English 1102 Reflection
P1:
When it comes to writing, I have zero strengths. It is my worst subject in school. So much, that I feel comfortable in the self-diagnosis that I may have dysphasia. It does not stop at simply writing essays. Anything that deals with some form of communication absolutely frightens me because I have an innate disability in converting thoughts to words. In high school, I coasted off of high homework grades and classroom participation to make up for my low essay scores. Furthermore, the standards in high school were much lower so receiving an A was feasible. It was not until my first paper in English 1102 came back that I realized this standard impeded my progress as a writer. Under the pretense that I was writing decent papers, I never strived …show more content…
Because of this, my interactions with teachers were minimal, and I never took the time to request actual feedback. Flash forward a couple of months, and I am in danger of receiving my first B. It is a bittersweet feeling. While I cringe at the sight of my perfect record being tarnished, for the first time in my life, I feel like there has been an improvement in my writing. For the first time in my life, I don't feel like a complete imbecile when I turn in an essay. Two things have developed in my writing arsenal this year. This semester, in English 1102, I have learned how to unify my sentences so that my thesis and topic sentence offer an elaborate outline for the paper as well as how to develop my paragraphs so that my analysis is not too general—my biggest problem in analytical writing—and in learning to do so, I have minimized the fear in writing …show more content…
On its own, the evidence might as well have been wasted because this only offers a generic view of the substance. However, in my final analysis, I explain exactly what the irony is to clear up any confusion, and then, I go on to explain the significance in the author's incorporation of the evidence. My analysis offers a clear interpretation of the evidence and explanation at the paragraph level, and it also offers a way connecting the evidence to the overall work as a whole. I still struggle, and it's through revision that I am able to catch my overly broad analysis. Ironically, my go-to peer review partner has the same problem. Knowing that she also sometimes overlooks generalize statements, I use the Emma features to highlight the mistakes, and I usually leave a simple comment, "So What?" The "So What?" test applies to analysis just as much as topic and thesis sentences. If it fails the "So What?" test, the analysis is general and can be elaborated on.
Not only is this how I noted the general analysis in my partners' drafts, but I use the same process in revising my own paragraphs. I separate each individual evidence and its respective analysis, and I subjugate it to a series of "So What?" test. In this, I can eliminate superfluous information, and sharpen the already existing
When it comes to writing, I have zero strengths. It is my worst subject in school. So much, that I feel comfortable in the self-diagnosis that I may have dysphasia. It does not stop at simply writing essays. Anything that deals with some form of communication absolutely frightens me because I have an innate disability in converting thoughts to words. In high school, I coasted off of high homework grades and classroom participation to make up for my low essay scores. Furthermore, the standards in high school were much lower so receiving an A was feasible. It was not until my first paper in English 1102 came back that I realized this standard impeded my progress as a writer. Under the pretense that I was writing decent papers, I never strived …show more content…
Because of this, my interactions with teachers were minimal, and I never took the time to request actual feedback. Flash forward a couple of months, and I am in danger of receiving my first B. It is a bittersweet feeling. While I cringe at the sight of my perfect record being tarnished, for the first time in my life, I feel like there has been an improvement in my writing. For the first time in my life, I don't feel like a complete imbecile when I turn in an essay. Two things have developed in my writing arsenal this year. This semester, in English 1102, I have learned how to unify my sentences so that my thesis and topic sentence offer an elaborate outline for the paper as well as how to develop my paragraphs so that my analysis is not too general—my biggest problem in analytical writing—and in learning to do so, I have minimized the fear in writing …show more content…
On its own, the evidence might as well have been wasted because this only offers a generic view of the substance. However, in my final analysis, I explain exactly what the irony is to clear up any confusion, and then, I go on to explain the significance in the author's incorporation of the evidence. My analysis offers a clear interpretation of the evidence and explanation at the paragraph level, and it also offers a way connecting the evidence to the overall work as a whole. I still struggle, and it's through revision that I am able to catch my overly broad analysis. Ironically, my go-to peer review partner has the same problem. Knowing that she also sometimes overlooks generalize statements, I use the Emma features to highlight the mistakes, and I usually leave a simple comment, "So What?" The "So What?" test applies to analysis just as much as topic and thesis sentences. If it fails the "So What?" test, the analysis is general and can be elaborated on.
Not only is this how I noted the general analysis in my partners' drafts, but I use the same process in revising my own paragraphs. I separate each individual evidence and its respective analysis, and I subjugate it to a series of "So What?" test. In this, I can eliminate superfluous information, and sharpen the already existing