ENGLISH 2010:
During the course of English 2010 we explored many different writing genres while using the same subject matter. We used the same subject matter so it would be easier to establish the differences between the different genres. Also during the course we did research, a group Wiki collaboration, and a small group collaboration for a PSA. I chose to share with you the three pieces of work that I am most proud of during this course which are the papers written in the different genres. Below are the links to each piece of work. I hope you enjoy them!
MEMOIR
http://theblendedmixedfamily.blogspot.com/
[My memoir is a multimodal piece which I made in the form of a blog. After my first piece I added to the blog with another entry. The first entry is titled: As the Saying Goes...No One Said It Would Be Easy which is the piece that I submitted for this assignment. Feel free to look at both pieces if you would like though.]
Reflection:
Each of these papers surround a specific subject as I described above in the course description. The subject I chose was interracial relationships/marriages because I have experience with the struggles that interracial couples face. The main reason I chose this as my subject is because I feel that there is a need for change from both sides of the argument when it comes to the subject of interracial relationships meaning there is a need for change regarding the people who are against the interracial relationships and also for the people who are in the interracial relationships as well.
My Memoir, Evaluation, and Position papers were all showcasing my argument for interracial relationships and chances for change regarding them. Each paper is special to me because they encompass something that means the world to me, my marriage. I learned and grew as an individual more with each paper which is probably why I am most proud of them and why I wanted to showcase them, more than anything, on my portfolio. I also felt most challenged while writing these pieces so I ended up working the hardest on these papers than on any other assignments within this course which is another reason I am showcasing them.
I did extensive research on the subject of interracial relationships/marriages to find out information on statistics, on opinions, and on facts which relate to interracial relationships. As I have said before, I have experience with the struggles in which interracial relationships face but as with any subject it never hurts to research to get credible evidence and information to back up your argument. Also, I revised each paper throughout the writing process at least twice before submitting them. In the end I feel that I received wonderful feedback from my peers and my professor regarding each piece because of my revisits, which is an important step in writing.
In English 2010 we also did two group collaborations which were a group wiki page and a group PSA. I had thought about showcasing each of them but honestly I was am not as proud of them as I am with my genre papers. I felt that I contributed a great deal to my group wiki page and also to my group PSA but they both ended up not being as good as I had hoped for. Specifically with my group PSA, the end product was not exactly what I had envisioned. Each of my group members had agreed to do specific work within the assignment. I was the group organizer and also collected data and ideas for the final piece. In the end another group member was assigned to select the final info and plugged it into the PSA (flyer). The final piece was not quite what I expected or hoped for but it was what we could all agree on before submitting. I have worked on group collaborations in previous courses but this was definitely one of the most challenging out of all of the collaborations I have done in my education experience thus far. The ladies that I worked with were very pleasant to work with, but like I said before, the end product just didn't end up how I envisioned because I had to compromise for the sake of my other group members. In the end I am proud of our PSA and the work my group accomplished together just not as proud as I am of my genre pieces. Collaborations are always a growing experience so I am glad we were able to do a few of them in this course.
All of the assignments during this course have challenged me to think, revisit, revise, and also work with others. I have definitely grown as a writer. Giving and receiving feedback to and from others was one of the things that made me learn and grow the most within this course, but the ultimate growing experience came when I was working on my Position genre piece. I was challenged as to how to approach my subject in a matter that would fit to the genre and in the end it helped me grow not only as a writer but as an individual. While I was writing my Position paper, not only did I come up with a great paper, but I came up with a solution for my real life situation as well. I was never a great writer in grade school and to be honest, English was one of my least favorite subjects. Now after taking the English courses at SLCC, I love English and I hope you can see my new love for writing in these papers above and throughout my portfolio.
