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.
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