Writing 1 has helped me improve my writing in several ways. I've noticed my blog posts steadily getting stronger, and better organized. The first assignment I had no idea what was expected, or even what to write about, but as the class has gone on, and more blog posts have been assigned and written, I've slowly gotten more comfortable with the expectations, writing the blogs themselves, and even the topics chosen.
I've also noticed my writing steadily improving. Before this class, I did little to no pre-writing for anything that wasn't a final paper or worth a huge chunk of points, but now I find myself brainstorming and outlining everything from the semi bi-weekly papers, to the weekly blog posts. Its been an interesting adjustment for me; everything takes much longer now, but in the end, my writing also has much better organization and flow.
The class as a whole has forced me to be more introspective on my writing, writing processes, and behavior in a classroom environment. I went through most of my academic career thinking I was a great writer, and that I could write anything on just about anything, and write well. Now I have a little more perspective. I'm not quite as good as I thought I was, and I have some aspects that I have improved, and some aspects that could still do with some improvement, but I'm working on it.
As for the changes I've seen in my classroom behavior, I've come to realize that sometimes its OK to be silent. I don't have to answer every single question, or dominate every discussion, I can just throw my two cents in when I have something truly unique to say, or when my opinion can further the discussion. I still don't know exactly why silent classrooms make me so uncomfortable, but I've learned to accept the inevitable, and deal with the situation appropriately when it arises.
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