Portfolio Reflection Essay
All of these papers start the same. A student will begin by stating how english has never been their strong suit, how they hate it, how they struggled with it, but by some miracle that came in the form of a single english class, they learned to be an amazing writer and to appreciate english. Suddenly, after 10 weeks, they are able to compose cohesive papers and enjoy the process. I wish I could say the same about my own writing experience, but that just isn’t true. Has this course taught me how to be a better writer? Yes. Has it taught me to put more effort into the process? Absolutely. Have I met the UWP1 learning outcomes? I believe so. But have I learned to love english and be confident about my writing? Not yet. With each college english and/or writing class I take, I grow a little bit more fond of writing, my technique improves, and I grow more confident; but it is a process. You see, what I did not realize at the time of each small assignment is that together the reading assignments and responses, freewrites, peer review workshops, instructor feedback and one-on-one conference helped shape my portfolio into something I feel proud to present. This process, taken in well designed baby steps, has helped me achieve the five learning outcomes of this course: rhetorical concepts, processes, knowledge of conventions, research, and metacognition.
If you had asked me what ‘Rhetorical Concepts’ meant at the beginning of this class, I would have stood staring blankly. Surprisingly, or not, the first time I ever heard this phrase was on the first day of UWP1. Rhetoric, according to Carroll, is the way we use language and ways to persuade. The concepts of rhetoric include exigence, audience, constraints as well as logos, pathos, and ethos. Rhetorical situations can be better understood by analyzing these underlying concepts which build said situations.Taking each rhetorical concept into mind when composing a paper or essay is essential to the success of the writing. The assignment “Rhetorical analysis of two sample discourse community projects” forced me to think critically about these concepts and on an author’s choices. This assignment shifted my understanding of these key concepts. I learned to ask important questions that will help guide my process in the write direction such as “What is gained from composing my text in this genre?”, “Who is my audience and what do I want them to take away from this?”, and “What is the purpose/exigence?”
Moreover, once a first draft of my text is composed, I’ve learned that it is not even close to being done. Unfortunately I had always believed that the writing process consists of one rough draft followed by minor edits and tweaks to produce a finished paper. However, the reading assignment on Nancy Sommer’s research combined with peer review workshops taught me that this is far from the truth. Prior to these assignments, I revised my papers by re-wording them, making minor grammar adjustments, and looking for lexical repetition. I truly believed that this was an efficient way of revising. On the contrary, this course taught me that “revising” means to recognize conceptual repetition instead of solely lexical, constantly writing and rewriting the whole essay, and looking at the composition as a whole. I believe this knowledge has been the single most effective thing I have learned from this course.
In order to effectively revise, students must have appropriate knowledge of conventions. While writing my Discourse Community Project paper I had to keep in mind that it is a research paper and that my audience is very specific. I used formal language, straightforward and factual tone, and strict formatting. On the other hand, my Literacy Narrative implemented vastly different conventions. This paper was written more for me, allowing me to reflect on my past and informally process my background and upbringing in physical literacy. These two essays successfully allowed me to explore the connections and conflicts between different discourse communities and genres, and the conventions that accompany them.
Furthermore, one of the most applicable learning outcomes of the course was research. Research is required in a variety of classes ranging from science courses to writing courses to GE courses. Knowing how to properly use databases, collect research, and smoothly integrate research into a cohesive essay is crucial to composing a strong paper. For my DCP, my primary research consisted of an interview and my own observations based on my previous experience with veterinary medicine. My secondary research consisted of analyzing and implementing scientific literature and Swales’ Genre Analysis. Prior to UWP1, I had never used an interview as a method of research. I had to go out of my comfort zone and write my own interview questions that would assist in conveying the purpose of my DCP. The primary research allowed me to synthesize my prior knowledge while also creating new knowledge that would help support the argument of my DCP.
The last learning goal covered in this course is metacognition which is the ability to reflect on one’s own rhetorical choices and processes. Writing cover memos for my essay drafts is something that I had not done prior to UWP1. I found this to be extremely difficult for me as I normally just produce a paper without much thought and have my reviewer tell me what to change. Composing cover memos forced me to think about my writing process and reflect on the choices I made. Thus, the feedback from my peers became much more useful and direct.
Despite the fact that I have just presented the various shifts in thinking and processes I have made to better myself as a writer, my portfolio isn’t everything I wish I could be. If I had more time to work on it I would add another interview to my DCP. The interview I conducted didn’t add much value to my paper; I would like to conduct a more formal interview with a veterinarian to get insight into the discourse community at the member level I plan to be. In terms of my literacy narrative, I would make several changes if I had more time. I would revise it completely, starting over and making a more solid argument about my journey with physical literacy. The hardest part about university writing is the time constraints. I would love to spend more time revising and rewriting my assignments until I am happy with them but the reality will always stand that I am a full time student with a busy schedule.
Reflecting on my work throughout the quarter has allowed me to see and acknowledge the growth I have made. I’ve learned to stress the process more than rush the product, which I now see is seemingly the only way to compose a successful paper. Taking this information and my newfound literacy skills, I will continue taking steps toward becoming a well-rounded, capable writer. In my future classes and my career I will take the time to think about my rhetorical choices when writing and properly revise until I am satisfied. I will write keeping the audience, purpose, and genre in mind. However, there is always room for improvement. One aspect I need to continue to improve on is writing a cohesive paper that flows. I have struggled to construct topic and conclusion sentences that allow for smooth transition between ideas. Additionally, I need to take the time to consider the author’s choices when reading as it will ultimately make me a better writer. The skills I’ve learned apply not only to english classes, but to all aspects of my life as a student and worker. As you will discover in my DCP, I plan on becoming a veterinarian. This career requires proficient communication skills and the ability to compose in several mediums such as emails, patient charts, and reports. The skills I have learned in this course can be applied to these mediums and will thus extend to my future and help me be successful in the field of veterinary medicine.
If you had asked me what ‘Rhetorical Concepts’ meant at the beginning of this class, I would have stood staring blankly. Surprisingly, or not, the first time I ever heard this phrase was on the first day of UWP1. Rhetoric, according to Carroll, is the way we use language and ways to persuade. The concepts of rhetoric include exigence, audience, constraints as well as logos, pathos, and ethos. Rhetorical situations can be better understood by analyzing these underlying concepts which build said situations.Taking each rhetorical concept into mind when composing a paper or essay is essential to the success of the writing. The assignment “Rhetorical analysis of two sample discourse community projects” forced me to think critically about these concepts and on an author’s choices. This assignment shifted my understanding of these key concepts. I learned to ask important questions that will help guide my process in the write direction such as “What is gained from composing my text in this genre?”, “Who is my audience and what do I want them to take away from this?”, and “What is the purpose/exigence?”
Moreover, once a first draft of my text is composed, I’ve learned that it is not even close to being done. Unfortunately I had always believed that the writing process consists of one rough draft followed by minor edits and tweaks to produce a finished paper. However, the reading assignment on Nancy Sommer’s research combined with peer review workshops taught me that this is far from the truth. Prior to these assignments, I revised my papers by re-wording them, making minor grammar adjustments, and looking for lexical repetition. I truly believed that this was an efficient way of revising. On the contrary, this course taught me that “revising” means to recognize conceptual repetition instead of solely lexical, constantly writing and rewriting the whole essay, and looking at the composition as a whole. I believe this knowledge has been the single most effective thing I have learned from this course.
In order to effectively revise, students must have appropriate knowledge of conventions. While writing my Discourse Community Project paper I had to keep in mind that it is a research paper and that my audience is very specific. I used formal language, straightforward and factual tone, and strict formatting. On the other hand, my Literacy Narrative implemented vastly different conventions. This paper was written more for me, allowing me to reflect on my past and informally process my background and upbringing in physical literacy. These two essays successfully allowed me to explore the connections and conflicts between different discourse communities and genres, and the conventions that accompany them.
Furthermore, one of the most applicable learning outcomes of the course was research. Research is required in a variety of classes ranging from science courses to writing courses to GE courses. Knowing how to properly use databases, collect research, and smoothly integrate research into a cohesive essay is crucial to composing a strong paper. For my DCP, my primary research consisted of an interview and my own observations based on my previous experience with veterinary medicine. My secondary research consisted of analyzing and implementing scientific literature and Swales’ Genre Analysis. Prior to UWP1, I had never used an interview as a method of research. I had to go out of my comfort zone and write my own interview questions that would assist in conveying the purpose of my DCP. The primary research allowed me to synthesize my prior knowledge while also creating new knowledge that would help support the argument of my DCP.
The last learning goal covered in this course is metacognition which is the ability to reflect on one’s own rhetorical choices and processes. Writing cover memos for my essay drafts is something that I had not done prior to UWP1. I found this to be extremely difficult for me as I normally just produce a paper without much thought and have my reviewer tell me what to change. Composing cover memos forced me to think about my writing process and reflect on the choices I made. Thus, the feedback from my peers became much more useful and direct.
Despite the fact that I have just presented the various shifts in thinking and processes I have made to better myself as a writer, my portfolio isn’t everything I wish I could be. If I had more time to work on it I would add another interview to my DCP. The interview I conducted didn’t add much value to my paper; I would like to conduct a more formal interview with a veterinarian to get insight into the discourse community at the member level I plan to be. In terms of my literacy narrative, I would make several changes if I had more time. I would revise it completely, starting over and making a more solid argument about my journey with physical literacy. The hardest part about university writing is the time constraints. I would love to spend more time revising and rewriting my assignments until I am happy with them but the reality will always stand that I am a full time student with a busy schedule.
Reflecting on my work throughout the quarter has allowed me to see and acknowledge the growth I have made. I’ve learned to stress the process more than rush the product, which I now see is seemingly the only way to compose a successful paper. Taking this information and my newfound literacy skills, I will continue taking steps toward becoming a well-rounded, capable writer. In my future classes and my career I will take the time to think about my rhetorical choices when writing and properly revise until I am satisfied. I will write keeping the audience, purpose, and genre in mind. However, there is always room for improvement. One aspect I need to continue to improve on is writing a cohesive paper that flows. I have struggled to construct topic and conclusion sentences that allow for smooth transition between ideas. Additionally, I need to take the time to consider the author’s choices when reading as it will ultimately make me a better writer. The skills I’ve learned apply not only to english classes, but to all aspects of my life as a student and worker. As you will discover in my DCP, I plan on becoming a veterinarian. This career requires proficient communication skills and the ability to compose in several mediums such as emails, patient charts, and reports. The skills I have learned in this course can be applied to these mediums and will thus extend to my future and help me be successful in the field of veterinary medicine.