Blog Post 3: Group Skills

My task roles are the coordinator and the procedure developer, and my social role is the supporter/encourager.  As the coordinator, I clarify relationships and suggest ways to combine the ideas; as the procedure developer, I handle the routine tasks; and as the supporter/encourager, I praise and agree with my group members while giving them warmth and comfort.  Because I handle the routine tasks, I am like Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast.  I am also similar to the animals in Cinderella because they unconditionally love and support Cinderella throughout her journey, just as I support and take care of my group as the supporter/encourager.

As the housekeeper, Mrs. Potts watches over the house and all of the staff, even the Beast himself, to make sure that everything is running smoothly and efficiently.  She has a strong sense of responsibility and doesn't stop at anything to keep the house running.  As the procedure developer, I, too, handle the routine tasks and keep up the productivity in the group by having all of the necessary supplies on hand and by staying on task.  In Cinderella, the animals are always there for her whether she just ran away from her true love as the clock struck midnight or if she just wants to sing a song.  Such as when Cinderella is locked in her bedroom, the mice steal they key and save her because they love Cinderella so much and want her to be happy.  They continuously love and take care of her, just as I do as the supporter/encourager.  It is important that our group has that supporting/encouraging role so that group members do not become sad or frustrated.

Blog Post 2: Diagnosis/Exam Reflection

                Even though I struggle with literary analysis, I do have multiple strengths.  One of my strengths is that I can recognize and interpret literary devices, such as simile, metaphor, personification.  These devices are easy to point out, and questions asking about literary devices are, for me, the easiest questions.  Another strength of mine is noticing when a symbol is being used.  In general, writers make the symbols noticeable to the readers, but I can also interpret an analyze the symbol for the deeper meaning.  One of my best strengths is that I can close read a passage efficiently and take notes on the important devices used, the tone, the purpose, etc. 

                I do have strengths when it comes to literary analysis, but I definitely have many weaknesses as well.  One of my biggest weaknesses is recognizing the tones of passages.  I really struggle with using the author’s word choices to decide the tone.  Normally, I chose the tone based off how I read the passage in my head, but that usually isn’t a very accurate way in deciding the tone.  Another weakness of mine is figuring out what a writer is referring to when the writing is ambiguous (usually when pronouns are present).  I also really struggle with the types of questions that have roman numerals involved and the test taker has to choose I, II, III, or some combination of the three.  Whenever I read the answers, my thinking always becomes influenced, and I usually end up thinking that all 3 or more answers are correct.

                I would love to improve my literary analysis skills in order to become a more effective and a better reader and writer.  I plan on improving my literary analysis abilities by constantly reading and writing, trying new techniques in my writing, and delving deeper into the texts we read.   Everyone always says that practice makes perfect, so if I read and write and practice analyzing literature, then I will improve.  When I write, I cannot be afraid to try new techniques and literary devices that I learn in class.  I know that if I do make mistakes, I can always work harder to understand how a literary device is supposed to be used.  And personally, application of an idea makes me understand it to a much better degree.  In the Literature & Composition book, they gave us a few tips on how to become an effective reader.  One of the tips, attentiveness, really stuck out to me.  If I am aware of the text and how it makes you feel, I can become a much more effective reader.  My plan is not set in stone in how I would like to improve my skills, but I know what I have to do to improve that skill set.

                Before the AP Exam in May, I would like to:

1.       Be aware of myself and my feelings toward a text, and be able to use these feelings to analyze the text.

2.       Be able to break down the ambiguity and reach the deeper meaning of a text.

3.       Not be afraid of literature and really dive into the text without any expectations or set judgments.

Blog Post 1: Design

I chose to make my blog girly and fun to match my personality.  At first glance, the pink text and pink, light background give an informal feel to the blog, which I hope welcomes all readers.  According to the "Color Psychology" article, colors at the red end of the color spectrum give feelings of "warmth and comfort" to the viewer.  I want everyone who views my blog to be welcomed and comforted.  The fun title text adds to the informal appearance.  Although the appearance is fun and cute, the written blogs will be more formal.

The actual blog posts are definitely more formal and serious compared to the rest of the appearance.  The font is for the posts is normal and not too outlandish, which will emphasize the blog posts according to the typography article.  The color is no longer a bright pink that pops but rather black, a color that continues the formality.  The posts of the blog should be taken seriously, even if at first glance the blog is more girly, which is why I changed the posts to have a more traditional font and color.