You are on page 1of 4

Final Reflection

1. Please find an image (or create your own) that represents your experience in this class, and
explain your choice. (150 words)
To me, this class and writing in general is like climbing a mountain. The climb can be
challenging and sometimes painful. It often takes a lot of effort for me to overcome the obstacles
that stand between myself and my destination. However, when the climb is over, a feeling of
accomplishment washes over me as I get to see the results of all the hard work I just put in. The
same goes for the assignments and projects for this class. The process I encounter when writing a
paper is tough, and I often stumble or get lost along the way, but when I have a finished product,
I am pleased with all the time and energy that was put into its completion. For example, when
writing the language and literacy paper I had no idea where to start. I explored each of the
options and still wasnt sure which one was best for me. I chose to write a narrative and soon
found out it was harder than I had expected. It was unlike ay paper I had written before, and the
process of writing it was long and tiring. After multiple drafts and revision, I finally had a
completed project. When reading the final draft, I felt proud to see that what I wrote was a
success in my eyes, and the work I put in paid off.

2. If you were to teach this class, what ideas would you emphasize? (150 words)
I learned a lot of valuable information in UWRT this semester, and if I were to teach this
class there are a few topics that I would emphasize. One of them is the knowledge of conventions
student learning outcome. For example, being able to properly use a specific formatting style
when writing is very important, especially for students. I am in the major of engineering and am
required to use Chicago Manual Style when formatting papers. I had come to learn that I had
previously been doing it wrong. I think this is an important skill for college students to practice,
so that their academic and professional papers will be up to the standards they need to be for the
future. Another topic that I feel should be emphasized is the student learning outcome titled
critical reflection. Reflection on writing and more importantly reflection on thoughts, choices,
and actions can be valuable to someone now and in the future. I think practicing this skill helps
one live a better day to day life in and out of the classroom.
3. This is your opportunity to speak back to an author or a resource that weve referenced in this
class. What would you say to this author about their writing and your reaction to it? (150 words)
If I were to speak back to one of the authors weve referenced this semester it would be
Alfie Kohn for his article titled From Degrading to De-Grading. I found the information he
presented to be very interesting, however, there was much I did not agree with. I understand the
claims Kohn made and see how they could apply to certain individuals, but I am proof that they
do not apply to everyone. Im not sure if that is because my thoughts as a student are rare or if it
is just my personality type, but I feel as though grades are necessary. I am a student who thinks
that grades are what encourages me in academics. I like the feeling of accomplishment after
receiving an A, and will do what it takes to do so. In high school, I was a straight A student, and
unfortunately, I do not think it would be fair to have another student who made Ds and myself
viewed at the same level. I think students who put in the extra effort deserve that recognition. If
grades did not exist, I know that I would not put in nearly as much effort into assignments as I do
now. Rather than doing an assignment sufficient to receive an A, I would do an assignment just
to get it done.

4. Tell the story of UWRT 1103. You are telling a short story of the class. (300 words)
There once was a class called UWRT 1103-001. It took place on Mondays and
Wednesdays at 8:00 am in McEniry 401. Despite its unfortunate time and location on the fourth
floor, it turned out to be one of the liveliest and most engaging classes I have been a part of at
UNC Charlotte. Every day when I walked into class I didnt know what to expect. This was a
good thing in that the unknown of what was to happen kept me intrigued in the course as a
whole. There was a mixture of individual and group activities along with assignments on paper
and online. Its variances were, to me, its most appealing feature. The class size was smaller than
the typical class at UNC Charlotte which was another characteristic that made it great. People
from across the country with different backgrounds and interests got to meet at a common place
twice a week. Classes were often structured in a way for the students to get to know their fellow
peers. Even with the differences that existed between myself and other students, we were still
able to connect through the classwork and on a personal level. I can truthfully say that I am
exiting this class with more friends than I had when I entered it. As the course officially comes to
an end there are a few things that I want to note about my experience. First, thank you to my
professor, Dr. Rand, for instructing the class the way that you did. Your excitement and joy for
class made it worth attending. And lastly, thank you to my fellow classmates for going about this
experience with me. You all were there to help me when I needed it whether it was during a
group assignment or just a random question. My involvement in this course has been the most
positive class experience I have had in college thus far.

5. What will your writing do in the world? What types of writing will you do, and how will you
prepare to do that writing? What ideas/concepts that you practiced in this course will transfer to
other courses/writing situations? (200 words)
I am an engineering student at UNC Charlotte, and I learned at the start of college that
engineering is not strictly math as I had previously thought it was. It turns out that a variety of
writings are required of an engineering student and a professional engineer. So far, I have been
asked to write design packages and technical reports. For the most part, these assignments were
more for academia than anything else. As I continue through college, I assume I will be writing
more documents like this. Practicing the utilization of the Chicago Manual Style was very
beneficial to me as this is what the engineering department expects from its students. Moving
past college and into the workforce, engineers are expected to do specific types of writing as
well. Some of the writings a professional engineer may have to do include progress reports,
plans, proposals, recommendations, work descriptions, and reports. I feel that the best way to
prepare myself for these types of writings is through mastery of the basics and experience. I
think if I have a good foundation of grammar, context, audience, etc. then it will be easier for me
to start writing in these forms. I think knowledge of conventions and rhetorical knowledge are
the two topics that will help me the most when I start to encounter this type of writing.

6. Do you consider yourself a writer? Why/why not? (300 words)


Before entering this course, I thought of myself as a writer, just not a very good one.
However, over the length of the semester, I have learned that you dont have to be a professional
author to be a good writer. I think my writing skills have improved, but regardless if they have or
not, I would consider myself more of a writer now than before. To me, a writer, in its most
simple and literal definition, is someone who puts words on a page. I have always done this
which is why I have always thought of myself as a writer, even if it is the most basic writing
possible. One reason why I think I am more of a writer now than I was before is by being able to
write regarding certain circumstances. Audience, purpose, and context are factors that can be
taken into consideration when writing a paper. If this is done successfully, I would consider the
author as a more well-rounded writer. I think, that I have personally improved in these areas after
practicing them this semester. Prior to this class, I rarely ever thought about directing what I
wrote to a specific audience. I always assumed I was just writing to my teacher or professor.
Now, I can see how my writing has grown and how much more meaningful my papers are when
there is an intended audience. Writing with a purpose is something that I feel I have been able to
improve upon in this class too. This year we had two main papers to write. When I defined a
purpose, I thought I could keep my thoughts much more on track than if I were just to write
information onto a page. Knowing the reason why I am writing, other than the fact that it is an
assignment, makes my writing more successful. Lastly, keeping in mind the context is an
important factor in writing as well. Currently, before I start writing, I ask myself whats the
situation? which is something I had not done previously. Asking myself this question allows me
to understand what I want to say and why it needs to be said. The combination of these three
factors is what has led me to believe that I am more of a writer now than I have ever been.

7. Please reflect on your effort in designing this portfolio. What do you think was successful,
and what would you change if you had more time? (150 words)
Designing this portfolio was a tough task, but the more I used Weebly, the more creative I
would get. I went from not being able to title a page or change the font size of the text to
including slide shows and different sections within each page. One aspect of my portfolio that I
thought was successful was its user friendliness. I personally think that users can navigate
through the portfolio with ease. Pages and the sections within the pages are all titled so that the
user may find whatever theyre looking for more easily. One thing I would change about the
portfolio if I had more time is including a consistent theme throughout the entire project. I tried
to incorporate an adventurous theme, which is something I greatly relate to, among the home and
reflection page. I also tried to keep the pages for daily writing, projects and drafts, and
connections and student learning outcome consistent with more of an academic theme. However,
I would have loved to somehow merge the separate themes into one so that going through the
portfolio was like reading a book about me.

You might also like