching their child do gymnastics they are glued to their phones and they barely ever look up. Many times when a younger child notices their parent is not watching them they get very upset and it soils their mood for the rest of practice. In the article “Kids Feel Unimportant to Cell Phone-Addicted Parents” Ellen Stum Niz says how the kids said they had to compete with technology for their parents’ attention. I also agree with this statement from my own experience and it clearly has a negative impact on the children.

A June study by AVG Technologies “discovered that 32 percent of children felt unimportant when their moms and dads were distracted by their phones.” It is not enough for the parent to just glance up from their phone and give the child a simple acknowledgement. Children need more from their parents and they need more interaction and balance between the attention they get from their parents and the phone. They lack the emotional impact that these young children need as part of their development. The studies show that more than half of parents were concerned that their use of cell phones is setting a bad example for their children.

Not only do disconnected parents cause child developmental problems, this can also lead to relationship issues, loss of empathy, sleep disturbances, car fatalities, and sadly the list goes on. Adults spending time on devices is a larger problem than people think and it should be looked at much more seriously. The balance between children’s emotional needs and parents use of electronic devices is an issue that if not dealt with, will result in cognitive and emotional disturbances in children.

Sources:

Christakis, Erika. “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 June 2018, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/the-dangers-of-distracted-parenting/561752/

“Kids Feel Unimportant to Cell Phone-Addicted Parents.” Parenting, 15 July 2015, www.parenting.com/news-break/kids-feel-unimportant-to-cell-phone-addicted-parents