7 May 2014

Dr. Leslie Bruce

English Department. Room: UH-435
800 N. State College Boulevard
Fullerton, CA 92831

Dear Dr. Bruce,

In this portfolio I have organized class documents in a way that demonstrates my ability to
grow as a student. In this letter I will explain my choices, and present evidence that confirms my
ability to meet the student learning outcomes (SLOs). Documents in this portfolio include: the
argument paper, one writers notebook, and two peer reviews. These texts allow me to share my
weaknesses as well as highlight my areas of growth.

I am presenting my revised argument paper first because it focuses on my ability to develop as
a writer. As instructed, the argument paper was intended for a school textbook, which would be
intended a formal audience. My thesis statement in the first paragraph introduces the reader to
my formal tone, satisfying half of the first SLO. Regrettably, I failed to effectively cite sources in
my first draft of this paper. In my revised version I include citations after all statements that were
not common knowledge, as well as include a wider variety of sources that increase my credibility
and overall argument. For example, instead of focusing on one type of filtration system, my
revised version includes information about a ceramic filtration system from another source.
These alterations help me satisfy the second SLO. The argument paper also emphasizes my
ability to effectively report an opposing argument. For example, after describing the different
filtration methods, a counter argument was provided that addressed costs and filter replacement
concerns, satisfying the third SLO. After making improvements to my argument papers citations,
my credibility increased, which resulted in a strong persuasive essay. Adding reputable
information about different water solutions helped me achieve part of the fourth SLO. This cover
letter also satisfies the other half of the fourth SLO by demonstrating my ability to effectively
organize my writing and unify different thoughts. My argument paper focused on an issue that
commonly takes place in third world countries, and as a writer I was able to show sensitivity to
the different cultures affected by the water crisis, which demonstrates my meeting of the fifth
SLO.

The second document included in this portfolio is one of my writers notebooks, which were
kept throughout the semester. In this submission I casually addressed different factors that I
would like to avoid or imitate in my own writing. Although this is a well thought out response, it
effectively shows my ability to write informally to a different audience, satisfying the second
half of the first SLO.

Throughout the semester my classmates and I participated in peer reviews, which largely
impacted my final pieces of work. The first peer review I attached was an assessment that I
received about my argument paper. My classmate mentions that she was unsure of my counter
argument and that my paper would be stronger if I defined more terms. Before turning in my
paper I addressed each of these issues by including a whole paragraph about opposing arguments
and included more background information about the water crisis, satisfying half of the sixth
SLO. Another peer review included is one that I gave to my classmate critiquing her cover letter
for her own portfolio. Overall, she did a great job, but I was able to help her improve her writing
by drawing attention to her use of verbs in the past tense, satisfying the remaining half of the
sixth SLO.
At the start of this class I was fairly confident in my writing abilities, but soon realized that I
needed to improve on many aspects to become a stronger writer. The documents presented in this
portfolio expose areas that I have improved on throughout the semester. Satisfying all the
required SLOs validates my growth as a writer and proves that I effectively participated in this
class. I am now aware of my weaknesses, which can help me in my future career.

Sincerely,
Kelly Nichols