Reflection on Open Letter Draft

Reviewing someone’s letter that is directed to you is like getting mail and sending it back with notes because it wasn’t good enough.  Anyhow, I ended up peer editing Austin See’s open letter and Michaela Webb’s open letter.  Now it is time to revise my final English 109H project.

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In my letter, I built the story of my growth as a writer.  I showed where I was and where I have gotten to now.  However, the story needs more argumentation and supporting facts.  I will need to rearrange my letter so that it builds on itself.  I will also need to make sure that the examples and quotes I include are not just thrown in randomly but have a purpose.  However, I do have some analysis of what genre is and how to adapt to new writing situations which shows my ability to think about my writing and what I’ve learned this year.

I used my most effective and least effective moments of the year as chances to really analyze and explain how I have grown.  I still need to work on connecting these with what I have learned to show a clear progression. 

I specifically referenced and hyperlinked to blog posts and project feedback.  I also summarized things from my own projects and project guides.  I may consider adding more hyperlinking and direct quoting if it not does detract from what I am trying to say.  I have probably enough facts, I just need to make sure each has a purpose and has an explanation as to its importance.

Both of my effective and ineffective moment have an explanation as to why I ran into those successes or failures, whether referencing what I experienced from the semester or pointing back to my writing style from high school. 

I did mention specific writing terms such as genre, revision, and planning.  However, I will need to make sure I have used these effectively as this really shows my growth as a writer.  I may also be able to go more in-depth on what I have learned about audience and purpose, or the rhetorical situation.

Draft of Open Letter

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I have a lot of work to do organize my thoughts.  I may need to find a common thread or a main point in paper to help tie it all together.  Would this be beneficial?  The lack of a "thesis" makes it also difficult to compose an introduction and conclusion.  What did you do for a thesis that drove the rest of your paper?

Here is the draft of my open letter.

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

From overwhelming deadlines with 17 assignments to receiving high scores on a project you slayed over for hours, this semester has taught me much.

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1.      My biggest challenges this semester were adapting to new writing situations.  For much of my high school career I had mastered and perfected the academic essay always focusing on my teacher as my audience.  My purpose was always presenting my opinion and analysis in a clear and effective way.  When we were asked in Project 2 to conduct a rhetorical analysis that also served as an example to new freshman, I was unsure how to effectively perform this and quickly reverted to the purpose I was comfortable with.  I deviated from the purpose that was proposed in the prompt and therefore my draft was well written but did not answer accomplish the task at hand.  I also was afraid that the way I approached an unfamiliar situation would be wrong, so instead of trying my best to match the prompt, I simply wrote what I was comfortable with.  I came to find that the process of trying different techniques with new writing situations was so beneficial to learning how to adapt.

2.      I learned that I still have major tendencies to procrastinate even when I project is broken down into many deadlines.  I would often wait till Friday night or Saturday to begin the deadlines forcing me to have to turn in assignments past the deadline.  However, I did learn that on the weeks I did not procrastinate, the deadlines seemed more manageable and I did not feel overwhelmed by the amount of work as much.   I also learned that my projects improved so much after evaluating someone else piece.  My peer review skills were very critical, but it allowed me to see the small things that could really enhance a paper’s ability to answer the prompt.  This made me look for the same small things in my own paper.

3.      Genre is so much more than conventions.  Although these are what truly distinguish different genres, varying conventions can change the purpose and feel of a project.  This semester I was able to learn not only how to figure out the conventions of genres, but also figure out what effect they have on the piece and its audience.  Understanding this focused my papers and allowed me to maximize on the effectiveness of the genre.  To really play to an audience, you have to predict what they want and how the layout, tone, etc. will affect them.

4.      Understanding how to approach new writing situations has opened me up to knowing how to approach any new academic situation.  Whether I will be writing papers, creating presentations, conducting reports, I know that I have the tools to take on the assignment.  Ultimately, this has led me to become an independent student and eventually worker.  This class has essentially helped me in my skill of teaching myself.  I do not need someone to step me through each small step, but through research and maybe some peer review I can effectively accomplish any task presented me.

5.      My most effective moment this semester was during the prewriting process of Project 3.  When blogging Post 9.13 (Audience and Genre), I wrote that I wanted to target couples and new parents because “They may be infuriated with the testings as they have a very deep connection to babies and what child birth means.”  From the previous two projects, I had seen how much audience and purpose drove my papers, and thus I wanted to make sure that I chose a strong audience and purpose.  This blog post was the start of a process where I really began to consider the potential my paper had to affect this group and how I could influence them.  After two more blog posts of developing this idea (10.6 My Rhetorical Action Plan and 11.3 Analyzing My Genre), I had a strong, clear direction of where I wanted my paper to go.  This became the foundation for my best project.

6.      My least effective moment this semester was during the drafting process of Project 2.  The assignment asked that we show freshman in our field how to conduct a rhetorical analysis.  However, when writing my paper, I was unsure how to incorporate this audience into my paper and so I paid little attention to them.  When it came to writing my final draft, I tried to add my audience into the paper at the very end, but since I hadn’t gotten any feedback on this aspect I still didn’t know how to effectively incorporate my audience.  I ended up having many missed opportunities throughout my paper to have more of an impact on my audience.  It also hindered the clarity of my paper, as stated by my professor, “For your readers, this might seem a bit of out the blue” (Project 2 comments).

Revisiting My Writing Process

As we near the end of the semester, it’s exciting to look back at everything that I’ve accomplished.  But more than just reviewing the 59 blog posts and 3 major projects, it’s also intriguing to see how I have grown as a writer.  Both in my writing process and in my time management, I find things that I improved on and others that I refused to change.

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I began the year by classifying myself as a “procrastinator” but that “my reasons for working under pressure stem from my quality as a ‘heavy planner.’  Although, nothing ends up on paper, I make bullet points, maps, and outlines in my head and envision my paper all in intangible thoughts” (Blog Post 1.10).  This course, in a figurative sense, forced me to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) weeks before the project was due.

My inevitable procrastination did not stop me from waiting until Friday night to begin that week’s deadline; however, this did not stop me from putting many hours of work into the blog posts, or essentially the planning process.  And this style worked, as my blog posts didn’t have writing masterpieces, just tangible thoughts.

This process even eliminated the need for being a heavy reviser. Even when Sean asked us to throw a piece of writing away and start over, I didn’t feel the need because I had put so much thought into the planning process that my rough drafts came out more like finals draft that had been reviewed and refined.  I did not use my new intro paragraph from Blog Post 8.5.

This new process will definitely continue and improve throughout my college career.  I might not have the weekly deadlines in the future to keep me accountable for this, but I will find a way to work on assignments weekly.  Not only did this style significantly better my writing, but I always felt in control throughout the process.  I never felt as though the project was too overwhelming to get done or that the time is too short that I would just throw something together.

I’ve proved to myself that there is a better way than procrastinating till the last minute and doing all my planning in my head.  In the future, I will not have as many papers but more presentations.  I am good at winging speeches, but I’ve seen how much planning out from day 1 can really enhance my project.

Reflection of Project 3

Although subtle, there are many differences in one's reflection in a mirror and one's reflection in the water.  The two different venues reveal varying qualities, just as the different projects have shown me different qualities of my identity as a writer.

Schapker, Tim. "Reflection from Cloud Gate"
08/30/2008 via Wikimedia.
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1. My first revision consisted of crediting my three “myths” to specific groups or people.  Throughout the revision process, I continually read it aloud to make sure the flow of the words sounded natural and inviting.  I specifically focused on reworking my tone and answering the question of “so what?”

2. The ideas of my first draft were written to make the audience feel at peace with.  However, my goal for a welcoming tone was not consistent.  In addition, many of my sentences looked good on paper (were grammatically correct) but did not sound natural when spoken out loud.  For example, I began two sentences in a row with “This technology will save children…”  On paper, the repetition seemed to emphasize my point, but in speech the sentences sounded awkward and wordy.

3. My global changes came from my desire to fit my genre and audience better.  The paper needed to sound good on audio and also sound friendly to the audience.

4. These changes allowed me to connect with my audience more effectively.  The audience could see that I was personally invested in getting this information across to them and I cared about their concerns.

5. These changes were made to improve my rhetoric and argumentation.  The more I appealed to my audience, the better I could sway them.

6. I wanted my sentences to have a more dramatic effect.  I went back and made use of repetition and more captivating word choice to ensure that my audience heeded my message.  The last sentence of my paragraph changed from “…prevent humans from improving” to “improve human life for all of us.”  Although the change was minor, the way the revision sounded aloud created a more dramatic effect for the ending, leaving the audience hooked on the ideas presented.

7. The changes made the audience understand that I was on their side and I only wanted what was best for them.  I also exaggerated the “myths” through my word choice which made the audience see how ridiculous they were.

8. I didn’t do many changes to the conventions of the video since my examples gave me a clear idea of what it needed to look like.

9. The process of revision has helped me to see how I can manipulate my audience.  I really enjoyed the last project in which I felt as though I was provided a service to my audience.  In this case, I didn’t realize how much I was manipulating my audience.  I employed strategies that not only made my argument more effective but deliberately played the audience.  Although this was the purpose of the assignment, it made me realize the power I hold as a writer.

Publishing Public Argument

Here is the link to my video that would appear in an article on the Huffington Post.

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1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watching/hearing your argument) below:
←----------------------X------------------------|-------------------------------------------------->
Strongly disagree                     Totally neutral    Strongly agree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:
←-----------------------------------------------|----X--------------------------------------------->
Strongly disagree                    Totally neutral    Strongly agree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:
         _______ My public argument establishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.
         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.
         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.
         _______ My public argument proposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.
         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).
         ___X___ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

Most of the articles currently online either raise the scary ethical concerns regarding the controversy and create fear in people or they strongly argue the negative impacts of the technology.  My video attempts to debunk the frightening myths and have the audience take a step toward a more neutral/ calm stance.

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals
                    _____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view
                    _____ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)
                    __X___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)
                    __X___ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating
                    __X___ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)
                    ___X__ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)
                    _____ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)
                    __X___ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently
                    __X___ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)
                    _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals
                    _____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate
                    __X___ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture
                    __X___ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact
                    __X___ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)
                    _____ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience
                    _____ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point
                    _____ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate
                    __X___ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)
                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate
                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate
                    __X__ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate
                    _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals
                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns
                    _____ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns
                    _____ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position
                    _____ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position
                    __X___ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.
                    __X___ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)
                    __X___ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments
                    _____ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument
                    _____ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)
                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3 

Note: The example videos are embedded in the articles.

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

With the due date for Project 3 right around the bend, it was important to receive some feedback as well as provide others with some peer review.  For this project, I critiqued Olivia Wann’s project and Hunter McAdams’ project.

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Lia Ossanna, Joy Kosik, and Gabee Mazza reviewed my short film script.  The feedback was all very helpful.  I knew my argument was lacking, but Lia was able to point me to specific things in my argument and suggest certain improvements.  It was comforting knowing the specific steps I need to take.  I was first somewhat confused by the range of scores I got, but the comments showed that there wasn’t really any discrepancy.  Gabee gave me very high scores because the aspects I succeeded in were the ones that were most important to her, while Joy gave me lower scores because the things I lack were what she valued more in a convincing argument.

My argumentation needs the most work.  I have many missed opportunities for emotional appeals that would strengthen my logical approach.  I make factual points, but fail to carry them through with the “why” behind the claim.  I plan on revising some of my argument but really focusing on how to make my points fuller. 

I am feeling really confident about the future of my paper.  I had a lot of positive feedback that encouraged me that I was headed in the right direction both from my peers and my professor.  In addition, I got some helpful critiques that have given me specific areas to target and improve over this week.  It’s exciting to know that I’ve got a good start, but it’s also exciting to see that I know I can make my argument stronger.