Partial rough draft of final reflection.

A common occurrence takes place whenever I am asked by a doctor or therapist if a certain condition has improved. I have no idea how I felt in the past compared to how I feel now. Sure, I can definitely discern between feeling generally good vs. feeling generally bad but that is about it. The same happens when I try to think about my growth this semester. Yes, I feel confident in my ability to write… but is it more than before completing this course? Looking back at my previous assignments, I can definitely see aspects that I would have done differently now. However, I probably would have felt the same if I had written them months before taking this class, and was assigned to revise in the beginning of the semester. Additionally, comparing assignments from the beginning of the semester to those done at the end would probably not prove to be helpful. Having such distinct genres, with corresponding writing styles- they are hardly comparable. Even if my general writing has not improved, I have become more proficient in certain tactics such as proofreading and research. Very clearly, my writing has progressed a lot; throughout my life, not just this course. It is difficult for me to pinpoint when and how improvements have been made. Measuring that would be like asking a child when they grew taller. It happens slowly every day, and is hardly noticeable to the person doing the growing.

Growing up with google at my fingertips, I never really had the need to delve deep into research to find the best answers. I could just search a question, and boom the answer was right at the top of my screen. Whenever I had a debate with my parents or friends about a topic that required more in-depth research I would often give up. I didn’t know how to properly conduct my research. This class helped me learn where to look, and how to properly learn from my sources- taking only the most prominent/ useful information. 

I also learnt what it meant to read like a writer. I learnt to analyze why the author made certain choices, and how that changed the outcome of their writing. While that alone is helpful, taking that tactic and utilizing it on other subjects really makes a big difference for me. Prior to this class, I would analyze how peoples clothing was constructed to gain knowledge on how to make similar pieces. Now, implementing the ‘how to read like a writer’ method, I can go even further. I now know to discern the docices the designer and producers made, why they made them, and how other choices would change the outcome. 

My favorite assignment was the Personal Narrative. I wrote about my experiences going to a Montessori school, and then transferring to a public school. The time I spent attending the Montessori School was a common discussion point when it came to my mental development and often came with a lot of criticism. This assignment allowed me to lay my experiences out in front of me and re-evaluate what it all meant. By explaining the differences in education, and overall experiences, I gained a greater knowledge of myself; who I am, what works best for me, and how I can improve my day to day life and interactions with others. 

Regarding the design of my assignments, only one really comes to mind. That is the final unit 3 assignment where I chose to present my project in the form of a blog. While I believe that on its own a blog could be a suitable genre, that is not my primary reason for choosing it. I wanted to design the assignment in a way in which I would actually be learning about my subject. While the execution certainly didn’t come out as intended, I still learnt a lot. More so than if I had just written a paper or article about my findings. I wanted to demonstrate what its like to build a business and blog about it; I learnt that doing so is almost impossible in such a short period of time. Just learning that is just as valuable a lesson as any. 



Artist statement draft

A few months ago, my class was introduced to this project. We were told to create a research project, and that we had the freedom to choose essentially whatever topic we wanted. Immediately my thoughts became focused on everything that I am mentally lacking. Knowledge that has the potential to drastically improve my life. ‘I am being given the motivation to actually achieve some level of understanding. So what will my focus be?’ Few answers came to mind. The most prominent being: How to build a business/ company. I have known for a very long time that there is absolutely zero interest in my heart, soul; entire being to be an employee; make money for someone else (at least in the  long term). That’s all great, but to achieve that I need to be able to make it for myself. What better way than to just make the company? This project is the perfect way to start learning, and therefore became my topic. Obviously, ‘how to build a business’ is a loaded topic, and I needed to narrow it down. Therefore, implementing the second thing I have known for a very long time: I want to work in fashion; be a designer. Perfect! I can research how to create a fashion brand I can design for. The second aspect of this project was to present my findings in the genre of my choosing. To make that choice, I considered how I can both provide the necessary information, while still learning in the process. In my opinion, the best way to learn is to do. I initially decided to attempt founding a business and blog about all the steps I take, along with outcomes and challenges. As I was just writing about my experience, the readers could see me as a very credible source. I was not trying to make claims about what I thought I knew. It was solely supposed to be personal observations. As I began, and the days went by, it became increasingly clear that time would be a huge issue. Surprise! Surprise! Building a business takes an extremely long time. I don’t know what I thought I would accomplish in the weeks that I worked on this project. However, it certainly was not enough to create sufficient content for my blog. Each little thing was extremely tedious, time consuming, and generally uninteresting. I decided to change course. Because it was unrealistic to accomplish enough to blog about, I began providing general information on the steps I would be taking, if I had sufficient time. Instead of a step by step guide, I ended up providing key insights into each broader phase. Because I was no longer narrating my journey and therefore was not a reliable narrator, I switched to providing the most logical information. I first did what I could in the time I had, and then proceeded to expand on what I would do in the future, based on my research. Each blog post, after my introduction, discussed one general phase in the growth process and contained specific details and insights. While people who may be completely lost want a universal step by step guide; it may not exist. Before coming to that conclusion, my nerves ran high out of the possibility that I may not be able to accomplish this task. With each aspect being so interchangeable, my blog may actually be equally helpful to those looking for guidance in building their own businesses. While for what it is, I did a good job, I would have made different choices if I had more time. I really liked the idea of me starting my business and taking my readers with me for the ride. I could have had the time to wait for everything to be processed. I could have taken time to intricately go through every aspect; make mistakes, and learn how to correct them. In my opinion, that would have made for a superior blog. It was difficult to let go of that prospect, but I eventually had to accept that it wasn’t possible, and make the best out of it. All that being said, I am happy with the result. Looking back, I probably should have chosen a less time consuming genre, or a more easily digestible topic. 


Homework 4.1

Part 1

  1. Revise either your Unit 1 or Unit 2 assignment
  2. Print and bring to class:
    • Your revised Unit assignment
    • Your previous draft with professor comments*

*Note: you can (and should) remove the grade from the comments before printing the draft with my comments — we will be doing a peer review of your revisions.

Part 2

Write a very rough partial draft of your Final Reflection, using as a starting point your response to the first homework prompt for this class and the revision of your Unit assignment (Part 1 above).

Post to OpenLab.

Make sure to review the Final Portfolio Reflection sheet

Category: Portfolio and Reflection