Eric Jagielo

Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin

First Year Composition

December 6, 2010
First Year Composition: Look Throughout My Year
Throughout the year my First Year Composition class has allowed me to

utilize many skills necessary in order to succeed in writing. My portfolio

demonstrates my ability to plan, execute, and revise prose by first planning. Each

paper took time to first read articles or brainstorm ideas to write about with the

main theme of technology. This then allowed me to format an outline to then

execute. Each paper was executed due to the preparation about the topic. The

execution was done to the best of my ability and demonstrates multiple revisions,

which allowed me to write the best paper I am capable of doing. After the execution

I turned in my best writing for that specific type and topic of paper. From this my

process-oriented composition skills are evident by the organization of the papers.

In each paper I strategically placed certain parts of the articles or arguments to

allow the audience to connect to what I am saying. I have mastered this skill to

allow me to strongly write by learning knew techniques of summarizing, note taking

on and analyzing articles and how to connect to my audience in the best way

possible. In each of these papers, my mastery is reflected through comparing how

people use different techniques to persuade people. I have mastered each of the

ideas about by being able to plan better and come up with better ideas, which

allowed me to find better sources and integrate more powerful arguments to make

my execution even better. Once I done all this, my writing has been at a higher level
then ever before. This course has benefitted me in many ways especially with

learning how to base each paper off a main theme of technology.

The purpose of each of the major assignments was to bring in how the

evolution of technology is affecting the way people live and connecting technology

in some way in each paper. Each assignment built on one another by first we saw

how each student, my life was affected by technology then we looked at how other

people thought about technology or used it. These assignments led us to a do

research on specific topic that we found interesting to ourselves and see how

technology has impacted that specific topic. Then the last two assignments allowed

us to use technology in order to show and strengthen our argument. My writing

reflects my mastery of each subject I learned about from simply being able to write

the paper with knowledge and bring in sources and examples and analyze them

which made my paper stronger and more persuasive.

This portfolio demonstrates my critical research, reading and writing skills

by the sources that were used in each of the papers. The sources allowed me to

analyze the article and take ideas that I felt were best to prove my argument and

make my paper more credible. The portfolio demonstrates my thinking skills by

having me be able to some how incorporate technology into each of my papers.

Each paper had to be organized first with the idea then how I was going to use

technology with that idea. The types of analytical writings that are presented are

the research paper, rhetorical analysis and visual essay. Each of the three papers I

had to read articles or look up information online and analyze it to find out which

parts I would use to strengthen the paper. The role of research and critical reading
developed me into a much better writer throughout the year. Both of these skills

allowed me to have a better understanding of what I the subject I was talking about

and also allowed me to integrate others peoples ideas that I thought were important

into my paper.

This portfolio demonstrates my ability to compose a variety of “texts,” from

this course I was exposed to and had to do both print-based and new media texts.

From this course I am able to use both types of text whether I feel one is more

persuasive or will give me a stronger argument. I foresee myself applying these

different types of “texts” in all different environments. In the business world I will

have to give presentations whether its power points or write a research paper on

something within the company or what other companies are doing. At school I will

have more papers on various topics and also presentations. I can use media texts in

my own time by making a movie of my friends and I if its memories, a trip, or if I feel

like I need to make a movie to inform people about a topic makes me want to make a

change or help a cause.

My project I am most proud of is my visual essay. This is because I have an

interest in this topic, I feel compassionate about it and want to make a change in the

world with this subject. This project shows my strengths from the research I have

done with it to find the most compelling photos to make show the problem in the

specific areas that need help. I feel it is the most persuasive and when I show people

the project they can connect to how strongly I feel about the topic. Not only is it my

best but it was one of the last projects we did so throughout the whole year I was
grew as a writer and was able to become a stronger writer, better reader, and more

critical researcher.