Coniglio+Portfolio

Foundations of College Writing Dr. Sherry Portfolio Synthesis Letter Kate Coniglio

Throughout my Foundations of College Writing course this semester, my class has been working to achieve the five goals set in front of us towards the beginning of the semester. For my portfolio I will provide examples of how I personally have achieved these goals through three projects: CLUE, in which I conducted research to show the difference in college experience between deaf/hard of hearing students and hearing students; EAR, in which I took that research and broadcasted it in different genres to different audiences; and TELL, in which I wrote a personal narrative about how I predict my past and present experiences are going to affect my future.


 * Goal A. Students will be able to compose for particular audiences and purposes.**

My research paper’s topic was hard to conduct research for but it was a topic I cared about so that was a driving force behind the idea the entire fabrication of the paper. Once I had the research, however, I wanted to share what I had learned with a larger audience than just my class. To do that I had to convey the information on many different genres so it would be seen as relevant to many diverse audiences. One of these audiences was a deaf student to a potential employer. The research I conducted helped me to understand deaf students better and how they would go about representing themselves in the work force.



Through this medium, I would be able to use it as a model resume for others to see how deaf/hard of hearing employees are really just as capable as any other employee. A resume showing all their accomplishments despite their impairment is very helpful for them in finding a job.

The second audience I chose was a professor addressing a deaf/hard of hearing student about his/her grades through a professional letter. In this medium, it's easy to see how a professional letter should look, and the standard goes both ways in the fact that a student should address a professor in the same way.




 * Goal B. Students will be able to compose using language and conventions appropriate to genre. **

This goal is something I learned a lot about this semester. When addressing a fellow student, you use different language than if you were to talk to a professor. When writing, you use different conventions and mediums depending on whom you are speaking to. A professional letter makes sense for addressing a professor, but is unnecessary when contacting a friend. I demonstrated both of these extremes in my EAR project by addressing both fellow students in a poster medium which was more laid back, and by addressing the professor with a professional letter as mentioned in Goal A.


 * Goal C. Students will be able to read, select, and use evidence critically to formulate and support arguments. **

I didn't do so much reading as I did interviewing for my research project, but the same thing applies. I had to select what parts of the interviews I wanted to include and how I wanted to include them. They served as evidence to the other research I did, but I honestly found the interviews more interesting and more worth my time than somebody else's study because I got to witness first-hand the way people reacted about a topic. I also learned a lot based on their answers to my questions. I think that the research I did through the interviews really did help to support my arguments and I found it much more interesting than a statistic in an academic journal because I was living the research.


 * Goal D. Students will be able to interpret and compose in a variety of media and print/ non-print genres. **

Through using different mediums I was able to complete this goal. I used the research I had cultivated to show to a multitude of different genres of people how it is different for a deaf/hard of hearing student to experience college. Using my skills developed through completing Goal B, I was able to come up with different mediums that fit for each genre. Here are just some of the examples, explained in my EAR project rough draft.

Coniglio Ear Rough Draft


 * Goal E.** ** Students will be able to discuss and apply appropriate writing processes both individually and in collaborative contexts. **

I will be honest when I say this is a goal I did not get much practice with. I did use peer review when it came to my CLUE project, but since I missed many classes this semester due to illness, I did not get the chance to have peers review my TELL draft. The peer review process did really help me in my CLUE project, however. I got some really great feedback from both my classmates and Dr. Sherry himself. I took the commentary and criticism I was given for my draft:



and I ended up changing some things that I hadn't noticed on my own reading of my project. Sometimes when you're writing, you overlook things, and the peer review process really helps unearth those minor detail flaws.



All in all, this course has helped not only my understanding of different mediums and genres and the appropriate time to use them, but bettered my writing as a whole. I feel as if I have accomplished these goals throughout the semester, and I can't wait to put the skills I have learned into practice in my future classes.