The Lady or the Tiger?

The first benchmark that helps with the short story The Lady or The Tiger? is 1.a. Benchmark 1.a talks about using "cognative and metacognitive strategies to comprehend diverse texts." This helps because when reading a story like The Lady or the Tiger?, comprehension strategies help to break down parts that might be difficult understand. Also, using these will allow you to think back on what you read and help you think about more things than when you read it the first time. The second benchmark is 1.b(Use context clues to define and interpret figurative words and phrases). This helps because in this story and many others, a word pops up that might be hard to figure out. The meaning of a lot of words and figurative language can be found out just by reading the context.

In addition to those two, benchmark 4.b(Analyze a variety of texts in order to build connections and draw subtle generalizations and conclusions) would help with comparing The Lady or the Tiger? to other works that have the same theme and other characteristics. This aides in gathering thoughts about the story as a whole. Finally, 4.c(Summarize and synthesize ideas and events within or among a variety of texts) works with this story because when you summarize a story, a movie, etc., it helps you fully understand what you just read or saw.

This I Believe

There are a few benchmarks that are related to the "This I Believe" essay. The first benchmark I noticed that relates to the essay is Benchmark 2.e: "Utilize peer feedback, style manuals, and electronic tools to revise, edit, and evaluate their own texts." This is a very useful benchmark for the essay, because feedback and tools like spell check really help to make the first draft as good as it can be. Also, Benchmark 2.g: "Exhibit skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary." relates to the essay because using language that fits the kind of essay it is. For example, this essay is a personal one, so you wouldn't use words like that talk about others but you don't want to be completely informal; benchmark 3.a also ties into what 2.g states.

Introduction

I expect a few different things from this course. I think that this course will help me improve my writing and add new ways and styles for me to put my ideas on papers for school and the numerous things I might have to write. I am also hoping that this course will teach me how to respond to other people's work better than simple compliments or something else. I also think that this course will help me to identify and stop plagiarism.

The skills in that I would like to learn from this class are ones that I haven't yet managed to learn from my previous classes. Those skills I may have learned a bit about but never got the full idea. I was never able to fully express my ideas about the material we were reading vocally. Also, I hope that I can learn to work in a group better, such as actually conversing with the group about what we're supposed to do. Another skill I would like to develop is responding to works of my peers or novels and other things.

While I am by no means perfect in English, I do have a few strengths. I have always been told that I am an excellent writer and reader and I can almost always figure out the meaning of a text. Also, I can easily comprenhend what point the author could be try to get across. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the work that I am the most proud of on my computer. However, the work that I remember and am most proud of is a biography about my mother's life which I wrote during my freshman year and various projects for novels during my high school year. Hopefully I can find some of those and get them up.

Like anyone, I have a few weaknesses in English. First, I have a hard time being able to vocalize my thoughts and have people understand what I'm saying. If I understand what the author is saying or come up with something that other people might not have, I am not able to get those thoughts out there for other people to consider. I also have a hard time in discussions, since while I'm in a discussion, I can't really think of anything to say. Although I do write well, I tend to get stuck a lot on what I am writing and it's hard for me to come back from it. Even while I was just writing this I get stuck a few times.