Composition 1
Portfolio Presentation
By: Kurt Kalina
December 2000
Introduction
• As a writer I feel that I put great detail into
my writing. I come up with good ideas, and
present them in a creative way. In
Composition One I discovered that I am
more creative than I thought I was.
• In this portfolio I will discuss what I
learned, and show the different styles of
writing I learned to use. I will also describe
6 changes in my writing skills.
Changes in my Writing this
Semester
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I have learned to write an effective summary.
I know how to cite sources correctly in my writing.
I have learned four ways to organize essays.
I know the essential features of a good thesis statement.
Student option 1: I have learned to use the words me, and
I instead of you, or your.
• Student option 2: I have learned to use commas and
periods in the right places.
Conclusion
• At the beginning of this semester I don’t think I
was a very strong writer because I didn’t write
clear sentences, and I didn’t have any transition
between paragraphs.
• As the semester went on I felt my writing
improve. I was writing clearer sentences, and I
put paragraph ideas together to make a solid
transition between the two.
• My goals for Composition II are to keep
improving my writing skills, and keep learning
ways to improve my writing to make it easier to
read.
Writing Skill / Levels 1 & 2
• At the beginning of the semester I feel I was at
level 1 for writing skill level because I didn’t
know where to put commas, and periods. I also
had problems developing coherent paragraphs, I
often jumped from point to point all in one
paragraph.
• As the semester went on I felt that I developed
more skills to writing a good essay. I thought
about what I would write instead of just writing. I
also picked apart paragraphs to make them sound
correct, and easier to read without confusing the
reader.
The End
Thank you very much Julee Russell
I have learned to write an
effective summary.
• The essential features of a summary are, an
opening statement, the main points, and a
conclusion. The example that I have hyperlinked
is about the death penalty.
• This summary has a solid introduction and
provides some good reasons why it is good to
have it, and it closes with a strong conclusion.
• Click Here for Summary
• Back to Main Page
I know how to cite sources
correctly in my writing.
• I learned how to use the MLA style to site sources
in my essays.
• To site a source correctly you must include the
following details: The authors name, the title of
the article, the magazine or newspaper it came
from, the date, and the internet address it can be
found at.
• Here is an example: Taggart, Stewart. "DNA Testing for
the Dogs." Wired. 4 Sept. 1998. 6 Sept. 1998 <http://
www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/14842.html>.
• Click here for summary
• Back to Main Page
I have learned four ways to
organize essays.
• The four ways to organize essays are: Persuasion,
Compare and Contrast, Personal Narrative, and
Extended Definition.
• The best paper that I wrote was the compare and
contrast method. I chose the point by point
method of organization, so each paragraph of my
essay discusses the contrast of a single, main point
between the two ideas.
• Click here for essay
• Back to Main Page
I know the essential features of a
good thesis statement
• A good thesis statement gives a brief explanation
of what the paper is about, and also provides your
view on the subject.
• “The hunting of wild animals is good for our
society and economy as well. I feel that it is of the
best things for both the animals and the people.”
• I know that this is a good thesis statement because,
it provides an explanation of what the paper is
going to be about. It also shows my view on the
subject as well.
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Student Option 1
• I have learned to not use the word you all the time in my
essays. When I use the word you it just doesn’t sound
right.
• When I switched the word you for the words me, or I, and
changed the sentence around it sounded much better that
using you or your.
• In my compare/contrast paper I used the word you and
your throughout the whole thing. Then I switched the
words you, and your to I or me, and it was much easier to
read.
• Click here for example
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Student Option 2
• I have also learned to use commas and
periods in the right places.
• In my writing before I would always put a
comma where a period should go, and I
would often end a sentence when I should
have combined it to the one after it with a
comma or semi colon.
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