Use multiple approaches for planning, researching, prewriting, composing, assessing, revising, editing, proofreading, collaborating, and incorporating feedback in order to make your writing stronger.
For project 1, I started with Chapter 8 of Writing Today. This chapter deals with rhetorical analysis essays. I was able to use this chapter to help plan prior to writing. I was able to determine a general structure as suggested on page 144. I printed the "Terra Firma" essay and took notes while reading and re-reading to find examples of logos, pathos and ethos used by Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa to support his argument. After submitting my essay to my peers and Instructional Assistant, I received much feedback on my writing. I was then able to incorporate this feedback into my essay. Feedback included things like misspellings, flow (Example: "Look where this sentence begins. Can you break this up into two sentences?"), structure and how to improve my conclusion. I was told, "It’s not typically a good idea to introduce new information in the conclusion. Just briefly recap what you talking about in you paper and you can leave it at that." I had not thought about myself introducing new information in my final paragraph. This was very helpful in improving my writing.
When writing, you don't have to follow a linear path from start to finish. There are many paths that can get you to where you want to be. Outcome F is about finding what is right for you as well as well as for the specific goal you have. Its important to try different things. With Project 1, my process was more linear. With Project 2, I tried something different. I thought of a couple of angles to approach the subject and wrote very rough outlines and structures for each. I then tried to expand on the main points and see which one was more interesting and easier to complete and pursued that path. I still used Writing Today to help make sure I had the major elements of a profile, however the process of composing those elements was not as linear. It involved jotting down ideas and vocabulary I could use and focus on as well as taking input through the planning from my classmates who had other ideas about what a nuclear engineer is and how they use language in a way to achieve their goals. Taking all of these bits into account before writing my final rough draft I feel helped to make my profile stronger and more interesting than had I just included my own initial thoughts.
Project 3 was much like previous projects. There was a planning, research and composing phases. Revisions are made during this process as well. I was able to receive feedback from my peers and instructional assistant that helped me to edit and improve my writing. Initially for project 3 the IA stated, "Go back and read through this and revise to make it a point to make YOUR opinion very clear. " I think what I had done was I was too vague in taking one side or the other even though most of the research and support was for one side of my argument. Getting this feedback allowed me to reread my document and be more clear or remove words that made my opinion more ambiguous. I feel I was able to state more firmly that my opinion was text speak was not destroying English and still allowed for exploration of counter arguments and other opinions.