Taylor Lindsay

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1103
16 November 2016
Dear Reader,
Early on in the semester, we were given time at the beginning of every class to do a
freewrite. My professor would give us a topic to write about and we were expected to write what
popped up in our heads. As easy as this instruction was, I had a hard time writing without
thinking because I was so accustomed to writing organized, planned assignments. As the
semester continued, my freewrites became easier, and I learned more about informal writing. We
were often given articles to read or Ted Talks to watch that required a response on our blogs. I
started my responses by summarizing what the author was presenting and then ended by giving
my opinion. I could distinguish between the authors tone, style, and the audience they were
trying to reach. I could truly express myself in my post. I focused more on my feelings and
thoughts and less on my grammar mistakes and formal tone. Informal writing taught me how to
let my feelings show through my writing and use the tone I am comfortable with.
Researching has always been unappealing to me. I have a hard time finding answers to
my questions, and I find sources that have similar information covering the same facts. Although
I was interested in my inquiry question, I was not looking forward to the researching process. I
later learned that I was limiting my sources by only searching on Google. I realized I had access
to the schools wide variety of books in the library, however I made use of the online library
search. There, I was able find many reliable PDFs, Academic Journals, and Articles. The first
major writing assignment I had was my topic proposal. Prior to this assignment, I didnt have a

lot of information collected about my topic, therefore I was worried. However, the topic proposal
focused more on the importance of the topic, basic research, and my plans for future research. It
was easier than I had planned, but this was just a small step to forming my final paper. After our
proposals were done, we all had to participate in peer review. I was familiar with this process,
but it was more in-depth than what I had expected. I learned how valuable peer critiquing could
be and my peers suggestions were in the best interest of the reader. If what I was trying to say
was unclear to them, then it would be unclear to my audience I was trying to reach. I appreciated
receiving feedback and took advantage of the opportunity. I was able to revise my writing and
learn from my mistakes. This all helped me enhance my composing process.
Composing my first draft for my extended inquiry project was my most important work
in the class. Every assignment I had been working on during this semester was leading up to this
point. It was my most important work because I had to combine everything I had learned in the
class. I was expected to grab my audiences attention while effectively presenting my
information about my topic. I enjoyed organizing my information and letting my writing flow
from one topic to another, but I struggled with incorporating the writers moves. I had to stray
away from in-text citations and learn to summarize what the author was saying. The writers
moves templates also taught me how to respond to my source material and inform my readers if I
agree with the author, disagree with the author, or believe they didnt acknowledge specific
information. I was unware at the moment, but I was using my knowledge of conventions. These
rules and guidelines helped shape what is now my final paper.
My first draft was not my final assignment, but it carried the load for my final extended
inquiry project. The final paper is much easier than the rough draft because I had already written
the foundation of my paper. After I had considered my peers and professors feedback I could

revise and add on information to create my final paper. As a student, I learned that I may not like
every assignment given to me and some of the work may be difficult, but all my hard work will
pay off when I start to create my final result. Going through the process that led to my final EIP
exceeded my personal goals and expectations.
My biggest weakness is not expanding on the information I present or leaving out details.
I still struggle with this and have most likely made this error somewhere in this paper, but I am
more aware of this mistake. My weakness was pointed out to me in my Annotated Bibliography
during peer review. For example, I stated when reviewing my source about tattoos in corporate
settings, Court cases and corporate policies are provided in this source, but I didnt provide
specific court cases or list some of the policies. Although I may know the information about the
court cases and policies, my reader may be unaware and it is expected of me to provide these
details. Explaining the different viewpoints of the cases and their results could have strengthened
the reliability of my source. Along with not expanding on my facts, I didnt expand on the
authors titles or street cred. I realized that I dont expand on specific topics when I dont have
enough knowledge about it or I dont know how to word my thoughts. In other words, I cant
explain what I do not know or I dont know how to present facts in a clear way so I decided to
use vague words instead. I try my best to spot these mistakes and correct them by doing more
research, rewording my facts, or completely getting rid of them. Writing my Annotated
Bibliography brought my weakness to surface.
My greatest strength was organizing my facts and deciding what order I wanted to
present them. I made sure that my information was relevant and one paragraph flowed to the
next. As one topic brought up more questions, I answered the questions in the following
paragraphs and the cycle continued. We are often taught at an early age to follow the five

paragraph format. However, no one likes a long, drawn-out paragraph. I made sure to start a new
paragraph when necessary and not write a great paragraph followed by a weak one. This would
allow me to keep my readers attention. My greatest strength in my writing was organizing my
information based on importance, relation, and making sure it all makes sense.
Rewriting the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) was my least favorite assignment this
semester due to its difficulty. I had a hard time translating sentences I did not understand;
however, it did teach me an important lesson. When composing my material, I have to make sure
my information is clear, precise, and orderly. I need to be aware of the audience Im presenting to
and not lose their attention.
After rereading my groups interpretation of the SLOs, Ive realized that I have
progressed in the areas the SLOs presented without being aware. I used critical reading when
composing my Annotated Bibliography and reviewing my peers work. I evaluated and analyzed
the authors and my peers work. After reviewing many of my classmates assignments, I learned
their specific style and shared my own. I was able to distinguish between reliable and irrelevant
sources on the web and databases. I learned that sharing my opinion was worthless unless I
provided evidence to back up my argument. Critical Reflection is the ability to look back on your
personal style and writing processes. Looking back on all my progress leading up to this point I
have become more aware of my style and the steps I took to get here. According to the SLOs,
reflection is a significant part of learning, thinking, and communication. I have demonstrated this
by creating my ePortfolio and sharing my work.
Overall, this semester I learned that I often limit myself and my negativity undermines
my writing abilities. I am now able to think for myself and think freely without pressure from
teachers and strict guidelines. I could ask as many questions as I wanted and do more research to

fulfill my curiosity. The questions I left unanswered did not bother me because not everything
has an answer. My writing is more free and is my own. My ePortfolio demonstrates everything I
have learned, accomplished, and enjoyed. It was my favorite, but most challenging major
assignment. Incorporating every minor and major assignment I have done along with how I
express myself was more difficult than I expected. I have come a long way this semester. My
Daybook, blog, and ePortfolio is my proof.