Competency #1

The methods of communication that I have learned throughout my university career have enabled me to dissect the contents of everything read or discussed in a classroom. These valuable tools have helped me to translate my thoughts into written and oral form for the numerous papers and projects I have produced to obtain my English degree.

• In Communication 111, Dr. Jean Richey taught us the fundamentals of public speaking by requiring us to research topics to present before our peers in a professional manner.

• The Humanities Capstone course has taught me another valuable way of communicating via the media. The use of technology via iMovie taught me a whole new way of communicating with pictures, video, and my voice, with the final presentation to the public.

Competency #2

College algebra or Math 107 was my mathematical requirement to obtain a B.A. in English. My first thought in having to take this class was “I’d never use it in my personal life.” But, this class has given me the confidence to produce quilt designs rather than having to follow written patterns. Math has expanded my horizons as a quilter and has given me the satisfaction of watching my designs come to life.
My college algebra professor, Dr. Brian Blitz, reminded his students that people use math everyday without even thinking about the computations of an algebraic problem. Whether it is substituting an ingredient in cooking or calculating the distance and time it takes for a ten mile run, both involve algebra. The completion of Math 107 has turned out to be a course that has enlightened my creative side, giving me the ability to take my quilting one step further.

Competency #3

Information literacy means to identify, locate, access, and analyze information in order to translate my thoughts into analytical papers of various lengths, one page to twenty. This competency also involves supporting my arguments by integrating and communicating the information obtained either through books or articles found through a number of research resources, such as, JSTOR. In addition, this competence requires comparing, contrasting and analyzing an author’s work, such as Keats “Ode to a Grecian Urn,” to that of other authors. An example of this would be my paper “Pagans and Icons in the Agonistic Keats,” which is available through my professors.

Competency #4

The use of technology in my daily life has changed drastically since I have taken the Capstone Humanities 499 with John Fehringer and Jason Ohler. Beforehand, I have only used my laptop as a form of communication, information, and research to get papers written. While this fulfilled university requirements for this competency, it did not give me the ability to understand the use of technology in a deeper sense. However, through the Humanities Capstone course I have taken my computer abilities one step further. I have learned to navigate areas of technology I did not understand, such as creating and developing a story through the process of using iMovie, video, and pictures, giving me the confidence to explore more options and uses of my laptop.

Competency #5

Professional behavior, whether it is making it to class and/or work on time or developing good work habits, is a great asset to have in one’s life, making life’s daily tasks that much easier. But for me, the most important skill in this regard that I have learned is organizing and communicating my thoughts into written form. This by far is the strength that gives me the confidence to go back into the work force.

• Professional behavior also includes community service, which has always been a part of my life. I have tried to instill in my children that they should be active in helping others who need our help, whether it is to deliver meals to those that are homebound, or volunteer to cook for a homeless shelter.

• Giving one’s time is the greatest gift one can give.

• With the stress of school, work, and family, I have put my community services off for now until I have finished my education. But I look forward to being involved in the Meals-on-Wheels program and cooking at the Glory Hole, along with other community activities.

Competency #6

Critical thinking has taken on a new form of life for me. Before I had started back to university, all I worried about was budgeting time, money, and taking care of my family. Making sure the children were fed, the dogs walked, and the house cleaned was a critical part of my day.

• From my first research paper to my last, conceptualizing, analyzing, and interpreting data has improved tremendously.
• Thesis writing has become second nature to me through the process of critical thinking. My research process has developed greatly, so I can minimize the time to write out papers that are coherent to the reader.

The environmental literature classes, English 303 and 423, with Dr. Sarah McFarland, taught me to analyze writing in a whole knew dimension, and to review novels or short stories through ecocriticism.

• This involves reading with the intent of finding what the author is trying to convey to the public concerning the environment and what affect we have on it.
• Ecocriticism is the study of nature and writing, also referred to as environmental literature. For me, the controversial topics concerning our environment and those that write about environmental issues left me with a bad taste. But, it has also made me aware of the footprint that I will leave behind. This paper is available through professors to review.

Competency #7

By far the most challenging class that I have taken at UAS was English 461, Advanced Creative Writing, with Emily Wall. The peer review and critiques lead to numerous rewrites of short stories. In addition to learning to become a writer is the process of reading like a writer. After years of training to read analytically, I found it difficult to switch to reading as a writer. This unique process looks at the tension that is created by the author and how he or she uses tension to tell a story.

• Tension leads the audience to develop a relationship with the character or characters, whether it is animal, plant, or human.
• A desire to know the outcome of a character.

• Desire brings the reader into the world of the character, leaving an imprint within the reader’s memory. A good author will engage the reader with conflicts by the use of tension; this then creates emotion within their audience.
  
• My work of fiction is available through the professors.