UWRIT 1103 by Janie Hamrick

Janie Hamrick/ Shitty First Drafts

jhamri38 — 2015-01-13 00:42:02 UTC

I found the article "Shitty First Drafts" comforting. Knowing that a professional writer creating a restaurant review struggles just as much as a college student writing an essay makes me feel somewhat confident in my writing ability. I tend to get easily discouraged when it comes to writing, because I can't seem to sit still for a prolonged period of time and write, or do anything sitting still for a prolonged amount of time for that matter. I also want my first draft to be my final draft. I am a perfectionist, and so I want everything I write or draw to be perfected in one session of composure. Reading this article made me come to terms with what I try and deny so often, which is that I need to just let loose and be messy with my first drafts. Getting so caught up in making sure my writing sounds eloquent and my grammar is flawless on the first draft will detract from the building of ideas and creativity.

Janie Hamrick/ Why I Hate School But Love Education

jhamri38 — 2015-01-20 15:40:17 UTC

Videos of this nature tend to stir up heated emotions of viewers due to the relatable nature of sleepless nights and sleeping in class and extensive money spent on school. They tend to persuade the viewers that school is in fact pointless and conforms all minds to think the same. I was one of those viewers. I saw this video in my Education class last semester and at once believed it because of the powerful images and examples of successful people without schooling. But then i thought again, what about all the people who succeeded with schooling? Those people far outnumber the few listed in the video. What about me, studying and slaving over AP Anatomy notes in high school in order to get an A on the test, but all the while loving my teacher because she made me WANT to study? what about the teachers who require much but make you want to give nothing less than your best? Schooling may be hated because there are not enough teachers like this. This is why I want to become a teacher and make school beloved. Of course I agree that there are different modes of learning, such as David Beckham learning how to play soccer, and people with passions and gifts should pursue them, but that does not mean school should not be abandoned.

Janie Hamrick/ From Degrading to De-Grading

jhamri38 — 2015-01-29 20:36:41 UTC

This study contained many compelling arguments regarding the grading system and the many cons to it. I do agree that schools focus too highly on grades and meeting the standard requirements. Especially in the college acceptance process, it seems that universities only look at ones SAT score and nothing else. For those, such as myself, who made honor roll, played sports, was in clubs, and did extensive service work all through high school, yet did not test well, grades can be quite frustrating. When universities only see a number on a test score instead of a person, I believe there is a problem. Granted, I do believe grades are good to an extent, and shouldn't be completely eliminated, but having grades define you can definitely make a student want to learn for the wrong reasons.

Janie Hamrick/ Nobody Writes Alone

jhamri38 — 2015-02-19 02:27:19 UTC

This peer review video was extremely inspiring and made me love the idea of peer review. Realistically, though, I do not find peer review, or at least the peer review that I have encountered in high school and most of college to be that beneficial. Half of my peer group hadn't finished the assignment or even knew what exactly it was, so the girl that I peer reviewed with got half the experience we thought we would. But from the peer review that I did get, I did not get any feedback. I do not know if the new-ness our relationship made her uncomfortable critiquing my work, or if she actually thought my work was superb with no flaws, or if she was simply on a different level and couldn't critically think of anything to change. I would have enjoyed some second opinions even though I was proud of my work and did not expect many changes, I know that sounds cocky. I'm sorry.

Janie Hamrick/ How Schools Kill Creativity

jhamri38 — 2015-02-19 03:07:59 UTC

I found it interesting that I watched this video, as it seems to be a theme coming up in multiple classes of mine. I do agree that the school system is killing creativity and i can personally attest to fearing being wrong. I love seeing children taking chances and bold asking questions with no fear of being wrong. It saddens me that the older we get, the less questions we ask because we just want to be right, to get the grade, to earn the degree, and to get the job. I believe there are different modes of intelligence, and school only tests one. Although every student is diverse and completely different, we are all tested on the same standards and supposed learn the same things and be the same and have no uniqueness. Just because I am not good at math and don't meet the "standard" does not mean I am not intelligent. What about the students who are intelligent in sports, arts, theatre, etc.?? Because they go against the norms they are considered unintelligent by the school systems. I believe the school systems are unintelligent for believing everyone is the same.

Laptop Use/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-03-23 15:09:47 UTC

I have have had teachers who enforce this rule so strictly that they made the students feel as though they were children. With people walking around monitoring if people were using their phones to the teacher using a condescending tone saying "I think you guys can be without your precious phones for an hour". That class made me dislike the policy just because of how she enforced it. This, on the other hand, I understand. I liked how she was not at all condescending and how she used studies and research to back up why she was enforcing this rule. She also worked with the students if they had a definite need to preference to taking notes on a computer. My previous teacher assumed all technology use was off topic. I understood and respected the rule after reading the text.

Joyous Valadorous/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-03-23 15:18:06 UTC

I thought this work was beautiful. It is amazing how there is a heart the size of a pencil eraser that belongs to a hummingbird and one as large as a house for a whale. I find it fascinating. I enjoyed this work and the beauty portrayed through the heart of various species.

The Shadow Scholar/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-03-23 15:31:10 UTC

This article was extremely unsettling. At first I though the man servicing these students was a one man job but to find out there are entire companies who simply write others' assignments and are paid such high amounts to do so... It is very disturbing. What i do not understand is how the students who require these services even got into college. Based on the excerpts of what students send him, they do not know how to even write up a simple ten word email. It is scary to think that these people have fake doctorates or bachelor's degrees and are in our midst doing things in our society that they do not have the competence for.

How To Buy Happiness/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-03-23 15:45:55 UTC

This video intrigued me, because I have often heard the term "money can't buy happiness". I never thought that simply changing who you are buying for can have such a great effect on your personal well being. I enjoyed this TED talk because it challenged the standard saying, then provided research backing it up, and then gave an example of an organization that can help fix the problem.

Why Writers are the Worst Procrastinators/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-04-12 20:59:13 UTC

I found this article on procrastination to be very true in my case. I tend to put something off because I don't want to turn in something bad, but then the fear of turning in nothing at all wins and I end up writing the whole assignment at the last minute. I have been trying to work on my procrastination while at college, but deadlines that are weeks away tend to be difficult and I tend to wait until I am running out of time to do the assignment.

Every Kid Needs A Champion/Janie Hamrick

jhamri38 — 2015-04-12 21:10:01 UTC

I totally agree with this TED talk!! I have a very hard time learning from people or listening to superiors who I do not like. Respect needs to be in place for students to want to excel in the classroom. I find it difficult in some of my college courses to pay attention if I do not respect the professor or if they make it obvious that they do not care. I love her passion as she discusses how she teaches her students and empowers them to realize that they are valued students and have so much potential no matter where they are in their education, they have room for improvement!

End Of The Semester Got Me Like....

jhamri38 — 2015-04-13 00:31:13 UTC