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Susan Nichols

Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin

FYC 13100: First-Year Composition

9 December 2010

Looking Back

Throughout the semester in First-Year Composition, I have completed five projects.

These include the Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical Analysis, the Researched Argument, the

Visual Essay, and the Collaborative Project. With each project, I gained the ability to plan,

execute, and revise prose. My portfolio demonstrates this because each project of mine is

organized and well thought out. My arguments are sensible and well structured. I use cited

material, proving that I have researched my topic, particularly pointing to the fact that I have

become better at planning prose. Obviously, my portfolio demonstrates the fact that I can execute

prose because I have completed all the projects. Adding to that though, I have not just completed

the five assignments, but I have done so in a thorough manner. My arguments make sense and

engage the audience and reader. Even clearer in my portfolio than my ability to plan and execute

prose, is my ability to revise prose. Each piece has been modified from my original submission

of the assignment. I took careful note of Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin¶s comments on the

Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical Analysis, the Researched Argument, and the Visual Essay.

(The Collaborative Project has not yet been graded). From there, I revised each piece to

strengthen my argument and make my case more persuasive.

I believe that these abilities of mine as well as my process-oriented composition skills are

especially evident in the Researched Argument. I could not just begin writing as soon as the

assignment was given. I had to attentively choose a topic that not only I was interested in but
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also was narrow enough so that I could obtain the correct amount of research and compose a

valid, specific argument. Dr. Erin taught me and the rest of my class to make a topic and interests

³T-chart´ in order to assist me and my peers on picking topics for the assignment. The process

then moved onward. I had to complete a Research Proposal and an Annotated Bibliography.

Both of these projects aided me in gathering sources and physically researching my argument;

they helped me plan out my Researched Argument. The actual researching proved to be part of

planning and executing my paper. It seemed to be the most important part. Then I had to put it all

together in an organized fashion while voicing my own opinion and adding my own

commentary. Revising the prose seemed to be a significant chunk of my project as well. Not only

did I write, rewrite, and create multiple drafts before submitting the Researched Argument, but I

also completed a revision after that. It proved to me that the writing process is seemingly on

going and improvements can always be made.

Overall though, this course has allowed me to greatly improve my process-oriented

composition skills. I am much more patient with the writing process and know that it is indeed a

process. Dr. Erin has also promoted getting a jump-start on projects and not procrastinating. This

is definitely a skill I will hopefully possess going forward. My improvement and near mastery of

these skills are ultimately reflected in my portfolio. I have made strong revisions to my already

planned out and visibly executed pieces. The fact that writing is like a compilation of many

different steps is clear in my portfolio because I combine research in the forms of summaries,

paraphrases, and quotes and my own analysis all in a logical, precise format.

As stated earlier, there were five major assignments in this course. Each had a specific

aim. The first one was the Technology Narrative. The purpose of this paper was to contemplate

and determine the relationship between my life, lifestyle, and experiences with some sort of
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technology. I had to figure out how my past life events have sculpted my feelings and attitudes

towards technology. For the Technology Narrative, I analyzed my dependence on technology to

maintain my relationships. Based on the separation from my family, boyfriend, and friends I

have experienced since coming to college, I have come to develop a greater appreciation for

digital technology such as cell phones, video chatting, and Facebook. I reflected on my

dependence on technology through vivid details and explanations of how I each use medium of

technology through my day, successfully mastering the intended outcomes of this assignment.

The goal of the second assignment, the Rhetorical Analysis, was to assess two articles

based on rhetorical concepts. I had to decide if the publishers of =
 should include

the articles to teach the use of classical rhetorical principles. After my research and evaluation of

the rhetorical principles used in two articles written by Andrew Keen and Lawrence Lessig about

technology, I decided that both should be included in =
. I concluded that Keen

effectively used ethos, logos, and pathos to argue against an increase in technology while Lessig

argued for it successfully using the same three rhetorical principles. Using material from the two

articles, I showed readers how each other used ethos, logos, and pathos to form their point. I

think direct quotes paired with my analysis especially helped me draw my conclusion and in turn

reflected the mastery of the goals of this assignment.

The third assignment was the Researched Argument. The point of this paper was to not

only create an interesting research topic that involved a theme from the course, but to also

develop a clear, logical argument with a explicit audience by incorporating specific examples,

evidence, and analysis. This piece was also designed to teach me and my class to foresee and

reply to counterarguments. I believe I was able to do this well. I researched cyberbullying and

the best solution to the problem because I was interested in the topic mainly since I have younger
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siblings that I want to protect. By researching through books and articles in online databases, I

was able to answer this question all while rebuking the fact that others thought laws and physical

education classes were the best solution to the problem of cyberbullying. My own analysis in

addition to real cases and specific suggestions of how administrators can be come educated on

the topic and then pass their knowledge on to students and parents allowed me to create a valid

argument presented to a specific audience, school administrators. Therefore, my writing shows

my capability to fulfill the aim of the project.

The fourth assignment, the Visual Essay, was different than the previous three. The

purpose was to design an argument in a visual manner such as a slideshow or video. I had to

incorporate research with images to get my point across. I believe I was pretty creative with this

project. I argued for indoor tanning laws using images mainly of the effects of this practice along

with an overall theme of the sun and many statistics to persuade my audience. This was a unique

way to present an argument and it was the first time I ever completed a visual essay. However, I

think I did master the outcomes of the fourth assignment. I did effectively demonstrate the need

for indoor tanning laws using images.

The final assignment was the Collaborative Project. This served as the final exam in the

class. Basically, my class and I had to compile everything we have learned this semester into one

project so the project had many goals. My class had to display our capability to ask critical

questions relating to themes we have discussed in the course, create a narrow, specific audience,

research, compile evidence, analyze the material we collected, and use design elements like

images and music all in an organized method. I think the Collaborative Project carries out all

these goals. My class and I formed our argument using a video paired with statistics to argue that

a Notre Dame student cannot be successful without technology. It was interesting to work with
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so many people as well as create an argument using a visual medium again. The scenes we

created though as well as the statistics convey our research and our analysis that supports our

thesis. Although it was difficult, my class and I did show our mastery of the outcomes of this

assignment.

As the course progressed and as each next project was assigned, I learned something new

and focused on mastering a new element of writing. Each assignment built on one another,

adding up to the final assignment, the Collaborative Project, where my class and I had to

combine all our knowledge. As explained earlier, each assignment had a different purpose.

However, with each new purpose that I had to focus on, I also had to carry over what I learned

and focused on in the previous assignment(s). So for example, one thing I learned from the

Technology Narrative was to create vivid, detailed arguments by showing not telling. I had to do

the same thing in the Rhetorical Analysis while also focusing on the importance of rhetorical

principles and evidence in general.

All these assignments and this portfolio as a whole demonstrate my critical research,

reading, writing, and thinking skills. For all of the assignments in this course, I had to

incorporate most, if not all, of these skills. The Researched Argument, the Visual Essay, and the

Collaborative Project explicitly involved critical research skills. I was required to analyze texts to

strengthen my argument and provide evidence. I had to find credible sources and decide which

information to include in my paper from the different articles and books. These three projects in

addition to the Rhetorical Analysis honed my reading skills. I either had to read articles that

particularly pertained to my argument or articles that I needed to read to complete my research. I

have developed the ability to read more carefully and to pick up on the important parts of the

texts. Ultimately, research and critical reading played a significant role in these assignments.
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Without them, I would not have been able to execute prose and form my point. All of the

assignments included writing and thinking skills. In my papers and arguments I had to balance

text and images and more specifically cited material with my own analysis. It was important that

I thought about my argument beforehand and planned it out so that my project was organized and

sensible. As a whole, my writing was analytical. I could not just compile evidence. I could not

just write a research report. I had to make a valid case by analyzing my cited material and draw

conclusions based on other authors arguments. In my projects, I analyzed my relationship with

technology, the effects of ethos, logos, and pathos, the best solution to cyberbullying, the need

for indoor tanning laws, and the fact that Notre Dame students cannot be successful without

technology.

Each of my projects dealt with topics involving technology, either technology in my life,

the need to increase or decrease technology, bullying via technology, presenting an argument

using technology, and deciding if a Notre Dame student can be successful without technology.

For the most part, I used written texts including actual books and articles from online databases

to form my argument. To present my argument, I mainly used text and just a standard MLA

format. However, for the Visual Essay I compiled my evidence and analysis into a slideshow and

for the Collaborative Project my class and I chose to convey our point through a movie including

scenes, music, and text.

In addition to demonstrating my attainment of the above skills, my portfolio clearly

illustrates that I am able to compose a variety of texts. Obviously I have the ability to

successfully execute print-based texts seen through the Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical

Analysis, and the Researched Argument. All three of these projects were traditional papers

structured with paragraphs and put in MLA format. However, I also experimented with new
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media texts like slideshows and videos through the Visual Essay and the Collaborative Project.

This was new and different for me, and it was a good learning experience because it was

something I had never done before so it allowed me to develop a new skill. In the Visual Essay, I

created a slideshow using PowerPoint to compile images and text in order to argue for indoor

tanning laws. This was harder than I anticipated because I had to make sure it was organized,

easy to follow, appealing to the eye, creative, and well designed. For the Collaborative Project,

my class and I created a movie to answer our research question. I will definitely be using my

ability to write traditional papers at school and work in the future.

For all of my classes at Notre Dame and any schooling I choose to pursue in the future, I

will have to write papers. I will have to manage time on my own, create my own timeline, gather

research, read, and write. All these skills I have gained through this course and each individual

assignment, I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have become a much stronger and more

confident writer and this will serve me well in all subject areas and with any type of writing. This

will also help me in my more distant future as well. I will have to compose some sort of paper

whatever career path I choose. The newer media texts will also be effective in my future. I am

sure I will have to compose some sort of PowerPoint or movie presentation in a business class

for example or any other class for that matter here at this university. I can even see myself

having to create visual presentations for business proposals once I graduate. I cannot say I enjoy

writing or filming on my own time really. However, this class has given me a broader mindset

and taught me to think more critically, which will help me in day to day activities such as

reading the newspaper or simply conversing. Each and every skill I have attained through this

course will be of great help in my future.

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By and large, I am most proud of the Researched Argument. I put so much work into it

and it was one of the more time consuming assignments. I was nervous about it because there

were so many parts to the project and was just overwhelmed when it was assigned. I took it step

by step, truly proving that writing is a process, and was able to successfully complete it and

prove my point that the best solution to cyberbullying is education of school administrators along

with increased discussion and awareness. I think it highlights my strengths and growth as a

writer because not only does it demonstrate my ability to think, research, and read well but it

shows that I can write and put it all together in a way that actually makes sense. I have a narrow,

specific, audience and thesis and support it with evidence. I balance the evidence with my own

analysis though, strengthening my argument. This paper reveals that I understand the steps to

writing and how to effectively put it together. All in all though, I am proud of each aspect of my

portfolio. I have incorporated all the skills learned this semester in the First-Year Composition

effectively to create an adequate and successful compilation of works.