Deadline #14

Deadline #14

Reflection Cover Letter

Reflection Cover Letter

During the course of this English class I've learned a lot, I've never realize how uneducated I was about English. It had been over 7 years since the last time I was enrolled into school. When I first registered for this class I didn't have a clue, and after the first day in class I was intimidated about the load of work required, plus the computer aspect. This class was very challenging, for me. Mr. Adams, you've demanded a lot of hard work, but was also helpful. I believe I have grown, as writer, and a student. Both books (The Bedford Researcher, and Everything an Argument) helped me better understand the different terms, and overall the whole process on how to write a argument. The following chapters, and homework assignments helped me in not only to survive this class, but to complete my assignments.
Course outcome #1. In Deadline #2, and #3 rhetorical contexts, all these chapters influence me on how to get started. Without reading them I would have been unable to put, the whole "argument" paper into action. When I first started I was clueless as to where to began. Clustering also was very helpful me, it helped to break down what topic I was most passionate about. I came up with three topic I was interested in. Topic number one, write about something who I am "Native American". Second topic, who I want to be in the future "firefighter". Third topic, what I'm current involved in, law enforcement "Executions". Chapter #2 helped me explore my topic, Execution alone is a big topic. I wasn't clear on what approach to take, surfing the web, gave me a lot of ideas. In Deadline #3 Chapter Three helped me to develop my research question. There a three points you must consider when developing a research question. What role will you as the writer taking to your audience. I decide to be an advocate. An advocate presents evidence to its audience, both the positive and negative of the argument as well as gives opposing views. Original question: Death Row prisoners, are they all Guilty? This research question was to wide. Second attempt: Americans should keep the execution. This sentence was to demanding. Third: Should America Question Executions? I thought this was the winner, but chapter three helped me twit it. Fourth: Is it Necessary for Americans to Question,or Stop Executions? I finally felt confident with this question. I would be able to tell of both side of the process of execution, without being to demanding, or one sided.I believe I was able to show this in Deadline #3 one of my earlier Thesis questions http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-3-hw-2.html
Course outcome #2. Chapter #10 in the Bradford Researcher helped, or taught me how to take notes. My ability to take notes always was poor, looking back on how I use to write, I've realized that I did plagiarized. Their are different method of taking notes, whether you use a quote directly. Or you can paraphrase, which reading an article then writing it on how you interpreted. Summarize is read an article then writing out the main facts about the whole article, and add the author and where you got it from (if you got it from a book include the page number). I know this isn't one of my strong abilities, but its a lot better than what it was. This is a starting point for me, and hopefully in the future it will be a strong ability for me. Writing project #2 was a major project which reflected how important it was to have all your sources organized. You can see how I was able to organized all the information I use toward my final paper. You can access WP# 2 on my blog site. http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/10/deadline-9-hw-2.html
Course outcome #3. (consistent voice, tone) In Deadline #6 Chapter 4 (Everything an Argument), was about how to back up your argument. You can back up your argument by using facts, based on evidence, statistic, surveys, or personal experiences. Your audience will be persuadable if your source is well known, or is an expert in their field. Chapter #16 outlines all the different types of evidence, you can use. Just because you have a lot of evidence it doesn't matter, if you don't use it right. It's how you use that evidence to answer your audience's questions and give them the right information. In my argument my audience was society, so I tried to think of what they knew and didn't know, about executions. Based on that, I found information to clue them in such as the history, methods, what type of crime commit to be on death row etc.I wanted my audience to know about execution, because I was trying to persuade them to not to doubt execution, just because it has a few flaws. When delivery information, I try to present to my audience in a neutral manor. I did not want to come across bias, demanding, or know it all. I simply tried to lay out the facts and remind society that some times the right thin to do, sometimes is not the easiest to do. Hopefully I was able to demonstrate that in my final paper. http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/12/deadline-13.html
Course outcome #4. Online and print sources, were a huge factor in this class. I used the Internet pretty much for my whole argument. Google, CQ Researcher were very helpful when I first began my search. What was interesting about CQ Researcher was that it gave you "articles" both side about a topic. In Deadline #4 explain how use books and web come into play in your research. http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-4-hw-1.html
Course outcome #5. Paraphrase I believe I showed this ability in every Reading Reflection, posted on my blog.http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-4-hw-5.html A example where I showed summarizing skills was in my annotated Bibliography.Both of these methods, you as a writer have to watch out not to plagiarize. Before this class I believe with out knowing I did plagiarize, which can be as simple a misquoting. Not giving the true author credit.
Course outcome #6. This classes appropriate documentation style was Modern Language Association (MLA). Although both required books showed you how write your paper in MLA style, it was still difficult. This was the first time, that I can remembered that I used this format. I found it interesting that every source had its own proper format. This is also shown in my annotated Bibliography.
Course outcome #7. Feedback, peer review this part of our class was very helpful to me. Peer review was definitely a plus when it came time to revising. The peer reviews I receive gave constructive criticism. Being able to review other classmate arguments, allowed me to see what they over looked, and gave me a chance to see if I did the same. This section of the class helped both parties, it also allowed us to see how each of us have our own writing style. Mr. Adams was very informant in class we didn't always have a lot of time, but he made sure to answer all questions. Thank you to both my peers, and Mr. Adams.http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-5-hw-2-and-3.html
Course outcome #8. As mentioned earlier English was never my strongest class. One of my problems was see my mistakes within my own paper. A lot of my mistake, was due to the fact that I knew what I was trying to say. The Bedford Researcher book gave excellent tips on how to review your on paper. http://pauletteestrada.blogspot.com/2007/10/deadline-8-hw-5.html I believe overall this class has enhance my writing skills, they are not prefect but as they say practice makes perfect..
Course outcome #9. Before this class I've owned and used a computer when ever I had too, but this class opened a whole new world. I knew and used the net before, but I've always hated the Internet due to the fact I had dial-up, and was impatient. This class forced me to get over it, because you had to use the Internet a lot. Google Docs was a new program to me, it seemed simple, but a times I had problems with keeping my format from skip arround, when I cut and paste. Overall I feel a lot comfortable using not only the computer, but the Internet and google docs. One of the features I really liked, was how you can send your document to everyone, and also allowing them to comment or not. Also when edit, I like that multiple people could edit the same paper at the exact same time.