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Susan Nichols
9 December 2010
Looking Back
These include the Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical Analysis, the Researched Argument, the
Visual Essay, and the Collaborative Project. With each project, I gained the ability to plan,
execute, and revise prose. My portfolio demonstrates this because each project of mine is
organized and well thought out. My arguments are sensible and well structured. I use cited
material, proving that I have researched my topic, particularly pointing to the fact that I have
become better at planning prose. Obviously, my portfolio demonstrates the fact that I can execute
prose because I have completed all the projects. Adding to that though, I have not just completed
the five assignments, but I have done so in a thorough manner. My arguments make sense and
engage the audience and reader. Even clearer in my portfolio than my ability to plan and execute
prose, is my ability to revise prose. Each piece has been modified from my original submission
of the assignment. I took careful note of Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin¶s comments on the
Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical Analysis, the Researched Argument, and the Visual Essay.
(The Collaborative Project has not yet been graded). From there, I revised each piece to
I believe that these abilities of mine as well as my process-oriented composition skills are
especially evident in the Researched Argument. I could not just begin writing as soon as the
assignment was given. I had to attentively choose a topic that not only I was interested in but
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also was narrow enough so that I could obtain the correct amount of research and compose a
valid, specific argument. Dr. Erin taught me and the rest of my class to make a topic and interests
³T-chart´ in order to assist me and my peers on picking topics for the assignment. The process
then moved onward. I had to complete a Research Proposal and an Annotated Bibliography.
Both of these projects aided me in gathering sources and physically researching my argument;
they helped me plan out my Researched Argument. The actual researching proved to be part of
planning and executing my paper. It seemed to be the most important part. Then I had to put it all
together in an organized fashion while voicing my own opinion and adding my own
commentary. Revising the prose seemed to be a significant chunk of my project as well. Not only
did I write, rewrite, and create multiple drafts before submitting the Researched Argument, but I
also completed a revision after that. It proved to me that the writing process is seemingly on
composition skills. I am much more patient with the writing process and know that it is indeed a
process. Dr. Erin has also promoted getting a jump-start on projects and not procrastinating. This
is definitely a skill I will hopefully possess going forward. My improvement and near mastery of
these skills are ultimately reflected in my portfolio. I have made strong revisions to my already
planned out and visibly executed pieces. The fact that writing is like a compilation of many
different steps is clear in my portfolio because I combine research in the forms of summaries,
paraphrases, and quotes and my own analysis all in a logical, precise format.
As stated earlier, there were five major assignments in this course. Each had a specific
aim. The first one was the Technology Narrative. The purpose of this paper was to contemplate
and determine the relationship between my life, lifestyle, and experiences with some sort of
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technology. I had to figure out how my past life events have sculpted my feelings and attitudes
maintain my relationships. Based on the separation from my family, boyfriend, and friends I
have experienced since coming to college, I have come to develop a greater appreciation for
digital technology such as cell phones, video chatting, and Facebook. I reflected on my
dependence on technology through vivid details and explanations of how I each use medium of
technology through my day, successfully mastering the intended outcomes of this assignment.
The goal of the second assignment, the Rhetorical Analysis, was to assess two articles
based on rhetorical concepts. I had to decide if the publishers of = should include
the articles to teach the use of classical rhetorical principles. After my research and evaluation of
the rhetorical principles used in two articles written by Andrew Keen and Lawrence Lessig about
technology, I decided that both should be included in = . I concluded that Keen
effectively used ethos, logos, and pathos to argue against an increase in technology while Lessig
argued for it successfully using the same three rhetorical principles. Using material from the two
articles, I showed readers how each other used ethos, logos, and pathos to form their point. I
think direct quotes paired with my analysis especially helped me draw my conclusion and in turn
The third assignment was the Researched Argument. The point of this paper was to not
only create an interesting research topic that involved a theme from the course, but to also
develop a clear, logical argument with a explicit audience by incorporating specific examples,
evidence, and analysis. This piece was also designed to teach me and my class to foresee and
reply to counterarguments. I believe I was able to do this well. I researched cyberbullying and
the best solution to the problem because I was interested in the topic mainly since I have younger
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siblings that I want to protect. By researching through books and articles in online databases, I
was able to answer this question all while rebuking the fact that others thought laws and physical
education classes were the best solution to the problem of cyberbullying. My own analysis in
addition to real cases and specific suggestions of how administrators can be come educated on
the topic and then pass their knowledge on to students and parents allowed me to create a valid
The fourth assignment, the Visual Essay, was different than the previous three. The
purpose was to design an argument in a visual manner such as a slideshow or video. I had to
incorporate research with images to get my point across. I believe I was pretty creative with this
project. I argued for indoor tanning laws using images mainly of the effects of this practice along
with an overall theme of the sun and many statistics to persuade my audience. This was a unique
way to present an argument and it was the first time I ever completed a visual essay. However, I
think I did master the outcomes of the fourth assignment. I did effectively demonstrate the need
The final assignment was the Collaborative Project. This served as the final exam in the
class. Basically, my class and I had to compile everything we have learned this semester into one
project so the project had many goals. My class had to display our capability to ask critical
questions relating to themes we have discussed in the course, create a narrow, specific audience,
research, compile evidence, analyze the material we collected, and use design elements like
images and music all in an organized method. I think the Collaborative Project carries out all
these goals. My class and I formed our argument using a video paired with statistics to argue that
a Notre Dame student cannot be successful without technology. It was interesting to work with
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so many people as well as create an argument using a visual medium again. The scenes we
created though as well as the statistics convey our research and our analysis that supports our
thesis. Although it was difficult, my class and I did show our mastery of the outcomes of this
assignment.
As the course progressed and as each next project was assigned, I learned something new
and focused on mastering a new element of writing. Each assignment built on one another,
adding up to the final assignment, the Collaborative Project, where my class and I had to
combine all our knowledge. As explained earlier, each assignment had a different purpose.
However, with each new purpose that I had to focus on, I also had to carry over what I learned
and focused on in the previous assignment(s). So for example, one thing I learned from the
Technology Narrative was to create vivid, detailed arguments by showing not telling. I had to do
the same thing in the Rhetorical Analysis while also focusing on the importance of rhetorical
All these assignments and this portfolio as a whole demonstrate my critical research,
reading, writing, and thinking skills. For all of the assignments in this course, I had to
incorporate most, if not all, of these skills. The Researched Argument, the Visual Essay, and the
Collaborative Project explicitly involved critical research skills. I was required to analyze texts to
strengthen my argument and provide evidence. I had to find credible sources and decide which
information to include in my paper from the different articles and books. These three projects in
addition to the Rhetorical Analysis honed my reading skills. I either had to read articles that
have developed the ability to read more carefully and to pick up on the important parts of the
texts. Ultimately, research and critical reading played a significant role in these assignments.
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Without them, I would not have been able to execute prose and form my point. All of the
assignments included writing and thinking skills. In my papers and arguments I had to balance
text and images and more specifically cited material with my own analysis. It was important that
I thought about my argument beforehand and planned it out so that my project was organized and
sensible. As a whole, my writing was analytical. I could not just compile evidence. I could not
just write a research report. I had to make a valid case by analyzing my cited material and draw
technology, the effects of ethos, logos, and pathos, the best solution to cyberbullying, the need
for indoor tanning laws, and the fact that Notre Dame students cannot be successful without
technology.
Each of my projects dealt with topics involving technology, either technology in my life,
the need to increase or decrease technology, bullying via technology, presenting an argument
using technology, and deciding if a Notre Dame student can be successful without technology.
For the most part, I used written texts including actual books and articles from online databases
to form my argument. To present my argument, I mainly used text and just a standard MLA
format. However, for the Visual Essay I compiled my evidence and analysis into a slideshow and
for the Collaborative Project my class and I chose to convey our point through a movie including
illustrates that I am able to compose a variety of texts. Obviously I have the ability to
successfully execute print-based texts seen through the Technology Narrative, the Rhetorical
Analysis, and the Researched Argument. All three of these projects were traditional papers
structured with paragraphs and put in MLA format. However, I also experimented with new
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media texts like slideshows and videos through the Visual Essay and the Collaborative Project.
This was new and different for me, and it was a good learning experience because it was
something I had never done before so it allowed me to develop a new skill. In the Visual Essay, I
created a slideshow using PowerPoint to compile images and text in order to argue for indoor
tanning laws. This was harder than I anticipated because I had to make sure it was organized,
easy to follow, appealing to the eye, creative, and well designed. For the Collaborative Project,
my class and I created a movie to answer our research question. I will definitely be using my
For all of my classes at Notre Dame and any schooling I choose to pursue in the future, I
will have to write papers. I will have to manage time on my own, create my own timeline, gather
research, read, and write. All these skills I have gained through this course and each individual
assignment, I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have become a much stronger and more
confident writer and this will serve me well in all subject areas and with any type of writing. This
will also help me in my more distant future as well. I will have to compose some sort of paper
whatever career path I choose. The newer media texts will also be effective in my future. I am
sure I will have to compose some sort of PowerPoint or movie presentation in a business class
for example or any other class for that matter here at this university. I can even see myself
having to create visual presentations for business proposals once I graduate. I cannot say I enjoy
writing or filming on my own time really. However, this class has given me a broader mindset
and taught me to think more critically, which will help me in day to day activities such as
reading the newspaper or simply conversing. Each and every skill I have attained through this
By and large, I am most proud of the Researched Argument. I put so much work into it
and it was one of the more time consuming assignments. I was nervous about it because there
were so many parts to the project and was just overwhelmed when it was assigned. I took it step
by step, truly proving that writing is a process, and was able to successfully complete it and
prove my point that the best solution to cyberbullying is education of school administrators along
with increased discussion and awareness. I think it highlights my strengths and growth as a
writer because not only does it demonstrate my ability to think, research, and read well but it
shows that I can write and put it all together in a way that actually makes sense. I have a narrow,
specific, audience and thesis and support it with evidence. I balance the evidence with my own
analysis though, strengthening my argument. This paper reveals that I understand the steps to
writing and how to effectively put it together. All in all though, I am proud of each aspect of my
portfolio. I have incorporated all the skills learned this semester in the First-Year Composition