Project Reflectio​n

Below  you  will  find  several  questions  that  prompt  you  to  reflect on the writing process you used to complete the most recent major project. As you reply to the 
prompts  you  should  relate  your  responses  to  at  least  one  WPA  outcome  area  (see  below)  and  at  least  one  of  the  “Habits  of  Mind”  necessary  for  success  in 
college and life (see below). Support your responses with evidence from your work and writing process (i.e. examples, explanations). 
 
Question 1:​ Given the WPA Outcomes above, ​what were your personal accomplishments when researching and composing the most recent writing project? (~75 
words) 
I would say I accomplished the use of different processes. I had to research and make sure that I didn’t take a side with the first part of the project. I liked the 
outline because it allowed me to compare and contrast my sources as I went. I really accomplished talking about how the different sources featured different 
material than the previous ones. I touched on many things, such as, age, demographics, etc.  
 
 
Question 2:​ ​Which “Habits of Mind” did you practice while developing your project? How so? (~75 words) 
I would say for the first part of the project I really had to have an open mind. It was hard to read sources that didn’t particularly agree with my point of view, 
but I pulled information and key points that I thought would be a great edition to the investigative essay. Secondly, for the investigative essay I had to focus 
on flexibility. I had never really written an essay with this structure so it was very interesting. I just had to be flexible and relate to the student example that 
was given. 
 
 
Question 3:​ Given the WPA Outcomes below, ​what were your greatest struggles while researching and composing the most recent writing project? (~75 words) 
I think I struggled the most with the analyzing and critical thinking. I had to be able to pull information from 5+ sources and be able to organize the 
information and make it cohesive. Having all these different sources and different means of media was difficult. Another thing I used was a video of a primary 
source and it was different to have to pull information from a video instead of text and cite it correctly.  
 
 
Question 4: ​Which of the “Habits of Mind” did you use to confront or overcome your struggles while developing your project? How so? (~75 words) 
I definitely utilized persistence the most throughout the parts of this project. I really had a hard time with the overall structure of the essay, and being able to 
put it all together in one fluent paper. I was able to use student examples and ask classmates for different opinions and what they did with their essay. I just 
had to stick with it and try many different things and then change some and keep some.  
 
 
Question 5: ​Given the “Habits of Mind” above, ​what might you do differently in order to be more successful while working on the next writing project? (~75 
words) 
To be more successful with the next project, I will make sure to get everything done and not to wait until the last minute. It adds a lot of unnecessary stress, 
and can affect how the work comes out. I want to make sure I have time to sit with my work and see if there is anything that I can revise or change that may 
make it one step better than what it was before.   
 
 
 
 
 
COURSE GOALS. ​The general course learning goals are taken from the ​WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition​ and the 
Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing 

HABITS OF MIND. ​Refers to ways of approaching learning that are both intellectual and practical and that will support students' success in a 
variety of fields and disciplines. The Framework identifies eight habits of mind essential for success in college writing. By the end of first year 
composition, students should demonstrate: 
 
● Curiosity - the desire to know more about the world 
● Openness - the willingness to consider new ways of being and thinking in the world 
● Engagement - a sense of investment and involvement in learning 
● Creativity - using novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas 
● Persistence - sustaining interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects 
● Responsibility - taking ownership of one's actions and understand their consequences on self and others 
● Flexibility - adapting to situations, expectations, or demands 
● Metacognition - reflecting on one's own thinking and understanding one’s personal thought process 
 
COURSE GOALS / WPA OUTCOMES: ​The habits above can be fostered through writing, reading, and critical thinking. These experiences aim to 
develop the following practices necessary for student success in college and academic environments: 
● Rhetorical knowledge – the ability to analyze and act on understandings of audiences, purposes, and contexts in creating and 
comprehending texts; 
● Critical thinking – the ability to analyze a situation or text and make thoughtful decisions based on that analysis, through writing, 
reading, and research; 
● Writing processes – multiple strategies to approach and undertake writing and research; 
● Knowledge of conventions – the formal and informal guidelines that define what is considered to be correct and appropriate, or incorrect 
and inappropriate, in a piece of writing; and 
 ● Abilities to compose in multiple environments – from using traditional pen and paper to electronic technologies.