Capstone Reflection

As my time in my 2014-2015 spring semester UWRT class comes to an end I can

only seem to look back at fond memories and look into the future with a bittersweet
feeling that it is over. Throughout the semester as a class we took part in many different
writing techniques as well as read through a range of writing styles. To completely and
accurately reflect on this semester I would also have to discus the learning environment
set by my professor Mrs. Debarati who set a tone for the class that was enriching and safe
place to voice your ideas without fear of rejection, as well as the ambiance that my fellow
student and I were willing to accept and take apart in.
I will start in the beginning, as most stories should. As the frigid air of January
was amongst us all I crept into class and amongst a diverse group of people I can admit I
believed I was in the wrong place. After verifying I was our first assignment was to write
our goals for the semester and what we hoped to improve on. Though most classes that is
the mentality that should be present at all times I enjoyed having to think and assess
myself as a person and set those goals in place from day one. Once class routine was set
journals became a known task to take part in. The purpose of these journals dealt with the
topics at hand during every class. At times they required summarizing videos others it
was merely a way to create lists and brainstorm. The main idea in this class being
language and identification of who each person is as an individual, the journals feed into
the ideas that we established and wrote on. Without knowing these journals created a
precursor to what our large project was in the class that was the literacy autobiography.
The Literacy autobiography was what lead up to the whole semester. This essay is
composed of my life as a reader and writer. I struggled with how to begin this essay,

though as soon as I began my fingers could not type fast enough to convey all the ideas I
had to write about. I never realized how much I enjoyed writing until then and am
thankful because writing seems as a great escape now, considering college life can be
hectic enough. Throughout all writing assignments they all have shaped me by
understanding that not all writing needs to be so structured. I have learned that as an
individual to make a better body of work I must let myself write without limitations and
then review to attain a kind of phoenix form the ashes type of essay. The ashes being
what is a messy uncensored first draft, and the Phoenix the final product.
Some of my favorite classes were when TED talks were on the agenda. Prior to
having this class I would watch these talks for my own personal amusement and having it
be apart of a lea son plan was not something to complain about. I had never seen the ones
shown in class and I fell in love with them. I personally found Dreams from endangered
cultures by Wade Davis extremely impacting. All this unknown knowledge about
different cultures around the world and their possible if not already extinction was a
haunting thought. My views of English as a whole was impacted as well throughout the
class and am glad to have been opened up to these facts that otherwise I would have not
known. Differing in style and context my favorite video was 3 ways to speak English
by Jamila Lyiscott. I enjoyed this video so much I emailed it to my mother and forced a
couple friends to watch it. I believe I enjoyed it so much because what she is saying is
true has such a creative way of doing so that it just brought me in.
In retrospect to the class as a whole I could not of partaken as much as I did if it
was not for my peers. We all helped one another by editing and providing advice with
writing or questions if something was unclear. The idea that we were all willing to help

each other and learn from each other as well is something I doubt I will see often in my
life and am glad that though for a short semester I was given the opportunity to do so.