The Ripple Effect

Midterm Reflection

Lydia's Midterm Reflection 

Section 1

I think we are reasonably headed towards our course goals. I think that the amount of open writing, and collaboration with classmates in and out of class is the most useful for devloping writing skills. Peer feedback seems to be working as well.  Sometimes writers need an outside voice to come in and alert to what can be fixed or changed. This kind of collaboration has been valuable for my writing career. The wiki can be confusing though, sometimes you can't find the page your looking for. In my case when the wiki was updated I am now no longer able to update my old page, Lyd B's Productions. Yes, the wiki has been a confusing, frustrating, useful tool.

This class has taught me how to expand my voice as a writer. I had no idea that I could write persuasive works, or arguments in general, I thought that because I always seem to lose arguments in real life. I like how Trey is easy to talk to responsive, and ready to brainstorm with you at a moments notice. Having a teacher that is interact in my writing process has definitely helped me improve. I could learn more about the persuasive writing process, because I don't know much about it, and this is part of the reason I'm in the class.

I think that I am living up to my class responsibilities because I post various works to the wiki for (anyone, really) to review. I like having a readership. I think having the background that I do in journalism has made me an asset to the class. I know a lot about the editing process and the writing process, so I feel that I have helped other students better themselves as writers. I may not always offer pertinent information to class discussion, but I'm still learning a lot about technical writing. I think that I'll improve as I continue to learn more about the technical writing process.

I think ShareRiff has been a great teacher. He is very passionate about his work. I like that I can talk to him, and brainstorm with him at a moments notice. He is also sympathetic. He has helped me learn more about the writing process. So more or less, I think he is living up to his responsibilities as teacher. I think the assignments can be made a little bit clearer, because sometimes I'm confused about what I need to have ready, or where to find things on the wiki. But overall, I find that he is readily available to help out with any assignment, he is accessible.

I really wish we had computers to use in class for the brainstorming, I think it would help a lot if this class was held in a lab. I also wish that the assignments where laid out a little bit further in advance so we have time to prepare for them... I am one of those taking five classes working full time students. For the most part, I really like the class, so I don't have many suggestions for improvement. This Midterm Reflection is a lot to think about.

Section 2

Graphical Representation...

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Cover Letter

What have I learned so far this semester? Well, I've learned a lot about the online wiki culture, and how it is beneficial to writers.  Finding the right audience is the key to any good writing, and narrowing your writings for a specific audience is even better. I've learned how to narrowly tailor my papers to meet a specific audience, while (hopefully) attracting new readers. The purpose of Expository writing is to give the reader something to think about, whether or not they agree with what you have to say. Expository writing is also about writing towards a specific audience. I find that it's easier to write about topics that I loved, Lydia's Definitional Argument Vinyl vs Digital, because then my works became full of passion, something that had been missing from my other works. This class has helped me further define my voice, doing this has made my work more apparent, and less wall flower. Writing for wiki in this class has taught me how to tailor my works, shorten them, or write them towards an internet community.

Expository writing has taught me how to define my scope, really narrow the topic of my papers. I wish I had taken this class before I wrote a critical analysis in my literature class. The way I start to write is to sit down and force out any and all ideas i have about a topic, and then walk away from it for two or three days. This is how I situate my writing, I throw the idea out there, let it thrive in my head for a day or two, go back and write some more, and then continue to write and edit until I have a finished, polished piece. It's hard to compose an argument because most of the time I wonder who cares, and why? I also worry about accurately representing my side, and the opposing side. And further more, am I going to convince anyone that I have a better view point? Am I going to change someone's mind? I always try to ask myself these questions when I'm doing persuasive writing.

I think the wiki has been beneficial to the class. It is easier to review a peers work when you see all the stages of production, online culture really isn't that bad. It's like editing a movie, you get to go through all the processes of developing, composing, and finishing.  I don't always like reading the wiki because of staring at the computer screen for extended period of time. In class brainstorming, and peer review has been very helpful. I like that we can collaborate with each other's work on the wiki, and I like the feeling that someone is seeing what I have to say. I think the linking between pages and the wiki conversations have helped me better understand the online culture.

Researching is what journalism is mostly about. Finding out information I need for a paper is not hard for me, especially since I'm taking a Research Methods class this semester. I think that any point can be made better if it has back up support. And as long as that support is reliable, then any argument can be made stronger, which is one of the foundations of journalism. I like to do research because then I learn a lot about something I didn't already know.

I think this class is going to prepare me to write for a diverse community, and hopefully will help develop my readership. A good writer reaches beyond their normal audience, and this is what I am striving for. Since we are becoming a digital world, the digital element of this course has made me less afraid to expand into blogging on my personal time.

Overall, the course is great, and I like it. I think I'm learning a lot about writing, which I think is AWESOME!