Beryl Pittman, Academic Writing/2023

Personal Writing Target (5% of final grade)

DUE:  Nov 17, 16.00 EET/Assignments.

 

Purpose:  It’s time to look back!  In only three weeks, you’ve produced about 38 pages of academic-related writing.  Along the way, there were long nights and frustrating starts and stops. 

But look what you can do now:  brainstorm; create a research plan; move from topic to thesis statement; use databases; distinguish a scholarly source from a reputable source from a popular source; distinguish between analyzing and summarizing; use the Harvard Citation System; write a great thank-you note; distinguish between legitimate uses of logic and support and manipulative; develop content with strategies such as cause-effect and comparison-contrast; provide an engaging intro and powerful conclusion for your reader; prepare the same message for different audiences and platforms; make spontaneous oral presentations; and sustain a scholarly argument for 10 pages.  And oh yeah, you could write the book now on correct comma usage.  WOW!

You began the course by writing a letter to yourself about how you see yourself as a writer, your strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and specific goals for this course.  Read that document again and then write yourself another letter.

Length and format:  1.5-2 pages, 1.5 line spacing, Arial 12.  Write as if you’re writing a letter to yourself. Include a brief intro and closing.  Your greeting should be “Dear FIRST NAME,” and when you sign off, use your first name, too. Your writing can be informal, but it should be grammatically correct.  Be sure that I can tell that you addressed all six areas.

What to include:

1.        What are you most proud of accomplishing in this course?

2.       How would you describe yourself now as a writer?  What has changed?  What’s the same?

3.       To what extent has your writing process changed?

4.       To what extent did you accomplish your goals?  What do you now see as your strengths?  Weaknesses?

5.       What would you do differently if given the opportunity?

6.       What are your new goals?

Areas to consider (but you are not limited to these areas!):

·         Staying organized during the writing process.  Managing your time well

·         Asking for help when you need it.

·         Providing an organized, logical document for your reader

·         Using peer review as a stepping stone to a strong deliverable.Analyzing ideas critically; being able to evaluate the ideas of others

·         Establishing “voice” (academic or personal)

·         Knowing when to be objective and when to incorporate your own opinion

·         Using evidence as support – what types of evidence work various context for various audiences

·         Explaining specialized material to a non-specialzed reader

·         Conducting research

·         Establishing an argument built on logic and reasoning

·         Anticipating and addressing counter-claims

·         Writing with good grammar and usage so that mistakes don’t impact your credibility

·         Incorporating the work of others into your writing and attributing sources accurately

  •      Delivering the same message to different audiences through different channels and platforms


 

 

 



Last modified: Monday, 13 November 2023, 7:52 AM