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)