Writing as a Recursive Process:
While being in English 122 and 123 I have learned how to properly go through the steps of writing an academic paper. Before this course I have never done prewriting, or writing in a recursive process. I do think that I have mastered this section of the course, for the reason that I have excelled in all of the criteria needed. While going through the revisions I have always been able to find a way to better my paper. I could always recognized a global issue from an local issue. While writing the multiple drafts of my papers, I always looked for possible quotes that could be improved and more information that would support my ideas. I also really focused the structure of my paper throughout my revisions, which needed a lot of works done. Originally my structure was very boring and mechanical. When I changed the structure, I also revised my introduction to better fit the content of the paper. I went from talking about just Discourses in general to focusing more on my specific Discourse. I do not think there is much I can do to fix this learning outcome, for the reason that I have hit all of the marks needed for this project. Also I do think that I have improved from my last paper. Especially with commas, I made sure to read through and fix all the errors that came to mind.
Integrating the Ideas of Others:
As I have progressed in this course I have learned how to integrate the ideas of Gee and others to support my own ideas of certain topics. I have been able to use these ideas to prove a point against someone else ideas, or to show that I agree with their ideas. While writing this past paper I found myself being able to show a disconnect between the ideas of Gee and his thoughts on transferring and connections. Showing that there can be two things similar, but there also disconnections that can stop someone from being able to transfer into another Discourse. While writing my paper I was also able to integrate my own ideas into my paper, by finding artifacts to prove my own words. Throughout my paper I was able to find a flow that connected ideas throughout my paper in fluidity. While connecting my ideas I made sure to also make sure there was enough analysis to explain why I used a specific quote, or to explain what the quote was saying.
Examples of quotes:
- Scholar James Paul Gee explains in his scholarly text, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”, that this concept is known as being apart of a Discourse. A Discourse as Gee would say, is being able to use all of the combinations, “saying(writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” (6)
- Considering the role of an individual in the field of dentistry is “[to] diagnose, the friend who listens and cares, the psychologist who understands”(Kwiecien 1), using the right type of language in the right setting will ensure a procedure is done well.
- This base knowledge would be considered a building task known as sign systems as Gee would explain, using “Language to make certain sign systems and certain forms of knowledge… to build privilege or prestige”(Gee 35)
Active Reading, Critical Reading, and Informal Reading Response:
This course has brought a lot of complicated readings to my attention. These readings were hard at first, but by taking notes while reading and putting the authors words in my own words helped a lot with processing the complex ideas. While doing the readings towards the beginning, the assignments that were assigned helped me understand the readings a little better. Also I did three of the artifact worksheets that helped me understand if my artifacts were worth it or not. Being able to identify what building tasks were within the Discourse was done, by writing out quotes from the artifacts that showed the building tasks. This allowed me to integrate the ideas of Gee to these other ideas of the authors of my artifacts. I showed my ideas through multiple blog post and discussions in classes with my classmates. I do think that I am really good at reading and understand ideas of an author and being able to respond the ideas in informal blog post.
Critique Owns and Others’ Work:
I really do enjoy finding new ways to critique my own ideas. I think that being able to challenge myself is a hard thing to do, but I do enjoy being able to advance myself. When I am reading my peers paper, I do make sure the comments I make are focused on global issues. I think that making global revisions is an important part of the recursive process, if someone does not get productive criticism then it is harder to make revisions. Also I make sure I can identify the writers claim, for the importance of making sure the writer knows what the reader is interrupting. In class I was fully engaged in the group discussions on revisions, because its one thing to comment via google docs, but hearing it in person allows me to really say what I mean. While explaining some areas of concern I also made sure to not fully put down a writer and explain strengths that are located in their papers. I do think I improved on making peer comments more than last paper, because I pushed the writers this time to answer the questions that I asked. the questions were directed towards my confusion to show what they should include.I also improved taking the advice from my peers, If you look at the comments my peers, made below I used those comments to then further edit my paper to make it a better quality. This shows that I am able to acknowledge a peers advice.
y. 
Document Work using Appropriate Conventions:
For this paper I used MLA formatting, which was what I also used in the last paper. In this paper I made sure to focus on the issues that I had in the last paper. There were a few times in the last paper that I didn’t properly use MLA to do in-text citations. I also made sure to introduce all of my quotes prior to using them. Especially in my introduction I made sure to mention my artifacts and Gee to my readers. Following I used some movement words to allow the quote to flow into a sentence within my paragraph. Following my paper I had a work cited page that was done by referring to The Little Seagull book, and not a automated cite. I do think I have improved from my last paper, by fixing areas that have been pointed out to me.
Quotes are also above in the integrating idea learning objective.
When looking at my final draft there is a work cited page in the conclusion, with proper heading.
Control Individual Error Patterns:
I issue I have always had throughout my life is the ability to use correct comma and apostrophe usage in my academic papers. I have been able to fix the issue, but I do not think I have resolved it to the best of my ability. I do think I could have went back and maybe fixed a couple of sentence to limit some confusion with complexity. Although through my time in english 123 I have been showing that I can find self errors in my papers and address them. I have also learned a lot more than I did in high school on being able to identify grammar issues. This has alway been an issue for me, but I never got the help I needed in my school. I do think that I have almost mastered this learning objective. I would put myself right under the master tab, for the reason that I do know how to revise my papers and make a plan for the future paper.
Engagement:
This semester I have not missed one class, or assignment. I haven’t always been able to express my ideas in class because I find that I find them after I think about them on my own , while doing the homework assignments. Without these homework assignments I would be very lost, it really helped me to add up all of the ideas in the readings and my own ideas. I also throughout the semester tried a new reading style that I have never done. Usually I am use to just having an A,B,C structure, but I now try to stray away from that as much as I can.
