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Final Reflections Journal

The student discusses their experience in an English course and how it helped them improve their writing skills through various projects that addressed different Student Learning Outcomes. The student found that each project allowed them to grow, from an initial media review project where they gained confidence discussing a favorite movie, to a research project where they became invested in learning about their topic, and finally a research paper where workshop feedback helped them tackle the large project incrementally. By the end, the student felt they had become a stronger writer equipped to take on future challenges.

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28 views3 pages

Final Reflections Journal

The student discusses their experience in an English course and how it helped them improve their writing skills through various projects that addressed different Student Learning Outcomes. The student found that each project allowed them to grow, from an initial media review project where they gained confidence discussing a favorite movie, to a research project where they became invested in learning about their topic, and finally a research paper where workshop feedback helped them tackle the large project incrementally. By the end, the student felt they had become a stronger writer equipped to take on future challenges.

Uploaded by

api-697411881
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MEMORANDUM

To: Professor Bonner


From: Leah Gautreau
Date: 12/3/2023
Subject: CORE writing Student Learning Outcomes

At the beginning of the semester, I had not taken an English course in many years. I

worried how my journey through this English 1120 would go. Though there were many twists

and turns, I found myself slowly understanding and utilizing the various Student Learning

Outcomes. Each project allowed me the space to work through and experience various genres,

platforms, writing styles, etc., all while leaving room for critique and reflection. Now, at the end

of this particular road, I intend on taking these new skills and using them in future classes and

other endeavors in my life.

During the course of this semester, three major projects attributed to the growth of my

writing and analytical skills. They were their own mountains with different challenges to

climbing them. Where do I start? How do I know if I’m on the right track? What if I make a

bunch of mistakes along the way? I found my answers in different ways throughout each project.

The first project felt intimidating as it was the first mountain to climb. The starting line seemed

impossible to find. Yet at the very start with the “Media We Long to Long & Love to Hate”

discussion board, I soon found that I was already walking up a path on the mountain. By looking

around and seeing the media I already enjoyed and just having a free space to talk about them I

was able to understand what was easy to discuss and what I wasn’t very knowledgeable on.

This gave me a great jumping point into picking “Clue” a movie I suddenly found a lot of

passion in discussing. I wanted to find a way to show many people my joy of said movie and

even took the time to rewatch it so I could fully immerse myself back into the feelings I had that
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made me want to recommend it to everyone. I found myself thinking “how can I make others see

this movie the way I see it?” Reading and watching various other reviews gave me different

perspectives on how people may present something they enjoy to others. Thinking on the parts

that persuaded myself into wanting to watch those recommendations, I eagerly went to work on

my own Pecha Kucha review. By the end of it, I felt I proud I had created a fun and interesting

review to persuade anyone to give the movie a chance. I felt very empowered.

But the thrill of being on top of the first mountain led to the disappointment that there

was a bigger mountain right after it. It took me a bit to realize that Project 2 was really just a

great tool for preparing me for my research paper. Thinking about things that I cared about and

wanted to express to the world, led to me finding my research topic, and from there finding

various articles on my research topics was fascinating. I found myself actually reading more than

the required articles because I was fully invested into the topic of decluttering. Taking the time to

reflect on what was important to me and my future audience had me invested in really analyzing

what I was reading and how it would impact my research paper.

Which led to the final mountain to climb. The research paper was the hardest mountain to

climb of all. Not having a more scientific background, I feared I wouldn’t be able to write in a

way that was easily understood but also educated and informed my reader. Each workshop

though, worked bit by bit to help build my confidence. It broke down what felt like a giant

mountain into sections and pieces that were more manageable. By taking on one part at a time, it

was easier to reach the next portion of the paper which then made it easier to reach the next part

until ultimately, I finished it up and submitted it to peer review. Reading the thoughtful posts by

my classmates solidified that I was moving in the right direction and that I had all the pieces I

needed to finish up my project.


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Now, at the top of the final mountain I have found that I’ve become stronger with each

climb. There are more mountains on the horizon, but it’s not as daunting as it was in the

beginning. I’ve learned to take it step by step. If I am thoughtful of where and how I am going,

and if I allow others to help along the way, eventually I will see a new and stunning view from

atop the next mountain.

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