Hello Reader!

What a trip it has been in English 98! I am Krystal Harlow, and when I started this class, I was completely confused because I had never done an online class before. At first this class was a nightmare because I am what they called computer illiterate. However, Phebe has been a great teacher along with my fellow classmates. I joined this class because I am going for my associates in science/premed program. My ultimate goal is to join the Peace Corps so the book Three Cups of Tea, a book about a man overcoming cultural barriers to educate children in the middle east, I read and analyzed was particularly of interest to me.

While reading Three Cups of Tea I learned a lot about people in general. Most of my time when I was a child, I would watch people have fun, but would stay indoors myself. Meeting Carlos Buhler, a climber like Mortenson from Three Cups of Tea, was quite inspiring and it forced me to leave my house. After reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson I am convinced it is my destiny to help people because when I read about his tales I said “I want that too, I want to help.” However, one needs more than just wanting to help, they need to learn. In English 98 that is what I have done. My writing, analyze and revision skills greatly improved throughout English 98.

The most important part of this course that taught me so much was the service learning portion of English 98. During my service learning I spent Thursday mornings at Praise Chapel. Serving and preparing meals for the homeless has become one of the highlights of my week. It pained me when I could not make it in because I was sick for three days. Fortunately breakfast went on smoothly without me but I still don’t want to miss another Thursday morning with the best people I have ever met. Those people include the volunteers and the people that are down on their luck. I have learned the most from Teresa, a woman that attends Praise Chapel and has become something like the leader of Thursday mornings. She brings her three children in and the boys help serve the homeless and clean up after them. The boys often fight over who gets to help. This is so refreshing to hear from young ones. Start em young was my seminar four’s title and it is true. If we teach the children to do well and help themselves maybe this world is not lost to evil just yet. I hope you enjoy my selection and remember teach the young ones from past mistakes and maybe they won’t suffer as our generation does.

Some things I got out of English 98 are; I learned how to write an argument essay which I chose to write a paper persuading students to not work while they were in school. Another thing I picked up along this winding down road to the completion of English 98, was the ability to write effectively which I feel I did in the first Discussion Board, Inventory of being which I properly titled The Real Me. The next thing I learned was how to analyze a piece of writing which I feel I did most the time while reading Three cups of tea. My favorite seminar that I think I did very well using my new skill of analyzing was the fourth seminar. The final piece I will share is my writer’s choice. This was a hard one to choose because there are a few assignments which I feel I showed my writing abilities very well. The piece I chose in the end was the thesis statements we were told to make in the very beginning in Discussion Board three because before this class I always thought that my thesis statements were my weak point. Phebe proved me wrong when she used my assignment as an example of good thesis statements, so I am proud of this assignment especially. So those are my picks and I hope they are enjoyable, educational and really hit why peace love and hope is all the world needs.