This has been the most writing intensive course I have ever taken. We had something due every time we had class, sometimes even on days when there was no class – it seemed like writing on top of more writing. However, there was also a lot of useful discussion. When I first entered the course I thought of writing as a way of communicating, either to oneself, peers, the world, etc. I thought of writing in a very simplistic way. Because of course writing is a communication tool, we are able now, through technology, to change words that were originally written in one language into another so that information is shared more readily.
Now that I am about to leave the course I feel that there is no really semantic nor pragmatic definition of writing. There are too many ways for writing to be interpreted for there to be a justified definition. I now view writing in a more abstract way due to the course assignments. For example, for me writing is a tool of communicating to the world, but to someone else it may instead be a way for them to be able to run away into a fictional world: an escape; for another it may be away to release all their anger and maybe no one would read in, maybe they can burn the paper and now for them writing is a release of inhibitions. This is why I believe there is no true definition of writing anymore, because writing is a tool that can be shaped into whatever someone needs. Just as my views of writing have changed, so have my techniques for writing.
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There are a total of five course objectives, they are as followed:
- Acquire conceptual & practical knowledge of argumentation;
- Gain expertise in composing, revising, and editing drafts for academic contexts and beyond;
- Enhance critical reading and analytical practices;
- Practice using various library resources and online data bases; and
- Strengthen source use practices (including evaluating, integrating, quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing sources).
I enter the course known the standard way to create an argumentative paper. I have never heard of logos, ethos or pathos. I have never heard of a rhetorical triangle and any of the topics that were discussed in the beginning of class. If I would have never taken this class I would have never learn them that is why I do feel that I gained conceptual and practical knowledge of arguments. This is because not only did I learn it but I was able to apply it into my works, phase 1 with analyzing Tusnet argument, phase 2 with creating a visual argument and phase 3 with developing my own argument. In each phase I am using the knowledge I gained in the beginning of class in order create a better essay.
I did gain experience with goal two, but due to computer problems I was unable to gain as much as I should have as for a good while I was attempting to run from computer to computer in order to write my papers and create my visual argument – this resulted in me creating a subpar visual and paper for phase 2 and l phase 3. I feel that though I was unable to have complete drafts that illustrated the work I did, I did do a lot of revision of my topic as a whole. I would go back and ask if I can change my topic this was or that way because I felt there was more for me to say. I did have a few completed drafts as a result, this essay included. And many of my drafts have been edited to the point that they do not look at all like the final product. So though I had so computer troubles I do believe I drafted pretty well.
The third goal was to enhance critical readings and analytical practices. I have gain experience with critical reasoning and analyzation of works, especially because of Phase 1 when we were analyzing everything we read and had to do the worksheets. This may be what I have improved the most on since beginning this class because I know my analyzation skills were not as strong that they should have been during the beginning of the semester. I feel now that I abl able to analyze and understand author’s arguments better than what I started with.
For all of my essays there was a need to research. I believe my research skills have improved. I was forced to do research for many papers but they were mostly supposed to be books, especially in phase 3 I was able to practice using a data base and find information through there for my use. I feel that I achieved goal because I needed to find, especially in phase 3 with losing my sources mid-way through the phase. Therefore I believe that I practice a lot, and achieve this objective as a result.
For the last goal, strengthen source use practices, including evaluating, integrating, quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing sources, I have complex feels related on this goal. On one hand I needed to improve because I never needed to evaluate my sources in papers before so therefore my ability needed to improve, but on the other hand I do not really believe my ability to incorporate quotes and paraphrases into my essays have really improve as a result. So I believe that though I improved in one part, the other there is not that much improvement. I need more work with evaluating my sources and incorporating them into the essay. I tend to want to straight out quote a bunch of information instead of paraphrasing.
Emilia Carlo :3 