Reflection on Project 3

In this blog post, I will be including answers to the questions posed in Writing Public Lives on page 520. I will be reflecting on my public argument.

"Reflecting on Your Own Revision Process"

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

Between my drafts, I revised mostly the wording of my sentences and the organization of my editorial. From the start, the general ideas that I wanted to include were there, but they were not presented in a very effective way.

2. Point to global changes: how did you reconsider your thesis or organization?

Throughout my writing process, my thesis and purpose of my writing remained the same. However, my organization changed. I started by writing about the issues with the program in a sequence, but my final draft was organized by the groups of people that the standards affected, and how those groups of people were affected.

3. What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?

These changes were not brought on by either of these things, but were simply added in because I wanted to address and recognize all the people that I thought were significant in this particular issue. My purpose might have changed slightly, from "look at all the bad things Common Core has done" to "look at all the people that have been affected by Common Core and what they have to say about it." I hope I achieved this purpose.

4. How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

I think these changes help my writing and my credibility, especially since I am writing in an editorial genre. Since I incorporate more personal accounts of people, my argument is coming off more credible to my audience.

Viola's Visions. "Reflections." 06/01/2014 via Flickr.
Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 2.0 Generic License.

5. How will these changes better address the audience or venue?

Like I said, I think that since this is an editorial, these changes are appropriate. Also, I think that I can better include my audience with these changes, because I now include information and accounts that they can relate to, on different levels.

6. Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentence structures and style?

Over the course of several drafts, I added my own personal voice and style into the editorial, slowly but surely. I included more personal pronouns and opinions, as well as personal statements about the topic itself.

7. How will these changes help assist your audience in understanding your purpose?

These changes will help my audience to understand my purpose better because I provide a clearer picture of the affects of the program at large. My purpose is to present how the Common Core is hurting and not helping our education system, and by giving various accounts of the different groups of people affected by the standards, I am able to accomplish my purpose.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

Over a few drafts, I had to include more and more conventions of the editorial genre, including more hyperlinks to my sources, a more personal style and tone and various formatting changes, such as my profile picture and captions under the photos.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you to reconsider your identity as a writer?

Through the process of reflection, I am able to identify my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I am not only reflecting on my writing process, but how my writing and my ideas have evolved over the course of this paper. I am able to identify the things I need to improve on, such as incorporating my style and tone into my writing in a professional way. I am also able to identify the things that I have already done well. The process of reflection allows me to look back on my writing, but also to the future.

--Jenny Bello