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Bonnie Butler
Shanna Killeen
WRIT 2: Cover Letter
June 9th, 2024

Dear Shanna,

In this writing course, I had to complete two major projects, both involving a reflective

piece and a translation. Throughout this process, I had to really think about my goals in writing.

To be quite honest, I really didn't have any at first. English was never my strongest subject. I was

always behind in reading, writing, spelling, and grammar. English is my second language, and

Spanish is my first. In High School I found it discouraging to be that good in writing. There's so

many steps to writing that I find it really overwhelming and not fun to do whatsoever. Coming

into this college course with the mindset I had, I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect other

than a harsh class based on what my English teacher in high school would tell students. I always

wanted to be a good writer, not necessarily a great one. But I never thought I had the ability or

the right intellect to do so. Which is misguided because I learned that anyone can be a writer;

they just have to write. This course helped me realize that.

Throughout the quarter, I discovered that writing is more about expression and less about

perfection. The free writing activities we did in class significantly enhanced my writing. These

exercises provided me with the freedom to write without the fear of being judged or graded

harshly, which helped build my confidence. The various activities to help what we were currently
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working on. What we participated in, such as reading sample essays and translations, were

incredibly beneficial. These samples provide clear examples to emulate and learn from, which

was crucial for my projects.

One of the most impactful aspects of this course was the exploration of different writing

styles. The TED Talk: Jamila Lyiscott-3 Ways to Speak English and Article by Ashanti Young's

"Should Writers Use They English" we studied emphasized that writing should not be confined

to one specific style. This idea resonated with me, especially as someone who is bilingual.

Learning about code-switching and its effects on our communication was enlightening. It made

me more aware of how I use language and how it influences my writing and conversations. I

particularly enjoyed the Reddit posts we read and the assignment to recreate one based on “Am I

the A**hole Here For…”. This activity was not only fun but also engaging. I feel that when you

incorporate fun and engaging activities for students, they will have a more comfortable and

enjoyable experience in a writing class. This course did an excellent job of making writing feel

less like a chore and more like a creative process.

Peer reviews played a vital role in my understanding of effective translation and

reflection. They helped me see if my translation accurately corresponded to my reflective essay,

ensuring coherence and clarity. The implemented participation assignments and activities, like

the reflective essay dos and don'ts, helped students understand what they should include and not

include in their reflection pieces. Journals helped break down the projects and reflect on what we

were doing and what we were incorporating into our translation and reflective pieces, allowing

us to broaden our creative thinking beyond academic writing and more into free writing.
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The "Starting Line" book was a valuable resource for finding various translation and

reflection pieces to refer back to for our projects. Annotating essays to identify essential

elements was another helpful practice. These tools and activities made me feel comfortable with

the class materials and practical exercises.

I remember at the beginning of the quarter, you asked us what our main goals were for

this class and what we looked forward to gaining from it. I remember saying that my primary

goal was to feel confident in my writing and improve my grammatical skills. I believe I have

fulfilled this goal. Additionally, I discovered that I am a more sophisticated writer than I initially

thought. When it came to reflective essays, I enjoyed being an opinionated writer and using my

unique writing style. This course provided me with an open field to experiment with my words

and write freely about topics I am passionate about.

Reflecting on my portfolio, I revised my Writing Project 1 (WP1) by focusing on specific

issues related to content, organization, language, style, mechanics, and syntax. For WP1, I

changed the format because it was not in MLA format. I read all the revision questions and found

that I didn't need to change much in terms of content, but I did make several punctuation and

grammatical corrections while also revising the citations I used as references.

For Writing Project 2 (WP2), I looked it over and applied the prompt questions to see if I

was missing anything and if I should add anything. I changed a couple of grammatical errors, but

overall, I completed it based on the prompt. Additionally, the activity that involved creating a
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bad website to show and point out what makes a bad website was instrumental when making our

portfolio project. This hands-on approach to understanding design and content quality was both

practical and informative.

Several readings also significantly influenced my learning and writing style. Kevin

Roozen’s “Writing is Linked to Identity” highlighted the deep connection between writing and

personal identity, which helped me understand how my background and experiences shape my

writing. Ann M. Johns, in “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership,

Conflict, and Diversity,” provided insights into how writing varies across different communities

and contexts, which was crucial for my translation work. Rachel Donegan’s “The Rhetorical

Possibilities of Accessibility” and Tony Scott’s “Writing Enacts and Creates Identities and

Ideologies” further expanded my understanding of how writing can be both inclusive and

powerful in expressing diverse perspectives.

Through the process of writing and revising the WPs this quarter, I have learned a great

deal. The free writing activities we did in class significantly enhanced my writing skills. These

exercises allowed me to practice and improve without the pressure of perfection. The various

activities we participated in, such as class discussions and peer reviews, were incredibly

beneficial. Reading sample essays and translations provided me with clear examples to emulate

and learn from, which was crucial for my projects.

One of the most impactful aspects of this course was the exploration of different writing

styles. The Ted Talk and blog post we studied emphasized that writing should not be confined to
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one specific style. This idea resonated with me, especially as someone who is bilingual. Learning

about code-switching and its effects on our communication was enlightening. It made me more

aware of how I use language and how it influences my writing and conversations.

Peer reviews played a vital role in my understanding of effective translation and

reflection. They helped me see if my translation accurately corresponded to my reflective essay,

ensuring coherence and clarity. Reading Richard Straub’s “Responding—Really Responding—to

Other Students' Writing” significantly enhanced the quality and effectiveness of my peer reviews

in class. Straub's emphasis on providing balanced and constructive feedback helped me approach

my peers' work with a more thoughtful and analytical mindset. Instead of giving superficial

comments, I learned to engage deeply with the content, asking questions, and offering specific

suggestions for improvement. Straub’s guidelines encouraged me to acknowledge the strengths

in my peers' writing while also providing actionable advice for areas that needed enhancement.

This approach not only made my feedback more valuable to my classmates but also helped me

develop a critical eye for my own writing. Overall, Straub’s insights fostered a more

collaborative and supportive peer review process, benefiting everyone involved.The "Starting

Line" book was a valuable resource for finding various translation and reflection pieces to refer

back to for our projects. Annotating essays to identify essential elements was another helpful

practice. These tools and activities made me feel comfortable with the class materials and

practical exercises.

At the beginning of the quarter, you asked us about our main goals for this class and what

we hoped to gain from it. I remember saying that my primary goal was to feel confident in my
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writing and improve my grammatical skills. I believe I have fulfilled this goal. Additionally, I

discovered that I am a more sophisticated writer than I initially thought. When it came to

reflective essays, I enjoyed being an opinionated writer and using my unique writing style. This

course provided me with an open field to experiment with my words and write freely about

topics I am passionate about.

Reflecting on my portfolio, I revised my WPs by focusing on specific issues related to

content, organization, language, style, mechanics, and syntax. I made conscious choices to

express my individuality and creativity as a writer. The feedback I received was instrumental in

guiding these revisions. What I like most about my work in this portfolio is the authenticity and

personal voice I was able to maintain throughout my writing. I would still like to improve my

grammatical precision and explore more complex writing structures.

This portfolio reflects the growth I have experienced this quarter. I have become more

confident and versatile as a writer. The strongest feature of my writing now is my ability to

convey my thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively while maintaining my unique voice.

Moving forward, I will take the lessons learned in this course and apply them to new writing

projects. I feel better equipped to tackle different writing styles and topics, and I am more

confident in my abilities. This class has not only improved my writing skills but also changed the

way I approach writing.

Warmly, Bonnie Butler

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MLA citations (Work Cited):

1. Lyiscott, Jamila. “3 Ways to Speak English.” TED, TED Conferences, 2014,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9fmJ5xQ_mc.

2. Young, Vershawn Ashanti. “Should Writers Use They Own English?” Iowa Journal of Cultural
Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2010, pp. 110-117,
ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1384&context=ijcs.

3. Straub, Richard. “Responding—Really Responding—to Other Students' Writing.” The

Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 3, Summer 2000, pp. 21-24, nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/298.

4. Roozen, Kevin. “Writing is Linked to Identity.” Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts
of Writing Studies, edited by Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle, Utah State UP, 2015,
pp. 50-52.

5. Johns, Ann M. “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict,

and Diversity.” Writing about Writing: A College Reader, edited by Elizabeth Wardle and Doug
Downs, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011, pp. 500-521.

6. Donegan, Rachel. “The Rhetorical Possibilities of Accessibility.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 38,
no. 4, 2019, pp. 444-457, doi:10.1080/07350198.2019.1665377.

7. Scott, Tony. “Writing Enacts and Creates Identities and Ideologies.” Naming What We Know:
Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies, edited by Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle,
Utah State UP, 2015, pp. 48-49.