Portfolio
English 120, SPRING 2015
Total Points Possible: 10
DUE DATE: in class, Wed. May 7th
NO GRACE PERIOD
NO LATE PORTFOLIOS ACCEPTED
(No late portfolios will be accepted without documented evidence of serious
hardship)
Description
Your portfolio will be a NEAT and visually appealing record of your major work for the semester, with
some self-reflection about your progress as a writer and the aims of our course. It will also include some
reflection on our General Education goals for this semester.
Your primary aims in compiling this collection are to learn about yourself as a writer, and to demonstrate
your strengths to yourself, the English Department freshman English assessors, and your instructor.
All English 120 courses are required to complete these portfolios as a way for our department to
continually assess and improved our Freshman writing General Education requirement.
How to Hand In
Neatly enclose the items listed below in a thick paper folder with pockets. You will bring your Portfolio to
class on May 7th. No late Portfolios can be accepted.
Do not use anything other than the standard folder with pockets. (Do not use a plastic binder, a plastic
folder, some sort of alternative binding, etc.)
If your Portfolio is crowded, and/or if items are threatening to fall out, bind it shut with a binder clip.
All contents should be in a meaningful order with consecutive pagination and header/title pages. (Each
section should be distinct from the others.) It should be easy on the eyes!
Arrange everything very neatly. It might be helpful, for example, to staple everything together, or at least to
staple together specific categories—e.g., all of the Contemplative Journal material.
Portfolio Checklist
____A thick paper folder with pockets. Possibly a binder clip to keep everything in place.
____Your name and "Portfolio" on the front of the folder.
____A title page with the header "English 120 Portfolio, Spring 2015" and your name.
____A table of contents which lists these categories: "Projects," "Contemplative Journal," and
"Miscellaneous Class Work."
____A reflective letter addressed to me and Freshman Writing Program Administrators, minimum 2 full
pages (preferably more).
____A clean copy of your completed Project #1. Do not include drafts.
____A clean copy of your completed Project #2 or a link to access it. Do not include drafts.
____A clean copy of your completed Project #3. Do not include drafts.
____A clean copy of your Contemplative Journal.
_____Copies of any miscellaneous class work: peer critiques which you completed, worksheets, brief
writings, etc.
____MLA-style manuscript format (or as reasonably close as you can get to it) for all projects and your
reflective letter (correct headings, titles, pagination, etc.) For help with MLA documentation, CLICK
HERE. For help with MLA manuscript format, CLICK HERE. Titles should be centered appropriately,
all work should be paginated, etc., though this will vary somewhat depending on the genre you are working
with.
____Careful editing on all documents for clear, concise, effective sentences.
____Careful proofreading for correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Your writing shows no
misspelling, typos, fused sentences, incomplete sentences, or comma errors.
_____Everything is neat, orderly, visually pleasant, and easy to navigate. Remember the fundamental rules
of visual design.
More about the Reflective Letter
The reflective letter is an important component of your portfolio, allowing you to consider your strengths,
weaknesses, growth, and future work as a writer and as a student of NDSU's General Education program.
In this letter, be sure to answer all of the questions, roughly one paragraph per question (though one or two
may be combined in a single paragraph). Feel free to add your insights beyond these questions.
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How have you grown as a writer this semester?
What have you learned about the art of argument this semester?
Which is your strongest piece of writing, and why?
Which is your weakest piece of writing, and why?
What revisions did you make to these writings, what was the writing process like for you, and how
do you feel about the final results?
What components of your writing would you like to work on in the future?
How successful do you feel our class has been in meeting NDSU's General Education
requirements? THESE ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL BELOW.
Please format your letter according to MLA guidelines.
The reflective letter should be especially well-edited and proofread.
Reflective Letter Checklist
_____Includes return address, recipients' address, date, and salutation.
Example:
Wendy Wackadoodle
#324 Hamburger Hall
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58102
Instructor and FYW Administrators
Dept. of English, Minard Hall #318
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58102
May 7, 2015
Dear Instructor and Administrators:
_____Provides a brief introduction, describing what you wrote this term with some mention of the different
genres.
_____Describes in a paragraph or more what you have learned about writing, and how your own writing
has developed this term. You may comment on the drafts you produced, the peer critiques you received and
completed, and any conferences with, and written feedback from, your instructor.
_____Explains and illustrates what you learned about General Education Outcome #1: “communicating
effectively in a variety of genres, with different audiences and for a variety of purposes." This is where you
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discuss the distinctly different genres you practiced this term and the different audiences you wrote for. In
addition to your major projects, you may comment on any worksheets or brief writings you completed.
_____ Explains and illustrates what you learned about General Education Outcome #2: “integrating
knowledge and ideas in a coherent and meaningful manner.” Here is where you discuss how you integrated
sources and acknowledged the views of others in our various assignments. This is also where you discuss
focusing and organizing your projects in a meaningful way.
_____Discusses other class goals, revisions you made to your work, what you perceive to be your strengths
and weaknesses, what you learned overall, etc.
____Provides a brief conclusion and closing or valediction. Note: "encl" means that items are enclosed.
Example:
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
encl.
Evaluation Criteria
Your portfolio must meet all of the checklist requirements listed above.
A = fulfills all or nearly all of the above criteria, and does so with distinction and extra attention to order,
neatness, and design. = 9-10 pts.
B = fulfills nearly all of the above criteria, or fulfills all of them but without distinction. = 7-8 pts.
C = fulfills some of the above criteria, or fulfills all of them rather minimally. The project's weaknesses
stand out and/or are beginning to outweigh its strengths. = 5-6 pts.
D = fulfills very few of the above criteria, or fulfills some of them but just barely. = 3-4 pts.
F = fulfills few or none of the above criteria, or fulfills some reasonably well but is egregiously lacking in
key areas. = 0 pts.
back to 120 Homepage
GE OUTCOME #1: Students shall communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and modes
(genres), using a variety of communication skills/ English 120 will build on English 110’s introduction
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to academic genres, and extend reading and writing to include genres common in public communication
situations. In order to achieve this outcome, students will:
1. read a variety of genres of writing, with an emphasis on writing produced for students and
scholars and writing produced for the general reader, intended to inform and influence members of
the public on matters of concern to all.
2. write in a variety of genres for various audiences and purposes (e.g. writing for specific
disciplines, writing to communicate visually as well as textually in order to reach wider audiences
and meet different reading styles, writing for the general public about issues you care about, etc.)
3. practice effective and efficient writing strategies, including generating, developing, and
focusing ideas, sharing drafts of writing with peers and the instructor, revising and editing for
clarity, consistency, and correctness. Students should also understand that effective
communication can only be defined within the context and situation of reading and writing tasks.
GE OUTCOME #6: Students should learn to integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent and
meaningful manner. English 120 will build on the library and web research skills taught in English 110,
and emphasize field research as an additional means of finding or generating ideas and knowledge. In order
to achieve this outcome, students will:
1. continue to locate information in library and web resources, and respond to others' ideas within
their own writing—build on English 110 skills.
3. use a thesis statement, claims, and evidence effectively when a writing situation calls for these
particular elements.
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