Process

Throughout this semester, I have come to define process as the steps we take in order to achieve a greater goal. The first time I remember the concept of process becoming super clear to me this semester was when we created our process maps in class. We were each given a blank sheet of paper and told to create a “map” to demonstrate our process when composing. Prior to this activity, I thought of myself as a procrastinator who left a lot of assignments to the last minute. However, after completing my map and seeing some of my classmates’ work, I realized that I have my own process for writing, and it is nothing to be ashamed of - it is just how I operate.

Process has also been a huge aspect of how we have gone about composing our Artifacts this semester. For each one, even though they were different genres, we followed a similar pattern of completion leading up to our final drafts. It went as follows:

“The fact that the process for completing these artifacts was almost identical, even though each artifact was a different genre of rhetoric, was very interesting to me and really solidified my understanding of process” (Reflection 10). 

Additionally, I learned that process doesn’t always have to be set in stone - it can be flexible and a go-with-the-flow type of situation. During one class in November, we went out of the classroom for a bit to explore campus in an activity titled wonder/wander. My partner and I went out with no plan, and we were able to enjoy our time walking around and finding instances of rhetoric in this place we’ve come to call home the past few months. This was a process, as we were taking steps (literally and figuratively) to achieve a goal, but it wasn’t as structured. 

Overall, I learned through class activities and the overall set up of the course what process is and how I can apply it to other classes and aspects of my life outside of the classroom.