MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Lance Cummings

From: Arely Ramirez Diaz
Date: May 4, 2017
Re: Final Self-Assessment

Throughout the semester, I completed series of assignments meant to strengthen my ability to write and
communicate effectively. Personally, I am a kinesthetic and visual learner, so for me English classes have
always been troubling. Finding an English course that used interactive methods of learning the
information was a life changing experience. Today, I will provide you with two outcomes I developed
from revising my first blog; developing strategies for analyzing organizational texts and context,
designing documents that meets the needs of audiences, developing and applying skills in
expressing myself orally or in writing

Strategies for analyzing organizational texts and context

During my revision process, I noticed that my initial blog lacked a specific audience and purpose. As you
can see from figure 1, my blog was all over the place. I did not understand what I was doing and what I was
doing it for.

Writing and Law

Much of writing in law is based on heuristics and rhetoric. The persuasion from rhetoric provides understanding, discovering
and developing arguments for situations. Aristotle himself extended the definition of rhetoric by calling it the ability to
identify the appropriate means of persuasion in a given situation1 as well as describing it as an asset of both logic and
politics. Since rhetoric helps others understand, believe and agree, it creates a basis for attorney to use the method as a way
of arguing and explaining their case to their audience.

Introduction and Overview

In the United States, there are some groups vulnerable to their surroundings, one of them being unaccompanied immigrant
children. Many of those children flee their native countries escaping natural disasters, and dangers; dangers include, neglect,
abuse, abandonment, human trafficking, and child labor2. When those children arrive to the United states they are faced with
challenges such as, poverty, language barrier, and access to public goods.

Figure 1 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) A Guide To Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Therefore, I decided to change just about everything about the organization and context of my paper. From
figure 2 you can see that I decided to make attorneys my target audience and heuristics my purpose.

Figure 2 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) A Guide To Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
Second, I changed the example. In figure 3, you can see that the example paragraph did not include
context as to why it was there.

Figure 3 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) A Guide To Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

In my revision blog, I decided to introduce my example first then followed up with context. Figure 4
shows the changes made to the example which was then followed up with stasis questions.

Figure 4 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) A Guide To Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Designing documents

While I may not be the most artistic person on the planet, I have made improvements in designing
documents that meets the needs of my audiences. I exemplified this outcome on my white paper. Figure 5
shows the white paper which is eye-catching-yet-professional. The white paper addresses law firm owners
by providing them the effects and statistics of using social media outlets such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
Figure 5 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) How the use of social media affects attorneys and their law firms

Developing and applying skills in expressing yourself orally or in writing

I learned the significance of reflections. Reflecting on ones writing develops and allows one to
express orally and in writing. I worked on multiple journals which allowed me to think about
what worked and what did not work for my assignment. Figure 6 illustrates my reflection for the
white paper. I incorporated the changes I suggested myself when revising my white paper. The
self-assessment allowed me to gain creative growth, develop transferable writing skills, and
rhetorical expertise.

Figure 5 Ramirez Diaz, A (2017) How the use of social media affects attorneys and their law firms
Link to my Wordpress: https://arelyramirezdiaz.wordpress.com
References
Ramirez Diaz, A. (2017). A Guide To Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).

Ramirez Diaz, A. (2017). How the use of social media affects attorneys and their law firms.