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Jayshawn Pickett English 1101 Jessica CammargoCamargo 2, October 2013 Literacy Reflection Looking back at my writing assignments done earlier this semester I can conclude that my writing skills have drastically improved. Out of all the writing assignments done in class, I would have to say that the peer workshop was the most helpful. I received insight on what I was struggling on and how I could conquer the struggle of my introductions and getting started. My fellow peer Richard Kelly told me to Write down several ideas that went along with what I was going to write about and then come back to it later. This method of writing has helped jumpstart my introductions while giving me plenty of compelling ideas to write about later on in my drafts. He also mentioned that I would think of different things to write about while doing other things besides writing. Richard was right, and now for his exceptional efforts in helping my writing abilities he is now one of my literary sponsors. Ive taken innumerable steps this semester to improve my writing habits, including countless hours inside and outside of class. I have read different books on improving writing abilities and sentence structuring. I found that the peer workshop assignment was very compelling. I was a bit skeptical at first simply because all of the previous attempts at this assignment werent good at all. I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this assignment a try and it was a positive experience. All of the other opportunities Ive had with peer workshopping were a waste of time and effort. I assume that its because I had to do this assignment with immature highschoolershigh schoolers who didnt care about excelling in any kind of way.

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Comment [NM1]: Haha, I love it. Youre right! and I love it when writing groups are really and truly helpful to one another! Comment [NM2]: for MLA, always delete the extra spaces between paragraphs;

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I feel as if the ideas inputted into my essay are the strongholds and act as a brace that holds the entire thing together. I tried to give a good view of how I looked at my sponsors and express my feelings towards them. I commemorated the events from my life that were worth sharing and hopefully they were enough to make my essay worthwhile. In my essay I included the sponsors that had the greatest effect on me and my writing skills. I would most want my instructor to notice the ideas and details that I have included in the narrative. The fact that I have overcome different obstacles pushes me in the right direction. If I had more time to work on this draft I wouldve most likely included the Malcolm-x reading assignment because it ties into the idea that blacks are stereotyped as ignorant and illiterate. The fact that he went above and beyond in his life to live above the stereotypes also influences me to do the right thing. During this writing assignment I have learned that I have more literary sponsors than I had imagined. There are so many different things that have influenced my writing over the years and I cannot input all of them into my Literacy Memoir assignment. I have also learned that writing ties into more things than just English assignments. Writing can affect your ability to comprehend many things positively or negatively. Being unable to write can negate your ability to do Math problems too. I have learned many things from the assignments done in class and I appreciate all of them as of now simply because I know that they are all helpful, even though it doesnt seem like it at first.
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Jayshawn Pickett Jessica Camargo English 1101 2, October 2013

Literacy Memoir Assignment Over the years I have experienced several sponsors that have contributed positively and negatively to the development of my reading and writing. My most influencing sponsor is my high school AP English teacher Mrs. Nanette Davis. She is one of the toughest most caring teachers Ive had the opportunity to be taught by during my lifetime. She constantly challenged me to go above and beyond with not just my school work but also certain situations during my lifetime. No matter what I was doing or had already done, she wanted more. When writing a paper on Macbeth, we were required to write about 9 pages. She urged me to do over 10 pages. I felt like this was crazy and worthless but I did it anyways. I finally realized that doing more than what is required is very rewarding. She constantly gave us mind boggling exercises that test our reading and writing abilities. Mrs. Davis has sculpted me into the writer I am today. By giving us many different writing exercises and brain twisting papers to write, she has really taught me a whole new way of writing. Being in high school you wouldnt think you would be writing long papers on different theories and insights. This opened my mind up to different things at an earlier time than others. I appreciate everything she did for me and I try to take all of the hints and tips into consideration for every assignment that I do.
Comment [NM3]: can you be more specific? Define this a bit more concretely.

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Another sponsor I had was my 6th grade English teacher Ms. Wiggins. She constantly made us read and write in cursive. Every day for weeks we had to do cursive writing exercises and I actually enjoyed doing them. Everyone else complained about the fact that we were learning new things. That year forward I have not stopped writing in cursive and will not stop. I am so accustomed to it now that its second nature to me. Nowadays I see many people who hate reading and writing cursive simply because they havent learned the fundamentals of it. They down others abilities because they are unable to perform at the same level as someone else. It took me a while to realize that people who are unable to perform a certain task will try to downplay you for what you are able to do. Just because they cant do something, they feel the need to make others feel bad. This predicament has influenced my writing style by giving me the insight needed for me to strive to do better. One of the most influencing Literary sponsors that I have is living above the stereotypes. Since Im an African American individuals assume that Im Illiterate and cant interpret things as well as they can. They also assume that Im ignorant and dont understand things that they are familiar with. I want to show others that Im absolutely capable of outdoing many of my colleagues and associates. I want to show them that I can use both slang and proper English when necessary. Stereotypes like these are what drive me to be the best I can be. Being born into a family that is math oriented has also sculpted me into the writer that I am today. Growing up I hated reading and writing which is why I was a little behind growing up. I had to attend summer programs while I was young to catch up and get ahead. Writing did not come naturally to me as it did to others. I had to work diligently so I could get where I am now. If you asked me to do a difficult mathematical problem back then, I could have answered in my
Comment [NM4]: can you be more specific here? HOW has it influenced your style, precisely?

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head with no problem. If you would have asked me what a noun or adjective was, or write a complete sentence I would have struggled and froze immediately. I am still a math oriented person but I have gotten to the point that I am able to read, write and comprehend more efficiently. My goals have been a main influence on my literacy skills since high school. I am hoping to become a mainstream Medical Examiner in Georgia. To be a Medical Examiner you are required to have exemplary literacy skills. I will be required to write reports on the bodies that I examine and present them to others. This occupation also calls for me to be able to speak in public. This will be a true test of my literacy abilities and will require ongoing education for reading and writing. Without my literary sponsors I would not be in college taking the courses necessary for me to partake in this occupation. Taking Honors Englishs throughout high school has somewhat prepared me for the tougher English courses to come later on down the road. By preparing myself earlier in the years, I have made it easier to adjust to different situations and tasks at hand. I would like to conclude by stating the fact that goodGood or bad these influences have shaped me into the reader and writer I am today. I may not be the best but I surely try the best I can so that I can have a bright life and contribute positively to others lives. It would be waste of a good mind if I didnt use it to help and influence the lives of others. As of now I feel that I am a very strong writer and feel that these sponsors contributed greatly. Even the small things have shaped my writing habits and have impacted me greatly. Whether it was telling me to add a comma here or telling me that my introduction wasnt as strong as it needed to be. Everything helped and I appreciated all of the constructive criticism along the way.
Comment [NM8]: This conclusion seems a bit tacked on; like you werent really sure what to say. Now that youve had some time away from this paper, maybe it will come to you more clearly. One suggestion is to really try to define Who You Are as a learner/student NOW. Use some adjectives to describe yourself and make a claim about the way you approach literacies in your current context as a university student. Comment [NM6]: I like that youre keeping an eye on the future as you think about what youve learned from the past Comment [NM7]: try to avoid this phrase whenever possible. Just go ahead and say what youre going to say, you know? Comment [NM5]: I think this is a very important observation to make. Did you feel these stereotypes during your elementary school years? Did they play into the classes you mentioned earlier?

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Jayshawn: Overall a good job. I would say, for revisions, focus on the conclusion and on adding some more detail and reflection to the body paragraphs. 50/50 on the Reflection 47/50 on the Memoir. Ms. C.