American Literature
The_Great_Gatsby.pdfConscientious Learner
I think I should get a 3 for conscientious learner because I ended off both semesters with no missing work. I almost always applied myself fully in class but I did have some days where I was checked out and I tried really hard to work on being better about that as the year went on. I chose to use my Gatsby essay as an example of how I did a good job being a conscientious learner because it required me to have all of my IRBs from earlier in the year which shows that I came prepared for class.
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
I think I should get a 3 in collaborative discussions because I improved a lot during the year. After the first few months of school my grade in English wasn't in a place that I was happy with. I talked to my teacher and one of the things I was told to work on was applying myself and sharing my opinions more in class. This was a big struggle for me because I had never been much of an outward speaker. I made an effort to contribute something to every class discussion and open up more. I think one great example of the progress I made during the year was during our group presentation and class discussion about our JRP's. I ended up being one of two people in my group to ask the group a question and contribute to the discussion. I think in the beginning of the school year I would have avoided being a part of the conversation as much as possible.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
I think I should get a 2.85 because I feel that I always did a good job finding strong evidence to support my analysis of the text. and made an effort to explain the significance of the evidence I used. I could have done a better job of deeply explaining the evidence as that was something I was told to work on a few times throughout the year. I used my Death of a Salesman character analysis as an example for this because I had to find quotes from the book to support my analysis of the characters and I felt that I did a good job on this assignment.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
For this category, I give myself a 3. I did a decent job of making and supporting my arguments with relevant and sufficient evidence. I made a point of including good counterarguments and refuting them with solid proof. I used ethos, pathos, and logos fairly well but sometimes struggled with using all three. I could improve my ability to draw in-depth inferences and applications by going beyond what was taught. I used my letter to the editor as an example because it was an assignment from the beginning of the year that I didnt do well on specifically on my ethos pathos and logos. I asked to redo the assignment and on the second attempt I got a 3. I think this is a good example of my growth in this area.
Integrate multiple sources of information in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
In this category, I rate myself a 2.85. I always tried to combine information from several media sources. I also do a good job of assessing the credibility and correctness of my sources and making decisions based on that assessment. I identify my sources' political/moral biases of my research. One thing I think I could have improved on was identifying the limitations of my sources. I used my JRP source validation as an example because it shows my understanding of the sources I used and why I chose to use them.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
For this category, I give myself a 2.85. I am good at identifying themes/central ideas as well as providing supporting evidence from the text. I could concentrate on examining how the themes evolve throughout the text and recognizing the complexities/ambiguities that the themes raise. I chose to use my last Death of a Salesman characterization and themes. I used the last one because I had to reflect on how the themes changed by the end. I used the characterization I did to explain how the themes were different.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence conveying a clear and distinct perspective.
I would give myself a 2.85 on my ability to present information. I am good at presenting findings, and supporting evidence and convey a clear and distinct perspective and a logical argument. I could work on using appropriate eye contact, relevant visuals, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. I think my use of sensory language, visuals, and sound to convey a vivid picture is good but could use a little more intentional enthusiasm. I think i do a great job of planing and presenting an argument that: supports my claim and provides a logical sequence for claims, counterclaims, and evidence and uses rhetorical devices to support assertions. I think my progress through the year in our in class discussions is a good example for this topic.