Bullard 1

Jacob Bullard
Nancy Roche
Writing 1010-013
9 December 2014
English 1010 Analysis
With my time in English 1010 nearing its end, I want to take some time to reflect on my
experience of the course. My overall experience of the course was positive due to the structure
the course followed. The course was structured in a way that provided a stimulating and
challenging environment. This kind of environment forced me to step out of my comfort zone,
touch up some old literacy skills, and expand my understanding of literacy. I would like to
explain in further detail some of my experiences.
To be able to read, and understand what I read, has been a struggle for me in the past.
After this course, I am better able to read with more understanding. I believe this occurred
throughout the process of writing two assignments that required analysis of an argument. The
assignments specified reading lengthy arguments that I would then analyze. My professor, Nancy
Roche, provided me with a tool, which would help with analyzing. This tool, annotation, I had
never used. Annotation allowed me to gain understanding in what I read. Applying annotation to
my reading helped me to look up words I was unfamiliar with rather than glancing over them.
Usually, words I dont understand are important parts of readings, which I fail to grasp. It makes
sense that by glancing over every word I dont understand when I read that at the end of reading
I dont understand anything I just read. Although applying this tool of annotation lengthened my
reading time by about three times, after reading while annotating, I understood what I read.
Annotation is probably the greatest tool I learned throughout the course.

Bullard 2
I have gained a completely new outlook on literacy. This outlook has helped me to
expand literacy past just reading and writing. Im more informed of the complex nature that
literacy possesses. Understanding this complex nature has helped me to learn about domains that
utilize literacy and how they go about doing so. I understand literacy as a practice. Being able to
identify literacy as a practice has extended my knowledge about communities and how
communities function using literacy. The power that literacy possesses makes literacy a much
more interesting subject. I am grateful for my new outlook on literacy.
My writing clarity has increased from learning to better distinguish between my thoughts
and my sources. This has been a direct product from learning to annotate when I read. Not only
am I able to look up words when annotating, but also I am able to take note of my thoughts. The
templates provided by the required textbook for the course helped me to learn the structure of
how to transition between my own thoughts and my sources.
Learning the MLA formatting was another interesting experience. I was nervous to
switch from my comfort format of APA. I found that the switch was not all that bad and I didnt
mind the appearance of MLA. Although I was required to write in MLA format for the course, I
plan to stick with APA formatting due to my knowledge in the format.
These new skills Ive learned are greatly appreciated, and I plan to take them with me
into my future. My overall experience of English 1010 was a productive and enlightening one.
My peers were amazing and my professor even more. I cant take all the credit for what Ive
learned. Without the help of my amazing professor and classmates, I would have been right
where I started before taking the course.