Stephanie Schulz ENGL 458 Dr.

Kevin Brooks 15 December 2011 An Introduction, A Reflection Fulfillment of Goals The first goal of this course was to create an understanding of writing as a recursive process, and an understanding that writing for different audiences and purposes may require a variety of processes. I think I met this goal very well. Over the semester, Ive learned more about writing processes than I thought possible. Specifically, Ive learned a lot about prewriting and revising, the two stages of the writing process I used to neglect. As I will discuss in my Personal Fact Sheet, I have learned to incorporate journaling and methods of research into my prewriting process. I also explored a variety of ways to generate ideas and organize my thoughts while composing my Building a Mystery project. I have learned to write multiple drafts, and refer back to old drafts when I am in need of more ideas. Finally, I have made major improvements in my revising strategies. Sideshadowing now gives me a way to get focused and helpful peer review, and the paramedic method has helped me smooth over many rough paragraphs. Most importantly, however, I have learned to be flexible in my writing. It is okay to use different approaches to writing if something just isnt working. Also, different projects call for different ways of researching, organizing, and composing. Being flexible allows me to choose the most effective ways of presenting my information. The second goal was to become competent in being a reader and responder to the writing of others. I feel that I was already a perceptive reader coming in to this course. There is always room for improvement, though, and I found it. Ive improved as a reader and responder by considering the theoretical concepts we learned. I can understand a lot about a writer just by asking myself questions about literacy and discourse. In peer review, I can now use these concepts to offer new perspectives and more original suggestions. The third goal was to obtain a working knowledge of some of the theories that inform writing and a habit of professional inquisitiveness about how these theories continue to change. I feel I have adequately met this goal. My understanding of the theories studied in this course could be better, but I have a general understanding of most of the theories, and the ways they can be applied to my writing and reading habits. I do find these theories interesting, and I genuinely do wish to continue following the development of discourse and new media theory even after I graduate.

The fourth goal was to cultivate a sense of how writing is socially produced and the capacity to work collaboratively. I have improved my social writing skills, though I still struggle with group work (and maybe I always will). I do know the value of good feedback from my peers. In my literacy narrative, I discussed reading as a social activity. Its not too great a leap to understand how writing can be the same. Finally, the last goal of the course was to establish a facility for doing research that includes a critical consciousness. With all the emphasis on research, I do believe Ill never go through the researching process again without first considering the best approach. While gathering research for the Building a Mystery project, I was constantly evaluating the effectiveness of my research, and thinking up new ways of finding information. Process and Revision If I have learned one thing this semester, it is how to be conscious of my composing process. The Building a Mystery project was a constant cycle of researching, brainstorming, drafting, revising, and reformatting. As previously discussed, I have found several methods of process that work for me, but there were also some that did not. I would like to take this moment to say that I have never been, and will never be, able to make concept maps. I am also not very good at researching using the hunting method. While I find journaling useful, I am also terrible at writing in them consistently. In this portfolio, I have included a revised edition of my literacy narrative. Of course, I fixed several grammatical errors, but I also made a few revisions to the content and structure of my essay. First, I created three distinct sections, instead of just two. The ending originally felt rushed and forced, so I tried to expand my ideas and slow the pace down again. I added the second to last paragraph to provide more insight into the importance of reading based relationships, for myself and for others. I also attempted to use the additional paragraph to transition into the more academic tone of the last paragraph. I believe that the revisions all to the content and overall coherence of my essay. Strengths and Weaknesses One of my greatest strengths as a writer is organization. I can make sense of anything simply by rearranging content and clarifying structure. I try to make sure that my readers never get lost along the way. As examples, my literacy narrative and my personal fact sheet are both clearly organized, though they are very different genres. The literacy narrative is divided into three coherent sections that could stand alone, with an introduction and a conclusion to tie them together and to greater literary concepts. My fact sheet organizes all of my facts into four separate categories, and explains how they relate to one another. Each fact is clearly defined. Another strength I have is creating a voice and tone for myself. I think that I have a very distinct writing voice that I can adapt to various styles of writing. I know when to be serious, and

I know when it is okay to joke around a bit. For example, the tone of my Building a Mystery project is informational, but still accessible enough for the website I created. I always know who I am when Im writing, and it comes across in my written voice. One of my greatest weaknesses is the same as my greatest strength: organization. I tend to sometimes be too organized, sacrificing creativity and engaging writing in favor of structure. I know that sometimes, a writer has to let the reader discover things for themselves. Its part of the show, dont tell concept that I mention in my personal fact sheet. When I get caught up in organizing my writing, I sometimes lose the most creative and original parts. My second writing weakness is time management. I tend to start a project with a lot of enthusiasm, which dwindles off towards the end of the prewriting process. The excitement is in the discovery, and, once I get bored, I put things off. I also have a difficult time wrapping up a project. I get attached to it, and cant quite let it go. The result is that I never feel truly satisfied with anything. Im not really sure how to fix this, since I have projects Ive been working on for years that I still cant let go. Its something I need to work on.