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Joshua Watkins
Marcum
UWRT 1101
March 22 2016

Midterm Reflection
Part One

Ive practiced these concepts in my previous high school literature classes. Such as 9th and 10th
grade english, AP literature, and AP english. As opposed to my AP classes, in 9th and 10th grade
these concepts were heavily focused on. Through various writing assignments, like research
papers and essays on assigned books. Furthermore, we were probably expected to be familiar
with the composing process in the AP courses. So, they were really never touched. I think these
concepts would be very important for a student to plan out how they would write an essay. This
would be the things like creating outlines for their intro, body, and conclusion paragraphs. While
also making word webs, three body diagrams, and templates. These diagrams would help to plan
out what information would go into which paragraph. Furthermore, once a draft has been made,
the student can go through several different drafts before writing their final paper. Such as,
revising grammar and spelling, sentence flow and structure, transitions, and main idea. Not to
mention, having a peer review their paper to catch any additional errors. More than catching
grammar errors, a peer can see whether or not each paragraph has a focus. As well as if, overall,

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the author is using each paragraph to properly convey his/her message. Furthermore, the different
brainstorming diagrams, draft revisions, and peer review are all examples of composing
processes. Each student goes through some or all of these processes, making each of them
essential to the quality of his/her writing piece.

Part two

Ive mainly used this SLO in high school history and english classes. Such as, AP Euro, Gov,
Lit., and English. Along with 9th and 10th grade english classes. This SLO was especially
important in my AP history classes. We were constantly asked to assess, and interpret primary
and secondary sources. While relating them to the material we were covering in class.
Furthermore, this consisted of interpreting the message the source was relaying, and how it
related to the time period it was created in. These sources mainly consisted of political cartoons,
newspaper articles, journals, poems, paintings, and photographs. While in my english courses, I
was asked to interpret quotes, poems, and texts. As opposed to history courses, I was asked to
find out what the author was trying to say. Rather than relating their message to historic events or
things along that line. This SLO is significant, because by using it students are able to further
interpret and dissect their reading material. Which will helps them further comprehend what the
author is trying to say. This makes them better readers and writers, as they can become more
critical of their own work and others. Theyre able to see in their own work if theyre clearly
actually making the point they want. And if the audience can comprehend the point they're trying
to make. Furthermore, they'll be able to better understand much more difficult underlying

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themes, and understand them at a higher level. Which can help students make better connections,
as well as improving their thought process.

Part three

Critical Reflection

The Response to Murray Article corresponds to this SLO. This assignment helped me practice
the fourth bullet (Understand that reflection is a necessary part of learning, thinking and
communicating). In this assignment, we were asked to reflect on how we relate to Murrays ideas
on the revision process. After reading the article, this assignment helped me reflect on the, at the
time, newfound ideas I had read. I was also able to read how others interpreted his ideas, and any
lingering thoughts they had on it. By reading others interpretations, that helped strengthen my
own understanding. Furthermore, without this assignment, I probably never would've tried to
reflect on the article. By reflecting on the article and actually thinking about it in depth about
how I felt towards it, I was able to actually understand his concepts at a higher level. This helped
me learn that even if you understand a concept or idea at first, you should always think deeper
about it. In order to try to comprehend it at a higher level.

Critical Reading

The peer revisions during the five essays project corresponds to this SLO. This process helped
me practice the second bullet (Read their own work and the work of others critically, including

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analyzing diverse texts and articulating the value of various rhetorical choices of writers). By
reading my group mates essays, I took note of their writing patterns, concerning grammar,
sentence structure and flow, and main idea focus. I took what I noted from their writing, and
implemented in my own papers. For example, how my group mate, Jim, ordered his paragraphs
in a way where they support his overall message. Furthermore, I also tracked how well they
conveyed their message to the audience, and whether or not they went of track, in other words,
their focus. Additionally, reading essentially 20 essays was very beneficial to me, because it gave
me a lot of material to draw from. Furthermore, from doing these peer revisions, I learned that
looking at someone else's writing style and applying it to your own can greatly (vastly) improve
your writing as a whole.

Rhetorical Knowledge

The Literacy Project corresponds to this SLO. This project allowed me to practice the third
bullet, (Develop the flexibility that enables writers to shift voice, tone, formality, design,
medium, and layout intentionally to accommodate varying situations and contexts). I had to
change my writing style to fit the different mood of each of the five essays. For example, in the
Worst Writing Experience prompt, the mood was depressing. In short, I had to rewrite a three
page essay which I had worked especially hard on. So, in the essay, I had to start off with an
uplifting tone to represent my work ethic, then a saddening tone to reflect that I would have to
rewrite my essay. Lastly, a comical tone to show some irony. On the other had, in my Favorite
Writing Experience prompt, there was a joyous mood. In short, in this essay, I had received a
high grade on an essay I put a lot of effort into. In this essay, the tone was generally untroubling
throughout the whole piece. Furthermore, I had to adapt to the different circumstances of each

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essay. Sometimes having to change my voice or tone to fit the context of the essay. While
working on this project, I learned that

Composing Processes

The article, Murray Internal Revision, corresponds to this SLO. This article helped me practice
the first bullet point (Develop flexible strategies for drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising,
rewriting, rereading, and editing). In the article, Murray speaks about the revision process, and
the several stages of it. Prewriting, Internal Revision, External Revision, and Final Draft.
Furthermore, by reading this article I was able to discover that when writing an essay, my first
draft didn't have to be perfect. In actuality, most drafts never are. Many other writers, including
professionals, had a very sloppy and poor first draft. It was through Internal revision that the
draft became significantly better. Which is continuously revising ones paper, such as, whether or
not the writer's message is properly address or being conveyed, sentence structure and flow, and
paragraph main idea. I hadnt really done it all that much, in high school it was mainly the first
draft I turned in with a few changes made to spelling and grammar. Furthermore, by
experiencing this concept, I was able to learn these strategies for revising ones paper. Which was
to continuously revise and edit ones paper through whether or not the main points were being
addressed, and if the authors message was clear. As well as, splitting revision process into
revising main points of paper, and polishing paper with fixing grammar and spelling mistakes.
This was Internal Revision and External Revision. Furthermore, I learned that a writing
assignment didnt need to be turned in with the first draft.

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Knowledge of Conventions

The multi-modal remix project corresponds to this SLO. Specifically, it corresponds to the first
bullet, (Gain experience negotiating variations in conventions by genre, from print-based
compositions to multi-modal compositions). In this project, we were asked to remix our printbased essays into electronically multimodal-based. In the print-based form, we didnt have to
worry about citation or plagiarism. Due to the fact that we were the sources. While in multimodal
form, pictures from outside sources were used, such as google, imgur, or flickr. When using
pictures from outside sources, we needed to follow a citation method, MLA, APA, or
Chicago/Turabian style. Furthermore, depending on the type of print-based essay, citation can
differ from a multi-modal based project. With writing mechanics and spelling mainly staying the
same. This point applying to this project. While working on this project, I learned a new citation
style, APA. Which I implemented into my remix project. I used this to cite any images, videos, or
quotes I had used.

Part Four

Voice and Vitality - Rhetorical Knowledge

The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie - Critical Reading
Disliking Books by Gerald Graff - Critical Reading
Scholarship Boy by Richard Rodriguez - Critical Reading
Mother Tongue by Amy Tan - Critical Reading
Swales Article - Composing Processes

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Showing Versus Telling - Knowledge Of Conventions