Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Over the course of the semester I have spent countless hours rewriting. Professor Hodges made it very clear to us in the beginning of the semester that to create the best possible writing, we must provide several drafts. Every assignment that was assigned had two parts to it. There was an initial draft where I was able to put all my thoughts out of the line and come up with a concept. After that, Professor Hodges would provide feedback and help us to elaborate on certain concepts to improve our writing. After taking his feedback into to consideration, I would rewrite the assignment and submit it a second time. After the second draft, Professor Hodges would provide any extra feedback if requested. This was actually very helpful because I was able to expand my original ideas while incorporating the changes he suggested. His feedback was especially helpful because he was able to point out mistakes that I wasn’t able to see. Even after the first revision, he and I were able to work together to make my assignment better. A great example of his feedback being applied to my work was in Visual Rhetoric Assignment. After Professor Hodges commented on my writing I was able to directly address the problems he noted. Since he gave me specific aspects to change, I was able to do so without confusion.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

I am not quiet. My entire life I have been loud and outspoken but throughout the course of the semester I have been working to improve on that. I have a tendency to speak my mind and in the past it has gotten me into trouble. Mostly because I wasn’t knowledgeable about what I was speaking about. However, this semester with Professor Hodges we spent a lot of time reading about different things and then spent time talking about them. Professor Hodges made sure that we were well versed in the readings before we spoke about them to ensure we had an educated discussion. We were able to converse with our classmates and gain their perspectives. It was helpful to understand how my classmates felt about certain things and for them to explain why they thought the way they did. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and expand our mindset.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

When writing a paper it is especially important to take note of who your audience is. It is important to appeal to your audience so they continue reading. With audience in mind, it is also critical that it written to the level of those who intend to read it. Well researched college writing will appeal to college students. I’ve also spent time working towards writing with a purpose. Instead of writing to receive a grade, I have been able to engage in my topic and write with the intention of educating my audience. I spent extra time researching my topic so that my audience receives only accurate and relevant information. Since Professor Hodges required the Bibliography Assignment, I spent more time than I normally would finding supportive and accurate information.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Since the course began I have improved in my ability to explain ideas to my audience.  To achieve this goal it is helpful to use good sources. If you are able to cite good sources that accurately portray your subject matter, it is beneficial to your writing. I make sure to include all evidence I find within my writing because it is better supported and better researched. I have been spending more time making sure that all information provided is thoroughly detailed so it can paint a mental picture for the reader.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

Throughout the course I have been especially careful to make sure that all citations are done correctly. If I quote or cite a source I make sure that I give credit to the author or mention the article it came from. All the writing done has been my own because plagiarism inhibits a students ability to grow and enhance their understanding of the topic. In this class I learned how to include a hyperlink at the bottom of the screen so that the reader is able to easily access the online sources provided.