Learning Outcome 1:

After revisiting my first and final draft of project one, it is clear that a lot of revisions were made to improve my writing. My first draft did not have a lot of structure, and I needed to rearrange my ideas in order for my paper to flow better. Between my first and final draft, I moved my paragraphs around, deleted paragraphs, added transitions, and revised my thesis. I had to make a lot of improvements in order to get my ideas across to the reader in a clear way. Globally, I was able to reconstruct my thesis in order to unify all of the sources I included in my discussion. I was also able to get on a deep textual engagement by rearranging my paragraphs for my ideas to flow better. Some local concerns that I fixed in my paper were fixing the flow. I rearranged some of my sentences and paragraphs as described above. I also made sure that I didn’t have any sentence structure errors to avoid any confusion. Through these revisions, I was able to develop a well-written paper.

In the past, I did not take revision very seriously, and was used to writing only one draft. Now after going through the revision process several times, I feel more confident in my writing. I know that there is always room to improve, and I take my peers suggestions seriously. I want to advance my writing in each draft, and understand the only way to do so is to put in the work. In high school, I did not have a revision process. I would occasionally ask my friends to read over my papers, but did not take their feedback very seriously. Now I really enjoy peer review and consider it a major portion of my revision process. I feel as if I have developed a better revision process and accepted the fact that one draft will not always be enough.

Learning Outcome 2:

Throughout my essay, East vs. West , I integrated quotes and used outside sources to backup my ideas. In order to integrate other works into my essay, I had to provide background behind the texts. I introduced the authors and the main points they discussed through their writing. Specifically in my essay I introduced authors Wallace, Andersen, and Herzog. I gave also gave a brief summary of what each author discussed in their papers. Before dropping in a quote, I had to add transitional sentences that would lead up to it. I wanted my writing to flow and not feel like the quote was just placed there for no reason. For example, in my essay I wrote, In the West, many view animals with little significance, as Wallace himself expresses, “…I believe animals are less morally important than human beings…and I haven’t succeeded in working out any sort of personal ethical system in which the belief is truly defensible instead of just selfishly convenient” (Wallace 510). As seen above, I made sure to transition before including the quote, and afterwards analyzed it. In order to include quotes properly I looked back on the text “They Say I Say”. There are many templates found in the book that are helpful to integrating quotes. I would follow their outline and base my writing off of their suggestions. They explained how you can’t just drop a quote in your essay like a “hit and run”. I consciously remember this while writing and it has helped me to fully explain the authors work and my opinions. Ultimately, I found the text helpful to properly combine my writing with other authors and will continue to use these suggestions in the future.

Learning Outcome 3:

My own approach to active critical reading is similar to many of the techniques that Gilroy suggests readers use in her article. When I am given a text, I will write down whatever comes to mind in the margins. I will write down questions, notes, or even pictures to help get my thoughts down. Additionally, I will underline the main points that I believe the author is trying to get across. I try to make connections to the reading with my own beliefs or with previous texts if possible. If I really do not understand a text, I will try and break it down by looking at the other parts around it. I will analyze the other sections and try to relate it back to what the author is saying. If I am ever really unsure, then I will go through a series of different questions in my head. I will ask myself what is that main idea the author is getting at? Where is the evidence behind the authors ideas? Do the author’s ideas make sense to me? How can I relate this to my own life? I find asking myself these questions to be beneficial in breaking down the text. Gilroy suggests in her article that readers ask themselves questions while engaging with texts. She also advises that readers make an outline that is meaningful to them. I know that if I am able to relate texts to my own personal life, then I will have a better understanding of them. I agree with Gilroy’s advice and find it reassuring to know that I follow many of the same techniques she suggests. Gilroy also describes how readers should set course readings against one another in order to find overlapping ideas. On my own I feel as if I need to work on this and need to get myself to think about readings compared to one another. I always find myself looking at readings in relation to my own life, but not necessarily to other texts all the time. However in class, through discussion, I feel as if I am better able to relate texts to one another. When I am able to bounce my ideas off my peers and listen to other perspectives, I find it easier to find overlapping ideas in texts. By relating texts to one another, I am better able to see different themes throughout the course. After class I typically feel more confident in my ideas and like having discussion time in order to hear others viewpoints. Overall, I feel as if my active reading has improved throughout the semester through the use of discussion and critical thinking. I feel reassured that after reading Gilroy’s article that the active reading techniques I currently use are worthwhile and beneficial.

Learning Outcome 4:

Throughout the progression of the semester, I feel as if I have greatly improved at peer review. In the beginning of the year, I would leave basic comments on my peers essay because I did not want to criticize them. I did not want to offend my peers by leaving comments, but now realize my comments are helpful suggestions that will improve my peers writing. While reading my peers essays I try not only to state what they need to fix, but tell them how certain things may be fixed. For example, in my peer Megan Morrison’s essay I stated, “The wording here does not flow as nicely. Could say that we are superior to animals by being placed at the top of the food chain.” I noticed how in one section of her essay the wording did not flow as nicely as the other parts. I told her that this could use some improvement, but also left a suggestion of a sentence she could use instead. I find this type of feedback most helpful because the writer is able to take away a genuine suggestion. I also like to give my peers encouraging notes of feedback to keep them motivated throughout the writing process. For example, a comment I left on my peers essay stated, “This works really well here. I like how you provide a realistic solution to the problem and understand that there are limits to considerations people can take.” I want others to know when their writing is powerful. I find this types of comments motivating, and I hope my peers do too. Overall, I believe I have improved at peer review throughout the semester and thoroughly enjoyed the peer review sessions we had.

Learning Outcome 5 & 6:

The writing piece that I chose for my sample greatly demonstrates my ability to properly cite sources using MLA format. My works cited is all in the proper format and in alphabetical order. To ensure that I had the correct citation, I entered the texts information into a citation maker online. I wanted to do this to reassure that the information that I had was in the correct format. I also made sure to quote each author, including the page number, after any quote I had in my paper. I feel as if I have mastered MLA format and am very confident in my work. I always make sure to give all authors credit for their work and cite them with the proper notation. In addition to MLA format, my paper also demonstrates my ability to make local revisions on sentence structure. Typical errors that I find myself making throughout my writing process include forgetting to include commas, and having transitions in between my paragraphs. Through multiple drafts and the process of revision, I feel like I have fixed my comma errors and transitions. My paper has a nice flow to it, and the commas are all in the correct spot. I always make sure to reread my essay outline to make sure that my paper flows nicely and does not sound choppy. Reading my work outloud is helpful because it really forces me to catch the mistakes I made. Revising these local errors is I feel is demonstrated throughout my paper and I hope to further improve on them in future writings.