Reflection
Throughout this course, I have discovered myself as a writer. The areas I thought I mastered had some minor improvements to be done and the areas I thought I struggled in were not so bad after all. I have witnessed myself as writer progress not only content-wise but, structurally and grammatically as well. Through various in-class sessions, I built my way to becoming comfortable with my writing style. I have learned how to improve my writing in various ways whether if it is through peer review or utilizing the Norton Field Guide to Writing who became my sole companion for MLA format. Essay after essay I improved and learned to not repeat previous mistakes and have overall become successful with meeting the learning course outcomes.
My first Literacy Narrative essay was based on my relationship with writing. It was never a point of interest and I always despised it. I was able to reflect on how I used to think about the subject and how far I have come. Even though I wrote about how much I progressed I still had room for improvement. I struggled with engaging my audience in my essay. I aimed at creating an atmosphere where the audience felt that they were sitting in my classroom. With the help of our peer review session, I was able to receive feedback on my writing so far and I was able to hear new ideas. I began to see my writing from a different perspective allowing me to further elaborate on my story. My group gave me a sense of comfort and approval that my narrative was not as bad as I thought. Going back home to edit my essay I read through it with a brand-new set of eyes which I believe is what helped me the most.
For my Exploratory essay, I focused on “Cinderella” by Walt Disney and the power a magical dress had on Cinderella. I was very indecisive about what to write about since there were so many topics to explore. What helped me narrow down my options were utilizing the CCNY databases. I had never encountered the databases before and did not know where to start. However, thanks to the library session that we had during class I was able to navigate through the databases and through trial and error I was able to figure out which databases were the most useful with what I was looking for. Databases such as Jstor, EBSCOhost, and Academic Search Complete helped me find reliable sources. I trust sources from the databases in contrast to google searches because I know that the databases contain peer-reviewed articles and Ebooks written by scholars. This essay allowed me to think critically about the subject since I explored a topic that is not something that comes straight to mind when thinking about Cinderella. I was able to incorporate a work cited page formatted in MLA format alongside a header and heading. Having the opportunity to go back and rewatch these fairytales has allowed me to discover deeper meanings that these stories carry and incorporate my interpretation and analysis of the story. I can reflect on myself and how much I have changed as a person and acquired new perspectives to interpret the same tales that I once watched as a kid.
In the Research Critical Analysis, I hoped to convince my reader of the influence males had on fairy tale’s heroines. It was a challenge because the deadlines quickly approached and utilized different sources from books to short stories to articles which all have their unique way of citing. Thankfully I had my annotated bibliography that I had previously completed for Professor Voisard’s class. The bibliography asked for potential resources for your essay with explanations of how they will contribute to the assignment. This was a new technique that I would have never done on my own. I tend to write my essays and look for supporting evidence along the way. I had never looked for the evidence first and then written the essay. This essay pushed me past my limits and got me out of my comfort zone which I appreciated since it worked out for me and made it easier to finish my essay. This essay was different from the rest because it was an argumentative essay, therefore, it needed a counterclaim and rebuttal. I had to make sure that my stance was clear and supported throughout the essay, but to also include a counterclaim and refute it assuring to keep the audience on my side of the argument.
Looking back at these three essays that I have worked on has made me realize the struggles that I faced with each one. I notice an improvement since I do not repeat the same mistakes I once made. I make sure of this by going back to my past work and looking at the professor’s comments so I can learn from my mistakes. I value these comments because they not only correct me on what I did wrong, but they also assure me of what I am doing right. I realize that there is always room for improvement, but I believe that consistency is key and as long as I keep up the good work, I’ve done then I will reach great heights.
