Reflection

I really enjoyed keeping my vocabulary blog this semester. It allowed me to keep track of new words, as well as clarify ones I had a very tenuous grasp on. In the past when I would come across a new word I would sometimes look it up, sometimes not, but I would intend to later. This assignment helped me become more structured in my word learning because it gave me the space and a structure (where I found it, level of familiarity, what it means, and reflective commentary) to learn new words.

Looking through my blog, I notice many of my words are adjectives. I wonder if that is because of the types of texts I read (mostly narrative fiction)? Or maybe I just notice adjectives? Most of the texts I read are either books for my own enjoyment, which are typically anything you would find in the fiction section at Barnes and Noble, or texts for my job: non-fiction articles, novels, or books for my two Literacy courses. Within this list is opportunity for many words, but I found it difficult at times to come up with words. There were some weeks where I came across quite a few though. If i were not keeping this blog I would have skimmed past some of theses words, and therefore never fully understood what I was reading.

I really liked the reflective commentary section because it allowed me to reflect on the word, the context I found it in, and other applications. Deciding whether I would use the word in my own speaking or writing was interesting, as was deciding if the owrd was something I thought important for all to know. The Level of familiarity section was also another one that helped me define and work through my understanding of the words. This section allowed me to break the word down, recall if I had heard it before, consider context and try out multiple possible meanings.

I really loved the tests! :) I looked foward to them and enjoyed the challenge they presented. I thought the way they were designed was great, and forced us to know the word beyond just its definition, however I know many do not share the passion I have for tests (especially vocab tests). So as far as my own teaching goes, I don't think I am ready to do vocab tests, but to have students exposed to new words and have them use them in their writing and conversation. Although I will not test myself, I do intend on keeping track of new words as I go on. I will probably continue to use my blog because it works as a great tool that I can refer back to and view my progress!

Extemporaneously--9:2

Where I Found It

While reading chapter 6 of Hicks (2013) Crafting Digital Writing I came across this word.
The context is "composing a live action video of themselves speaking extemporaneously or delivering scripted narration can help students meet many of these standards"

Level of Familiarity

I do not believe I ever heard this word before, but I recognize the prefix "ex" and the root word "temp" and the suffix "ly" so the word seems familiar. I think the word means "done outside of time"?

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines this words as:
"done spoken or performed without special advance preparation"
or "previously planned but delivered with the help of few or no notes"
or "speaking or performing with little or no advanced preparation"

Reflective Commentary

This now makes sense in the context. My prediction was not correct, but close in some ways. Like, done without (instead of outside) time (to prepare)? I like this word because of its many parts. I like when words can be like a puzzle, we can take apart its pieces. I do not see myself using this word in speaking, but possibly in writing and especially with students to expose them to a new word.

Torrid--9:1

Where I Found It

My boyfriend was reading an article on ESPN.com about Arian Foster, a football player for the Houstan Texans and came across the sentence "Foster was torrid before sustaining the injury in week 7." My boyfriend then asked me what it meant, because he thought that word meant something negative, like "terrible", but that didn't make sense to him based on Foster's playing, so he asked me, and that is how I encountered it.

Level of Familiarity

I know I have heard this word, and I thought I knew the meaning, so when he asked me what it meant, I answered confidently, "it means clouded or obscure." He said it couldn't that that didn't make any sense based on the context, so he told me the context and then he looked it up.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines torrid as: subject to parching or burning heat, especially of the sun

Reflective Commentary

After looking up the defintion, we could clearly see what the sports analyst was trying to say, that Foster was "on fire." However, every defintion we saw related mostly to weather and climate, so we concluded that this was not the best word to describe a person. Also, I tried to find the word I had torrid confused with (clouded, obscure) and it was turbid :) Torrid is a nice word to know, and I can definitley use it while reading A Long Walk to Water to describe the setting, the Akobo desert connecting Sudan and Ethiopia.

Specious--8:2

Where I Found It

I went online to find a word I did not know, and came across "specious." It was listed under 100 words every college student should know, but I did not know it! I searched it in context and an excerpt from Lord of the Flies came up. It said "Ralph had been deceived now by the specious appearance in a beach pool and he approached this one preparing to be disappointed"


Level of Familiarity

I do not believe I have heard this word before, although I have read Lord of the Flies twice, so I must ahve come across it. It sounds like spacious, so that's immediately what I think of when I see this word. Judging by the context up above, I would say ugly, or lacking in something amazing.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines specious as: apparently good or right though lacking in merit; pleasing to the eye but deceptive.

Reflective Commentary

I can actually see myself using this word, both in writing and speaking. I am surprised that I cannot recall ever hearing it, but know I must have at least came across it, I just wasn't practicing "word awareness" back then I guess. I am really hoping I see this word more often now, I hope it is used widely enough where I will encounter it.

Ubiquitous--8:1

Where I Found It

I came across the word while doing research for my genre expert share project for LTED 618. I was browsing through a favorite book of mine, Judith Ortiz Cofer's Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican when I saw the word ubiquitous. The sentence read: "the thick sweetness of women's perfume mixing with the ever present smells of food cooking in the kitchen: meat and plantain pasteles, the ubiquitous rice dish made special with pigeon peas--gandules--and seasoned with the precious sofrito."

Level of Familiarity

Seeing as I read this book before, I have 100% encountered this word before. I also came across it recently in reading for class, I believe in Hicks (2012) for LTED 618. I don't really know what it means, even though once I brought it up in our class (625) and Dr. Hopkins provided a definition for it, I do not remember it. Based on the above context, I think the word means "special" or "a staple" like a necessity.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines the word as:
 /yuˈbɪkwɪtəs/ Show Spelled 

existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent.

 

Reflective Commentary

 

 

I was way off with the "special" definition, but a little closer with the "staple." I thought it could mean that because of how popular rice is in Puerto Rican cooking.The word itself sounds unique and special though, so I find it odd that for something that can be found everywhere can be called something so unique sounding. Hopefully this will help me remember the word once and for all.

Fracking--7:2

Where I Found it

I have seen this word on countless signs littering lawns all over the place. Signs that say: Say no to Fracking or something along those lines. Last night while watching tv, a commercial came on advocating for some politician, and there the word was again! I have no idea what this word means.

Level of Familiarity

I have seen this word as mentioned above many times, never is it used with any decsription, so I do not know what it means. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the environment, but thats about all I got.

What it Means

Google gives me the defintion: Another term for hydraulic fracturing

That is not good enough for me, since I do not know what "hydraulic fracturing" means.

Wikipedia says that hydraulic fracturing is the fracturing of rock by a pressurized liquid.

I guess this is bad...ground water can be contaminated, there are risks to air pollution involved, and risk for noise pollution (whatever that is).

Reflective Commentary

So, I am coming away with still a very tenuous grasp on this "fracking" term, and am wondering why, with all the other problems we have, why people have these "No Fracking" signs, when it really does not seem altogether so horrible, BUT, I am sure I do not understand this very much.

Rife--7.1

Where I Found it

I didn't necessarily come across or find this word, it found me. Whil I was writing my annotated bibliography, I was writing about how a student came from a neighborhood that was rife with poverty and crime. Once I had that written, I realized I was not sure if I used the word correctly because I was not sure what it meant, but it sounded right, and it came to me naturally.

Level of Familiarity

I am not sure where I heard or encountered this word before, but since I was able to use it correctly, and it just popped into my heda as being a good fit, then I am sure I have encountered it multiple times. I thought it meant "full of".

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines Rife as:
1. of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use

2. current in speech or report: Rumors are rife that the government is in financial difficulty. 

3. abundant, plentiful, or numerous.

4. abounding (usually followed by with )

 

Reflective Commentary

 

I chose this word because I thought it was interesting how the word came to me yet I didn't really know I knew it. Like, it sounded right, and I was pretty sure it made sense, but...I didn't really now the word. This just demonstrates the complexity of word awareness and knowledge!

Egregious--6:2

Where I Found It

Wedndesday night while looking for a non-fiction article for my students on "kellygallagher.org." I was reading his most recent article, determing if my students would need it "edited" so it was readable for them, when I came across it. The sentence was:

Never use many, always use myriad or plethora. Never say bad, always use egregious.”

 


Level of Familiarity

I am very confident I have heard this word before, just not sure where. I even can picture it being said, I am thinking it was used in a movie or tv show I recently watched. Maybe even the news. I knew the word had something to do with negativity. Before I read it in the context above I had thought it meant going to extreme lengths to get away with something or making a preposterous claim.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines this word as: extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant. Or as : gross, outrageous , notorious, shocking

Reflective Commentary

Turns out I was more right than wrong (I think). The word does have an aspect dealing with something preposterous. Both of my previously held defintions involved "going beyond" the ordinary, and that is the case with the word. So, I get where Gallagher's idea for using bad and egregious synonymously came from, he was trying to argue a point about the SAT's, but if we were in Jonas's community from The Giver and we tried to use egregious as  a synonym for bad, we would get lectured on precision of language. I may use this word, I feel pretty comforatble with it, and like how it sounds :)

Renege--6.1

Where I Found It

While reading an article "Monogamy is Not the Problem" on the Huffington Post on my boyfriend's I-phone. The article was broken down into five sub-heading that were to explain why cheating cannot be blamed on monogamy being unnatural. The quote said: "to "cheat" you need an agreement to renege on, namely monogamy."

Level of Familiarity

When I first read it, I thought to myself, isn't this a slang term? I had never seen this word, but I thought I had heard it, and I thought it was spelled differently, and I thought it was slang. So, then I thought, maybe I had the wrong word, and this meant something different than what I had first thought of.

What I immediatley thought was that the word was spelled "renig" and it was slang to say someone who gives, then takes back. I also thought it had some type of racist dimension.

 I  highlighted the word and hit "define," at first it said could not find the word, so I hit "search the web. I am not sure where that brought me but it gave me a definition.

What it Means

The first definition that was given to me on the I-phone said something along the lines of breaking a contract. I was lying in bed while I found it, and did not write it down, but told my boyfriend to write the word down so I could use it for my blog. Now, as I write this, I am using dictionary.com and that says renege means:
1. Cards.  to play a card that is not of the suit led when one can follow suit; break a rule of play.

2. to go back on one's word: He has reneged on his promise.

 

Reflective Commentary

 

As soon as I said this word to my boyfriend he brought the game uchre. I do not know how to play, and I am made fun of often for this. He said he knew what the owrd menat because of uchre and explained his version to me. I told him what I had found, that it meant breaking a contract, and that I had always thought this was slang.

 

I was amazed to find this is a real world and not spelled how I thought. I wonder where I first heard it to lead me to think what I had thought. It does have a negative connotation regardless.

 

As for where I found the word, I thought it was quite easy to grasp what the word meant based on the context: break, go back on...

 

I still do not see myslef using this word, not yet anyways, I still have to get away from the fact that I thought it was racist and slang...

Tortious--5:2

When and Where

I found this word while reading an article on CNN.com about Alex Rodriguez and how he is suing MLB. It said "that MLB and Selig "engaged in tortious and egregious conduct with one and only one goal ... to destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez.""

Level of Familarity

I do not believe I have ever heard this word before, though I may have come across it in reading. My first thought was that it had something to do with torture. I thought that seemed a little extreme or exaggerated to claim however.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines it as of the nature of or pertaining to a tort. This threw me, I had no idea what a "tort" was, although I quickly thought of the word retort.
 Tort is defined as: a wrongful act that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation

Reflective Commentary

I originally looked up egregious, but figured I didn't know tortious either, so I looked that up too. I went with tortious because I though the word to be more interesting and applied to the article well. Rodriguez felt what Selig and the MLB was doing to him was wrongful and meant to destroy his reputation. I also liked how it brought me to "tort" and its connection to torture and retort. I am not sure if retort has a real connection to tort, but retort does have a negative connotation, as in retaliate...

Perfunctory--5:1

When and Where

During a staff meeting last week my assistant principal used this word while speaking to us about our responsibilties. He said something like "these are not perfunctory duties." A little later as one of the counselors was speaking, she also used the word.

Level of Familiarity

I have heard this word before, but not sure where. The way my assistant principal used it, I gathered that it meant extra or superfluous.

What it Means
 

Dictionary.com defines this word as: performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial.

Or: lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic.

 

Reflective Commentary

 

This is a word I feel I could have easily learned if encountered while reading. The fact that it was used in a staff meeting made it seem like I should definitely know what it meant, but I was also left wondering how many other staff members did not know the meaning. I do not see myself using this word while speaking, but definitely in writing. I feel it is a good adjective to know, 

4.2--Esoteric

When and Where

I came across "esoteric" while reading for LTED 618. In chapter 4 of Hicks (2013) Crafting Digital Writing he is discussing the connections between digital writing and traditional writing. He lists several principles that  make for a good presentation that a colleague uses in his blog and says "this may all seem a bit esoteric, but these are the same principles we talk about when we discuss what makes good writing" (p. 63).

Level of Familiarity

I know I have seen this word before, in fact I am certain I have looked this word up before, but for some reason the definition does not stick. The word looks to me like it would mean something rare and different. Like used to decsribe a very eccentric person, or one who has very distinct tastes. It also reminds me of a very sparse but odd decorative style....weird that I think of all that when I hear it, but I do! However, based on the context I found it in, the defintions I thought up do not seem to fit. I can't  I have definitley encountered this word multiple times, so I decided when reading Hicks (2013) that I would find out once and for all, and not forget this time!

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines the word as: 

1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite: poetry full of esoteric allusions.

2. belonging to the select few.

3. private; secret; confidential. 

 

Reflective Commentary

 

Since I have come across this word multiple times, I think this is an important word to remember, plus I like how it sounds, is spelled and looks. I am still not 100% sure what the word was supposed to mean in Hicks (2013) sentence. Did he mean that those principles seemed secret? Or that only those with knowledge in that specific field would understand? So, I think I understand the word based on the defintion, but not how it is used in the context, so it makes me wonder if the word has connotations I may not grasp.  

4:1-- Desultory

When and Where

I came across "desultory" in our readings for last week. In Urquhart and Frazee's Teaching Reading in the Content Areas (2012) they say "if a student does not understand a word such as desultory in a short story, his or her understanding of the story might not be affected" (p. 17). When I read this, I was like, "oh no, I do not know what this word means, does that mean I have never fully understood short stories?"

Level of Familiarity

I have never seen or heard this word before, which surprised me given the context. The way the authors referred to it made it seem a common word that students should know. I could not even begin to use the context to determine its meaning, but it reminded me of the word "result" and also the pre-fix "de" told me the word had more of a negative connotation, having something to do with not being or doing or having something.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines desultory as: 1. Lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful. 2. Digressing from or unconnected with the main subject.

Reflective Commentary

My assumption based on the pre-fix was right. This word definitely has a negative connotation. I realized that I understood the concept of desultory even if I did not have that particular term to know it by. I do see myself using this word, especially in my writing. I am always glad when I can learn new adjectives. I do not see myself using it in regualr conversation though, it seems reserved for more formal assignments and speech.

Dissonance--3:2

When and Where

Tuesday morning I was explaining to my boyfriend that I think this pregnancy is causing me to lose cognitive ability. I referred back the day before and told him how a student of mine needed a band-aid and I kept referring to it as a rubber band. I said it so many times that the student finally lost it and shouted "why do you keep calling it a rubber band!? It's BAND-AID!" I have done this several times though, mixing up my words, causing a general confusion. So, after sharing my story with him he asked me "what does cognitive mean? I hear it all the time but I don't know exactly what it means." So then I tell him the definition, and he then asks what "cognitive dissonance" means, and he had me stumped. I told him I had heard the word several times (dissonance), and I had a feel for what it might mean, but I was not sure.

Level of Familiarity

I have definitely heard the word before, but not sure where. I had a tenuous understanding of it, but not enough to use the word when speaking. It reminded me of the poetic term: assonance, which means similar vowel sounds which are pleasing to the ear.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines dissonance as an inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony. Although I had the definition for dissonance, I still could not exactly define cognitive dssonance, so I googled that. Wikipedia defines it as: the discomfort exerienced when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting ideas.

Reflective Commentary

After looking up the definition of this word, my understanding is more solidified. When I was trying to guess the meaning on my own, discord was one of the synonyms I used. I can see how it would be used in context, and a bit more metaphorically, as it is used in cognitive dissonance, to have discord among your ideas.
I do see myself using this word. Since I already had some understanding of the word I am more ready to bring it in to my own usage.

Halcyon--3.1

When &Where

I came across this word while sitting at me kitchen table and  googling "words every college student should know."

Level of Familiarity

I was getting nervous about not encountering an unfamiliar word, so I went out and found one. I am confident that I have seen this word before, but had no idea what it meant.

What it Means

Dictionary.com defines "halcyon" as the following when used as an adjective:
1. calm; peaceful; tranquil
2. rich; wealthy; prosperous
3. happy; joyful; carefree
4. of or pertaining to the halcyon or kingfisher
When used as a noun:
5. a mythical bird, usually identified with the kingfisher, said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to have the power of charming winds and waves into calmness.

Reflective Commentary

I am very glad to have chosen this word to pursue the meaning of. I love the meaning of this word, all aspects and nuances. Calm, peaceful, and tranquil have always been favorite adjectives of mine;words that stir up very positive connotations, and now "halcyon" can join them! At first I was not sure how to pronounce it, but took advantage of the speaker icon to hear the word pronounced and found it pleasant sounding too. It  sounds like "calcium" but with an "n" instead of an "m" at the end. Another connection to this word I made and reason for feeling close to it already is its relationship with the kingfisher, a type of bird. For the past six years we have taken a family trip to the Outer Banks and the house we stay in is called the kingfisher. Our vacation down there is always  halcyon, filled with days spent right next to the rolling blue ocean.

I do not feel comfortable using this word in my daily speech just yet, but maybe the more familiar I become with it,it may sneak its way into my vocabulary. It will definitely show up as a synonym to calm and peaceful when I'm teaching diction in writing!