Mid-Course Reflection
By Dan Boisvert
Strengths and Challenges
• Strengths • Challenges -
WPA Outcome
Rhetorical Knowledge
•
Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to
understand how genre conventions shape and are shaped by
readers’ and writers’ practices and purposes
–
I learned how to properly incorporate the multimodal elements of a
magazine article by researching what magazine articles look like and by
receiving the following feedback on the Project 1 Feedback Draft.
Do all of the visual elements substantially add to the
reader’s understanding of the issue?
Truman Peyote
–
I took this feedback and applied it to the Project 1 Revised Draft and
received the following feedback for the multimodal elements in the Rubric.
Truman Peyote
–
It is important to consider how the multimodal elements
will serve to support the text. For example, photos are
visually captivating, but they must serve to support the
text and not simply provide a visual element.
Well done.
By completing Project 1 I learned more about how a Magazine Article
should be formatted and how the elements should further the purpose of
the text and not just be included because they looked cool. This opened my
eyes to how each element is a critical part of a writer's purpose.
WPA Outcome - Processes
• Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting,
reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting, rereading,
and editing
– Project 1 Feedback Draft
Truman Peyote
– Project 1 Revised Draft
I do not see a clearly stated thesis statement here which
includes all of the necessary components. Review the
class announcement and previous feedback which
covered the crafting of a thesis statement.
Good job introducing the topic to the reader.
Truman Peyote
– I changed my strategies for revising my work by compiling the list of
feedback I had received from peers and instructors and
implementing fixes for each item.
– Completing Project 1 helped to strengthen the flexibility in my
strategy for approaching the reviewing and collaborative processes.
Previously I was too rigid and had been taught in a much less
freeing way. This allowed me to focus more on the
quality of my writing.
WPA Outcome
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
•
Locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy,
timeliness, bias and so on) primary and secondary research
materials, including journal articles and essays, books,
scholarly and professionally established and maintained
databases or archives, and informal electronic networks and
internet sources
–
Early on in Project 1 I received feedback that I should work on narrowing
my topic further to a more local community. This was great feedback, but it
did require me to locate and evaluate more research material that was
relevant to the topic in a short period of time.
Truman Peyote
–
I knew that by focusing my topic further it would likely mean that I would
have to do additional primary and secondary research, but I felt this played
perfectly into my strengths coming into the class. I was able to achieve full
marks on my revised draft and received the following feedback.
Truman Peyote
–
This is a very large, national issue, but it
may be manageable. You will need to focus
upon a very specific community.
Nicely done.
This allowed me to be successful in Project 1 because effective research is
a critical part of establishing credibility, ethos, with the reader.
WPA Outcome
Knowledge of Conventions
Learn common formats and/or design features for
different kinds of texts
–
–
When coming into this class I had no knowledge of the common formats for an
analysis.
Project 1 Feedback Draft
This entire paragraph is evidence. This requires the reader to figure out how
Truman Peyote
this evidence relates, why it is important, what it means, etcetera. However,
all of this is the writer's job. Review the conventional structure of a body
paragraph: topic sentence, introduce evidence, provide evidence, explain
and discuss evidence.
– Project 1 Revised Draft – Feedback for Conventions
Truman Peyote
Good job.
– By following that structure in all paragraphs for project 1 I was
able to create a more compelling analysis, and this has turned
into one of my strengths!
WPA Outcome
Rhetorical Knowledge
•
Develop facility in responding to a variety of situations and
contexts calling for purposeful shifts in voice, tone, level of
formality, design, medium, and/or structure
–
I didn’t have a good handle on how to setup the formality required in an
analysis, and this was evident in the feedback I received on Project 1
Feedback Draft
The second person voice is a
form of direct address which is
informal.
Truman Peyote
Within the body of the text, the first-person voice can be
problematic, especially for an essay like this one. You
want the reader to believe that you are a “truth seeker,”
not a biased individual who is involved in the issue. Is it
necessary for you to insert yourself into the body of the
text, and if so, for what purpose?
–
–
I found if very difficult to identify the current tone and level of formality
required for an analysis. In order to strengthen this skill, I read about
formality and the key words to look out for in order to identify this mistake
within my writing.
I applied this newly strengthened skill by thoroughly reviewing my draft to
remove any problematic tone or level of formality for the analysis. This
allowed me to receive the following feedback for conventions.
Truman Peyote
Good job.
WPA Outcome
Knowledge of Conventions
Understand why genre conventions for structure,
paragraphing, tone, and mechanics vary
–
I didn’t realize that a Flyer wouldn’t be a fitting genre for an Analysis because I
didn’t fully understand the requirements of an analysis and I received the following
feedback.
Truman Peyote
–
A flyer is not a genre of an analysis essay.
Review the Project 1 assignment prompt in
Module 2 for specifics regarding genre.
I took this feedback and reviewed the Project 1 assignment prompt which lists
genres that are all formal in tone and that a flyer does not fit into the same
category. I chose to pivot my strategy and switched to a magazine article. This
allowed me to be successful because I was able to create a formal analysis that
encapsulated the problem I chose to cover.
WPA Outcome
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
•
Use composing and reading for inquiry, learning, critical
thinking, and communicating in various rhetorical contexts
–
I struggled with the multimodal analysis because I had a hard time
explaining how the elements chosen were used as rhetorical appeals. I
received the following feedback for the Multimodal Analysis component of
the Project 1 Feedback draft.
Truman Peyote
–
I used this feedback to further my understanding of the rhetorical appeals
and implemented this in the Revised draft. I received the following
feedback for the Multimodal Component
Truman Peyote
–
The use of ethos, pathos, and logos
should be identified and discussed in
detail as they relate to each visual
element embedded within the text.
Well done.
This shows that I had learned how to provide relevant, purposeful visuals
and that the media I selected points clearly and logically. It is integrated
into the text strategically with consideration to the target audience,
rhetorical purpose, and genre
WPA Outcome
Processes
Experience the collaborative and social aspects of
writing processes
–
In my previous English classes I never had peer reviewers that gave much if any
meaningful feedback, so it was a new learning experience for me with this class.
Jodie Cook provided me with the following feedback
Jodie Cook
–
I think an appeal to ethos could be a result of including
the euthanizing aspect in your thesis sentence. The
logos aspect is very strong with the use of two easy-toread pie charts.
I applied this feedback to craft a new introductory paragraph where I lead into my
new and improved thesis.
“Due to these challenges Pit-bulls are adopted
less frequently, overcrowd shelters, and are euthanized at higher
rates. People looking to adopt a Pit-Bull in Muskegon County will
face breed discrimination which discourages them from adopting
these loving animals.”
–
This is a much stronger way to end my introduction and I feel that this was a great
example of how much the collaborative process helped to improve my writing
Habits of Mind
Engagement
• a sense of investment and involvement in
learning.
– I’ve enjoyed the writing process and see the clear
value provided. Due to my clear engagement with
the material in the course I received the following
feedback.
Truman Peyote
I wanted to send you this message regarding
your feedback draft. There is some good writing
in your essay. As a reader, I can see the work
that you have put into the text. Not only have
you employed “Critical Thinking” about your
chosen topic, you are obviously “Engaged” with
the issue as well.
Habits of Mind
Creativity
the ability to use novel approaches for generating,
investigating, and representing ideas.
– I‘ve never viewed myself as a particularly creative person, but this
project has allowed me to see that I do have creativity in how I
approach problems. I didn’t understand the value of Multimodal
elements, but through this course I have learned their importance and
how to more effectively utilize them to tell the story I am looking to tell.
This is evidenced by the feedback I received from a peer.
• “Great work! You did excellent job shedding light on how an
ordinance contributed to creating a sad and distressing problem.
You said that you originally didn’t think the multimodal aspects were
important, but I can see that you used them very well in this piece
of writing.” – Jodie Cook
Habits of Mind
Persistence
• the ability to sustain interest in and attention to
short- and long-term projects.
– I learned how to be persistent in my work on Project
1. I had to revise my Feedback draft multiple times
based on the instructor and peer feedback that I
received. I found this process to be quite exhausting,
but also very rewarding.
– On my initial feedback draft, I received a lot of
criticism from both peers and instructors.
•
•
•
“This reads like a personal reflection, but an analysis is required. What is the
purpose of this paragraph? As a reader, I do not see how this is a component of
the problem. Confusing.” – Truman Peyote
“I could not find a conclusion that seemed to recap the components of the
analysis. The last paragraph was its own component instead of a conclusion
paragraph. “ – Brekken Cogswell
“If the conclusion is supposed to summarize and recap your thesis, then I think a
combination of the two final paragraphs might make an effective conclusion.” –
Jodie Cook
– I took the feedback I received about my conclusion paragraph,
and I turned it into a conclusion worthy of the following feedback.
Good job.
Truman Peyote
Habits of Mind
Openness
the willingness to consider new ways of being and
thinking in the world.
– I learned to be open to others feedback and recognized that it could be
extremely helpful in the process of writing. The most important part of
receiving feedback is being willing to listen and understand the
feedback. This allowed me to recognize that my previous conclusion
paragraph needed a lot of work because I received similar feedback
from 3 separate sources.
•
–
“This reads like a personal reflection, but an analysis is required. What is the purpose of
this paragraph? As a reader, I do not see how this is a component of the problem.
Confusing.” – Truman Peyote
• “I could not find a conclusion that seemed to recap the components of the analysis. The
last paragraph was its own component instead of a conclusion paragraph. “ – Brekken
Cogswell
• “If the conclusion is supposed to summarize and recap your thesis, then I think a
combination of the two final paragraphs might make an effective conclusion.” – Jodie Cook
I changed my conclusion paragraph based on this feedback because I remained open. This
allowed me to receive the following feedback on the Conclusion portion of the Revised Draft.
Truman Peyote
Good job.
Transfer
WPA Outcome – Rhetorical Knowledge
• Understand and use a variety of technologies to
address a range of audiences
–
I’ve used this skill for creating many different types of formal documentation for my
other courses.
•
This is a Project Deliverable for FSE100. I used Microsoft Word to properly format the document and was thorough in the
information included. This was a collaborative assignment worked on as a team.
•
This is a Gantt Chart used for project timing. This shows that I have learned how to use Excel to address a different
audience
Transfer
Habits of Mind - Openness
the willingness to consider new ways of being and
thinking in the world.
– Recently in my professional life I had a project I had been working on
for months get put on hold. This can be extremely frustrating to have
happen, but I made sure to listen to my colleague as they explained
why.
– Due to my ability to remain open I was able to join a team that is
evaluating the technology that caused the project I was working on to
be put on hold. The breakthrough is in touchscreen technology. A
company in Texas created SigmaSense which is completely digital as
opposed to analog, which is how all current touchscreen work.
Transfer
Habits of Mind - Engagement
• a sense of investment and involvement in learning.
– I stay engaged in my professional life by understanding the needs
of those around me and trying to fulfill those needs. I was
assigned a few projects at work and things were going quite
smoothly, but I heard that another project was struggling. I
decided I would try to learn more about the project in the
downtime that I had in order to better understand the struggles
the project was facing. It was through this level of engagement
that I received the following feedback.
•
–
“… And finally, thank you Dan for helping us solve the critical problems which were limiting our
performance and power delivery. Without your help, we would not have achieved the
demonstration. Before you stepped in, we were able to work for 3 minutes before a failure would
occur. Since you helped us improve the electronics drive, we are now delivering consistent high
power for 20+ minutes. You brought the confidence the team needed to deliver today.” – Mark
Glotzbach, Chief Engineer of Appliance and Connectivity
This was during the early development of a project where there was
interest in performing customer demonstrations. My engagement directly
impacted the projects success.
Theory of Writing
View of Myself as a Writer
At the beginning of this course my writing style would tend to meet the
bare minimum requirements for most English courses to have a decent
grade. Hit a word count, don’t make many grammar mistakes, and
being overly hasty to complete the assignment. I’ve never truly enjoyed
English classes because I felt as though they didn’t apply to my
professional career at all.
After taking this class I feel more well equipped as a writer. I will utilize
the format of writing I learned in this class like a system of equations. It
will be composed of a topic sentence, introducing evidence, providing
evidence, discussing evidence, and concluding the thought. This
approach makes the most sense to me because its very similar to the
scientific method I follow as someone working in the Electrical
Engineering field. Each component has a specific make-up of
requirements to maintain a high-quality of the result.
Theory of Writing
Feelings towards Writing
I’ve earned a healthier respect for the value that writing can have on my life. What
you have to say isn’t the only thing that’s important, but also how you are saying it.
This is the first English course that I have taken that I feel is providing real value to
those taking it. This is something I would have never said without taking this course.
During this course I learned how to properly structure a paper, paragraph, and even
the sentences that make up the paragraph.
“A simple structure for this essay would be the following:
Introduction
Component 1
Component 2
Component 3
(etcetera)
Conclusion” – Truman Peyote
“Topic sentence
Introduce evidence
Provide evidence
Explain and discuss evidence
Concluding thoughts” – Truman Peyote
By taking this feedback and applying it to my writing I was able to achieve a level of writing that I
didn’t think I would ever be capable of. I’ve always thought of writing as something creative types
did well and that my engineer brain wouldn’t be capable, but once it was described in a way that
made sense to me I was able to craft an analysis I was proud of. This paragraph is an example of
how I learned to format a paragraph.
“Pit-Bull owners are limited on where they can live within Muskegon County. Renting with a
Pit-Bull is especially challenging as apartment Complexes have banned breed lists and Pit-Bulls are
typically on it. Tiffany Woods, Amazon Apartments, and Park Terrace in Muskegon are all examples of
rental properties that have pitbull bans in place despite marketing themselves as pet-friendly (Amazon
Apartments, 2021) (Park Terrace, 2021) (Tiffany Woods, 2021). This severely limits housing options for the
owners of a specific breed and makes the process of finding a home more stressful. The limitations imposed
on Pit-Bull owners looking to rent can be off-putting to those looking to adopt.” – Dan Boisvert
Theory of Writing
Goals
My goals for continuing to improve as a writer are as follows:
• Improving my understanding of the APA citations
• Further understand the use of Rhetorical Appeals
• Improve the initial parts of my writing process
–
–
–
Not be so hasty
Think critically about topics
Ask myself, what problem am I trying to solve?
The reason I have identified these items as my goals is due to the
feedback I received on my Project 1 Revised Draft. In regards to my
Multimodal Analysis, “The use of ethos, pathos, and logos should be
identified and discussed in detail as it relates to each individual visual
element embedded within the text.” – Truman Peyote
In regards to the Citation and documentation section, “Continue to
review APA guidelines for proper formatting of in-text citations and a
References page.” – Truman Peyote