Week 14
What have you learned that has proved most useful to your composition process?
Throughout this course, I’ve learned various composition strategies, but one that’s proven exceptionally useful is the exchange of peer feedback. This process has greatly improved both the efficiency of my composition process and the quality of my final drafts. Feedback plays an important role in a writer’s improvement, and learning to understand and implement it effectively is one of the most useful skills that I learned in this course.
Engaging in regular peer feedback sessions has helped me refine my compositions by providing different perspectives and pointing out areas for improvement. By embracing constructive criticism, I’ve learned to assess my writing objectively, recognizing both its strengths and weaknesses. This method has helped me to continuously improve my work. As I continue to develop as a writer, I understand the importance of incorporating feedback into my process. It remains an essential tool for growth, continually pushing me to evolve and refine my skills.
Week 13
Select one learning objective or one component of a learning objective. When, where, and how have you learned it? How have you developed in this arena?
One important component of a learning objective is for the objective to be measurable and viable to achieve. I learned about this crucial aspect during one of Khan Academy’s science workshops. Through their insightful session, they shed light on the common struggles students face with goal setting and the prevalent issue of procrastination. To counteract these challenges, Khan Academy advocated for the adoption of small, measurable goals that lead individuals toward their aspirations. Inspired by this strategy, I began implementing it in both my academic and professional endeavors. By breaking down my ambitions into small tasks, I was able to fight procrastination and stay focused on my objectives.
Reflecting on my journey throughout my first year of college, I’ve witnessed significant growth in my approach to goal setting. Each small achievement served as a building block, steadily taking me closer to my big aspirations. Embracing this methodology enhanced my productivity by helping me focus on smaller important tasks. This has also helped me in this course. For larger assignments, I divided them into smaller components and completed them one by one.
Week 11
Analyze the rhetorical situation of your Technical Description. Include textual detail to support your claims.
My Technical Description Essay successfully describes each interior and exterior part of the product, BambuLab Wireless Mouse 002, and describes both the individual and collective functionality that makes the product work. My Technical Description Essay breaks down every part of the product by going from exterior to interior parts, mentioning in-depth details about the shape, size, materials, color, and functionality of the parts. My writings for the lab report analysis showed attention to detail. When analyzing the production of the mouse, I keenly focused on the small details of the product. In the exterior parts section, I explained the usage behind the distinct small holes/cutouts in the case of the BambuLab Mouse. Although they look seemingly useless, I mentioned their usage in making the mouse faster which improves user experience. Another strategy I used was to create a connection between each part of the product. I explained the role of the exterior parts in the functionality of interior parts and vice versa. Creating such connections made the functionality and purpose of each part clearer to the readers. Lastly, I used image and text descriptions to accurately present information to the readers about the product and placement of each part. I clearly labeled each part of the mouse. Using visual representation improves the readers’ ability to understand the description presented about the product.
Week 10
What experience have you had working in groups before this class? How has the group work we’ve done in this class been for you? What are you doing/will you do to optimize your experience completing the collaborative project for this class?
I have worked in teams and groups for various work and school-related projects. The group work we have done in this class has been amazing. Peer feedback helped me through various confusions in my writing journey. To optimize my experience in completing the collaborative project, I would like to first finish my part of the work on time and provide quality writing. Secondly, I would maintain frequent communication during the project with my group to deal with any misunderstandings and to make sure everyone is keeping up with their work. I believe the most important step is to help each other throughout this project and collaborate effectively to make this project successful.
Week 9
After you have received feedback on your essay: Analyze the rhetorical situation of your Lab Report Analysis essay. Include textual detail to support your claims.
My lab report analysis essay successfully compares the strengths and weaknesses of each lab report and upholds the key differences in writing and presentation between them. I believe I received a good great due to some of my great rhetorical situations presented throughout the essay. The lab report analysis essay analyzes three different experiments and studies on a similar topic and shows their effectiveness and how these studies can be improved or replicated in the future. My writings for the lab report analysis showed attention to detail. When reading the lab reports, I keenly focused on the small keywords that separate the reports and how they either hinder or improve the quality of the report. In the beginning, I directed the attention of the readers toward the title, a small but important factor for a lab report that may confuse readers. I also analyzed the words used in the writing at different parts to argue my point. Another strategy I used was to look through the potential reader’s POV of the report. In various parts of the essay, I mentioned how the authors can confuse the readers through their information and pointed out the parts where further clarifications were required. I analyzed how each piece of information mentioned can affect the replicability of the report and its importance for the readers. I extensively compared information among the lab reports to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each lab report and used examples to highlight what other reports could have included or excluded to make their future reports better. I also compared the presentation and visuals of the report and highlighted the preferred delivery of information presented.
My essay had some weaknesses as well. One of the feedbacks I received was about my analysis of the report. In my first paragraph that compared the difference between the abstraction section of all three reports, I mentioned, “Report 1 presents the abstract in a single paragraph that includes a one-sentence summary of all the sections”. However, I was missing an analysis of how the structure of the abstraction in Report 1 affected my understanding of the report. I also did not mention the reports in a consistent way in the same paragraph. Instead of calling the reports using the format I used throughout the report, “Report #”, I mentioned them using the authors’ names which may make it more confusing for the readers. Lastly, I did not begin every paragraph with a topic sentence which ruined the structure of the paragraph. “Compared to Reports 1 and 2, Report 3’s introduction is again divided into sections that present previous research findings on all the factors involved in the research.” – in this first sentence, context and topic sentences were missing which is not a good starting sentence for a paragraph. Overall, although there were some mistakes, my lab report analysis essay contained various rhetorical strategies that made it a successful LRA essay.
Week 8
How are you doing with time management? Are you balancing the multiple needs of this course? Your other courses? Are you making time for reading, writing, studying, and collaborating? Explain how if yes or share your success plan if no.
I have been doing great with the time management this semester. I have completed almost all of my assignments on time. I have done most of the required reading, writing, and studying for the course. Professor Rodwell made the course very collaborating and the reviews and draft feedback have helped me a lot. I have tried to keep up with the peer reviews but due to the pressure of other courses, it has been very hard for me to analyze my peer’s work in depth. I was unable to share a detailed review of the last assignment due to my midterms. I believe keeping up has been easy for me due to my tendency to write out the majority of the essay or material due when making the outline. So later on when the draft is due, I already have an almost completed draft and when I receive further feedback, I can easily convert the draft into the final submission.
Week 6-7
What have we done so far that has been helpful to your writing process? How might you apply this helpful information or tool? What would you like to spend more time on? If the clarification/additional focus does not occur during class time, how will you acquire the knowledge?
Some of the best writing practices that have helped me the most in this class are the peer reviews and the group reviews. There were various key elements of the writings that I did not understand through in-class directions and the assignment instructions. However, through peer review feedback, I was able to grasp the writing instructions better. Furthermore, we did multiple reviews for the product review essay which has helped me fix the small mistakes that I missed in my draft. They also provided new insights and ideas that I later added to my essay to make it more comprehensive and well-written. Working together in focus groups helped me gain creative ideas from other writers and thinking abilities. I believe gathering perspectives from different people allows me to improve as a writer overall.
I would like to spend more time on writing more clearly and concisely. Many of my peers have helped to point out the fact that many sentences include long phrases that can be shortened using proper vocabulary. So I need to spend more time on expanding both my vocabulary and writing skills to help me write better. If I do not understand something explained in class, I research the topic further on the internet and try to find similar writings. I contact my fellow peers for suggestions and further clarifications. If something is not clear after all these steps, I either email or ask Professor Rodwell specific questions about the topic that I am confused about in the next class.
Week 5
Analyze the rhetorical situation of your Product Review essay.
One of my biggest goals in this class is to write clearly and descriptively and expand my toolkit as a writer. I believe self-reflection plays a key role in becoming a better writer. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the quality of my product review essay. My product review essay is about the DreamSky Digital Alarm Clock. My essay includes a detailed product description and visualization for the reader to effectively understand the product in review. It judges the product through three criteria: accessibility, durability, and portability, all of which are very crucial to creating a well-designed and functioning digital alarm clock.
I will evaluate my writing based on Gibbs’ reflective cycle and analyze the strengths and potential weaknesses of my essay. From a reader’s perspective, the review essay had diction that conveyed trust. With the frequent use of second and third-person POV, I have addressed the reader’s daily necessities that the alarm clock fulfills. In my first criterion, I mentioned the placement and specific functions of each button on the alarm clock and how they make the alarm clock more accessible. The paragraph also emphasizes on efficient placement of the snooze button which is unique to the clock. I also included the minor problems I faced with the buttons as a daily user, further proving the credibility of my writing.
In my second criterion, I described the durability of the product. I used descriptive words for the outer material like “laminating wood panel”, “sleek” and “aesthetic” to give the reader a visualization of the product. I went over all the materials used in the product and described their durability. I also mentioned how the fragility of the material can hinder everyday use of the product which gives a critical insight to the readers. One detail I could have included in this paragraph is how the product could be made so it becomes more durable. However, with my limited knowledge of materials and the manufacturing process of alarm clocks, I did not include this detail.
In my third and final criterion, I mentioned the exact dimensions of the product found in the store description to give the viewer an accurate representation of how portable the product is. I also mentioned that this product can “slip into the corner of your travel bag or pockets of your water bottle carrier”, creating imagery and using descriptive language to give the reader accurate measurements. I mentioned a built-in memory storage function that saves the last recorded time when the clock is out of power. My writing lacked further research and details on this unique function of the product.
In conclusion, my essay uses detailed language and creative writing to make it easy for the readers to judge the product’s viability as an alarm clock. In the future, I should include insights on what the manufacturers could have done to avoid the flaws or better alternatives for the readers. I should research further into the unique technical functions of a product, so the reader understands that aspect better. Overall, my product review essay was well-organized and written to give the users the necessary information for their purchasing decisions.
Week 3
Analyze the rhetorical situation of your Freshman Portfolio. For those few students who do not have one only: analyze the rhetorical situation of your Freshman English research paper/project.
I have not created a portfolio and neither have I taken any English class during my freshman year. Instead for this week’s analysis, I would like to review my freshmen year’s research essay from my International Relations class. Here is the link to the paper for reference: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xBqNXi8K4cS74NFGk7GNwmBw0Dh0l9nB2j4ls22VDOQ/edit?usp=sharing
My paper did not contain any names or dates in the beginning which was not required but would have been preferred. The paper was on how according to Professor Riofrancos, the green energy technologies that are promising for our environment can cause harm to the climate and environment in the Global South and what steps should the climate policy makers take to solve this problem. The paper did not require a conclusion and it was 2.5 pages long and required extensive quotations and evidence from the writings of Professor Riofrancos. My essay started with an introduction that introduces the topic from a broader lens in the first few sentences. Then I included my thesis statement that summarizes all of the key points and solutions I presented throughout my paper. It was a solid introduction due to it’s inverted pyramid structure of writing.
The second paragraph explains how renewable energies are harming the Global South. This paragraph is very effective because it contains factual information provided by Riofrancos such as Chile being responsible for 30% of the renewable mining and how this is making freshwater inaccessible to 18 indigenous Atacameno communities and habitats of species like Andean flamingos. I have successfully connected the terms used in Riofrancos’ writings to my own using quotations and brackets for change in tense. Despite using many quotations and direct evidence from the Riofrancos, my writing was well-organized.
In the last paragraph, I mentioned the proposed solutions by Riofrancos and summarized each of them in a sentence at the end that clearly states what policymakers should strive to do. Throughout the writing, I used technical language from Riofrancos’ writings and explained them in brief which appealed to both field-related and general audiences and further added to my credibility. I also used proper citations throughout the writing for the reference of the audience. Overall, my paper included some grammatical mistakes but it directly showed the connection between problems and solutions presented by Riofrancos related to renewable energy extraction.
Week 2
What kind of self-reflection experiences did you have in your freshman English
class? What have you learned (related to self-reflection or writing in general) that
has stayed with you and supported your writing?
Self-reflection is an important part of improving anyone’s writing journey. It ensures a writer’s progressive improvement and helps them analyze and learn from their mistakes. Throughout my academic life, I have done numerous self-reflection writings in middle school and high school and it has sophisticated and developed my writing style tremendously. Although I have not taken Freshmen English composition class, in this essay I would like to reflect back to the self-reflection experiences I had in my AP English Composition class in high school.
During my English composition class, my high school teacher was a profound supporter of student presentations. So, we used to have semi-weekly concentrated group sessions, where we used to share our work with our classmates and receive feedback. The feedback helped both the reviewer and the writer to understand the material and writings from different perspectives. I would gather other students’ feedback and writing techniques to develop my writing in the future. The sessions worked as a self-reflection for me. When I was sharing out loud with my peers, I was able to find scrutinies and grammar errors in my writing that I missed when I wrote it the first time. The method of collecting creative ideas from other’s feedback and writings has supported me throughout that class and is something I still hold on to. Furthermore, sharing my writing helped me be more cautious about the rhetoric and the language I used, and I found many potential areas of improvement in my future writings. I believe peer review, combined with the writer’s own critiques is a crucial part of self-reflection.
