Reflection on Open Letter Draft

In this blog post, I will reflect on what my peers commented and suggested regarding my course final draft by following the bullets points listed in Student's Guide on page 78-79. I will also be explaining what I have learned from the peer review process and about my own draft by answering the list of questions posed on pages 253-6.

I peer reviewed Sam's and Bre's drafts of their course finals. I included comments on their drafts regarding content, grammar, phrasing and more. Overall, their drafts were very well written and they seem to have a good grasp on this assignment!

John Watson. "Eraser Worship." 21 September 2009 via Flickr.
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"Revision" Questions:

1. Did you demonstrate an ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer?

Yes, I was able to think about my overall writing skills as I revised and wrote my first draft. I was able to think and reflect upon what kind of writer I am and have become, as I started this semester a "heavy reviser." During the revision process, I recognized some mistakes that I always tend to make while writing, including the excessive use of commas, extra words and a few run-on sentences. None of these things came as a shock to me, because I seem to revise these certain things a lot.

2. Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned?

I was able to evaluate and reflect upon this semester and this specific course. I was able to add and further develop my ideas and thoughts regarding what I have learned, including how to manage my time and homework, how to plan and pre-write and how to appropriately approach and use a new genre. I also got to reflect upon what I learned within each specific project and what sorts of work was included in those assignments.

3. Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing (either quotes from your writing or rich descriptions of your writing process?)

Yes, I actually included both within my letter. I wanted to make sure that I had a few quotes from past blog posts and also paraphrase certain assignments and personal thoughts that could be useful with the purpose of this letter.

4. Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?

Yes, I did. I was able to identify the choices that I have made and the progress that I have made, regarding my writing and time management skills. I was also able to identify the reasons why these choices were effective. For example, I realized over the course of this semester that I cannot leave work to be done the day it is due. This is because I get too stressed and overwhelmed, and I end up turning in a project or assignment that I am not proud or happy about.

--Jenny Bello

Draft of Open Letter

In this blog post, I will include a link to my first draft of my letter to my professor and fellow classmates. The letter serves as a reflection to what I have learned over the course of this semester, while also looking forward to what I hope to continue to improve upon in my upcoming classes.

This is a rough draft. I hope to improve upon this greatly, in terms of content, hyperlinks, vocabulary and more, so please, give me some grace. However, I hope that my general ideas and thoughts are clear. Let me know what you all think!

Denise Womack-Avila. "Would you mind getting the mail?" 07/16/2009 via Flickr.
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--Jenny Bello

To Professor Bottai: I peer reviewed Sam's and Bre's final projects.

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In this blog post, I will be answering questions that allow me to reflect on this course and this semester as a student. I will be keeping my previous assignments and blog posts in mind as I write this blog post.

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?

I think the biggest challenge for me was setting aside enough time each day to complete what I needed to, whether it was homework or club related. Also, I think I also set unrealistic expectations for myself for the things that I needed to get done in one day. Next semester, I am sure that I will know my capabilities in regards to homework and other things, and I will set realistic to-do lists.

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?

I learned that the best time management strategy for me is to chip a little away at an assignment everyday, instead of saving it for the weekend. (Unfortunately, I have had to learn this the hard way, multiple times.) I also learned that my writing process is more successful with some form of pre-writing. I identified my writing process style as "heavy reviser," but I hope that I keep some of the pre-writing strategies that I have learned and practiced in this course.

3. What do you know about the concept of "genre?" Explain how understanding the concept is central to being a more effective writer.

In this class, I got to explore a lot of genres and learn about the conventions of each one. I really appreciate how we did this, and how I got to write and examine a specific article in several different genres, because it definitely improved my writing skills. On top of content, genres also consider formatting, style and tone of voice. Understanding this concept opens many doors to a writer, because they can appeal to a specific audience and topic more appropriately, within a genre.

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?

As I said earlier in this blog post, I am thankful that I have learned and practiced the art of pre-writing. In my blog post titled "Revisiting My Writing Process," I said, "I definitely have some more work to do with the first stages of writing, which I will have plenty of time to practice and try out in my papers to come," (Bello).

MorBCN. "Reflections." 12/19/2006 via Flickr.
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5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H?

I think my "most effective moment" was learning and actually writing in so many different platforms and genres. I feel accustomed to several genres, which will come in handy in the years to come, especially in college. I now can identify different conventions, audiences, tones of voices and formatting choices for at least three different genres.

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H?

My least effective moment was struggling with time management in the beginning of the semester. I would save or put off my homework from this class until Friday or Saturday, which is the least effective thing I could have done. I definitely learned my lesson, after several breakdowns and late nights.

--Jenny Bello