Benjamin S. Reid

Ms. Ingram

UWRT 1103

12/9/2015

The Last Piece

Organization Analysis

My e-Portfolio is designed in a way where it is attractive to the eyes but still holds the

value of the works implemented. When presenting a project, I try not to be too flashy and take

away from the content. My home page has a few pictures and a statement to introduce myself

before delving into my e-portfolio. I then have separate headings with the title of its content on

its button. I like using the headings because they are easy to see, navigate, and tell you exactly

what you will see when opened. One tab is compiled of multiple sub tabs and is compiled of

other works. The overall theme of my e-portfolio is the beach because it reminds me of good

times with even better friends and puts a light mood on the project.

The Portfolio

The e-portfolio contributed to my learning experience because I able to be creative in any

way I wanted and write about anything I wanted. In high school I had an issue when the

instructions for a piece of work wasn’t very straight forward. But now after starting my e-

portfolio I have been able to come out of my comfort zone and use my own brain and will to

make my work the way I want it to be. I feel that my works have been beneficial to me and made

me a better writer.

FPE

The FPE, relative to this project, is probably the most important piece of work. Within

this paper I express my experiences, skills, and general information about my e-portfolio which

will be helpful when viewing. The FPE is what ties up 1103 and brings it to a conclusion. All of

my works are introduced and their purposes are addressed.

Midterm

My midterm covers a few things over the paper. I was able to address my past

experiences of writing and what level I thought I was on. This allowed me to step back and look

at where I was as a writer and how I could improve. Several aspects in my paper such as,

“Critical reflection also challenges me in my writing assignments”, were viewed and discussed

how I had trouble with them and how it would be beneficial to improve. Writing this paper

allowed me to look at myself and improve my writing as a whole.

Traditional Research Essay

My essay addressed the topic of college students lifting weights for health and academic

benefits. This information is very important to students who are inactive, have a weak drive, or

someone looking into lifting. The brains benefits contribute to the academia aspect while the

physical effects have to do with appearance and self-confidence. Both of these benefits are more

similar than most think. When you’re down and have no self-confidence, it’s hard to be

motivated to do certain tasks. Lifting can help students in school by releasing stress, better

health, and a more effective brain.

Process Work

My process work shows my thought process throughout a couple assignments. I have two

pre-writings that cover my FPE and e-portfolio. I tended to address the fact that the assignments

were solely up to us as far as design and presentation of content. I also have a list of ideas for my

research paper that show all the things that I care about but then I picked the one that I was most

interested in. I also added my mid-term to display my writing process and how I’ve grown or

plan to grow.

Exploratory Essay

My exploratory essay was important to me because I was able to write about my child

hood passion that is even stronger today. It was nice to go back to old times mentioned like, “In

my early years I would always be outside with my father.” I feel like there should be a piece of

work that solely expresses the thoughts of the writer. This is exactly what this piece is. It allows

the reader to have some insight and learn much more rather than reading a research essay. When

my draft was reviewed I learned a couple things. I make a lot of little errors and sometimes my

writing is a little hard to read. But receiving encouraging notes such as, “This essay held my

attention and flowed very nicely”,

Feedback

The feedback I received from Ms. Ingram and my classmates was very helpful. I decided

to include feedback on my FPE draft and a review of my exploratory essay. The feedback given

about my FPE draft included tips and help about the basis of each subject of the FPE. When I

first started this paper I was a little shaky but now after listening to class mates it has made it a

bit easier. Ms. Ingram’s review of my exploratory essay helped me make paper flow better and

have better content.

Visual Bibliography

I chose the visual bibliography due to its ability to be creative and even more effective

than three-column notes. By adding a little personal touch and creative freedom it makes the

bibliography more fun to use therefore making it more likely to be effective.

Wild Cards

For my wild cards I decided to include a paper from Engineering and a paper from my

LBST class. I chose the engineering paper because it challenged me greatly. There was a lot to

write and had to be done in an orderly manner. By completing that assignment, I was a little

more comfortable to write some of the more lengthy papers in 1103. My LBST papers force me

to take a different perspective. I read the section, make a thesis based on the prompt, and try my

best to support my thesis. This requires me to think more and be outside of the box. The different

writing style was able to shake my habitual writing style and expand on how I write and why.

Notebook

In my notebook I included the Do’s and Don’ts of Peer Review. Before 1103 and 1201 I

haven’t done much reviewing or revising. As I got more used to it this semester it began to grow

on me and I saw its importance. No paper is perfect and can always be improved at any skill

level.

My Growth

I can safely say my writing techniques and styles have grown since the beginning of the

semester. I felt the Inquiry project and mid-term allowed me to practice my writing habits while

writing about things I love. It is much easier for me to learn when I am doing something I enjoy.

An assigned research with a specific topic I have no connection to, does not help me in my

writing as far as skills go. Writing about cars allows me to express myself and write freely while

maintaining good habits in order produce a good paper.

Although it is easier to write about myself and simply express myself in the form of an

essay that isn’t always what is best. It is good to come out of the everyday comfort zone.

Engineering 1201 did just that. I went from 1st person, 12point, double space, to 3rd person, 11

point font, and single space. Writing an entire paper in 3rd person is much more difficult and

looks like, “The breadboard and resistors functioned well and the goal was achieved.” It is a

totally different style of writing and can be difficult when approached for the first time.

From draft to final draft, I have tried to make my papers as complete as they can be given

the time period. My drafts have a tendency to be a little rough and not flow properly. I also leave

out some important details that would really make certain pieces of work hold more value. I have

tried to make my drafts flow more easily, critique diction, and increase to content to make each

assignment a little more interesting and pleasing to the reader. I took most advice from my peers

and Ms. Ingram because they were helpful tips and they improved my paper.

Key Concepts

One key concept I know I experienced is “independent inquiry and curiosity”. The

exploratory essay and inquiry project pushed me to do a little thinking on my own. I had to find

my passion, explore it thoroughly, and then write about it in any way I wanted to. In a way I like

the freedom of these assignments. Naturally when given an assignment, a person would want a

set of instructions that takes them through the whole task. That would be the easiest route. By

being given a complete creative license I was able to grow as an independent thinker and

improve my writing skills.

“Getting out of your comfort zone”, was one area in which I think I overcame in this

class. All throughout school, including elementary, I’ve been fairly basic and don’t stand out

much when it comes to begin creative. For a long time I was scared to be creative and put my

own ideas out there. The thought of being wrong or weird didn’t sit well with me so I just kind of

sat back and took everything in. 18 year old me isn’t quite like that. I am far more out-going and

care free than I used to be. This goes for far more than just my social life. This mindset can and

has improved my writing by my taking chances and not doing things by the book all the time.

While most used the three-column notes for its ease, I chose to do the visual bibliography. It took

a little more time to complete but the different style and its affect was definitely worth it.

I can safely say I practiced the concept, “responsibility for your own learning”. When it

came to my research project, the research was strictly on me. I had to research many sources for

my topic then narrow down to what information I needed. This can sometimes be a little difficult

especially if it as a new topic to the writer. Being able to gather and organize new information

and put it into a successful paper definitely takes practice to some extent. When I became

comfortable with learning on my own I felt so free. The ability to research and learn about

whatever you like is so empowering.

Grade Evaluation

After completing this project and all of the works it entails, I think my work deserves a B.

The completed e-portfolio and assignments are some of my best work, and some are not exactly

my best to show. Overall my page is very easy to navigate and is set up in a way that grabs the

eye but isn’t too much to where it’s inappropriate to present. I also quoted my work and others

work multiple times throughout my FPE. I hope my e-portfolio is one of good work and

credibility. Thank you.