Journal Entry #2

Mini-ethnographic/Royal Academy Daycare

I decided to explore the Roayl Academy Daycare center. I am very interested in learning how the 2-4 year olds interact with each other, their behavior, and learning styles. I would like to see how they learn in an environment with other older children. It amazes me how they take information and interpret it to their understanding. I would like to know the different techniques the teacher uses to keepmthem focused. In the end I would like to have a better understanding of their learning abilities.

Journal Entry #1

Charity Burgess

Professor Tweed

ENC 1101: Journal Entry #1

8 September 2008

My Family History

The topic that I decided to write about is My Family History. The reason I wanted to write about this topic is because I don't know much about my family. I hope to get a better understanding of why I never knew much about my family.

I have always been close to my immediate family on my mother's side. I guess I should explain a little more. My parents were never married. I have two siblings from my mother and six siblings from my father. That created a separation between my family. As a child I was raised in my mother's home. My father was always there. Due to the fact that he had other children, we never really saw each other much. I wanted know about my brothers and sisters and what they thought of me. To be honest, I don't know much about any of my distant relatives. My mother tries to sit down and explain different things. It's all still confusing to me. I have always been a family person. I wanted to know who was who. I think that's why I stress family to my friends and children. I want my kids to know their history and where they come from. I want to be able to sit down and tell them the history of their mother and father. I enjoy the times when the whole family gets togther and start to think back on old times. I sit and listen because it is all fascinating to me. My children are young now, but I hope to capture moments that will be important to them later in life. They will appreciate me for it.

There is so much more I want to know about my family. I want to gain a strong relationship with all my siblings. The main thing I know about my family is that it isn't always up to my elders to educate me on my family history. I can do reserach on my own.

Charity Burgess Journal

My Name is Charity Burgess. I am originally from Moss Point, MS. I have been a resident of Florida for 3 years. I moved here from Jacksonville, NC. I was stationed on Camp Lejuene while serving in the United States Marine Corps. I am married with two children. I am enjoying Florida very much!

I am currently taking classes at Valencia Community College. My goal is to receive a Master's degree in Business Administration. I work full time, so I am only a part time student. At times is has been rough and there have been many hurdles put in my way. My determination is what keeps me going.

I definitely communicate a lot via email. The type of work that I do requires a lot of follow up. I prefer to email because you have a paper trail. I also like communicating via email because it allows me to express myself more clearly. I feel that I am a good writer. However, I would like to be an excellent writer.

I enjoy writing autobiographies and short stories. I like short stories because you get to tell so much in a short period of time. It brings suspense and excitement to the reading. I enjoy writing autobiographies because you get to research and learn so much about the person of interest.

The strategy that I mostly use is research first. I have to have some type of knowledge about my topic. I have to be interested as well. If I am not well educated on what I am writing about, I tend to drift off and lose interest. I learn that I must research first from experience. I do try and use the same strategy whenever I write. However, I am very good at making up stories as well. I enjoy using my imagination. I get to create any character or scene I want.

The thing I find most difficult about writing is trying to stay focused. I like to stay within the subject and not wonder off to other things. I also have a problem with writing too much information. I want readers to be informed, but I find giving away information that may not be relevant. What makes writing easy for me is the fact that I can tell the story from my point of view.

I find writing very important because it allows me to continuously improve your skills. It give me a chance to express your thoughts and knowledge of a particular subject or person.

Overall, I think my writing skills improve day by day. My strengths are that I like writing, so I am always focused and have an interest in what I am writing about. Coincidentally, my weakness is trying to stay focused. I am easily distracted, so I have to be alone when writing.

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