FinalMcH

Foundations of College Writing Dr. Sherry Portfolio Katie McHale

My semester with Foundations of College Writing consisted of three projects and five writing goals. For my first project, I interviewed several different people and researched a part of college culture, being tripled in a college dorm. In my second project I took that research further by constructing three genres aimed at three different audiences. In the third project I used personal experiences from my past, present, and future to relate back to what it means to be educated. The five goals of the course are below, along with examples. I was able to accomplish this goal with my second project. The second project was focused on addressing multiple audiences with multiple genres. The genres included a poster, flyer, satire, and letter. In my letter I was able to address any audience I chose. I chose to address parents/guardians. Here is the letter that I wrote: I chose the letter format to address this specific audience, because it was more mature then some of my other options. By the time a parent has a child in college, they probably would not appreciate the immaturity of satires. Also, when it comes to their child and money, it is not a joking manner. That is why the letter was the best option to address parents. I next addressed current college students. I did this by making a flyer. A flyer usually has a light- hearted tone and is not taken too seriously. This worked to my advantage, because college students typically would avoid any serious issue. The flyer is below: The flyer does not have a lot of information, but that was done on purpose. Since college students avoid serious situations,and nothing says serious more than a wordy flyer, they would most likely not stand in front of a flyer and spend time reading it. They flyer is able to relay all the important and most needed information. In my second project, the purpose was to address different audiences using different genres. The genres could be anything from a satire to a formal letter. In a formal letter, word abbreviations used in texts would not belong there, and would take away from the formality. However, in a flyer or satire the use of word abbreviations is acceptable. In a letter, it is common to have paragraphs. But, in a flyer there are no paragraphs, only bits of information. Here are the two, a letter and flyer. As shown in my letter and poster the type of language I use differs to each genre. I make sure to stay formal in the letter. If I did not use formal language, the letter would no longer be able to be considered formal. In the flyer I put in short sentences. If the poster had long paragraphs, a person would most likely just walk by without giving the poster a glance. Reading long paragraphs is daunting and not suitable for a flyer. In my first project I did a lot of research to support an argument that I established. I was researching whether it was better to be living in a double or a triple dorm. I was able to find research from scholarly sources and popular articles. I also interviewed a couple of students on how they felt about living in the dorms with one roommate or two. All my research was brought together in this paper: After I finished all my research I came to a conclusion. This conclusion was supported from all of the research I had obtained. I put the research I gathered in my paper. If I found any information that would go against my conclusion I would refute or add a counter argument. In the end all the research I put together supported my argument. Again, I bring up my second project. In this project I formed many different genres that could be used in the media. One specifically is the satire. I find satires all the time on YouTube, or in the comic strip in the newspaper. Satires are usually made for the media to show to the public. Below is my version of a satire. In my satire I used a picture that is popular in the media. This makes my satire easier to integrate into the media. My flyer is also could be used for media purposes. Flyers are typically used for advertising. My flyer advertises de-tripling and how to do it. It is easy for people to find the information they need on a flyer. In my hallway there is always at least 25 flyers up. The flyers are usually advertising an event, or procedures. Media means a way of communicating. My flyer communicates the procedure of de-tripling to current students. Throughout the semester I have worked with several different groups. I was put into groups for literature circles, peer reviews, and small poster projects. The one I found most helpful with my writing was the peer review. We had an entire class to sit and read each other’s work.
 * Goal A. Students will be able to compose for particular audiences and purposes.**
 * Goal B. Students will be able to compose using language and conventions appropriate to genre.**
 * Goal C. Students will be able to read, select, and use evidence critically to formulate and support arguments.**
 * D. Students will be able to interpret and compose in a variety of media and print/ non-print genres.**
 * E. Students will be able to discuss and apply appropriate writing processes both individually and in collaborative contexts.**

Part of reviewing process was to read aloud each other’s work. We did this to find simple grammar and spelling mistakes. I found most helpful though when people suggested to change one of my sentences around or contributed their own writing style. I love to see other people’s writing styles. If I see a way they write, I will adopt that form into my own writing. This furthered my writing, by giving me new ideas. By myself I would reflect on a project I was about to turn in. I was given a sheet of paper with a section meant for reflection. This gave me a chance to look at my work and see what i was doing right or if i was doing something wrong. The reflection helped the most when I was unsure about how well I did on a project. This gave me the chance to look over what I had done. Occasionally, I would realize that a specific part of my project was done well. At other times, I would look back a realize I did that part poorly. I remembered these moments, so when I did my next project I would make sure not to do the same mistakes I made on my first project. I believe that all five of Foundations of College Writing goals were met by the examples I have given. With each accomplished goal came a new skill that has benefitted my writing.