The End. Final Portfolio.

I feel I have emerged from this semester’s English class a better writer and a better thinker when it comes to writing. When I walked into the first day of class and learned we would be working with a service-learning agency and what it entailed I was excited to reach out of the box and experience something new. I had signed up for this particular class at the last minute due to some unexpected changes to my requirements for school and was not sure what to expect. After learning we would be doing service learning I felt it was kismet that things worked out the way they did to put me into this class. After reading through the different service learning agencies and what was to be done at each, I knew I wanted to work with the HEP program. I also got my GED after dropping out of high school and not having the best experience in school. I felt I could relate to the students, which could lend to a richer experience. In the end, I think my expectations of the service learning were exceeded.
It took me a while to really come up with a research subject associated with the HEP program, I dabbled in researching different aspects of being an immigrant in the U.S. I was blown away by the information out there, and how I felt our media had most of the facts wrong, or at least twisted them to create sensationalism. When I made the decision to research health care and immigrants, I knew I was on the right path. I am especially proud of the time and effort I put into finding the sources I used and the result from using such great sources. I think the angle I approached my research with is a very different approach than what we are use to hearing through the media. I felt proud to share a new angle that I hope will allow others to become more compassionate and understanding of what is happening in this country in relation to immigration.
My initial website was full of the facts, and not much of my own interpretation of them. After I was done with my site, I found myself sparking conversation with people around me about what I had learned. This helped me to find my own voice on the subject, because at first, I did not want to offend anyone with the information in my website and just wanted to state the facts. I was able to add an entire new page to my website dedicated to my own voice. I included the questions and gave answers to what I found many people were asking or addressing. I really wanted to address what I felt the media’s role is in how we view immigration. Also, the idea that immigrants are here, and regardless of how they got here, we still need to have compassion for them because they are human beings as well. So I suppose that is one of the ways my writing has changed throughout the semester, I am able to do research, extract the necessary bits, and add my own 2 cents on the matter. The blogging we did all semester was especially helpful. It was a place to put down my thoughts on my research in a safe place. I trusted my group members to give me good feedback, and that they were also thoughtful people whom I valued their opinions.
I included an entire page on my website dedicated to the initial research subject I chose. It was compelling to me, but not the direction I chose to go. I included it because I wanted to show how our governments legislation is affecting immigration and health care for immigrants. It goes back to what many believe is the truth. That our government is doing everything in its power to prevent illegal immigration but there are programs in place to allow it. It is an illustration of the misinformation being handed to us. Under the heading “the risks”, I wanted to explore the actual risks to all of us if we do not allow immigrants health care. Give people a selfish reason to want it also. I thought the part I wrote, “There is a direct correlation between poor living conditions created by high poverty levels, and the fact that many illegal immigrants come from countries with higher risks for infectious diseases, that creates a strong potential for a public health crisis. Not only for the immigrant population but also the general community. Illegal immigrants fear deportation and delay accessing care which creates a much higher probability of spreading the infectious disease to others in the community.” Spoke to this quite well.
In the design itself of the website, I wanted it to be easy to follow, and the pictures to evoke an emotional response. I wanted to put faces to the people I was talking about, to give them humanity instead of being a statistic or a number or a problem. The visual element of my website is simple, yet, I feel I chose images that speak well to the subjects on each page. As an example, I chose the image on the questions page to use it as a metaphor for asking questions about a subject with so many aspects. The metaphor is, the question may be simple,(like I stated them with one or two sentences) but the answers can come out like a flood, (like my answers in comparison to the questions were much longer). In unit 2 I used a different template than I did in the final project. The first template I used did not have all the headings along the top, but had a more tab with a drop down. I did not like it and needed to change it. I called on the help of the tech guy at the Co-Op to help me because otherwise I was going to have to find all the images again on google to fill in the pictures. The text transferred to the new template just fine though. My friend was able to show me how to accomplish transferring the pictures in less than 5 minutes. Thank goodness, because the initial website, finding the pictures took me a couple of hours.
This was my first opportunity to do research since my college career began. Initially I was overwhelmed and could not find enough information on my topic. After watching the videos created by the folks at the library on how to better approach research, I used their suggestions and had great results. Using different search titles and especially using the sources of the sources you already found proved to be very helpful. In my last English class we were encouraged to focus on ourselves in our writing for the semester. It was my first experience with writing in 15 years, so it was an easy task to accomplish writing about myself. This English class was a lot different. I had to think outside of my own realm of experience and delve into the unknown. Although it was a new way of writing, I felt I was able to slip into the groove easily. I found myself feeling passionate about the plights of immigrants and enjoyed researching the topics. Working at the HEP program also put faces and personal stories to my research, lending humanity and personal investment to my research.
On a personal note, I will not be returning to BSU for another semester. I was able to find a different path I prefer to take than institutionalized education. So, I did not put forth my full effort into my other classes but felt compelled to do my best in this class. Having a teacher that showed passion for writing was part of the reason, but doing research and exploring an aspect of writing outside of my previous experience was what gave me the most drive. I really enjoy writing and feel I have a better understanding on how to get the most out of the tools afforded to us. Will I use what I have learned outside of my school experience? Most definitely. I know how to design a website and do research. My path of learning has not ended, and I will continue to do research on what I plan to do next. Now I have a better understanding on how to compile the research into a cohesive piece of writing to share with others. I have already helped friends designing websites for their own interests and plan on making one for myself for my next venture. This may have been my favorite class of the 2 years I spent at BSU. It stretched my understanding and thinking larger than any other class.
To view my website visit wealldeservecare.weebly.com