Leighton's Lang/Comp Blog

Clustering helped me organize my ideas in a way that I could understand better, since it was drawn out. Being able to visually see how my ideas connect without it just being a list helps me better comprehend what reasons I have at hand to support my claim, and what options I have to choose from if I feel stuck. I think using this strategy on the AP exam might be helpful, but I'm not sure if it would be the best since I would need a sheet of paper to draw this out on, and I might waste time thinking over potential ideas that I might not even end up using in my essay. Though, I do think it could be useful outside of school, too. Summary: Today in class, we took notes on brainstorming and went in detail on a specific method called the Clustering Method. Reflection: I hope that we will be able to learn more brainstorming methods in class soon. I would like to see what other options I have, even if I liked learning how to use the Clustering Method.

The easiest part of the essay was probably planning; coming up with reasons to support my claim was fairly easy. However, having to explain it became difficult at some points, as I was a little confused on how to word my own thoughts in the best way possible. I think to make next time easier, I should come up with a couple back-up reasons just in case I get stumped again. I also think I should spend a little less time planning since I felt extremely rushed towards the last few minutes we had left to write. Summary: Today in class, we wrote an argument essay on whether selfies are valid or invalid. Reflection: I think if I had a little more time, or at the least managed my time a little better, I could have fleshed out a couple of my paragraphs more thoroughly. Though, I do think writing this essay was good practice for what it might be like during the upcoming AP Lang exam and have a little more of an idea on how to prepare. 

This is not necessarily a specific time, but I always feel like I belong the most when I'm in Audio Visual Tech & Film. Originally, I did not sign up for the class, but I quickly grew to love it. Learning how to use the equipment, memorizing the correct terms, and being able to let out some of my creativity has already been something I enjoy a lot, especially since I enjoy writing and coming up with unique ideas for any scenario I'm in. That being said, meeting and being around people who might share similar ideas as me and who have the same passion as me makes me feel seen. I have met some of my greatest friends in this class, and I never feel awkward when giving out an idea for a script, what shots we should shoot, what elements we could include in editing, etc. Going to that class is truly the highlight of my day. Summary: Today in class, we analyzed "Missing Your People" by Tracy Bower on Commonlit, which discussed the importance of belonging. Reflection: Afte...

I think the vocabulary word that would be most useful to me in the future would be "idyllic." It is an adjective used to describe something that is carefree, simple, or close to perfect. Realistically, I could see myself using this word often, like when describing whether I have had a good day---whether it was idyllic or not. I could also see myself using this word to describe some of my friends who are pretty open-minded, go with the flow, and enjoy the little things in life. Summary: Today in class, we wrote down notes on new vocabulary, did practice, and wrote a sentence for each word. Reflection: I believe that taking notes on new vocabulary is important, but doing practice is what will influence the words to stick. It shows you what scenarios you might use the words in and when they would be appropriate to use.

One thing I understand better about commentary that I did not fully understand before is that coming up with three or more full sentences can be difficult sometimes. Some prompts differ from others, which can cause confusion or hesitation in knowing what to write. However, I think the best thing to do is to jot down a few quick ideas on what you might want to say, and then figure out how to connect those ideas to one another in a way that naturally flows and is relevant to the claim and evidence. Plus, the entire concept of writing commentary is actually more simple than it might seem, it just takes practice.  Summary: Today in class, we did practice on writing commentary for a claim and piece of evidence.  Reflection: I believe that doing practice on writing commentary is beneficial, not only to me but my class as well. I hope that we can continue to practice like this, and maybe even review in class to further comprehend what good commentary may look like in an argumentative...

Reviewing and scoring past AP Language argument essays has given me a better understanding of what good and bad essays may look like. A common theme I noticed was that the essays with a full five paragraphs received better scores than those with only two or three; they were more fleshed out, included more detailed evidence and commentary, and explained the "so what?" pretty well. I also noticed that, even though writing full paragraphs may not be the most common throughout all the essays we reviewed, it is still pretty easy to receive the point for creating a clear claim. From what I remember, I believe there was only one essay that did not have a clear claim written.  Summary: Today in class, we took notes on commentary, then looked at past AP Language exams on Writeable and scored them based on our class rubric. Reflection: I believe that taking notes on commentary before reviewing and scoring the past AP Language exams definitely helped the class understand what we were go...

I can not recall a specific time where I have completed an assignment without fully understanding what my teacher was looking for, but I do know that this happened quite a lot. Sometimes it is difficult for me to process information right away without specific details or instructions given. Even so, I still complete the assignment to the best of my abilities by looking at the rubric if one is provided. Rubrics tend to help me get a better idea of what is expected to receive the highest grade for the assignment, as they usually make instructions clearer to understand and sometimes even provide examples.  Summary: Today in class, we annotated a rubric given to us by Mr. Rease, to which we would then use to revise our argument paragraphs. Reflection: By not only looking over the AP Lang Argument Essay Rubric, but annotating it as well, I believe that I will have a better understanding of what work I must put in to receive the highest possible grade. With annotations and notes alongsid...

Analyzing other classmates' arguments put it into perspective for me how my peers think and their capabilities in argument paragraphs so far in the year. I thought some paragraphs were written pretty well, while others I believe needed more improvement. It was cool to see other people's writing styles and what makes them unique, as well as how they put their groups' ideas into words. I think it's important that we did this because it means we can work with each other as a class to improve individually and as a whole.  Summary: Today in class, we analyzed and reviewed our classmates' group paragraphs based on the best one that was selected by Mr. Rease. Reflection: I don't think there is much else to say than what I said in my primary response. I think activities like this would be pretty beneficial in the future, though, and I actually somewhat look forward to doing this type of thing again. 

Often times I have seen informal language be used in situations where formal language would be much more appropriate in TikTok comment sections. There has been various times---more than I count---where I have come across a TikTok video covering a serious topic like a crime case, someone's death, or another serious matter, and upon opening the comments, I have seen people asking insensitive questions or using slang to discuss the topic. More often than not, these people receive backlash from other commenters for not maintaining a serious demeanor for the serious topic, or simply for being rude, whether it was intentional or not. I think to avoid this, people should refrain from using slang words when discussing such weighty themes and think more about how they are phrasing their responses; otherwise, words can come across as disrespectful or offensive. Summary: Today in class, we took notes and finished our Unpopular Opinions paragraphs on Writeable with our groups. Reflection: I th...

One thing my group and I did was let every member say their thoughts on our topic, and then collectively come to an agreement after discussing potential ways to write our response. We let everyone have a fair say in our discussion and equal amounts of time to talk, and did not ignore or argue with anyone. Instead, we built on each other's ideas and went from there. I think by thoroughly communicating with each other, we were able to come to a satisfying conclusion we all agreed with. Summary: Today in class, we did vocabulary work in our notebooks. We took notes of the terms, their definitions, functions, and worked out practice problems.  Reflection: I think if we were to use more of the vocabulary words we learn in class, our argument paragraphs could become stronger. It would also make good practice, as we would be using class terms in the real world. 

I've always been pretty curious about how other people think and work. Psychology is a pretty interesting thing to me, and I love learning about what makes someone act or think a certain way, and how it can affect others around that person. I also like applying whatever knowledge I have to myself! I find it super fun to analyze tons of things.  Summary: Today in class, we continued working on our group paragraphs about our stances on a unpopular opinion.  Reflection: I'm curious to know what my other classmates decided regarding the prompts they received and why they feel the way they do about it. I think it'll be super fun and definitely beneficial to be open to other people's opinions and respectfully discuss them. 

For me, the most challenging part in building an argument is reciting evidence. It's easier when given a text to collect evidence from, but without one, it's difficult. Finding evidence to support my claim is pretty easy for me, so is explaining, it's just a matter of what materials are provided for me or not. I especially struggle with this since my memory is not the best in certain things, so using something that isn't an observation or a part of my experience isn't the easiest.  Summary: Today in class, we learned about lines of reasoning, which connects a claim to evidence, commentary, and a conclusion. We also wrote paragraphs on an unpopular opinion in groups. Reflection: I believe if my memory were a bit better or if I had a chance to look up articles, news episodes, or something else as reference to the topic I'm writing about, I would not struggle as much.

While I have not fully overcome my anxiety of socializing with others, I do think I have significantly improved from where I started. I used to be extremely nervous when it came to the mere idea of talking to someone I didn't know, but now I find it to be less of an obstacle. It's definitely taken some work and different tactics, as building up enough courage to give someone a simple compliment in public, and I'm still looking to improve, but I'm proud of how well I've been doing so far. Now, I occasionally search for opportunities to talk to people out of want and not necessity.  Summary: Today in class, we reviewed the feedback we received from our teacher on our argumentative paragraphs we made the week prior.  Reflection: I'm actually not too sure how to connect my response to what we did in class. However, I do think it'll be easier for me to apply experiences into my argumentative writing in the future because of the social progress I have made. 

Lately, I've been saying "question mark" after a lot of my sentences, verbally and over text. I've found myself saying this after asking someone a question or whenever I'm unsure about something I or someone else has said. I'm not too sure why it's been a part of my everyday speech lately, but it could be because I have heard a couple other people saying it around me in similar ways, and I tend to pick up phrases from others pretty easily. I think it helps me communicate better to others, since sometimes my friends or peers have a hard time deciphering what I mean through what I say. Summary: Today in class, we went over vocabulary words. We took notes of them in our notebooks and did practice questions as well. Reflection: I find it a bit funny how, compared to the vocabulary words we covered in class today, such a simple phrase has found its way into my vocabulary instead of something more fancy. I do think that practicing with the vocabulary will help m...