English 111 Course Reflection

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Deciding to go back to school at the age of 29 was not difficult to decide. I always felt I was good at reading and writing, but for some reason when I went to take the placement test, my English score was not as high as I thought it would be. Although I’ve been out of school for a while, I still didn’t think I wouldn’t pass the test. So needless to say, I was a little discouraged when I first started English 111 because I had doubts about what my skill level was going to be. Not only did I have to take a developmental class before starting this one, but I also had to make myself believe that I could complete the course successfully. Now when first meeting my teacher Mr. Gasparo, I thought to myself “He is going to make this class very interesting.”

Our first assignment was to write a Diagnostic essay to let Mr. Gasparo see where our skill levels were at. I didn’t think this essay was a problem because it was easy and I love writing narration essays. I was a little excited to turn it in because I wanted to know what he thought. We never did get any feedback on them, so once again I was left in doubt about my skills. Most of the assignments we had were very useful to me, but one in particular that I couldn’t stand was watching “Wings for Wheels” by Bruce Springsteen. The video and all the lyrics we had to read and listen to just were very annoying. I still to this day don’t understand the point of what we were to learn from him. I hope to god I never have to listen to any of his music again. Personally, his voice is annoying and I don’t think he can sing. Now that I think about it, when we read the lyrics to “Born in the U.S.A”, I learned that the song was not about being proud to be in the U.S. It had something to do with an unemployed Vietnam veteran. Although the verse is very memorable, I bet half the people in today’s society don’t know the meaning of the song.

My favorite assignment was when we viewed the documentary “Sicko” by Michael Moore. I learned so much about how corrupt the insurance companies can be. I even went home telling my husband about it and he watched a lot of the information on YouTube. I hate to think of what might happen to me or a family member if we got seriously ill, and the insurance company denied coverage. I am crossing my fingers that we never have to find out.

This has been a long 16 weeks that I thought would never get here. I feel very fortunate to have been in Mr. Gasparo’s class because in his own little crazy way, he has left a lasting impression on me through his teaching. The only thing I would want to do more of is write more types of essays. The only graded essay I remember us getting back was the rhetorical essay and I liked the fact that he went over it checking for this and that. The other assignments were just pass/fail and I don’t think that is teaching us what we have done wrong with the paper. I could be the only one who feels this way, but I figure the more I write the better I will become. Now this argument essay we have turned in last week is going to be the killer. I have never written an argument paper before, and I hope I did it correctly because I was trying my best not to make it sound like a research paper. I am very proud of myself for putting forth all efforts to come to each and every class session. I learned I could be dedicated to something if I put my mind to it. Luckily the degree program I am in doesn’t require me to take English 112, but if I had to, I would definitely choose Mr. Gasparo as my teacher, but only if Bruce Springsteen was not anywhere in his lesson plans. Thanks for all of the writing wisdom Mr. Gasparo.

Final Dianostic Essay Draft: Disney Surprise

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“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” (Walt Disney) Each year I look forward to planning our family vacations, because we work hard all year, by summer we want to be rewarded for it. Whether it’s to the beach down the street from my house or on a Carnival cruise, we are sure to have the time of our lives. In the summer of August 2009, I enjoyed the most unforgettable trip to Disney World with my family and friends.

In particular, I traveled with sixteen adults and children; we drove from South Carolina to Florida. Every time I come to Disney World, it’s like coming for the first time. The anticipation of our arrival was overwhelming, as the butterflies in my stomach felt like they were going to explode at any moment. The closer and closer we got to Disney, the more anxious the children became. Out of all the children, only my 3 had no idea where we were going. We thought it would be a nice surprise if we didn’t tell them where we were going. As far as they knew, we were driving to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My daughter who is 6, kept saying, “Mommy why are we in the car so long? Are we there yet? How much longer do we have to be in here?” My husband and I looked at each other and laughed to ourselves, because we knew she would be the most excited one. Eventually everyone sees the big “Welcome to Disney World” sign and I’ve not at all heard my children scream so loud. To say they were thrilled would be an understatement.

All of the Disney parks have something special and unique about them, but my family’s favorite would be Magic Kingdom. They have the best parade and fireworks show I’ve ever seen. Besides having the big princess castle as a backdrop, the atmosphere is exciting and fun. On this particular trip, because we arrived at the parks when they first opened, we were able to take pictures with a lot of the Disney characters, and anytime we saw one, we were first in line with our camera in hand. The weather was another advantage to getting to the parks so early, because it was perfect. At times, the heat was so unbearable we would cut our visits short and come back at night when it was cooler. Needless to say, Disney received a lot of our money trying to stay hydrated with water and popsicles. My daughter’s biggest fascination this trip was making sure she saw the High School Musical parade. Being she’s a Disney channel fanatic, she thought she would see the same actors and actresses who played the roles in the movies. What child wouldn’t think that? So it was a big shock to her the people looked different, and she was not a happy camper for about 3 quick seconds. Luckily, she still enjoyed the dancing and singing and even got to shake some of his/her hands. Seeing the smile on her face was priceless. We rode every popular ride each park had to offer and still found the time to enjoy a good swim at our hotel resort.

In short, my Disney World vacation does not compare to any other place I’ve visited. As soon as the trip is over I am busy thinking about when our next trip will be. The influence the entire Disney atmosphere has on families, can’t be explained, but is one everyone must experience for themselves. Disney is not only for children, but for the adults as well. They can join in on the fun and not feel embarrassed about it. It’s a magical place no matter what someone’s age might be. In another two years or so, I will be looking forward to visiting again. I can officially say Disney World has now become our traditional family vacation spot.

Diagnostic Essay: My Favorite Vacation

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My Favorite Vacation
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality” (Walt Disney). Every year around the same time, my family likes to go on vacation. Weather we are going to the beach, on a cruise, or on a short drive to Williamsburg, we make sure we have a good time. I enjoy going to places that are family friendly, reasonably priced, and has great weather. In the summer of August 2009, I enjoyed the most unforgettable trip to Disney World with my family and friends.

In particular, I traveled with sixteen adults and children; we drove from South Carolina to Florida. Every time I come to Disney World, it is like coming for the first time. The anticipation of our arrival was overwhelming, as the butterflies in my stomach felt like they were going to explode at any moment. The look on my face is always remarkable and I enjoy looking at all the activity that is going on. I had never been in the month of August, so I was not prepared for the weather to be so unbearable. As soon as we stepped out of our cars, the sweat could be seen pouring down our faces.

To begin with, the first thing on our agenda was to make our lunch dining reservations at Epcot Park. The entire five days were filled with eating the best foods of all kinds. The money spent on eating alone can be very costly, so I would highly recommend the Disney Dining Plan to save on a few extra bucks. All of the Disney parks have something special and unique about them, but my family’s favorite would be Magic Kingdom. They have the best parade and fireworks show I have ever seen. Besides having the big princess castle as a backdrop, the
atmosphere is exciting and fun. On this particular trip, because we arrived at the parks very early in the morning, we were able to take pictures with a lot of the Disney characters. The lines were not long and the weather was just right. We rode every popular ride each park had to offer and still found the time to enjoy a good swim at our hotel resort.

In short, my Disney World vacation does not compare to any other place I have visited. I had the best time and wish I could visit more often. One of the best things I like about Disney is that it is not just for children. The adults can join in on the fun and not feel embarrassed about it. It is a magical place that should be experienced by all, no matter what someone’s age might be. In another two years or so, I will be looking forward to visiting again. I can officially say that Disney World has now become our traditional family vacation spot.