I’d like to believe that I was an exceptional writing before taking this particular course. However, as much as I believe that, it has come to my attention this course has given myself the opportunity to improve my writing skills even further.With the constructive criticism I have received on multiple assignments from both peers and instructors, I have been able to begin the process of my improvement. The previous drafts of the assignments, “This I Believe,” the profile, as well as two of my best blogs will each be discussed in the paragraphs below. This reflection will only prove the statement made above, especially with the comments and quotations from peers supporting the claim.

The first assignment where my writing skills were showcased was called “This I Believe.” This particular assignments purpose was to allow students the chance to write about a specific belief while incorporating a personal story to engage the reader into understanding the concept of said belief. Even though I was very capable of completing this task, there was still room for improvement. The comment I received regarding the first draft of my own “This I Believe” was from a peer and they described it as, “You have good paragraph structure with a good topic sentences and each paragraph is about one idea.Your story do sound very personal but not very engaging because it is too general in the idea and I didn’t know your believe until near the end of your draft. However, it’s still very good.” In order to improve the assignment for the second draft, I changed the introduction. The new beginning starts off with general statements and reasoning as to why the reader should engage themselves with reading the assignment in the first place. It was generalized in a way that would relate to current world events which would relate to the general public. While rewriting the second draft, I had also taken the opportunity to summarize the belief I was trying to get across to the reader. For the second draft, I had received both praise and constructive feedback from my instructor.He also believed my work was amazing and praised it by saying,”This is really powerful.It takes off, very quickly, once you start telling a story. Both the content and the style work, very well. Edit carefully– you wrote “I’m a dominantly white neighbourhood.”🙂 To focus on such sentence level errors, don’t start editing at the start of your work. Read the last sentence first. Then, read the second last sentence. Then, the third last and so on. In this way, you isolate each sentence. You can find and fix errors much easier in this way.
In fact, if you read the sentences out loud, you can hear errors. The ear catches things the eyes miss!” For revising the final draft this assignment, I had taken his feedback into count and applied it to the editing. I had completely reworded the sentence he had flagged as well as, staring my editing from the last sentence and working my way to the beginning. I had never tried this exercise before when writing, and I was able to catch more mistakes than I would have before using this trick. Therefore, both of these comments have included the praise of quality writing which supports that I was already a strong writer before taking this course.

Also, the Profile assignment gave myself another opportunity to improve both my writing and interviewing skills. This assignment required students to gather first-hand research from someone who has knowledge based on a specific topic. The writer was expected to describe the person, as well as clearly state their position on the topic. My peers seemed to think I successfully completed this task within my own profile assignment. One of them stated,”Well done!! You did a great job. I loved your way of inquiring more about your course with an experienced person. I liked your claim that everyone working in child and youth care field should know about it’s importance and work with self-intention. The reason for your claim is that interested people can only do this job very well. It was very informative subject as most people want to know about this profession. You vividly presented the subject. But you did small small mistakes like using capital letters in between the sentences, punctuation marks. Also, you haven’t included APA citation.” When editing for the second draft, I made sure to include proper in-text citations as well as, correct any grammar mistakes. I believe that the fact they could only give feedback on citations and grammar just speaks volumes about my writing ability. Also, the comments I had received on the second drafts were purely praises by two different peers who in short, commented on how much they enjoyed reading it. One of them even stated that I had the option of keeping it the same or changing it because of it’s quality. If that does not support my earlier statement, I don’t know what does.

Finally, the amount of praise I received from both instructor’s on my weekly reading blogs supports this. The two chosen to represent this are “Wikipedia” and “Blog Ten”. The first blog allowed the reader to clearly decipher the authentic nature of the writing. Also, it was generalized to be relational for post-secondary students and those who are involved with their education. The instructor responsible for marking this piece of writing started his comment with lighthearted joking and praise. He then proceeded to comment and share his own thoughts about the topic. Then, for the other blog, students were instructed to write a persuasive paragraph on a generalized topic. The only requirement was to persuade with using either emotion, logic, or reliable authority on the subject. I decided to appeal to the readers by supplying a completely logical explanation as to why 8am classes should be banned from existence. The instructor responsible for marking left their own comment stating that the blog was persuasive, as well as agreeing to my own stance on the topic. Therefore, these comments alone has proved that I am very capable of providing quality pieces of writing in which, reader’s find humorous or relate-able.

With the constructive criticism I have received on multiple assignments from both peers and instructors, I have been able to begin the process of my improvement as well as reinstate the fact that I am strong in my writing skills. The previous drafts of the assignments, “This I Believe,” the profile, as well as two of my best blogs discussed in the paragraphs above along with this reflection prove that with or without this course I am capable of providing quality writing.

E-Portfolio

This I Believe Draft 1

On a  Friday morning, I was awaiting at the usual bus stop which took me to school every week.

 

However, this Friday morning was different than any other time where I have sat and waited at this stop.

 

As I was waiting, an elderly man came into the bus shelter to wait on the bus. While in the process of standing up to offer my seat, he waved me down and in his Scottish accent said,” don’t bother, I’ve been sitting long enough.”

 

As I began to retake my seat, he continued to carry on a conversation with me by commenting on how familiar my face was to him. Which baffled me seeing as I had only recently moved to the area. He then began to to tell me about how his grandson doesn’t know what to do with his life even though the rest of the family has been trying to lead him in the direction of join the Ontario police academy. After, he asked me what it was I am studying and I had told him that I was taking the child and youth care program at Fleming College. He began to smile when after I said this.

 

When the bus came, I chose to sit beside him and continue our conversation. He then disclosed to me that he was a war veteran and stated to explain how he likes to take the time to talk to the youth when he can. He said that we wanted to hear about what they had planned for their future’s since he fought for our right to do so.

 

Now, usually when the elderly cross the same path as me, they like to look the other way and ignore my presence even when I smile at them politely. Or, they like to look at for long periods of time while they clutch their bags while I pass. I’m not sure if this is a result of fear because I’m a youth in general or, the fact that I’m a black youth residing I’m a dominantly white neighbourhood. Either way, I’ve learned the consequences that follows when a white person fears a black youth and they are more fatal for one than the other.

 

Which is why it was really refreshing to finally have a conversation with someone who didn’t fear me and, actually saw me how I wish to be seen. As a human.

 

Despite what I’ve stated earlier, I still believe there are those who refuse to let the fear of differences or their own biases stop them from engaging with others in positives ways. Even with the recent change in American leadership which proved to the world exactly how many people still feared those who are different.

Comments

 

This I Believe Draft 2

With all the bad and the evil that has been done to others, I still believe that there is goodness within people. While there has been much stigma towards groups of people, there are still those who refuse to let stigma affect how they treat another human being.

On a  Friday morning, I was awaiting at the usual bus stop which took me to school every week.However, this Friday morning was different than any other time where I have sat and waited at this stop.

As I was waiting, an elderly man came into the bus shelter to wait on the bus. While in the process of standing up to offer my seat, he waved me down and in his Scottish accent said,” don’t bother, I’ve been sitting long enough.”

As I began to retake my seat, he continued to carry on a conversation with me by commenting on how familiar my face was to him. Which baffled me seeing as I had only recently moved to the area. He then began to to tell me about how his grandson doesn’t know what to do with his life even though the rest of the family has been trying to lead him in the direction of join the Ontario police academy. After, he asked me what it was I am studying and I had told him that I was taking the child and youth care program at Fleming College. He began to smile after I said this.

When the bus came, I chose to sit beside him and continue our conversation. He then disclosed to me that he was a war veteran and stated to explain how he likes to take the time to talk to the youth when he can. He said that we wanted to hear about what they had planned for their future’s since he fought for our right to do so.

Now, usually when the elderly cross the same path as me, they like to look the other way and ignore my presence even when I smile at them politely. Or, they like to look at for long periods of time while they clutch their bags while I pass. I’m not sure if this is a result of fear because I’m a youth in general or, the fact that I’m a black youth residing I’m a dominantly white neighbourhood. Either way, I’ve learned the consequences that follows when a white person fears a black youth and they are more fatal for one than the other.

Which is why it was really refreshing to finally have a conversation with someone who didn’t fear me and, actually saw me how I wish to be seen. As a human.

Despite what I’ve stated earlier, I still believe there are those who refuse to let the fear of differences or their own biases stop them from engaging with others in positives ways. Even with the recent change in American leadership which proved to the world exactly how many people still feared those who are different.

Comments

Final Draft

With all the bad and the evil that has been done to others, I still believe that there is goodness within people. While there has been much stigma towards groups of people, there are still those who refuse to let stigma affect how they treat another human being.

On a  Friday morning, I was awaiting at the usual bus stop which took me to school every week.However, this Friday morning was different than any other time where I have sat and waited at this stop.

As I was waiting, an elderly man came into the bus shelter to wait on the bus. While in the process of standing up to offer my seat, he waved me down and in his Scottish accent said,” don’t bother, I’ve been sitting long enough.”

As I began to retake my seat, he continued to carry on a conversation with me by commenting on how familiar my face was to him. Which baffled me seeing as I had only recently moved to the area. He then began to to tell me about how his grandson doesn’t know what to do with his life even though the rest of the family has been trying to lead him in the direction of join the Ontario police academy. After, he asked me what it was I am studying and I had told him that I was taking the child and youth care program at Fleming College. He began to smile after I said this.

When the bus came, I chose to sit beside him and continue our conversation. He then disclosed to me that he was a war veteran and started to explain how he likes to take the time to talk to the youth when he can. He said that we wanted to hear about what they had planned for their future’s, since he fought for our right to do so.

Now, usually when the elderly cross the same path as me, they like to look the other way and ignore my presence even when I smile at them politely. Or, they like to look for long periods of time while they clutch their bags as I pass. I’m not sure if this is a result of fear because I’m a youth in general or, the fact that I’m a black youth residing in a dominantly white neighbourhood. Either way, I’ve learned the consequences that follows when a white person fears a black youth and they are more fatal for one than the other.

Which is why it was really refreshing to finally have a conversation with someone who didn’t fear me and, actually saw me how I wish to be seen. As a human.

Despite what I’ve stated earlier, I still believe there are those who refuse to let the fear of differences or their own biases stop them from engaging with others in positives ways. Even with the recent change in American leadership which proved to the world exactly how many people still feared those who are different.

 

Profile Draft 1

As a student who Is developing the novice level of skill and knowledge one would need when providing therapeutic care to children, I decided It would be beneficial to ask a seasoned practitioner about their experiences working in the field. This particular profession involves those who offer support and safety to the environment of at risk children or youths.

Even though I have learned and received an extensive amount of information during my first year, I felt as though there was still a substantial amount of information that I would need to become successful within this field.

Luckily, I was able to ask Instructor Stacey Miller, who has been working as a child and youth practitioner with over forty years of experience. Stacey had worked within the residential care setting of this profession assisting many children who had struggled with mental health, as well as traumatic abuse. She also has experience working closely with children as a child and youth worker within a school setting where she witnesses children exhibit behaviours that resemble common mental health exceptionalities. On a daily basis, Stacey was required to create a plan of care to tend to the needs of the child’s behaviour.

With her many years of experience within the field of child and youth care, Stacey Is without a doubt the best person to answer the questions I had about the profession.

I remember asking her why she had pursued a career within the field in the first place. She said,”well, as someone who was in the foster care system as a child, I wanted to make a difference within a child’s life the way someone did for me.” This didn’t come to me as a surprise considering she had disclosed to the class on many occasions that she spent her childhood living within the system. She has experienced many of the same behaviours and feelings as the children she engages with when working in the field.

As a student who Is starting placement in the fall, I wanted to ask Stacey what she wished someone would’ve told her when she first started her career and she answered,” honestly, there are so many things. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned; don’t take anything personally and don’t lose your cool. These kids would honestly say and do anything just to throw you off because the thought of an adult wanting to show that they’re cared for, scares them. Most of them haven’t experienced what It feels like to be cared for and they don’t know what to do with it.” A response like this Is typically what a practitioner experiences on a daily basis from children and youth. Their experiences had enough traumatic effect on them to trigger their stress response. The stress response Is the brain’s method of self-defense when a person Is In a situation where they feel unsafe physically, emotionally, or mentally. This Is why people are known to either fight, take flight by running away, or fooling the person in question to give them control when they are in dangerous situations.

Considering this Is the type of career where you need to figure things out as they happen, I wanted to know about how she came to choose the settings that she had worked in and she disclosed,” I knew that I wanted to work In residential care because I have experiences and knowledge that would allow me to connect with the clients. I got involved with the school setting because I used to be a teacher, believe It or not. I didn’t have the knowledge I have today about mental health back then and because of that, I get to help teachers as a practitioner when they have students with challenging exceptionalities.” Although there are many schools working towards adapting the environment to meet the needs of these students, there are still many where the staff have limited knowledge of signs and symptoms while not being able to create solutions. This Is why It’s important to have Child and youth care workers working in schools because they have the training required in assisting children struggling with atypical behaviour.

This answer prompted myself to ask which of the settings she worked In was her favourite which she said,” I prefer to working In residential care because of my own past from living in residential care as a child. I believe that because of my experiences I’m able to give children a certain level of understanding where others couldn’t.” Having experiences that resemble the client’s assists In building the therapeutic relationship between the child and practitioner. I’m very grateful for having someone like Stacey answer the questions I had about the profession, considering It’s a career which demands professional development and constant supervision.

Comments

 

Draft 2

As a student who Is developing the novice level of skill and knowledge one would need when providing therapeutic care to children, I decided It would be beneficial to ask a seasoned practitioner about their experiences working in the field. This particular profession involves those who offer support and safety to the environment of at risk children or youths.

Even though I have learned and received an extensive amount of information during my first year, I felt as though there was still a substantial amount of information that I would need to become successful within this field.

Luckily, I was able to ask Instructor Stacey Miller, who has been working as a child and youth practitioner with over forty years of experience. Stacey had worked within the residential care setting of this profession assisting many children who had struggled with mental health, as well as traumatic abuse. She also has experience working closely with children as a child and youth worker within a school setting where she witnesses children exhibit behaviours that resemble common mental health exceptionalities. On a daily basis, Stacey was required to create a plan of care to tend to the needs of the child’s behaviour.

With her many years of experience within the field of child and youth care, Stacey Is without a doubt the best person to answer the questions I had about the profession.

I remember asking her why she had pursued a career within the field in the first place. She said,”well, as someone who was in the foster care system as a child, I wanted to make a difference within a child’s life the way someone did for me.” (Miller,personal communication,July 7th). This didn’t come to me as a surprise considering she had disclosed to the class on many occasions that she spent her childhood living within the system. She has experienced many of the same behaviours and feelings as the children she engages with when working in the field.

As a student who Is starting placement in the fall, I wanted to ask Stacey what she wished someone would’ve told her when she first started her career and she answered,” honestly, there are so many things. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned; don’t take anything personally and don’t lose your cool. These kids would honestly say and do anything just to throw you off because the thought of an adult wanting to show that they’re cared for, scares them. Most of them haven’t experienced what It feels like to be cared for and they don’t know what to do with it.”(Miller,personal communication,July 7th). A response like this Is typically what a practitioner experiences on a daily basis from children and youth. Their experiences had enough traumatic effect on them to trigger their stress response. The stress response Is the brain’s method of self-defense when a person Is In a situation where they feel unsafe physically, emotionally, or mentally. This Is why people are known to either fight, take flight by running away, or fooling the person in question to give them control when they are in dangerous situations.

Considering this Is the type of career where you need to figure things out as they happen, I wanted to know about how she came to choose the settings that she had worked in and she disclosed,” I knew that I wanted to work In residential care because I have experiences and knowledge that would allow me to connect with the clients. I got involved with the school setting because I used to be a teacher, believe It or not. I didn’t have the knowledge I have today about mental health back then and because of that, I get to help teachers as a practitioner when they have students with challenging exceptionalities.”(Miller,personal communication,July 7th). Although there are many schools working towards adapting the environment to meet the needs of these students, there are still many where the staff have limited knowledge of signs and symptoms while not being able to create solutions. This Is why It’s important to have Child and youth care workers working in schools because they have the training required in assisting children struggling with atypical behaviour.

This answer prompted myself to ask which of the settings she worked In was her favourite which she said,” I prefer to working In residential care because of my own past from living in residential care as a child. I believe that because of my experiences I’m able to give children a certain level of understanding where others couldn’t.” (Miller,personal communication,July 7th).Having experiences that resemble the client’s assists In building the therapeutic relationship between the child and practitioner. I’m very grateful for having someone like Stacey answer the questions I had about the profession, considering It’s a career which demands professional development and constant supervision.

Comments

 

Wikipedia

I don’t like anything about Wikipedia and, I never use it. Which is why the fact that I have to spend my Sunday night writing about it makes me like it even less.

So, when people tell me that they use this site for academic purposes I cringe in every way that there is to do so. Outwardly, inwardly, mentally- you name it. Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information, especially when it is possible for anyone to post invalid information.

Using Wikipedia is the quickest way for students to lose valuable marks from their assignments because they chose to use in-creditable sources or, they didn’t know how to use correct ones. These losses in academics can be damaging. With the way things are going for millennials in this economy, students really can’t afford to be failing their classes.

Which Is why it would be beneficial for students to learn how to find and use creditable sources. Peer reviewed articles and journals are reliable academic research sources which would help students to find the correct information that they need. Also, news sites such as CBC is a reliable source which has large amounts of information. Students can also utilize the academic resources that are available to them by seeking assistance in learning how to improve their knowledge on finding creditable sources as well as how to cite them. Those who attend Fleming College can get extra help in the library where there are workshops based on research and citations.

Comments

 

BlogTen

I am a firm believer that 8am classes should be banned from existence and other’s should be too with this logical explanation. First, classes starting at eight o’clock in the morning simply goes against basic neuro-development of the human brain. Most students are of the ages between eighteen and twenty-four. It’s also been known that the brain does not reach full development until the mid to late twenties. The brains of young adults require more hours of rest than the average adult brain. The developing brain of a young person does not start effectively functioning for two to four hours after a nights rest of sleep. Also, the part of the brain called the mirror neurons definitely won’t help in terms of the moods and attitudes of those within the classroom. The mirror neurons are the cells within the brain which makes behaviours and emotions contagious. For example, mirror neurons are responsible for every time you have ever yawned after watching someone else yawn. Or, when your watching an intense sports game and your level of excitement is consistent with everyone else’s. It is also why when someone starts yelling in your face, you feel almost compelled to do the same. The mirror neurons are the biological factor which makes people want to imitate others. Now, just imagine the atmosphere within a classroom full of people who already don’t want to be there. When one person starts to purposely act out and display the behaviour of someone who wishes to be anywhere else, everyone else will be biologically wired to mimic those same emotions or behaviours. A classroom setting should be a place where everyone feels safe to be in physically and emotionally however, having classes which start so early in the morning will not help when underdeveloped brains are not even fully functioning.

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