Reflection

Technical writing is not something easily mastered. It requires patience and practice. It doesnt come easily to someone who loves creative writing, like me. However, that doesnt mean I didnt learn anything. The transition to technical meant adaptation. It was something I dreaded, but Ive come to see that there are threads linking more effortless creative expression to well thought out and concise pieces. I discovered that each piece allowed for variable levels of personal input. Some, like the argument, required a somewhat reserved approach. Others, like the commentary, provided opportunity to insert personal touches. Each paper required forethought in that I had to judge the genre I was required to write in and which rhetorical properties were essential, which were augmentative, and which were superfluous. A topic was chosen within our group in order to bring cohesion and theme to our papers. Although many ideas were proposed, a strong consensus emerged from early on dictating that health care would be our topic. At first I was worried it might be a somewhat confining subject. But as we bounced ideas for sub-topics off each other I realized the possibilities. We had people cover everything from prescription advertising to cost demographics. All in all, I feel we explored some commonly overlooked issues very well and were able to address our target audience. Peer reviewing was an important aspect of writing our papers. Although I enjoyed working with my group, I found that their comments and suggestions were somewhat

mediocre. In all honesty, I relied on outside sources for the majority of my revisions. I believe that peer review can be infinitely valuable as long as fellow students are concerned as well as competent. These two factors meant that the peer reviews I received were not of the highest quality. Im assuming that most of my fellow students didnt have the time nor drive to give detailed feedback. In some cases they had such a limited knowledge of grammar and basic writing techniques that they couldnt help. In short, I cant recall a single peer review that significantly aided my writing process. While this is somewhat disappointing, it forced me to look to other resources within the college, which I feel was extremely valuable. I believe that the most useful peer review comments I offered where the corrections I made in others grammar errors. Understand that I have an extensive background in writing. I took many AP and college level courses in high school. Im also a passionate reader. Ive found these two elements to be extremely beneficial in my writing abilities. Ill never preach perfection, but I do have an eye for catching grammar errors; Im somewhat of a stickler for proper grammar. Otherwise, I suggested improvements to paragraph structure, organization, and design. I came to recognize that my greatest strength as a peer reviewer was my thoroughness. Upon this realization I decided to become more precise with editing and reviewing my own papers. I think it also lent me some talent in clarity via seeing the understandably jumbled state of rough drafts and coming to understand how to avoid common complications.

I decided to include my commentary and argument in my final portfolio. The choice came down to the simple fact that I enjoyed writing these papers most. I thought they turned out decent, but more importantly I felt they personified my passion and, ultimately, my skill. If you take a look, youll probably find that my commentary reads easier. The two pieces are a contrast to one another. The argument was the first essay I wrote for this English class, whereas the commentary was the last. I like how they provide a glimpse at a very obvious improvement in my technique. The majority of revisions I made in the two pieces came down to flow and organization. I restructured sentences, switched out words, and cut out or added pieces. In most instances I was endeavoring to improve clarity. A very obvious example of my revisions are the images I added to my argument. The pictures I had inserted before were somewhat abstract to the point of the paper. Now youll find that they complement and enhance the argument. In retrospect, I see my strengths being experience and the application of that experience in adaptive manners. Ive written many essays and pieces. Each has required a different approach. Ive found that Im able to take the knowledge Ive gained from my former projects and apply it to what I worked on in this class. However, drawing from my database wasnt enough. I had to adapt techniques to fit the requirements of my argument, for example. I found that I could comply with the expectations quite easily

and develop a piece that drew from my experience and tackled the issues of writing in a genre I had never explored before. If I were to do this again I would certainly take more time revising my papers. I was always too eager to complete and submit what I had written. This compulsion lead to a lot of discrepancies left unattended to. As I said earlier, I believe I have learned the importance of careful personal review before finalization. All in all, our group covered health care expertly, in my opinion. The variety of topics covered as well as the different perspectives contributed by the members helped us reach our target audience in a diverse manner. We were very proactive in alerting each other of current events and were able to work together to develop a deep understanding of the context surrounding our issue. Our open and inquisitive attitude allowed for constructive discussions and progress. We used our array of skills to compile a formidable community writing project that brings in perspectives from an assortment of ordinary citizens. All in all, I found the process to be incredibly enlightening. Perhaps the peer review did not turn out quite as well as one would hope, but the lessons I learned and the information I was exposed to is invaluable. That is what I will take away from English 2010.