LITR 4232 American Renaissance 2010 Student Midterm Samples 3. Web highlights: Review at least 3 posts from course website's Model Assignments (4-6 paragraphs)

Jennifer Martin

A Greater Understanding: the pooling of ideas

          From the website’s model assignments I reviewed a copy of 2006 midterm, Neelam Damani’s proposal and Kate Barrack’s proposal. From these models I learned a great deal about what makes assignments good and why details are an important component for writing well. This pool of ideas helped me sketch out the kind of work I want to present in this class.

          In the copy of a 2006 midterm I noticed a large amount of specific detail and keen analysis of that detail. This created a final product that was neither flat nor uninspiring. It was clear by the level of detail that the student not only learned a tremendous amount of material but that the student enjoyed the texts as well. An example of this kind of detail is from the first two paragraphs of the “Identify” section of the test.  The student quotes many times from the “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and then goes on to say why it worked well with the terms learned in class. This skill, being able to make connections, matters in everyday life. Being able to read something that is seemingly unimportant to the utility of life and making it useful by modern application is a highly desired way to learn about the world and why it works.

          The same level of detail and analysis worked for Neelam Damani in her research proposal. Here I saw a full picture of the ideas she was trying to convey. Neelam shows rather than tells the professor that she is going to research slavery and how she plans on using what she learns to teach others in the future. She makes literature personal through the level of detail she gives. This is important because personalization will add a level of interest that will draw students in rather than tune them all out.

          I enjoyed Kate Barrack’s proposal because it was detail specific and relatable. Since I am not aspiring to be a teacher like Neelam Damani, Kate’s detailed account of other authors, namely Shakespeare, Dahl, Poe and Carroll was something I could identify with.  As a fellow “literature aficionado” I have also noticed patterns and connections from other authors not only in this class but also other classes as well. What I learned from Kate was that style is universal and can be seen in other works whether they are American or otherwise. Different authors from different places and even times have styles that can be read a similar to the ones we are studying in class. This is useful to me because even after I graduate I will not stop reading. The ideas I learn in this course will help me though a lifetime of reading.

          All three of these examples served to educate me as I continue to progress through this class. All of the examples are rich in detail, pointed in their analysis and useful for everyday life. They are excellent examples of the kind of work I would like to produce for this course and I hope that I learn as much as these people did when I finished this class.