Reflection on Open Letter Draft

This blog post will reflect on the peer review of my final project draft.

Evan Amos "reading-glasses" Via Wikimedia Public Domain

I reviewed Annelise Dutcher and Michael McMillin's drafts.

My peer review has already helped me gain a better understanding of how I need to change my draft in order for it to fit into the guidelines of the project as a whole, and how in ways it was not addressing the prompt as it should.

• Did I demonstrate an ability to think about my writing and myself as a writer?: Yes, but I need to go further into depth and cover the specifics about myself where I am too vague otherwise.
• Did I provide concrete examples from my own writing assignments or concepts I have learned? Yes, but I need to add more.
• Did I provide analysis of my experiences?: To a degree I did, but I will need to analyze more as I add to the draft.
• Did I provide concrete examples?: Yes, I \will also add more of these as I add to the draft though and hyperlink other examples.
• Did I explain why I made certain choices: No I will attempt to do that to a degree in my final draft.

Draft of Open Letter

This is the first draft of my open letter.

Reneman "Icon 'Draft'" Via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

This is shorter by and less specific than I intend for my final product to be.  I intend to go further into depth about nearly all  aspects of the letter, but defeinitely feel free to point out things that I'm missing, better safe than sorry!  There are quite a few subjects that I might want to touch upon by my final draft but I don't yet know how to address them.

Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XMULyP2-dKyR-TbNi8fHUQlKoE86LvKmDVQB3FwE8i0/edit?usp=sharing

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

This post will break down more specifically the ways that my writing experience has changed over the semester.

someone35 "lake reflection" via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

1. My biggest challenge this semester was getting myself to rewrite large portions of my project that I found unsatisfactory.  When the project needs to be a certain length, it is difficult to sacrifice some content in order to improve quality, but it is necessary.

2. I still am not perfect when it comes to procrastination, but I have found that I have gotten better at identifying realistic time frames so that I do not fall seriously behind on my work.  My writing and editing skills improved greatly because of my increased ability to break down what I want to accomplish and the steps to accomplishing it.

3. The concept of genre has been cemented in my head over the last semester.  Essentially, the various conventions that make up a genre are important to create an effective piece of work within that genre, which has helped me throughout this course to become a better writer.

4. I think that my most important developed skill is the ability to break down things like audience and purpose in a more effective manner before writing my piece.

5.  My most effective moment was when I got to apply the things I learned on project 3, which I feel was a good culmination of the skills taught over the semester.  I was relatively happy with the way the project turned out.

6.  My least effective moment was during the first project where I did not fully understand what was expected for each project and the course, which resulted in a bumpy start for me.

Revisiting my Writing Process

This post will reflect on how my writing process has changed and how it has stayed the same over this semester.

Antonio Litterio "Writing With a Pen" Via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

To be entirely honest, this semester has not changed most of my habits as a writer, for better or worse. However, this class has placed me in many situations that I was not used to writing in, and a degree of freedom that allowed me to reflect on how I should approach a certain project. 

For example, although many times I did procrastinate on deadlines, I learned the importance of prioritizing my work.

My writing style has seen a significant change, as at the beginning of the semester when I called it "hectic" and "unorganized".  Having to break down and analyze the ways that I wanted to structure and what I wanted to accomplish in my project has taught me a lot in how to plan ahead and be more organized in general. 

So while I am not always getting my work done early, I have changed a lot in my process of writing and the way that I view the writing process.

Reflection on Project 3

This post will go over some of the things that I did in between drafts of project 3.

The Central Intelligence Agency "hand mirror" Via WIkimedia Public Domain

1. The most important thing that I had to revise was the formatting of the draft to fit into the genre I was writing for.  I had to add hyperlinks and find places where I could create smaller paragraphs to better fit the genre.  I also added a banner at the top with the title because that is how it looks on the website.

2.  I changed my thesis a little to make it more clear that I would be refuting a certain point of view.  Also I changed my organization to make shorter paragraphs in general.

3. I made these changes because after reading through the article I realized that it is not particularly clear that it is a refutation, so I wanted the earlier paragraphs to reflect that better.

4. I think that the only way that they affect my credibility is the fact that it is more on topic, so it is more effective.  Aside from that it does not much affect credibility.

5. These better address the audience because it is better at addressing the specific topic, and will be better at addressing potential questions about the issue.

6.  I changed structure to generally be shorter when possible, and I tried to cut down on jargon as much as possible and keep it relatively informal.

7. The changes will assist my audience in understanding my purpose because especially the first two paragraphs have been changed extensively to make them seem more specific and relevant to my argument.

8. I did go through a few iterations of my draft and how it reflects the genre.  I initially thought that I was going to model it after articles on gizmodo, but I changed it to a less image based tech blog after giving the nature of the topic some thought.

9. I do think that this project has helped me to establish my identity as a writer because I have been able to state my opinion in a way that I have essentially complete control over.

Publishing Public Argument

This is my final draft of my public argument.

llyushka "Done" Via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 

Link to project 3: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vus_I_dz9ASSpkF4LsPkPEPGx_4NnYTzepLae4Bh2uk/edit?usp=sharing

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------|----------x----------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←--------------------------------x--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         _______ My public argument etablishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument prooposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         ____x___ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:  

Because essentially all of the current opinions on the issue are in the form of open letters and statements to the media, there has been little to no back and forth argumentation.  I think that I bridge that gap by directly addressing and refuting a point of view that has not yet been directly addressed in this context. 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed  in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

                    ___x__ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

                    ___x__ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

                    _____ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

                    ___x__ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

                    _____ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

                    _____ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

                    ___x__ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

                    ___x__ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

                    _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

                    ___x__ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

                    ___x__ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

                    _____ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

                    _____ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

                    _____ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ___x__ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ___x_ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

                    _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    _____ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    ___x__ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

                    ___x__ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

                    ___x__ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

                    _____ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

                    ____x_ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

                    _____ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

                    _____ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:  

https://gigaom.com/2015/10/23/how-hybrid-will-reshape-the-entire-cloud-market/

http://gigaom.com/2015/11/02/snapchats-effort-to-make-its-policies-more-readable-backfires/

http://gigaom.com/2015/10/12/the-dell-emc-deal-is-huge-but-wheres-it-headed/

Reflection On Project 3 Draft

Here is where I will reflect on the review of my first draft of project 3.

 Shminkelspiegel, Alter"Makeup Mirror" Via WIkimedia CC BY 3.0

Link to my peer review:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Pq4xM6JO3dZaBPvflVHdfb0d-
moHq0JaRSfyWhmupQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RuAEvSAn4R1qWbby8VEtfa-MrXVZGd5uQBCJlTfymv4/edit?usp=sharing

1. I have not received any information that indicates that my draft has been reviewed, so I have to wait for this before I can comment on this.

2.""

3. I think that I need to give my genre and tone a lot of thought still, and with my edited versions I will understand better how I can make my subject fit into the genre while still coming across as genuine and serious.  Because I am making a tech blog article it needs to match the conventions but stay serious and somewhat academic.

4. I am confident about my project because I am confident about the message that it presents and my points.  The part that I will have to pay extra attention to is making sure that it matches the genre effectively while maintaining the tone well.  I am less confident about this but I think that as long as I model it well after examples I can find on the internet I will be fine in this respect.