To represent my experience in English 101 this year, I used a tree to break down the different influential parts. The trunk represents the foundation of this class: Play, Make, Write, Think. The branches represent the various learning outcomes: creating a digital identity, analyzing rhetorical situations, practicing critical thinking and problem-solving, making writing a reflective process, and finally, thinking creatively. The smaller twigs branching off each individual learning outcome represents how we practiced said learning outcomes and new skills — such as through games, podcasts, readings, sidequests, collaborative discussions, and our websites. I chose to use a tree, as it symbolises the interconnectedness of all these skills and experiences, meaningful growth and development, and individuality.
The design of my assembly is a rocket flying high to the sky. I include the contents that we have learned in this class in the rocket trail, symboling the accumulative skills and experience that are pushing us forward. On the fundamental layer, there is the materials of ENG 101 class: the book SuperBetter we read, the games like Fiasco we played and discussed, the three podcasts we produced in a group, and the website we designed to post our thoughts. In the upper layer, there is the skills we practiced: analyzing rhetorical situations, working in a group, creating interesting posts, and embracing technology as a new media to write. At the top of the trail is the ability we possess after finishing this class: critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital-identity exploring.
What I’ve learned in this class and what the class has taught are to me somehow different. The first drawing represent all the things that came to my mind as I reflected on the semester. Then, as I read the prompt again, another idea came to my mind. The thought process this class taught me is something else. One of the most important things is the possibility to write without the constraints that have almost became intuitive. What is better to represent a working process than an actual reaction in nature? Well, I did alter half the processes in the actual reaction… and my usual handwriting.
I decided to make an assembly using the structure of a menu, with various appetizers, entrees, and drinks and deserts. The appetizers laid the foundation for our learning in class, and included many of our early readings about gaming and gamefullness. In these readings we learned how to define games and make sense of games, most notable through probing and telescoping. I also included some of the early games we played which got us thinking more critically about games than we had in the past. The entrees are the main bulk of our class, including large assignments and recurring themes that have become central to our class. The drinks and desserts are the fun games that we played for class, all of which managed to tell entertaining stories and got us thinking about more subtle aspects of games: music, environment, themes and symbols. This assembly was overall pretty fun to make and helped me organize the various things I did in this class over the course of the semester.
Since our class focuses so much on games, I thought it would be fun to incorporate a game into my diagram. Monopoly seemed like a good choice because there are a good amount of elements in the game that I can assign different game piece to what we have covered and learned in this class. Looking back to what we have studied, I was actually surprised. I did not expect we would be able to learn so many skills within one semester including under the influence of a pandemic. Collaboration is something I want to elaborate a little bit here. Usually in regular courses, collaboration just means finishing an assignment together or giving a presentation as a group. That collaboration usually ends up like dividing the work, everyone working on their own, and then put up together a result. In ENG101, the way we collaborate is so drastically different. In board games like Fiasco, we have to change our game plan according to other player’s story and eventually come up a decent ending. Or in mansion of madness, two groups of player are formed after the “haunt has revealed”, within each group of the players the goal is to either chase down or escape from the other group, and we are actively collaborating and talking secretly with the other player on your team. There are many other examples like creating a podcast or home-tasking that you collaborate with people outside of the class. These collaborations in my mind are enjoyable and everyone is contributing to a common goal, and are not heavily depended on one person in the team. From my perspective, these collaborations are enjoyable and make me feel accomplished. I wish I’ll have more chance of these type of collaboration in my future courses.
For the assembly, I wanted to capture the polarization of our semester. With the immense amount of trick shot and Rube-Goldberg machines being posted right now, I deemed it in style to follow that vein. The difference, is having an unexpected obstacle shift the direction of the machine in a different way. I tried to represent this through a Ping Pong Ball shot that starts as any RGM would. The Left side represents the first portion of the semester on campus, with each element representing a specific facet of our class that helps us become better writers. After the Cat, the virus, messes with the trajectory of the machine, the outlook becomes much more bleak. I represented this with the lack of color throughout the right side, barring the final cup. With the elements on the right being the tasks we completed at home (Hometasking, Podcasts, etc), we still found a way to have a successful semester of learning and growing despite the intense interruption.
To represent the ENG101 class about gamely thinking, I drew my brain and the thoughts provoked from the class’ learning outcomes. Each learning outcome led to specific lessons I learned, and through each of these lessons, I learned more techniques and devices to channel my newfound gamely mind. Although each thought is not directly related to one another, I connected each thought together because I believe the thoughts provoked through the learning outcomes each influence each other, even if I do not realize it at the time. In a game, each move and choice leads to another, even if the player does not realize this while they are playing. This class taught me that if I utilize the skills we learned to think “gamefully,” each of life’s experiences teaches a different part of my brain a new lesson. These moments are all interconnected, and they form who I am. ENG101 has helped me realize this concept.
Anything I create begins with a jumble of information and thoughts as seen with the large thought bubble on the left edge of the page. To organize and break down my writing and creating process, I have an assembly of my factory.
All the assignments and words act as inputs that travel through the Suction until they get to the the first stage: The Waiting Room. Here is where ideas can culminate and accumulate. The room is quite comfortable, so ideas can hang out there for as long as needed.
Once an entity is in The Waiting Room three things can happen to it. First, it can be sent to the Gutter, where many of the bad ideas are discarded early on in the process. Second, it can be a good idea, but maybe not for this project. In order to accommodate for the needs of these types of ideas, they are sent to Long-Term Housing. The building has lots of rooms and is one of the best underground storage facilities in the factory.
If an entity in the waiting room is ready to be developed, it will get to take the path up stairs to the Brain Storm.Brain Storm can be quite tricky and act like a sort of maze, but once the idea has been workshopped it is able to reach the end and enter the spout of the Filter Focus Watering Can.
Here the idea has been washed through the storm and out the watering can into the Nurturing Garden. The garden is key, allowing the best ideas to nurture and grow. There is even a Root Strengthening Gym if the idea needs stronger roots. From here, the best ideas grow big, tall, strong, and healthy with lots of leaves and flowers.
The tallest idea will be able to reach the Creation Hub. This is where the idea starts to come to life. The Creation Hub is meant to look like the palette of an artist about to use his skills to create something amazing. Sprouting from the Creation Hub is the List of Goals and Tasks to keep the factory in check.
The entity will then makes its way across the Bridge to Building and end up at the Solid Formation Tower. This signifies the end of the creation stage. From the Solid Formation Tower a Product Cube is formed. This Product Cube is basically the first draft. Everything is laid out, but it is plain and needs a little pizazz.
That is why the Product Cube quickly gets shrunken down and drenched in Creativity Potion. This gooey, sparkly mess slides down and is zapped in the air, awaiting the Cutting Stage. Here, things can be pared down to fit word limits or to get rid of all the superfluous language. The edges and goo of the Product Cube fall into the Pit of Fallen Phrases will the main entity gets sucked up the Tunnel of Humor and Personality.
Once the product is whisked, and swirled around the tunnel, it is filled with personality and loaded unto the Trip to Final Packaging. The product reaches a last stage conveyer belt where it gets hit with Dash of Flavor & Style.
The last stage of my creation process is the product receiving that Cherry on Top. It goes through the last tunnel where it is quickly whisked Off to the Whims of the Universe. Don’t worry, the information is replicated and placed in the Saved File, so I will always be able to access it.
This assignment is more open-ended and a bit harder for me to figure out what I should do about it. Due to my lack of artistic skills, I decided to make it clear and easy to read. With the 7 elements we learned since the beginning of the semester, I match the lessons we learned with the most important element they feature and build up on that. Genre applies to all learning material and I just left it out to keep the drawing clean.
I’ve always hated being the centre of attention; I try my best to avoid the limelight and feel most comfortable as an observer in the crowd. This class has forced me to challenge my attitude from the offset.
When I found out that the homework assignments would be posted publicly, I was mortified! I’ve never had my work looked at or judged by my peers before. “What will others think?” “What if they think my writing is shit?” “This is going to be humiliating.” After catastrophising for a bit, I snapped myself out of it and convinced myself to embrace the new experience, give it my all and see what happened.
I’ve decided to break down ENG101 by placing me in my absolute nightmare scenario, centre stage of a packed arena. The crowd is comprised of all of the emotions, thoughts and experiences this class has caused me to address and access. I’m confronting/embracing them using my set-list, made up of all the tasks and quests we have undertaken as a group. My approach to this task is very self-indulgent, so I’m not sure if my drawing will resonate with many others.
I have really enjoyed how this class has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, I feel that I have certainly grown as a writer. Reading throught the student posts section was always a fun part of my week. I’ve loved seeing all of the creative and inspiring ways my classmates have approached the quests and I’m sad that this is the final hurrah. It’s been fun, guys!
