Reflective writing
Inner Reflection: A Conversation with Our Self
At this point, we’ve read a number of texts, listened to and watched other genres of rhetoric, immersed ourselves in an issue by performing intensive and thoughtful research, and used tools to produce a variety of our own texts in multiple genres. Through those and other activities, we’ve learned about rhetoric, audience, exigence, kairos, argument theory, and other concepts that make up the discourse of W270.
It’s now time for reflection.
First, using the outline of W270’s core concepts and goals presented below, fill in (type) the outcomes columns of the grid that starts on the next page as brainstorming for a 3- to 4-page reflection. Be sure your “notes” on the chart are clear, thoughtful, and specific.
Then, in the reflective essay, discuss the work you’ve done in this class and make claims about how well you’ve met each of the three broader goals in relation to how well you fulfilled or not the mutual expectations we all agreed to at the start of the class. Making claims about meeting each goal must be in relation to the mutual expectations.
It is a good idea to give ourselves ratings, such as with a 1-10 scale or a letter grade, that show how well we feel we’ve met each goal. As with any argument, each claim you make (and you’ll have one for each goal) should be clear and backed up with evidence. The evidence, in this “argument,” will come from the work you’ve done for the class, meetings with me, class discussions, etc. Be sure your discussion:
· makes clear claims about meeting each course goal in relation to how well you met the mutual expectations;
· supports each claim with specific evidence;
· makes clear connections between the core concepts and assignments you’ve done, and explains those connections fully;
· demonstrates an understanding of several course concepts (referring to our vocabulary list might be helpful here);
· demonstrates reflective writing and thinking;
· meets conventions of academic writing; and
· uses and follows MLA rules, as appropriate.
This piece can be written in any genre and use any rhetorical devices (dialogue, no dialogue, images, etc.) you’d like as long as the above aspects are clear and thoughtfully presented. It might be helpful to go back and review the pre-flection activity we did in the first week of the course.
You will upload the completed chart on the next page, your reflective piece, your final alternate genre argument, and the argument analysis worksheet (if applicable) to Canvas by the due date on the schedule. I cannot accept this late.
W270 Core Concepts:
By the end of W270, students will understand the following concepts and relationships among them:
1. Rhetorical situation – critical reading, writing process, audience/author/purpose, exigence, conventions of genre and style
2. Information Literacy – Information gathering (find, read, evaluate) for use in a rhetorical situation
3. Technologies – Tools for creating documents appropriate to the rhetorical situation
4. Collaboration – Engagement with others to move communication forward in rhetorical situations
5. Self-Reflection – Self-evaluation and self-definition to participate in and imagine future rhetorical situations
W270 Broader Goals:
1. Understand what it means to be able to write in a rhetorical situation
2. Be able to write in a manner consistent with the rhetorical situation
3. Identify yourself as a writer in a rhetorical situation
Final Reflection for Second-level Courses
Concepts
Goals
Outcomes
Broad Goals
Specific Objectives
(Intended results)
What I learned about this concept through ongoing assignments and process activities
What I learned about this concept by completing major projects
Rhetorical
Situation
critical reading, writing process, audience/author/purpose, exigence, conventions of genre and style
Understand what it means to talk, read, and write in a rhetorical situation
· Understand that purpose, audience, and genre are contextually dependent
· Understand what makes content, format, medium, and style appropriate
· Understand rhetoric, rhetorical situation, and related terms
Information Literacy Information gathering (find, read, evaluate) for use in a rhetorical situation
Be able to write in a manner consistent with the rhetorical situation
· Be able to create information as a process
· Be able to use information for its value
· Be able to conduct strategic searches for information
Technologies
Tools for creating documents appropriate to the rhetorical situation
· Be able to use writing as a technology to create and communicate messages
Collaboration
Engagement with others to move communication forward in rhetorical situations
Identify yourself as a writer in a rhetorical situation
· Identify as a successful collaborator
· Identify as an adaptive collaborator
Self-reflection
Self-evaluation and self-definition to participate in and imagine future rhetorical situations
· Identify as an improving writer, who self-assesses and self-evaluates
