Reflection On Open Letter Draft

I peer edited Breanna and Sam's open letter rough drafts. Both did a great job being specific about what they reflected on in the semester and then followed the conventions of the genre well. Below are my reflections on the peer editing I received from Charles and Tyler.

Zebest, Orin "Pen to Paper" 10/01/2007 via flickr.com Attribution 2.0 Generic

1. Did you demonstrate an ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer?

I think the third paragraph of my rough draft demonstrated my ability to critically look at my writing and my style of writing. I took a look at how my time management influences my writing style and how by correcting both concurrently I can write better and relieve stress caused by waiting to last minute to complete an assignment.

2. Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned?

I provided analysis of writing assignments and my experiences while writing those assignments. As well, I mention the concepts I learned in paragraph 4 where I look to the future and things I am doing now to improve my writing and time management skills. Although there is no singular place in the letter that lists my experiences, writing assignments and concepts that I have learned throughout the letter you can find mentions of all three things as I reflect upon the past semester.

3. Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing (either quotes from your writing or rich descriptions of your writing process)?

I provided hyperlinks to my rough drafts from previous projects to illustrate how rushed my writing was throughout the semester. I then explained what it was like to rush through a paper and how so many opportunities for revision and analysis were lost due to the time frame I was writing in. I will, however, convey in a clearer way my writing process in the final draft as it is unclear at the present moment.

4. Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?

I explained why I did certain things and why that effected me. Overall, I wrote the letter in a way that showed my time management choices were not effective but some writings strategies like creating an outline and doing preliminary research were. I were also clarify my choices and how effective they were in the final draft of my reflection.

Draft of Open Letter

Here is the link to my draft of the open letter. Please keep in mind that this is a rushed first draft and that I will be revising throughout the week. I encourage my editors to be harsh in their criticism but please explain why because that is the most helpful and will improve my writing. Thank you for taking a look!

Federal Highway Administration - MUTCD "MUTCD G20-5aP" 08/22/2012 via wikimedia.org Public Domain

Edit:

I peer reviewed on Sam and Breanna rough drafts.

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

I have answered some questions below regarding my time in English 109H and the struggles, growth and regression I have experienced throughout this course in my writing skills. I have grown a lot and learned how to write in different styles but I have failed in my efforts to rid myself of my procrastination habits. Find more detailed answers below.

Nllson, Susanne, "Reflection" 03/12/2014 via flickr.com Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

• What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?

The biggest challenge I faced was motivating myself to complete a little bit of my homework every night so that I didn't have the entire project due the next day when I started to do my work. Multiple times this semester I waited until Friday to even glance at the homework and begin to think about my paper before I started writing it on Saturday when it was due.

• What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?

I learned that I have no time management skills, my writing skills have improved from all the writing I have had to do and that my editorial skills are improving as I have peer reviewed my peers and my own papers. I would like my time management skills to improve and I have purchased a planner that I will use next semester to plan out all my assignments and when I am going to start and finish major assignments.

• What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.

A genre is a style of writing that is defined by the conventions of that style of writing. Understanding what genre I am writing makes me an effective writer because it will follow the style that has been put forth by other writers so it will have a familiar feel when read. Also, it will not be illogical or jump around because it will have organization within the genre's parameters.

• What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?

This course has forced me to take a look at my time management skills and made me realize that I need to develop them if I want to be successful in my remaining semesters of college. Obviously, my writing skills will be necessary in any class or professional setting I am in for the rest of my life so developing skills through this class is useful for me because I will use them.

• What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H? 

My most effective moment from this semester in 109H was when I completed my homework for Deadline 7 ahead of the Saturday deadline. I completed all of the deadlines by Thursday that week but not only had I completed it by Thursday but I had done a few blogs each day to finish it by Thursday. This was my first success in actually complete ling homework before its due.

• What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H? 

My least effective moment was when I started my Project 2 paper final draft on the Friday when it was due. I had a lot of homework that week and I had not set aside any time to start the revisions on my rough draft. I ended up spending all night Friday and all day Saturday rewriting my paper in order to conform to the conventions of a rhetorical analysis paper and to reflect the necessary information that rubric required my paper to have. This extreme lack of time management skills was my least effective moment from this semester.

Revisiting My Writing Process

Below I reflect on blog 1.10 and 1.12 from the first project. As apparent from my answers I have made little progress in changing my procrastination habits but I have tried this semester. Please take a look at my reflection below.

Tacke, Oliver "Kanban (individuell)" 10/01/2013 via flickr.com Attribution 2.0 Generic

I recently took a look at blog 1.10 and 1.12 from the first week of the semester. Blog 1.10 is about my perceived writing strategy which at the time was a heavy reviser. However, my habits have changed over the course of the semester and I have become a procrastinator. I constantly found myself this semester writing my final draft on the Friday night or Saturday morning before my paper was due. I feel this ties in with blog 1.12 which was about finding time in my calendar to do my English homework. I set aside time during my lunch break to finish blog posts that were due that week that way my Saturdays would not be filled with English homework. However, over the course of the semester my lunch breaks have been full of eating and hanging out with friends.

Now my writing habits and time management skills have regressed. I am constantly rushing or being rushed by a due date to do not only my English homework but homework I have in other classes. What this past semester has told me is that I am going to be an extremely stressed out, college drop out with a lot of potential but lacks the motivation to work hard for a goal. So I plan in the following semesters of my college career to actively use my calendar to plan ahead the studying, homework assignments and major course projects so that I can start these assignments ahead of time. Completely assignments with my full ability will lend better grades and better work.

Reflection on Project 3

Below are the answers to questions asked on page 520 of Writing Public Lives. This is my reflection on Project 3.

deSousa, Joe, "The Thinker" 06/30/2011 via flickr.com Public Domain Dedication

• What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

I really changed my entire style from my rough draft to my final draft. I picked a different website to emulate and along with that came a different style of writing. I had to focus on speaking my mind in an implicit way in my final draft while not falling into a research paper style which is associated with the style of my rough draft. Shorter paragraphs were also a change I had to make and I did this separating my evidence from my analysis. One paragraph would focus on the evidence I gathered to back myself up and my next paragraph would focus on my analysis.

• Point to global changes how did you reconsider your thesis or organization

I focused on a problem nuclear fusion faces and then proposed a solution to it. In my rough draft, I focused on the cause of nuclear fusions struggles and how a company in the private sector is avoiding all those struggles. This led to mixing of arguments. I focused on a solution for nuclear fusion in my final draft which powered my thesis.

• What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?

A shift in purpose led to my changes. I saw my argument not fitting my style of writing and that it was becoming to convoluted to understand. I wanted to simplify so I changed what I was arguing.

• How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

These changes affected my credibility only slightly. I am well versed in the subject due to my research but I did cite the sources I drew directly from. I find my credibility to credible although I feel I could have used more direct quotes to back my opinions up.

• How will these changes better address the audience or venue?

The final product was a more direct approach compared to the long winded version my rough draft had. This way my audience jumped right into why nuclear fusion is important, how it hasn't been funded properly and where that money should come from.

• Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentences structure and style?

I used complex sentences to convey my complex ideas and used compound sentences to link ideas together that were important. I used sentence structure to convey my ideas and to fit within the conventions of my chosen genre.

• How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?

They assist the audience because they get to the information more quickly and it helps communicate the complex ideas I am conveying to them. Using compound sentences links ideas that the audience should understand in tandem or affect one another. The different sentence styles draw the audiences attention to different points which is my intention.

• Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

I didn't have to reconsider any genres but I did have to insert titles and subtitles as well as tailor my paragraphs to fit the conventions of the website. Also, the conventions of my style didn't use a lot of pictures but graphs and large quotes so I relied on those to be the visuals of my argument.

• Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?

It helps show me that I am very flexible when it comes to writing but still end up in that rut of finding evidence and then explaining that evidence. I need to branch out and learn how tie things together from all portions of the essay to make a cohesive and intelligible piece of writing.

Publishing Public Argument

Here is a link to my final draft of my public argument. Below is some relevant information regarding my public argument, my topic and how I argued my topic.

Rawlinson, Jon "celebration of light 2007 - vancouver, canada, fireworks" 07/25/2007 via flickr.com Attribution 2.0 Generic

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------X------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←----------------------X------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

_______ My public argument establishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

_______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

_______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

___X___ My public argument proposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

_______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

_______ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

My topic focuses on how more funding from the United States government allocated from the defense R&D budget can allow humanity to relieve itself from its addiction to fossil fuels and provide a cleaner and more efficient energy source to draw its power from.

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

_____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

__X__ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

_____ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

__X__ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

__X__ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

_____ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

_____ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

_____ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

_____ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

_____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

_____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

_____ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

_____ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

__X__ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

_____ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

__X__ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

_____ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

_____ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

_____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

_____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

_____ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

_____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

__X__ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

__X__ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

_____ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

_____ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

__X___ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

__X___ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

_____ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

_____ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

_____ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

_____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

1. Example 1
2. Example 2
3. Example 3

Reflections on Project 3 Draft

I reviewed Clay and Ann Emilie drafts. My draft needs quite a bit of work and some graphical design that is fitting for an Economist.com article. Below are my answers to reflection questions.

mcsporran, john "Reflections in the Mist" 04/17/2015 via flickr.com Attribution 2.0 Generic

• Who reviewed your Project 3 draft?

Awaiting Feedback

• What did you think and/or feel about the feedback you received?

Awaiting Feedback

• What aspects of Project 3 need to most work going forward? How do you plan on addressing these areas? 

The work that needs to be done the most is focusing on an evaluative argument instead of leading my paper with a casual argument which is confusing and makes my article read like a research paper. Next, I need to create or research more graphs that explain the amount of money spent on nuclear fusion research to compliment my evaluative argument. Finally, some aesthetic choices that match the Economist.com website is necessary to complete my article.

• How are you feeling overall about the direction of your project after peer review and/or instructor conferences this week?

After meeting with my instructor, I felt confident that I can complete my paper in a way that is fitting and reflects my abilities as a writer. The amount of research that I still need to complete is substantial but further analysis of my argument style and specific subject will lessen the amount of total research I need.