This class and this assignment have made me think a lot about my
relationship with nature. I don’t think
my attitudes about nature have changed, per se, but I do feel like I learned a
lot. I found that a lot of the things we
discussed in this class were related to the topics I learned about in SCI 225,
another class I took last semester at GVSU.
SCI 225 is a class for pre-service elementary and special ed. teachers,
and it focuses upon biology and geology in terms of climate change and the
environment. I found that it was helpful
completing that class before taking this class because I was more aware of the
topics we discussed. Having the
background knowledge of the environmental issues allowed me to focus less on “facts”
and more on my own personal relationship with nature. I have always felt a deep appreciation for
nature; being in the natural world, especially near water, is always a calming
experience for me. It makes me realize
how small I am in this huge, intricate world.
As for the work involved
in this class, I think that I have definitely expanded my skills, especially
with research techniques. This class has
been good practice for me, in terms of learning how to find scholarly sources
to support my projects and papers. I
feel that I have always been a relatively strong writer, but even strong
writers need to learn how to back up their arguments and opinions with concrete
evidence and support from other scholars.
This class has also definitely helped me become more creative with my
assignment titles! I know that Dr.
Triezenberg loves lengthy, creative, and descriptive titles, so this was good
practice for me! It may seem like a
minor thing, but I think that compelling titles are actually an extremely
important part of good, strong writing.
The whole blogging
experience itself has been extremely interesting. I have never kept a blog before, so this was
a new experience for me. I was not
really sure what to expect when I started this blog. I found that the most challenging part of
this assignment was feeling comfortable writing in the first person—usually,
this is a big no-no in college-level English classes. It felt a little bit unnatural and awkward at
first, probably just because I am not used to doing it. When I write in the first person, I often
feel that my writing sounds unprofessional or even unintelligent. I feel that this blogging assignment has
helped me become a bit more confident in my own writing. It can be daunting to put one’s personal thoughts
and feelings and experiences out on the Internet for anyone to see, but this
assignment definitely helped me get over that fear.
Overall, I thought
this blogging assignment was pretty beneficial.
I will admit, there were some weeks when I was loaded down with other
homework and had absolutely no desire to write a new blog post, but I think
that, ultimately, I enjoyed writing down my thoughts. It offered me a new way to express what I was
thinking and feeling. I am not sure if I
will continue blogging in the future, but I am considering it. I am going on a study abroad trip to the
Netherlands this spring, and I think that blogging about those experiences
could be a fun way to share my trip with my family and friends!
