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This semester I learned more about writing and about myself than I had in the previous 12 years of schooling. I learned how to write in several different genres for various audiences. In the process of fulfilling the various assignments for this course, I learned a lot about myself, including the most important thing I have ever learned: If I manage my time well and follow the directions with care, my essays are better than those of most of my classmates. This is an especially valuable thing to know because, before this semester, I was never better than a "B" student. While I am still barely a "B" student in math and science, I have learned that I can do A-level work in a composition class, provided that I put in the time. I learned another thing just as valuable, if not more so: I actually enjoy writing provided I am given some freedom, especially in terms of what I get to write about. Because I didn't like the readings on gender, I did not apply myself to that assignment, and my essay (and the grade it received) showed that. Conversely, I really liked writing about advertising (especially the subliminal messages). Consequently, I wrote a good first draft, revised it thoroughly, and ended up with an analysis of some liquor ads that I am very proud of. I also gained quite a bit of content knowledge, although, I must admit, the gain was not even across the whole semester. Because I didn't enjoy the readings on gender, I skimmed them pretty quickly and tuned out of much of the subsequent class discussion. However, I really got into the environmental and marketing readings, and paid close attention to the class discussions. More importantly, I thought about that material a lot outside of class. Nowadays, I can't even watch a TV commercial without thinking about the target audience and the appeals the advertisers are using. I also learned quite a bit about animal rights, despite the fact that I resist thoroughly the notion that animals have the right not to be eaten. (Sorry, but I just like cheeseburgers way too much to give up meat.) I guess that could count as an earned insight about myself, no? As for rhetorical knowledge, hell, that one is off the charts. I really did think that writing was nothing more than proving to the teacher that I had read the damn book and knew how to use a comma. Nobody ever explained that I was supposed to be making original claims and supporting them with evidence. The closest I had ever come to that in high school was when I was asked to decide between two different critics' interpretation of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. Admittedly, I blew my first argument assignment because I forgot to include any evidence in support of my claim. Duh! But on the revision, I came up with some really good reasons why single people and gay couples should be allowed to adopt children. I learned that although not necessarily the most respected approach, resemblance arguments are among the most effective. I also learned that any analogy eventually runs out of steam. (That's a mixed metaphor, right?) I was able to make effective use of the fact that federal law now prohibits discrimination against those who want to adopt transracially and apply that to my policy argument that similar laws should prohibit discrimination against singles and gays. Finally, I learned that a one-sided argument is not nearly as effective as one that addresses the most relevant opposing views. Yes, I also learned (the hard way) that straw man arguments are not particularly effective. Finally, I learned how to apply critical judgment. I learned how to critique my classmates' work, and how to accept and make effective use of their critiques of my work. Admittedly, I was a slow convert to the whole group work thing. In my defense, I really did have a lot of bogus group activities in high school. Mostly, they were a waste of time, and rarely did I benefit from any of the things we did in groups. In this class, groups were mediocre at first, improved greatly, and ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me in a school setting. My research paper on artificial intelligence and machine-scoring of essays is, without a doubt, the best thing I have ever written. (It was so good that my computer science teacher actually suggested that I might have downloaded it from somewhere. Fortunately, I had all the rough drafts and peer critiques handy, so she eventually accepted it as my work.) I have to credit the whole group process with much of my success in that effort. My peers were excellent at playing devil's advocate, and they really pressed me to make my claims clearer and to find better sources to support them. Overall, I am very pleased with the progress I have made with my writing and understand that I need to continue to work on my time management skills, I need to get a better grip on my in-text citation practices, and I need to resist the temptation to provide simple solutions to complex problems. But, hey, if all the politicians in the world could make some progress on that last one, we'd soon be living in utopia.
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Description of Writing Assignment