Throughout this semester I have been challenged with working with Student Learning Outcomes while writing it different styles. Student learning outcomes are somewhat like goals that and set for a course that need to be covered and worked on. During the course of the semester I wrote: three sequences, six short writing assignments, and three major writing assignments. The goal of these assignments was to expand my knowledge of the student learning outcomes. And they definitely did, whenever we were reflecting on the SLOs I would think back to my writing or my writing process and see how much the SLOs were a part of them. Below I've listed the SLOs C, E, F, G, I, and J these are the SLOs that I feel were the best and the worst for me in terms of writing.
Slo C: SLO C talks about the multiple approaches that you can take while writing along with incorporating any feedback you receive. This SLO was used over and over again during the course of the semester. Each writing assignment challenged me to take a different approach to the piece. Whether it was to persuade or to inform or even just to summarize; each way takes a different style and mindset that has to be taken into account before, during, and after the writing process. Because this was a class there was always some sort of feedback given to me on how it could have been better. My traditional revision was all about this specific SLO. When I was revising it I took into account all of the feed back that I was given. Not only that I added some things that I felt would make the paper a little bit stronger. One thing I did specifically was that I explained what ethos and pathos were earlier in the paper. I did this because I mentioned them, and before the revision I didn't explain what they were until later in the paper; which could lead to questions and confusion on the topics. But this SLO doesn't only have to do with writing, it can be for anything. Recently someone I knew had to be evaluated for her job, the evaluation came with suggestions, with those suggestions she can make herself better in the workplace which could lead to a better evaluation next time and maybe even a promotion.
Slo E: SLO E mainly talks about the understanding the importance of using various types of languages with a piece of writing. Like mentioned before different genres of writing require different types of languages. If you are writing in a journal you may not need perfect structure or good use of grammar. These things don't matter to the audience, which is yourself. In a research paper of course all of that matters, you want to seem educated and that you have at least some understanding of the topic you are writing about. My genre revision took ideas from SLO E. Because different genres use different languages, it would only seem logical that a genre revision would need the use of different languages. I turned my research paper into a PowerPoint presentation for this revision. I did this because it would be much easier and more beneficial to an audience to hear a presentation and read very little compared to reading a long research paper on my topic. The topic I chose was substitute careers that work with animals that require less schooling than a veterinarian. The language was changed so that it appealed to anyone rather than the more intellectual person that would read a research paper. Because PowerPoints are less formal I didn't have to necessarily use educated language and I could even leave things out because you just want the important points. SLO E can be used in a variety of settings on thing is the language difference between a text message and a research paper. If you were texting a friend you wouldn't ever worry about spelling things wrong or not having a structure to it, its very very informal. On the other hand a research paper needs to be a perfect as you can get it. You need good structure and good grammar and good information. All of those that don't seem to matter when you are talking with a friend, it is a free for all in terms of writing.
Slo F: SLO F deals with the reflecting you do as a writing before, during, and after the writing process. Reflecting is very important when writing. This is a technique that if done correctly can lead to great pieces of writing. When you reflect you can see mistakes you made or how you can make something better. My genre revision was all about me reflecting on ideas. I read this long research paper and asked myself how could I make it different or better. The thought of making a PowerPoint rushed into my head. PowerPoint presentations are a good way to take lots of information and condense it down into something that can be easier to present. I had to think about what I could do and what information I needed to put into the presentation to make it a successful presentation and successful revision. I also reflected on the audience I needed to capture with the revision, I didn't want to stick with the intellectual audience, I wanted anyone to take something away from this presentation. Reflecting is another tool that is useful outside of writing. Studying is a type of reflecting that some people might not think about. If you study a subject you've already heard of or studied you are reflecting on everything. You are going over again some of the concepts that needed to be refreshed or just clarified. If it something that you haven't really heard of you may need to reflect on past things to try and connect them to whatever new topic you're trying to grasp now. In a way life is all about reflecting, reflections about anything.
Slo G: SLO G is something a little bit more personal in that it talks about using writing and research as a means of discovery and broadening your own beliefs. My traditional revision was a good way to practice this SLO. Because I was analyzing something I needed to be very descriptive along with analyzing everything I needed to. This paper not only opened my eyes to the topic on which I was writing it also helped me gave me a new perspective on how to write a certain genre. With a rhetorical analysis or any analysis I learned that you really need to explain things thoroughly so that a person reading it can get the best information. Before revising I made the claim that a certain car company's claim was supported by their history; then I just moved on with the paper. I didn't tell you anything more that would make you believe that claim. After revising it I put in more information that would help my claim about their claim. This helped me realize that you really cannot make a claim without substantial evidence. I discovered how it can weaken a paper and an argument. Research is not only used to write a paper on. Like I just said an argument or belief can be very weak without proper facts and evidence. Researching anything helps you argue but it also just makes you seem more of an educated person cause you acquired your own facts without the use of others.
Slo I: This SLO talks about making a research based academic argument. My research paper and the revision used much of what SLO I talks about. I used multiple sources for those pieces which helped me develop my own credibility for writing on the topic. Not only was I credible but I was also using credible sources. Sources were definitely helpful with these pieces because my topic was something that if a paper was written without them it would fall flat on its face. All the sources I used gave me the information I needed when it came to careers that work with animals. Not only did I use these sources for my paper but I also used the same sources and information for the new PowerPoint. The example I used for SLO G can also be used to explain SLO I. If you research something and gain the knowledge on the subject you look like a credible person that is "allowed" or even should talk about the topic. Credibility is something very important that any person can use having. It can also make you sort of a role model or mentor because you have extensive knowledge on the subject.
Slo J: SLO J is a little different than the others in that it challenges you to write like someone in a academic field. My rhetorical analysis and traditional revision are what I practiced this subject on. Because I was talking about rhetorical devices and how an article and commercial used them I need to be very educated on the devices themselves along with their uses. For those papers I needed to sound like I knew what I was talking about and that I could spot them being used in something other than an in class example. I needed to show real world knowledge. Along with understanding how to spot them I also needed to analyze why the creator used or didn't use them. I couldn't just ask the person why they were or weren't used I needed to ask myself. If I didn't know what they were or how they could be used I wouldn't have a paper to write. As a college student you need to take the initiative to think of some topics as an academic person would think of them. Especially in the math or science fields. Its hard to make simplistic versions of very complex topics so thinking about them as someone who has extensive knowledge will help you greatly.
English 102 has challenged me in many many ways but it has also strengthened me as a writer and as a person. I have learned how to write in different styles that I haven't had to before. But it also challenged me to dig into my own ideals and beliefs to change who I am. I learned that researching something and being knowledgeable is so much better than just making something up. I also have so much more confidence in the level of my writing. I know that the concepts I've learned this semester will greatly benefit me in the long run!