Reflection on Open Letter Draft

In the following blog post I will be reflecting on the peer review and drafting process of my letter. I will be doing this by answering five bullet points from Student's Guide to assess my draft and what I plan to change.

I reviewed the letters of Michael Beiley and Mira Theilmann

Halliwell, Mike, "Mirror Ball" 7/1/14 via Flickr.com

1. Did you demonstrate an ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer?
          
I think I was a very efficient in communicating what I felt about my own writing and how I viewed myself as a writer. I feel comfortable with the amount I spoke about my personal connection to writing and how I view it as an art form.  

2. Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned?
          
I did very well to evaluate how I have progressed and how each of the different specific areas we studies impacted my writing and how I view myself as a writer. I didn't look too in depth at my exact assignments, but rather the skills that I gained from each of them as a whole.

3. Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing (either quotes from your writing or rich descriptions of your writing process)?
          
I did not include many direct references to my blog and writing as much as I should have. I completely failed to include any quotes which could have been very useful in a couple of portions. I think it will be very useful to incorporate quote and then provide links to the posts they're a part of (two birds with one stone). 

4. Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?
           
 I did not look into my choices as much as I did my development. I didn't think that the specific efforts and choices of every single assignment were as important as the growth. In hind sight I think it's important to include the specific choices I've made and why I made them but I'm not sure I will go into extreme detail. 

5. Did you use specific terms and concepts related to writing and the writing process?

I used terminology articulately but not in an overwhelming abundance. I feel confident with how much terminology I used from the course, but I could try to include it more frequently and not just talk about it briefly. I could refer back to terms and topics to make a more fluid letter. 

Draft of Open Letter

In the following blog post I will provide a link to my open letter reflection on my writing, as well as provide my peers with a paragraph regarding the strengths and weaknesses of my draft and what they should edit for.

I'm feeling alright about the content itself, but I'm concerned about the format. For one, I don't know for certain if I need the address element. Those seemed to be present in many of the completed exampled I looked at, but I'm not sure they're needed for the context I'm writing this letter. I'm also a little concerned about the introduction paragraph. Many of the descriptions of semi-formal letters I looked at included an introduction like this, but I'm worried it's not quite right. If I could get comments regarding those and other semi-formal letter conventions, that would be awesome.

HERE is a draft of my open letter.

Harris, Lyn, "Tools of the Trade" 1/26/15 via Flickr.com

Reflecting More on my Writing Experience

In the following blog post I will be responding to 5 questions regarding my growth as a writer in this course and what parts of this course have been most and least influential on me and my writing. 

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?
       
         The workload of this class was undeniably the most challenging element of this course as a whole. The challenge I faced in the semester in general was the distribution of focus for each course and the time management of them. I was entirely responsible of my work ethic and that was an honest challenge. The work of this class demanded time and I gave it almost too much. I occasionally put in too much time into the extensive assignments of this class, while neglecting others. This course's content was not extremely unfamiliar or daunting, but it was a very new perspective on how to address my work ethic and fluff writing.

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

         I found out thanks to this course that I need to trim down on how much time I give to one writing assignment, as well as how much planning and thought I put into it. That is not to say that this class made me unwillingly cut back of my writing, but opened my eyes to the importance of being short, sweet, and to the point. The class also helped me realize that I can write efficiently and concisely and adapt well to knew forms of writing, provided a good idea of the goal of a piece of writing (so all the planning assignments we were given before producing a final piece)

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

          After this course, I have a better understanding of the diversity of genres, for one thing. The different forms of news articles, videos, blogs, essays became very extensive after we investigated genres so much. The understanding of how to evaluate a genre, like in this post, this post, and this post, has helped me prepare for writing in a random genre that I may be given in my profession, as well as how to teach it to others. Understanding a genre allows someone unfamiliar with that genre to write effectively and confidently, without losing sight of what they want to communicate, as can sometimes happen when writing in a new form.

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

            The use of bibliographies is a particular skill that I had before entering this course which I refined in this course will be very useful in the future for evaluating and using sources. This class also helped me hone my understanding and skill of evaluating a rhetorical situation, which is necessary in the english discipline. Adaptability to genres will also be an incredibly useful skill which I would like to improve in the future. 

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H?
 
            I think my most effective moments (I'll say moments because there were multiple of the same moment) would be my peer evaluations. I love peer editing and find it to be beneficial to multiple parties. The peer evaluations of this class helped me to understand the idiosincrqocies of my own writing, as well as expose myself to other peoples ideas in their work, their styles, and their insight. Peer editing makes me feel helpful, informed, and improved. I edited many people in different ways and all of them had great benefits, like here, and here.

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

            When it comes to my least effective moment from this semester, I would have to say my reflections and comments were not always well executed and I often failed to see their benefit. The only assignments I ever left incomplete were several read/respond/reflects. I would have to describe that as ineffective.

Bui, Annie, "Growth" 10/20/12 via Flickr.com

Revisiting My Writing Process

In the following blog post I will be reflecting and responding to my blog posts 1.10 and 1.12; how my writing and time management has changed and just how I see my writing progressing in the future and how it'll impact my career.

In my blog post 1.10, "My Writing Process", I claimed that I was a heavy revisor and occasionally a heavy planner. In the past semester, I would say I fell more into the heavy planning area. This was still very familiar to my and my process of writing. The course itself demanded much more planning than any other course I've been in, but there was still a great focus on revising. The focus of each deadline had a tendency to promote planning more than anything, but for every assignment there was an entire week or two devoted to writing and revising. It was a nice balance of the writing process I had been so familiar with, but with a slight shift in focus from revision to initial planning. This has helped me realize the convenience of good planning so it can cut down on the revision process itself. The planning and examination of the project has helped me realize the importance of understanding the context and purpose of my essays. Since I intend to study and teach english, this is an incredibly useful skill.

In my blog post 1.12, "Calendar Reflection", I was relatively true to what I expect from myself when it came to the actual execution of my work; sitting down and doing large, extended periods of work, rather than doing little things throughout the week. However, I failed to anticipate the work and demand of other classes and fell short in distributing my work well on the days that I wanted to. In truth, the Tuesdays and Thursdays I thought I would be extremely productive became my friends and family days. I was right about using Saturday afternoons for publication. I was truly rather dreadful with my time management of smaller assignments, waiting until the last moment. I do think that the stressfulness of close calls and late work have done well to tell me that it really is terrible to procrastinate, but I can still tell that it will be a tricky habit to kick. Nevertheless, I will try, due to the importance of initiative in the workplace.

Cummins, Gary "Infinity o'clock" 2/19/12 via Flickr.com

Reflection on Project 3

In the following blog post I will be answering on the 9 questions provided in Writing Public Lives page 520 in order to reflect on the progress of my drafts and final product.

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?
             I specifically added images for the sake of obliging to genre conventions and then I added more of a focus on my personal interest and perspective on the issue itself; I made my personal opinion on the issue.

2. Point to global changes: how did you reconsider your thesis or organization?
             I thought about making my personal feelings much clearer in the introduction of my personal opinion and goal.

3. What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?
            After my peer reviews and teacher conference, I realized that because of my lacked assertiveness and direct claim, I was losing the understanding of my readers, as well as their interest in the argument as a whole.

4. How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?
             These changes don't weaken me rediculously, but since I do turn to my own opinions a couple of times, it's possible that my level-headedness and professionalism could be questioned.

5 How will these changes better address the audience or venue?
              These changed make it much easier for the reader to fully understand what exactly it is that I'm arguing and what it is that I want them to feel.

6. Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentence structure and style?
               I made sentences slightly more direct and less formal by changing word choice and sentence length.

7. How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?
              These brisker, more direct sentences help the readers to understand what it is that I'm criticizing and that they should feel frustrated about the issue as well.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?
              I made sure to include images and links in the argument, though those were the only additions I made because I adhered rather well to the other conventions of the genre.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?
              The process of reflection greatly helps me to remember specific weak points in my writing that may come up again. My identity as a writer becomes clearer with the mistakes that I've made, as well as how I repaired those mistakes, while staying true to the purpose of my writing.

Lancaster, Sean "Mirror, mirror leaning on the wall..."
3/31/15 via Flickr.com

Publishing Public Argument

In the following blog post, I will be publishing a link to my final public argument, as well as reflect on its content and provide links to the genre.

HERE is a link to my finished product.

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 etablishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

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

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

         _______ My public argument prooposes 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 argument is a causal argument that takes the weaknesses of multiple different areas related to education from different sources and ties them together in a cumulative conclusion regarding the inequality of funding. When most of my sources look at single sources of conflict, I combine multiple as the causes of the overarching problem. 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employedi n 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.)

                    __X__ 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

                    _____ 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

                    __X__ 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 

                    __X__ 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

                    _____ 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

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

                    __X__ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

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

                    _____ 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: 

HERE is a link to one example entitled: "How one impoverished public school district is making strides"

HERE is a link to an example entitled: "What we need from the next secretary of education: An overhaul of financial aid, to start"

HERE is a final example entitled: "Arne Duncan blasts House effort to revise No Child Left Behind"

Lipson, Harry, "Boston Marathon Finish Line"
4/15/13 via Flickr.com

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

In the following blog post I will be reflecting on the process of peer review and the changes I need to make on my draft.

I reviewed the drafts of Michael and Laurence (as well as Michael, upon request)

1. I had Andrea, Michael, and Michael review my draft.

2. Andrea's feedback was honest and more of what I expected regarding my opinion in the piece. The fact that I'm not forward about my opinion causes confusion, which is to be expected. However, the ineffectiveness of my form of argument was a little surprising, but provides insight for me on things to focus on. The low score I consistently received on my rhetorical strategies is an important note that I didn't realize. I gained generally higher scores from Michael B, which also pointed out some of the stronger points that I had on the assignment. The low score I received from Andrea on the Genre was unexpected and confused me slightly, since it was one of a stronger areas I felt. Michael F's review was the most positive of all of them, pointing out specific examples that were very strong. I got a great degree of bad and good reviews, which I couldn't be happier with.

3. Based on these evaluations, I think I really have to focus on voicing my personal opinion of the school funding conflict. I think argumentation needs the most work in regards to my argument as a whole. I could use a little work on audience and how well I communicate my opinion to them.

4. I think my paper is on the right track, though it is still very weak on the subject of my personal opinion. I really need to keep track of the fact that this is an opinion piece. After both the conference and peer review, I understand that I need to be more forward and honest about my opinion.

Díaz, Carlos "Ina" 1/11/09 via Flickr.com