Final Reflection

After the last ten weeks, I feel that I have made some great growth as a writer. My primary issue before was lacking any enthusiasm about some of the things we had to write about, and I certainly didn't encounter that over the course of the quarter. I quite enjoyed writing and developing both essays, and I think that that is real step towards me gaining a true grasp on writing.

In terms of general writing improvement, it really needs to be mentioned how great a writing tool that I found the book "They Say, I Say" to be. It has given me a greater understanding of writing in an academic setting, and given me awareness of "entering the conversation". Not only that, it's given me pointers on different aspects of writing and how to really add to and improve upon my essays in ways that I hadn't even considered before, such as making sure to make a statement for the reader to get "why it matters".

With the focus on blogging and identity in blogging over the course of the quarter, I have a much easier time now finding and pinpointing identity in writing, especially my own. Specifically regarding blogs and blog posts, identity can be found literally anywhere, whether it is the writing itself or elements of the blog overall. In fact, this class has partly inspired me into creating my own topic-driven blog, and due to this class I am completely aware of every way that I present identity through my blog. Before I wouldn't have really thought about it. And then through the analysis of my own blog posts, I have recognized that while my academic-centered writing can be kind of dry (it is academic after all) I can be open and relatable to my readers. Prior, that is something I would have never known or noticed.

Overall, there is a lot that I will be taking out of this class and I really can't wait to see how I can use and apply what have learned here in the future.

SLO Reflection #2

Critical Thinking - We did many things in this class to really hone critical thinking. Key examples are the rhetorical precis and the annotated bibliography. These two assignments forced us to really look at a text and draw the main ideas from it. I have prior experience writing precis's from AP Literature, so it was more or less re-iteration, but it was valuable nonetheless. Annotated bibliographies was a new one for me though. It really forced me into deeper thought, having to summarize the main idea of the text with a single sentence as well as how the author provides support for their points.

Writing - Prior to this class I have certainly had my share of experience writing, but nothing near as long or scholarly as the essays that we had to write. With AP Literature I began to break out of the mold of the five paragraph structure but I feel that I made much larger strides in this class. The environment and expectations are different, and that really encouraged a change. I also had prior experience in utilizing quotations in my essays, but I never learned how to truly frame them and fit them into the text. I usually had the trouble of the quote simply being tacked on, and getting the experience and learning how to properly integrate quotes and sources through working on it in class as well as reading about it in "They Say, I Say" really helped in changing that.

SLO Reflection #1

Close Reading - Prior to this class, I really didn't get too much exposure to close reading. The major example that comes to mind is the reading and associated essays in AP Literature. This class introduced it to me in a more scholarly setting, and really helped me in developing that skill. Key example's are the two essay's that we wrote and the required analysis of sources needed to write each of them. Close reading was critical to those assignments, and they really helped further me into looking deeper into a text rather than just taking it at face value. The blog analysis really comes to mind here. Having to search for the author's identity in the text, even my own, really expanded my ability to close read.

Research - I certainly had to practice the skill of research in this class, especially for the second essay, where we had to find a second source to apply and use in our paper on our own. Through that workshop and playing around with it on my own, I learned how to navigate one of the library's many databases (unfortunately I can't quite recall which one it was). The development in research skill that this class brought will no doubt help me in future classes.

What Does Revision Mean to Me?

Revision means adapting something, a paper, a project, what have you, based upon criticism and feedback to refine it and make it better. That video really puts in perspective in relation to evolution, and the chant of "performance, feedback, revision". To be successful, you need to present your ideas and get feedback on them. If you don't, you are locked to your own view of it and no progression can be made. Once you get feedback from another source, you know how someone else looks at it and feels about it, and with that you get an idea of changes you may need to make to make it better in their's and other's view.