I developed knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, throughout my revising portion of the course. With the help of my peers that were around me, I was able to count on them when I had any questions surrounding what sentences better syntax and which ones I could fix.
Similarly, I developed this knowledge by the resources Mrs. Telles offered us. The writing center and being able to ask her any questions during class. This open communication between her and us as a class was proactive as in class many students asked for her opinion of their writing.
This development exposed me to different manners and styles of writing. For example, opinion-editorial essays were explored and analyzed with group members and later some of the same techniques used in them were implemented in our papers. In the same way, when creating the proposal essays, my group and I searched through other proposals to understand how to format ours since we had never encountered a task like it before.
When I approached the practice of composing, I also found that my knowledge over small things talked about in class or in the writing center—like not using “that” too frequently because it is often a filler word— would be floating inside of my mind.
I practiced applying citation conventions systematically in my work by making mistakes. In my first essay, “Developing Emphasis and Strength: An Analysis” I applied APA citations completely wrong. I had transitioned from MLA format into APA very quickly with no prior exposure to it. Yet, when I got my paper handed back to me, instead of lightly seeing my mistakes, I learned from them deeply. Mrs. Telles also covered where the citations go, what she was looking for and with the readings, how to make sure to turn their voice into your own.
When it moved on to complex citation implementations, such as in my exploratory essay, “Technology and Its Effects on Politics and Journalism” I found it easier to ask questions to Mrs. Telles and do research to understand which citation was needed and how. With the resources she gave me, such as Owl Purdue, my writing in a professional setting became advanced and I felt confident.
This confidence will prepare me for future classes as I navigate how to systematically place citations in my work correctly. With practice, mistakes, and confidence I was able to understand certain mechanisms of citation conventions.