Writing 2

Zack De Piero
Metacognitive Reflection
Xudong Cai
In winter 2016, I am glad to take Zacks Writing 2 course. This course is
impressive to me since it is organized, and it organizes what we should do in every
class and after every class in the beginning of quarter. In other words, we have had a
perfect plan of this course in the first class. It is the most important difference with
other course. I believe a nice-planned course is easy to students than an unprepared
course. When I saw the clear plan of this course, I was excited to challenge and finish
these assignments. By the way, the blogger and google docs are the main methods for
us to take notes and upload homework. It is the first time for me to come into such a
novel method. After using such a method for a whole quarter, I think such methods
are more efficient and helpful to us than the typical methods, because it is easier to
find our notes in computer and more convenient to hand assignments and homework
in.
The most crucial feature of this course is that each assignment is closely relative
to each other, and previous project is to prepare for the next assignment. This writing
2 course has three WPs to write, which also is different from other writing course,
such as Linguistic 12, I have taken. To prepare for writing WPs, we have to do two
PBs. These PBs are some necessary material to write WPs. Also, doing PBs can help
us to look into WPs. To be more specific, our first WP is to Identifying, Describing,
and Analyzing a Genre across Multiple Sources, then our PB1A asked us to
Dissecting a Genres Rhetorical Features and Conventions, and PB1B asked us to
PB1B: Inspecting Genre Generators. It is obvious that each PB is closely relative to
the WP. Actually, I think doing PB is another kind of method to prepare for WP.
Although we have to write much more than three WPs, we understand what we are

doing much better. It is a pretty creative feature of Zacks writing 2 course.

There is not only connection between PB and WP, but also connection between
each WP and WP. The first Writing project is exploring genre, whats genre, and
whats the value of studying it? It mainly provide a new word Genre to us, and ask
us what is genre, why should we study genre. Then the second writing project is
Analyzing and Evaluating Genres across Scholarly and Non-Academic Contexts,
which require us to compare the genres in academic contexts and non-academic
contexts, and produces a question that why academic and non-academic contexts are
wrote in such genres and conventions. After discussing the academic and nonacademic genres, we are asked to learn about the Genre Transformation, which indeed
is the topic of writing project 3. The process of this course is so typical that first
knowing something, then understanding it, and finally applying it. Through discussing
genre in a whole quarter, I really understand what genre is, what the function of a
genre is, and how to use genre.
The class time is also organized compactly and efficiently. In each class. We have
journal questions, which are required to finish in specific time, then we discuss the
journal questions in group in several minutes. Through the discussion, we can
communicate with each other, and know each others thoughts. This process is
important for us to better understand the course. After discussion, we would get many
new knowledges in every class, which can improve our writing directly. For instance,
we learned the usage of Oxford Comma in week two, which can separate two items,
make sentences much clearer and easier to understand for audiences. Also, we
discussed the usage of the difference of Hyphens and Dashes in class. Hyphens
are always to explain the word or phrase, and make readers understand the article
better. Dashes always connect two words together such as five-year. Even these

symbols are small things in articles, learning the usage of symbols still can make our
essay much clearer to audiences. In addition, after submitting each first draft of WP,
we have a peer editing with classmates. Peer editing is the most important process for
us to improve our writing, because other classmates always can have some special
ideas and feedbacks for writing. For example, in the peer editing of first draft of WP1,
I learned a new way to modify essays, which is to draw out the thesis statement of
essay, main idea of each paragraph, support evidences and examples in each part, and
then observe which part can be improved. It is the most efficient method to modify
paper. I used to reread the paper to find some mistakes, but I usually cannot find too
crucial mistakes. Whats more, the reverse outline is also very useful in modifying
draft of WPs. These methods can point out many structural mistakes in paper, which
are hard to find by rereading. Thus, I benefit a lot from the method of modifying
paper. When we finish each PBs, we would comment three classmates PB too. In this
process, it not only provides precious comments to other classmates, but also provides
more ideas for the writing project.
Except learning new knowledge from class, I am also beneficial from the
assigned readings. For instance, through reading Birkenstein and Graffs So What?
Who Cares?-Saying why it matters, I also learned many skills for writing. To be
more specific, the writers should not assume readers will know about some words or
phrase they use in the article. Writers should explain each unclear world clearly. Also,
writer should tell readers what the topic does matter. So what always can attract
reader and make the article interesting. These points are so important that I should
concern when I write my essays. These readings not only explain what genre is and
how to use different genre in different background, but also teach me that the
connection between reading and writing and how to improve my writing.

In addition, the weekly Thlog is another useful method to consolidate knowledge

and improve writing. Thlog is a summary for what we learned and experienced in
each week. For writing Thlog, we would review what we learned in a week, and then
write down what we experienced. Also, we can communicate with other classmates
and teachers through writing and reading Thlog.
By taking writing 2 course for a whole quarter, my writing has improved so
much. I make fewer grammatical mistakes, write more coherent phrases and
sentences, and express much clearer in my writing. The most direct and obvious
evidence is the difference between my writing project 1 and writing project 2.
Comparing my WP1 and WP2, I find a large difference in essays quality. In WP1, I
even do not have a thesis sentence in a paragraph. And I either write many unclear
phrases and sentences, which cannot be understand by most of audiences. I spent so
much time to piece up my five pages long essay. However, WP2, which is wrote
several weeks after writing WP1, is much better than WP1 in each aspect. To be more
specific, I wrote more specific and detailed in WP2, even I still cannot make clear
statements to readers; I have clear thesis sentence in each paragraph; and I wrote it
more efficiently than WP1 did. Also, I have some special observations in WP2, which
did not appear in WP1. In general, my WP2 is much better than my WP1 in each
aspect, through several weeks writing training by writing 2 course.
In short, taking this writing 2 course, I have learned Genre-what is genre, how to
use suitable genre, when use suitable genre. And I have learned many new writing
skills and methods for improving writing too. Actually, I indeed wrote much more
assignments in this writing class than I did in other writing class, but I am still glad to
have this course. To be honest, it is the most helpful writing course to me compare to
all of writing class I have ever been had. I know new things in this class; I understand

new things in this class; I discuss new things with classmates in this class; and I apply
to use new things in this class. These are the main reason why I am glad to have this
writing course.