I think that the grade that reflects the work that I have done in this course, and thus earned, would be an A -. I think that I was prepared for class and that I stayed focused. What hindered me was a prompt response in the blogs. My last week of blogs were a little late and I find them to be weaker than previous entries. I was present for every class and I came with knowledge of the topic we were going to be studying.
I think my best strength in this class was my attentiveness in class. The first day I tried to record the lesson only to realize that my computer was not equipped with a microphone. Therefore, my note had to be excellent because there was no way to recall the information. I took both written and electronic notes. On days when I realized the computer (and its internet connection) was going to be a distraction, I wrote out my notes. I think this was a good plan for me because I was able to recognize when focusing was going to be difficult and I was able to prevent that disturbance. I was also able to keep my shenanigans within the allotted break. For example, I drew a picture for Courtney on some of the days but I did not allow that to take away from the class period. I was focused during the lesson and would think about other things at the appropriate time.
My next strength would be my blogs. I took them very seriously. Despite the fact the last 5 were below par (according to me and discussed about further down), I still spent a good deal of time on them. I wanted to make sure that each blog conveyed what I wanted it to. I also wanted to make sure that there was a point to my blogs. I wanted to write for the sake of substance not for quantity.
Examples of my strengths in the course all focus around the art and literature we studied. My strongest day(s) in class were the days we studied certain concepts in art and when we analyzed texts. I was particularly prepared for Dante’s Inferno because it is one of my favorite pieces from this time frame. I think that was the day that I asked the most questions and was able to use the response from the class and the professors in a blog I wrote later about my confusion with the text. I am also glad that we addressed the works that inspired the Renaissance because I think it was a nice reminder for me. I was able to recall the concepts at a quicker pace because of this foundation.
I don’t think that I was as versed in the arts as I should have been. I recall the first day not being able to name a technique for achieving balance. I know that I should have been able to do that, but I was too nervous and shy in the beginning to be outgoing. I think that is one of my weaknesses. I do not speak up in class and prefer to learn by listening. I remember Courtney using one of the things I said under my breath in one of her arguments (she did give me credit). I think my experience in the classroom would have been better for me intellectually had I spoken up and shared my thoughts instead of musing on them and not getting any clarity on my confusion.
Another weakness that presented itself was my “random thought” blogs. I did not really stay within the classroom setting in some of my blogs, and I fear that some of them are not as useful to my education as the others. These blogs include The Roman Nose and Stargazing. Although they were relative to the time period, they were not really connected to what we were studying in class. I think that I was just so excited to find things out in the world that was Perugia that I wanted to write about them despite the fact that it was an outlier topic. However, I also think this is one of my strengths. I did not limit myself to the classroom but to the outside world as well. I used the surroundings that I was so happily placed in to enhance my learning experience. Despite the fact that these blogs topics are coming from the left field, they do illustrate my learning outside of the classroom, which is of course one of the main perks about studying abroad.
My final weakness that I have thought of at this time is my inability to comprehend the music. I feel as if I understood at least three quarters of the music but I think that I should have made a better effort to confirm my thoughts on the other fourth of the equation. Honestly I thought I would be more experienced in this section because I have had 10 years of Piano lessons but it was an abrupt wake-up call when that section of the class started. I found myself just copying the melodic curves of those around me instead of trying to understand the concept for myself. That is the area of the class that I feel least prepared in and also the area that I wish I would have devoted more time in. I regret not writing a blog based solely on music because it would have been beneficial to not only my understanding of the terminology associated with this part of the class but it also would have helped prepare me for the third essay that is required.
In summation, I think that I have completed quality work for this class. I took it very seriously and I learned a lot. When I think about getting grades in a class I think about the amount I learned. I think that my knowledge should reflect the grade I earned. In this course I think that I have gained so much knowledge about the Renaissance and myself that it would be difficult to consider anything below an A- as my learning level. Again, I put the minus there because I was not always on time with my blogs. My weaknesses do not overpower my successes in the course and I feel very confident in how I carried myself in the classroom.
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