Post-Course Reflection
Today I finished uploading all my work from this course into my digital portfolio and it
really made me realize just how much I’ve accomplished and how far I have come during the
semester. I also just reread my pre-course reflection, which has shown me how many new skills I
have practiced and perfected during this class. From the beginning of the semester, I was excited
to spend time writing and learning new techniques and skills to help me in my future years. I
remember the first thing that I was shown which was unfamiliar to me at the time was the very
formatting style we would be using all semester-APA style. In the past, I had only practiced MLA
and Chicago style. MLA style was taught to me back in middle school in my English classes and
was continued on through high school and early college. Chicago style was taught to me by a
history professor I had in high school and I used it a few times for history and miscellaneous
classes where the formatting style was optional. I had heard of APA but had never actually
applied it to my classwork before. While rereading my post project 1 reflection, I noticed I had
touched on this topic as well, “D uring this project composition I had to teach and familiarize
myself with the APA formatting style and learn how to properly cite in text and design a citation
page. I actually found this format to be the easiest of all the ones I have used because the in text
citation consists only of the author's last name and the date their work was published: “(Smith,
2015).” In my opinion, this is far simpler than MLA(my previous favorite) because in MLA, you
need the author's last name and then the page number which you are quoting. For many online
articles however, it can be difficult to find a page number or one may not exist at all. This can get
confusing. I thought learning how to use APA style was very informative and can definitely help
me if I ever need this knowledge in the future.” This primary reflection shares my initial
thoughts on this new formatting style after having used it for the first time. Now, after having
used it throughout the course of this semester, I can truly say I found it to be a very beneficial
and helpful formatting style. It is concise, user friendly, and simple in design. I believe it is one
which I will continue to use in the future.
In my pre-course reflection, I also spoke about some of the WPA Outcomes and Habits of
Mind that I felt I needed work in. For example, I spoke about the rhetorical knowledge outcome
and felt I could use some practice in this area. More specifically, I wanted to learn how to
compose in different genres. I wrote, “I definitely need to learn how to compose in different
genres and understanding how each impacts my audience. I have not written in too many
genres; mostly only research based or persuasive writings for school. I have taken a few creative
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writing courses however, where I learned about composing poetry and created my own pieces
through many different forms of the subject. However, I’d like to learn a bit more about some of
the newer technologies that I can use to capture and expand my audience.” I am pleased to be
able to look back from where I am now, to where I was at the start of this course and know that I
have accomplished this. I chose to write project 2 in the form of a newspaper article addressed to
my fellow ASU online peers. This was the first time I had written a persuasive piece and been
able to have the creative liberty to create any platform for my work that I would like. I chose this
format for a variety of reasons and found myself drawing on a variety of habits of mind in the
process. I had to be creative right off the bat, and really make sure I found an impactful way to
present my writing based on what it contained. Since my project 2 proposed solution ideas for
my fellow peers on how to maintain a healthy physical body, I chose a letter format and began
with: “To My Fellow Peers”. This made me feel more intimate with each reader, and hopefully
my audience also feels that intimacy as well. For the first time in formal writing, I was able to
take a more laid back approach based on my audience and had fun writing in this way. I was able
to openly and literally relate to my reader: “First of all, I understand where you’re at right now. I
get how overwhelming and exhausting the college workload can be and understand how it can
consume all of your time.” Apart from this writing style being more intimate, it also meant this
could be seen in a school newspaper or online student website which would increase my
audience and include more of my peers. It felt more flexible and liberating to write in this way. I
also felt this format technique helped me be more open about writing in general, and helped me
consider new ways of thinking and composing for the future.
Another WPA Outcome which I have improved drastically in is the Processes Outcome.
In my pre-course reflection I spoke about how I believed I needed to focus on the outcome the
most, “I do not like creating multiple drafts when it comes to writing. Logically, I know it makes
sense and that doing so can and will strengthen my work, make me further analyze and develop
my voice, and create a piece in which I am truly proud. However, I have no patience and I
struggle with slowing down and pacing myself. Instead, I love to go into my work full steam and
charge through until it is complete and I have my masterpiece. I will dedicate all my time and
energy into creating perfection off the bat, instead of breaking it down over the course of days
and really focusing on detail.” I can truly say that this course has shown and taught me the
importance of the process over the finished work. I actually really enjoyed
writing/revising/editing my rough draft after discussing issues with my peers and instructor in
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order to make it even better. Drafting in this course taught me that it is more important to break
down the process into steps and take each one at a time rather than rush to the finished result.
Other assignments helped me with this as well; the project 1 freewrite and interview assignment
helped me make note and plan out all of the important points I needed to incorporate in my
rough draft. For project 2, the proposal outline and counterargument assignment acted as
fantastic guides which proposed questions and points which I may have missed had I gone
immediately into my rough draft creation. Also, the annotated bibliography assignment really
made me slow down and think about my sources beforehand, which in turn helped to really
shape the rough draft before it had even been written. In my post-project 2 reflection, I noted
how much this helped me, “I found I was drawing on many WPA Outcomes that I would not
have if I had not done any preliminary work, such as drafting and planning out my work in
advance. I became familiar with the Processes outcome in Project 1, however I found that this
area was really strengthened and drawn upon when I did my project 2 outline and annotated
bibliography. Since project 1 freewrite did not require a bibliography, I had not done much
research before actually beginning my rough draft. With project 2 however, the annotated
bibliography forced me to do extensive research and find good credible sources(some had to be
from other places besides online), so this really helped me develop strategies for reading,
drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising,rewriting, rereading, and editing my work. Planning
out my writing helped me find a good structure and made sure I incorporated all the
requirements such as alternative solutions, counterarguments, examples, etc.” As I was adding
this invention work into my portfolio, I was surprised at just how much I had done before
actually writing my papers. I think this is the most preliminary work I have ever done before a
final piece and looking at all of it leading up to the final draft make me proud. All in all, this
course has proven to me how important the process is, and I will be sure to use my new skills for
future works.
Another outcome I became more familiar with was the knowledge of conventions
outcome. I wrote in my post-project 2 reflection that, “I learned common formats and/or design
features for different kinds of texts. This occurred when my professor educated me on the
formatting technique to use for beginning your paper with a quote, which I had tried to do but
without proper formatting. Revising this by putting it above my work before my own words had
even started and italicizing it help to bring it to life and make it stand out as an attention grabber
from the start. Before this paper, I had never began my work with a quote and was always
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unsure of how to properly do so because I had seen so many variations, but the feedback helped
give me a clear understanding and now I feel comfortable with this if I ever choose to do it again
in the future.” This example from my project 2 rough versus final draft can be seen below:
Rough Draft:
“To My Fellow Peers,
“Exercise is not an option. Everyone needs to exercise throughout their lives to maintain
healthy strength and stability throughout the body. As a young adult it is extremely important to
maintain physical health to prepare your body for the years ahead.” Emily Peterson, Physical
Therapist at Hackensack Meridian Health Wellness Center.
Physical health is vital and need….”
Final Draft:
“Exercise is not an option. Everyone needs to exercise throughout their lives to
maintain healthy strength and stability throughout the body. As a young adult it is
extremely important to maintain physical health to prepare your body for the years
ahead.”
---Emily Peterson, Physical Therapist at Hackensack Meridian Health Wellness
Center.
To My Fellow Peers,
Physical health is vital and need….”
Reformatting this made the quote stand out much more, and separated my words from my
sources words. I am very pleased with the result.
An example of my transfer or knowledge and skills from this class can be seen in my
resume. I have recently moved and therefore am on the hunt for a job. I have been set on the
idea of working for the national park service since now I am in a very beautiful and scenic area
which holds many national parks and reserves. I have created a resume to give to possible future
employers and noticed I was using some of the skills I have learned in this class to create it. For
instance, I was able to adequately describe my strengths and weaknesses in an unbiased way. I
have always had issues with this because I found it difficult to look at myself from an outside
perspective. However, this course had taught me new ways of thinking and viewing myself and
my skills. I found that peer and instructor feedback really opened my eyes to new ways of seeing
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my work and also showed me how to analyze myself in a constructive way. Also, the reflection
assignments have really helped me take a step back and understand where in my writing I
excelled and where I may need more work. They have taught me the importance of reflection,
and that without it growth is limited. I am so glad I have learned these skills and they have been
transferred into a beneficial tool that will surely help me in my job search.
Another way in which I have applied skills into my life, which I wrote about in my
post-project 2 reflection as well, are through my letter writing. Since moving, I have had less
contact with my friends, and anytime we text or call it seems rushed or inconvenient because we
are no longer able to know exactly what our schedules are like anymore. Recently, I have begun
writing letters like I used to in middle school. I have reconnected with an old friend whom I
hadn’t spoken to in 7 years. This happened when I was packing to move and found a box of letter
we used to send to each other in 4th grade. I was in tears reading them and decided to reach out
and get back in touch with her. Since then, We have written a few letters and I find myself being
more creative than I have been in years. I actually go to the store and get pictures printed out
just so I can attach them in my letter and I found my old watercolor paints which I use to paint
little images of the sunset I now see everyday from my sunroom window. I find myself using
creativity skills I haven’t been in touch with in so long and it feels so good! Also, I find myself
very curious and intrigued by what has happen in the years I haven’t spoken to my old friend.
This curiosity I learned in class to find unique sources and reach outside the box for solution
proposals can also be seen in the questions and story-starters I share with my friend. I have
learned so much and will continue to incorporate it into my daily life!
Reflecting on my work was never emphasized in many of my previous classes as much as
it has been in this course. Not only have these reflection assignments made me realize many
things about my writing style and what needs improvement, but they have strengthened my
metacognition. In my pre-course reflection, before beginning any coursework yet, I had never
heard of this term. I wrote that I was unfamiliar with the term and that I tried to be aware of
myself. However, even then I had no idea what I was talking about. It is not until now, after
reflecting on all of my work throughout this semester, that I, understand this habit of mind.
These reflection assignments have forced me to really look at my work, what I worked hard on
and what I may have given less effort on, and explain and analyze that. It is through these
reflections that I have learned how to take responsibility for my work, acknowledge my strengths
and weaknesses, prove my case, gain a new perspective, and ultimately grow as a writer. These
reflections, coupled with my instructor and peer feedback, have really made me develop my
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voice and writing skills. I can clearly see this in the drastic differences between my outlines,
rough and final drafts. I can also see it in the way my reflections have changed to become more
self-aware, capable, and responsible. I also feel I have gained new skills after designing my
portfolio. When I first created it, I was not really sure how to go about designing it to reflect me
and my work. Now, however, I feel so much more capable and sure of myself as a writer that I
am excited and proud to show off all my hard work and the steps I took to get to my final project
pieces.
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