This FIQWS course was one of the first college courses that I have taken as a college student.  After high school, I took a two-year gap before starting college due to the passing of my older brother.  A decision I thought was the best choice to make at the time, but now regret.  This gap in my education has affected all the things I’ve learned in school throughout the years.  With that on my mind, I was afraid of this writing intensive class. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep up with the class and primarily only took it because it was a required course.

Now, five months into the course and at the end, I couldn’t have been more glad. This course has not only refreshed my memory on everything I learned in terms of writing, but it has also taught me many things as well.  The eight main things I have learned are outlined in the syllabus as Course Learning Outcomes.

The first would be how to “explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations”.  Throughout my previous 12 years of education, I have to admit that I was not aware of all the genres and rhetorical situations that someone can write in. This course challenged me to write in ways that I have never done so before.

The second Course Learning Outcome that was reinforced in this course was to “develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing”.  For our first writing assignment, another one of our peers was given the chance to read our paper and make comments on it.  This not only allowed us to get to know each other, but also give us a perspective of how another reader, besides the professor, viewed our writing. In addition, we were encouraged to visit the Writing Center and get help from others. This did not mean that we were bad writers, rather gave us the opportunity to see how others viewed our writing.  The comments made on our papers only helped us to write better.

Also, I adapted a new technique in the way I wrote my drafts.  Prior to this course, a draft was just something I wrote to answer the prompt and get an assignment turned in.  However, this course has taught me that drafts are what we work off of.  If we put in our best when writing the draft, we will be receiving comments on a piece very close to our final.  Reading the comments and editing our draft only makes our finals not only easier, but stronger pieces as well.

The third outcome of this class was to “recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations”.  Reading “The Norton Field Guide to Writing” by Richard Bullock, taught me various rhetorical situations.  This book broke down the different situations and allowed us to analyze it.  This allowed us to not only recognize these terms, but also taught us strategies to incorporate it into our writing.

The fourth Course Learning Outcome was to “engage in the collaborative and social aspect of writing processes”.  Being able to have others read our assignments and give us comments aided in reinforcing this outcome and helped us make fixes in our writing that we otherwise would not have caught on our own.

The fifth outcome of this writing course was to “understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences”.  This was another big thing that I have learned throughout this course.  My Research Critical Analysis was one paper in specific where I had to focus on this.  My introductory paragraph, as noted by Professor Clark, seemed as if I was talking to a live audience rather than a reader. As I read it over, I believed it was a great hook, but elaborating on the topic a little bit more would aid in addressing the reader as well.  I made this fix to my essay and after rereading it, I realized this change had made my essay the ability to address a broader range of audiences.

The sixth Course Learning Outcome was one that we learned in a session in the library.  We learned to “located research sources in the library’s databases or archives and on the internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness and bias”.  This has helped me throughout my other classes as well and is definitely one of the outcomes of this course that I will need throughout the rest of my college education.  Before taking this course, I was not even aware that a library database existed and how helpful it would be for research.

The seventh outcome of this course was to “compose texts that integrate your stance and appropriate sources using strategies such as summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation”.  This was most relevant in our last essay which was the Researched Critical Analysis essay.  After doing research, I used the articles and incorporated them in my writing to back up my stance.  This allowed my argument to be stronger and show the reader why I took this stance.

The last outcome of this course was to “practice systematic application of citation conventions”. This was an outcome that we practiced in a majority of our writing.  Whenever we used research in our writing or someone else’s thoughts, we made sure to cite them.  This is the works cited section of a majority of our writing.

All in all, I have learned many things throughout this course.  These include the Course Learning Outcomes, but I also learned time management skills, as well as how beneficial the writing center is.  Time management has been something I struggled with throughout my life.  I was always aware of this, but never tried figuring out how to fix it.  We did a lesson in this class about time management and this lesson has taught me how to prevent myself from procrastination.  Not only does this affect the quality of assignment, but procrastination is also a mental strain for me.  The writing center has also been a great help for me this semester. The people there are very nice and effective as well.  They have taught me ways to better and strengthen my writing, not only for a better grade, but also pointed out things that I will be cautious of as I continue to write throughout my education.  FIQWS 10113 has taught me lessons and given me strategies that I will carry all throughout my college education and my career as well.  I course I was scared to take has turned into a course I am glad I didn’t miss.

(Download Here: Self-Reflection)

This has to be the essay in which drafting, revising and editing taught me the most.  When I submitted my draft, I believed it was a strong one.  After getting it back, I read through Professor Clark’s comments and I realized that she was right.  It was hard to follow what I was saying and some of it was a bit confusing as well.  I took this essay to the writing center as well and they pointed out many things in my writing.  Many things including my introduction, organization and conclusion.  These I would not have noticed on my own until now.

In terms of the course learning outcomes, this essay reinforced each and every one.  I had to explore and analyze a variety of genres, including articles and research. I did this by located research sources in the library’s database and evaluating them for credibility.  I then took this information and integrated it into my text to support my stance using argumentation.  These sources had to also be cited in my work cited page.

As I mentioned, I did visit the writing center for this essay.  This visit, as well as comments on my draft, helped me develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising and editing my paper.  On my draft, Professor Clark made a comment about my introduction saying that it sounded like I was talking to a live audience rather than a reader.  I was able to understand this and fix it to address the range of audiences.  I had to recognize and incorporate key rhetorical terms and strategies in this writing situation.

All in all, this paper has done a rundown of every single Course Learning Outcome.  For a last paper, I believe that was very helpful.  Having picked an interesting topic, one that pertains to me as well, I believe it helped me practice the Course Learning Outcomes easily.  Doing research and writing about this topic was fun since it was one that related to me and it was one that I was passionate about.

I do believe the final essay I have submitted could have used a little bit more work.  After re-reading it recently with the things I learned in the writing center, I believe there are a couple changes I could make to better my essay.  I’ll definitely do so when making this a part of my final portfolio.

(Download Here: Reflection for Researched Critical Analysis)

This essay has been, by far, the most beneficial for me.  I struggled at first trying to figure out a question for my topic that can be attacked from multiple ways, but once I got that question, I was able to go about the essay easily.  I enjoyed doing research and finding out the different points of view on Cochlear Implants. I found that part very interesting because it opened my eyes as an individual as to why someone wouldn’t want to help themselves hear again.

In terms of the Course Learning Outcomes, I believe this essay has gone through just about all of the bullet points.  This essay allowed me to explore and analyze a variety of genres and rhetorical situations through the three sources that I used to aid me in writing my essay.  I was also about to develop strategies for reading by jotting down notes of what I would use in my essay.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my draft as something to work off of because I failed to properly address the prompt.  In my draft I wrote about Jessica Cox and primarily how she was an inspiration to people around the world, as well as myself.  In terms of an exploratory essay, that wasn’t correct.  I didn’t have a question that allows for various points of views.  Therefore, I had to start from scratch, but after going through the different topics and putting a question together, it wasn’t that hard.  I collaborated information from my sources and after revising and editing, I felt that I had written a pretty good essay, while answering all the prompts.

In this writing situation, I was also able to recognize and practice rhetorical terms and strategies in order to address a range of audiences.  Making sure an audience that’s not very educated on Cochlear Implants can still read my essay and understand my essay.

While looking for sources in order to attack my question in multiple ways, I was able to locate research articles and evaluate them for credibility.  Then, I used information from those articles in my essay and composed them in my essay to work towards answering the primary question for my essay.  Since I did use information from research articles, a works cited page had to be created and therefore I also exercised the systematic application of citation conventions.  Using the CUNY database makes it very easy for citations.  Most of the platforms provide citations right on the website. All I really had to do was organize them properly.

All in all, the hardest part of writing this essay was putting a question together.  After I had my question, while exercising the Course Learning Outcomes, the rest of the essay was not only easy, but also enjoyable.  My topic was one that I was interested in.  Therefore, researching and reading other points of views on the issue was something that I really enjoyed.  This essay also educated in the issue of Cochlear Implants and opened my eyes to a broader view when it comes to my opinion on Cochlear Implants.

(Download Here: Exploratory Essay Reflection)

Technology and Us

“Don’t sit too close to the television; Your brain will rot and your eyes will fall out.”  I’m sure most of you have heard this at least once from your parents at some point in time. We would get scolded by our parents for sitting too close to the tv and now with cell phones, our eyes are glued to those screens a huge part of every day.  As technology advances, people are becoming more dependent on it.  Many depend on technology for the weather, news, directions, answers to curiosity and a myriad of other things. This reliance on technology warrants an examination of whether or not technology has an effect on our health.

Bekah Witten attacked this dilemma in three different ways in her article, “Technology’s Effect on Our Health: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” She started with making the point that technology is playing a role in our laziness. Witten asserts that laziness shouldn’t be technology’s fault because what we do with technology is solely up to us. “We make the decision every day whether or not we should research something new, take a walk, or watch Orange is the New Black.” (Witten)

People should start to take responsibility for their actions and not blame their laziness on technology. Lauren Lanna for example, explains in her article “Technology Does Not Make Our Generation Lazy” that having information at her finger tips gives her more time to spend on learning new things and that she still works hard at school and her job despite the times she goes on her phone during her breaks.  She didn’t utilize technology as a tool to avoid of the world around her, exemplifying that the effects of technology on laziness depend on how you go about using the it in your daily life.

Using one’s phone in one’s daily life does not make one lazy.  Cell phones are a tool we can all use to make our lives easier.  Technology makes completing tasks more convenient and less time consuming.  The time that it will save can be spent on going for walks, reading a book, playing a sport and/or spending time out with friends/family.  Yet, a great number of us will choose Netflix on our spare time rather than a walk.

Witten’s second attack on this statement is in terms of the impact screens have a negative impact on our eyes.  Our eyes were never developed to read small letters on small bright screens.  This discomfort is all due to our screen time

The Vision Council’s study on Digital Eye strain shows that screens do have an impact on our eyes.  In the study, 32.4 percent of American adults have reported experiencing eye strain, while 27.2 percent reported dry eyes after two or more hours of screen time.

Staring at a screen for too long can have other side effects such as headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain.  In the Vision Council’s study, 27.7 percent of adults experienced headaches while another 27.9 percent of them experienced blurred vision.  Thirty five percent also reported neck and shoulder pain. This study makes it clear that because many people stare at a screen, they are suffering from physical discomfort.

The Vision Council also found that children are suffering from these physical discomforts as well as adults.  Almost 70 percent of American adults reported that their children spent more than two hours looking at the screens of a device per day.  Not only did this give those children physical discomfort, but it also reduced the attention span of 15.2 percent of those children and 13.5 percent experienced irritability. This study shows that early use of this technology can negatively affects a child’s development.

Many solutions, including wearing protective eyewear, have been suggested to solve these health concerns. This does not however, eliminate the fact that technology is affecting our health.   Witten highly recommends limiting your screen time and take breaks every now a then.  She suggests that people grab a book or go for a walk during breaks from screen time.

Witten’s last attack was different.  Unlike her other two arguments, her third attack is in favor of the use of technology. She does believe that technology has also provided us with some positive opportunities in terms of our health. Present day technology is capable of keeping track of our personal health and has even made it fun in some cases. There are now applications that reward you for the number of steps you take or even trigger a charitable donation for the number of miles you run.   Witten believes that “this technology positively impacts not only our health, but also our passions for meaningful causes.”

It all comes down to the different types of technology and how people go about using them. For instance, medical technology in the field of healthcare and medicine has advanced to a point where conjoined twin infants can safely be separated, whereas before the new technology this would not have been possible.  These technological advancements have helped many people around the world with their health conditions.

Technology doesn’t have to be too advanced to help us.  Something as simple as “Chatbots” guiding new mothers on how to take care of their newborn or learning to breastfeed for the first time is beneficial. The advancements and growing nature of technology has a positive effect on the healthcare of present and future humanity.

In terms of health, we, as conscious human beings, are responsible for how we use technology. If you sit in front of a computer for hours at a time or have your eyes glued to your phone every minute of the day, you face the risk of harming your health.

The negative effects can be avoided depending on how we go about using technology and the time it frees up in our daily lives.  We get to choose how long we spend on our computers or our phones and what to do with our free time.  Technology has made it easier for us to do many things and this ease has created valuable time— time that should be spent on personal goals.  The positive effects of technology on our health are up to our discretion.  The more we advance and develop technology, the better our surgeries can go, the more diseases can be cured, and the more lives can be saved.  How technology affects us is ultimately our choice.  We shouldn’t make use of excellent technology; we should make excellent use of technology.

Work Cited

• Lanna, Lauren. “Technology Does Not Make Our Generation Lazy.” The Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 30 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/technology-generation-lazy.
• Michen, Sandra. “Digital Eye Strain.” Digital Eye Strain | The Vision Council, 2018, www.thevisioncouncil.org/content/digital-eye-strain.
• Witten, Bekah. “Technology’s Effect on Our Health: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Health IS Technology Blog, 26 June 2018, health.usf.edu/is/blog/2018/06/26/technologys-effect-on-our-health-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly.

(Download Here: Critical Analysis Essay)