D#15, HW#2 -- reflective cover letter

Summer Bretz

Eng. 102 Section#24271

5 December 2009

WP#4 Cover Letter

Dear Reader,

How much can an English student learn in 15 weeks? Everyone learns at their own pace and through different methods. Personally, online learning is a very effective method, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone. As a full time working mom and student I chose to take my English 102 class online. The guidelines have been very clear from the beginning. Each assignment was another step toward course proficiency and personal goals. This course was essential for my education and accomplishing the course competencies outlined for me was vital. Working on writing for a specific rhetorical contexts, organizing my writing, and using feedback from peers and instructors has helped me to become a better writer.

The very first course competency listed for English 102 students is to write for specific rhetorical context, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing’s ethical, political, and cultural implications. I began to understand this during week 3 through my homework assignments. I learned that the purpose of WP#1 will be to interest the audience in the research question, give personal circumstance as to why it’s important, and to still have a specific purpose to the research and writing. I demonstrated my knowledge during week 14 through WP#3. I am proud of this writing assignment because I feel that I was able to present my specific research in a context that was sensitive to both ethical and cultural implications, as well as informing my audience. There is always room to grow in writing. I would like to continue to refine my writing and continue to specify my topics. This particular skill can be used in all writing including additional classes or even e-mails.

Another skill and course competency that is valuable is to organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence an logical development appropriate to a specific writing context. Through homework assignment #8 in week 2 I was able to compare resources and understand the importance of organization. I used this course criteria to help me with all of my writing projects (WP#1, 2, and 3). I still have more to learn about this feature because in WP#1 was unclear and I think that had to do with my organization; however, I have already improved and continue to focus on this aspect of my writing. I could use this goal in future papers and proposals that I may have for classes or for work.

Regardless of what kind of assignment that is being written a really good technique to follow is to use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing. I think this aspect of the course helped me the most with being a better writer. Having another person look at your writing lets you see your writing through your audiences eyes. I learned that if others' comments were good or bad it always helped to make my writing better. I learned this through D#5, HW#9, and demonstrated it through both WP#1 and WP#2. The way that this class is set up it is very easy to acquire peer review and feedback. I still need to be more comfortable with asking for this help without the support of the class to make me do it. I think this aspect of writing could be very useful for assignments or a resume.

One course competency that I will need to do a significant amount of work on for future classes is to identify, select, and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity. This will be important in all academic writing and I will continue to read my book and use it as a guide to become better at this. My WP#2 suffered a lot because I was not able to grasp this concept. I learn about documentation style through WP#2, but I haven't mastered it yet. I know that until I grasp this my writing will suffer so I will continue to work on this particular aspect.

As a whole, I know that I am a better writer than I was before I started this class. Through organization, specifying my research, and listening to my peer reviews and instructor's comments I have grown into a more respectable writer. I may not have every course competency completely mastered, but I am determined to continue to grow and better my writing. I will use my current knowledge as a stepping stone to learning more. I appreciate the opportunity to advance my education and feel that this class has been beneficial to my future.

D#15, HW#2 -- Final WP#3 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
I would revise the length of my paper. The amount of information and definition of medical terminology is excessive and took a lot of explanation. I could have added more information, but I did not want to overwhelm my audience or distract from my specific research question. If i had more time I believe I could have added more information and kept my paper organized, but with the time given I thought it would just take away from it. A specific course competency I would like to have worked on through this project would be to use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing. Unfortunately time was an issue for this revision as well. I have not received comments to help with revisions on this project.



28 November 2009 English 102 Section# 24271 Bretz-WP#3-Final

Is Pregnancy an Option After 35?

The ability to create life and start a family is not a decision thatis taken lightly by most women or men. There are several risks and requirements that pregnant women face. They have to constantly monitor their diet and water intake to make sure that the baby is getting all of the nutrients that are required. There are risks involved with any pregnancy such as high blood pressure, low birth weight, miscarriages, and moms may develop diabetes. Delivery has it’s risks as well; such as, cesarean deliveries are much harder on a woman’s body than a natural delivery. Once delivery happens there are many possibilities of birth defects for the baby as well. All of these risks increase when women are in their 30’s, more specifically after 35.

The number of women waiting until later in life to have children rises every year. Women are exploring career options or getting a degree before they settle down. This new trend sounds like the perfect scenario. Women can enjoy their 20’s, go to college, have a career, and then be more stable in life when they start a family. Unfortunately, there are many downsides to this theory. Women experience many more complications during pregnancy after the age of 30 than women in their 20’s do. The controversy around this subject is whether it is smart to wait to have children or if it’s just sehlfish. Women over the age of 35 should be aware of the high risks. Doctors title pregnant patients over the age of 30 as having advanced maternal age. They say that risks increase after the age of 35 and even if a woman is healthy chromosomal diseases in newborns are increased.

With all of the risks involved in pregnancy for women over 30, they should be aware of some of the following important medical terms. Some risk factors for older moms include diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia. Hypertension and preeclampsia are both shown by extensive swelling in pregnant women that increases rapidly in all parts of the body. The only way to stop the swelling is for the baby to be delivered. Preeclampsia in pregnant women can also be the cause of increased heart disease in women. Heart disease is also increased due to advanced maternal age. Kidney problems can also complicate a pregnancy, but is more likely in women that have had prior kidney issues. The kidney problems by themselves can create a lot of other risks; such as, hypertension, high blood pressure, premature labor, and miscarriage. Another heightened risk is abruptio placenta. This is the separation of the placenta (the organ that nourishes the fetus) from the site of uterine implantation before delivery of the fetus. Once this organ is detached from the mother the baby can no longer receive nutrients from it. In a normal pregnancy the placenta does not detach until the baby is being delivered. Placenta previa a complication of pregnancy in which the placenta (organ that nourishes baby) grows in the lowest part of the womb (uterus) and covers all or part of the opening to the cervix. This causes blood loss and bed rest, but the placenta generally will move for delivery. Cesarean section is delivery through surgery due to complications with vaginal delivery. Cancer and maternal death are also increased due to advanced maternal age. Most complications are related to age because as time goes on women are likely to have medical problems before becoming pregnant, and each ailment gives way to another.

Ailments for older moms are not the only thing to be worried about in regards to advanced maternal age. Babies that were conceived to mothers over the age of 30 also are at an increased rate of several medical complications. Mother’s should be aware that risks of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy are increased. An ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy where the baby is growing outside the uterus and the baby cannot survive. Congenital abnormalities and Chromosomal anomalies are also significantly increased in babies born to older moms. Congenital abnormalities are malformations or birth defects that can affect limbs, heart, and nervous system. Examples of chromosomal anomalies are Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome. Turner syndrome is found in girls that have only one X chromosome instead of two. These girls are often shorter and will never begin puberty without hormone injections. Klinefelter syndrome is found in boys that have two X chromosomes as well as a Y chromosome. Theses boys are often tall and have average intelligence, but may have trouble with judgment and impulse control. Both of these syndromes have symptoms of sterility (sharedjourney.com). The most common chromosomal abnormality is downs syndrome. Preterm labor and delivery, stillbirth, and fetal growth restrictions are additional heightened risks for babies of mothers of the age of 30. Doctors will want to monitor these moms and babies closely with additional appointments and testing.

Unfortunately, additional monitoring cannot foresee some complication with delivery such as a cesarean section. Cesarean Section can be a way of delivery for any women if there are complications with delivery. There are many reasons why cesarean delivery may be necessary, and the purpose is to get the baby out of any distress. Recovery for mothers after a cesarean delivery takes longer than a traditional vaginal delivery. Losing “baby weight” may also take longer due to exercise and diet restrictions given by the doctor. A study done by Jeffrey Peipert MD and Michael Bracken PhD in 1993 concludes that “Maternal age appears to be an independent risk factor for cesarean delivery. The reasons for this clinical, important, and statistically significant increased risk are unclear but may be due to physician and patient concern over pregnancy outcome in older women.”

Anyone planning on waiting until their 30’s to have children should also be aware of the increased risk of preterm delivery. Preterm delivery is a huge concern regarding the babies’ health. 40 weeks is the standard length of time for pregnancy. Any delivery before 40 weeks is considered preterm delivery. If a baby is born before 36 weeks their lungs haven’t fully developed. If a baby is born any time before the 36 week mark the baby is at risk for low birth weight. If a baby is not big enough to survive or it’s organs are not developed yet they will suffer and possibly die. Studies show that 6% of mothers ages 26-30 have low birth weight babies and 8% preterm delivery. Women ages 31-35 have a 6.8% chance of having a low birth weight baby and a 9.2% chance of preterm delivery. Statistics jump to 7.9% for low birth weight babies of mothers 36-40, and 10.9% chance of preterm delivery. (Delpisheh, Ali PhD; Brabin, Loretta PhD; Attia, Eman MD; Brabin, Bernard FRCP©. P.965). Even if a baby can make it through the pregnancy process and through the delivery process they can still have life altering disorders.

Chances of having babies with chromosomal abnormalities are increased for older mothers. Down syndrome is the most common type of chromosomal abnormality found in mothers of advanced maternal age. A study found on the MUSC Children’s Hospital website shows that a woman’s chances of having a baby with down syndrome between ages 25-29 are 1 in 1,100 and 1 in 385 children with any abnormality. Women at age 35 have a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with down syndrome and a 1 in 178 chance of having a baby with any abnormality. Chances heighten more giving 1 in 100 chances of having a baby with down syndrome and 1 in 63 chance of having a baby with any abnormality for mothers at age 40. These risks are real and important to pay attention to. A lot of people tend to have the “it can’t happen to me” mind set. However, it can happen and it may be something that some families can handle or it may not. This is why it is very smart to educate couples, and for them to have a realistic expectation about waiting until later in life to start their family.

Current textbook descriptions of down syndrome give statistics stating that women under the age of 30 have a 1 in 3,000chance of having a baby with down syndrome, but it jumps significantly to 1 in 300 in the 35- 39 age group and 1 to 9 at age 48. (Tortora, Gerard; Derrickson, Bryan; p. 1169). Down syndrome is characterized and presented as a flat profile, broad skull, slanted eyes, large tongue, and a round head as the facial features. Sexual maturity is rarely attained in people with down syndrome. Life expectancy is shorter due to kidney defects, suppressed immune system, and malformations of the heart, ears, hands, and feet. (Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, p. 1169). Everyone wishes when they are expecting are to have a happy and healthy baby. Giving children a healthy future should also be a worry that parents should look at before selfishly conceiving children at risk of birth defects, chromosome disorders and possibly no future at all.

Some babies aren’t even strong enough to survive from the beginning. Fetal death is also listed as a risk of having a baby at a later age in life. A study done by Ruth Fretts, MD; and Robert Usher MD states that “Women 35 years of age or older had approximately one in 440 births end in unexplained fetal death, compared to one in 1,000 births for women younger that 35.” What contributes to causes in fetal death are unknown; leaving the prevention unknown as well. Doctors can do advanced screenings and testing, but without any explanation or medical study there is no way to prevent fetal death.

Other arguments would say that as doctors are making additional advancements in medicine that these issues or risks would decrease; however, a study on advanced maternal age was done in 1985 concluding that women of advanced maternal age had no significant advanced risks than younger women. Whereas, every other statistic found in this paper and throughout all current data show that the risks are increased overall. This actually shows that as medical advancements are being made doctors are not finding additional ways to decrease risks, but are finding that the risks are more prominent than ever. Women can be happy and live full lives, but they need to educate themselves on family planning before waiting too long to start their family. Unfortunately, women can be the healthiest person possible, but there is no fighting with nature. After a certain age regardless of how well anyone has taken care of themselves, the miles of wear and tear are still there, which lead to small ailments, that lend themselves to bigger ailments. It is undeniable that age is the factor to heightened risks of pregnancy and delivery. Women need to educate themselves on what is best for their unborn children and take time into consideration to give children the best possible outcomes for health, and life, and future,

D#15, HW#2 -- Final WP#2 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
I would revise my citations if I were going to resubmit this paper. My links did not work and I would pay more attention to making sure that they highlighted properly so that my audience could link to them. I would also pay more attention in general. As you can see when I revised my draft I over looked changing my heading to say final draft. These kinds of silly mistakes are unacceptable at a college level. In working on my documentation I would have a better understanding of identifying, selecting and using an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity. Both of these adjustment would make my paper more accessable to my audience and make my sources more reliable.

English 102 Section # 24271 10/17/2009 Rough Draft
Should a Pregnancy be Termed “High Risk” Based on a Maternal Age of Over 30?

Research shows that women in their 30’s are more likely to havecomplications with their pregnancy, delivery, and with their newborns. Many women are waiting until later in life to start their families, but is this trend a high risk for our children and these mothers? Some opinions show that starting a family later in life is beneficial. These moms are generally more stable in all areas of life, giving their children more patients, stability, and financial benefits. Yet, other opinions are that it is too high of a risk for babies and mothers. Older moms have a higher rate of complications with delivery resulting in cesarean sections instead of natural deliveries. Their babies are also more likely to have chromosomal disorders. Doctors have done several studies on how age affects these outcomes and how to give special care to expectant mothers over the age of 30. A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://babymed.com/Blog/Blog.aspx?9My first source comes from an article titled A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy, found on babymed.com. This article sates “There is no precise age beyond which a woman becomes more susceptible to pregnancy complications.” The purpose of this article is too help expectant older moms to understand the potential risks and complications that may result in pregnancy due to advanced maternal age; however, says that there is no exact age that distinguishes the title of advanced maternal age. The audience that this is written for is expectant mothers. The author of this article is anonymous, but the web site it is found on is used as a medical reference tool for expectant mothers. This article was found via the internet and was posted in 2005, so there may be more current information. Even though this source is in favor of older mothers conceiving it does not leave out the facts. “A woman under 30 has a miscarriage risk of about 10%, while woman over 20 has a 55% miscarriage risk. The increase in the mother’s age increased the risk for fetal malformations and other chromosomal anomalies such as down syndrome.” (A Woman’s Age and High Risk pregnancy). I think this source is a good middle ground for my paper. It gives good view points to both sides of the spectrum. ( 2009 February 16). Advanced Maternal Age - What’s in a name? Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://blogs.musc.edu/womenspeak/post/2009/02/advanced-maternal-age-Another article related to this topic is Advanced maternal Age - What’s in a name? was found through a women speak blog, but was original posted through the MUSC health. The author is anonymous, but there are statistics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists within the article. This source also has a positive outlook for older mothers stating that the label of advanced maternal age is outdated and was originally termed because 30 was the age that doctors offered amniocentesis, which is no longer the case. This source states that age related complications do not apply until women are in their 40’s. This author does leave out what those complications may be or any exact statistics. This article was posted this year and is very current, but lacks as much credibility as the others may have. Kirz, DS., Dorchester W., Freeman RK. (1985 May 1). Advanced Maternal Age: the mature gravida. PubMed. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3993714Advanced maternal Age- the Mature Gravida is another source found online. This source is a three year study of women 35 years and older. This is another article that would be on the pro side of the argument for older mothers. It shows that the differences between delivering mother’s in their 20’s and 30’s were insignificant. This source is very different than any others in my research. This research is from 1985, but even though it is older I feel that it is still significant to my research question. It helps to make my topic better-rounded by giving another perspective. Raquel. (2009, August 5). Cancer Risk and Advanced Maternal Age. Battling For Health. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://battlingforhealth.com/2009/08/cancer-risk-and-advanced-maternal-age/My next source is an article titled Cancer Risk and Advanced maternal Age. This was the only study I found that approached advanced maternal age from this angle. The author does not give her credentials, but does that she is an “older mommy”. I thought this was very interesting research and it is very new. This article was published in August of 2009. This source is relevant because it brings up a whole new risk for older mothers to worry about before deciding to start their family. This research states “The likelihood of children under 15 having one of the most common forms of childhood cancer (Leukemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumor, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, bone cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma) is 1 in 435. The odds, however, seem to be higher in children of older mommies.” This source does leave out any of the other risks or complications due to advanced maternal age. This article focuses specifically to the links between cancer in children under 15 and advanced maternal age. Fretts, Ruth C. MD,. Usher, Robert H. MD. (1997). Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 89(1). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/1997/The next resource I have was found through The American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists. The title is Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. This source relates the negative side of waiting until your 30’s to start having children. It states “From 1978 to 1995, older women were at a statistically significant increased risk for “unexplained” fetal death.” There are two authors, both of which are MD’s. The intended audience is other doctors or researchers. This resource is very detailed and contains many useful statistics. This article was published in 1997 and I believe it is still accurate and up to date. Pregnancy Over age 30. MUSC Children’s Hospital. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://www.musckids.com/health_library/hrprgnant/over30/htmPregnancy Over Age 30 is an article found online through MUSC children’s hospital. This article is anonymous and gives several facts regarding chromosomal abnormalities, and a few on risks of miscarriage and maternal age. This source focuses on chromosome abnormalities such as down syndrome. There is no date given for publication. This article is still useful for my research because it is the best source found specifically focusing on chromosomal abnormalities, which is a huge concern for mothers and doctors in regards to advanced maternal age. Delpisheh, A., Brabin, L., Attia, E., Brabin B. (2008). Pregnancy Late in Life: A hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes. Journal of Women’s Health, 17(6), 965-970. Retrieved September 2009, from Academic Premier database.Pregnancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes is an article from the Journal of Women’s Health. This source was written by four Ph.D.’s., it was written in 2008. This research is current and provides a lot of statistics regarding the outcomes of deliveries from women 30 and older regarding low birth weight and preterm deliveries. The format that this article is written in, is a scientific report. This source provides many graphs and charts to make the information easy for the reader to understand. The audience intended for this article would be doctor and other scientists. This source is credible and I think it is one of the best sources that I can use for my article. Tortora, Gerard., Derrickson, Bryan. (2009). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 12th Edition. Disorders: Homeostatic Imbalances (pp. 1169). New York: Wiley.The final source used for my research is my anatomy text book, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. This source has two authors and is very reputable. This textbook gives facts regarding down syndrome, which is one of the risk for babies born to mothers that are older. It states “Older women are more likely to have a down syndrome baby. The chance of having a baby with this syndrome, which is less than one in 3,000 for women under age 30, increases to one in 300 in the 35-39 age groups and to one in nine ate age 48.” (1169). This textbook is the 12th edition and the newest one, it was published in 2009. This section is specifically about down syndrome, but the risks of this chromosomal disorder in regards to advanced maternal age is so significant that there is a section highlighted for this purpose.I believe my research is well organized and well rounded. I have three articles that are supportive of older mothers. I also have two that give both sides of the story. I have 3 that give pretty harsh research about serious complications that mothers are putting themselves and their babies at risk for. The accumulative research shows that the age for “advanced maternal age” has gone up to 35 instead of 30 years-old. I think that I have enough research to provide a good paper and sufficient answers to my research question.

D#15, HW#2 -- final WP#1 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
If I were to revise this paper for resubmission I would make my plan clearer; this was pointed out to me by my instructor. I paid a lot of attention to making this paper relatable. I included a lot of personal narrative to show why this topic could interest my audience. Unfortunately, my research plan was lost in my story. I would organize my paper into two parts: first, why my paper was important and second, what research would help answer my question. I would also make my research question clear at the beginning. I think this adjustment would help me to achieve my course competency of organizing my writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context.

Eng. 102 Section#24271 10/03/09 WP#1 final draft
Family Planning
When is the right time to start planning for a family? Some people always know that they want to have children at some point in their lives. Other people don’t realize that a family is what they want until later in life, when they meet their partner, or after achieving career goals. A lot of women are waiting until later in life to conceive. In theory, this appears to be a good idea, later in life you could be more mature, financially stable, and settled. Due to technological advancements and progress in medicine our bodies are staying healthy and active, well into our 60’s for some people. This observation leads to my question: Should a pregnancy be termed as “high risk” based on a maternal age of over 30?
Doctor’s have expressed that pregnancy for women 30 and older is considered a high risk. A hospital-based study found in the Journal of Women’s Health states “In the United States, fetal, anomalies, delivery prior to 34 weeks, and stillbirth have been reported to be twice as common in advanced age women as in young or mature adults…..” (Ph.D., Brabin, Loretta, 965) Any pregnancy under the age of 20 is also considered a high risk. The concept of a risky pregnancy in any woman under 20-years-old is because their body hasn’t had a chance to completely develop. On the other hand, a woman in her 30’s is old enough that her body has matured, but is definitely not old enough that her body is deteriorating. Yet doctors are more concerned about diabetes, maternal weight, still births, and chromosomal diseases in older pregnant women and their babies. The medical term for this age defined high risk is “advanced maternal age”. Women in their 30’s are just as capable as women in their 20’s and in some cases even more healthy. I would like to know why pregnant women in their 30’s have to endure extra testing during pregnancy and extra pressure to start families at a younger age.
Pregnancy is a topic that has always interested me, because it’s such a unique and interesting process. I was pregnant with my daughter when I was 17-years-old, which technically made my pregnancy a high risk. The doctor never even addressed this issue with me, which is why I’m not sure if it is something to worry about. Since I was so young when I had her I never thought to ask questions regarding high risk and I never thought about having any more children soon afterwards. My life revolved around caring for my daughter and making a life for us. It has been just the two of us since she was a year old and being a single mom can be a struggle. Keeping up with our life was busy and hectic, but fulfilling enough that I never considered having anymore children. I was always very happy with life being just the two of us.
Around the time that my daughter was turning six and in kindergarten; my biological clock slowly started ticking. My daughter was also starting to ask questions, and wonder why she didn’t have any brothers or sisters. Then both of my sisters became pregnant, and my internal clock started blaring instead of quietly ticking. I started doing the math on how much time I had to have more children. I knew that after 30-years-old pregnancy was considered a high risk. This gave me six years. “Yikes!” I had six years to meet a guy, possibly make a relationship out of it, get engaged, get married, get pregnant, and have a baby! This plan was clearly unrealistic and a little crazy, since you can’t plan life that way. So I started to wonder if maybe my life was supposed to be just me and my daughter, and maybe I was never meant to have more children.
Now I am down to four years until I turn 30; I know I’m not going to make that deadline. My purpose for this research is to find out if a high risk pregnancy after 30 is more of a precaution, or is it serious enough to believe that I am out of time. I want to inform readers and myself on the realistic expectations of pregnancy at a later age. I want to understand what the options are in family planning for older couples. I also would like to inform women of what to look ahead to concerning the risk on their own bodies; as well as, the risks presented to their baby. My audience should expect many statistics exploring these questions, and as much research as I can find regarding both sides of the issue.Women are the main focus of my audience because pregnancy is something they personally go through. However, I understand that the class as whole is my audience and I believe that men can also benefit from this research. Pregnancy might not be a primary thought in anyone’s mind right now, but at some point, everyone is going to think about if it’s something they want, or when is a good time. If pregnancy isn’t something my audience is concerned with personally; everyone has a family member or a friend that will want to become pregnant at some point. I think this information could be useful when considering family planning for the teacher and the entire class.I recognize that in order to give my audience as much accurate information as possible it will take time to research. My limitations in research are finding new information, so I plan to do a lot of internet research. Medicine and science change so frequently that I believe the internet will have the most updated research available. I would also like to do some investigating on chat boards specifically created for moms, and find out what their opinions are of “advanced maternal age”. I want to know their personal experiences, and find out how high risk pregnancies differed from an optimal pregnancy. Pregnancy can always be a risk, and every mother has her own story.Citation Delpisheh, Ali, (2008). Pregnancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study on Birth Outcomes. Journal of Women's Health, 17(6), 965-970. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database.

D#14, HW#6 -- Course competencies for deadline reflections

HW#6

• Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications

D#3, HW#12

• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context

D#2, HW#8

• Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics.

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Identify, select and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity

• Use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing

D#5, HW#9

• Assess one's own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods.

• Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies.

D#6, HW#13

D#14, HW#5 -- course competencies on writing project reflections

HW#5

• Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications

D#14, HW#4

• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context

D#14, HW#4
D#10, HW#14
D#6, HW#11

• Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics.

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Identify, select and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity

• Use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing

• Assess one's own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods.

• Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies.
  

D#14, HW#4 -- WP#3 reflection

HW#4

• Steps I used to complete this project were to sort out all of the data that I had required to see what was important and reliable. My next project I would have better time managment.
  
• I am most proud of the additions that I made to my rough draft because my rough draft was so rough and I had writers block pretty bad about how to pull everything together before. Now I think I did pretty well considering how bad it was before. I needed to address my transitions mostly. One of the assignments from deadline 13 was really helpful for transitions.
• My turnitin shows that the instructor will not allow me to view the originality report for this assignment so I cannot answer this bullet point
• I wanted to improve on bringing all of my data together and presenting it correctly. I feel that I improved on this, but haven't mastered it yet. I would continue to work on this aspect as well as my citations that always need work.
• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity and Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications are course outcomes that I worked toward during this writing project. I do feel that I achieved the competencies. My paper involved specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications. On my next project I would like to work on selecting an appropriate documentation style