Due with Final Portfolio on 12/13/2020!

We are now at our final writing assignment of an incredibly difficult semester. I am so proud of you all for making it to this point. Now it is time for you, as the title suggests, reflect on your work over the semester. For this final assignment, reflect upon the following questions:

  • What have you learned about yourself as a reader, writer, and scholar this semester?
  • How have you changed or developed as a reader and writer this semester?
  • How will you be able to use what you have learned this semester and transfer that knowledge to other writing situations—either in college or in your community?

The Reflection is due with your Final Portfolio and should be a minimum of 1,000 words.

As a way to begin your Final Reflection, look back through all your work for this class: the three major essays/projects, journal assignments, reflections, and so on. As you browse through your work, ask yourself about and take notes on the following questions:

  • How would you compare/contrast work done early on in the semester to now?
  • What was your favorite/least favorite assignment and why?
  • What are some notable lessons that have stuck with you after completing certain assignments?
  • What changed in your writing (and reading and thinking) as the genres changed?
  • How did you make decisions in your assignment about content and design in Unit 3?
  • What were your early assumptions/beliefs about yourself and writing? Have they since changed? Explain.
  • What was your experience revising assignments?
  • Was there any peer feedback that stands out to you and why?
  • How did you adapt to an asynchronous class this semester (not to mention the continued stress of living during the time of COVID)?
  • What was particularly challenging for you in our course this semester and how did you overcome it? Or attempt to/failed at–you don’t have to only talk about triumphs–sometimes failure is the best teacher.

Don’t simply answer the above questions in your final reflection; they are just meant to help you brainstorm ideas. This isn’t just you writing off-the-top of your head; this is a finished piece of writing. Treat yourself as a respected author who has lived through a difficult time: you are someone with something to say.

Here’s what I will be looking for:

  • Attention to audience. This essay will be the first item any reader will see in your Final Portfolio. This essay will set a “tone” for all the work that follows. Don’t just list off a bunch of random opinions about your writing—write about what you’ve learned. Prepare the reader for what they’ll see in your Portfolio.
  • Attention to organization.  This does not have to be a traditional organization, but you should have paragraphs (not just a 1,000 word paragraph, please) and some reason for why they’re in the order they’re in!
  • Evidence and analysis. If you tell me you learned something about yourself as a writer, show me proof!  By proof, I specifically mean quotes from your own writing. PLEASE NOTE: All reflections should have at least three quotes from your own writing this semester. And, as usual, don’t just drop those quotes in there and expect your readers to figure out why you’ve chosen them. Explain why that passage is important to your readers and to your “so what?”
  • Care. Proofread. Make sure it’s long enough. As usual, you can use whatever language you see fit to use, but make decisions about your language—that is, the words that are there should be there for a reason.
  • It’s gotta be on time. You must turn in the Final Reflection with your Portfolio on the date listed above. I don’t have any leeway because I need to turn grades in. If I don’t receive it on time, you’ll get a zero on this assignment (it’s worth 30% of your final grade).

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