Final Reflection

           This year has been a hard, but very helpful year in writing. I have learned so much about different styles to write. From writing a dialogue to writing the annotated bibliography, I had never written anything like them. I learned a lot about the education in this country too. I also learned about the education in another country, Finland, too. I came to this inquiry of comparing the United States and Finland education systems through the readings and assignments we have done it this class as well as previous classes.

            When we started the class and Megan told us we needed to have an inquiry topic for the class I immediately started to think. I had never really thought about education the way Megan had presented it the first couple weeks. When we first read Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work by Jean Anyon, it really opened my eyes to how different the teaching styles are from school to school. We also watched the TED talks by Sir Ken Robinson about how schools are killing creativity. This also opened my eyes to how the United States is no long number one in education. We are actually 21^st now and declining.

            When I wrote my writing history response, I remembered all the classes I had done big writing assignments in and how they affected me as a writer. I reflected on human geography, my favorite class to write for. Since this was my favorite I thought how I could incorporate this writing subject into my inquiry topic and I came up with the idea to write a comparison of the United States and Finland (since Finland is now number one).

            The writing into the day activities we did before each class also helped reinforce my inquiry. Many of the questions we had to reflect on were how students learned differently. One question that really sparked some interest was on February 13^th. It asked to “write down everything you now about a country or countries outside the US.  This can include languages, clothing styles, trends, geography, climate, conflicts, etc.”  We also had one class devoted to the No Child Left Behind Act. We watched two videos that day, one on the NCLB and one on standardized testing. I eventually used this in my final joining the conversation piece because it linked directly to the United States education system policies.

At the beginning of the joining the conversation description in the syllabus is a quote. We were asked to respond to the quote one day as part of our writing into the day. The quote, my response, and the response of others helped me with my inquiry because it showed I am not the only one working on this issue. People have been looking at the in depth similarities and differences of the United States and Finland for years, and my paper is the equivalent of a raindrop in the ocean. So much research is being conducted these days it is hard to come up with something original. That is one thing I have learned this year.

My annotated bibliography was when I really started to go into depth with my inquiry. I found an abundance of sources I could use, but narrowed it down to a few. Each one was unique and presented a different style. The source called, A Comparison of European Educational Systems, was unlike any essay I had ever read. It only used comparative words and nothing else. There were no opinions, only ideas on which to compare the systems. I did not want my paper to sound anything like this, as it was boring and tenuous. With this I found I could never be an academic writer/professor because it just wasn’t exciting enough. Because of this I looked up documentaries and found an interesting one called Waiting for Superman, which won many awards. It was very interesting and I enjoyed watching it more than the articles I read. This continued to show who I am as a person. I enjoy movies over books and I would rather be outside then inside. This has affected me as a writer and a scholar.

This year has been a hard, but very helpful year in writing. I have learned so much about different styles to write. From writing a dialogue to writing the annotated bibliography, I had never written anything like them. I learned a lot about the education in this country too. I also learned about the education in another country, Finland, too. I came to this inquiry of comparing the United States and Finland education systems through the readings and assignments we have done it this class as well as previous classes.

            When we started the class and Megan told us we needed to have an inquiry topic for the class I immediately started to think. I had never really thought about education the way Megan had presented it the first couple weeks. When we first read Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work by Jean Anyon, it really opened my eyes to how different the teaching styles are from school to school. We also watched the TED talks by Sir Ken Robinson about how schools are killing creativity. This also opened my eyes to how the United States is no long number one in education. We are actually 21^st now and declining.

            When I wrote my writing history response, I remembered all the classes I had done big writing assignments in and how they affected me as a writer. I reflected on human geography, my favorite class to write for. Since this was my favorite I thought how I could incorporate this writing subject into my inquiry topic and I came up with the idea to write a comparison of the United States and Finland (since Finland is now number one).

            The writing into the day activities we did before each class also helped reinforce my inquiry. Many of the questions we had to reflect on were how students learned differently. One question that really sparked some interest was on February 13^th. It asked to “write down everything you now about a country or countries outside the US.  This can include languages, clothing styles, trends, geography, climate, conflicts, etc.”  We also had one class devoted to the No Child Left Behind Act. We watched two videos that day, one on the NCLB and one on standardized testing. I eventually used this in my final joining the conversation piece because it linked directly to the United States education system policies.

At the beginning of the joining the conversation description in the syllabus is a quote. We were asked to respond to the quote one day as part of our writing into the day. The quote, my response, and the response of others helped me with my inquiry because it showed I am not the only one working on this issue. People have been looking at the in depth similarities and differences of the United States and Finland for years, and my paper is the equivalent of a raindrop in the ocean. So much research is being conducted these days it is hard to come up with something original. That is one thing I have learned this year.

My annotated bibliography was when I really started to go into depth with my inquiry. I found an abundance of sources I could use, but narrowed it down to a few. Each one was unique and presented a different style. The source called, A Comparison of European Educational Systems, was unlike any essay I had ever read. It only used comparative words and nothing else. There were no opinions, only ideas on which to compare the systems. I did not want my paper to sound anything like this, as it was boring and tenuous. With this I found I could never be an academic writer/professor because it just wasn’t exciting enough. Because of this I looked up documentaries and found an interesting one called Waiting for Superman, which won many awards. It was very interesting and I enjoyed watching it more than the articles I read. This continued to show who I am as a person. I enjoy movies over books and I would rather be outside then inside. This has affected me as a writer and a scholar.

            When it came to our exploratory essays, I was ready and knew what to write. I knew how to write these since I had been doing them in every class since middle school. The dialogue on the other hand was new territory. I had no idea what to do because I had never done one before. I am also not a very creative person at all. I like things to be literal. I looked over my annotated bibliography for differences and similarities. I then proceeded to just write what came to me. The next day we presented these in workshop. The workshops and reflections have helped me so much this year, but especially for this one. It was good to hear other students’ papers so I could get a better handle on the assignment. After doing all the steps for revision I think my paper turned out very good and enhanced my inquiry. I was ready to write a final draft with the information provided in the exploratory essay and the dialogue.

            I have learned much this year about myself as a writer. I have learned that I like the literal interpretations of things. I have also learned that I do not like dull writing. I have also learned a lot about education and how it can all be connected. When I write a paper inquiring about something, I am only joining the conversation that has been going on for years, and in the case of education, centuries. Writing is a gateway to the mind. It is a chance to express what you think onto paper for other people to read.   

            When it came to our exploratory essays, I was ready and knew what to write. I knew how to write these since I had been doing them in every class since middle school. The dialogue on the other hand was new territory. I had no idea what to do because I had never done one before. I am also not a very creative person at all. I like things to be literal. I looked over my annotated bibliography for differences and similarities. I then proceeded to just write what came to me. The next day we presented these in workshop. The workshops and reflections have helped me so much this year, but especially for this one. It was good to hear other students’ papers so I could get a better handle on the assignment. After doing all the steps for revision I think my paper turned out very good and enhanced my inquiry. I was ready to write a final draft with the information provided in the exploratory essay and the dialogue.

            I have learned much this year about myself as a writer. I have learned that I like the literal interpretations of things. I have also learned that I do not like dull writing. I have also learned a lot about education and how it can all be connected. When I write a paper inquiring about something, I am only joining the conversation that has been going on for years, and in the case of education, centuries. Writing is a gateway to the mind. It is a chance to express what you think onto paper for other people to read.