This is my ISU Ecomm ePortfolio. I have assembled my works that satisfy the WOVE learning objectives for a grade. This ePortfolio is an assignment for english 250 at iowa state university.
You can find my OVE works under the Oral, Visual, or Electronic tabs at the top. There is also a reflection to go with each. Below is included my introductory reflection on my experience in this course.
Introductory Reflection
Since I began this class, I have written about 10 papers, and I have honed my writing style mildly. Although we practiced many composition styles, my techniques did not change because I had already been confronted with each of the composition styles a few times at a 200+ collegiate course level. In my time writing at this level, adversity has forced me to learn how I write best, and I have found that I write best under pressure. I would say the one mode of communication in the WOVE model I grew the most in was my oral communication. As a history major, we do not do much presenting, and as a result my skills with orating as well as designing a PowerPoint both grew with those assignments.
When I begin a new piece, I always try to generate ideas from the prompt. I think of ways I can approach and analyze a piece in such a way that allows me to have the most to say. This method of analyzing has helped me to write more than I need and narrow down what is the richest in value to the piece and trim the fat. By doing this, I find myself less frustrated by sometimes-over-prescriptive length requirements, and I find myself working to make more of my assignments short enough to submit. The best place to start for me is with the details and support. If I have a broad idea to support, I know that idea needs more support to narrow its focus for the reader. By using more support on less specific points of analysis, I often find myself making the topic more specific as the support becomes more specific. This helps me to refine the point, even though it sometimes results in lopsided paragraphs.
With different audiences, I know they are expecting different things. Sometimes the subject matter requires I approach audiences with more care like I did on my Gun Control documented essay. I had to avoid bias, and appeal to all sides more sensitively than I would have liked to. It was good practice on toning down my bias in my writing and orating. Through this, my editing process becomes faster and more efficient as I learn my common mistakes and I get better at learning how to appropriately remedy them. My editing process when I began college was usually to read it twice and only check for spelling errors. As I have grown, my editing process has included more focus on word choice, passive sentences, and articulation. I usually do not find myself having mechanical issues when writing, except if I handwrite.
Normally when I draft and revise a paper, I will write the whole thing before going back to break it down and refine it. I find that if I can get my thoughts out faster, I tend to write what I want to say better. I also am then able to go back and revise with a fresh perspective on what I had to say, since I have removed myself from that train of thought for several minutes to an hour. This allows my revisions to be free of any cobwebs or writers block I was experiencing and allows my writing to become even more clear and concise. I usually do not like getting peer reviews from other people because I have always been more of a stickler on grammar and spelling than anyone else, I know. Short of teachers, I have always had a challenging time trusting feedback on my writing because of the ethos of the person giving me feedback.
I would like to improve my ability to catch passive sentences more as they form, rather than must go back, but I understand that it will not be eliminated as a problem ever. Additionally, I think I could use some work on my oratory skills. I tend to say um and struggle to get started with speaking to an audience. As far as my talents or strengths in the WOVE modes, I think my writing is my strongest if not electronic. As a result of being a history major, I find myself breezing through finding substance and context to add to my writing. In speaking, I think my one and only strength is my willingness to speak up and get a group discussion started. I am very rarely outspoken in my personal life. Visually, I could use practice on layouts for my PowerPoints, but thanks to my writing my PowerPoints are full of substance and context for what I am talking about. Electronic communication is my greatest strength because of my experience in the area. I have been building websites and doing graphic design work in my free time for nearly 10 years now. While I have not discovered a new talent or strength, I have discovered new ways in which assignments can be challenging for me. I experienced adversity in writing the summary this semester because frankly I have never been sure of what a summary is really supposed to be composed of. I would say I did not really work to meet that challenge since the summary assignment we had was one of a kind for the course.
Overall, I think my growth in English 250 has been limited by the fact that English 250 is a step down in difficulty from most of my coursework. That being said, it helps to keep my mind loose and ready to write, and I think the most positive gain I have to show from English 250 is my improved ability to handle having multiple writing assignments due within very short proximity of each other.