D#14,HW#1 Draft WP#4

I will share this in Google Documents as soon as this is posted. See you all Thursday.

Kathy Lacey
WP#4 Draft
102-7891 Adams
27 Nov. 2007

Reflective Cover Letter

Looking back at the course information presented in the syllabus, I truly believe each of the writing projects has helped me to improve my writing. It has been many years since I was enrolled in any kind of formal writing instruction class. The techniques and strategies I discovered this semester will no doubt be useful in any future writing that I undertake, whether for school, work, or personal pleasure. The Course Competencies listed in the syllabus identify the specific skills targeted in this class.
Competency #1 deals with writing for specific rhetorical contexts. That was not a term I really understood before reading the text chapters and reviewing the linked Web pages. The Rodrigo tutorial was most effective for me. The homework assignments for deadline #3 (D#3,HW#2 Research Question, D#3,HW#4 Who should read...?, D#3,HW#5 Audience analysis, D#3,HW#6 Rhetorical situation )required a basic understanding of identifying an audience, and the rhetorical situation. Homework #6 asked that we analyze the rhetorical situation of our research project, and of the proposal composed for Writing Project #1. Completing that activity made me aware of the importance of writing to a specific audience, about an interesting topic, and within an identified context. Completing the Research Proposal (D#6,HW#2 Final WP#1) was most helpful to me later on, when I needed to narrow my topic and focus my research. As I investigated new sources of information, I was able to note how the evidence presented could be used to support or refute my argument. Chapter 5 in Everything's an Argument also offered a good checklist for "Composing a Rhetorical Analysis," which helped me analyze the Pareles essay about Coldplay (D#8,HW#4 Essay Analysis). My WP#1 Reflection (D#6,HW#3 WP#1 Reflection) details more of the specific skills I worked on. One thing I need to strive to improve in this area is developing a better understanding of the cultural implications of my writing. I am familiar enough with ethical and political implications, but don't always see the "big picture" when I am drafting an essay or a research paper. Writing for a specific rhetorical context will help me draft many types of writing necessary for the work I hope to continue to do in a library setting.
Competency #2 concerns organization of writing to support a central idea. Logical progression of ideas has always been my preferred method of writing, and one of my stronger skills. The problems I had in the past were with unity and coherence. One of the grammar exercises I completed (D#10,HW#6 Grammar) dealt with transitions, one area that I felt needed improvement. Another grammar assignment helped with developing a strong thesis statement (D#13,HW#1 Grammar Assignment), which clarified what I needed to improve in the introduction of my Writing Project #3. The assignments that covered outlining (D#9,HW#6 Outline, D#9,HW#4 Toulmin outline) helped me organize my research, and kept my focus on the main topic. The Toulmin method will be useful for any future argumentative writing that I attempt.
Competency #3 has to do with using consistent tone, voice, diction, grammar, and mechanics. Grammar has always been one of my strong qualities, but there was definitely room for improvement. The Bedford textbook, chapter 12, offered a good review of tone and style. The homework assignments for deadline #11 (D#11,HW#2 Intros/Conclusions) were very beneficial for improving my introduction and conclusion for WP#3. The revisions of the WP#3 draft required for deadline#12 (D#12,HW#2 Revision/Draft2, D#12,HW#3 Revision/Draft#3, D#12,HW#4 Style) made me aware of some problems with the mechanics of the original draft. Other grammar assignments and activities that I completed (D#4, HW#2 Grammar Assignment #1, D#6,HW#7 Grammar, D#8,HW#5 Grammar Assignment) were a great source of review, and helped me polish some "rusty" habits I had developed over the years. The online resources linked for us in the syllabus (especially the Paradigm and OWL sites) contained some of the best presentations of the materials that I have seen, and I enjoyed completing some of the grammar exercises. I will continue to strive to improve my writing style, and will definitely make further use of the mentioned text and Web sites for new writing that I do.
Competency #4 refers to online and print sources of information. The recent Library Tech classes that I have completed have been extremely helpful to me in this area. We are required to become experienced in the use of all types of resources to be able to assist library patrons doing different types of research. The homework assignment that called for a thorough analysis of one of our sources (D#6,HW#6 Evaluate) allowed me to utilize some of those skills. Every day at work I see students working on assigned research projects, and I try to teach them to do more than just "Google" a topic. Locating credible sources of information is definitely a skill that requires practice, especially with the rapidly changing nature of electronic access. The Annotated Bibliography assignments (D#2,HW#6 Annotated Bib for Internet, D#4,HW#5 Annotated Bib.x4, D#5,HW#4 Annotated Bib X 3, D#7,HW#2 Annotated Bib X 3) required us to investigate several different online and print sources. My successful completion of those assignments and the Annotated Bibliography Writing Project (WP#2 Final) are evidence of my use of different sources.
Competency #5 deals with the integration of sources into our writing, while avoiding any instances of plagiarism. It is important to be able to properly summarize, paraphrase, or quote information gathered from an outside source. Several of my reading reflections (D#8,HW#1 Reading Reflection, D#9,HW#1 Reading Reflection) contain references to information found in the text, and I named the source, but did not follow MLA format for page numbers. In any future formal writing, I now know how to cite within the text, as I tried to do in my Researched Argument (WP#3). Once it is graded, I will know if I was able to format my in-text citations correctly.
Competency #6 covers the documentation style used in our writing projects, which was expected to be Modern Language Association (MLA). There were some tricks to learn in order to get things to show up correctly in the blogs, but I think I mastered it. The Annotated Bibliography homework assignments (D#4,HW#5 Annotated Bib.x4) helped me practice, but none of them were graded. Peer reviews of Writing Project #2 helped. The instructor comments indicate that I utilized proper MLA format in my final Annotated Bibliography (link above).
Competency #7 refers to feedback and peer review of writing. This was the first time I had experienced a formal peer review process, and I found it to be especially helpful. Having other people read and suggest improvements for my writing made me look at what impact that writing had on my audience. It is great to get a fresh perspective. Reading through the Web sites that covered peer editing also helped me look for more than just grammatical errors in other writing. I learned to look at content, and to try to analyze the context and intended audience of the compositions I was reviewing. As a result, I have been able to do a better job when helping students at the high school and middle school levels with their essays. The actual peer review homework assignments that I completed (D#8,HW#2 Peer Reviews, D#5,HW#2 Peer Review) helped me to realize the importance of having someone else review all writing.
Competency #8 states that we should be able to assess our own writing through various processes. The deadline reflections (D#6,HW#8 Deadline Reflection, D#7,HW#5 Deadline reflection, D#12,HW#9 Deadline Reflection) and writing project reflections (D#6,HW#3 WP#1 Reflection, D#9,HW#3 WP2 Reflection, D#13,HW#3 Writing Project #3 Reflection) were one way I learned how to evaluate my strengths and identify things that needed improvement. The comments posted in reply to my blogs also helped. The instructor's comments posted on my writing projects were a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of my writing style and effectiveness. All of these things will combine to assure that I will be able to complete any future writing that I do with confidence.
Competency #9 was the one I was most worried about. When I took English 101, there were no electronic resources or methods of delivery. I try to learn new things, and actually enrolled in a couple of Library Tech classes online with WebCT. I managed to complete both of them successfully, but never felt comfortable with the technology. Part of my frustration might have been our dial-up service at home. It was aggravating to have to wait for things to load, and I had a hard time maintaining focus. This class required so much time online that I had no choice but to learn how to post, reply, share, edit, and set up accounts to help manage all of the information. The online Bedford Bibliographer (Bedford Login Page) was one of the most useful resources, and one that I will definitely make use of in the future. The fact that I posted every homework blog entry, on time, and submitted the required papers to Turnitin.com within the deadline, is evidence of some proficiency in the use of appropriate technologies. Much of what I learned has helped me relate better to what some of the students are doing and their preferred methods of communication. I am confident that I can continue to adapt my archaic methods to the latest innovations and electronic information access formats. All that, and I managed to improve my writing skills, too! Now, if only I could figure out how to retain paragraph formatting in these blogs...