7-7:10pm: How are you? Tell us about/narrate your day…
7:10-7:25pm: Review of last class… What we’re doing this semester.
7:25-7:35pm: Questions about the syllabus.
7:35-7:45pm: Freewritng. Not just how you begin an essay, or a reaction, or anything. Yes, you should always edit and organize your composition later, but there should always be a sense of FREEDOM, and a freeing feel to your writing. Writing is often taught from the riles of and calls for more structure, rather than expression. Even a critical essay, or “analytical” one, should be expressive. Expression should ALWAYS be free on the page. Thoughts? What has your experience been?
7:45-8pm: What’s an essay supposed to do, anyway?
8-8:15pm: When you hear “Composition”, what is the first thing you think?
8:15-8:35pm: Composition is a piece of writing, a submission that is composed, together, self-supported. A stand-alone piece, if you will. It should also be noted, that composition entails several parts, and a consistency of Art, expression, uniqueness and music..
Post your own definition of “Composition”, below
8:35-8:40pm: What is your style of Composition? Does it involve any Humor? Search for Happiness? Or, a strengthening of existing Happiness?
8:40-9pm: Close…. What’s on tonight’s page? What are you going to write in your journal?
Assignment: Write in your journal, OBSESSIVELY. And, more importantly, FREELY.
And….. please buy David Sedars’ book if you haven’t already.
#professormikey 
Do we write a page and turn it in through email?
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That was last class’ assignment. Tonight, just post here.
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The class we had the other day was pretty interesting. The questions were fun to answer and I enjoyed reading through everyone’s responses.As for the syllabus it was easy to understand and straightforward.
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Cheers!
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My thoughts are that last class was a great new way to start class. I also think that the syllabus is straight forward with the input.
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which book are we going to be reading first? I haven’t received all my books yet.
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Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls.. one of your assignments for tonight is to get it.
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okay good that’s the one they gave me first.
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How or where can we check our grades out?
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Contact me. I will tell you. That easy.
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Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls
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Good and today I got a haircut, showered, went to jack n the box for only thing I’ve eaten today, chilled on my ps4 for a bit and went to sleep. The only question I have that’s sort of about the syllabus is when we will start on reading one of the books?
What I think an essay is supposed to do is talk about a topic in a detailed way of expressing It while ending the writing in a conclusive way. The first thing I think of for a composition is a Written experience from an author. My style of a composition is informative in a happy that has some humor when it’s convenient.
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What have you been taught about essays in the past?
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I agree with @GARINMCCORMICK! Well said
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Thank you!
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Whether it is grief or celebration they are just experiences. As humans we should take in as many of those as we can, since we learn from every experience we have and it matters not if they are good or bad. The bad make you stronger physically, mentally, or spiritually. The good ones make you grow and make you happy.
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Yes!
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good thought.
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About last class was that I like how freely I can write about things and not get judged about it.
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There will only be encouragement here. When you receive criticism, it is meant to empower you!!
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It makes this a welcoming place where I can express my thoughts.
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YES YES YES!!!!!!
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Hi! today I was running around trying to get all my textbooks picked up. UPS lost my $250 french book so I was on the phone for an hour with the JC trying to get it tracked down. Then I made some homemade banana bread and I had a class this moring via zoom. Now I am BBQing with my neighbors
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banana bread is the best!!
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I have the BEST recipe. super moist and creamy
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Nice! that’s the best kind!
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send that recipe in.
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A yay-saying attitude invites more than its antithesis.
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Oh! and I also did my nails this evening
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Ha ha…. If it makes you happy, then there is nothing anyone can say. Enjoy!!
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hah that it does! it also saves me a ton of money doing my own nails
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definitely in need of that too! sounds fun
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I use to get my nails done every 3 weeks since legit 8th grade. So ive seen how to do it and ive always been like I should just do my own. well, this whole corona thing gave me the perfect opportunity. I have all the acrylic stuff I need as well as gel. I just got some jelly tips too! Its almost therapeutic doing my own nails. I really enjoy doing it
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Everyone deserves to have there nails done.
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oh yeah!!
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How long should assignment be? How many words, pages?
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I will let you know as I assign them.
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I have recently been grieving a death with my family, but it has brought everyone together to celebrate life. Talk about the great memories and even a couple chuckles about the bad ones.
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Healthy perspective. Sorry for your loss.
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Talk to us about FREEWRITING…. What does it do? Have you done it? Why do you think it’s important?
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FREEWRITING!!!!! Talk to me!!!!!
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I’ve never really been one to free write, I definitely think all the time so it would be probably pretty interesting if I were to put my thoughts in ink. I think people can come to some serious realizations when they free-write. Perhaps finally accept something they have been reluctant to admit to
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Yes they can!!! It’s the best way to self-educate, I think.
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Please follow the timetable!!!
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YES I enjoy freewriting, a way I am able to continuously write about my thoughts and not worrying about any rule/guide.
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Good!!! You can edit later.. enjoy the freedom and the lawless creativity!!
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Freewriting expresses your true feelings and helps you develop better abilities at writing
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Examples?
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My idea of free writing is that it is usually a pre-write activity. I think it is very important to organizing ideas and initial thoughts.
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I personally find grieving to be very important to the mental health and to the acceptance and understanding of peace and happiness. Grieving is painful because you are allowing yourself to feel every once of pain, but I find the humor and the celebration that comes after the grieving to be bigger and more exciting. It’s like an accomplishment. Grieving may feel sad, but it’s what comes after that it is 10xs better.
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Yes!!
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I completely understand that. I lost my dad when I was 15 years old so I completely understand what it’s like to truly grieve. I think grieving is different for everyone and people go through it in different ways at different times. I know for me I was very angry, resentful and mean through high school. It took me a couple of years after I graduated I realized that if I kept this way up I would never truly have any close relationships and I allowed myself to become vulnerable and realized I had felt abandoned by my dad dying. It literally took me almost 9 years to realize this and I think I am finally really being able to begin to heal. I completely agree with your statement that grieving may feel sad, but its what comes after that is 10xs better. It s like the rainbow after the storm. Everything happens for reason.
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Sorry for your loss. We all approach this in different ways.
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and it inspires me and boosts my confidence!
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It does!! Self-education is the best education.
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As I have said I try to avoid writing so I have not really done free writing but I know it will make me better as a person if I expose myself to new experiences.
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Yes!! And when you share your story, it is an act of kindness. Can’t wait to read your work!
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This is the first time I’ve ever been told that an essay should be expressive. I always thought it should be filled with information, that you have done hours of research on. Structured as a thesis, a body, and a conclusion. But writing and being able to express yourself would make it much easier to write. I believe an essay is supposed to help someone who knows nothing about a subject have a general understanding of that subject.
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I completely agree with you! I feel like professor Mikey has such a different approach to English and teaching in general, it’s refreshing.
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Thank you!!
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I did free writing a lot in high school. I had an English teacher who gave me a complete different perspective towards writing and how beneficial it is. It de-clutters your brain and organizes your thoughts. It’s helpful because it gives more understanding to ones self and feels extremely therapeutic!
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What did you write about?
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I haven’t really done a free writing essay? I think its important that me a writer stays on the topic, which I am horrible at.
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No you’re not. Keeping yourself on the page will help you center your words.
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Free writing should be a viable way to type because it is the reason you would write what you are. Essentially to free write is your freedom of speech. I am open to opinions as this one is mine.
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I agree!
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Is there a specific format you want our writing assignments to be in?
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MLA, but we’ll get into that later.
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I agree expression should be free on this page, but also expression should be freedom in every aspect because how can you fully express yourself when things are holding you back. It’s your story and nobody else. People can’t express you for yourself, it only works if it’s in your words because only you understand yourself more than anyone, but I agree things or people can help you learn things about yourself that maybe you didn’t realize.
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journals is an example of free writing.
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ABSOLUTELY. That is where you should be the most free in your words.
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With freewriting you’re allowed to play with your thoughts before finalizing anything on paper. Which I believe is a great tool to use so you can be more expressive when writing essays.
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I think freewriting lets me clarify my thoughts when I am confused.
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Nice!!
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Depending on the essay you write will define the outcome of the meaning behind it.
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Agreed! The message of what you’re trying to convey, whether it is a stance or simply what you’re feeling changes they way your essay will feel! It determines the tone and the context of what you’re writing about and paired up with free writing it can create a different meaning based on who views it!
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Essay are supposed to educate a reader about the topic. Make them resonate with it and also be memorable. An essay should be able to answer the “so what” question at the end.
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Very, very true Haley!!
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I believe that free writing is something that is necessary to convey the importance of a message. It’s a way to push passion and the sense of right and wrong as well as influencing the way a ready will interpret your writing. Text can be dry and monotonous it with no sense of expression it can be hard to show your audience what you mean. In my experience it is a crucial part of what you’re trying to convey.
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Free writing comes easy to me, I am always all over the place and for me being able to bring in my self expressions on an essay is amazing and comes so easy to me. I have always been taught to write informative essays as well so this should be very interesting. I also don’t want to have my thoughts all scattered to where it starts not to make sense. LOL
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You can be informative while still being expressive and FREE.
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I think the purpose of an essay (well at least an argumentative essay) is to show or persuade the reader to see your pov and to make them understand that what you believe in is credible.
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Agreed.
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Julia, that banana bread recipe would be welcomed.
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AAHHA but then ill have to kill you….. JK JK its 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup soft butter couple splash of vanilla splash of cream or milk (I use half and half) two eggs two cups sugar 3 bananas (nearly rotten like super brown) one teaspoon baking soda. you wanna mix the wet ingredients first then dry ingredients and then add bananas. cook at 350 for 45 mins give or take… and here’s the secret. turn the oven down to 300 and cook the last 15 mins on 300. BAM thank me later.
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two cups flour!! one cup sugar
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Hahah worth the risk of homicide, thank you thank you.
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Let’s keep it composed y’all..
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Let me know what you think!!!!!!!
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An essay is a good way of sharing information!
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Among other things, yes.
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Essays are meant for someone to display their perspective about a subject. Should be representative of the person and their beliefs and give you an idea how that person thinks. Also full of information.
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I think an essay is to inform the reader on a specific topic or convince the reader of something.
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Essays should be evident of purpose, more than persuade.
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An essay is a collection, rather than anything singular or predictable.
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it’s sort of a compilation of reasoning and examples behind the message you’re trying to bring to your reader, is it not?
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It’s absolutely a compilation and collection of ideas..
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Where y’all at?
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I think a reason why many people avoid writing in a journal or diary is because if you think about it, the brain holds soooo much information, ideas, and memories. Some of which people don’t want to think about. I’ve been there! I think that adulthood can be stressful and overwhelming and the last thing we want to do is add more attention to it by taking the time to not only live it, but write it too! But the power you have to release and express with a simple pen and paper is unexplainable.
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Love the way you worded this. Thank you.
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very cool.
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I think that is a very good point!!
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I have never really done any free writing but like a lot of people have said I feel like its a way to be able to clear your mind. You can organize your thoughts which in return may help to lift some weight off your shoulders.
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And, a way to teach you about YOU.
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free writing is one of the most simple forms of expression. very poetic and should intertwine it in as many types of writing as possible. although maybe not some neutral research paper.
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I think essays reveal peoples personalities and are meant to show their views on certain subject matters.
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An essay is more than just an “essay”, or some bloody assignment. It’s your writing, a map of your ideas and sights, thoughts and loves. Seeing and essay as an essay is dooming your writing.
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true.
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This is a great concept! When I was in high school my senior English teacher had us write our first essay without planning, telling us that it was the most accurate way to get you thoughts on a subject or topic down. It showed us how our mind flips between ideas and concepts and how easy it is to string similar ideas together into “essay format”
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Cool!
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exactly, I have definitely come across this of doing it just for points but once you learn to express and put your ideas into it, it becomes more meaningful.
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Totally agree! I was the same, doing it for the points, knocking out the amount of assignments that had to get done, but once you stop writing about “surface topics” and dig deep and put actual thought into it, it becomes so much more meaningful and special.
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I get the chase of a grade, but not at the expense of health and happiness, you know?
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