Below are three pieces of writing I constructed in my graduate program at Arizona State University. They are distinct pieces written for different audiences, all of which reveal various skills that I possess.
This is a narrative (created in my ENG 507 course) that sheds light on my journey as a writer. I take a chronological approach, starting with my earliest experiences as a writer in elementary school and transitioning into my high-school and postsecondary years. As a whole, this narrative showcases some of the most pivotal points of my writing career thus far, highlighting the challenges and celebrations I have faced over the years in school, the workplace, and my personal life. This particular piece of writing reveals my genuine voice and ability to tell a story in a clear and detailed manner–it also discloses my passion for reflective writing and how I am capable of creatively putting my thoughts on paper and using language to paint a poignant picture.
Being a teacher, as well as an avid music-lover, I decided to craft a research proposal in my ENG 501 course that fuses both education and music. In this proposal, I present a study that aims to answer the following question: How can electronic dance music (EDM) enhance literary analysis in the secondary English classroom? At large, this paper displays a number of skills I have acquired as an English scholar, one of which is literature/research analysis. The “Literature Review” section of my paper illustrates my ability to find existing gaps in research and determine how said gaps not only impact my study but future research, as well. Additionally, this proposal shows how I am able to justify my research with support from other sources as well as my understanding of research methods and how to select methods that best fit my study.
In ENG 507, I designed a unit plan that asks students to develop a narrative, as well as a TED Talk, about their English language arts (ELA) experiences in high school. Serving as the capstone project for my Advanced English class that I teach, this unit requires students to reflect on work they have developed both in and out of the English classroom, ultimately answering the following question: What does literature and language mean to you? Overall, this unit plan demonstrates my expertise in creating student work that meets a variety of state standards as well as my interest in interdisciplinary approaches at the secondary level. In this unit, students exercise their writing, revising/editing, and speaking skills while reflecting on how ELA has played a role in areas outside of English class. This particular unit also illustrates my ability to create engaging and student-centered lessons.