Dear Michele,
The past three months in UWP1Y not only brought with it assignments that I never imagined I’d complete (I honestly thought that I was going to have to write a bunch of meaningless essays), but also many valuable lessons on how I can better my writing. The most important lesson being that I should always trust the process, whether it be through finding inspiration for my Wikipedia Entry or listening to my peers' comments for my Podcast. That being said, the course goals I’ve mastered are Processes and Research.
I’ve chosen to include my Wikipedia Entry in my ePortfolio for two reasons. The first is that the topic I’ve chosen to write about is owed to the lesson of being able to find inspiration in everything. I gracefully stumbled upon the idea to write an entry about “Sunday Candy” because I happened to be listening to Chance the Rapper’s music. I was so focused on trying to find a topic from one scope (my LGBTQIA+ ally scope) that I blindly ignored the fact that I contained multiple scopes of knowledge. I didn’t realize that I could smoothly intertwine a seemingly informal topic, such as rap music, with a formal assignment that required me to do thorough research, like the Wikipedia Entry. Case in point, I learned that if the instructions are open-ended, keep an open mind!
The second reason that I chose to include my Wikipedia Entry is because it shows that I can expertly adapt different writing styles when I thought that I was only good at informal and argumentative writing. The assignment called for me to be informative, meaning that everything I said in the paper should be supported by sources. While it was difficult for me to be unbiased, I trusted the process by following the instructions and reading the articles provided to me in my assignments. An example of this is seen in the way I described Chance the Rapper and his music. At first, I included biased adjectives, such as “genius” and “great” in my work. When it was brought to my attention by you and my peers to maintain a neutral stance in the subject, I reevaluated my work. My job was to inform, not to convince my audience that “Sunday Candy” is the best song of all time. I needed to save these arguments for another assignment. With this example, I’ve learned to trust the process by trusting my abilities to use different styles to accommodate my audiences. The Wikipedia Entry allowed me to learn a few things about how I should approach writing that I am unfamiliar with. These lessons were fully incorporated when I got to combine it with writing that I am comfortable with.
The past three months in UWP1Y not only brought with it assignments that I never imagined I’d complete (I honestly thought that I was going to have to write a bunch of meaningless essays), but also many valuable lessons on how I can better my writing. The most important lesson being that I should always trust the process, whether it be through finding inspiration for my Wikipedia Entry or listening to my peers' comments for my Podcast. That being said, the course goals I’ve mastered are Processes and Research.
I’ve chosen to include my Wikipedia Entry in my ePortfolio for two reasons. The first is that the topic I’ve chosen to write about is owed to the lesson of being able to find inspiration in everything. I gracefully stumbled upon the idea to write an entry about “Sunday Candy” because I happened to be listening to Chance the Rapper’s music. I was so focused on trying to find a topic from one scope (my LGBTQIA+ ally scope) that I blindly ignored the fact that I contained multiple scopes of knowledge. I didn’t realize that I could smoothly intertwine a seemingly informal topic, such as rap music, with a formal assignment that required me to do thorough research, like the Wikipedia Entry. Case in point, I learned that if the instructions are open-ended, keep an open mind!
The second reason that I chose to include my Wikipedia Entry is because it shows that I can expertly adapt different writing styles when I thought that I was only good at informal and argumentative writing. The assignment called for me to be informative, meaning that everything I said in the paper should be supported by sources. While it was difficult for me to be unbiased, I trusted the process by following the instructions and reading the articles provided to me in my assignments. An example of this is seen in the way I described Chance the Rapper and his music. At first, I included biased adjectives, such as “genius” and “great” in my work. When it was brought to my attention by you and my peers to maintain a neutral stance in the subject, I reevaluated my work. My job was to inform, not to convince my audience that “Sunday Candy” is the best song of all time. I needed to save these arguments for another assignment. With this example, I’ve learned to trust the process by trusting my abilities to use different styles to accommodate my audiences. The Wikipedia Entry allowed me to learn a few things about how I should approach writing that I am unfamiliar with. These lessons were fully incorporated when I got to combine it with writing that I am comfortable with.
Before I move on with the rest of my cover letter, I'd like to point out that the gif above fully represents the inner turmoil that I put myself through for the Podcast.
The Podcast project included everything that I learned about processes in my Wikipedia Entry and my affinity for writing frankly and informally. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire assignment, and it was not without the help of my fellow peers. The first draft of my script was, to put it lightly, a hot mess. I had too many details and no communication with my audience. Reading my first draft was similar to watching a person have a conversation with his/herself. It was a weird, and painful experience, and I am very sorry that I put my peers through that kind of trauma.
Fortunately, I was saved by my group who helped me shape the script. They gave me pointers about which paragraphs to separate, such as clothing from the rest of the goodies to buy at the Whole Earth Festival. They helped me better address my audience by suggesting that I use the word “you” instead of “one.” They even gave me suggestions on how to better transition between each paragraph, like taking a little bit from the last paragraph and inserting it into the new one.
By the end of the Podcast project, I learned to trust the process when it came to the peer reviewing. I’ve stated in previous cover letters that peer reviewing has saved my ass (am I allowed to say this?) several times. My first script for the project was a mess that I didn’t know how to fix, but I was lucky enough to have people that could see it from a new perspective and knew where to help me. To further analogize this, it was like I had a web of detail and I was putting it in so many places that I somehow tangled myself in the process. The only way I could get myself out of it, was to get someone to cut loose the extra strands. Did that help?
Both the Wikipedia Entry and the Podcast show that I have mastered my skills in Processes and Research. For Processes, I have grown exponentially. Before this class, I preferred to do everything alone because I felt like I would lose my writing to the opinions of others. I thought that the comments of my peers would force me to adjust my writing to look like someone else’s. However, I learned that peer reviewing gives me insight on how to better my piece while still maintaining my style. Processes, in my head, is meant to make my job easier as a writer. Another mind allows me to see mistakes that I would have glazed over. They give me my audience’s perspective. My ePortfolio reflects this lesson because my work is still “me” but also includes the help of other people.
In addition to Processes, I mastered my abilities in Research. Before this class, I had only an elementary understanding of how conduct research and how to include it in my writing. Through our exercises and readings, I now understand that there is more to incorporating research into my writing than just using quotes. I also learned that I must be unbiased when I am doing research. For example, when I am looking for sources for my paper, not only do I need to find sources that support my argument, but I also need to find some that counter it. The revisions I’ve made in both the Wikipedia Entry and the Podcast script show how I’ve included these lessons and that I can make them make sense with the rest of my paper.
Aside from the individual lessons I’ve learned in each project and the course goals I’ve mastered, I learned to trust the process when it comes to learning in a class itself. This is my biggest takeaway because I can apply this in any class that I will take in the future. Initially, I thought that the direction taken in our activities and assignments were a little tedious. I’m so used to professors giving vague assignment instructions to me and 150 more people that the process used to teach in UWP 1Y felt like hand-holding. However, I now understand that these steps were necessary. If I am to fully understand what I am learning, then I need to take extra steps to fully understand the material. Most professors know the best direction to take with how they teach their material in the time they're allotted, not me. Moving forward, I will try to take the time to watch the YouTube videos or the read the extra articles that professors give me, as well as allow myself to trust that most professors know what they’re doing. These are all set in place to facilitate my learning, so if I want to reap full benefits, then I will trust the process. Karate kid style. Thank you for reading.
Fortunately, I was saved by my group who helped me shape the script. They gave me pointers about which paragraphs to separate, such as clothing from the rest of the goodies to buy at the Whole Earth Festival. They helped me better address my audience by suggesting that I use the word “you” instead of “one.” They even gave me suggestions on how to better transition between each paragraph, like taking a little bit from the last paragraph and inserting it into the new one.
By the end of the Podcast project, I learned to trust the process when it came to the peer reviewing. I’ve stated in previous cover letters that peer reviewing has saved my ass (am I allowed to say this?) several times. My first script for the project was a mess that I didn’t know how to fix, but I was lucky enough to have people that could see it from a new perspective and knew where to help me. To further analogize this, it was like I had a web of detail and I was putting it in so many places that I somehow tangled myself in the process. The only way I could get myself out of it, was to get someone to cut loose the extra strands. Did that help?
Both the Wikipedia Entry and the Podcast show that I have mastered my skills in Processes and Research. For Processes, I have grown exponentially. Before this class, I preferred to do everything alone because I felt like I would lose my writing to the opinions of others. I thought that the comments of my peers would force me to adjust my writing to look like someone else’s. However, I learned that peer reviewing gives me insight on how to better my piece while still maintaining my style. Processes, in my head, is meant to make my job easier as a writer. Another mind allows me to see mistakes that I would have glazed over. They give me my audience’s perspective. My ePortfolio reflects this lesson because my work is still “me” but also includes the help of other people.
In addition to Processes, I mastered my abilities in Research. Before this class, I had only an elementary understanding of how conduct research and how to include it in my writing. Through our exercises and readings, I now understand that there is more to incorporating research into my writing than just using quotes. I also learned that I must be unbiased when I am doing research. For example, when I am looking for sources for my paper, not only do I need to find sources that support my argument, but I also need to find some that counter it. The revisions I’ve made in both the Wikipedia Entry and the Podcast script show how I’ve included these lessons and that I can make them make sense with the rest of my paper.
Aside from the individual lessons I’ve learned in each project and the course goals I’ve mastered, I learned to trust the process when it comes to learning in a class itself. This is my biggest takeaway because I can apply this in any class that I will take in the future. Initially, I thought that the direction taken in our activities and assignments were a little tedious. I’m so used to professors giving vague assignment instructions to me and 150 more people that the process used to teach in UWP 1Y felt like hand-holding. However, I now understand that these steps were necessary. If I am to fully understand what I am learning, then I need to take extra steps to fully understand the material. Most professors know the best direction to take with how they teach their material in the time they're allotted, not me. Moving forward, I will try to take the time to watch the YouTube videos or the read the extra articles that professors give me, as well as allow myself to trust that most professors know what they’re doing. These are all set in place to facilitate my learning, so if I want to reap full benefits, then I will trust the process. Karate kid style. Thank you for reading.
Similar to the seemingly ridiculous way that Daniel learned karate, I learned how to better my writing through an unfamiliar process.
Sincerely,
Ritchelle
Ritchelle