Portfolio Reflection Essays - , Term Papers

Portfolio Reflection Portfolio Reflection Throughout high school I have always struggled with writing. I was never able to fully get my point across in an essay. Senior year I decided to take ERWC so I could improve my writing skills and better prepare myself for college. After taking this class for an entire year, I have found that I have gain a greater understanding of the process needed to write a proper paper. I have learned how to properly use transition words, as well as learn how to properly cited the resources and TAG them in the essay. Something that I have learned throughout this year that has also helped my writing is the Papa Square. I have never been introduced to a Papa Square in any of my other classes, so at first it was difficult for me to properly use it. Once I learned how to properly use it, it allowed me to better strengthen my claims by helping me gain a greater understanding of the sources I was using. Although my writing has improved in many areas, I still find that I struggle with writing my works cited page on my own. I find that when I write it on my own, I make minor mistakes. Another area I still struggle with is writing my thesis statement. When we are given the opportunity to have a peer edit in class, a common comment that my peer editors give is that my thesis statements are often unclear. A way I can fix this is by revisiting my thesis statement when my essay is complete. This way I will be able to write a thesis that properly fits my claims and is clearer. What I personally enjoyed from ERWC was the class discussions. I enjoyed that I was able to gain different perspectives and ideas on various modules. An example would be the Juvenile Module. Personally I believed that juveniles should be tried and sentenced as adults, and they should be eligible for life without parole. After the discussion that was held in class and the videos that were played I gained a different perspective. I still believe that juveniles should be held accountable for the decisions and actions they make but I feel that they should not face such harsh punishments. I believe that being placed in a juvenile facility, rather than an adult facility, and placed in rehabilitation is more suited for juveniles. They will be given an opportunity to change their lifestyles and behavior by being guided. Considering all the activities and engagement in ERWC, I believe that class discussions and peer edits should be incorporated into next years curriculum. They honestly help students not only become better writers, but I personally believe that it has helped shape my perspective on several topics. Taking this class has made me feel more confident in my writing and I believe that I am well prepared to take a college level course.